A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 49
PSAL. XLIX. To the chief Musician, A Psalme for the sons of Korah.
This Psalme sets forth the gloriation of a Believer in the grace of God, and in his blessed condition, wherein he is lifted up above all the wealthy and honorable men in the world, who are not reconciled unto God: And this the Psalmist delivereth out of his own feeling and experience. And first, because it is a main matter, and worthy of all acceptation, he maketh a Preface to his gloriation, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4. Then he cometh out with it, making his boast in God; That by faith in God he was so secured against sinne and misery that they should not be able to mar his happines ver. 5. Thirdly he doth preferre his blessedness above whatsoever wealth or riches could yield to a man, vers. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. and above whatsoever dominion over fa…ir lands, or honour among men could yield to any man, either living or after his death, either to himself or to any of his posterity, vers. 11, 12, 13, 14. Fourthly, he giveth reason of his gloriation, because being justified by faith, and at peace with God, he was sure of delivery from every evil, and to be received out of his grave into glory and fellowship with God, vers. 15. Fifthly, he guards every true Believer against every tentation which might disquiet him, when he seeth himself and other godly persons in outward trouble, and the wicked in prosperity, vers. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
Ver. 1. HEar this, all ye people, give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
2. Both low and high, rich and poor together.
3. My mouth shall speak of wisdome: and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
4. I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
THe Preface calleth to the hearer for attention, faith and affection to this excellent mystery which he is to deliver unto all men concerning the blessednesse of the Believer above all other men in the world. Whence learn, 1. A prepared and sanctified ear is necessary for heavenly doctrine, and people had great need to be stirred up to take knowledge of the excellency of it; Hear this, all ye people, give ear. 2. The doctrine of salvation, of faith, and of consolation against sin and misery, concerneth all people in the world to know; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world, both high and low, rich and poor together. 3. That is true wisdome and understanding, which doth make men wise to salvation, and which maketh them truly blessed in this life; and this wisdom is not the birth of mans brain, but is revealed in the word of the Lord, delivered to his Church by the holy men of God in holy Scripture; My mouth shal speak of wisdome, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. 4. As it is necessary for the Preachers encouragement to believe what he doth preach; so is it a great inducement to the people to hear Gods word from him who doth speak Gods word, because he doth believe, and doth subject his spirit to the Lords word, as the Prophet doth here; I will incline my ears to a parable. 5. The doctrine of true blessednesse▪ and of the mystery of mans salvation manifested in the Scripture, doth far transcend the carnall wisdome of the world; the excellency of the Gospell unto the natural man, is a parable and dark saying: I will open my dark saying on the harp. 6. How dark and difficult soever the mystery of the Gospel be to the carnall world; yet to the man of experience it is plain, sweet and comfortable; and a man of experience as he is best seen in that matter, so is he most willing, heartily to communicate it to others; I will open (saith he) my dark saying upon the harp: Intimating his delight in the doctrine.
Ver. 5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compasse me about?
After this Preface he uttereth his parable and dark saying, the substance whereof is this: I am so perswaded of the favour of God now reconciled to me by the blood of the Covenant, that neither do I need to fear by-past sins, nor any trouble which can come on me hereafter: And this, I say, to let all men know that this blessednesse may be attained by every man, who shall acknowledge his sinnes, and embrace the offers of grace made by God with his directions unto life, as I have done. Whence learn, 1. What God has spoken in his word of the blessednesse of the man that is justified by faith, every true believer may finde, and may attain to be fully assured of their perseverance unto eternall life; for here is a proof and example of it in the Psalmists person. 2. This Doctrine of the unspeakable peace of the Believer reconciled to God through the blood of the Covenant, is a point of truth which the world is ignorant of, and hardly will believe: No wonder therefore he did call it before, and here uttereth it as a parable and dark saying. 3. A Believer after reconciliation, must neither exempt himself from danger of sinning, nor from giving daily accompt of his carriage unto God, nor from challenges for sin, nor from ordinary chastisements for sin, nor from heavy troubles and ill days which he may meet with; whether by Gods immediate hand for his correction, or by the persecuters of godlinesse for his further triall, exercise and training of faith; for here the Psalmist presupposes that evill days will come: he presupposeth that every sin or iniquity of every action and passage of his life, shall leave behinde it an impression of guiltinesse to be taken notice of thereafter, like the print of a mans foot when he lifts his heel and walketh forward; he presupposeth after remission of sin, after the daily exercise of repentance, after frequent intimation made of remission of sin, and that oftner from day to day repeated, a man may be brought back in the day of trouble to an accompt for altogether, and old reckonings may be raked up again by the troubled conscience, and by the accuser of the Brethren, and that God will be ruling the business for the further glory of the riches of his grace, and further good of his exercised childe; for here the Psalmist foreseeth, and speaketh of his looking for days of evill, and of the iniquity of his heels compassing him about, as what shall or may befall him. 4. Faith in the Messiah Jesus Christ, is able to make a man, not only at length to triumph over sin and misery, over the curse of the Law, and condemnation, or trouble and persecution, but also before trouble come in humble and solid confidence to be fearless for what can come, and to look all possible evils out of countenance; Wherefore should I fear in the dayes of evil▪ &c. 5. Albeit it be possible when it cometh to push of pike, and when the man is yoked in the conflict with troubles from without, and challenges for his sinnes within, that the strongest in faith may finde himself not a little afraid; yet when he considereth the ground laid down for settling of his faith, to wit, the truth of the covenant, the merit of the Mediatours sacrifice, and the freedome, riches and immutability of Gods love and grace, with the Psalmist he may confidently professe and acknowledge, that he hath no reason to be feared for what Satan or the conscience may threaten him with; for this also is imported in wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compasse me about? which is as much as if he had said, whatsoever may be my weaknesse, and exercise in trial; yet I know there is no just reason why I should fear condemnation, or to be debarred from the possession of full blessednesse, by whatsoever possibly can come unto me.
