Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 144
The cxliv. PSALM.
David being in part possessed of the Kingdom, blesseth God for that, which he acknowledgeth to be of him, as also all his atchievements and deliverances, and aggravates the greatness of God goodness to him from the baseness and disparity of him to God, whom he prayes extraordinarily to stand for him against, and rid him of his remainder of enemies, as bad as the rest, and promiseth upon finall deliverance to tune all his instruments to his praise, as the sole Saviour, specially of him; and again iterates his request, that the times of Israels tranquillity under him and his may hasten, that they may once be happie after so much miserie, which then they shall be, with the ample possession of temporall felicities of all kinds, and God to boot, which will make them or any people happie that are so blessed.
Psalm cxliv. A Psalm of David.A Psalm made by David.
BLessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.1 MAgnified be the Lord, for his praise-worthy goodness to me, in so marvellously inabling me beyond either naturall ability or acquired skill, to do things so much above my self in souldiery, as through his assistance I have done to mine own and all mens admiration, and to such wonderfull success as I have had thereby.
2My goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I trust: who subdueth my people under me.2 But it was the Lord, and of him onelyonly, who hath and doth shew me so many favours, and is so bountifull and beneficent to me as I cannot express it, but in the abstract of goodness it self, so freely are they acted, and so manifoldly multiplied; to descend into particulars were infinite, but what can be imagined by way of offence to mine enemies, or defence to my self, that the Lord is, and hath been to me, and I am confident so will be still: He it is that hath brought and will go on irresistably to bring this stubborn stiff-necked people of Israel to submit to me as their King, who so hardly are removed from their prejudices concerning me, and brought to believe the truth of promises touching me.
3 Lord,3Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? I cannot when I reflect upon my self and thee, the disproportion 'twixt my nature and essence, frail mortal dust and ashes here below, and thy spiritual, eternal, incomprehensible Being and infinite Majestie in heaven above, but admire, That such an earthworm as man (the whole kind whereof is at best but as the drop of thy bucket) subject to generation and corruption, should be so regarded of thee as to expend and lay out so much of thy wisdom, care, and providence upon him, especially considering what he is becom by sin, not worthie the name of a creature, that by nature is thine enemy, and that yet thou shouldest exercise so much grace and goodness towards him sundry wayes.
4 Man in respect of thee,4Man is like to vanitie, his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away. is as the most vain, and emptiest thing in the world is to him, for substance a thing of nothing, and for duration as momentanie and uncertain is his life, subject to time and change, as the shadow which is as transient as the sun is moveable.
5 Yet such is thy goodness to this poor inconsiderable creature,5Bow thy heaven…, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains and they shall smoke. that thou art pleased to work miracles many times for the preservation of a very few, yea, of one single person that belongs unto thee, and to descend as it were from thine imperial throne of Divine Majestie, to help here on earth wonderfully, when thine are in extremitie, and so, Lord, vouchsafe to do now, manifest thy presence, as when in thick and darksome clouds thou formerly descendedst, and made the mountains seem all on fire under thee, such let be thine out-goings against mine and thy Churches enemies, consume those mountainous powerful adversaries that oppose themselves against thee in thy wrathful displeasure; a little whereof will serve to do it, as high and mightie as they are in their own vain imaginations.
6Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows & destroy them.6 Thy peoples extraordinarie dangers have produced extraordinarie, and miraculous effects of providence for their preservation, and so let it do still, let thy power be now as evident, as when with thunder and lightening thou foughtest for them, destroyedst and discomfitedst their enemies heretofore.
7Send thine hand from above, rid me, and deliver me out of great waters: from the hand of strange children.7 When earthly helps fail, from heaven do thou send succour, and set me free from this deluge of trouble, and troublesome adversaries that break in upon me like an unresistable torrent, let me not fall into the hands of those that though they are visible Israelites, of the seed and family of Jacob, yet by their wicked malicious deportment, might be as well infidels and heathens, and as much charitie and humanity may I expect from those, as these.
8Whose mouth speaketh vanitie: and their right hand is a right hand of falshood.8 Who are perfect proficients in all kind of treachery and dissimulation, practising nothing else but how they may deceive and intrap the innocent, no tie can hold them, whatsoever they promise they break, and their contracts, though never so solemnly smitten, are but snares and traps, one can believe nothing they say or do, so false are they.
9I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a …saltery, and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.9 As thy mercies multiply, so shall my praises, which hitherto have gone along foot by foot with all thy gratious dispensations, every remarkable merciemercy hath inspired me afresh, and brought forth a suitable Psalm of praise and thanks-giving, and so shall they that are to succeed; when thou shalt compleat mine establishment, and work out my final deliverance, I will not be behind hand to express it to the full, in a full and open acknowledgement, answerably magnifying thee with the uttermost of my skill, both by voice and instrument tuned to thy praise.
10 And I will say,10It is he that giveth salvation unto Kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword. that the Lord alone is worthie to be magnified by all his vice-gerents upon earth, who disposeth of Kings and Kingdoms as pleaseth him, none, though never so great, standing or prevailing by their own power, but by his, either in victorie over their enemies, or peaceable government over their people, and I least of all, who am most of all bound to acknowledge his protection and deliverance of me out of (otherwayes) unavoidable deaths, yea, many an one, that had else swallowed me up, had not his hand of power answered his word of promise in the preservation, and preferment of me to this place of honour, and service to rule his people Israel.
11 Thou hast made some good riddance of mine enemies,11Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falshood. but more remain, do by these as by those, who are no better, Israelites at large, onelyonly by birth-priviledge have they got the start of heathens, savouring the things of honesty & truth no more, than they. See further the 7 and 8 verses foregoing of this Psalm.
12 Settle us in a peaceable and prosperous condition,12That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daug…ters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. by ridding out those that stand in the way of Israels wel-fare, and flourishing estate under me and mine, that the times may come, which are not far off, according to the date of thine ordination and promise, when we shall have even a heaven upon earth, thy blessings of all sorts abounding to us, and our posterities, and the Common-wealth be peopled, (and re-edified as it were) with handsome well educated youth, the effects of peace, both men and women, that hath been so long unpolished and in the rough, void of all order and comliness.
13That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store, that our sheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets.13 And when the blessings of corn and cattel shall to admiration be poured out upon us in so great abundance, as ever, either room within doors can receive, or pasturage without (all the land over) can maintain.
14That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no breaking in, nor going out, that there be no complaining in our streets.14 And when by peace and plentie our beasts of labour and burden shall be blessed with strength thereto, and the Kingdom enriched therewith, and that there shall be no more wasting, robbing, plundering, spoiling, killing, and captiving as lamentably hath been by invasions and inroads of cruel enemies, nor no need of flying for our securitie or fighting for our defence, but that in stead of wringing our hands, and wailing our misfortunes at home, we may carrie sorrow to our enemies doors abroad, whilest nothing but peace and tranquillitie is in the borders of Israel.
15Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.15 O the blessedness of such a change, what a happy age will be that brings with it such an affluence of posteritie, peace, and plentie, which are the riches of a Kingdom, and thus shall it be with us, nothing shall be wanting to the perfecting our felicitie even in these, above all the nations upon earth, and which is more worth, and sets a Crown upon the head of all the rest, God himself will be ours to bless us and remain with us, whose grace and favour is our greatest felicitie when our felicitie is at greatest, a happiness of all other most desireable, and an enjoyment incomparable, when, and to whom God vouchsafes it, as in goodness and faithfulness, under the reign and government of me and mine now at hand, he will to us his peculiar people.