The Saints Sacrifice, Section 84
84. Of the interpretation and reſolution of the thirteenth verſe.
PSAL. CXVI. XIII.
I will take the cup of ſalvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
*§. 76.THe ſecond part of the Prophets Rhetoricall addubitation is here expreſſed, which is an anſwer to his former queſtion: whereby hee ſheweth that he made not the queſtion ſimply on ignorance, as if he knew not what to render, but purpoſely to ſet out the great deſire he had, and the forwardneſſe that was in him to doe, what he ſaw moſt meet to be done.
This was one Iohn Lodwicke, a Spaniard by nation, a Monke by profeſsion, who lived ten yeares together in England, lodging in an houſe by Biſhops gate, London, who day after day went forth in a beggars attire, and as occaſion was offered, belched forth moſt impious blaſphemies againſt the bleſſed Trinity, eſpecially againſt the ſacred perſon of our bleſſed Saviour Ieſus Chriſt (whom he ordinarily called Deuill) and againſt the holy Scripture, for which he was convented before authority, and being convicted by witneſſes and by his own confeſsion was ſent over to Spaine▪ there to be proceeded againſt, in the yeare of our Lord 1618. This blaſphemous Heretique accounting the things that were written by the Prophets and Apoſtles to be meere dotages, ſaid that David was one of the worſt, and that in penning this Pſalme he ſhewed himſelfe to be a drunkard and a lyar, by reaſon of this, and the tenth verſe. As if by taking the cup of ſalvation, he had intended the drinking of an health, as drunkards uſe to do. Wherby we ſee how dangerous it may be to take that literally, which is meant metaphorically.This phraſe, cup of ſalvatition, is the moſt difficult and doubtfull phraſe of all the Pſalme. Its here figuratively uſed, and in that reſpect more ſubject to various interpretations. According to the divers ſignifications of this word * cup, ſome take it one way; foreignſome another.
1. It is taken for a part or portion: for in a cup, uſeth to be ſuch a ſet portion of beere or wine, or phyſicall potion, or ſuch like thing, as may be thought fit for him to whom its given; as where the Pſalmiſt a Pſal. 23. 5. Per calicem mē ſura intelligitur, &c. Hier. Cōment. in hunc loc.ſaith, My cup runneth over, his meaning is, the portion which thou haſt given me is an abundant potion, even like a cup that runneth over. On this ground bTrevet. Genebrad.ſome expound this place thus, I will cIſa. …1. 17, 22. Mat. 20. 22.thankefully take that portion which the Lord allots me, and uſe it to my ſalvation, calling on his name and worſhipping him.
2. A cup is put for affliction. dSollicitoque bibas veluti doctiſsimus olim, in perturbato quod bibit ore reus. Ovid in Ibid.For of old they were wont to put poiſon into cups, and make ſuch as were adjudged to death, to drinke thereof. After this manner were Socrates, eHerod. l. 3. Cic Tuſc. l. 1. … Pluta. in vit. Phoc.Pſammonitus, Ph…cion▪, Theramenes, I and others put to death. Bitter things alſo are put into cups for medicines: and becauſe afflictions are bitter, and as it were given to us by our wiſe and heauenly Father to drink, they are ſet out by a cup. fOrigin. Hieron. Auguſtin. Plac. Parm.Some therefore according to that ſignification thus expound this Text, I will willingly drinke the cup of affliction which the Lord ſhalbe pleaſed to give me, yea though it be death, which will aſſuredly turne to my ſalvation.
3. gMat. 26. 39.The paſſion of Chriſt is ſtiled a cup: whereupon hLorinus aliique Papiſt.many imagine that the Prophet hath here relation thereunto. iHier. comment in hunc. loc. In Hebraeo ita habet, calicem Ieſu accipiam, &cAn ancient Father ſaith that the Hebrew thus hath it, I will take the cup of Ieſus: which an Angel thus interprets, thou ſhalt call his name Ieſus: for he ſhall ſave his people. Indeed kforeignthe Hebrew name tranſlated Ieſus, is derived from a root that ſignifieth to lforeignſave: But mforeignthe word here uſed is of the feminine gender and plurall number. Yet by that which follows it may be gathered that by this very Hebrew word, the ſame thing is meant as by the name Ieſus, namely ſalvation. They who apply the cup of ſalvation to Chriſts paſſion, take it paſſively for martyrdome, or ſuffering for Chriſt, and ſo it little differs from the former interpretation. They who in theſe ſences expound this text, ſay, that thereby is rendred the greateſt thing that can be rendred by man, even his life.
4. In holy Scripture there is mention made of nGen. 35. 14. Lev. 23. 13. Num. 15. 5.drink-offerings, which were a certaine quantity of wine that uſed to be powred out before the Lord: as the very notation of the word importeth, comming from oforeign effudit.a root that ſignifieth to powre out. As the meat-offerings, ſo the drinke-offerings were brought to the Lord in way of gratulation and thankſgiving. pCajetan. Genebr.Some therefore in alluſion hereunto ſo expound this text, as a promiſe and vow of the Pſalmiſt, to teſtifie his publike gratitude by ſuch an externall and ſolemne rite as in the law was preſcribed. This he tearmeth a cup, becauſe that drinke-offering was contained in a cup, and powred out thereof: and he addes this epithete Salvation, becauſe that rite was an acknowledgement of ſalvation, preſervation and deliverance from the Lord.
