A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Title page – To the reader
A BRIEF EXPLICATION Of the last Fifty Psalmes, From Ps. 100. to the end.
BY DAVID DICKSON.
Professor of DIVINITY in the COLLEDGE of EDENBURGH:
COL. 3.16.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, in Psalmes and Hymnes, and spiritual Songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Imprimatur,
EDMUND CALAMY.
LONDON, Printed by T.R. and E. M for Tho. Iohnson at the golden Key in S. Pauls Church-yard. An. Dom. 1654.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THE EARLE OF Cassills, Grace and Peace through Christ Iesus.
My Right Noble Lord,
ONe of the speciall motives of my resolution, to follow this work in parcells, was the apparent hazard, that if in this time of trouble, and of my old age, I should have delayed to put forth some part of it, till all had been ready, the whole might have been miscarried, or marred by some passage of providence, which might have befallen me. But seeing it hath pleased the Lord to spare my life, and my health, and my liberty in his service, as I wanted not the example of grave Authors before me to divide the whole Book of the Psalmes into three fifties; and to dedicate every part to severall persons: So I judged it good thrift to take occasion thereby, to testifie my bound duty and respect, to so many of the Noble friends of Sion, as I could overtake, and that with a minde to honour all the rest, who have put their shoulder to the work of setling Religion, and the Kingdome of Christ among us: whose labours, albeit they should have no other fruit in our time, then the right stateing of the question between us and all adversaries of the true doctrine, worship, and discipline of Christs house, as it is set down in the Confession of faith; in the directory for publick worship, and in the Rules of Government of Christs Church, drawn forth from Scripture warrant; yet even that much is worth all the expense of whatsoever is bestowed, by any, or all the Lords worthies, upon Religion. And howsoever the Lord doth claime, and call for the whole glory of this work to himselfe alone, by staining the pride of the glory of all instruments whereof he hath made use about it (as now appeareth) lest the glory due to himselfe in all and every one of the passages of promoting the same should be ecclipsed, yet will he never utterly reject this service, nor disallow the upright endeavours of his servants therein; but will in his own time, and way, both advance it, and bear witnesse to his faithfull servants in and about it, wheresoever he hath a minde to keep house, or to Reigne as King in Sion. Yea, he will also make it known to the world, that as on the one hand, he will not want a visible Kingdome in the world, (though not of this world) so on the other hand, that his Kingdome shall be so farre from hindring the civill Government of Magistrates, where it hath place, that by the contrary it shall be a chiefe prop, and pillar of every Kingdome, where it is received.
In this number of upright promoters of the Kingdome of Christ, Your Lordship hath been alwayes looked upon all the time of our late troubles, as one very eminent: and I since my first admission into your Lordships acquaintance, have observed your constant care and endeavour, as to know what was the right indifficile questions, so also to hold it fast according to your power, after you had discovered it. Which as it may be your Lordships comfort, so is it your commendation, and all mens duty to do the like, especially in this dangerous time, wherein sinnes practised, and not repented of, are so severely and justly punished, by Gods giving over the impenitent to the open professing and defending of their unrepented faults; for God in justice and wisdom, has suffered the hedges of his Vineyard to be broken down, and the holy discipline of his house to be so set at nought by all sorts of persons, that every spirit of errour, having open way to come in at the breach, he might thereby try and exercise all his people, who stand in Covenant with him by Profession and reclaim or punish such as live in errour: And no wonder that he so should do, for when there is so little use made of the holy Ordinances of Religion, when the Scriptures are either not read, or not esteemed of, when the forme of godlinesse is separated from upright endeavour to feel and shew forth the life and power of it, when the grace of the Gospel is turned into wantonnesse, and men are become so much the more bold to sin, as they do heare much of the mercifulnesse of God, when every divine truth is either not beleeved at all, or received only with humane and temporary faith: when Christ is looked upon by many only as a man, and not as God manifested in the flesh, not as the eternal Son of God, who from everlasting was with God, and was God, Co-worker in the Creation, with the Father and the Spirit, when Christ is confessed to be Christ, but not employed as Mediatour; or (as if men had need of him) not made use of in his Offices; when many do cast open their soules unto, and seek after another spirit then the Spirit of truth, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, who according to the Scriptures, both wounds and heales the consciences of beleevers, and sanctifieth the heart and conversation of all them that come to God through Christ. In this time (I say) when these and many other ungodly practices of men, walking after the imagination of their own heart, do so abound; what wonder ir it that the Lord hath let loose so many unclean spirits, as no history