Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 132
The cxxxii. PSALM.
Solomon (as is most probable) at the compleat finishing and furnishing of the Temple, made this Psalm, much of it being the same with the prayer he made at the dedication, wherein he prayer-wise minds God first of Davids faith and zeal, as also of the peoples in his time for the promotion of the glorie and worship of God at Ierusalem, which now being brought to perfection in the perfecting of the Temple, he praies, that God would turn his promises to David into performances by vouchsafing himself to be present there, and his blessings both to the Priestly and Kingly office, that they may flourish to the rejoycing of the godly, especially in his own time and person, according to those especial promises and prophesies concerning him, who also is an extraordinarie type of Christ, and his glorious Kingdom.
Psalm cxxxii. A song of degrees.See the title of the 120 Psalm.
1LOrd, remember David, and all his afflictions.1 LOrd, remember thy servant David, that type of Christ thy son, what sad sufferings by thy ordination he underwent for the good of thy Church and people, what miseries he sustained in his faithful dependence on thee and thy gracious promises made to him, and for his sake to his posteritie, yea, to the whole Kingdom of Israel, which are still of force to thy people, whom, by and for him thou hast blessed accordingly (as through Christ thou wilt the Church) and we pray thee still go on to do so, to bless both him and them, let his name and sufferings be still precious with thee, and efficacious to us as Christs shall be after his death and departure, carrying in mind thine ingagements of grace and merciemercy to his people and posterity for his sake.
2How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob.2 Call to mind the wonderful zeal he had for thee and thy worship, which made him infinitly solicitous in it, solemnly swearing, affectionately and freely vowing to, and before thee the Almighty God of Jacob, that holy Patriark and progenitour of him and all Israel, (whom thou didst bless and powerfully preserve, and promisedst to bless his seed after him) as followeth.
3Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house: nor go up into my bed.3 Surely I will not rest my self contentented with the advancement of my royal throne, and erecting of mine own house and palace in the Citie of David, it is not the flourishing of my Crown and Kingly office that my heart is so much fixed on, as thereby to forget the Priestly office and worship which is to go hand in hand, and by which and for which it must be, that both I and my Kingdom must be preserved, therefore though I have built me an house fit for me, yet will I take no pleasure to dwell in it, nor enjoy the benefits and conveniences of it.
4 Nay,4I will not give sleep to mine eyes: or slumber to my eyelids. I will not sleep in quiet, nor take any comfortable rest with content of mind.
5 But with a longing desire will watch at what time,5Until I find out a place for the Lord: an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. and by what way and means (the season being now at hand) God will reveal to me the place long ago forespoken of that he would choose to set his name, pitch his Ark, and build his temple there, where he hath promised his constant abode, his presence and residence for ever, and from whence he will eminently yield protection and assistance to his people the seed of Jacob, calling on him as he did, whom he assisted mightily against his enemies, and so will them from thence against theirs.
6 Lo,6Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah, we found it in the fields of the wood. we have heard of the several transplantations and removes thine Ark hath made, one while residing at Shiloh within the tribe of Ephraim, another while, after thou hadst miraculously rescued it from the Philistines, in the house of Abinadab at Kiriath-jearim, a place of plains and woods, whereby the iniquitie of the times, and obscuritie of the place it was disfrequented, and scarce taken notice of to be there, where yet David found it out, and whence he with the approbation and applause of all Israel removed it to Jerusalem, preordained, and by thee revealed to him, to be its place of residence, where accordingly it now is to be frequented, and thou to be worshipped in that solemn manner befitting the present State of thy Church.
7We will go into thy Tabernacles: we will worship at thy foot-stool.7 Whither we thy people generally and unanimously will resort with chearful obedience to thy holy sanctuarie and temple, where thou that art in heaven art pleased by typical umbrages to vouchsafe thy real presence and residence, and there we will worship thee as thou hast ordained, and onelyonly there henceforward, as the Church shall for ever worship God in Christ, onelyonly accessible in his humane nature, where is the fulness of the God-head bodily.
8Arise, O Lord, into thy rest: thou and the Ark of thy strength.8 And that prayer, which hath been so often made by Moses in the itinerarie removes of thine Ark, now do I prefer, and do thou, Lord, fulfil, as it were once for all, now possess thy self of this holy mountain, and take thou up thy rest and residence there, where thou hast promised to dwell amongst thy people in a state triumphant, (such as both Christ and his Church shall have after their afflictions) even on mount Sion in the Temple, where thine Ark is at last scituate, the sign as of thy presence, so of thy powerful goodness in thy peoples preservation, and their enemies confusion, to remove no more, neither thou nor it, but there to abide, a blessed God amongst a blessed people.
9Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousn…s: and let thy saints shout for joy.9 Now, Lord, let thy Church flourish, that hath been long under the wheel, let it at last bear the character of thee, the Almighty and merciful God, in holiness and happiness, both Priests and people, let those in thine abundant faithfulness, not onelyonly ritually but really, by the sanctifying graces of thy spirit be holy to the Lord, as their office holds forth salvation, so let them in life and conversation so walk before thee, as that thou mayest bless and preserve them, and thy worship and people by their means. Let the time to come burie the memorie of thy Churches former infelicitie by a glorious resurrection of all things, to the highest pitch of heavenly and spiritual lustre, in temporal and typical resemblances, to the ravishment of thy faithful servants, and sanctified ones that have long looked for this triumphant condition of Christ in his Churches felicitie and the Temples glorie.
10 Yea,10For thy servan Davids sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed. grant I pray thee my request put up in behalf, as, of thy service, and servants, the Temple, and Kingdom in general; so, more particularly in mine own behalf, in whom they are so eminently concerned, and that for the sake, and in the name of that typical mediatour and faithful servant of thine (the blessed type of thy blessed son the Messiah) David my father, with whom thou plightest thy faith by promise and Covenant to be his God, and the God of his seed after him, to bless them, and make them blessings to thy people, Lord, make me so happie, whom thou hast by especial appointment ordained to be his immediate successour in this high dignitie and office of being King over Israel, before whom I pray thee honour me with a gracious acceptance of my service in building thee an house, by some extraordinarie token of favour, and by effectual answering my prayer, put up in their and mine own behalf at that thy Temple, that they may see thou favourest me, and for that cause may have me and my Government in honour, and estimation as they had my fathers, and be blessed as by him and his Government, so by me and mine.
11 Thy faithfulnes is my confidence & comfort,11The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, he will not turn from it, of the fruit of thy bodie will I set upon thy throne. thou hast of thine own free grace ingaged thy word of truth, that is as infallible thy self, by a firm and lasting promise to David (that lived and died in thy favour, a lively type of the Mediatour Christ) that thou wilt not do by him as by Saul, let him be King for tearm of life onelyonly, but out of his own loins should proceed his successour whom thou wilt choose, as thou didst David himself from among all his brethren to govern his people after him, as is verified this day in me thine anointed.
12If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimonie that I shall teach them, their children also shall fit on thy throne for evermore.12 Nor hath thy favour to him determined in his immediate seed, but is extended by thy gracious promise to a successive establishment of the throne of Israel in his seeds seed, in case they walk worthy so rich merciemercy, treading in the steps of their father David by keeping the Commandments of the Lord in faith and godliness, without deviating or stepping aside to carnal confidence or will-worship, even so long as it is to endure, to Christs coming, and in him to eternitie.
13For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath desired it for his habitation.13, 14 For the Lord hath foretold the prosperous condition of his Church in the dayes of David and his seed,14This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell, for I have desired it. how his Ark should then have rest, his temple be built where he would reside among his people by special presence of goodness and faithfulness, in Sion long defore designed for this honour but not revealed till David, and to him it was made known, that that was the very place where he would establish the Kingly and Priestly office of his beloved son, the Messiah, in their lively prefigurations whence he will by his anointed Kings and Priests rule and bless his people if they forfeit not so great blessedness, as from heaven he shall his Church, in and by Christs mediation, the onelyonly High-priest and Potentate ascended & sitten down for ever at the right hand of his Father in the heavenly Jerusalem, whose blessed exaltation unto the execution of those offices there, is the desire and delight of his soul, as being onelyonly well pleased in him, and reconciled by him, therefore so is Sion here, which is the representation of him and them.
15 I will multiply blessings (for so thou hast said) upon the whole land for Sions sake,15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfie her poor with bread. that she may be provided with all manner of store for holy services. Let not the poor Israelite fear to bring his offerings, and disfurnish himself to worship me as I have appointed, for if the service of my sanctuarie lessen his store, if there he seek me faithfully, he shall carrie such a blessing home with him, as he shall have no cause to repent him, for I will both bless him with lively-hood (let him not fear it) and bless it to him.
16 The Priests that there officiate in consecrated garments,16I will also clothe her Priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. shall be in like manner clothed upon with the saving and sanctifying righteousness of the Messiah, which in their zeal and faithful discharge of their places they shall hold forth to the example and edification of their brethren, who in the sinceritie of their hearts shall bless the Lord for such happie times, wherein so much of God his grace and favour appears in blessing them with a holy Priest-hood and Divine worship, and powerfully protecting both it and them.
17 I will bless Sion,17There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. and there shall David my servant be blessed, not onelyonly in himself during the time of his regencie, but after him his successour and Gods anointed King Solomon shall far exceed him in power and glorie, whose wisdom, which I shall give him to govern by, shall shine with that brightness, as shall wonderfully increase his fame and dignitie the world over, who shall be a lively pattern of the anointed Messiah that also shall spring out of the stock of David, that spiritual Solomon, the Prince of peace and mightie counsellour.
18His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his Crown flourish.18 And his enemies that would not he should rule over them, but oppose his advancement, or disturb his Government, I will shamefully cut off both them and their enterprises, but him will I bless with a flourishing reign of glorie and affluence, at home and abroad, resembling Christ both in his own happiness, and his enemies confusion.