Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 149
The cxlix. PSALM.
David in these five last Psalms is treating upon several Theams to enlarge the praises of God in the hearts and mouths of men, principally of his people, and therefore he intermingles common and created, with special and peculiar excellencies and benefits, of which latter sort this Psalm consists. viz. of Gods singular good will to his people and saints, whom he stiles here and else where (in divers Psalms) by the name of Israel, because Israel was or ought to be such, not onelyonly in outward election, but inward vocation, for such (at least) they figured, and therefore are the terms promiscuously used. And these he would first have lay a foundation of joy in believing, and knowing their superlative happiness in their near relation to, and interest in God, and Gods in them, and favour to them, and then to make the result of that their joy, excess of praise; yea, he would have them discern their condition, as well glorious and honourable, as beneficial, and joy thereafter in absolute certaintie and tranquillitie of mind praise-fully and proportionably enlarged. And concludes with a prophetical prayer of Israels happiness now under him (as the saints shall have certain and triumphant felicitie by Christ) in their enemies vanquishments both many and great, to the utmost of what is promised and threatened respectively, for which honour he would have them as to be sensible of it, so to be praise-full for it.Psalm cxlix.
1 O Ye the people and chosen of the Lord out of all the earth,1PRaise ye the Lord: sing unto Lord a new the song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. be you conscionable and carefull to give God his praises which he deserves, specially at your hands above all the world besides, let not your praises, that are heirs of grace, and partakers of such preheminences, be like the sons of nature, the children of this world, who inherit but the good things thereof, raise up your hearts to a higher pin, celebrate you his name after another sort, as he is singular in goodness to you, so be you in gratefulness to him, yea, let every special merciemercy, which in special grace at any time he vouchsafesh unto you, be solemnized afresh from time to time by thanks-giving, with praiseful affections and united harmonie in Temple-musick at the solemn meetings of his people, there to worship and honour him, especially his saints.
2Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him, let the children of Sion be joyfull in their King.2 Well may Israel afford to sing special praise and new songs to the Lord, whom he hath pecualiarly chosen out of all the world, and so made them as it were a new people, begotten again out of the lost-lump of mankind, not onelyonly by the power of creation as at first, which in effect the fall dissolved, but by the grace of adoption and covenant, smitten freely with their fore-father, and in him with them. Let this prerogative royall exceedingly affect the whole Church and people of God, thankfully and praisefully toward him, and comfortably in themselves, by the faithfull apprehension of so rich merciemercy vouchsafed them, as to be not subjects at large as the whole earth is, but even sons and servants, chosen by him to be his, to serve and worship him in Sion, where and how he hath appointed, out of all the world besides, that follow their own inventions; and condiscending himself to be theirs in grace, protection, and government, so as to none else.
3Let them praise his n…me in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.3 Let them be so ravished with this peculiarity of the grace, merciemercy and love of God unto them, as to lay out themselves again upon God with the utmost of their strength, skill, and affection in his praises, by all wayes and means as may best express them to his glorie, and increase of their own grace and consolation.
4 For though all mankind be degenerated by the fall,4For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautifie the meek with salvat…. so that he that made them hath no pleasure in them. Yet hath it pleased him to elect a few out of many, an Israel whom he hath made and (as it were) re-created to be his and to serve him, and in these he takes contentment, to do them good and to receive the returns thereof in praise and thanks-giving from them, and to that very end will he shew himself powerful for them, and gracious to them that meekly wait, and faithfully depend upon him in delivering and exalting them after a wonderful sort to the admiration of all the earth, that shall have them in singular esteem for a non-such, for such a people serving such a God of salvation as is not in the world besides, like as he shall crown his sanctified ones, his faithfull spiritual Israel, and their graces with the eternal salvation in heaven, triumphant over all, and out of all this worlds miseries to his unspeakable praise, and the worlds wonder that here despise them, as the Gentils did us, till God wrought a change.
5 Let the Lords people his holy ones,5Let the saints be joyful in glorie: let them sing aloud upon their beds. which all Israel should be, consider the glorious state and condition they are advanced into by being so, even the sons of the most high, heirs of heaven, a glorie beyond all earthly preheminence or created excellencie whatsoever, and in this let them comfort themselves, both above all comforts and discomforts the world can afford or inflict, and with joyful praises magnifie the Lord that hath done so great things for them, and with sweet peace and tranquillitie of mind possess their souls to the un-utterable consolation thereof. A type of which, is that blessed condition God is investing his Church and people Israel into at present, by and under me, making them triumphantly glorious over all their enemies abroad, with abundance of securitie and peace at home, wherein they ought exceedingly to rejoyce, and joyfully to praise the God of heaven, that hath thus advanced them, and altered their condition, even as those glorified saints in heaven do, and shall, that there enjoy an absolute and everlasting rest.
6Let the high praise… of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand.6, 7 Let Israel observe the singular mercies to them, surpassing all to all people, and the mightie victories which God bestowes upon them over their enemies (types of the saints adoption,7To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people. and the conquests they shall have over their corruptions, and the Church her adversaries) which by the power of his might shall be subdued, thereby to fill their mouthes with proportionable praises to a God so great and graciously good. Let them be strong in strength, and with a mightie irresistable power prevail against all opposers as indeed they shall, like as shall Christ by his word and spirit in the mouth of his Ministers to the setting up of his Kingdom all the world over; Israel shall be prevalent over the heathen and Gentile nations round about, that have so cruelly vexed and plagued them, their turn is now come to be under, and ours to be over, to revenge and punish Gods dishonour, and his peoples miseries upon them, as the Church shall triumph over the wicked at the glorious appearing of Christs Kingdom.
8 Yea,8To bind their Kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron. as well Princes as people shall be brought into subjection, Israel shall have dominion over all her enemies of what ranck so ever, and shall lead captivitie captive under me, as Christ and his Church shall do, overcome at last their over-comers; we shall have a resurrection out of our long endured miseries, and be free-men, when as ours and the Churches enemies, how great soever, shall have their declension and abasement, no power on earth can hinder the powerful decree of heaven, nor resist the execution thereof, when the set time is come as now it is, neither Kings nor nobles, who then shall be but like other men, easily vanquishable for all their power and authoritie, as they shall be by Christ, either brought into subjection and fealtie to him in his Kingdom of grace, or led in triumph by him at his appearing in his Kingdom of glorie, when his Church shall be triumphant.
9 What the Lord hath promised in his peoples behalf,9To execute upon them the judgement written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord. and threatened to their enemies, is now to be fulfilled, even their destruction or subjection, not by their own power, but by the power of his word and promise, who is faithful and almightie, therefore shall it come to pass, and in the faith thereof shall they prevail under me, as shall the Church of Christ under him, either ministerially to vanquish them, or ultimately to triumph over them in a final and total destruction. This glorious priviledge have the people of God, his Israel, which are or should be saints; and his saints, his really sanctified and adopted ones, which are indeed his onelyonly Israel, thus by the power of his might & the faithfulness of his never failing promise to overcome or overthrow all their rebellious opposers, & oppressours. Therefore both one and other, Israel now and Israel hereafter, even all the people of God, chew the cud upon this your happie condition, through the merciemercy and grace of God in Christ, and praise him for it.