A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 44
PSAL. XLIV. To the chief Musician, for the sons of Korah.
The Church under heavy persecution: First, strengtheneth her faith in God before she enter upon her lamentation, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. In the second place, she layeth forth her sad sufferings under the hands of cruell persecuters, verse 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. In the third, she professeth her constant adherence unto God, and doth avow his truth for time by-past, and her purpose to continue for time to come, vers. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. In the last place, they pray unto the Lord to arise, and relieve them from their cruel persecuters, for the glory of both his justice and mercy, ver. 23, 24, 25.
FRom the Inscription, Learn, Seeing the Canon of the whole Hebrew Bible is commended to us by Christ and his Apostles, as the undoubted word of God, and the undoubted Scriptures given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the holy men of God, the writers therof, as kept inti…e and not vitiate by the Jewes, (whose honor for preserving faithfully the Oracles of God committed unto them, is unstained, Rom. 4.2.) We are not to trouble our selves about the name of the writer, or time of writing of any part therof; especially because God of set purpose concealeth the name sundry times of the writer, and the time when it was written; That we might look in every book, more to the enditer of it, then to the writer of it; and that the use of any exercise of any of the Saints set down therein, might be so much the more large, as the consideration of particular circumstances of time and persons, (whereunto it might seem only to be applied) were laid aside; For this Psalm wanting the name of the writer, and time of the writing of it also, is looked upon by the Apostle, Rom. ….36. not only as an experience of the Church before us, but also as a prophecie of the martyrdom of Christians under the Gospel, and as encouragement to stand constant in the faith in hottest persecutions.
Ver. 1. WE have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what works thou didest in their dayes, in the times of old.
2. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
FOr the confirmation of their faith, they lay forth three arguments. The first is from the Lords mighty work in driving out the Canaanites, and planting their fathers in Canaan, made mention of in holy Scripture. Whence learn, 1. The informations which the Scripture doth give us of Gods working for his people, is as sure, and should be so looked upon by us; as if the people of God who lived in the dayes when these works were done, and who were eye-witnesses thereof, should also rise up from the dead when the Scriptures are read, and testifie unto us, saying: Of these things we were eye-witnesses, and we tell them unto you for unquestionable truths; for thus much do these words import: We have heard with our eares, O God, our fathers have told us what thou didst in their dayes. 2. The Scripture doth keep the declarations of Gods work and wil so fresh, and clean and pure from the mixture and superfluitie and imperfection of humane tradition, that God wil own it as his own proper testimonie, when we bring it before him: Our eares have heard, O God, what thou didst in the times of old. 3. Gods old works have new use in all ages, for the furtherance of Believers faith, patience and comfort: Wee have heard what thou didst in times of old, say the Saints now in trouble; and standing in need of experience of the like works of God for them. 4. Albeit comparison of by-gone better times with ours, doth augment grief and tentation at first; yet when they are well looked upon in their end and use, they serve to comfort us, and confirm our faith, as here the persecuted Kirks use-making of the like condition of the Lords people before them doth teach us. 5. Although Families and Nations were rooted in a Land, like old Oak-trees, and were very long possessors of it; yet God can drive them out of it, by what instruments soever he pleaseth to do it; The work of vanquishing Nations, and subduing of them, and casting out of them, is the Lords work: Thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand. And so is the planting of a people in a land, or continuing families in succession: Thou plantedst our fathers, and castedst out the people. 6. The Lords part in a work is best seen, when mans part and all that he, as an instrument hath done, or could have done in it, is all declared null; being considered as separate from God, who moved the instruments, and did work by them what he pleased: They got not the land in possession by their own sword, &c. 7. The fountaine of all good which is done to, or by the Church, is the only meer favour of God and his good pleasure; That they are an incorporation, a Church planted, fost…red, defended so long, watered, spared so long, all is free favour; Neither did their own arme save them, but thy right hand, &c. because thou hadst a favour unto them. 8. When God sheweth the light of his countenance to a people or person, he wil also shew his power for them; Thy arm and the light of thy countenance, gave them the land in possession. These two go together.
Ver. 4. Thou art my King, O God; command deliverance for Jacob.