5. After their ſolemne gratulatory ſacrifices they were wont to have a feaſt. When David had brought the Arke of God into the Tabernacle, they offered burnt-offerings and 1 Chro 16. 3.peace-offerings, which being finiſhed, He dealt to every one of Iſrael both man and woman, to every one a loafe of bread, and a good piece of fleſh, and a flaggon of wine. Hereby is implyed that he made ſo bountifull a feaſt, as he had to give thereof to all the people there aſſembled. rIn menſa laticum libavit honorem, &c. Virg Aen. 1. Turneb. l. 12. c. 13. Athe l. 11. c 11.In this feaſt the maſter thereof was wont to take a great cup, and in lifting it up to declare the occaſion of that feaſt, and then in teſtimony of thankfulneſſe to drinke thereof to the gueſts, that they in order might pledge him. This was called a cup of ſalvation, or deliverance, becauſe they acknowledged by that uſe therof that God had ſaved and delivered them. Almoſt in a like ſence the Apoſtle ſtileth the Sacramentall cup, ſforeign. 1 Cor. 10. 17.the cup of bleſſing.
Here the Prophet uſeth the plurall number thus, tforeigncup of ſalvations, whereby after the Hebrew elegancy, he meaneth Calicem ſalutum Vatab. Omnis ſalutis. Tremel.many deliverances one after another: or ſome great and extraordinary deliverance which was in ſtead of many, or which compriſed many under it. *foreignThe word tranſlated take properly ſignifieth to lift up, and in that reſpect may the more fitly be applyed to the forementioned taking of the feſtivall cup, and lifting it up before the gueſts. uCalvin. Vatab. Muſcul. Moller. Montan. Aliique.Moſt of our later Expoſitors of this Pſalme apply this phraſe, I will take the cup of ſalvation, to the forenamed gratulatory drinke-offering, or to the taking and lifting up of the cup of bleſſing in the feaſt, after the ſolemne ſacrifice. Both of theſe import one and the ſame thing, which is, that Saints of old were wont to teſtifie their gratefulnes for great deliverances with ſome outward ſolemne rite.
The former interpretations of this phraſe, cup of ſalvation, applyed to a portion, or affliction, or martyrdome, or the paſſion of Chriſt, though ſimply conſidered in thēſelves, they be truths, yet they are not ſo pertinent to this Text, as the two later of a gratulatory drinke-offering, or a feſtivall cup. For without queſtion a ſolemne thankſgiving is here intended, as is afterward in the 17. verſe plainely expreſſed.
The other clauſe that is added, and call upon the name of the Lord, is the ſame that was xverſe 4.before uſed, and expounded. Here againe it is repeated, partly to ſhew that in the forementioned gratulatory rite he would yNomen Dei colam. Vatabl.worſhip God. (He would doe it piouſly and religiouſly. For prayer is an eſpeciall part of Gods worſhip) partly to ſhew that though by Gods delivering him he were now ſafe, and ſo had juſt occaſion to praiſe God: yet would he not ceaſe to pray unto God for continuance of his favour and bleſſing. He would both praiſe God, and alſo pray unto him. Thus is the phraſe of calling upon the name of the Lord moſt properly taken.
This very duty of calling upon the name of the Lord, is againe promiſed, and that as an appurtenance to thankſgiving being added thereto in the 17. verſe, *See §. 112.where I purpoſe to handle it in the generall acception, as it ſignifieth worſhip done to God. Here I conſider it in the particular and moſt proper ſignification, which is Petition.
This verſe being added as an anſwer to this clauſe, What Summe.ſhall I render to the Lord? ſetteth out, Mans recompence to God.
It conſiſteth of two parts.
1. Gratulation.
2. Invocation.
The former is ſet out by a moſt ſolemne rite of rejoycing.
The latter is expreſſed by the Action, (I will call) and by the Object (upon the name of the Lord)
The two maine parts are joyned together by a copulative particle AND.
Of the ſubſtance of ſolemne Gratulation, or thankſgiving, ſufficient hath beene *See ſect; 76, &c. to this §.before delivered.
The inference of this profeſſion upon the former inquiſition, this being an anſwer thereto ſheweth that,
I. Gratitude is the beſt recompence that man can render to God.
The manner of expreſſing it by a publicke rite of rejoycing teaches that
II. Our inward motion of prayſing God muſt be manifeſted by ſome outward action of rejoycing
Of the ſubſtance of Invocation, even as it is here expreſſed, ſufficient hath beene delivered on the 4. verſe.
The connexion of theſe two points, Gratulation AND Invocation, importeth that
III. With gratulation invocation muſt be joyned.
The different manner of expreſſing invocation from that which was in the fourth verſe, (For there it was ſet downe as a thing performed in his trouble, then called I, &c. Here it is noted as a duty to come, which he promiſeth to performe, I will call, &c, and that after his deliverance) implyeth that
IIII. Prayer to God is to be continued after the thing prayed for is granted.