Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 112 – Psalm 114
The cxii. PSALM.
The Psalmist stirrs up the people of the Lord in works to praise him, the benefit whereof will be theirs, their persons and posterities will be blessed by it, in wo as well as in weal will God graciously visit such. He sheweth, a charitable minded man is much set by of God, and by faith and a good conscience in the worst of times, enjoys himself happily spite of those that malign him, his liberall giving to the poor shall enrich him, when as the covetous wretch for all his carking and caring shall suffer want, and envy his abundance.Psalm cxii.
1 LEt the Lord have his due praises,1PRaise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. for his great deservings and admirable excellencies that appear to be in him, by what we see done by him, and that not onelyonly vocall but reall, for he principally praiseth him, and is certainly blessed of him, that with a filiall fear dares not offend him, and with a faith working by love is carefull in all things to please and obey him, whose happiness is holiness, and sinne his greatest affliction.
2His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.2 Nor will God determine his blessings upon himself, but extend them further even to his posterity walking in his wayes, witness our forefather Abraham, how did the Lord multiply his seed according as he promised, and like blessings hath he in store for faithfull Abrahams faithfull off-spring, who walking as he did with an upright heart before God in perfect obedience, shall be as he was, blessed in their own persons and posterities.
3Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.3 God will both increase his family, and provide well for it, whereof our times, and the times of our forefathers and Scripture-records have given good testimony. He and his shall reap the benefit of his and their righteousness by a Series of blessings, successively transferred by virtue of the covenant made to him and them for many generations.
4Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.4 And though God doth not alwayes bless him that is of an upright heart, and righteous conversation with externall affluence; for his dispensations, though agreeable to wisdom and justice, are various; yet this, such an one may be sure of, that he shall find God most trusty in his greatest trialls, and no such cloud of tribulation shall ever over-shadow him, but the sunne of righteousness shall shine through it upon his soul, with healing consolations in his wings; for God whatsoever he may seem to be by his outward dispensations, is in his native disposition very gracious and tenderly affected towards such, and just to fulfill his goodness promised them, in one kind or other, but especially in spirit.
5 The worldly minded man thinks he is happy and rich in laying up,5A good man sheweth favour and lendeth; he will guide his affairs with discretion. but the good and godly differ from him, for they think themselves happy and enriched by laying out, knowing, that as God favours them with blessings of this life, so they ought to shew favour unto others that want them, as stewards, not owners of that they have; And therefore he that out of the love he bears to God, loves his brother also, will not stick upon occasion to shew his love by his lending, yea, his care shall be so to walk as to credit his profession, more than to benefit himself, to get and spend neither sinfully nor profusely, but with a good conscience, and in an orderly sort, so that thereby what he hath may be blessed, and he made able to lend and not to borrow, and to his power to supply others that by providence are enforced to borrow, and cannot lend like himself.
6 Surely how ever the world think their liberality and charity is the next way to beggary,6Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. because Mammon is their God, yet it shall be otherwise with him, that in the faith of God with godly wisdom expends what he hath in pious uses, he shall never be ashamed for so doing, though the world count it folly, he shall find it both wisdom and providence so to do, he and his estate shall be upheld, when many of those miserly diffidents, shall fall and come to lack, for God will never forget to reward and be favourable to those, that in conscience and love to him have laid out their store upon his that wanted.
7 Such an one shall have such provision laid up in God,7He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. and be so secure in him, as that he shall not fear the changes of times, nor hazards and losses approaching, as they shall, that have much wealth and are little conversant in faith and charity, who are ready to make away themselves upon the very report of such things, having an evil conscience.
8His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, untill he see his desire upon his enemies.8 Though because he is good, therefore he may have many enemies as commonly it falls out, yet shall he not care nor fear the worst they can do unto him, having God and a good conscience to take his part and side with him, he shall be as well satisfied and firmly perswaded of mercy to him, and judgements upon them, as if he saw them already executed.
9He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poore; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exhalted with honour.9 He hath not hoarded up his pelf, but hath scattered it here and there, by lending and giving it amongst the poore as he saw them to want, like as seed is cast into the ground, of which he shall reap the blessing. The righteous man shall gather the fruit of his charity and beneficence, it shall follow him into heaven, to be rewarded there, yea, and here also, God shall manifest his good acceptance of his pious liberality, by blessing and prospering him both in his estate and estimation.
10The wicked shall see it and be grieved, he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.10 So that the wicked covetous wretch shall to his grief behold himself out-stript, his wisdom befooled by that which he counted foolishness, and the high-way to beggery, he shall be ready to eat his own flesh for envy at the prosperity and increase of the righteous, the whilest his substance melts away, and wasts insensibly like snow before the sunne, notwithstanding his pains and care to get and keep, his hopes and desires shall fail him, he shall attain neither riches nor honour.
The cxiii. PSALM.
The Psalmist invites to the praises of God, specially his servants, and that in all ages and places, both for his transcendent greatness, and for his no less goodness, which his dispensations make to appear very remarkably, for which again he excites them unto praises.Psalm cxiii.
1 LEt not the manifestations of God his power and goodness,1PRaise ye the Lord, praise O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. in his works of creation and salvation be buried in ignorance and silence, but take faithfull notice of them, and give him gratefull praises for them; it may be the blind world neither will nor can, but you his sanctified and redeemed ones, that profess to serve him, and not to be of the world, though in it, specially ye Levites chosen by himself to that office, do you make it your imployment. Let him in his greatness and goodness be magnified by all that serve him either by office or calling, whether Levites in letter or spirit, praise ye the Lord.
