The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 5 · Psalm 112 – Psalm 114
PSALM CXII.
ARGUMENT.
This Pſalm is compoſed after the very ſame manner with the former; and ſeems to be intended for a ſhort Commentary upon the laſt Verſe of it: ſhewing how well and wiſely they conſult their own good and happineſs, who obſerve God's Commandments; eſpecially thoſe about Charity, or doing good to others. Of which that they might be always mindfull the Pſalm is contrived, for the help of their memories, into as many ſhort Verſicles, as there are Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet. Hallelujah therefore is no part of them, but the Title prefixt to the Pſalm, (ſee upon Pſalm CXI.) to excite them to praiſe the Lord; who had made it their preſent intereſt to be religious.
1. PRaiſe ye the LORD. Bleſſed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
1. HAppy is that man whoſe chiefeſt care it is to pleaſe the Lord; by obſerving his Commandments: which will yield, in the iſſue, the higheſt pleaſure and ſatisfaction of mind to himſelf.
2. His ſeed ſhall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright ſhall be bleſſed,
2. And procure a bleſſing alſo upon all belonging to him: firſt, upon his Children, and thoſe that ſhall deſcend from them in future times; who ſhall fare the better, and be more powerfull and proſperous, for the ſincere vertue of their pious Forefathers.
3. Wealth and riches ſhall be in his houſe: and his righteouſneſs endureth for ever.
3. And next on his Eſtate: which ſhall not onelyonly be rich and plentifull, but ſo firmly ſettled and intailed on his poſterity; that they ſhall reap the perpetual fruit of his juſtice and charity.
4. Ʋnto the upright there ariſeth light in the darkneſs: he is gracious, and full of compaſſion, and righteous.
4. Or if any affliction come, it will be ſo far from making him unhappy; that, beſides the Divine comforts imparted to him for his ſupport, it will make the vertue of upright men the more illuſtrious: while one exerciſes meekneſs and ſweetneſs to thoſe that provoke him; another forgives offences, and pities the inſtruments of his trouble; and a third exerciſes the greater juſtice or mercy, and will not be tempted to doe any diſhoneſt or cruel thing for his own deliverance.
5. A good man ſheweth favour, and lendeth; he will guide his affairs with diſcretion.
5. But, above all other men, he leads the moſt comfortable life, who is ſo kind, that he ſupplies the needs of others; giving to one, and lending to another, as occaſion ſerves: and yet ordering all his affairs ſo judiciouſly, that he doth not impair, but rather maintain, the good eſtate of his own family.
6. Surely he ſhall not be moved for ever: the righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance.
6. Sure, it will not be in the power of the moſt mighty and malicious enemies (though they may diſturb him) quite to overthrow him: and, when they are forgotten, or mentioned with contempt, the worthy actions of this ſort of righteous men, ſhall be celebrated with never-ceaſing praiſes.
7. He ſhall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, truſting in the LORD.
7. He is not affrighted and diſcompoſed at the falſe reports that are raiſed of him; nor at the rumour of dangers which threaten him: being prepared for ſuch things as theſe, by a ſettled truſt and hope in God; that He will take care of him, who hath been as kind as he could to others in their diſtreſſes.
8. His heart is eſtabliſhed, he ſhall not be afraid, untill he ſee his deſire upon his enemies.
8. This confidence is the prop and ſupport of his ſoul; which will not let him be diſmaied: but makes him expect the time, when he ſhall be able ſecurely to look upon all his enemies.
9. He hath diſperſed, he hath given to the poor; his righteouſneſs endureth for ever; his born ſhall be exalted with honour.
9. He doth not merely heap up riches for himſelf; but diſpenſes them to others, diſpenſes them to others, eſpecially to the poor and needy, with a liberal hand: Nor is he weary of welldoing, but ever producing ſome new fruit of his charity; which ſhall gain him the greateſt honour, and raiſe him to an illuſtrious degree of power and authority.
10. The wicked ſhall ſee it, and be grieved; he ſhall gnaſh with his teeth, and melt away: the deſire of the wicked ſhall periſh.
10. At the ſight of which the wicked (who ſhall not be able not to obſerve it) ſhall be extreamly vexed; or rather furiouſly inraged: he ſhall pine away with grief, envy and impatience, to ſee himſelf, and his companions, diſappointed in all that they wiſhed; either of good to themſelves, or evil to the righteous.
PSALM CXIII.
ARGUMENT.
This Pſalm, with the Five next which follow, the Hebrews call by the name of Hallel, or Hymn: which they recited at their Table (as in the New Moons, and other Feaſts ſo) in the Paſchal Night, after they had eaten the Lamb; concluding it with Hallelujah: which is the Title of this Pſalm (as of the two foregoing) to excite all God's people, eſpecially thoſe that conſtantly attended in the Tabernacle, to the praiſes of Gods good Providence; which extends it ſelf, as far as this Earth where we live: ſeveral inſtances of which the Pſalmiſt here mentions.
