Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 106
The cvi. PSALM.
In some great and generall affliction and dispersion of the Iewish nation, probably that under Antiochus. The Psalmist exhorts, for all that, the Israelites to believe in and praise the Lord for his goodness of old to that nation, and which remains in him still to it, if they walk holily. He confesseth God just in punishing as well them as their forefathers for their sins, and prayes, that he will hold on in the vicissitude of his mercies, and deliverances as well as of his punishments. Confesseth that they have alwayes been shamefull sinners, and great provokers of him from Egypt all along, throughout the wilderness, as also in Canaan it self, nevertheless he let them perish, though often made them smart as they well deserved, his covenant and mercy were ever prevailing motives, and so prayes they may be still to effect their present deliverance and restauration: and promises thanks and praise for it, exhorting all Gods people in what ever condition, alwayes to give the Lord his due praise by remembring his past, and believing his future and infallible grace and goodness to his Church.
PRaise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.1 LEt not our sins and misdeservings though they have been great, and our sufferings for them manifold, any white detract from what is due to God of praise and thanks, for those great and gracious mercies which he hath expressed to, and bestowed on us his people in the dayes of old, and that goodness that still remains with him in our behalves as bad as we are, by virtue of his covenant, which makes, that neither his mercies shall determine, nor we be destroyed, but that we shall ever reap the benefit of his gracious ingagement, till all be fulfilled that is promised concerning us and his Chruch to the end of the world.
2Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord, who can shew forth all his praise?2 Who is able to tell what wonderfull things the Lord hath done, and what Almighty power he hath shewed in his Churches behalf, since he was first pleased to select and own a people for himself out of the rest of the world, no tongue can reckon his praise-worthy mercies and miracles since then?
3Blessed are they that keep judgement: and he that doth righteousness at all times.3 And as God hath been, so he will never fail to be, they that be faithfull to him he will be so to them, so that who ever they are that in conscience to God walk closely to the rules of Justice and Pietie prescribed by him, to do thereafter, and what man soever makes it his constant course to do righteously, without being drawn or tempted into wayes of impiety and iniquity, that man or nation of men shall be blessed of God.
4Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation.4 Lord, order my wayes so as that I may share in that blessing, bless me with the sight and sense of thy gracious favour towards me, such as thou bearest unto those that are thy chosen people and faithfull obedient servants. Let me, O Lord▪ have the comfortable inward feeling and assurance of thy saving grace, and good will towards me freely bestowed, let it often affect my heart, as so many sweet visits and gracious Messages sent from God into it.
5 That I may enjoy the happiness appropriated to thy chosen,5That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy nation: that I may glory with thine inheritance. and rejoyce with those saving joyes, thy faithfull and adopted ones are and shall be made partakers of, whereof the often deliverances and manifold joyfull preservations of this nation of thine, sometimes from fear of imminent destruction, and sometimes from under reall imbondagements, hath been lively figures; that I may boast of thee and mine interest in thee such as all thy people have, and we though unworthy have found it so.
6 For notwithstanding all our priviledges and speciall favours,6We have sinned with our fathers: we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. which thou hast shewed us from time to to time, both we and our forefathers have ill▪ requited thee, being rebellious, ungratefull, and very perverse.
7 Our fathers made not application and benefit of those admirable Miracles thou for their sakes wrought in Egypt,7Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the red sea. to the ends thou didst them, for the strengthening of their faith in thee, and the assuring of thy love to them, they had but carnall considerations of them, valued them as transient things without any result or improvement either of thee to them, or of themselves to thee thereby, supinely forgot them, even all those many miraculous wonders thou shewedst upon the Egyptians in mercy to them, whereby thou so powerfully compassed their deliverance, for so soon as ever thou broughtest them out of Egypt, the very next triall thou madest of them at the red sea (that remarkable place where thou didst so wonderfully preserve them) they instead of addressing themselves in humble and thankfull sort to seek deliverance from thee, of whose power they had had such foregoing immediate experiments, fell into misbelief, hard and unworthy thoughts of thee and thy servant Moses, even for their very deliverance out of Egypt, as if thou hadst done all for them to no other end, but to bring them thither to be destroyed.
8Nevertheless, he saved them for his names sake: that he might make his mighty power to be known.8 Notwithstanding their unthankfull provocations, yet would he not take vengeance on them, nor let those enemies triumph in their destruction, from under whose power he had newly delivered them, but for the honour of his own name that was named upon them, they being now noted more than ever for his peculiar people, and for the further glorifying of his power and grace in their behalves he brought them safe out of that inextricable strait by an Almighty hand, for ever to be had in thankfull remembrance.
