Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 45
xlv. PSALM.
The Author of this Psalm commends Solomon and his Government and in him Christ; and after puts the Church (especially that of the Gentils) in mind of her happiness in being married to such an husband under the type of Pharaohs daughter, exhorting to carrie her self worthie such high pre…erment, and wooing her to it by many ensuing benefits.
A Psalm made and set to Shoshannim, The xlv. Psalm. To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil: A song of loves.an instrument of six strings; for instruction to the wife of Solomon, and so to the Church (especially of the Gentils) to turn from false Gods, and their worship, to the imbracing of God in Christ. Being a love-song, typically shewing the extraordinary love of Christ to, and delight in his spouse the Church, by the type of Solomons love and delight in his wife, in case she became a proselyte. And committed to the family of the Korathites for them to sing.
1 MY heart is happily inspired,1MY heart is enditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. and my spirit inkindled to speak of a remarkable piece of Gospel-misterie, touching Christ and his spouse. I borrow my speech and allusion from King Solomon and such praise-worthie things as are observable in him: My heart is full of Divine inspiration to set forth the praises of Christ thereby, and my tongue is made apt to utter them with a ready dexteritie.
2 As God hath advanced thee,2Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. O Solomon, with honour to be King over Israel, as Christ shall be over his Church, so hath he beautified thee above the ordinarie ranck of men, and adorned thee with excellent Divine wisdom and utterance, worthie thy place of regiment, like as he will do Christ, the blessed King, and bridegroom of his Church, with all the excellent inward ornaments of grace and spirit, wherein he shall exceed all, and of which his excellencies he shall participate to all his people by his powerful and saving word of grace, which is an infallible argument of the never failing love, and favour God hath to thee, and will ever bear thee the type, as to Christ the antitype, and the blessings that shall accompany it.
3Gird thy sword upon thy high, O most mightie: with thy glorie and thy majestie.3 Whensoever thou preparest for war, prepare for victorie, O thou that art mightily blessed and aided by the Almighty God of heaven, and made the King of most renown and majestie in all the world, as Christ shall be the most powerful and victorious Saviour of his Church, and mightiest potentate, to whom all power shall be given both in heaven and earth.
4And in thy majestie ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness, and righteousness: and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.4 And in the majestick power that God hath given thee, prosperously proceed to aw and conquer all thine enemies, not by falshood, pride, and injustice, as do other Kings, that move upon earthly principles, but in Gods way by the exercise of his graces of faithfulness, meekness, and justice, as shall do Christ by his Kingly office in behalf of his Church, prevailing and conquering by the saving truth of his word, patient long-suffering, and righteous performing of his promises: ruling and walking in this manner, thou shalt be able to work wonders, and shalt strike terrour into thine enemies, and reverence into thy people, as shall Christ into his.
5 Those that shall oppose thy Sovereign rule and government,5Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings en…mies; whereby the people fall under thee. will have but bad success, for thou art as Christ shall be, of power to quell them, whereby whole nations of the Gentils shall be subdued to thy subjection and obedience, as they shall to his.
6 Thy dominion and sovereigntie,6Thy throne, O God) is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter. O Solomon, the type of Christ, the son of God, is not like meer earthly Kings that perish, but it shall in him, who is God and our Divine mediator be extended over all, and to all eternity; Thou hast right to rule, for God himself hath given thee dominion over Jews and Gentils, as he hath done to Christ over all the world, a just and righteous government shalt thou the type execute in him the antitype, who is the just and holy God, not subject to the corruptions of earthly Princes.
7 For he whom thou resemblest,7Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath annointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows. perfectly loves and obeys the holy and righteous will of God, and as perfectly hateth both sin and sinners: for which cause, that he may be Gods high officer, and King over his Church, chosen peculiarly to that place and honour before all mankind, and Gods own people too, as David was before all Israel, and both he and thou before the rest of your brethren; therefore is he inabled and enriched from God, whose son even by nature he is, and whose love most especially he hath, with the spirit of consolation, and all his Divine graces in his humane nature, even without measure; whereof the adopted sons of God, and fellow-members of Christ, that are partakers with him of the Divine nature, as he is with them of the humane, do share, but in measure, short of him, receiving grace for grace from him.
8 All thy royall robes,8All thy garments smell of myrrh, and a loes, and caslia; out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. O Solomon, are richly and odoriferously perfumed with the most costly aromatick spices, when as thou shewest thy self to thy people, from out thy stately palaces, who at the sight and smell of thee are rejoyced and refreshed, and reciprocally return their joyfull and loyal acclamations to thee again, to thy great contentment as well as theirs: Like as Christ shall come from heaven furnished in his humane nature, with all excellent graces and perfections befitting his high office, to the infinit joy of his people, who enjoy the sweet and benefit thereof, which they return again unto him in love, honour, and service, to his good content.
