Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 103
The ciii. PSALM.
2Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.2 O thou soul of mine that art of such transcendent excellencie to all sublunarie created beings, and so adapted for to praise the Lord above them all, do not thou burie thy talent in a napkin, nor steward it unseeming thy trust, to whom he hath committed such praise-worthie endowments, and on whom he hath bestowed such thank-worthie benefits natural and divine, which thou art bound, no, never to forget, neither all nor any of them, but to sum them up in thank-ful praises to his name.
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.3 Who hath called thee to be faithfull, and of his onelyonly good grace hath freely in the merits of his son forgiven thee all thy sins, justified thee from their guilt, and pardoned their punishment, so that from an heir of hell thou art translated to be an heir of heaven; And hath also enabled thee by the spirit of regeneration, to walk worthie so rich grace in mortifying thy lusts, and raising thee to newness of life and conversation by his sanctifying quickening graces bestowed upon thee.
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.4 Who to save thy life lost his own, gave it a price for thee, the virtue whereof hath influence every day and hour upon thee, (O my soul,) for every trespass thou committest, dying virtually as oft as thou sinnest, whereby thou art kept from perishing everlastingly, as else thou hadst done, and wouldst do continually, and though the bodie wherein thou doest officiate do die a temporal death, and lie down in the grave as all men must, yet at that instant shalt thou be translated to live with him in Heaven, that died for thee on earth, instead of being sent to Hell according to thy demerits; and at the resurrection shalt have a happie re-union with a glorified incorruptible bodie, having honoured and enriched thee here with the first fruits of glorie, pardoning, protecting, regenerating, justifying graces more than I can enumerate, because of his love and merciemercy to thee, and for no cause else.
5 Who feasts thee with Spiritual and Heavenly dainties suting thy tast and appetite,5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles. answers all thy prayers touching requisit graces and comforts, so that whensoever thy stock of either seems to be spent, thy graces enfeebled and thy comforts exhausted, then at thy request comes God with sweet and seasonable supplies, and maketh them, and so thee that wast a dying, to live again, vigorous and active like an eagle, that by casting her beak and feathers and new-ones coming in their stead, resumes her former agilitie and strength till then disabled; so is thy regenerate part, and sanctified habits by fresh auxiliaries, and immediate breathings revived, when at a loss.
6 And not onelyonly in spiritual soul-desertions,6The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. but also in external bodily afflictions does the Lord appear seasonably, for when I was oppressed and opened my case to God, pleading mine innocencie and mine enemies injurie, how did he judge my cause against them and upon them? and so will he do for all his faithful upright innocent people in their wrongful pressures, in a season most comfortable and profitable he will deliver them, and judge their oppressours.
7 Witness his wonderful works of old in the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt,7He made known his wayes unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. he did foretel to Moses what powerful and terrible judgements he would bring upon the Egyptians, and how wonderfully in truth and righteousness he would enfranchise his people, and what he said he did, all he told to Moses by promise, he made it good by experience, in the sight of all the twelve tribes Israels posteritie, he faild not in a tittle, nor shall his Covenant of grace made with our redeemer Christ touching his redeemed.
8The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.8 And as the Lord betwixt man and man is pitiful to the oppressed, especially to his Church, and terrible to their enemies. So is he also betwixt himself and them a very graciously disposed God, in respect of the sins, and deserved punishments of his people, as Israel well experimented all along the wilderness, exceeding readie to shew merciemercy, and to pardon sin and punishment when it is petitioned for, not easily provoked, nor apt to anger, as they found, and extream readie to grant forgiveness of one sin after another; if the sinner pray it uprightly God will grant it willingly, even the pardon of all our sins, though both many and great, as theirs were.
9He will not allwayes chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.9 And when he does visit our sins upon us, for he will not alwayes bear with us, so nor then will he be alwayes wroth against us, punish us he may, destroy us he never will, no nor yet be alwayes angrie at us or frown upon us, his face shall clear up, and his favour shine forth after a while, faithful prayer will scatter those clouds.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.10 We of all the World have cause to acknowledge him such an one, he hath not done by us as we have deserved, our experiences from time to time have made good all his gracious properties, of grace, long-suffering, and plenteous merciemercy, having ever been a God exceedingly bearing with us, and forbearing of us though a provoking ungreatful people towards him.