Vers. 6. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches,
7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransome for him:
8. (For the redemptoon of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever)
9. That he should live still for ever, and not see corruption.
10. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
In the third place, the Believer preferreth this his blessed condition to whatsoever either riches or honour or any earthly thing can yield to any man. Whence learn, 1. The blessedness of the Believer, and the glory of faith is best seen, when the vanity of all earthly happinesse and worldly gloriation in any thing beside God is discovered and compared with the condition of the Believer, therefore are they that trust in their wealth, brought in comparison with the Believer here. 2. In whatsoever men do count their felicity to stand, in that they put their confidence, and do glory in it, as here is presupposed: They that count riches their happinesse, They trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. 3. The weaknesse of all worldly things to make a man blessed doth best appear when death cometh▪ for when the time thereof is come, no rich man can help himself, nor yet joyning his riches with his brothers riches, can help his brother, either by lengthening his life and suspending death temporall, or by recovering him from death when he dieth▪ None can by any means redeem his brother. 4. All men are Gods prisoners of warre, his captives, and liable by justice to death temporal & eternal; and there is no delivery from death, whether temporal or eternal, but by paying a ransome unto God, which is impossible for a meer man to pay; None can give to God a ransome for his brother. 5. We are not redeemed with silver or gold, or any perishing thing; our ransome must be of greater value then a meer man can pay, that is a man, and no more: The redemption of a mans soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever. 6. Not so much as this worldly life can be perpetuated, by whatsoever wealth, or riches, or humane ability can do; far lesse can the life of God, and that blessednesse in heaven be purchased by any meer man; None can redeem his brother, that he should still live for ever and not see corruption.
Ver. 11. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12. Neverthelesse, man being in honour, abideth not; he is like to the beasts that perish.
13. This their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave, death shall feed on them; and the upright shal have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
He compareth the gloriation of the Believer with the condition of those who are not only rich, but also honourable, and Lords of great rents, fair lands, houses and heritages; and he doth preferre the blessednesse of the Believer to their condition also: Whence learn, 1. Albeit experience doth teach that death is common to men of all rankes, wise and foolish, rich and poor, and all; yet men are so besotted, as when they see this, they do not consider it, that they might not place their happinesse in any thing, wherefrom they may be separated by death: The worldly man seeth the wise man die, and also the foolish. He sees also that many rich men do leave their goods they know not to whom; They leave their wealth to others: and yet for all this their seeing the mortality and the folly of mortall men dying before them, they that survive a little do not draw wisdome from this observation, but dream they shall deceive death, and make themselves some way eternall; they think to perpetuate their name in their posterity by their heritages and the honours of their great families: Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They call their lands after their own names. 2. The cause of this folly is his deceived heart, avd vain conceits and imaginations, which by death are blown away; Their inward thought is to eternize themselves. Neverthelesse, man being in honour, abideth not; or doth not attain his fancied eternity. 3. The blessedness of the wealthy, potent and honourable man, as it is not permanent: so it leaves him in the dirt at length, and in no better case (if he have no faith or saving knowledg) then a beast: Neverthe…esse, man being in honour abideth not, he is like the beasts that pelrish. 4. Though the men who are most able to purchase lands, and to transmit them to their posterity, are counted ordinarily the most wise men; yet when men spend their wit and care mainly about things of this present earth, the Lord pronounceth them to be fools: This their way is their folly. 5. Though the observation of the folly of predecessours should make the posterity wise; yet few are found father-better, or father-wiser; but fools follow fools in a race, and folly wil not want a patrone so long as fools are gone before: This their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve their sayings. 6. A worldly man not reconciled to God, dieth as a foolish, sensual and secure beast as he lived; Like sheep they are laid in the grave, for they are deaths prey both soul and body; Death shall feed on them. 7. The righteous man justified by faith, and studying to live righteously, albeit you look on him in the worst estate he can be in the world, under poverty and persecution; yet he is in better condition then the richest and most honourable ungodly man in all the earth; and albeit this doth not appear in this dark world, to blind men that have not the light of Gods word in them; yet at the resurrection it shal be seen, that the poor and mean just man shal be in a glorious condition above the worldling: The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. 8. The whole glory of the worldly-minded man is shortly consumed so soon as he dieth, and then he changeth his lodging for the worse, the best dayes that ever he shal see are gone: Their beautie shall consume in their grave from their dwelling.