9Kings daughters were among thy honourable women; upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in gold of Ophir.9 Thou art honoured with many wives, and concubines of high birth, even Kings daughters are in the number of them; but especially, and of most account with thee is Pharaohs daughter, who is Queen above all the rest, and more gloriously attired than any. Like as Christ shall have the attendance and company of many noble and famous congregations, that will profess him, and worship him externally in his ordinances: But his onelyonly and principal spouse is the holy Catholick Church, consisting principally of the elect Gentils, whom he shall cloth like himself in his own righteousness, and adorn her with the Divine nature, and the graces of his spirit, and prefer her to special favour here, and glorie with him hereafter in heaven.
10Hearken (O daughter) and consider, and encline thine ear; forget all thine own people, and thy fathers house.10 O daughter of Aegypt whom God hath made so happie as to bring thee thence, and to marrie thee to King Solomon the type of Christ, be thou also the resemblance of his spouse the Church, specially of the Gentils, by hearkening unto, and embracing the true and saving knowledge of the onelyonly true God, and be converted by it, as she shall be, and turn from the errours wherein thou wast bred and born, inheriting them by education, and birthright, as do even the elect of God their sinful and corrupt nature, till they be married to Christ by a new nature, and forsake all for him.
11 So shall King Solomon far more entirely love thee and delight in thee (thy beautie being much increased thereby,11So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. and thou made glorious within as well as without) who is thy Lord and husband, and therefore one whom thou oughtest to obey and desire to please; Like as shall the Church be infinitly pleasing to Christ, when she hath given herself to him, and is endowed with his graces, whose Lord and husband he is, and whom she ought to serve and honour.
12 Nor shalt thou lose thereby,12And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. but God will greatly increase thine honour and esteem, far more than being the daughter of Pharaoah comes to; for so shalt thou in conjugal participation gain the homage and subjection of great and rich nations; the most mightie and powerful people of all the world shall be brought under, and made glad of thy favour, through the favour and blessing of God upon thee: Like as it shall be with the Church which worships Christ in puritie and sinceritie, she shall be so blessed by him, as that no enemy shall stand before her, but by the assistance of the power and grace of Christ her Lord and husband, she shall be Ladie and Mistresse of the whole world, sought unto of all nations for the knowledge of her saving truth, and participation of her graces, with the renouncing of their false confidences, to share with her in Christ.
13The Kings daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.13 Thou the daughter of King Pharaoh, art not gloriously attired onelyonly at such times as thou appearest in the worlds eye, as ordinarie women are, but art ever so, even within thy palace, as well as without; (as is the Church, not formally hypocritical; and to the worlds view onelyonly, but really and sincerely, gracious, adorned by Christ, with his own justifying righteousousness, and sanctifying graces.)
14She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle work: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.14 That so thou maiest delight and please thy Lord and King, when ever thou art presented to him in raiment worthy thy high linage, and royal marriage, and art accompanied to him with a gallant train of damosels fitting thy state, and dignitie: As shall the Catholick Church be by Christ his sanctifying spirit presented to himself in holiness and righteousness, even all the blessed company of saints gathered from out the whole world to make up that blessed society, and onelyonly spouse of Christ.
15With gladness and re…oycing shall they be brought: they shall enter in…o the Kings place.15 Thou with thy troup of damosels shalt by Somons command and his servants ready attendance and obedience be ushered to his royal presence and pallace with infinit rejoycings and acclamations at that meeting and mutual imbracing▪ As shall the Church and spouse of Christ made up of all the holy saints, and sanctified ones be brought and presented by their holy calling in the ministry and by the ministers of the word, unto Christ his grace and favour, and by Angels into his everlasting glorie and presence in heaven, to the infinit joy of Gods ministers and servants, and with the acclamation of all those ministring spirits.
16 By forsaking thy fathers house,16In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou maiest make princes in all the earth. God himself will become a father to thee, and will bless thee, and make thee, a happie mother of many hopefull children who shall command both Jews and Gentils. As shall the Church of Christ by choosing him the second Adam for her Lord and husband, and forsaking the first, she shall thereby have God for her father, and shall be blessed with a numerous off-spring all the world over, all which spiritual progenie are a royal Generation, children of the most high, and put in Kingly office by him to command over all their earthly corruptions.
17 And by so doing thou shalt lose no honour,17I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. but through my blessing upon thee for it, I will make the renown of this glorious act of thine to be famous, and thou for it from age to age; and thy memorie shall be precious, and thy praises recorded in everlasting remembrance by the people of the Lord. As shall be the Church and spouse of Christ successively famous and honoured in all Generations for being his, and her memorie happie and blessed from age to age, after Generations of Gods people honorably memorizing them that went before, with estimation and imitation to the worlds end.