11 For the immensity of his merciemercy is superlative to any natural comparison,11For as the heaven is high above the earth: so great is his merciemercy toward them that fear him. no dimensions can proportion it, the height of heaven above the earth does not resemble it to us, such, and beyond it is his merciemercy in preterition and pardon to his people that unfeinedly repent them of their sins, and with full purpose of heart Covenant to fear and serve him.
12 Consider the heavens, either for height or wideness,12As far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removeth our transgressions from us. and which you think is the greater for the help of your faith, conclude that so great and greater is the merciemercy of God towards such as turn to him, and walk with him sincerely. The East and West shall as soon come together as the sins of such shall be laid to their charge how grievous so ever they have been, for at a greater distance and disproportion hath God sundred a penitent sinner, and his sins even as far as infinite is from finite, Christ himself who is God having taken them off of him, upon himself.
13 You that are earthly parents,13Like as a father pitieth his children: so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. know what are the bowels of a father to a child, when with tears and prayers it begs pardon for its offences, such (for such comparisons we are fain to use for the help of our natural apprehensions) and far greater are the earnings of God, and his compassions towards those that in the faith of his merciemercy repent of their transgressions, beg pardon of their punishments, and promise and perform upright obedience.
14 For the Lord knoweth of what brickle matter we are made,14For he knoweth our frame, he remembreth that we are dust. he remembers how transitorie our natures are, so that should he deal with us after our sins, and would punish us according to our provocations, he would have no people left on earth to serve him, or to carrie on the existence, and being of a Church, so that our frailtie moved him to merciemercy, and not to do as sin would have him, cut our short lives shorter.
15As for man his dayes are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.15 Man being no better than grass, both sprung out of the earth, hath a little time of Being alotted him here, wherein he takes some contentment during part of that little in his youthful season; as a flower that hath its monethmonth to spring, flourish, and decay in, so at best is mans condition by course of nature, but besides that naturally he is so frail and momentany, he is subject to be cut off by infinite accidents that his sins expose him to if God did not guard him, as a field-flower that lieth open to men and beasts, wind and weather.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.16 Subject to be despoiled of its beauty, and laid along by every blast that blows, and as gay as it is, now appears, straightway it disappears, and is not, and such is man.
17But the merciemercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him: and his righteousness unto childrens children.17 But for all this that man is of himself thus subjected by sin to return to dust and nothingness every moment, yet is the merciemercy of God long-lived, his Church and faithful people, who shall never fail upon the face of the earth, shall find that it shall never fail them, but they and theirs throughout all generations that believe in him and filially fear him, shall have the benefit of it, grace and protection.
18To such as keep his Covenant: and to those that remember his commandments to do them.18 Even all in all ages that enter Covenant with God, and are careful and conscionable in the keeping of it, by stedfast believing in him and exact walking with him, in universal obedience to all his commandments, seasonably and respectively calling to mind his will and their dutie as occasion requires, to do accordingly in all occurrences.
19 The glorie of the Lord is most perspicuous in heaven where his throne of dominion and rule is principally placed,19The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens: and his Kingdom ruleth over all. and he in his excellencies far more conspicuous there than the creature here, doth or can represent or demonstrate him, (being seen of us thereby as but through a glass darkly) from whence yet he extends his Sovereigntie hither, ordering and governing aswell all things here as there, especially his Church, and that for ever.
20 As the Lord appears most glorious in heaven,20Bless the Lord, ye his angels that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. so you his glorified angels that excel all other creatures in all manner of excellencies, whose strength though derivative and created, yet exceeds all humane power, yea, all humane imagination, who are as fellow-creatures so fellow-servants with us, yielding obedience to his commandments aswel as we, and do his will revealed and commanded from his mouth, as we from his word, do you I say with us and for us, bless the Lord, and praise him both in his greatness and goodness.
21 You that are so many millions,21Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure. waiting upon him and ministring at his pleasure what he commands, do you, even that whole heavenly army of glorious and mightie angels, again and again bless and praise him, that is as much above you in power and place as you are above us.
22 And as his dominion is aswell over the earth and all things there,22Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. and in the firmament above the earth, as in heaven, so ought his praises to be extended. Even every creature that he hath made (for so far extends his governance,) in all places, throughout all ages, ow him all the honour that in their kinds, and after their created abilities they can do unto him. But chiefly, O thou my soul, that art not onelyonly beholden to God for a created being, but for redemption and salvation, which of free grace he hath vouchsafed thee, a merciemercy far exceeding all meer created bounty, do thou therefore above all in heaven and earth, praise the Lord, and bless his holy name answerable to thine ingagements so far beyond theirs.