Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 · Psalm 93
PSAL. XCIII. A Doxology. foreign.
'TIS the purpoſe of the Prophet to comfort the Church oppoſed by Tyrants and Perſecutors, and yet ſhe ſhall not utterly fail. The gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt her, becauſe Chriſt ſits in his Church as King. The Sum of it is,
1. The magnificence and power of Chriſt our eternal King, verſ. 1, 2.
2. That he defends his Church in the day of a ſtorm, verſ. 3, 4.
3. That his Laws are holy, and his Church alſo, verſ. 5.
The Prophet in the firſt verſe deſcribes our King,
1. From his Office. He reigns. He is the great and chief Monarch; The King of the Church deſcribed. The firſt part. 1. From his Office.He is no idle Spectator of things below, but wiſely, and juſtly, and powerfully he adminiſters all things.
2. He is a glorious King. For he is clothed with Majeſty.
3. He is a potent King. The Lord is clothed with ſtrength.
4. He is a warlike King. For he hath girded himſelf, Vers. 1 buckled his ſword upon his armour, for offence of his enemies, 2His Majeſty.for defence of his Kingdom.3His Power.
Then for his Kingdom.4His Ammunition.
1. It is firſt Univerſal. The World.2His Kingdom univerſal.
2. It is fix'd, firm, and ſtable. The World is alſo ſtabliſhed, and cannot be moved. Vers. 2
3. It is an everlaſting Kingdom, from everlaſting to everlaſting. 1Firm, immutable.Thy Throne is eſtabliſhed of old: Thou art from everlaſting. 2Everlaſting.Aeternus Rex, aeternum Regnum.
2. The ſecond part. Againſt this Tyrants ariſe.But in this his Kingdom, there be thoſe who raiſe tumults, commotions, and rebellions. Theſe he compares to ſwelling waters, and foming waves.
1. The floods, i. e. Tyrants, Perſecutors, &c. have lifted up, O Lord, Vers. 3 the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their waves. The Church dwells in the Sea, and the waves of tyranny, ambition, malice, beat furiouſly upon it.
2. But to no purpoſe.Well, be it ſo: yet the Lord on high is mightier than the noyſe of many waters, yea than the mighty waves of the Sea. He wonderfully and ſtrangely hath ſhewed his might, Vers. 4 in getting himſelf the Victory over all Perſecutors, and propagating and inlarging his Kingdom over all the earth, in deſpite of his enemies.
3. The third part. The Laws of his Kingdom unalterable.And as his Kingdom is immoveable, ſo are alſo the Laws by which it is governed; fixt, and unalterable alſo. Thy Teſtimonies are very ſure. The Goſpel is an eternal Goſpel, the Doctrine thereof holy, and inviolable, by which God, Vers. 5 teſtatus eſt, hath witneſſed his good-will to man, and what he will have done by all his loving Subjects: which is, that they be a Holy people.
2. 2And holy: as are his Subjects alſo.For Holineſs becomes thy Houſe for ever. The Temple, the Prieſts, the people, muſt be a Holy Nation: for ever correſpondent to the Holineſs of his Law and Teſtimonies. Be ye Holy, for I am Holy. Holineſs becomes thy Houſe, O Lord, for ever.
The Prayer collected out of the ninty third Pſalm.
O Omnipotent Lord, which framedſt the whole world by thy power, and ordereſt all things by thy wiſdom, and yet in mercy haſt made choice of ſome only to be a peculiar people to thy ſelf, Vers. 3 thou ſeeſt how this thy little flock is oppoſed, afflicted, oppreſſed by the pride and malice of bloody men. Our enemies, O Lord, are mighty, and inſult over us, they roare as the Sea, they lift up their voice; they ſeek to daſh us in pieces with their inſolent waves of anger and hatred, as an inundation of waters, and a tempeſtuous Sea, they encompaſs us, and ſeek to ſwallow us quick.
Let it be thy pleaſure, Vers. 4 O Lord, to deliver us from theſe waves, we believe that thou, O Lord, art mightier than the noyſe of many waters, yea than the mighty waves of the Sea, ſtir up then thy ſtrength, and come amongſt us. Caſt them then down in thy power, ſtill the waves of this troubleſome Sea with thy word, break in pieces the heads of Leviathan in theſe waters, that we may have juſt cauſe to glorifie thy name.
Other Lords now raign over us, Vers. 1 but thou art our King, ſhew thy ſelf then thou that ſitt'ſt between the Cherubims, appear as thou art, clothed with Majeſty, Vers. 2 fortified with power and ſtrength, girded with thy ſword upon thy thigh, revenge thine own cauſe upon thy enemies, and defend thy little flock. Thou art from everlaſting, Vers. 1 thou art the ſole Monarch of the World, thou reigneſt, thy Throne is eſtabliſhed of old, let not man then have the upper hand, leſt he grow too proud: Shew that thou haſt ſo eſtabliſhed the World, and thy Church in the World, that it ſhall never be moved.
In thee, Vers. 5 all the promiſes made unto us, are yea, and Amen, thy Teſtimonies are very ſure, and the decrées of thy Kingdom immutable. They require of us, Faith, Obedience, and Holineſs. Oh thou who art our King, and our God, give us Faith to relie on thy promiſes, Obedience to ſubmit to thy Laws, and a ſtudy of Holineſs, conſtantly and ever to perform ſuch holy ſervices and duties, that thou requireſt, and becomes thy houſe, and thoſe that dwell in it. Make our bodies Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, that the Holy Ghoſt may take delight to dwell in this Temple for ever. Amen.