9He rebuked the red sea also; and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths as through the wilderness.9 For rather than he would there let them perish, and dishonour himself, though they deserved it, he wrought a Miracle beyond any the rest, contrary to the course of nature commanded the very Sea to give place, and divide it self to make them way, and for all its propensity to return into its course, God conjured it to abide as a Wall on their right hand and on their left; which it did, and could do no other untill they were quite passed through the bottom of it upon the dry land, as if it had been part of that Wilderness which afterward they travelled.
10 And thus with infinite long suffering and glorious power did he save them,10And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. because they were his chosen people, out of the hands of Pharaoh that perfect enemy of theirs, that pursued them with a deadly design, either to have reduced them into bondage, or slain them all upon the place.
11 And these waters that thus gave way to preserve our fathers,11And the waters covered their enemies, there was not one of them left. so soon as they were all passed over, and God had revoked his word of command, they presently returned into their Chanell, and closed again upon the whole Host of the Egyptians, all which were drowned therewith, so that not a man of them escaped.
12 The gladsomness of that deliverance by such a Miracle,12Then believed they his words, they sang his praise. made them for all their hard hearts at present, whilest the sense and memory of it was warm (which lasted but a while) to credit what God spake by Moses touching his good will to them, and his safe and certain bringing them into the land of promise, and for a flash, they were as full of faith as a bladder full of wind, and sang the praise of his rich mercy, goodness and power manifested in that their so late and great salvation, with abundance of joy and delight in God.
13 But alas,13They soon forgat his works, they waited not for his counsell. neither this faith nor praise was out of any well grounded principle towards God, but out of the present sense which self-love had of the present good-turn he did them, for they had not travelled above three dayes from the red-sea to the waters of Pharaoh, but there they were at old ward, falling into unbelief and discontent against God and Moses, and forgat all that was past, as if it had never been, even all those wonders within and without Egypt that God wrought for them, to have gained their hearts to believe in him, and relie on him, but it would not be, all was one, they were in cold bloud, the self-same men at one time as at another whensoever God tried them, and would never in an humble gratuitous belief of him make their addresses to him, and enquire of him in this or that strait, but streight-way fell foul, ready to flie in Moses his face, and consequently in Gods, so soon as ever they at any time suffered, they had not patience nor piety in the faith of his former transactions, which they had experimentally seen managed to the best of advantage and opportunity, to wait upon such his wise and seasonable dispensations, as might accordingly in the issue still most evince his glory, and conduce to their spirituall benefit and edification, as his precedent acts had done.
14But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.14 But they were a carnall-minded people, nothing spiritualized nor bettered towards God by all he… did for them, but made their belly their God, settting light by Angels food, for they saw nothing Angelicall or Divine in it being mere sensualists, inordinately lusting after belly-chear, and variety of acates, in the very Wilderness where they saw and knew that by course of nature nothing could be had, they must either be supernaturally maintained or starve, yet in that barren place where God notwithstanding had so long and often miraculously supplied them with all needfull things, they were not therewith content, but murmured for superfluities, questioning the power and not submitting to the will of God, as if what they wanted, and had not as they desired, was because he had not power to give it them.
15 But the Lord to vindicate his power which they had impeached,15And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. saying, who shall give us flesh to eat, or, can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness? and to let them see the unprofitableness of creature-contentment though in never so great abundance, if not sanctified by the word of God and prayer, sent them their desire, even plenty of Quails-flesh to their bread, but they had better have been without it, than to have had it given them in anger accompanied with judgement, as it was, not onelyonly bodily, so many perishing at Kibroth Hataavah with meat in their mouthes, and so destroying instead of nourishing them, for being obtained; but not in Gods way, though it was his gift, yet it wanted his grace, was empty of blessing, being no act of favour, and therefore pleased the sense but edified not the soul, the proper tendency of all he bestowes, and the best effect even of temporall benefits, which else are a shell without a kernell, blessings accursed, and so was this to them, feeding on it a monethmonth together gluttonously without fear or spirituall descerning, till at last it wrought their overthrow by surfetting, instead of nourishing, for God gave them up to wear it as they won it, spend it as they got it to wit, lustfully, which excess and carnall mindedness he severely plagued both in body and soul.
