A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Title page – Errata
A BRIEF EXPLICATION Of the other fifty Psalmes, From Ps. 50. to Ps. 100.
BY DAVID DICKSON, Professour of Divinity in the Colledge of Edenburgh.
Blessed is the man whom thou chusest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house, even of thy holy Temple.
Psal. 65. 4.
Imprimatur, Iuly 16. 1653. EDMUND CALAMY.
London, Printed by T. R. & E. M. for Ralph Smith, at the Bible in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange. 1653.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The EARL of EGLINGTON, Mercy and Peace through Iesus Christ.
My right Noble Lord,
THE reason of my sending forth of this piece, under your Lordships name, is, that by this means I may pay home before I die, the old debt which I owe to your Lordship, and to the whole noble family, for countenancing and encouraging me openly in my Ministery, all the while I was in Irwin near your Lordship, full twenty yeares.
And the reason why I do confesse my debt now, and go about to discharge some part of it, at this time of your Lordships restraint in England, is, because when I call to minde the time of my restraint about some thirty yeares ago, (when the High Commission Court of Prelates procured my confinement within a little village in the North beyond Aberdein, in regard I could not give them satisfaction by receiving the yoak of some Popish ceremonies, imposed then upon the Ministery,) I cannot forget how comfortable your Lordship was to me then, and what paines and travel you endured summer and winter without wearying, untill they who at that time had power to loose me from my confinement, being made sensible, some of them of the iniquity, and all of them of the inexpediencie of keeping me in bonds, I was restored to the free and full use of my Ministery. Wherefore I do esteem it a part of due gratitude, to do what in me lieth, to be comfortable to your Lordship in this your present condition; and do heartily pray to God that your exercise and trouble, may prove a meanes of your happinesse. It is true indeed, that happinesse without this meanes were to be wished, if so it were Gods pleasure; but unto God onelyonly (in whose hands alone it is to make men blessed, and in whose friendship and favour through Christ only men are really blessed) it doth belong, as to choose the man to whom, so also to choose the meanes whereby, and the manner how he will communicate the right and possession of true blessednesse. If happinesse were at mens wish and carving, no man would choose God for his chief good, nor Gods way to bring his felicity about; for the multitude of men do say, Psal. 4. 6. Who will shew us any good?
The good which God doth shew unto them, and the way how by reconciliation with himself, and walking humbly and uprightly before him, they may have God to be their rich reward, is not the thing they love to have; but corn and wine and oile, and whatsoever may best please their fleshly fancie, is their desire. And of this the Lord doth complain, Psal. 81. 11. My people, saith he, would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me. And what was it which they did preferre unto God? they loved to have their own will in this world, whatsoever should befall them after death; they loved rather to have their own earthly desires satisfied, then to have the friendship of God: and their choice was given unto them to their owne destruction. So (saith the Lord) I gave them over to their owne hearts lust, and they walked in the counsell of their owne heart. Few, when they look upon the course which the world doth runne after, yea very few do preferre the fellowship of God reconciled to them in Christ, before riches, honour, and sensual pleasure: For, Who will shew us any good? is that which many do say, Psala 4. 6. bu… Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, is the petition of the few opposed to the multitude; and even those few godly would wish to go to heaven with ease, and to be free from trouble in their journey, if it were the Lords will, as we may see in the prayer of Iabez, 1 Chron. 4. 10. Who called on the God of Israel saying, Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evill, that it may not grieve me. But our loving and wise God, who knoweth perfectly what is fittest for every man, doth crosse and correct those natural desires of his children. And howsoever he will now and then possibly grant the prayer of Iabez, to some of his people, yet he hath appointed this to be the ordinary road-way to heaven, which the Apostle pointeth forth to us, Acts 14. 22. We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God,
And this course of carrying of Gods children through many afflictions, doth no wayes hinder their happinesse; for how many soever their crosses be, yet this holdeth alwayes fast, Psal. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee. If therefore by plurality of chastisements, the Lord shall draw, and drive them to seek remission of sinnes and reconciliation with himself, and the renewed sense thereof through Christ, and shall by the rod hedge them within the way of walking with him in a friendly communion: they lose nothing except their lusts, and do gain eternal blessednesse. And certain…y there is so much reliques of natural corruption, so strong inclinations unto sinne, so many actuall outbreakings, and grosse transgressions to be found in the most precious Saints, that there is no wonder the Lord should visit their trespasses with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; but all the wonder is, that he will not take his loving kindnes utterly from them. There is also so great need of loosing their affections from what seemeth love-worthy in this world; so great need of raising the hearts of the heires of Salvation unto the seeking of a Kingdom, which cannot be shaken, and of a crown uncorruptible; as all reason doth call for the mixture of troubles with earthly comforts, lest the sweetnesse of temporary vanities should prove unto them poysonable. Moreover, the experience of the Saints set down in Scripture, and especially in the Psalmes, doth make it manifest, that by the variety of outward and inward troubles the faith of Gods children hath been tried, and trained to farther strength. Their love, hope, and patience, and all other spiritual graces in them have been so fostered and augmented, as they have been made joyfully and thankfully to subscribe this truth, Psal. 94. 12. Blessed it the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy Law. This is the language of the Lords present dispensation toward his people, and the lesson which his Providence doth recommend to us all, that we may learn it to our good: whereunto if this piece shall contribute any thing for the edifying of those who shall be pleased to read it; and in speciall, if it shall be acceptable to your Lordship, this shall do much more then recompence the labour of
Your Lordships obliged servant in the Gospell, DAVID DICKSON.
The Epistle to the READER.
Christian Reader.
THe acceptance which the former fifty Psalme… ha…e found, doth give me encouragement suf…ient to offer these other fifty to thy view also, and to give thee the last fifty so soon a… the Lord …all enable me: I am still sparing of thy time, and do strive to point forth, not all the …octrines which may be deduced from the words; but so many onelyonly a… being joyned together and compared with the …xt, may give unto thee both the sense and the use thereof. It is not possible to expresse grave purposes suffieiently without … volume, nor to open mysteries in few words unto thy sati…tion, who c…st not chuse but wish to have more of the purpose, whereof th…u lov… …o hear much, and findest but a little of it …inted at. No sort of writing, except that of the Scripture, hath all perfections; but this a… …ge thou hast by this mould, thou shalt not r…d long till thou meet with matter worthy of thy meditation; and whensoever thou meetest with a word spoken in seas…n, or fit for thy condition, thou m…t close thy reading for the time, without losing any long discourse, and feed upon what thou hast found till it be digested, and then returne when thou wil…, & seek for as much as may be another morsell. For the reading of many div…rse doctrines, without some interlaced meditation is like eating of …rrow without bread, and cannot but …loy thee for the time, or give thee a sur…eit of wholesome food; which evil if it be…al thee, may be helped for after-time by short ejaculations of a word of prayer whilest thou art reading, according as the purpose calleth thee … seek the Lords blessing unto that which thou readest, whose presence that thou mayest finde comfortable, is the prayer of
Thy servant in the Gospel, DAVID DICKSON.
The mistakes in the printing whi…h have escaped the Prsse in the former piece, and may possi…ly also escape it hereafter, I pray thee excuse; because I am a… such a distance, as I … neither timously prevent th…, nor marke them as Errata that … mightest correct them.