Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 8
Eighth PSALM.
David having honoured God with his absolute and relative title of Sovereigntie, extols the excellencie of his manifested attributes which appear in his works by way of interrogation, as unable otherways to express them to their worth; shewing how both great and small, yea the smallest things most convincingly set forth the praise of his admirable power, and gracious goodness and providence towards mankind, even to the confounding and confuting all ungodly and perverse Atheists. And shews, that for his own part, when he seriously considers the workmanship of God in the Heavens, and his creating the lights that shine therein for mans use, together with his gracious rebestowing the use and dominion of the creature upon him by a new title of Redemption, and heaven to boot, when as he had lost all by sin, and was worthie of none; he cannot but with admiration acknowledge his great goodnes to man, yea he cannot enough admire both his greatnes, and goodnes.
Psalm 8. To the chief musician upon Gittith. A Psalm of David.To him that is most skilful upon Gittith, the instrument used by Obed-Edom the Gittite and his family, do I David that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire.
1 MOst glorious Lord who hast the dominion over all the world,1O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the Heavens. and specially over us thy chosen, how full of renown is thy power, wisdom and greatness all the world over, by reason of those admirable creatures and glorious Lights, the Sun, Moon, and Starrs, which thou hast created and placed up on high to shine through the ayrie regions to give light and convey heat to all that live upon earth.
2 Yea every thing,2Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine… enemies, that thou mightest still th… enemie and the avenger. high and low, great and small hold forth thy glory, and manifest thy prais-worthy power and providence. The very instinct and infant oratory that thou puttest into the new born babe, to cry after the Mothers breasts, making that silly creature so wise as to seek its subsistence, so soon as it hath a Beeing; and by moving pity therewith, to be able also to procure it, when it is utterly of it self helpless, and at anothers finding: this doth most convincingly testifie (to thy praise) thy power, and providence in despight of all wicked and ungodly Atheists that list not to acknowledg thee; and stops the mouth of the most perverse and devillish-minded caviller against thee, whilst they must needs see thy great power and as great goodness (whereof themselves have shared) in putting that instinct into little children to provide for themselves, and that power in nature to accommodate their need with food suting their weak estates, and that love and pity in parents to understand their meaning by instinct.
3 When for my part I take view and seriously3When I consider thy Heavens, the work of thy fingers, the Moon and the Starrs which thou hast ordained. consider that wonderfull workmanship of thine, the Heavens with their infinite height, and vast extent, and the world of great and weighty Clouds that pass and repass therein, and those foresaid Lights of Moon and Starres, which thou hast appointed to move in their courses, and appear in their Seasons, and to give Light and influence down below.
4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?4 It maks me thankfully acknowledg, and wonder at that great goodness thou hast shewed to man above all (how unsensible soever others are of it) whom thou madest out of dust and clay, that thou shouldest set so much by him, as to create and ordain such things for his use, and shouldest further have such continuall regard to him (that is of such ill desert by sin, and so little worth by nature, frail and mortall, subject to generation and corruption) as to exercise such a daily care and providence over him from first to last, and to redeem him out of his lost estate by taking his nature.
5For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels, & hast crowned him with glory and honour.5 For, notwithstanding all these superexcellent and permanent creatures, yet hast thou given him, and renewed unto him the principal place in the order of creation next the Angels, honouring him with a greater dominion and likeness to thy self, in heavenly and angelical qualities than any thing but they, and made him capable of that celestial and everlasting glory and happiness which they enjoy with thee by the redemption which thou hast afforded him in Christ, who himself became lower than the Angels by suffering in our nature, that he might invest him with a title to heaven and the glory and happiness that is there, which in virtue of his resurrection he is already possessed of for him.
6 And restore him again to his dominion over the creature,6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. having as at first put the rule of all terrestriall things into his hands, though they were made by thee and not by him, and hast subordinated every creature to his use and regiment.
7 The multitude of sheep and neat that are every where in the world,7All sheep and Oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field. yea, both tame and wild beasts are subjugated to his dominion, and ordained for his service.
8 The fowl that flee above him yet are subjected under him,8The fowl of the aire, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea. and the fish that inhabit the great, vast, and deep seas, and live and move there invisibly to man, are yet ordained for him, and subordinated to him.
9 O Lord, whom we must needs acknowledge to be Lord over us,9O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! though thou hast made us Lords over all, its admirable to consider how many wayes, and in how many and sundry things thy wisdom, power, providence, greatness and goodness excels towards mankind by what thou hast provided for him, and doest bestow upon him, furnishing every place both above and below throughout the whole world with infinite store and variety of all good creatures for his sake.