A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 47
PSAL. XLVII. To the chief Musician. A Psalme for the sons of Korah.
This Psalme is a Prophecy of the enlargement of Christs Kingdome, and of the conjunction of Jews and Gentiles in one body under Christ their …ead and Lord, delivered by way of exhortation to Jews and Gentiles, joyfully to praise the God and Saviour of his people Jesus Christ▪ on whom the Psalmist looketh as now ascended into heaven triumphantly after the full payment made of the price of Redemption, and as going about the gathering in of the Redeemed Gentiles, til he bring in the fulness of them into one Chruch with the Jews; the exhortation is prefi…ed, ver. 1. and repeated, ver. 6, 7. the reasons of the exhortation to a joyful praising of him are seven. The first, ver. 3. The second, ver. 3. The third, ver. 4. The fourth, ver. 5. The fifth, ver. 7. The sixth, ver. 8. The seventh, ver. 9.
Vers. 1. O Clap your hands (all ye people) shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
FRom the exhortation to Jews and Gentiles, joyfully to praise the Redeemer; Learn, 1. Christs Kingdome and the benefits thereof do belong to moe nations then one, for in him the redeemed in al the nations of the earth are blessed, Clap your hands all yea people, or, all ye Nations, saith the Lord. 2. The Kingdome of Christ coming to a people, or family, or person, is matter of chief joy to them, because thereby delivery cometh from sin, Satan, and misery, and sure mercies of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost with eternal life brought to them, and therefore just reason to say to them to whom Christ cometh, O clap your hands, shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 3. Our joy and our victory over all our enemies, which Christ hath purchased and bringeth to all believers in every Nation, is the matter of Christs praise and doth declare that he is God, who having in his manhood suffered, wrastled against sin, Satan, death, hell, and the curse of the law, did by the power of his Godhead prevaile before he brought joy to the Gontiles. Thus much do the words of the exhortation import; for his triumph presupposeth his victory, and his victory presupposeth his battel before he overcame, and the commanding of the Gentiles to clap their hands and shout, and to shout with the voice of triumph, presupposeth their interest in the victory; and while they are bidden shout to God, the triumpher, who in all this Psalme is the Redeemer Christ (as shall appear hereafter;) it imports that the Redeemer is God, and howsoever he is God inseparably from the Father and the Holy Spirit, yet here he is distinctly to be looked on in his person; and howsoever he is inseparably to be praised with the Father and Holy Spirit, yet here distinctly to be praised for this his work of victorious Redemption of sinners; therefore it is said with distinct relation to his person, Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
Ver. 2. For the Lord most high is terrible, he is a great King over all the earth.
From the first reason of the joyful praising of Christ, taken from his Sovereigne Majesty over all the world; Learne, 1. That the Redeemer, the victorious triumpher, is the Lord very God, essentially Iehovah, the Lord most high. 2. Christ is able both to keep his subjects in subjection by his rod and corrections, and to take order with his enemies also, how high soever they be, The Lord most high is terrible. 3. Christ hath right and just title to erect a church in what country and kingdome he pleaseth, without asking any mans licence, and to set up among his subjects the profession of his name, and practice of all his Ordinances pertaining to the exercise of Religion in doctrine, worship, and Ecclesiastick government of his subjects, He is a great King over all the earth.
Ver. 3. He shall subdue th… people under us, and the nations under our feet.
From the second reason for joyful praising of Christ, taken from the encreasing of his own Kingdome, and the exalting of all his subjects above the rest of the world; Learn, 1. The true church of Christ may from age to age promise to her self addition of new subjects, or bringing down of their enemies under their feet; for as the true church in the Prophets time might say, so may also every true church say after them, Hee shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 2. If it wil not please the Lord at such a time as men would wish, to execute judgement on their enemies, nor yet to convert them, and make them additional subjects to his Kingdome, yet shal he not fail to make his own people victorious over their opposition, power, and persecution, and more then conquerors in this respect, He shal subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
Ver. 4. He shal chuse our inheritance for us, the excellency of Iacob whom he loved. Selah.