Ver. 15. But God will redeeme my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall recieve me. Selah.
In the fourth place he perfects the comparison, and gives a reason of his gloriation, whereof we heard, ver. 5. The summe whereof, is this, wealth and riches, nobility, honour and dominion among men can follow an ungodly man no farther then the grave, there all wel-fare doth forsake him for evermore but as for me who am reconciled to God, justified, and in some measure sanctified, though I die, yet do I live in my soule, being kept by God til the day of compleat redemption, and then my soul being deprived only for a while of the body, shal have i… restored again in the resurrection, and then soul and body both shal fully be redeemed and delivered from the power of the grave: for as God hath received me into favour in this life, & shal receive my soul at death; so at the time of the delivering of my body from the grave, he shal receive me both soul and body into his fellowship, and therefore my condition is better▪ how many dayes of evil soever I shal see in this life, then the condition of an ungodly man in the world, how wealthy, how honourable and apparently happy soever he be in this world; yea, I may justly glory over all ungodly men, and say yet again, wherfore should I feare in the dayes of evil, when the iniquitie of my heels shall compasse me about? For God wil redeeme my soule from the power of the grave. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the godly may be subject to mortality and outward misery of this mortal life, common to him and the ungodly, yet here is the difference, he is sure of a deliverance from all misery; But God shall redeem my soul, seith he; which God wil not do to the ungodly. 2. Hope of the resurrection is the godly mans chief consolation, and this was the hope of the Saints before Christ came, aswel as since: God shall redeem my soul from the power of the grave. 3. A believer hath good warrant to be perswaded not only of his reconciliation with God in this life, but also of the receiving of his soul after this life unto the fellowship of the glory of God both in soul and body at the resurrection; God shall redeeme my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall receive me. Selah.
Ver. 16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich; when the glory of his house is increased.
17. For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away: his glory shal not descend after him.
18. Though whiles he lived, he blessed his soul; and men will praise thee, when thou dost wel to thy self.
19. He shal go to the generation of his father…, they shall never see light.
20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
In the last part by way of exhortation, to make use of this Doctrine, he guardeth every Believer against every tentation which may arise from the prosperity of the wicked, & the hardship of the godly in this life. Whence learn, 1. It is a tentation which shaketh the faith of the godly sometimes, when they see the flourishing prosperity of the wicked, and their own daily affliction; but this should not move the godly, or make them suspect themselves to be in a wrong course, and the ungodly in a better way: Be not thou afraid when one is made rich. 2. The consideration of the shortness both of our temporal calamity and of the ungodly mans prosperity, both which do end at death, is the way to overcome the foresaid tentation; For, When he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him. It is not so with the godly, whose glory and happiness meets him at death. 3. A mans own self-deceiving heart, measuring all happiness by a mans present outward condition in the world, and hearkning to the flatterie of fools about him, who use to currie the favour of the wealthy, and love to have the like condition themselves, is the cause why the miserable man is kept stil in a golden dream, as if he were happy: Though while he lived, he blessed his soule; and men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self; that is, when thou takest a life of it while thou mayest have it; yet he and they are altogether deceived. 4. The ungodly at their death shal go the way the ungodly went before them, to the place of darkness and disconsolation, being separate from God and his Saints, and from all blessedness, and shal never have comfort in their miserable estate for ever; He shall go to the generation of his fathers: and what shal become of such wretches? They shall never see light; that is, they shal never see the meanest appearance of any joy or comfort. 5. It is not honour, but want of understanding, want of saving faith and wisdome, to provide for eternal life, that puts man down from his excellency, and debarreth him from blessedness; Man that is in honor, and understaneth not, is the man here set at nought, and declared to be farre from true blessedness. 6. Whatsoever natural excellency be in man above the beasts; yet sin hath put him so far down, that except he get saving knowledge of God, and be reconciled to him, he is in no better condition, at least when he dieth, then a beast; Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beast that perisheth.