The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 4 · Psalm 102
PSALM CII.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.
ARGUMENT.
A Prayer compoſed by ſome pious perſon (toward the latter end of the Captivity of Babylon, or rather preſently after their return from thence, to their own Country (Ver. 13, 14.) who was extreamly afflicted, and even overwhelmed with grief, and trouble; to ſee the Temple ſtill lie in its rubbiſh, and the rebuilding of it hindred by many enemies. This was the cauſe of thoſe ſad complaints and lamentations, wherein he takes the liberty to repreſent their condition unto the Lord; and thereby give ſome eaſe to his oppreſſed ſpirit: which began to lift up it ſelf in ſome comfortable hopes, when he conſidered, both the faithfulneſs of God to his promiſes; and the honour it would be to Him, when the Nations round about ſhould ſee their wonderfull reſtauration happily compleated, and thereby be invited to embrace their Religion. Which proved a lively emblem of the coming of the Gentiles into the Church of Chriſt: the eternity of whoſe Kingdom is here propheſied of, in the concluſion of the Pſalm. Which, as Theodoret well expreſſes it, may ſerve for any mans uſe, who wreſtles with any great calamity; and implores the Divine favour, for his help and deliverance. It may be applied alſo to his ſad condition, who groans under the burthen of his ſins; and cries for mercy: being the Fifth among thoſe Seven which are called Penitential Pſalms.
1. HEar my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
1. REject not my humble ſupplication, O Lord; but graciouſly admit the earneſt requeſt, which, with lamentable cries, I preſent unto thy Majeſty.
2. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble, incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call, anſwer me ſpeedily.
2. The diſtreſs wherein I am is exceeding great; which will move Thee, I hope, to moderate thy anger, and not abſolutely refuſe my petition: but rather to grant me the more favourable audience, and to ſend me the ſpeedier relief; when I implore it in a time of the ſoreſt calamity.
3. For my days are conſumed like ſmoak: and my bones are burnt as an hearth.
3. For my days are ſpent as diſmally, as if I lived and breathed in ſmoak; and the anguiſh I ſuffer is ſo ſharp that it penetrates to my very bones: and makes them as parcht and dry, as the fire doth the hearth.
4. My heart is ſmitten and withered like graſs: ſo that I forget to eat my bread.
4. My vital ſpirits are exhauſted; and flag like the graſs, when it is ſtruck with a peſtilent blaſt: For, together with my appetite, I have loſt even the thoughts of my neceſſary food.
5. By reaſon of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin.
5. Sadneſs hath ſeiſed on me to ſuch a degree, that I do nothing but groan and ſigh: which hath waſted me away to skin and bone.
6. I am like a pelican of the wilderneſs: I am like an owl of the deſart.
6. I take no delight in the company of my friends; but ſeek for loneſome places, like a Pelican in the wilderneſs: where I may bemoan my ſelf, like the Bittern in the deſart.
7. I watch, and am as a ſparrow alone upon the houſe-top.
7. Grief and ſorrow baniſh ſleep from mine eyes: and make me like thoſe ſolitary birds, which ſpend the night on the tops of houſes, in dolefull ſhrieks and cries.
8. Mine enemies reproach me all the day: and they that are mad againſt me, are ſworn againſt me.
8. This hath expoſed me to the ſcorn of my enemies, who do nothing but upbraid me with my miſery: and, not content therewith, are ſo furiouſly bent upon my ruin; that they have entred into a combination, and ſworn they will deſtroy me.
9. For I have eaten aſhes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping:
9. Which hath ſtill more increaſed my affliction, and made me lie down in the aſhes: where, while I mourn and weep, they mingle themſelves with my bread; as tears do with my drink.
10. Becauſe of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou haſt lifted me up, and caſt me down.
10. Becauſe thy anger ſtill continues in great ſeverity againſt us; for after Thou hadſt lifted me up in glorious hopes (I. Ezra 5. II. Ezra 68. III. 10.) Thou haſt daſht them all in pieces (IV. Ezra 4, 24.) and thereby given me the ſorer fall.
11. My days are like a ſhadow that declineth: and I am withered like graſs.
11. And whilſt I wait for better times, my life declines apace; like a ſhadow, which being come near to its utmoſt length, is ready to vaniſh: For I have very little ſtrength remaining; but droop and languiſh, like the dried graſs; which is ripe for the mowers hand.
12. But thou, O LORD, ſhalt endure for ever, and thy remembrance unto all generations.
12. All my comfort is, that though I die, Thou abideſt to all eternity; and canſt hereafter remedy all theſe evils, which Thou doſt not think fit to redreſs at preſent: and wilt, I am confident; for all generations have tranſmitted down unto us, the memorial of thy faithfulneſs, and the glorious things Thou haſt done for thy people.
