Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 · Psalm 100
PSAL. C. A Pſalm of Praiſe. foreign.
THE Title ſhews the Scope, that it was compoſed for a form to praiſe God, yea and in the publique Congregation, and therefore is well choſen to be a part of our Liturgy.
There be two parts of this Pſalm.
1. An Exhortation to praiſe God, verſ. 1, 2, 4. And the manner how to be done.
2. The reaſons that perſwade to it, verſ. 3, 5.
1. He exhorts to praiſe God.In his Exhortation to praiſe God, required it is,
1. The firſt part.That the praiſe be Univerſal, none exempted from it. All ye lands, or all the earth. Vers. 1
2. That it be hearty, full, and performed with a cheerful ſoul. Make a joyful noyſe; 1Univerſally.that it be done in gladneſs, and ſinging.
3. 2Heartily.That it be not partial and reſtrain'd, but complete, the Copia verborum in which the Exhortation is offer'd, 3Completely.ſhews it. Jubilate, colite, ſcitote, Vers. 2 venite, laudate, benedicite.
4. 4Sincerely.That it be ſincere, and not feined; done as in his eye, and preſence. Vers. 3
5. 5Knowingly.That it ought to be well grounded, ariſe from knowledge. Know ye that. Vers. 4
6. 6Thankfully.But thankſgiving be a part of it.
7. 7Publickly.That it be, as oft as occaſion is offer'd, Publick. Enter into his Courts with Thanksgiving.
2. The ſecond part.The Duty being ſet down; reaſons the Prophet ſets down alſo to perſwade to it, The reaſons for it.drawn from the Nature of God. 2. The benefits he beſtows on us.
1. Firſt from his Eſſence. Know ye, if you know not ſo much already, that the Lord he is God. Vers. 3 Other gods there be talk'd on, but none True but he. 1He is God. Which ſhewed by his works ofAnd therefore none to be ſerv'd but he.
2. And this he ſhews himſelf to be by his work of Nature and Grace upon you.
1. 1Nature or Creation.By his work of Nature, for he is your Maker. It is he that hath made us, and not we our ſelves. Parents are ſaid to get chilcren, but that ability is from God. He makes the barren to bear, and to be a joyful Mother of children. Thou haſt faſhioned me in my mothers womb. What ſaith Elkanah? Am I in the place of God? when his Wife was diſpleaſed ſhe had no child.
2. 2Of Grace.By his work of Grace. For we were out of the fold, but he call'd us into it, and ever ſince accounted of us as his people of his paſture. He governs us, feeds us.
And that we be yet the more cheerful and ready to perform this duty, in the laſt verſe he puts us in mind of three Attributes of God; His Mercy, his Goodneſs, his Truth; for which he is worthy to be praiſed by us, becauſe we the better for them; for be cauſe he is good, he hath mercy upon us; and becauſe he is merciful, 2He ishe promiſeth us aid and aſſiſtance; and becauſe he is faithful and true, he will perform it.
1. Vers. 5 For the Lord is good. O how good to thoſe that are true of heart! He is reconcil'd to us, 1A good God.pardons our ſin, juſtifies us, adopts us for his children, and that freely, without any merit of ours.
2. His Mercy is everlaſting. He is the Father of Mercies, 2Merciful.and begets Mercies, as oft as we bring forth ſins. It is the Mercy of the Lord, that we are not conſumed.
3. And his Truth endureth to all generations. 3Faithful.For he never made promiſe, but either he hath or will perform it. God is not as man, that he ſhould lye.
The Prayer collected out of the one hundred Pſalm.
O Omnipotent and holy God, Vers. 1 the excellency and tranſcendency of thy Nature, and thoſe infinite benefits by thy favour conferr'd upon us, exact at our hands, that we appear in thy preſence, to celebrate thy name with joy and gladneſs, and enter into thy Gates with thankſgiving, and into thy Courts with praiſe. But being conſcious to our own unworthineſs, which ariſeth from the thoughts of our manifold tranſgreſſions, afraid we are, that we duſt and aſhes, ſinful duſt and aſhes, ſhould take upon us to ſpeak unto our Lord, we tremble at thy preſence, and are ready to ſink under thy diſpleaſure; If thou, Lord, ſhould'ſt be extream to mark what is done amiſs, O Lord, who may abide it?
Remember yet, we are thy creatures, and the work of thy own hands, Vers. 3 for thou haſt made us, and not we our ſelves; Remember that when we were not a people worthy of love, thou calledſt us, and madeſt us thy people; when we were clean without the pale, that wenteſt after us, and broughteſt us home to thy fold, and madeſt us the ſheep of thy paſture. Give us grace then, O thou great Shepherd of our ſouls, that we may lament our unthankfulneſs and forgetfulneſs of theſe favours, and the heinouſneſs of our rebellions being removed, be reconciled unto us, and inable us, that inſtead of a corrupt and impure life, we may ſerve thée in righteouſneſs and holineſs all our dayes.
Of this we have yet ſome hope, becauſe thou art good, Vers. 5 thy mercy is everlaſting, and thy truth endureth from generation to generation; from thy goodneſs procéeds thy mercy, and becauſe thou art merciful, thou haſt made promiſes to penitent believing ſinners, and we are aſſured thou wilt perform them, becauſe thou art faithful and true. O ſeal theſe promiſes to our diſconſolate hearts by the graces of thy Holy Spirit, Vers. 2 then we ſhall be bold to come into thy preſence, then will we enter into thy Gates with thankſgiving, then we will be thankful unto thée, and bleſs thy holy Name. We will ſerve the Lord with gladneſs, and make a joyful noyſe to our Lord, the God of Jacob, for ever. Amen.
Here ends the Third Book of the Pſalms, according to the Hebrews.