Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 75
The lxxv. PSALM.
The Psalmist thankful for past, and confident of future good success minds God of the dangerous condition, Israel is in by intestine broils betwixt Davids house and that of Saul, bandied between Judah and the rest of the Tribes, and the destructive event that is like to come of it. But is confident it shall not last long, but that as he hath been, so he will still be Davids God and theirs, aad under his government will shortly s…ttle them in peace, religion, and righteousness. Admonishes the enemies of their opposition, both from the folly and danger of it, for as David hath done alwayes hitherto against Saul, so shall he do still, prevail at last, and those that remain shall fall as he did.
A Psalm either made by Asaph himself prophetically personating David and Christ,Psalm lxxv. To the chief musician, Al-taschith, A psalm or song of (or, for) Asaph. or by David and by him committed to Asaph, for him together with the President of the Quire, to order it to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments, The sum or substance whereof is comprised in this one word Al-taschith, signifying destroy not upon occasion of the difference that was long depending, betwixt the house of David and the house of Saul, and the bloud-shed of the people of Israel that was thereupon, which therefore the prophet would have to have a speedie end, and that the people may not longer be so destroyed.
1UNto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks, for that thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare.1 IT is thou, O Lord, that art our praise-worthie God, to thee will we that are thy faithful people give special and peculiar thanks, yea, to thee onelyonly will we give them, and thy power and goodness toward us will we certainly celebrate, for that thou hast been a benigne and beneficent God to us, and specially to me, the things thou hast done and the wonders thou hast wrought for us in general, and for me in particular in the midst of so many enemies and great oppositions do sufficiently declare it, out of all which, and in all which thou hast still delivered and preserved us, and brought us to the dawnings of happier times than ever yet the Godly saw, which bode the near approch of the full complement thereof long since promised to thy people, and that shortly thou wilt be known by thy name Jehovah that givest being to all predictions, and promises recorded in thy word touching thy Churches well-being.
2 And therefore I am confident the time is at hand that I shall be King over all Israel which already is begun in part,2When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly. and when I am so, it is my purpose and promise to walk worthie mine office, and the place I hold in thy Church in upright and just dispensations to thy people, in resemblance of that righteousness which Christ the Judge of all the World and King of his Church shall in behalf thereof administer.
3 Lord thou seest what a dissolution is like to befal us by these civil dissentions and destructions that ensue thereupon,3The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pi…lars of it. Selah. if they should continue, it would bring to ruine by consequence the whole World, for both this Church and Common-wealth, Land and People all would perish, for whom, and by whom the world subsists, and be utterly spoiled and wasted by themselves or forreigners, that will take advantage thereof, if this disorder should last long: but I know its otherways determined by thee, for as the world subsists by them, so they and it by me, I am appointed to reduce this people into a better condition, I am he that must establish Religion and Justice amongst them in better times, and speedily reconcile in one Judah and Israel, though now at so great difference, by a peaceable and happy reign over both, as Christ the mediatorian King of his people at his coming, when things shall be at worst as now they are, shall Jews and Gentils, by a peaceable Government of his Church made up of both in the whole world, the partition-wall being broken down. This is certainly true.
4 I would fain have advised those,4I said unto the fools, deal not foolishly; and to the wicked, lift not up your horn. that so unwisely go about to frustrate thy decrees concerning me by opposing my rise, to have desisted and saved both bloud and labour, and such as out of pride and perversness of spirit, are confident to prevail against me, notwithstanding, they see what a progress thou hast already made towards it, I being actuall King of Judah so considerable a Tribe, because they have all the rest to side with them, these I would gladly have rectified, and perswaded them; to a peaceable submission to thy determination, and not with such pride and confidence in sublunary power, to wage war against thee.
5 And in such a manner to scorn and set light by me,5Lift not up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck. as never likely to have any more than this single Tribe, nor that neither long; I have been thought meanly of heretofore, and was in an unlikely case as mine enemies thought then, ever to come to good, but you know what is come of them, and you see what a step I have made in despight of that great and general opposition, towards the Kingdom, and for all your high words and proud speeches, I am sure to have the rest as well as this, and the proudest of you all shall submit to me and be subjected under my government, as reluctant, and renitant as you are to it.
6For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.6 For no advancement of any man upon earth comes by meer chance, nor by humane power or policie, least of all this of mine, that I should become King over Israel in stead of Saul, this is not of man nor therefore to be hindred by man his power or policie.
7But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.7 But it is God that in his righteous judgement punished his sin and rewarded mine innocencie, and who hath the sovereign imperial dispensation of all honours and preferments in his power, whereupon it is that this man is preferred, and not that, and that one man is abased and another advanced, even that Saul and his house must grow weaker and weaker, and I and my house must grow stronger and stronger, do you what you can to the contrarie.
8For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red: it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.8 For affliction is the portion of all men, all have sinned and all must feel the smart of it more or less; Gods anger is enkindled generally against all mankind, experience shews this, for who have not their share of sufferings? do Gods own people escape? no, his displeasure lights oft times in this life very heavie, even upon them who drink, and that deep too of the cup of his justice and terrour, almost to their astonishment and inebriation; I know it to be true by what I have undergone. But though the godly may drink deep, yet not to the bottom, the worst is the last, and that is reserved for the ungodly, he may punish the good (who yet are bad enough) but he will destroy the wicked, and pour out all his indignation upon him, yea, his fierce wrath shall certainly overtake all such, Jews or Gentiles, as oppose the Kingdom of his Son, and refuse to submit to it, which I prefigure, in all ages and all places of the world, none shall scape the everlasting torments prepared for them, which they must and shall endure, besides what oft befalls them in this life, as you see by Saul, forced to lay violent hands upon himself.
9 This sad end hath he made,9But I will declare for ever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. but though he was the persecutour and I the persecuted, yet, do I live to survive my miseries, and to inherit the promises, for which as I am bound, so I will not fail to publish at present, and to leave upon record for ever to all after ages of his Church, the glorious deliverances and wonderfull preservations he hath wrought for me, and will praise him for the faithfull performance of his covenant, and those gracious promises made of old to our forefathers, especially to Jacob and his seed, of whom we are more immediately discended, how that he would be their God, raise them a saviour, which I am to be, even the type of his annointed, the sole King and Saviour of his Church, Christ Jesus.
10All the horns of the wicked also will I cut o…f; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.10 And as he in his spirituall Kingdom, so shall I in this my temporall be made able to suppress all rebellious power, but such as submit to me (his figure and fore-runner) shall thereby be rendered happy and blessed, as the Church shall under him.