The Saints Sacrifice, Section 104 – Section 105
§. 104. Of the reſolution and instructions of the laſt clauſe of the 16. Verſe.
PSAL. CXVI. XVI.
Thou haſt looſed my bonds.
THe *§. 2.fourth reaſon which ſtirred up the Prophet to give publike thanks to God, was the kindneſſe which God had done to him. That kindneſſe was a gracious deliverance from a grievous diſtreſſe, thus expreſſed.
Thou haſt looſed my bonds. The argument may bee thus framed.
They whoſe bonds thou O Lord haſt looſed, are bound to praiſe thee.
But Thou haſt looſed my bonds.
Therefore I am bound to praiſe thee.
Thus theſe words have a relation to the principall duty promiſed in this Pſalme.
They may alſo have an immediate reference to the other part of this verſe, and that as an effect following from the cauſe. The Lord accounted him his ſervant, and therefore looſed his bonds. To make this reference the better diſcerned, ſome joyne this part of the verſe with the former in one entire ſentence, which they expreſſe in forme of a petition thus, aObſccro, Ieho va, cum ego ſim▪ſervus tuus, ſimſervus tuus, filius ancilla tua, ſolveris vincula mea. Tremel. & Iun.I beſeech thee, O Lord, ſeeing I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, the ſonne of thine hand-maid, looſe my bonds. But the mood and bforeigntenſe whereby this laſt clauſe is expreſſed, admitteth not the forme of petition.
And the very matter whereabout he now is, namely gratulation, ſheweth it rather to be a profeſſion of a former, then a ſupplication for a future deliverance.
Indicat. praeterperfect. ſolvi…i.Beſides the inference of the 17 verſe immediately on this clauſe doth demonſtrate that he ſpeaketh of a thing paſt, a favour done, and ſuccour received. And that mention is here made thereof as of the cauſe of praiſing God. For, if the queſtion ſhould be asked, why mention is here made of looſing his bonds, The 17. verſe giveth a ready anſwer, I will offer, &c. As if it had beene more fully expreſſed, Becauſe the Lord hath looſed my bonds, therefore I will offer a ſacrifice of praiſe.
Wherefore to take the words as our Engliſh hath truly and properly tranſlated them, thus, Thou haſt looſed my bonds, cforeignThe word tranſlated, looſed, doth properly ſignifio, to open; and thus it is diverſly applied, as to the parts of ones body, dEzek 33. 22.mouth, e1 King. 8. 29.eyes, fIſa. 50. 5.eares, &c. To the earth (and that when g—45. 8.ordinarily it openeth it ſelf to receive rain, or ſeed, or extraordinarily, hPſal 105. 17.aswhen it opened it ſelfe to devoure Dathan and his aſſociates.) To the iExo. 28 9.engraving of ſtones, k1 King. 7. 36.metals, or any like thing. To lIſa. 2…. 2.doores, m2 King. 15. 16gates, nDeut. 28. 12. Gen. 41. …6.treaſures, and ſuch like. To oPſal. …7 14.the drawing out of a ſword: and to the undoing, opening, and looſing of ſuch things as are bound. Thus this word is uſed to expreſſe pIſa. 5. 27.the undoing of a girdle wherewith a man is girt: the qGen. 44. 11.opening of a ſacke that is tied: and the rIob 30. 11.looſing of cords and chaines wherewith one is bound. Where Nebuzaraden ſaith to Ieremiah, ſIer. 40. 4.I looſe thee from the chaines, &c. this word is uſed. In this ſenſe is it here uſed. Afflictions and calamities are as bonds, cords, and chaines, which faſt tie and bind men, which girt and gall, pinch and paine them, yea and oft ſtrangle and kill them: and in theſe reſpects called bonds, as in this and tPſal. 107. 14. Eccl 7. 26. Iſa. 28▪ 22.—52. 2. Ier. 2. 20.—30. 8▪ Nah. 1. 13.many other places, where the very word, that is here, is uſed in the ſame ſenſe. Yea becauſe death holdeth men downe, as faſt bound, ſo as they cannot ſtirre, it is ſaid to have cords (as was before noted on verſ. 3. §. 15.) and when one is delivered from death▪ the grave is ſaid, in the word of this text, to be xEzek. 37. 13.looſed, or opened.
This phraſe then (thou haſt looſed my bonds) is metaphoricall. It implieth two things.