The second argument for confirmation of the Church, is from the relation between God and her; Thou art my King, O God, &c. Whence learn, 1. Trouble doth make Faith thirsty, and teacheth the believer to make use of his right and interest, and relations between God and him, which otherwise possibly might have lien idle in his coffe…; yea, and Faith by trouble is made wise to chuse out the relation which serveth most for its present use; Thou art my King, O God. 2. Relations between God and his people, do stand constantly in adversity, as wel as in prosperity: The godly in persecution have God for a King to come unto, from whom they may expect all the benefits which Subjects can expect from a potent King, as here the Church saith to God, how ever thou thinkest it fit to put us under the feet of persecuters; yet Thou art my King, O God. 3. Whatsoever be the particular condition of any member of the Church, their prayer should be put forth for the whole body; specially when the persecution is of the whole: Command deliverance for Jacob. 4. It wil cost the Lord but a word to deliver his people: Let him give out order, and it shal be effected; The Church craveth no more, but Command deliverance.
Ver. 5. Through thee wil we push down our enemies; through thy name wil we t…ead them under that rise up against us.
6. For I wil not trust in my bowe, neither shall my sword save me.
7. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8. In God wil we boast all the day long; and praise thy Name for ever. Selah.
The third argument to confirm their Faith, is the conscience of their sincere purpose, to give God the glory of inabling them unto all duties, whereunto he hath promised to inable them. Whence learn, 1. The believer may promise to himself whatsoever God hath promised unto him; hath God promised to give his own people the victory over their enemies? then the believer may promise to himself he shal overcome his persecuters, and through Gods strength be more then a conquerour over them; Through thee wil we push down our enemies. If the enemy make head against them after a defeat, the Believer may say, Through thy Name wil we tread under that rise up against us. 2. The less confidence me have in our selves or in any thing beside God, the more evidence have we of the sincerity of our faith in God: For I wil not trust in my bow, neither shal my sword save mee. 3. It is a proof of sincerity of Faith, to give God as much credit for time to come, as he hath gained to himself, by the evidencing of his truth in time by-gone; My sword shal not save me: But thou hast saved us, and therfore through thee wil we push down our enemies. 4. Whosoever doth hate the Lords people, shall be forced to think shame of their enmity one day; Thou hast put them to shame, that hated us. 5. The glory which we give to God in prosperity, we should give him the same in our adversity; change of times and dispensations should not change his glory, nor our confidence in him: Though the Church be under foot of men, the Churches God is above all: In God wil we boast all the day long, and praise thy Name for ever.
Ver. 9. But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame, and goest not forth with our armies.
10. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy; and they which hate us, spoile for themselves.
11. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12. Thou sellest thy people for nought; and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13. Thou makest us a repro…ch unto our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
14. Thou makest us a b… word among the heathen; a shaking of the head among the people.
15. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me.
16. For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth: by reason of the enemie and avenger.
Having thus fastned a resolution to believe constantly in God, the Psalmist layeth forth the lamentable condition of the Church before God, with the tentation which did assault his people in their sufferings. Whence learn, 1. It can stand with the constant love of God to his people, to put them to so hard exercises by variety of troubles; as he may seem not only to break off his former course of kindness towards them, but also to cast them off, and turn against them, by sending sore judgments on them, which ordinarily do speake unto humane sense wrath, and utter wrath; Thou hast cast off; yea, and they may seem disappointed of their hoped for protection and assistance from God; Thou hast put us to shame: and may lose heart and hand when they go to battel against their enemies in a good cause; Thou goest not forth with our armies, ver. 9. and be put to flight in battels, and be made a spoil to their despiteful enemies: Thou makest us turne back from our enemies, and they that hate us, spoil for themselves. v. 10. and being destitute of humane help for recovery, may seem to be left in the hand of the enemie, to dispose of them (as it may seem) to his pleasure; Thou hast given us like sheepe for meat. And albeit all believers cannot be cut off, yet we may lose the face of a Church or Congregation: Thou hast scattered us among the Heathen, ver. 11. and may be made underlings and slaves to oppressors with no apparant advantage to the Lords glory, but seeming losse rather; Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth with their price, ver. 12. And may be deprived, not only of the common duties of humanity, which may be expected of neighbours, but also be disdained by them, mocked and reproached by them: Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are