16 They gave themselves up to studied provocations,16They envied Moses also in the not onelyonly murmuring upon emergentcases, but by combination conspiring among themselves against Moses and Aaron those approved holy men, and speciall servants of the Lord, one whereof, to wit Aaron was his declared High-Priest officiating in speciall before him for their good, in expiating their sins, and diverting (Christ-like) Gods judgements, yet no relation of them to God, nor of advantage to themselves could perswade, but these men whom God had substituted in those places of conduct and Priest-hood, and set so many seals upon, must at their pleasure be removed, suspected after so long experience to be Impostors, and another government and Preist-hood, agitated by other men, must be erected, and this which God had ordained, demolished.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.17 And it is never to be forgotten, what fearfull vengeance God executed upon the chief ringleaders of that conspiracy, and with what a fearfull death he visited them, causing the earth to open and swallow up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, those chieftains with all that belonged to them, and to close upon them in the sight, and to the amazement of all Israel, so that with a fearfull cry, they being yet alive, went down into the grave by Gods extraordinary judgement, like as men do that being dead are by course of nature buried.
18And a fire was kindled in their company, the flame burnt up the wicked.18 Besides which, there came out a fire from the Lord, that wonderfully and dreadfully consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense, chief Partizans with Korah and his complices in this wicked combination.
19They made a calf… in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.19 Also that shamefull apostacy of theirs, that after they had been witnesses of so much power in so many miracles, and upon mount Sinai had seen such evident tokens of an unexpressible God, yet that then immediately upon that, in Horeb they should go about (as they did) to represent him in the similitude of a calfe, and think to serve him that made them by doing honour to it, that they themselves had newly made.
20 And so they exchanged that glorious priviledge they had above all the world,20Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. in worshipping the onelyonly true and living God, the Honour of Israel, into the sordidness of base bruitish Idolatry, heathen-like worshipping, for the Creatour of heaven and earth, a creature, and that none of Gods neither, but their own, even the senceless similitude of a living ox, the highest perfection and chiefest good of which imaginary deity, is but to maintain alive a sensitive soul one degree above vegetives, the grass it feeds on, which both man and beast tread under their feet.
21 And this must be their God that brought them out of Egypt,21They forgat God their saviour which had done great things in Egypt. forgetting him that did so indeed, that so mightily saved them, and delivered them from thence, which was the Lord Almighty, as his works right well made manifest, which he wrought there for them.
22 In that land of their enemies the posterity of Cham the accursed,22Wonderous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the red sea. whom the Lord so extraordinarily plagued for their sakes, as also after at the red sea, when he compleated their deliverance by the Egyptians fearfull end, and sudden destruction of their whole host.
23 This stupid sordidness and ungratefull mindlesness made the Lord exceeding wroth,23Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach: to turn away his wrath, least he should destroy them. insomuch as he would have bribed Moses by promise of raising himself a people out of his loines, to have let him destroyed them that had so mishapen him, and shamefully denudated themselves, but Moses chosen to represent Christ in the conduct and Mediatorship of his people, by an effectuall intercession prevailed to stay his hand when he was ready to strike, and to beg their pardon, at least their reprieve, so that God was intreated by him, and did at that time spare them for his sake.
24Yea, they despised the pleasant land: they believed not his word.24 And as if all the way had been too little from Egypt to Canaan to provoke God, they to approve themselves no changelings, when they arrived at the skirts of the promised land, and were to take possession, fell a mutining against God as a deluder of them, vilifying Canaan that Type of heaven, and heaven on earth, where God had chosen to fix his gracious presence, and to be worshipped there of all the places in the world, and of them before all other people, and had promised him in that place so many blessings both spirituall and temporall, and which it self was a good land and so reported by the faithfull spies, though misrelated of the rest, which spread like a Gangreen among that corrupt multitude, crediting their false Alarm of the penury of the land, and their impossibility to master it, for all that God had said to the contrary of the one, and promised concerning the other.
25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.25 And murmured against God and Moses, Caleb, and Josua, weeping and mourning for their misfortune in leaving Egypt, and being beguiled with fair promises of just nothing, for no better esteem had they of Canaan, neither believing it worth the fighting for, nor possible to be gained, and therefore sate discontented in their Tents, and would never attempt it, for all that either Gods promises and miracles, (which as signs and previous pledges spake unto them;) or that Moses, and those faithful spies his servants said to the contrarie in way of incouragement, could do.
