Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 146
The cxlvi. PSALM.
David exciteth all, especially Gods people, and most especially himself, to praise the Lord; principally by trusting in him, and distrusting all but him. Man both great and small being a perishable creature, and God onelyonly to be relied on, but then that must be the true God, and that also by a true faith, acted upon his power, goodness, and never-failing faithfulness, and that is every condition, believing in God with a like never-failing stedfastness, though our estate be various and miserable, for that to the good he is ever, graciously enclined, and to the wicked quite contrarie. As also for the perpetuitie and unchangeableness of his throne and dominion over his Church and people, for their protection throughout all ages to the end of the world, does the Psalmist again excite to praise him, concluding as he began in this, and so do every of these 5 concluding Psalms.Psalm cxlvi.
1PRaise ye the Lord: praise the Lord, O my soul.1, 2 AS it is the dutie, so I wish it were the practise of all, especially his people to be constant and conversant in praising God, who himself is so constant and conversant in praise-worthie dispensations of several sorts,2While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praise unto my God, while I have any being. and what I admonish others of, I do much more so to my self, that have cause beyond all men to praise the Lord, and that with my whole heart throughout my whole life, as well he deserves, that I should spend and lay out my utmost strenght and best affections in praising him, which I will be sure to do whilest my tounge can wag.
3Put not your tr…st in Princes, nor in the son of men, in whom there is no help.3, 4 But let your praises be real, give God the praise of your faith, which is thank -worthie, when in your hearts you set up his throne above all principalities and powers,4His breath goeth forth, be returneth to this earth: in that very day his thoughts perish. trust in him solely and wholly, let not worldly appearances dazle your eyes, and make you disparage God by preferring others to him, though they be never so great and powerful Kings or Princes; trust in nothing short of God, no not in all the power of flesh, which it self is mortal and perishable, and to you or whomsoever trusts in it, will prove deceitful, not being of power, though never so powerful to stand us in stead, further than God wills and assists, their preparations and projects being like themselves, die when they do, and how soon and sudden that may be none knows; and for ought he knows what ever he is, if he be a man, that very instant, when his undertakings and preparations are the greatest, and his and thy hopes by reason of them are at the highest, he and all the arm of flesh (thou trusts in) may expire, breathe his last, which, him for ought, every breath he breaths may be, and then this goodly confidence of thine in man, whom thou makest a God of, as from the earth he came in the first creation, so to earth he returns by dissolution, the fate of all flesh, one and other, and so all thy hopes built upon such imaginarie helps as he or they promised and designed, fall to the ground, are in an instant annihilated, and come to nothing, though never so wisely fore-cast, and humanely hopeful.
5 Happie,5Happie is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. and onelyonly happie is he or they, that contradistinguished to all false Heathenish Gods or creature-confidence, hath his assurance in the onelyonly true God, the sole creatour (who is the God of Israel, his servant Jacobs posteritie) for his helper and defender, the anchor of whose hope is cast in firm ground, Divine not humane, such as will not drag after him as do all other hopes in all other helps, Gods or men, that hath his heart fixed upon the Lord and none other, and that also by a Divine not a humane faith, the faith of adoption, such as Jacobs was, first being regenerate by him and so believing in him by a faith of gracious proprietie unto salvation, as his God as well as Jacobs, and then hoping on him for faithful performance of his promise of securitie, and preservation as to Jacob, so to him, being the faithfull seed of that faithfull Patriark to whom he is alike ingaged.
6 That thus I say with a true and unfained faith trusts in the true God,6Which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth trust for ever. in him that hath his being of himself, and gives being to all things else, as the heavens, earth, and sea, and all things in them, and that not onelyonly as an Almightie, but also as a gracious benevolent God, neverfailingly faithful of his word and promise of grace to all in all ages and cases that confide in him, and therefore as well willing as able to do them good, who himself is as well good as great.