From the third reason of Christs praise, taken from the care he hath for sustentation and welfare of his subjects; Learn, 1. As God by allotting of earthly Canaan for the inheritance of his people, did testifie his care to provide for them both earthly suste…ance and an enduring substance for their spiritual subsistence represented thereby; so wil he provide for the sustenance of all his subjects in all ages, both bodily and spiritual, Hee shall chuse our inheritance for us. 2. As he is most loving of us, and more wise to make choice of what is good for us, then we our selves are: so wil he imploy his wisdome and love in carving out unto us our lot▪ measure, portion, and inheritance; He shall chuse our inheritance for us, and not leave it to our carving. 3. The main part of the inheritance of Christs subjects is no earthly thing, but his very best blessing, such as he gave to Iacob above Esau; Their inheritance shall be the excellency of Jacob. 4. The fountaine of Christs care for all his subjects, is common to them and to Iacob, and that is his love, The excellency of Iacob whom he loved, shall be their inheritance. Selah.
Ver. 5. God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with a sound of a trumpet.
From the fourth reason of Christs praise taken from his glorious triumphing over all his enemies and ours when he ascended to heaven; Learn, 1. He that ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fil all things, Ephes. 4.9. That is, Christ being very God, descended in humbling himself to take on him the shape of a servant, and when he had perfected the work of redemption ascended in our nature, the same very person stil, very God, which descended; for God is gone up with a shout. 2. As the Ark of the covenant, the figure of Christ, after the victory gotten over the chief enemies of the church, ascended up to Sion, and Gods presence in it; So Christ after victory obtained of his chief enemies on the cross, ascended triumphantly into heaven, God is gone up with a shout, Iehovah, with the sound of a trumpet.
Ver. 6. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7. For God is the King of all the earth: sing yee praises with understanding.
The exhortation given to all people to praise Christ for the work of redemption, is repeated, and directed to the church of the Jewes more particularly with a fifth reason of praise, taken from a neerer conjunction between Christ and them, then betweene him and any other Nation. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the Lord doth shew his glory in the works of creation, and is shining dayly in the works of providence also; yet in the work of redemption, conversion and salvation of souls▪ his glory is manifested far more; for here, praise, praise, praise, and the fourth time praise is called for. 2. When believers in Jesus Christ do consider how he abased himself to assume our nature, how he payed the ransome for us as surety, how he did encounter and fight with all our enemies, and being victorious in our name, ascended in our nature with the shout of the victory, and sound of the trumpet of the triumpher, they cannot chuse but see reasons of praising joyfully the glorious Godhead of Jesus Christ, and of singing praises to him as God again and again. 3. Of all Nations of the earth, the Jewes have the first place, priviledge, and prerogative, most bonds with, and interests in Jesus Christ; for he delivered them out of Egypt, setled them in Canaan, held house among them in a Tabernacle, answered them by Oracle out of the A…ke of the covenant the type of his incarnation, took upon him to be their King and sanctifier, the holy one of Israel, their Redeemer, took of them his humane nature, and was born a Jew, therefore had the Prophet good reason to say to the church of the Jewes, Sing praises to our King▪ sing praises▪ and in this song may all they joyn with the Jewes, who have embraced Jesus for their King. 4. Christ is so King over the Jews, as he also extendeth his kingdom over all the earth, not only in regard of his power in a common manner, but in regard of his special grace gathering in subjects out of all parts of the world, til he have the ful number brought in and saved, he, he only is the true Catholick King, for God is the King of all the earth. 5 As none can praise God, or praise Christ sincerely, who do not understand the reasons for which they should praise; so he that praiseth understanstingly, cannot chuse but praise affectionatly, therfore saith he, Sing ye praises with understanding.