about us, ver. 13. And in a word, may be the most despised people under heaven; which as it is the just punishment of the scandalous carriage of the visible Church, when they make Gods name to bereproached among Idolaters and heathen people; So is it the sharpest trial and tentation of the truly godly that can be; Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people, vers. 14. Learn also, 2. As Gods presence manifested among his people, and for them in the sight of the world, makes them the most famous, wise, couragious, prosperous and blessed people in the world: So when God being provoked by the wicked behaviour of his professed people, leaveth them, with-draweth his protection from them, wil shew himself angry at them; they become foolish and feeble sheep, a despicable and disdained people above all others; We turn back from the enemy. Thou hast given us as sheep appointed for meat, a reproach, a scorn, a by-word. 3. Whatsoever calamity cometh upon us, howsoever, and for whatsoever cause, we may safely take God for the worker of all our woe; albeit the meritorious cause be in our self, the inflicting of the calamity is of the Lord; for there is no trouble in the City which the Lord wil not avow himselfe to be the inflicter of; for here the Prophet puts all upon God, Thou hast done it, five or six times. 4. When the visible Church hath drawn on miserie on her self, and God hath inflicted calamities justly on her; it is safer to go to God, and lay before him all his work of justice, and the misery which lieth on us, then to keep it within our brests, or tel it of him to others; He that hath wounded us, is only able to heal us, so doth this example teach us to do. 5. When the visible Church is visited with sad calamities, the true members therof are partakers of the trouble and sorrow, and shame of that condition: My confusion is continuallly before me, saith the Psalmist. 6. It is not very soon that the Church is delivered out of her trouble, when once she falleth in it; there is a time wherein it is continued: My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, ver. 15.7. When the enemy doth reproach Religion and righteousness, because of the calamity of the godly; the more is spoken of Gods respect to the godly, and their cause, the more the enemie reproacheth and putteth the godly to shame; and so (while Gods dispensation seemeth to speak the contrary) it seemeth to be but their own confusion for the godly to speak of God, or godliness, and righteousness of their cause. This is a sad case, The shame of my face hath covered me, for the voice of him that reproacheth, and blasphemeth, by reason of the enemie and the avenger ▪ verse 16.
Ver. 17. All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee: neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant.
18. Our heart is not turned back: neither have our steps declined from thy way.
19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20. If we have forgotten the Name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god:
21. Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
In the third place, the godly do professe for all that is said, their stedfastnesse in the profession of their faith for which they were persecuted. Whence learn, 1. It is the duty of the Lords people, whatsoever trouble or persecution they shall fall into, to be stedfast in the profession of the true Religion, and in every point of controverted truth: All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee. 2. As the maintaining of controverted truth must flow from faith in God, and love to him, entertaining the affectionate remembrance of Gods kindnesse, whatsoever change of dispensation they shall feel: So the passing from a point of truth in time of trouble, is a forgetting of God who is but hiding himself for a while, till the trial be perfected; Therefore say the faithful, All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee: 3. As the Lord hath been pleased to enter into Covenant with his Church, and to make the Covenant a sanctified means for keeping his people more stedfast in their duty; So should his people make conscience of keeping Covenant made with God, and of remaining stedfast in the maintenance of every duty whereunto they stand bound therein, that when they give accompt thereof, they may say with comfort, We have not dealt falsly in thy Covenant. 4. Covenants which people do make for adhering to the true Religion, and to mora… duties commanded in Gods word, are not of the nature of humane Covenants, wherein man and man are the parties, and God only judge and witnesse; but are such Covenants as God is also a party therein, to whom a people is so much the more engaged, as they are sworn to keep his Law, and therefore such Covenants are called Gods Covenant: We have not dealt falsly in thy Covenant. 5. No excuse from hazard of trouble, or persecution can guard the conscience, to shift or passe from the Covenant of God: Nothing can make us give a comfortable accompt of our carriage in relation to the Covenant, save upright and streight dealing before God; We have not dealt falsly in thy Covenant. vers. 17. 6. The Lord can procure more honour to himself in the time of the persecution of his scattered people by the constancy of his Martyrs, and suffering Saints in their open profession and maintenance of his truth before their persecuters; then when the visible Church lived in prosperity, and scandalized their neighbours by their ill behaviour, as this experience of scattered Israel maketh evident. 