Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 14 – Psalm 15
The xiiii. PSALM.
David speaking in the wisdom of the holy Ghost, befools the wisdom of all flesh, which in all men naturally out of an enmitie and misunderstanding of God, leads onelyonly unto sin, and professedly hates those few in the world whom God hath renewed, in stead of seeking to become such themselves. But he shews, that they both have and shall certainly smart for that sin of cont…mpt and hatred of Gods people that serve and trust him, and praies, that God would presently by him give tranquillitie to his people, as Christ shall to his Church.
To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire, Psalm xiii. To the chief musician, A Psalm of David.do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung.
1 MAn by his fall hath lost,1THe fool hath said in his heart, there is no God: they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good. and naturally is void of the right understanding of God, believing nothing so of him as he is, and so makes him as if he were not. And out of this depraved ignorance all natural men live in sin, and from the beginning have multiplied abominations; not one either is, or ever was, that by nature, without special and supernatural grace, ever knew or served the Lord aright.
2 The Lord made a long trial of it in the first age2The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. of the world in that time of nature between Adam and the giving of the Law, purposely to see what it of it self would bring forth, and how improve the talent that age afforded, whether there were any one of all mankind that could and would improve it to the knowledge, belief, and worship of him; or for default, by nature to make out to him for grace.
3They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doth good, no not one.3 But he found by long experience, notwithstanding his documents to, and judgements upon the old world, and so he finds still. That all men are naturally fools, void of understanding, and generally without exception of polluted hearts and lives, loathsome in his sight; that none in nature does that which is right and acceptable, no not a man of all mankind, nor covets grace.
4Have all the workers of iniquitie no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.4 In so much as God himself admired to see all men by nature void of the knowledge of him, and of themselves in relation to him, and wholly given over to sin and carnalitie; yea, even to the hatred and devouring those few in the world that are the people of God, upon whom he hath bestowed his favour and grace, and that differing from them, walk in holines and righteousnes; never taking thought to do, or be like them; neither themselves of themselves by nature worshipping God, nor seeking to God for the like grace and inablement that those had given them; but contemned it, and hated them.
5There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.5 Which at last brought fearful desolation upon them when the floud came and swept them all away. Like measure shall the wicked contemners and haters of God and his worshippers have, they shall find, that God, who by his spirit and grace throughout all ages is in the righteous, will also be for them, and against those that are against them.
6You h…ve shamed the counsel of the poor; because the Lord is his refuge.6 You graceless and wicked ones of this age take notice of it, that have persecuted the poor and helpless, and scorned him as a hairbrain fool for trusting so nakedly upon the Lord, and bearing himself upon him without humane probabilities, for deliverance and establishment.
7 But,7O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall reioyce, and Israel shall be glad. O that the time were come, which I am sure will come, and is not long too, that God will, by mine enemies ruin, settle my Kingdom in Sion, as a Type of Christs in heaven; and then and there by me send deliverance and happines to his people Israel, as he will thence by him send salvation to his Church. When God shall have thus delivered them from their enemies, and out of their present troubles, as formerly he did out of their captivities, into peace and tranquillity, as his Church by Christ shall be from wrath and hell; how shall the faithful and true Israel of God, who properly are the seed of his servant Jacob, rejoyce proportionably in the type, to what they shall then in the Antitype.
The xv. PSALM.
David d…sirous to convince and convert the f…rm… professor, or outward J…y, of, and from, an overweening conceit and mistaken apprehension of hims…lf and his ceremonious worship. As a Prophet goes to God by way of question, to know of him and so to deliver from him who he is that is in his account a true worsh…pper of him, and is and shall be partaker of his grace and glorie. And brings answer, that its he, and only he, that in the sight of God is as well conscientious of the moral as of the ceremonial law, practizing as well righteousness as holines, in all manner converse and commerce with men, in thought, words, and actions.
A Psalm made by David.Psalm xv. A Psalm of David.
1 LOrd there are many pretenders to thy service and frequenters of thy Tabernacle worship,1LOrd, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? that take themselves to be of the Church, because they are in it, but thou knowest that many are of Israel that are not Israel. Therefore declare by me thy prophet, who, and what manner of man he must be that is an Israelite indeed; a true worshipper of thee, and savingly implanted into the true Church, ever to abide in thy Kingdom of grace here, and of glorie hereafter.
2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousnes, and speaketh the truth in his heart.2 Why, no wicked man, nor bare professor or meer ceremonial worshipper that is but seemingly holy: But he, and he onelyonly, that in conscience to God carries on the whole trade of his life holily and righteously both in duties of pietie, and acts of moralitie, in common converse and commerce 'twixt man and man; doing what he does justly and honestly, without fraud and deceit, and saying what he says in truth, from his heart without dissembling.
3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproch against his neighbour.3 Doing injurie to no man by undermining his good name, and sliely seeking his disreputation by insinuating and speaking ill of him behind his back, yea, that neither in word or deed doth willingly disparage or disprofit any man, nor is well pleased another should, not itching after tales and reports to other mens disparagement and aspersion, nor being over credulous of them when he hears them to the lessening their credit, but in all things is careful to do, as he would be done by, counting every man his neighbour, and walking thereafter in doing good and not evil to all.
4In whose eyes a …le person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord: he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.4 He that gives no countenance or encouragement to wickednes and wicked men, but declares himself against it, and them, for its sake: contrarily having in great esteem, and shewing good respect to them that are known to be holy and good; and is careful to walk unblameably, and therefore is so tender of his word, as that if he have promised or sworn any lawful thing, he will keep it though it be to his disadvantage, rather than falsifie.
5 He that violates not the Laws of charitie,5He that putted: not out his money to usurie, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doth these things shall never be moved. and justice, but having it by him, lends freely to them that need, intending their commoditie and not his own. And that in office or judicature gives judgement uprightly, not suffering himself to be perverted by bribery to wrong the innocent. He that thus walks is no formalist, nor Hipocr… or cast-away, but is the truly godly man that is blessed for ever with saving grace, and assurance of glorie.