Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 118
The cxviii. PSALM.
David seated in the throne quickens up the people and Priests of the Lord unto thanks-giving for his endless mercies to his Church, as himself in the behalf thereof, which he personated had experimented, whereby his faith was raised to an holy insultation over his enemies for the future. Further shews the happiness that God hath brought to his Church by the change of him for Saul, and the glorie he hath got to himself, which for his part he ingageth himself to celebrate solemnly in his sanctuarie, which upon this occasion both he and the rest of the righteous will, now they may, frequent. There he will praise him for making him as in humiliation so in exal…ation the type of Christ. Prayes for the Churches happiness upon this wonderful change, pronounceth certaintie of blessing to himself and Christ, in the office and errand God sets them in, and sends them about. Concludes with the manifold hearby praises of God both from himself and the people, whom he exhorts allwayes to be praise-ful as God is gra…iously faithful.Psalm cxviii.
1O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: because his merciemercy endureth for ever.1 LEt us be mindful of the goodness of God to be thankful for it, whose merciemercy to his Church and faithful people never failed, nor never shall.
2Let Israel now say, that his merciemercy endureth for ever.2 Let his adopted people, now in this their flourishing condition, give him the glorie of those many mercies which ever since they were known by, the name of Israel they have successively in all ages partaked of.
3Let the house of Aaron now say, that his merciemercy endureth for ever.3 Let the Priests, and Levites their adjutants, that occupie Aarons place and office in the sanctuarie, now that they are reduced into such a form and model as never before of worshipping the Lord, acknowledge his merciemercy, and the succession of it to them according to promise from their first progenitors.
4Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.4 Yea, let those that are Gods Priests and people indeed, that believe and obey him, say now if God be not as good as his word in shewing merciemercy to his Church; those I mean that fear his name.
5 I have had my share of sufferings in which I personate the Church,5I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. and yet I can say, and do, that his merciemercy endureth for ever, and so shall she in all ages, for when ever the Lord put me to it, and that I was distressed, I put him to it, in humble wise I minded him of his promise, and this way my constant custom, and so it was his, ever when I did so to deliver me all along, till now that he hath set me quite at libertie from my troubles, & enlarged my happiness as you see.
6 I have had such experience of the Lords being for me against mine enemies,6The Lord is on my side, I will not f…ar: what can man do unto me? that however I look never to be without, yet that shall not trouble me, neither their power nor their plots, for he that could deliver me then, can and will much more protect and prosper me, now that he hath brought me to this estate.
7 I have ever found it,7The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. and doubt not but I ever shall, that God blesseth me and those that side with me, many or few, with good success, which makes me confident that as I have had, so I shall ever have the better of mine enemies, what, or how many soever they be, and in stead of ruining me, I shall ruine them.
8,8It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. 9 I have found it better, and so shall who ever tries it, to put confidence in God than men, of what number or degree soever,9It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in Prince…. and mine enemies have found the contrarie, for by that means I a despicable lone man am preserved and exalted, and they for all their honour, and power above me are destroyed by his Allmighty hand so much above them.
10,10All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. 11, 12 I have been as the Church allwayes shall be, the mark that all men have shot at, I had all the world against me, and none for me but God, his power was,11They compassed me about, yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. is, and ever shall be my sole trust and confidence, O with what deadly hatred from time to time have I been hunted, and how many times hath my life been endangered that I could see no way to escape,12They compassed me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. and yet I have escaped, God hath alwayes preserved me, and in stead of mine enemies destroying me, he hath destroyed them, & I am confident I must, and shall ever do so, God inabling me as he hath done, I have been as hard beset as a man that hath a swarm of bees about his ears, not knowing 'ith world how to avoid them, ready to fall upon me on every hand with deadly devouring hatred, which though it was very terrible for the time, yet the Lord put an end to it, made their malice to me the destruction of themselves like thorns consumed in their own flame, and so shall he ever inable me against all mine enemies I am confident, and that they shall never have better success.
13Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall; but the Lord helped me.13 Mine utter ruin, as an obstruction to this preferment hath been strongly endeavoured by him that had no small power in his hands, nor small malice towards me, but God hath both preserved me, and advanced me, maugre all that Saul could do and all his complices.
14The Lord is my strength and song: and is become my saltion.14 The Lord alone was my defence, and the ruiner of mine enemies, who else had ruined me a thousand times over, the glorie and praise belongs to him, and he shall have it, who hath perfected his promise, given me final deliverance from all those troubles, and seated me above the reach of those mine enemies.
15The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly.15 What cause of rejoycing hath God given to the families in Israel that fear the Lord? how glad are they to see this day, and such a change of things? I and they so preserved and delivered from the malice of those, that hated and sought the ruin of goodness and good-men, and now to see them conquered and quite subdued, and that by so apparent providence and Almighty power, must needs rejoyce them greatly.
16 It is he that deserves,16The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. and I hope shall accordingly have the honour of it, who by his sole power and victorious providence hath mightily effected it.
17 As near as I have been to destruction many and many a time,17I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord. and as hopeful as mine enemies were of it, so that both they and I my self have given me for a gone man, yet God hath purposed otherwayes, die I must not, and therefore die I did not, but am alive at this day, and in a good condition, preserved purposely of God, by example and acknowledgement to manifest and magnifie what he hath done for me, and what he can and will do for his Church, whose person I bare, and represented in all my troubles and enfranchisements.
18 The Lord gave mine enemies much power over me,18The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. so that I under-went sore trials, and sad chastisements to teach me to know my self and sin, but though he gave them liberty to afflict me, yet not to destroy me, as they hoped to have done, but maugre their malice hath preserved my life, though often endangered.