can shew more in so short a time in any age, or in any place of the world, by whose ranging up and down among us, God is about to make manifest the stability and sincerity of the faith of them, who are approved, and to take trial of others, (in whom such damnable practices▪ as by the doctrine of devils, are now openly defended, will be found unrepented) whether after they shall hear their ungodly pranks maintained and patronized, by some Sect-master, Heretick or Schismatick, they will abhor such abominable doctrine, and repent their owne former mis-deeds, which have spoken the language of some of those vile errours; Or whether they will justifie their own faults, (according as their Sect-masters do teach them to do,) either by despising all the Ordinances, and lifting themselves above the same, or by rejecting the commands and cords of the moral Law, will loose themselves from the obedience thereof, as if Christ had freed the believer from the command and authority of the Law, no lesse then from the Covenant and curse thereof; or by blaspheming the Scripture, will cry down the truth, and the use and power of it; or by calling every truth in question, will exempt themselves from the bonds of all Religion; or will walk after the imagination of their own heart, and make their own conceits their Oracle, their fancie their faith, and their lusts their God; or will, by opposing one or other of the Persons of the Godhead▪ deny and separate the indivisible Essence of one God in three Persons; or by receiving the doctrine of some of those many lesser antichrists which are in the world, will incorporate themselves in the great mystical body of that one Antichrist, spoken of in Scripture; or in a word, will by rejecting the truth, and not receiving of it in love, when it is offered, bring in upon themselves strong delusions, and give a powerful possession of themselves to the devil, whereby he may so rule in them, as to make them vent whatsoever hell can devise, to the dishonour of God and Christian Religion, that all such may be damned, as for their not receiving the truth in love, so also for their taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse, according as the Apostle did prophecie should come to passe, 2 Thess. 2.11, 12.
In such a time therefore as this is, wherein the Lord is manifesting, who are of God, and who not, who do know God, and who not; who do follow the Spirit of truth, and who are led by the spirit of errour, and is deciphering them by this infallible mark which the Apostle giveth, 1 John 4.6. that the one giveth a beleeving and obediential eare to the Penmen of holy Scripture; the other doth not so; what a merciemercy, yea, what an honour and happinesse is it for the Lords children, to make such use of a setled Ministry (which is the great gift of Christ bestowed upon his Church,) as not to be carried about with every winde of doctrine, Eph. 4.11, 12, 13, 14. not to be led away with the errour of the wicked, nor fall from their own stedfastnesse, but to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 3.17, 18. Which grace, and honour, and happinesse, that it may not only continue with your Lordship, but also be granted to all those that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, is the prayer of
Your Lordships ready Servant in the Gospel, DAVID DICKSON.
THE EPISTLE TO THE Reader.
CHRISTIAN READER,
IN the two former parts of this work, I have spoken my minde to thee, in relation to this brief Explication of the Psalmes: I will not here keep thee up in the entry of this last part, nor say any more unto thee, save this, It is our bound duty, to bless him that inhabiteth the praises of Israel, who will have all the Mourners in Sion to be comforted, and who, as he hath prepared in this mountain unto all people, Isa. 25.6. a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined, by bestowing Christ, and the unsearchable riches of his grace, upon every Penitent who fleeth to him for delivery from sin and wrath; so hath he also prepared to every such soul the excellent songs of Sion, to encrease their festival gladness, and for evidencing of his purpose to give unto them everlasting joy, after this life is ended, hath put in their hands for their comfort in every condition, wherein they can be in this present life and valley of tears) this sweet-smelled bundle of Psalmes; wherein he hath made his works of mercy and of judgement the pawnes of his promises, for compleat happiness unto them, and also of the utter overthrow and perdition of all their enemies, and hath appointed both mercy and judgement to be the matter, as of their joy, so of his owne glory in the Church, to be lifted up as a sacrifice upon the Altar Christ Iesus, by the voice of his people, singing with grace to him, both alone and in company, and making melody in their hearts: therefore as in the changes of our own particular private condition, we have liberty to choose for our use such parts of the Psalmes, as do speak most near to our present case: So let us be bound in publick meetings of the Church, to joyne with the Congregation in singing every truth uttered by Gods Spirit in the Psalmes, as we are directed by the Minister and mouth of the meeting, for glorifying of him, who hath done, promised, threatened, and taught, whatsoever is therin expressed; Remembring that his Praises are the pillars of our faith; and that his joy is our strength; and that those calves of our lips, are acceptable sacrifices to God through Iesus Christ, in and for whom
I am thy Servant in the Work of the Gospel, DAVID DICKSON.