Ver. 8. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
From the sixth reason of Christs praise taken from the keeping a church among the Gentiles, for gathering the redeemed out of all Tongues and Languages, and reigning among them as King of Saints, and author of holinesse; Learn, 1. To the end that Faith may find footing and a Rock to rest upon, we must in all the promises, works and praises of Christ still remember that as he is now very man, so is he also eternally God, and that no man reasonably or with understanding can praise him as the Redeemer and perfecter of what is spoken of him in Scripture, except he acknowledg him to be God; therefore is Christ eight times in this Psalm calleth God, beside the ascribing unto him works proper to God only; and twice he is called by the incommunicable name of Jehovah the Lord; and in this verse Godhead is twice acknowledged in him, as King of the church among the Gentiles; God reigneth over the heathen, God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse. 2 Because the summe of Christs Kingdome is holiness, and his work is to teach, prescribe and command holiness, to take away sin, and powerfully to apply and work in his owne redeemed ones holinesse, and to continue in his actual governing of his Subjects, til he have made all and every one of the redeemed perfectly holy; therefore is his throne in a special manner called the throne of holinesse; God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse.
Ver. 9. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.
From the seventh reason of Christs praise, taken from his converting of great men of the earth, (as Kings and Princes) and bringing them to the obedience of the faith and union with the true church; Learn, 1. Albeit oft times it is seen, that not many rich, noble, or potent are called; yet God for his own glory is from time to time bringing in some of them, and when it may glorifie his name, shal bring in and perfect what is promised, and prophesied here; The princes of the people are gathered together. 2. It is a point of Christs praise in the conversion of men, that his omnipotency maketh men voluntary Subjects, and to come in to him as by invincible power on his part, so also deliberately with a free election, and hearty consent of wil on the converted m…ns part: The Princes of the people, and excellent ones in the earth▪ of whatsoever rank converted unto Christ, are voluntary people, for the original suffereth also this reading, The voluntary of the people are gathered together. 3. The church of the Jews is the mother-church, wherof Abraham and the godly Jews yea and Christ himself were Members; The church of the Jewes is the Olive-treee, whereunto all the converts of the Gentiles are ingraffed, gathered, and made one people with Abraham and the faithful among the Jewes; The Princes of the people are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. 4. The unity of the church standeth in the union of the Spirit, under the service of the only true God, and in conjunction with his people, for the union of Jew and Gentile, is the gathering together of the Princes of the people to the God of Abraham. 5. As there is a necessity of the union of Jewes and Gentiles in one visible Christian Church, because it is promised and prophesied that it shall be so; So there is reason to wish for the more evident union of them; that they may be as eminently consociate as ever the Christian Churches were, (either in the Apostles time, or in the Christian Emperors time,) in a general Assembly or oecumenical councel; for that there is at least a possibility of an oecumenical councel, or a general assembly of Jewes and Gentiles in this world under Christ their King. This place makes it plaine, because after it is foretold that there shall be such a union of all the people of the God of Abraham, Jewes and Gentiles, as their princes shal be gathered together, He takes away the chief ground of a great objection which may be made from the discord and disagreement of the Princes of the world; some of them being averse altogether from the Christian Religion, some of them from the true Religion of Christ, and all of them almost dissenting one from another, and warring one against another; whereby now for many years the gathering of an oecumenical councel hath not been possible. He meeteth this objection in the Text, saying, For the shields of the earth belong unto God, that is, the hearts and power of all the Kings of the earth are in the Lords hand, and he hath the disposing of shields, armies and ammuintion, with all their commanders and rulers in the world, and therefore can make them serviceable for the nearest conjunction and union of his visible church, which can be for his glory in this world, as he sees …it how and when he will. 6. When all is said of Christs praise that man can expresse of him, there is no possibility to attaine to the ful or satisfactory setting forth of his glory as it deserveth; but men must content themselves to set sail…, and to rest in the general, that Christ is and shal be very highly glorified; for so the Psalmist closeth, saying after all; He is greatly exalted.