2, 3 As largely as the power,2Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and for evermor… wisdom, and goodness of God is declared for time and place, so let the praisefull acknowledgements of him and them be extended in like sort,3From the … the sunne unto the … down of the … the Lords name is … be praised. let none in no ages nor regions of the world, that have eyes in their heads and tongues in their mouths be silent, but bless and praise him alwayes in all places as he well deserves.
4 The Empire of the whole world is the Lords,4The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, his dominion is over all the earth, but his throne in the glorious splendour of it is more, especially in the heaven of heavens, where in brightness he exceeds the sunne, which as it is under him (though above us) so tis short of him, who from the highest top of Majesty and Honour commands and orders all things, the heavens and the earth, which are as far beneath him in glory, as in scituation.
5Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high?5, 6 Who is like unto the Lord for greatness, that hath his throne higher than not onelyonly we can see,6Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth? but conceive▪ heaven that is so far above us, is under him, and the great men of the earth, who in comparison of the vulgar are called Gods, are as far below him as above them; Yet this God of greatness out of no less goodness, daineth himself to be ours, and his Churches God, though but a parcel of people compared to the world; whom yet he owns for his subjects and favourites, even he to whom it is an abasing, considering the superlativeness of glory, that he the Creatour hath above all creatures whatsoever, to condescend by way of rule and governance to take notice of the things that are, and are done on earth, nay, and in heaven also, so far are all below him that are made by him, & so absolute and perfect is he in and of himself, from whom all things are, and to whom nothing adds, neither Angels nor men.
7He raiseth up the poore out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill:7, 8 Yet doth he agitate affairs here below, and dispose of his creatures as best pleaseth him, and is most for his glory,8That he may set him with Princes, even with the Princes of his people. many times raising men from an abject low estate and great poverty to honour and opulency, yea, from the very lowest stair to the highest step of fortune, as David from the sheepfolds to be King over his people Israel instead of Saul.
9 And in like sort by his Almighty power and good will he opens the womb that was shut,9He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyfull mother of children: praise ye the Lord. and causeth her that was in despair of having children by being long without, to conceive, turns the grief of her barrenness into a joyfull fruitfulness, making her dry breasts give suck, and she to be mother and nurse of many children. Take ye notice of these his greatness, goodness, and wonderfull dispensations to praise him for them, and the excellencies that shine forth in them.
The cxiv. PSALM.
The Psalmist records a narrative of the rev…rend apprehension which the senseless elements of earth and water had, at the Majesty and presence of the Lord, when he went along with his people Israel from Egypt to Canaan, to instruct them much more to do so, and wisheth the earth it self would still convince them of their duty when they neglect it, and are mindless of his fore-past wondrous providences.Psalm cxiv.
1 WHen by the wonderfull working of God the children of Israel went out of Egypt,1WHen Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob, from a people of a strange language. entirely the whole twelve Tribes according to the families of Jacobs sonns, when they I say were so marvellously rescued out of their long and grievous captivity under the Egyptians, a people that ruled over them, as men rule over beasts, rather by blowes than words, being of strange language and estranged affections, pitiless towards them;
2 The posterity of Israel were then the people of all the world he made choice of,2Judah was his sanctuary and Israel his dominion. declaratively by signs and wonders to be their God and King, and that his presence was as really and eminently amongst them, as ever after it was in the most glorious times of the Church, when his sanctuary (the token of his residence) was situate in Jerusalem Judahs lot, and the thrones of David and Salomon were there erected.
3The sea saw it, and fled; Jordan was d…iven back.3 The red sea above its nature was made sensible of the power and presence of the Lord with his people, insomuch as it reverently and submittingly withdrew it self out of its place to make way for him and them to pass through, so likewise did Jordan at their enterance into Canaan stop his course, and divide his waves for the Ark (the pledge of God) and his people to pass through his Chanell.
4The mountains skipped like ram…, and the little hills like lambs.4 The famous mountain Sinai in the wilderness, when God to give his Law to his people descended down upon it, the whole mount as great and ponderous as it was, quaked greatly, and all those contiguous hills bordering upon it did the like, so that by their motion they seemed rather to be sensible and living creatures, than clods of earth.
5What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?5, 6 O ye elements of earth and water, that by nature are without sence and motion, saving to your center, what therefore was the cause that at those times the sea and Jordan of themselves against nature,6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams, and ye little hills like lambs? and no Art of man concurring did so withdraw. And that mount Sinai with the adjacent hills so strangely moved and stirred like living creatures, was it naturall or supernaturall? Why, the God of nature appeared and inspired them above their natures, to teach his people the reverence and fear they should conceive, when they draw nigh to him as he then did to them.
7 O the Majesty and terrour of the Lord our God whose sanctuary and presence is among us,7Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord: at the presence of the God of Jacob. how ought it to affect us, that thus affected the senceless elements? still O earth do thou instruct us, shew us that holy fear and reverence, we that are Israels off-spring ought to perform to Jacobs God, when we forget it, by trembling now as then at the representation and manifestation of himself.
8 Mind us of those miracles he wrought for our forefathers in the wilderness,8Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. the faith and usefulness whereof ought not to be let slip, with what Almighty power he provided for them in their need, causing the dry and hard rocks miraculously to supply so many hundred thousand men and cattell with plenty of water.