26, 27 Whereupon the Lord was so enraged,26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness. that he was even as it were fetching his full blow at them to have destroyed them root and branch, from ever being a people more,27To overthrow their seed also▪ among the nations, and to scatter… them in the lands. in the wilderness where they had so extreamly misbelieved, tempted, and provoked him so many several times against the clear light of so many wonderful and gracious miracles, and utterly to disinherit them Canaan, offering to make Moses a greater and mightier nation, and to scatter them like vagabonds, and for bondmen amongst those heathenish borderers, and to let them kill and conquer them at their pleasure; but for Moses, who prevailed now also with God, to spare their lives and mitigate his displeasure.
28 After all this in stead of repenting and confessing their sins,28They joyned themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. they continue and increase their provocations, divorcing themselves from God and his worship, and took them another husband, even the abomination of the heathen, turned worshippers of Baal-peor the Idol of the Moabites, first committing carnal fornication with the daughters of Moab, and then at their perswasion spiritual whoredom with their Idol, imitating their manners throughout, for in stead of eating the sacrifices offered to the living God as they were wont, they gave themselves to sacrifice, and to feast with the sacrifices o that senseless liveless Idol, as the Moabites did, and in all points turned perfect Idolaters like them.
29Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.29 Thus from time to time and especially at this time by this grand apostacie worshipping other Gods of their own chusing, and rejecting him that had chosen them, did they extreamly provoke him to anger, insomuch as he sent a sore destroying plague among them that soon dispatched twenty four thousand of that rebellious Idolatrous crew, it cost so many of them their lives before it ceased.
30Then stood up Phinehas, and exe uted judgement: and so the plague was stayed.30 But the Lord would not destroy them all, therefore so soon as Phinehas grand-child to Aaron had in zeal to God, in the face of the congregation executed justice upon Zimri a man of Israel, and Cozbi a Midianitish woman, by running them both through with a javelin in the act of uncleanness, the Lord upon that stayed the plague that it went no further.
31And that was counted unto him for righteousness, unto all generations for evermore.31 Which act of zeal and justice was by God graciously accepted as a price of singular service, and well rewarded with the covenant of the everlasting Priesthood to him and his seed, perpetuated in Jesus Christ himself the son of God, the atonement-maker and appeaser of his fathers wrath.
32They angred him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes.32, 33 Also at Meribah, those waters of strife where the children of Israel our predecessours chode with Moses, and consequently strove with the Lord, whereat he was angrie;33Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. yet made not the least semblance of it to Moses as at other times in like provocations, but without once mentioning their sin or his displeasure, bid Moses not smite the rock, for the Lord who hath merciemercy on whom and when he will have merciemercy, was then at that time purposed to shew no signs of bitterness by word or deed, but with an absolute preterition to sanctifie himself amongst them, and magnifie his patience and free grace even after so many apostacies, and therefore though he bid Moses take the rod, yet but speak to the rock, sending that meek man upon as meek an errand, but he contrarie to his nature and office of Mediatour, and to God his present frame and disposition, being himself in passion, rendred God so, and in diffidence of his grace miscarried in his message, and misrepresented him, angerly smiting the rock and that twice, in stead of but onelyonly giving the word of command to it, as God bad him, and also falling fowl upon the people, having no such commission, with imbittered tearms, distrustful interrogations, and misimplications, in stead of declaring to the glorie of God his admirable grace and patience, that without uttering an angrie word, sent him to command the rock to give them and their cattel water. So that God was now displeased at Moses, (whom they had caused to miscarrie) so far as to discharge him from conducting the people into the land of promise.
34 Nor yet when God had brought them into Canaan were they better minded,34They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them. but still followed their own inventions in stead of his commandments, and therefore did not execute Gods just indignation and judgements upon those sinful heathenish nations, the inhabitants, whose sins were then ripe, and of whom the Lord would have had the land wholly purged, that it might be pure and compleatly consecrated to him, (as are his regenerate people, his Church, that land of uprightness) and so they rendred free to serve him there, from their temptations to the contrarie.
35But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.35, 36 But by a foolish sinful pietie together with a spirit of contradiction they spared them, made compacts, yea,36And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. marriages with them, and so lived neighbour-like with those whom God hated to the death, and commanded them to do so, to figure out, that mortal and irreconcileable enmitie that the regenerate part ought to maintain against the remainder of corruption in the people of God; And what followed of this their indulgence? why, their own corrupting with their heathenish manners and worship, and consequently Gods alienation and their undoing. For they degenerated thereby so far as to forsake the true God of whom they had had experience, and worshipped the idols of those heathenish nations, with whom they cohabited and mixed themselves; as God foretold them so it fell out, that if they did not root out the people, they would be caught in those Idolatrous traps and so incur the vengeance and wrath of God, and so they did.
37Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils.37 Yea, they proceeded so far as to worship strange unheard of idols, indeed devils, (for they that worship not God, worship him,) and after as strange a manner; most barbarously quite contrarie to the Law, either of God or nature, offering their own very children in sacrifice to those idol-devils, and made their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech, the abomination of the Ammonites.
38And shed innocent bloud, even the bloud of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with bloud.38 And so made that land which God allotted for to be a type of heaven, and sanctified to himself out of all the earth, an Aceldama, defiling it with most unnatural parricide, shedding the bloud of poor innocent infants, even their own very children, whom in stead of bringing them up in the knowledge of God, and dedicating them to him, they, as if he had had no title to them, offered them in sacrifice to the idols of that countrey, whereas they should have destroyed both them and their gods, that it might have been a pure place for the holy God to have resided in, but they polluted it more than ever with the murderous bloudshed of their children, his chosen.
39 Thus in stead of being a people holy to the Lord,39Thus were the… defiled with their own works; and went a whoring with their own inventions. they became abominable in his sight, as bad as the heathen themselves, and worse by forsaking the Commandments and service of God, yea, that conjugal union that was betwixt God and them, by mutual choice and covenant, in stead thereof doing what ever their own corrupt minds suggested, walking by no rule but the dictates of their own deceived hearts, which led them to commit all manner of folly with all sorts of idols.
40 The jealous God could not see himself thus dishonored by a disloyal people and not be angrie,40Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people: insomuch as he abhorred his own inheritan…e. wherefore he gave way to his wrath to wax hot against them; and though he had chosen them with a purpose to set his delight upon them, yet now his mind was changed, and he lothed them as much as ever he had loved them.
41 And in stead of subduing their enemies under them,41And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. he subjugated them to their enemies, even the heathen, those whose countrey they possessed, who therefore hated them, those did he make to have dominion and Lordship over them.
42 Those mortal enemies of theirs tirannized over42Their enemies also oppressed them, & they were brought into subjection under their hand. them, they being tributaries and in vile vassalage to the nations that they themselves had in part, and should in whole have subdued, but that their sins turned the scales.
43Many times did he deliver them, but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquitie.43 Nor did he quite cast them off, but had still an affection towards them, and ever and anon took pitie on them, and delivered them, by such men and means as he appointed, out of their thraldom and vassalage, but nothing would serve to reclaim them; when they were out of miserie they again fell to their apostacie, with deliberate and voluntarie election deserting God and his worship, whom therefore still he corrected as they back-slided, and made them stoop to their enemies that would not stoop to him.
44Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction when he heard their crie.44 Nevertheless his compassion was such towards them, that whensoever in their affliction they cried to him, and owned him for their God, whom out of it they would not, he would still hear them and grant them deliverance out of their miserie.
45And he remembred for them his Covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.45 For the Lord was still mindful of his Covenant, to do them good because of it, though they of themselves were so exceeding ill deserving, and having chosen them for his people he could not quite reject them, but though their provocations were endless, and he made them smart for them, yet their afflictions no sooner appeared to have wrought some change in them for the better but straightway he changed towards them, pardoning their sin and removing their punishment, because his mercies were like himself infinite.
46He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.46 Nay, the Lord was so tender towards them as to over-rule the hard hearts of their imperious enemies to shew them favour that of themselves hated them to the death, death, insomuch as they were highly advanced under some, and strangly discharged and set at libertie by others that led them captive.
47 O Lord,47Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks, unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. as we remember thy mercies of old, so be thou pleased to do so too, act for us now as then, save us out of this trouble and gather us again out of this dispersion from among the heathen, into a communitie; settle us in our proper inheritance and thine, there to return thee thanks as ou… fore-fathers were wont to do in all such cases, and magnifie thy power, in the praiseful acknowledgement whereof, as also of thy grace and goodness towards us thy people, thou thereby wilt give us infinite cause to rejoyce and glorie.
48 And how ever we smart deservedly for our sins,48Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. yet let the Lord be glorified. Let us not forget his surpassing mercies to this nation; but bless him, that whatever our demerits have been, yet hath ever approved himself like himself faithful and gracious, and so will ever be to his people, who ought therefore in the memorie of past, and the faith of future mercies, to bless him for it whilest the world endures, and to this let all Israel subscribe and consent, one and other, for it is their dutie and the Lords due from them. Therefore fail not on your part, let nothing discourage you from thus praising the Lord, and mark the issue.