7Which executeth judgement for the oppressed, whi…h giv…th food to the hungry: the Lord looseth the prisoners.7 That be his wrongs never so great, his necessities never so pressing, his case never so desperate, yet holds up his hope in his God, and supports his faith by his power and goodness, justice and merciemercy, waiting believingly upon the Lord as knowing him, though free in his gracious dispensations, yet just to dispense his righteous judgements, which shall sooner or later certainly and most seasonably be executed upon oppressours, for vindication and relief of those that are oppressed, and in like sort though he let the faithful suffer want, yet to believe in him for supply by virtue both of his promise and pitie, and that principally when they are in their greatest necessitie; and though they be in actual bondage and imprisonment, yet to have their hearts at liberty in the middest of their thraldom, in the faith of his power and faithfulness to release and relieve them, which when the time comes for him to do, no bolts nor bars can hinder him.
8The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous.8 Be a mans condition what it will, and of what nature soever, faith and affliction must allwayes go together, and that makes him a happy man in his greatest unhappiness, whether they be those external and bodily ones afore-named, or that he be implunged into inward inextricable perplexities of mind, and difficulties of affairs, that his own or other mens councels cels cannot wind him out off, yet must he believe in the onelyonly wise God to direct him, whose very creative power and goodness we should allegorize, and improve them into the faith of providence as occasion offers, arguing fom things natural and corporal, to things supernatural or spiritual, and proportionably believing the one as the other, that Jehovah who can and doth give bodily eyes to see with, and sight to those eyes, can and will as well enlighten the eye of the mind in time of need; and as he cures the impotent and crazed in bodie, so is he the same to comfort and relieve the distressed in spirit: yea, he or they that are righteous, & doth righteousness, it is not any thing under the sun that befalls them within or without, in body or mind, in way of tryal or trouble, that should make them think one jot worse of themselves, as to God his love and care of them, but first to know themselves to be faithfull, and that they suffer not for evil doing, and then to be confident in God, and of God his love and faithfulness, but not otherwise.
9 No, it is not the solitarie condition of the stranger or exile that can render him unhappie,9The Lord preserveth the strangers, he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth it up…side do …. or exposed, (as in such cases we are apt to fear it will) if he believe in the Lord Almightie, who is abler to preserve him, than man is to oppress him, we his people have found it so, when and where we are strangers, for that notwithstanding, we were strangely preserved and powerfully delivered. Nor need the widdow and fatherless give all for lost, when God takes away their earthly supports, if they marry him, and secure themselves under his wings by faith, they shall find him to supply the want of all earthly relations and accommodations in and from himself, by his faithfulness and mercy. But no such thing can I promise to the sinner that loves, and lives in sinfull waies aud courses, nothing but subversion and mis-fortune is his lot by any thing the promises speak; for to him of due belongs onelyonly the threatenings and curses of the word, not the blessings and mercies of the covenant; as the good by faith and hope are finally happie in all unhappiness that can, or doth befall them; so the wicked in their seeming felicities are both finally and totally sure to conclude in miserie, and utter frustration of their confidence and forecast.
10The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Sion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.10 And as the Lord Jehovah is faithfull and Almightie to do as aforesaid, so is he also everlasting, and therefore also worthy and solely to be trusted in, and relied on, he is not like earthly Princes, that may be, and are many times dethroned whilest they live, or if not so, yet mortal, and sure to die, and so not to be trusted in, but of the same power and faithfulness to all faithfull ones for ever in all ages, to do them good, protect and save them, spite of all worldly power or malice. Such a God is thy God, O Israel, whom thou worshippest in his sanctuary upon his holy hill, Sion of which accordingly he will bless & preserve as the type of his Church universal, which as his, shall be upheld by him, who himself is everlasting, whilest the world endures. Therefore praise ye the Lord, (trust in him, and in nothing else) all ye that are now, or shall hereafter be his people, the true worshippers of the onelyonly true God.