1 That he was in ſore and grievous afflictions, wherewith he was as it were bound, as a man that is taken by robbers and pirates, or by enemies, and faſt bound by ropes, chaines, or other like bonds. Thus yIer. 40. 1.Ieremiah among other Iewes that were taken captives by the Babylonians, was bound.
2 That the Lord delivered him from thoſe afflictions, which deliverance was a kind of looſing thoſe bonds, ſo as they continued not to binde him as before. Thus Nebuzaraden ſaid to Ieremiah, z—4▪I looſe thee this day from the chaines which were upon thine hand.
The occaſion of mentioning this deliverance, is to convince his ſoule of the equity of that which hee was now in doing, to praiſe the Lord.
Summe.Thus we have A profeſſion of a great deliverance.
This may be conſidered two waies.
1 Simply, in and by it ſelfe.
2 Relatively, in and with reference to the occaſion thereof.
In the former conſideration, One thing is implied. Another expreſſed.
1 The thing implied is, that he was in great diſtreſſe. The mention of bonds, together with the looſing of them, importeth, that bonds were on him: he was bound with them.
2 The thing expreſſed pointeth at
1 The Author, or Deliverer, Thou.
2 The Kind of deliverance, hast looſed.
The Reference hereof is partly immediate to the very next words, partly remote to the words further off.
The immediate reference ſets it downe as an effect of that relation which was betwixt God and him. He was Gods ſervant, therefore God looſed his bonds.
The remote reference expreſſeth it as a cauſe of his praiſing God. God looſed his bonds, therefore he would praiſe God.
So alſo doth the immediate inference of the 17 verſe: Becauſe thou, O Lord, haſt looſed my bonds, I will offer praiſe to thee.
The thin… implied, bonds, intimateth that
I. Saints may fall into inextricable perplexities: Even ſuch as they fall into who are bound with cords and chaines, and know not how to unlooſe them. Hereof before on verſe 3. §. 16.
The Author acknowledged to be his deliverer, (Thou) giveth proofe that,
II. God is a deliverer from distreſſe.
III. Deliverances are to be aſcribed to God. Of both theſe before. Of the former on verſ. 6. §. 35, 36. Of the latter. ver. 8. §. 51.
The Kind of deliverance, hast looſed, giveth evidence, that,
IIII. God can deliver out of inextricable ſtraits. Hereof before on ver. 6. §. 39. 41. and on verſ. 8. §. 52.
The immediate reference, importeth that,
V. God taketh especiall care of his ſervants.
This Prophet was Gods ſervant: and God looſed his bonds. Yea the inference importeth that therefore, even becauſe he was his ſervant, he looſed them.
The remote reference and immediate inference, implie, that
VI. They that are delivered from diſtreſſe are especially bound to praiſe the Lord.
§. 105. Of Gods reſpect to his ſervants.
V. *§. 104.GOD taketh eſpeciall care of his ſervants. As here under a metaphor he is ſaid to looſe his bonds, ſo other where his care is in other phraſes ſet downe, thus.
aPſal. 34. 22.The Lord redeemeth the ſoule of his ſervants.
b—144. 10.He delivereth his ſervants from the hurtfull ſword.
c—79. 10.He revengeth the bloud of his ſervants.
d—105▪ …5, &c.He ſent plagues among them that dealt craftily with his ſervants.
e—35. …7:He hath pleaſure in the proſperity of his ſervants.
As the affection and reſpect which he beareth to them, which moveth him to make them his *§. 96.favourites: ſo the honour which he bringeth to himſelfe thereby, moveth him ſo and ſo to deale with his ſervants. This reaſon God himſelfe thus expreſſeth and preſſeth, fIſa. 48. 9, 11. Eze. 39. 25, &cFor my name ſake will I deferre mine anger, and for my praiſe will I refraine, &c. For mine owne ſake, even for mine owne ſake will I do it. For how ſhould my name be polluted?
They who have aſſured evidence that they are Gods ſervants, have good ground to g1 Pet. 5. 7.caſt their care on him who careth for them. And in their diſtreſſe to remember this their condition, and with the remembrance thereof to ſupport their faith, and that by pleading it before God, as he who ſaid, hPſal▪ 31. 16.Make thy face to ſhine upon thy ſervant: ſave me for thy mercies ſake. i—14… 2▪Enter not into judgement with thy ſervant. k—119. 17.Deale bountifully with thy ſervant, that I may live and keepe thy word. l—143. 12.Deſtroy all them that afflict my ſoule: for I am thy ſervant. Believe Gods Word, and then ſay to God, m—119. 49.Remember the word unto thy ſervant. See more hereof before, §. 96.