Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 128
The cxxviii. PSALM.
The Psalmist to undeceive the world, sh…ws who, and who onelyonly is a blessed man, he that fears and obeys God, and sh…ws every such an one the favours he is in with God, both as to his own particular, his family and post…ritie, the Church, whereof he is a member, and the common-wealth, whereof he is a part, all these shall fare the better for him, whom God will bless both in his person, and in all his relations.
See the Title of the 120. Psalm.Psalm cxxviii. A Song of degrees.
1 ALl men would be blessed men,1BLessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his waies. but few take a right course for it, nor indeed do they either judge that to be blessedness which is so, or that to be the way to it, which onelyonly is so; for as to the favour of God they see no such matter in it, as that it should make them happy or blessed, conceiving of spiritual things with carnal apprehensions, knowing no felicity but what is earthly and sensual, & for the fear of God that leads to his favour, & obedience to his commandements, which he rewards with blessedness: these they skill not, it is against the hair, and loth they are to purchase God, by being good. But let deluded worldlings think how they please: The God of truth tels thee, who ever thou art, that if thou wilt be blessed of him, (and otherwaies thou canst not) thou must with a reverential filial fear in the faith of him thy God and Father, do his will, and not thine own, please him, not thy self, and so doing, thou and every such one shall be as surely blessed, as God is faithfull.
2… thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.2 For God whose thou art, will also be thine, not onelyonly in the grace of salvation, but also in the grace of providence and protection, if in his fear and faith thou usest the means soberly, he will bless them successfully to thy contentment, so that though he give not to surfet thee, yet to suffice thee he will, thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, nor cursed of the Lord, as others are, but though thou work for thy living, yet thou shalt be able to live by thy work, which shall maintain thee and thine, and that happily and contentedly (which many that have much, do not;) for thou shalt have the favour of God to thee, and the blessing of God upon thee, in what thou dost and hast,
3Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull vine, by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants, round about thy table.3 Within doors and without shall God bless thee, with what ever blessings he knows convenient for thee; if thou beest in a married condition, whilest others that are so, either have no children, or have them taken from them when they have them, or are cursed to them, if not taken from them. Thou that fearest God he will provide better for thee, thy wife and thou shall with conjugal comfort behold the blessing of the Lord upon your marriage bed, in her fruitfull womb, and thy hopefull issue; children wherein thou maist have comfort, and not a few, nor short-lived, which shall delight thee to look on them, and see God in them enriching thee by his gift, with what rich men cannot purchase by their wealth, and with them will give thee sustenance for them; if he send thee mouths, he will also send the meat.
4 O that men would effectually believe this,4Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord. and take out this lesson, that they that in conscience to God fear to sin, and do good, are the blessed of the Lord in their own persons, and shall be blessed of the Lord in what is theirs, & find all true that I have said.
5 The God of Israel shall upon thy prayers made at,5The Lord shall bless thee out of Sion, and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem, all the days of thy life. or towards the place of his presence and pledge of his Covenant, the Ark and MercieMercy-Seat in his Sanctuarie upon Sion (the type of Christ in heaven,) hear thee and bless thee, as he hath promised to do, and thou shalt be a means not onelyonly to procure blessing to thy self, but to the whole Israel and Church of God, typified in Jerusalem, which shall fare the better for thy sake and such as thou art, and thou and they for its sake reciprocally as parts, and whole, as shall the Church and members mutually in all ages.
6 Yea,7Yea, thou shalt see thy childrens children and pea…e upon Israel. thy pietie shall preserve thee in grace and favour with God, and make thee both blessed in thy self, and a blessing to many others, yea, to the whole Israel of God; thou shalt thy self be blessed with long life, and happy daies, and in thy family and relations, with children, and with childrens children, which shall be a rejoycing to thee to behold, and walking in thy waies (who walks in Gods) shall to many generations fare the better for thee, and inherit the grace and faithfulness of God promised to the righteous and their seed, yea, the Church and common-wealth, whereof thou art a member, and wherein thou livest, shall prosper for thy sake, and such as thou art, grace and peace from God and with men, shall thy prayers and godly walking procure them.