7. A good conscience doth much sweeten affliction in the time of trial, as here appeareth. 8. It is necessary for making a man constant in the outward profession of truth in the time of persecution, that his heart be established by grace, that his heart be fixed, trusting in the Lord; These shall be born through, who may say, Our heart is not turned back. 9. It is necessary to watch over our severall actions, lest by little and little in particular passages we be drawn aside from our walking with a streight foot toward the Gospel; and lest the heart be stollen away by little and little from the truth; therefore these two must be joyned together in our endeavour: That neither our heart be turned back, neither our steps decline from the Lords way, vers. 18. 10. Albeit the Lord for perfecting the full triall of the faith of his people should put them in the power of most cruel Tyrants, and in daily danger of losing their life, yet should they choose to suffer all extremity of torments, and death it self, rather then to depart from the truth; for so did the Lords approved witnesses before us: Though God did break them sore in the place of Dragons, and cover them with the shadow of death, v. 19. 11. In the time of trial concerning Religion, two sorts of sins are to be eschewed. The one is the passing from any point of the truth of doctrine or divine ordinances; The other is the practising of any point of false worship of another institution, then what is the Lords; Whether under pretence of offering it to the true God, or with profession unto another God; for both these are to be eschewed, because the first sort of sin is a forgetting of the name of God: The other is, a stretching out of our hands to a strange god. 12. The Lord who searcheth the depth of a mans heart, will make speciall search for corrupters of Religion, and depravers of divine Doctrine, worship or ordinances, and all sorts of idolatry, whatsoever excuses or pretences be used for the colouring or covering of the same: If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to another god, shall not God search this out? v. 20. 13. In time of persecution for Religion; nothing can counter balance the terrours and allurements of the persecuters, and make a man stedfast in the cause of God, save the fear of God, and love to God setled in the heart; For the reason of the Saints stedfastnesie in this Psalme is, because God would have searched out their sinne, if they had done otherways; for he knoweth the secrets of the hearts, v. 21. 14. Such as resolve to bear out the profession of the truth, must resolve to give their life for the maintenance of it: We are killed all the day long. 15. It is ordinary for the world to hate the servants of God, and true Saints, more for their faithfulnesse to God, and uprightnesse in his service, then for any other cause; For thy sake are we killed. 16. It is mercy to us, that when God might punish us for our sins, he doth make our correction honourable, and our troubles to be for a good cause; For thy sake are we killed. 17. Although all the hours of the day the persecuters were taking and killing some of our Brethren, the Saints for their faith in God, and fidelity in his service; yet that must not divert the rest from following of the truth, and professing of true Religion; How long soever the Lord continue the persecution and our trouble for his cause, we should resolve constantly to endure to the end; Yea, for thy cause are we killed all the day long, vers. 22.
Verse 23. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face? and forgettest our affliction, and our oppression?
25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26. Arise for our help, and redeeme us for thy mercies sake.
In the last part of the Psalme, the Psalmist in behalf of the Church doth pray to be delivered from the cruelty of persecuters; and being in bitternesse of spirit for anguish and grief, doth vent his present sense of Gods dispensation, yet corrected by faith; Whence learn, 1. Albeit the Lord who watcheth over Israel be most vigilant for every one of his children, and never slumbereth nor sleepeth, but is still upon his work, his glorious work of preparing his jewels for eternal life, even when he putteth his people in the furnace of affliction by hottest persecution, (for then in special he is about to glorifie himself and his Saints also in the triall of their precious faith, and is bringing to the view of men and Angels, that he hath a people who do love him better then their own lives, and who will endure any misery rather then deny any point of his truth committed unto them;) yet such is the strength of natural senses and affections, such is the partiality of self-love in carnal disputation about Gods providence, when he putteth his people to so sad sufferings for no fault done to their persecuters; and such is the power of Satans tentations, helped on by humane infirmity, and perturbation of passions, that God is looked on as if he misregarded the case of his own people, and took no more care of them then a sleeping man doth of his businesse, and this is imported in this expression; Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? 