A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 21
PSAL. XXI. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
As the former Psalm was a prayer for the preservation of the Kingdome of Israel, in relation to the Kingdome of Christ, represented by it: So this Psalm is a form of thanksgiving unto God by the Church, for blessing of the Kingdom of Israel, representing the blessing, and cause of thanksgiving, to be found in Christ, and his Kingdome, wherein a number of good things are set forth▪ heaped upon the King, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. And … number of miseries set forth, heaped on the head of his enemies, ver. 8▪ 9, 10, 11, 12. For both which the Lord is glorified, ver. 13. The reason why the former Psalme and this, are referred in so many particulars unto Christ▪ is, because the verity of these things here spoken of, is to be sought in Christ, and his Kingdome: for but in some few onelyonly of the Kings, and in some few times of the Kingdome onelyonly, was the shadow of what is here spoken of, to be found, when the whole history is consulted.
Ver. 1. THe King shall joy in thy strength, O Lord: and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce!
2. Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
3. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse: thou settest a Crowne of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of dayes for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great in thy salvation; honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
7. For the King trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most high he shall not be moved.
The benefits bestowed on the King, and his Kingdome, are seven or eight, which are so many reasons of thanksgiving. The first is joy in the Kings heart, for strength and salvation given unto him. Whence learn, 1. As prayer is necessary, so also is thanksgiving; and the offering of both to God, as it is our duty, so it is his due; and as we should seek the concurrence of others in prayers, so should we seek their concurrence in praises: And he that offereth prayer one day, shall have matter of praise to offer another day, as here we are taught. 2. Christ, and all his true Subjects, are sure to be furnished with furniture of strength from God, for every imployment, and to be delivered out of every danger by God, and to have joy and rejoycing in the experimental feeling thereof. For, The King shall joy in thy strength, O Lord, and in thy salvation how greatly shall be rejoyce? This is the first reason of praise and thanks, for this first benefit. The second benefit bestowed on Christ, to be forth-coming to his true Subjects, is this, Satisfactory answers shall be given to all the articles of Christs intercession, and all the articles of the Saints warrantable supplications. Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not with-holden the request of his lips. The third benefit is this There shall be a ready out-giving of liberall gifts for Christs subjects, and fruits of Gods love, before the need thereof be felt, or observed; Thou preventest him with the blessing of goodnesse: The fourth benefit is right, and title, and possession given to Christ; a name of glory, or the gift of … glorious Kingdome, wherein Christ shall give all his subjects crowns of glory. Thou settest a crown of pure gold upon his head. The fifth benefit is right to eternall life, as the fruit of Christs intercession; He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him even length of days, for ever and ever. The sixth benefit given to Christ, and his subjects, is growing honour, and growing weight of glory, a load of it, even before men; for nothing can make men more glorious, even before the world, then Gods owning them before the world, and putting respect upon them; yea, and the world shall more and more see and admire the glory which God shall put upon Christ, and his Kingdome: His glory is great in thy salvation; honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. The seventh benefit, is a begun possession of everlasting blessednesse, and joy unspeakable; partly from the feeling of the first fruts, partly from the hope of a full harvest. For God will never make an end of blessing whom he will blesse. Thou hast made him and his followers most blessed for ever; thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. The eighth reason of thanksgiving, and the last benefit, in relation to the giving of what is good to Christ, and to his subjects, (among whom David, and every one of the godly come in to share) is the unchangeablenesse of Gods mercy, and powerfull love toward the believer, who hath closed in covenant with him, and doth trust in him. He shall not be moved. And why so? The King trusteth in the Lord: What then? The covenanted mercy of the most High is unchangeable, and maketh all blessednesse fast to Christ, and to every believer: Through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. Christs Kingdome in his Person, and his Subjects with him, shall stand, when all the kingdomes of the earth shall stagger and fall.
Ver. 8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow the… up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
Ver. 10. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
In the 2d place there is a prophecy of Gods vengeance on the enemies of Christ, and his Church, under the type of the enemies of Davids Kingdom. Whence learn, 1. All the enemies of Christ, and his Church, shall be pursued by God, and overtaken, and none of them shal escape his hand, neither open enemies, nor close lurking traitors. The Lords hand shal find out all the Kings enemies, and his right hand shall find out all those that hate him. 2. All the enemies of Christ, and his Kingdome, howsoever they may possibly be spared and forborn for a while, yet there is a set time for punishing of them, here called the time of Gods anger. 3. When the time is come, their judgement is inevitable, horrible, and compleatly full. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven, where the burning is extream hot, the heat striking upon what is in it, from all hands, above, below, and about, on all hands, and the door closed from going out, or suffering any coole refreshment to come in. 4. There is no possibility to apprehend the horrible punishment of Christs enemies: for after their casting in a fiery oven, they are set down here as fewell, to suffer what God's being incensed in anger, as a consuming fire swallowing them up, and devouring them in his incomprehensible wrath, doth import. 5. After the Lords vengeance is come upon the enemies of Christs Kingdom, his curse shall follow the works of their hands, and upon whatsoever they sought to make themselves happy by in their life: and his vengeance shall follow upon their posterity, till he have rooted out their memoriall from among men. Their fruit shall he destroy from the earth, and their seed from amongst the children of men.
Ver. 11. For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.
For evidencing the Lords justice, he giveth a reason of this from the designe which the enemies have to root out the Lords annointed, and his seed, ver. 11. Whence learn, 1. The malicious enemies of Christs Kingdome, (beside all the hatred they have shewn, and evil which they have done) are still upon plots and designes to overturn Christs Kingdome, and work. They in…ded evil against thee. The enemies of Christs Kingdome may possibly conceive they onelyonly oppose such as do trouble mens interests, and not as they are the Lords childern: yet it is found, that what they do against them, they do it against the Lord; because they do it against his children and subjects, for his cause and service. 2. Plot what the wicked please against Christ and his Church, they shal not be able to accomplish their designe or desire: They have imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to performe. 3. The evill which the wicked would do, and do set themselves to do, shall be made their dittay, and the reason of their doom and destruction, as well as the evill which they have done, if they repent not. For they intended, is here given as the reason of the judgement.
Ver. 12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrowes upon thy strings, against the face of them.
He cleareth their dittay and judgement yet more, vers. 12. teaching us, 1. That the Lord will suffer his enemies to manifest themselves in open opposition oft-times, before he fall upon them: for here they are found in the posture of pursuers, and opposers of God, setting their face against him, when he cometh to execute judgement on them: Thou shalt make them turn their back. 2. When God falleth upon his enemies to be avenged upon them, he useth to make them, and the beholders see, that he hath set them up as a mark to shoot at: for He will make ready his arrows, one after another, against the face of them. 3. The Lords wrath shal so meet his enemies in the teeth, wheresoever they turn, that they shall be forced to forsake their pursuing of the Church. Thou shalt make them turn their back.
Ver. 13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
He closeth the Psalme with giving glory to God, including also a prayer. Whence learne, 1. When the Lords Church is preserved from persecuters, then the Lord is exalted. Be thou exalted, saith he. 2. When the Church is delivered, it is not by her own strength, but by the power of the Lord. Be thou exalted in thine own strength. 3. Albeit the godly be put to mourn for a time, yet when the Lord appeareth for them, they get matter of joy to themselves, and pr…se to God. … sing, and praise thy power.