A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 129
PSALME CXXIX.
THe scope of this Psalme is, to confirme the faith of Gods people against persecution. The parts thereof are two: The former is, praise to God for delivering many times his Church from the oppression of persecutors, v. 1, 2, 3, 4. The other hath a prophetical curse against the enemies of the Church, v. 5, 6, 7, 8.
Vers. 1. MAny a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say.
2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
In praising God for the Churches delivery lately granted to her he calleth to minde many by past persecutions, wherein the Lord had preserved his Church from overthrow. Whence learn, 1. The visible Church from the beginning of the world is one body, and as it were one man, growing up from infancie to riper age: for so speaketh the Church here; Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth. 2. The wicked enemies of the Church, they also are one body, one adverse armie, from the beginning of the world continuing war against the Church: Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth. 3. As the former injuries done to the Church, are owned by the Church in after-ages, as done against the same body, so also the persecution of former enemies is imputed and put upon the score of present persecutors; Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say. 4. New experiences of persecution, when they call to minde the exercises of the Church in former ages, serve much for encouragement and consolation in troubles: Many a time have they afflicted me, may Israel now say. 5. Albeit this hath been the endeavour of the wicked in all ages to destroy the Church, yet God hath still preserved her from age to age; Yet they have not prevailed.
Vers. 3. The Plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their …rrowes.
4. The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
He repeateth the same praise of God in delivering his Church from oppression of the enemie, under the similitude of cutting the cords of the plough, which tilleth up another mans field. Whence learn, 1. The enemies of the Church do no more regard her, then they do the earth under their feet, and do seek to make their own advantage of her, as usurpers use to do in possessing and labouring of another mans field; The Plowers plowed upon my back. 2. The Lord useth to suffer his enemies to break up the fallow ground of his peoples proud and stiffe hearts with the plough of persecution▪ and to draw deep and long furrows on them; They made long their furrowes. 3. What the enemies do against the Church, the Lord maketh use of it, for manuring the Church, which is his field, albeit they intend no good to Gods Church, yet they serve in Gods wisdom to prepare the Lords people for receiving the seed of Gods Word; for the similitude speaketh of their tilling of the Church, but nothing of their sowing, for that is reserved for the Lord himself, who is Owner of the field. 4. When the wicked have plowed so much of Gods husbandry, as he thinketh good to suffer them, then he stoppeth their designe, and looseth their plough; He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. 5. In all the exercise of the Church, and in all Gods patience towards the persecutors thereof, and in his delivering of the Church, and punishing of the wicked, the Lord is upon a laudable work of chastising, humbling, trying and training his people to better service, and shewing of his mercy on his people, when they are humbled, and of his justice against the wicked; The Lord is righteous, he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
Vers. 5. Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
6. Let them be as the grasse upon the house tops, which withereth afore it groweth up.
7. Wherwith the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosome.
8. Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we blesse you in the Name of the LORD.
In the latterpart of the Psalme he prayeth against all the enemies of the Church, and curseth them. Whence learn, 1. All those are the enemies of the Church, who love her not, who seek not her welfare, who are glad when it goeth ill with her, and do envie her prosperity; They hate Zion. 2. Confusion of face and destruction shall be their portion, who are enemies to Gods people, and the Church may lawfully pray for it in the general: Let them all be confounded, and turned back, who hate Zion. 3. Albeit the trouble of the Church, which she sustaineth by persecution, seem long, yet the time of the persecutors is but short, like the time of grasse on the house top, which withereth ere it grow up; their glory is but a vain shew, like the greennesse of grasse on the house top; their high place is their ruine, as the house top exposeth the grasse on it, to the greater heat of the Sun; their strength wanteth root, like the grasse on the house top, which withereth before it grow up, wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosome. 4. To salute the reapers of the field, or any within the visible Church, whom we finde about their lawful labour or employment, and to pray God to speed them and blesse them is not unlawful, nor a taking of Gods Name in vain, (when done honestly) for in the Psalmists dayes, it was the laudable custome of Gods people, as they went by the reapers of the field, to say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you, we blesse you in the Name of the Lord 5. It is no small losse, which the wicked persecutors of the Church sustaine by this, that their work is not blessed unto them of the Lord, and that they shall want the benefit of the prayers of the Church: for they shall be as the grasse, which cometh to no ripeness nor good fruit, whereupon any man can crave a blessing from God unto them: they who go by them at this their work, shall not say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you, we blesse you in the Name of the Lord.