13. Thou ſhalt ariſe, and have mercy upon Sion: for the time to favour her, yea the ſet time is come.
13. It will not be long, before Thou doſt take pity upon the deſolations of Sion, and raiſe her out of her ruins: For the time prefixed for her puniſhment being expired, (XXIX. Jer. 10, 11.) it is the ſeaſon now, the appointed ſeaſon, for thy mercy in her reſtauration.
14. For thy ſervants take pleaſure in her ſtones, and favour the duſt thereof.
14. For her ſcattered ſtones are far more dear to thy pious Worſhippers, then the goodlieſt palaces in Babylon: and therefore they cannot look upon her duſt and rubbiſh, without the moſt ſenſible grief and commiſeration.
15. So the heathen ſhall fear the name of the LORD: and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
15. Eſpecially when they conſider, how thy glory ſuffers thereby: whereas the Nations who now contemn Thee, will ſtand in awe of Thee; O Lord, all their Kings and Princes will reverence thy glorious power, the fame of which now ſeems to lie buried in her ruins;
16. When the LORD ſhall build up Sion, he ſhall appear in his glory.
16. When they ſhall ſee Sion rebuilt (which the Lord alone can bring about) and his glorious Majeſty there worſhipped with the ancient ſolemnities:
17. He will regard the prayer of the deſtitute, and not deſpiſe their prayer.
17. And the prayers of miſerable captives, who were ſtripped of all, prevail with Him, not onelyonly for their liberty; but for their intire reſtitution to their former ſplendour.
18. This ſhall be written for the generation to come: and the people which ſhall be created, ſhall praiſe the LORD.
18. This wonderfull deliverance ſhall never be forgotten, but remain upon record to the following generation: who ſhall tranſmit the memory of it to their poſterity; that they may alſo look upon themſelves, as a people created a-new to praiſe the Lord.
19. For he hath looked down from the height of his ſanctuary: from heaven did the LORD behold the earth:
19. Becauſe, in much mercy, He hath been pleaſed to preſerve a miſerable Nation, from utter deſtruction: and, though He be infinitely exalted above all our thoughts, yet the Lord hath graciouſly condeſcended to mind the afflicted condition of this diſtreſſed Country:
20. To hear the groaning of the priſoner, to looſe thoſe that are appointed to death;
20. And to be moved by our groans to deliver us out of a ſad captivity: and to revive us, when we had reaſon to look upon our ſelves as dead and hopeleſs.
21. To declare the name of the LORD in Sion, and his praiſe in Jeruſalem:
21. That we might go, and recount in his Temple the famous things which He hath done: and make the holy City ſound with the praiſes of his power, goodneſs and truth; which He hath declared in our reſtauration.
22. When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms to ſerve the LORD.
22. When all the people ſhall be gathered together, there to worſhip the Divine Majeſty: and other Kingdoms join with us unanimouſly in his ſervice.
23. He weakened my ſtrength in the way; he ſhortned my days.
23. I had hopes to have lived to ſee this bleſſed time; and thought I had been in the way to it (III. Ezra 8, &c.) But He hath ſtopt our vigorous beginnings, (IV. Ezra 4.) and thereby ſo ſorely afflicted me, that I feel I am like to fall ſhort of my expectations.
24. I ſaid, O my God, take me not away in the midſt of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
24. Though I prayed moſt earneſtly to Him, and ſaid; O my God, who haſt ſo graciouſly begun our deliverance, take me not away before it be compleatly finiſhed; but let me ſee thy promiſe fulfilled, which, Thou who dieſt not (as we do) I am ſure wilt not fail to make good:
25. Of old haſt thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
25. For it cannot be too hard for Thee, to raiſe Sion out of her ruins; who haſt, many ages ago, created this goodly fabrick of heaven and earth (by thy eternal Word, I. Heb. 10.)
26. They ſhall periſh, but thou ſhalt endure: yea, all of them ſhall wax old like a garment; as a veſture ſhalt thou change them, and they ſhall be changed.
26. And Thou doſt neither decay, nor alter, in proceſs of time, as thy creatures do; ſome of which ſhall periſh, but Thou ſhalt eternally ſubſiſt; and all of them ſhall grow old, like our garments with long wearing: even the heavens themſelves, which now enwrap the earth, as our cloaths do our bodies, ſhall be folded up, (I. Heb. 12.) and laid aſide, like a tattered garment, when Thou ſhalt command that alteration.
27. But thou art the ſame, and thy years ſhall have no end.
27. But Thou (and thy Word) art ſtill the very ſame: and ſhalt always continue ſo, without any, the leaſt, variation.
28. The children of thy ſervants ſhall continue, and their ſeed ſhall be eſtabliſhed before thee.
28. Yet all that I conclude from hence is onelyonly this; that, though I do not live to ſee our perfect reſtauration yet, according to thy unalterable purpoſe, the Temple and Jeruſalem ſhall be rebuilt; and the children of thy ſervants, who now are in great diſtreſs, be peaceably ſettled there: yea their poſterity after them, remain unmovable in thy favour; and enjoy the tokens of thy Divine preſence among them.