1. PRaiſe ye the LORD. Praiſe, O ye ſervants of the LORD, praiſe the name of the LORD.
1. O Ye Miniſters of the Lord, and whoſoever you are that love his Service, praiſe his eternal Majeſty: be not remiſs in this heavenly imployment; but, with your beſt affections, praiſe the power, wiſedom and goodneſs of his eternal Providence.
2. Bleſſed be the name of the LORD, from this time forth and for evermore.
2. Praiſe him now in this preſent Age; and wiſh that thoſe incomparable perfections of his, may be celebrated with the praiſes of thoſe, that live in future times as long as the world ſhall laſt.
3. From the riſing of the ſun unto the going down of the ſame, the LORD's name is to be praiſed.
3. And not onelyonly here in this little ſpot of earth; but whereſoever the Sun ſhines, and lets men ſee how ſplendid and glorious his Majeſty is.
4. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
4. For all the Nations of the earth are his; and but a little parcel of his ſupreme Dominion: which extends far beyond the Sun, and Moon, and Stars; whoſe light is but a dim reſemblance of the brightneſs of his glory.
5. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high?
5. Do not think that any of them (though worſhipped by other Nations as gods) is comparable to that great Lord, and our moſt gracious God, whom we adore: for the very place where his glorious Majeſty reſides, is far higher then they.
6. Who humbleth himſelf to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth?
6. And it is a great condeſcenſion in him, that He will have any reſpect to the moſt illuſtrious of thoſe celeſtial bodies: though He be ſo gracious alſo, as to extend his kind and carefull Providence, even to us who dwell upon this earth.
7. He raiſeth up the poor out of the duſt, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill:
7. Where, among other manifeſt tokens of his ſtupendious goodneſs, He is pleaſed to take ſpecial notice of thoſe, whom the world deſpiſes: and to raiſe them out of a mean, nay ſordid, condition, to ſuch a pitch of honour and dignity;
8. That he may ſet him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
8. That at laſt they are advanced to ſit upon a Throne; and made the Governours of his own people: (1 Sam. II. 8. 2 Sam. VII. 8, 9. compared with 1. XXIV. 14.)
9. He maketh the barren woman to keep houſe, and to be a joyfull mother of children. Praiſe ye the LORD.
9. And, which is ſtill more ſtrange, He opens the barren womb, (which according to the courſe of nature would have brought forth nothing) and makes a numerous Family ſpring from thence; to the great joy of her that bears them, 1 Sam. I. 20. II. 21. Praiſe the Lord in theſe, and ſuch like wonderfull works of his.
PSALM CXIV.
ARGUMENT.
As the foregoing Pſalm puts them in mind of ſeveral works of the Divine Providence, about particular perſons: ſo this makes a brief narration of ſome miraculous works; wherein the Lord declared his power, when He brought the whole Jewiſh Nation out of the Egyptian bondage.
1. WHen Iſrael went out of Egypt, the houſe of Jacob from a people of ſtrange language;
1. WHen our Forefathers, with their whole Family were brought out of Egypt; and not one of them left behind among that barbarous people who had long oppreſſed them:
2. Judah was his ſanctuary, and Iſrael his dominion.
2. There was a moſt glorious appearance of God among them; by that bright cloud, the token of his preſence: which then had no other peculiar place for its ſanctuary; but ſtood over the whole Camp of Iſrael, (XIII. Exod. 21. XIV. Numb. 14.) whom He then took for his peculiar Kingdom, (XIX. Exod. 6.)
3. The ſea ſaw it, and fled; Fordan was driven back.
3. At which appearance the red Sea forſook its channel, and left a dry path for them to march through: (XIV. Exod. 21, 24.) and ſo did Jordan alſo afterwards; to make way for their eaſie entrance into Canaan, III. Joſh. 15, 16.
4. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
4. All the Mountains great and ſmall, which adjoined unto Sinai, trembled and leaped, like ſo many affrighted rams, or little lambs; before the ſame moſt dreadfull Majeſty, (XIX. Exod. 18.)
5. What ailed thee, O thou ſea, that thou fleddeſt? thou Jordan, that thou waſt driven back?
5. To what elſe ſhall we aſcribe that ſudden ebb of the Sea? and that, no leſs ſtrange, retreat of Jordan, when it overflowed all its banks?
6. Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills like lambs?
6. What made the mountains and hills leap up, like affrighted rams or lambs? as if they would run away from the place, where they were ſo firmly fixed?
7. Tremble thou earth at the preſence of the Lord, at the preſence of the God of Jacob,
7. But onelyonly the glorious preſence of the Divine Majeſty, who was then bringing his people to the reſt He had promiſed to give them. And let the whole earth be afraid and tremble before that great Lord; who hath honoured us ſo far, as peculiarly to be our God:
8. Which turned the tock into a ſtanding water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
8. And was ſo kind as to ſupply the neceſſities of our Forefathers, even when they murmured againſt Him, by a new Miracle: bringing out of hard rocks, as hard as flint, ſuch plenty of water; as if they had been diſſolved into lakes or rivers, XVII. Exod. 8. XX. Numb. 11.