Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 129
The cxxix. PSALM.
The Psalmist laies forth the common state of the Church, for her present comfort under her present affliction, the Iews (as is conceived at this time being under those pressures that besel them after their return out of their grievous Babylonish captivitie, by their wicked envious pick-thank neighbours, the Samaritans, endeavouring their subversion by accusing them to the Persian Kings, encourageing the …aithfull by late experience in Gods faithfulness, for the Churches preservation, and her enemies disappointment and destruction, which with a prophetical prayer, equivalent to a promise he foretels and desires.
Psalm cxxix.See the Title of the 120. Psalm.
1Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say.1, 2 WHen was the Church and people of God, which for the paucitie of them in the world is as it were but one man amongst a many,2Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. ever without afflictions and enemies at any time, in any place, among any people on earth? from the very beginning in Abel, and so along through all the Patriarks quite down to us from Egypt till very now, whose fortune therefore is not singular in that at present we undergo, but common with all the faithfull in all ages, this you know to be true, and yet this world of wicked enemies which the poor Church hath evermore had, and which many and many a time hath crushed them sore, yet could never through the over-ruling hand of our Almightie and good God, prevail to supplant and eradicate it as was their aim and desire to have done, no, nor never shall, no more now than heretofore, fear it not.
3, 4 The poor Church and people of God,3The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. have undergone great hardship by the ungodly men of this world, to whom it hath been meat and drink to afflict us,4The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. (witness our late Babylonish task-masters) and as much pains have they taken to do it by plots and practices, as the plow-man does to tear the ground in pieces, and as cruelly they have handled us, so far as ever God gave them leave, (and so they shall Christ himself) whose husbandmen they are, and ever have been, and the Church his field, wherein thereby he hath always sown his seed and reaped his harvest; that hath been the use he put the Churches afflictions and persecutions to, always notwithstanding them, approving himself righteous and faithfull to his word and promise of grace, and so is still, and ever will be, to remember merciemercy, though the wicked world know none, to abate of what it intends against them both for length of time, and measure of affliction, as we have experience in our late deliverance, and to disappoint their purposes and machinations as he hath always done, to his churches preservation and their destruction, in his own time, and by his almightie power maugre their malice.
5 And as,5Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Sion. Lord, thou hast ruined Babylon for our sakes, so vouchsafe still to appear for thy Church against her enemies, bringing them all to confusion that would do so by Sion the place of thy worship, and type of thy Church for ever, let not their malicious combinations, and wicked projects take effect against the type or anti-type, but utterly and shamefully defeat and frustrate them, for it is for thy sake that they bear evil will to thy place and people.
6Let them be as the grass upon the house tops: which withereth before it springeth up.6, 7, 8 Lord, let such haters of God and godliness, however they seem to flourish, and over-top thy poor Church,7Wherewith the mowe: silieth not his hand: nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. come to nought, both they, & all their wicked designs: as the light corn that makes a fair shew on the ridge of an house, for want of rooting withers in a moment before it ripen,8Neither do they whi…h go by, say, the blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord. and comes to any perfection by the heat of the sun, and is of no use nor regard; so let alwaies the Churches enemies, that are under a curse, and not a blessing; and at present our persecuting neighbours be blasted, and in thy wrathfull displeasure destroyed both their persons and purposes; let neither the one, nor the other ever come to good, like those empty ears; let them be found, by those they curryfavour with, a dissembling, lying generation, great promisers, and no performers, and find favour accordingly. Let not those that are spectatours of us and them, whose pendulous judgements the event will preponderate (the common errour of the world, to judge and side according to success;) let them not have cause by their prospering against us, to bless them, and curse us, and to misuse thy name against thine own people, in behalf of thine, and our enemies, by blessing those whom thou cursest, and cursing those whom thou blessest.