Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 96
The xcvi. PSALM.
This Psalm was …ndited at the remove of the Ark to its settled abode upon the hill of Sion in Jerusalem, being in substance all one with that 1. Chron. 16.23. to 33. wherewith David, ravished in spirit, and prophetically disposed, stirs up all the world, Iews and Gentiles, to praise the Lord for the Kingdom of Christ, which was approching, which that typified, yea, and all creatures, the most irrational and unsensible …or the general Iubilee that shall then be, the happie restauration begun, and not long to perfecting.Psalm xcvi.
1, 2 O What a joyfull day is this,1O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord all the earth. to see the Ark brought after all its travels to its place of abode, the holy mount in Jerusalem. This new mercy deserves a new song,2Sing unto the Lord, bless his name: shew forth his salvation from day to day. yea, extraordinarie praise and thanks, not onelyonly from us, but from all the world, the Gentiles as well as Israelites, which from Sion shall have the glad tidings of salvation published to them, news worthy of new songs and ineffable praises to be given to God, whom we nor they can praise enough, nor bless that infinite goodnese of his, in vouchsafing the grace and knowledge of his salvation to us so eminently in this type of Christs peaceable and glorious Kingdom, which they shall have really and indeed everlastingly amongst them, worthy everlasting praises for them.
3 Spread the glorious tidings of Christ and his approching Kingdoms far and near,3Declare his glory among the heathen: his wonders among all people. let it be told the Gentiles, for they shall share in it, and glorifie for it let all that he hath done for his Church, and promised to do, those wonderfull things of sending his Son, calling the Gentiles, and spreading his Church over the face of the earth, be made known all the world over, to prepare them for it with joy and thanks to receive it.
4For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.4 For the Lord shall be better known, though now they are ignorant of him, and set light by him, valuing stocks and stones before him, yet the time will come when they shall know, that this our God, is the onelyonly great and praise-worthy God, and as well worthy to be worshipped and honoured of them, instead of those false and fond gods, they now serve, as of us. That there is none like him, nor none but him.
5For all the gods of the na…ions are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.5 For all other gods which they ignorantly worship every where; (for all the world lies in darknesse) are but dumb and deaf Idols, made of wood and stone, or at the best but creatures; the Lord onelyonly is the Creatour, that made the whole world, the glorious and beautifull heavens, and reigns therein alone.
6Honour and majestie are before him: strength and beautie are in his sanctuarie.6 In the midst of unaccessible Honour and Majesty, which no man can see and live, communicating thence some beams and rays of his heavenly and Divine properties of grace and power, in that spiritual splendour that powerfully shines out of his holy sanctuarie, into the souls and spirits of those that in faith and sincerity worshipping him there, have their hearts thereby strengthened in believing, and their graces enlivened by the fresh communicating of his ordinances, and effectual answers to their prayers against their enemies.
7Give unto the Lord (O ye kindreds of the people) give unto the Lord glorie and strength.7 All ye people, whether sons of Adam, or of Abraham understand the Lord aright, so as to honour him worthy of himself, by glorifying him as the onelyonly God of power, yea, the Lord Almightie.
8Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.8 Worship not other gods instead of him, nor yet together with him, let him rule alone in your hearts, that rules alone in the world, pay your tribute and do your homage to him at his sanctuarie, neither worship any God but him, nor him in any other manner than as he hath appointed, sacrifice to him upon his own altar in his own courts.
9 Let all,9O worship the Lord in the beautie of holiness: fear before him all the earth. far and near, come and welcome too, do as we do, worship the Lord in his holy sanctuarie; O that the whole earth would turn to the Lord, Gentiles as well as Jews, as when Christ comes they shall have as free access to worship God as we, and their worship as well accepted then, as ours is now.
10 Publish to the heathen what God hath made known to you his people,10Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. How that the Lord onelyonly is God, and that the kingdom of the world, as well as of Israel, belongs to him, and that his Church shall flourish every where as well as here, which is not long to; all things shall be brought into a better order, one God in Christ shall be worshipped, and stedfastly believed in, instead of those mutiplicitie of gods, and extravagancies of worship that the world is distracted with: He shall take upon him the kingdom of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews, they shall take laws from him as well as we, and be subjected to his righteous judgements as we are, who now are a lawless people, void both of the knowledge and fear of God.
11 When that day comes, that we shall be no more under the Law,11Let the heavens rejoyce, and let the earth be glad: let the sea roar and the fulness thereof. but under Grace, it shall be like the restoring of all things, a very first fruits of it: Christ when he comes to enter upon his Gospel-kingdom, shall give cause of joy to all things above and below, heaven, earth, land, water, and to all creatures that live in and replenish all elements, shall be glad to be from under his spreading confusion and chaos of ignorance and disorder, now abounding under the time of nature and the curse, and to be reduced under the headship and government of the reconciling and peace-making Mediatour, authour of light and life, as the fore-runner of their final and absolute deliverance at his second coming.
12Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce12, 13 All the earth, and all the creatures in it, shall have cause of rejoycing, even the irrational and the unsensible (like as also all the wide world of Gentilism) for its deliverance from the bondage of corruption,13Before the Lord, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. then certainly begun, which is not far off, being till then made subject to vanitie, and its restorement into the glorious libertie of the children of God then assuredly hastening. The whole creation in the mean time groaning and travelling in pain together; waiting for the adoption and day of redemption, to come from the presence of the Lord, which is not far behind the coming of the Messiah, nay he himself is that King and Judge that comes to that very end and purpose, to put an end to confusion and unrighteousness, and to create himself a righteous Church out of the unrighteous world, that now is nothing else: and a people that shall know Holiness and Truth from lies and vanitie, whom he shall bless, and the creature for their sakes, and ease them of the curse that lies upon them, by taking it upon himself; dispensing grace and merciemercy to the good, judgement & wrath to the wicked: by whose righteous government, the whole creation shall be rendered much more acceptable in the eyes of the creatour, and so the creature partake of the first fruits of its redemption and restauration, and the assured hopes of the speedie compleatment and finishing thereof so much desired by it.