19 O ye that are the porters and door-keepers of the Lords holy sanctuarie,19Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go in to them; & I will praise the Lord. a place of late years disfrequented and sequestred from good and righteous men, that properly have onelyonly right and title to it, Now by Gods good providence the case is well altered, I and other such as I am, that with upright hearts desire to serve the Lord, have liberty and opportunity to do it, therefore set the doors of the courts of the Tabernacle wide open for us, that I and they may comfortably come and worship the righteous Lord, there specially present, and give him the due praises of all his faithful performances, of those his gracious promises touching me, and his Church in my time.
20This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.20 I mean I say the gate of the Lords own Tabernacle, where he is so peculiarly resident, and will therefore there be especially worshipped, set that open for me and all my fellow-saints and servants of God, who as of right they ought, so now I have power they shall have free access unto it, having been too long secluded.
21I will praise thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.21 Lord my heart is full, and there I am purposed to empty it upon thee in most affectionate thanks and praises, for thine often audiences, gracious and effectual answers, and principally for this complement of all thy promises, in saving me from mine enemies, and advancing me to the Kingdom so far above their power to hurt me.
22The stone which the builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner.22 Insomuch as now I, who heretofore was, by Saul and his Grandees, those great Artificers of State, hatefully persecuted and disdainfully rejected, as unworthy and unfit for this preferment, like a refuse stone that is broken and cast out of the way by master-workmen, as altogether useless and unserviceable for building, and as the Messiah (whom I prefigure) shall be by Cajaphas with his confederates the chief Priests and Scribes, those ring-leaders of the Jews who shall despightfully use him and cruelly crucifie him. I say, I, that was thus refused am advanced from this my despicable condition, to fit in the throne and wield the Scepter of Israel, upon whom under God, the Government and wellfare of Church and Common-wealth principally depends, even as it shall be with Christ, (whom both in weal and woe I typifie) he shall rise again from the dead, and be gloriously advanced even in his humane nature, so much contemned and hardly used, to be Saviour, Mediatour, and King of and over the Church, consisting then of Jews and Gentiles united in him, and supported by him, maugre her enemies, as the sides and weight of a building are by a principal binding corner stone, against all blasts.
23 This strange transversion of a persecuted abject to become a King,23This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. and a contemned, condemned, crucified man to be the sole Saviour and Monarch of the world, is by the holy and wise ordination and effectual operation of God brought to pass, both which are worth our wonder and admiration, to see persecution produce dignitie, and death life and glorie.
24 This day of mine inthronization resembling that of Christs resurrection,24This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoyce and be glad in it. and glorious exaltation at his fathers right hand, is the time and means whereby God hath and will make good all his promises of grace and happiness to his Church, who lives therefore that hath the faith and acknowledge of these things, and joyes not that he hath lived to so happie an hour, as to see them thus fulfilled?
25 O Lord,25Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee send now prosperitie. its a day indeed, that thy Church hath cause to be glad of, and so she is, and prayes thee to add to her joyes, and that now from henceforth all those blessed promises of happiness to thy King and people may be effectual, and they prosperous.
26 As Christ himself who is the Messiah,26Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. and sent of God for the good and salvation of his people is blessed, and diffuseth blessings to his people, whom they again that are his Priests, and the living Temples of the living God do gratifie with the return of blessings in behalf of his Kingdom, praying the increase and consummation of it, and offering the sacrifice of praise to him, that by Gods gracious emission came to offer himself in sacrifice for them. So let David the anointed of the Lord, for the good and well-fare of his Church, and to be a type of Christ, be blessed in his own person, and a means of much blessing unto Israel, and blessed of them again with a prayer and praise to God for him and his Government. Yea, let the Priests of the Lord that wait upon the Altar, whose office by the Lords special appointment it is to bless his people, discharge their sacred function in performance of that holy action, from out that sacred place (where they immediatly attend the Lords service) upon David and his people the figure of Christ and his Church, and let him and them be blessed accordingly, both of Priests and people that worship within or without, in the Courts of the sanctuarie of the Lord.
27God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light, bind the sacrifice with cords, even▪ unto the horns of the Altar.27 God hath approved himself to be the Lord omnipotent, for that he hath brought us out of a miserable estate, void of temporal, but especially spiritual felicitie, having of late nothing but confusion amongst us in Church and Kingdom, and reduced us to a comfortable condition in both, principally in the enjoyment of the Doctrine and ordinances of his saving truth and holy worship, which by David and Christ that blessed type and Antytipe are made to shine forth upon the Church and people of God, after the dark times of Sauls reign and Gentilism, like as the sun comforts and lightens all creatures, when the darkness is past, for which unspeakable and unvaluable merciemercy, let us therefore bring those offerings and sacrifices the Law appointeth, accompanied with sincere and hearty praise and thanks-givings before him, and tie them with cords ready for their oblation, and that in abundance, answerable to his benefits, and for the larger expression of our praises, in proportion to those Holocausts of Hallelujahs that shall be offered under Christs regiment. Let the people by their frank and liberal offerings find the Priests store of work in their sacrificing imployment at the Altar.
28 For my part I am resolved to lead the way by mine example,28Thou art my God and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. unto thy praising and magnifying, and I confess cause I have to do so, if I consider how much thou hast done for me, and how thou hast made choice of me to this place, and office of honour and service.
29 As I begun,29O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his merciemercy endureth for ever. so I conclude with hearty advice and instigation, to be mindful of, and thankful for the goodness of God, whose merciemercy to his Church and faithful people never failed, nor never shall.