Of the l(,nor:vled_v, of Cjod the Father, ~ eff~llually. Ofall things he will be fure to bring them to Salvation. Whot can BooK I. be more? ~ All and every ofthefe, through want of not fearching them out~ even the Saints themfelves obferve not, and therefore God lofeth of hts Pratfe, yet we fiJOuld believe them to be exallly true, and at the latter day we !hall have an account of the fulfilling of them ; but it is with us as Job acknow– !edgeth, Job 9· 10, I I. God doth great Things paft fnding out, yea, and Wonders witho11t number. Lo, he goeth bJ, and I fie hrm not': he pajfetb on alfo, but I perceive him not. . You find at the dole of this, that part of his Kingdom added, Bttl all the Wic!l.!d ,will he deflroJ; namely, in Hell : for <;f ?ther Difpenfations to them in this Life he had fpoken, verj 17. and thts lS a matter of as great Praife as any other, but only that towards his Saints, and which next thereto does bring in. the ~reatell: and. jull:efl:. Revenues of Glory to him. And yet even in dotng thts he !hews htmfelfRzghteo111 and Holj, as he had fatd afore, verf 17. ·. . Thefe things done and gone through, look as he had begun Wtth htmfelf, fo he ends, ver( 21. :iMy Moutb fb•fl JPeal{_ the 'Praifts ofthe Lord ; namely, for all thefe things, and yet not a Word in all thefe things that was proper to himfelf, but ofcommon Concernment to others. And then having faid, he as a Leader ofthe Qyire, provokes all Ffejb to do the fame. And fet all Ffejb bfejJ his hofy Name for ever and ever; that is every Creature (as fometimes F!efh is ufed) to be fure, ofall the Sons of Men. Truly he might worthily entitle this 'Pfalm, David's Praife: namely, [of God] whom elfewhere he gives the attribute of the ['Praijed God] unto; as in Pwl. r8. 4.1will callupon the l'raiftd God: So in the Original there. ..Ainfworth obferveth the fim1e Word here, verf. 3· The meaning in that place is (to make it the highe!t Encouragement to beget Confidence in one that Prays) is thi,, that God never denied Prayer; and that is the Thing for which he comes to be fo famed and renowned a God, and that makes him to be the Praiffid God ; that is it the Saints do praife him for: as that Coherence !hews. And it is as if David had (aid, I wifl call upon him, and I !hall be fure to fpeed: For he is renowned for thi,, and bears the Title ofthe [ Pra;Jed God], for that !lill he con– tinually hears them that call upon him. And we may be fure thar God will not lofe his Praife, and therefore will hear every one that calls upon him: accor· ding to that in Pfal. 2 2. 3, 4, 5· 'But tho" art Holy, 0 thou that inbabiteft tbe 'Praifes of Ifrael. Our Fathers trufled in th<e : theJ tro.fted and tho11 didft deliver them. TheJ cried unto thee, and were delivered : thry tmfted in thee, and were not confounded. And this makes it no wonder, that David elfewhere further ll:iles him, The God of '"J 'Praife; Thus l'fal. 109. verf.r. Whereupon give me leave, in order to expound it the better, to expoflu: late. a little. What, David, were there no Saints but thy felf that gave Pratfe to God? Why doll: thou then feem to appropriate and ingrofs God unto thy felf, as the God of tbJ Praift, as if none praifed him elfe bu~ thee ? It is becaufe his Soul had devoted all the Praife · he was able to beflow on any, unto the Lord alone ; as whom he had fet himfelf to praife, and praife alone. As of a Beloved Son we ufe to fay, The Son of "'J Love : And further, it is as if he had faid, if l had all the Ability of the Spirits of Men and Angels wherewith \O celebrate him, I would beflow them all on him, he is the Gqd for my Praift. And as he was his, fo he fhould be ours. · Yea further, H;n~e it is, that he is enfliled, The 'Praift of all Sainlt, Pfalm 148. !All:. Tts one of hts Tttles, whereby (as God) h,e is fer out. GIVe me leave to underll:and that Paffage of God. hirnfelf, which others have diverted fi;orn him; for the Pfalmift afore had faid, He alfo exalteth the Horn of his People: And the~,fore he it is, of who.m it follows, The p,.ifi uf all his Saints. · My
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=