The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 3 · Psalm 77
PSALM LXXVII.
To the chief Muſician, to Jeduthun. A Pſalm of Aſaph.
ARGUMENT.
A Pſalm compoſed by Aſaph, and ſent by him to that Song-Maſter, who was over the Children of Jeduthun: in which I imagined, at firſt ſight, that he repreſented the ſad condition of Hezekiah, and the motions of his heart towards God, in his ſickneſs, 2 Chron. XXXII. 24. XXXVIII. Iſa. 1. But, upon further conſideration, it appears from the latter part of it, that he bewails the calamity of all the Nation: either when Senacherib over-ran the Country; or elſe in the Captivity of Babylon. If we refer it to the latter, then it was not Aſaph the Seer, whom I mentioned before Pſalm LXXIII. that made this Pſalm; but ſome other in after times (ſee Pſal. LXXIV.) who laments the long continuance of their Captivity: which looked like an utter forſaking by God; but he comforts himſelf at laſt with the remembrance of what God had done formerly for them, when he delivered them out of the Egyptian bondage.
1. I Cried unto God with my voice: even unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me.
1. I Have inceſſantly made my prayer to God, and I will ſtill moſt earneſtly intreat his favour: To Him who hath juſtly afflicted us, and can alone relieve us, have I again and again renewed my importunate ſuit; which I hope will at laſt prevail with Him for deliverance.
2. In the day of my trouble I ſought the LORD; my ſore ran in the night, and ceaſed not: my ſoul refuſed to be comforted.
2. I have not negligently diſcharged this Duty; but as the diſtreſs is great wherein we are, ſo I have reſtleſly implored help from the Lord: In the night, when men are wont to bury their troubles in ſleep, I have with unwearied diligence, ſpread out my hands unto Him (in token that all my dependence is upon His power alone) reſolving to admit of no conſolation, till I obtained a gracious Anſwer from Him.
3. I remembred God, and was troubled: I complained, and my ſpirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
3. I remembred indeed, how kind God had been unto us in former times; but this onelyonly gave me the greater trouble, when I compared it with our preſent miſeries: and the more I muſed on it, the more my ſpirit was diſturbed, and miſerably afflicted.
4. Thou holdeſt mine eyes waking: I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeak.
4. Inſomuch that I could not cloſe my eyes, to take a wink of ſleep; nor open my mouth (ſuch was my perturbation and aſtoniſhment) to expreſs the heavineſs of my grief.
5. I have conſidered the days of old, the years of aucient times.
5. All that I could doe, was to recount thy mercifull Providences over our Forefathers in times paſt; and ponder ſeriouſly what wonders Thou didſt for them, many ages agone.
6. I call to remembrance my ſong in the night: I commune with mine own heart, and my ſpirit made diligent ſearch.
6. I called to mind all the Songs I had indited, to celebrate the memory of thoſe ancient benefits: and ſpent whole nights in ſilent meditations, and diligent inquiries, which I revolved to and fro in my mind; why He who had taken ſuch care of our Anceſtours, had ſo long rejected us?
7. Will the LORD caſt off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
7. Will the Lord, thought I, abandon us for ever? Is He ſo incenſed againſt us, that He will never be reconciled, nor intend to ſhew us any more favour?
8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promiſe fail for evermore?
8. Is his infinite mercy, which is the fountain of all his benefits, quite exhauſted? and will He never hereafter ſpeak a word of comfort to us?
9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger ſhut up his tender mercies? Selah.
9. Hath God, whoſe property it is to ſhew mercy, quite laid aſide all thoughts of exerciſing his clemency towards us? or have we ſo highly provoked Him to anger, that He hath no regard at all unto our miſeries?
10. And I ſaid, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the moſt High.
10. But having thus complained, and ſaid within my ſelf, This is the thing which ſorely afflicts me, to ſee ſuch alterations in the proceedings of the moſt High, that the ſame hand which formerly protected us, now ſeverely ſcourges us;
11. I will remember the works of the LORD: ſurely I will remember thy wonders of old.
11. I preſently conſidered that there might be a change again: and reſolved to comfort my ſelf with the remembrance of the former works of the Lord; and to go back as far as the Miracle Thou didſt for us (in bringing us up out of the Land of Egypt) when our deſerts were as ſmall as in theſe days.
12. I will meditate alſo of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
12. Of all the enſuing wonders I will think, rather then on our preſent miſeries: I will not omit one of them; but, inſtead of theſe complaints, make them the conſtant ſubject of my diſcourſe.
13. Thy way, O God, is in the ſanctuary: who is ſo great a God as our God?
13. From which I cannot but conclude that the method of thy Providence, O God, is not onelyonly perfectly holy and juſt; but quite out of our reach: nor is thy Power inferiour; but, as Thou doſt not proceed in the common way of our thoughts, ſo none can reſiſt what thy incomparable Majeſty thinks fit to effect.
14. Thou art the God that doeſt wonders; thou haſt declared thy ſtrength among the people.
14. For Thou art the mighty God, who canſt doe miracles, as eaſily as the moſt ordinary works: and haſt made all the world ſenſible, that thy power exceeds, both the ſtrength and the opinion of all Creatures.
15. Thou haſt with thine arm redeemed thy people the ſons of Jacob and Joſeph. Selah.
15. Having delivered thy people, deſcended from Jacob and miraculouſly preſerved by Joſeph, from the Egyptian bondage; by a long ſeries of ſtupendious judgments upon Pharaoh and his Servants, VI. Exod. 6. VI. Deut. 21, 22. VII. 8.
16. The waters ſaw thee, O God, the waters ſaw thee: they were afraid; the depths alſo were troubled.
16. Which were followed preſently with a greater wonder, when the waters of the Red Sea felt thy Power, O God: They felt thy power to the very bottom of them; which ſo diſturbed them, that they retreated, as if they had been affrighted at thy preſence; and left a plain way for thy people to march through, upon dry ground.
17. The clouds poured out water, the skies ſent out a ſound: thine arrows alſo went abroad.
17. But returned again upon the Egyptians (who purſued after us) accompanied with a terrible ſtorm of rain, and thunder, and hailſtones; which flew about their ears, and brake the very Wheels of their Chariots, XIV. Exod. 24, 25.
18. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightned the world, the earth trembled and ſhook.
18. The noiſe of this thunder filled all the air thereabout; and ſo did the lightning that flaſhed in their faces: which, together with a dreadfull Earthquake, made the very inhabitants of Canaan tremble, II. Joſh. 10, 11.
19. Thy way is in the ſea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy foot-ſteps are not known.
19. We might well ſay then, that thy way is quite out of our reach; (Ver. 13.) who madeſt a paſſage through the Sea, a broad path through the boiſterous waters: which as none ever trod before or after, ſo they cannot trace the footſteps; which the waters have overflown and obliterated, XIV. Exod. 26, 27.
20. Thou leddeſt thy people like a flock, by the hand of Moſes and Aaron.
20. Nor did thy care over thy people end there, but by the miniſtry of thy ſervants Moſes and Aaron, Thou didſt conduct them with the ſame tenderneſs that a good Shepherd doth his Sheep; through a horrid Wilderneſs; in which Thou feddeſt them, till they came to Canaan [And thither the ſame Power can, and the ſame Goodneſs will, I hope, reſtore us: though now we ſeem neglected by Thee, as our Fathers were, for a time, in the Land of Egypt.]