2. Faith doth not allow not subscribe unto carnall sense, but in presenting the objections thereof unto God, doth really refute them. First, in that by prayer it goeth to God, who is the hearer of the most secret sighes of supplicants, at whatsoever time, night or day, or in whatsoever place opened up unto him. Secondly, by intreating him to refute the slander and calumny which carnal sense, and suggested tentations did put upon him, Awake, arise; that is, let it be seen by the manifesting of thy justice and mercy, as thou usest to do by thy open working for us, that thou takest notice of our sufferings, and of our persecuters violence. Thirdly, by avowing that such misregarding of his own cause and servants, as sense and tentation did vent, is inconsistent with his nature, Covenant, Promises, and practices towards his people; for, Why sleepest thou, is as much as, it is not possible that thou sleepest; and why here is not a word of quarrelling, but a word of denying, that any reason can be given for such a thought, as God sleepeth. Fourthly, by avowing faith and hope of God manifesting himself in due time, for deciding of the controversie between them and their persecuters; for what he prayeth for, he believeth to obtain. His prayer being according to the revealed will of God: and Awake why sleepest thou, O Lord, is as much as I believe, Lord, that thou wilt indeed let us and the world see that thou art not sleeping in all this our hard sufferings for thy sake; and therefore I pray thee shew thy self early. 3. As tentation, if it cannot fasten upon us any thought of Gods careless misregarding of us in our sad sufferings; yet will it suggest suspicions of Gods wrath, indignation, hatred, rejection, and reprobation of us; So faith will study to dispell this mist, and quench this fiery dart by prayer also; Cast us not off for ever, giving assurance, that albeit there were wrath in their exercise, yet it shall be but for a short time, and shall not be perpetuall. 4. As tentation, if it cannot fasten upon us suspicion of Gods hatred of us, and of his purpose to cast us off for ever; yet it will suggest that God is pursuing us for some sinne which we know not of, that he is wroth with us in suffering persecuters to prevaile and to oppresse us, (when in the mean-time he is glorifying himself, and his truth in us, edifying others by our constancy in such a point of truth, and by our patience in bearing the crosse, to the advantage both of the present age and posterity:) So faith must study to dispel this mist also, and to quench this fiery dart as well as the former by rejecting this to be the cause; for it is no token of Gods pursuing sin in wrath, when God giveth us grace, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his Names sake, and the Gospels; When he maketh us to be his publick Martyrs and witnesses for his truth, some in one degree of Martyrdome, some in another; When he maketh the spirit of glory, and of God to rest upon us, and so blesseth us, that when on the persecuters part he is evil spoken of, he is on our part glorified. This (I say) is no token of wrath, no token of pursuing us for our sinnes. Therefore albeit sense calls this a hiding of his face, yet faith will not admit these causes which might import wrath: For, Wherefore hidest thou thy face? is in the terms of faith, as much as, Albeit it be true, that we have sinned, and thou seemest to hide thy face; yet I cannot admit this thought, that this thy dealing with us is in wrath; I see no reason why I should expound thy dispensation so; yea, the very question wherefore, importeth that the Psalmist cannot condescend upon any suggested reason of this sort, to prove the hiding of Gods face, as sense would say; and therefore he expecteth the Lord will shew forth tokens of his love and good will to them in due time. 5. As when these tentations are refuted by faith, long-lasting trouble meeting with infirme flesh, doth hold up the complaint of poor frail man, not being able to endure trouble long, weak nature is ready to think that it is forgotten or laid aside, and striketh still upon its own string of lamentation, whatsoever faith doth speak to the contrary, whether it have reason or not; So faith must do its office, and that is, when it cannot stop complaining, it must lay forth before God in prayer the lamenter, and his lamentation to finde pity; Why forgettest thou our affliction, and our oppression? 6. All the reason that a poor persecuted and afflicted person can bring from himself, to plead pity when he lamenteth his case to the Lord, is his own weaknesse, emptinesse, low condition, near drawing to discouragement, fainting and dying; For, Our soul is bowed down to the dust. 7. The godly soul under persecution, resolveth never to yield to the will of the persecuters, nor quit the Lords cause, but to lie supplicant at Gods feet from day to day, and there to die, if it be his will to delay or deny outward relief. Thus much the gesture of the supplicant speaks; Our belly cleaveth to the earth. 8. Though the Believer do finde no reason in himself of his prayer for relief, yet he findeth reasons sufficient to give him hope in God; As first, The Lords Soveraign power and place to help such weak creatures as come to him in their need; Arise for our help, arise a help for us: Secondly, the office of a Redeemer, wherewith he cloathed himself in the Messiah Christ Jesus; in the paction of whose redemption, and payment of the price of it, and begun and perfected accomplishment of it, every Believer hath undoubted interest and right unto all particular deliveries out of all straits, as branches, and appendices of the great Redemption of their souls unto eternall life. And this is hinted at in these words; Arise for our help, and redeem us. Thirdly, the purchased, promised, and constantly running forth, and offered mercy of God to Believers, looseth all objections and doubts arising from our sins, unworthinesse, and ill-deserving: For, (Redeem us for thy mercies sake) importeth so much.