A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 148
PSALME CXLVIII.
IN this Psalme, the Church is stirred up to praise God, because of the incomparable excellency of his glory and majesty, appearing first in the heavens above, v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Secondly, in the earth and sea beneath, and lower parts under the Heaven, v. 7, 8, 9, 10. Thirdly, in the governing of men, and of all sorts and ranks of men, but especially in doing for his Church, v. 11, 12, 13, 14. In all which, as he sheweth, how the world is full of Gods glory, so he pointeth at matter of his praise, whithersoever we turne our eyes.
Ver. 1. PRaise ye the LORD, praise ye the LORD from the Heavens: praise him in the heights.
2. Praise ye him all his Angels: praise ye him all his hostes.
3. Praise ye him Sun and Moon: praise him all ye stars of light.
4. Praise him ye Heaven of heavens: and ye waters that be above the Heavens.
5. Let them praise the Name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6. He hath also established them for ever and ever; he hath made a decree which shall not passe.
In the exhortation to praise God because of his glory shining in the Heavens; Learn, 1. Howsoever the glory of the Lord doth shine in all his works, yet there are degrees of the shining of it, and the chiefest glory is from celestial creatures, and from the consideration of what is in heaven: Praise ye the Lord, praise ye the Lord from the Heavens. 2. As God is praised in heaven▪ by the blessed spirits that are there▪ so the true worshipper should joyne with those that praise him there: Praise him in the heights, or high places. 3. Albeit the Angels have the first place in the song of Gods praise, and need not to be stirred to the work of praise by us, yet it is a part of our praising of God, to consent unto their song, and account their work well bestowed on the Lord their M…ker, and to hold the example of them before our eyes, aiming to do Gods will on earth▪ as it is done in Heaven: Praise him all ye Angels. 4. The Lord hath at his hand swift servants not a few, to go in what message he pleaseth to direct them▪ and they are ministring spirits for the good of his Church; Praise ye him, all ye his Angels, or his messengers. 5. The Lord is also well furnished with souldiers, for all his creatures are ready at his command, to fight in Gods quarrel, in defence of his friends, and pursuit of his foes: Praise ye him all his hostes. 6. The Lords armies are not idle, but are still on their work of praising, doing the works of peace even in the midst of warre: Praise him all his hostes. 7. Beside the common song of praise, which all things have as they are creatures, every one of the creatures have their own proper parts in the Song: The Sun in his particular vertue and motion, the Moon in hers, and the stars in theirs, every one by themselves, and these also joyntly make up a sweet and harmonious melody, to the praise of God; Praise ye him Sun and Moon, praise him all ye star: of light. 8. The variety and difference of place and distance from the earth, of Sun, Moon and Starres, some of them being lower, some of them higher, as the Eclipses of Sun and Moon, and the diverse positions of the starres do shew, are all matters of Gods praise: for the lowest region of the aire is here called Heaven; and the place where the Sun, Moon and Starres are set, is called Heaven, and the Heaven of Heavens, the third Heaven, where Angels and spirits of just men made perfect do remain, each and all of them do serve fo… Gods praise; Praise him ye Heaven of Heavens. 9. The bottles of waters in the clouds, flying above the lowest region of the aire, ready to be dissolved here and there, as God pleaseth to water the earth, do serve as matter, both of wondering at Gods work, and praising of him: Praise him ye waters that be above the Heavens. 10. Praise is due to God, not only for the making of the Heavens, but also for the making them of nothing, by the sole word of command, which did produce them, by saying; Let them be: let them praise the Name of the Lord; for he commanded, and they were created. 11. The speechlesse creatures have their own way of praising God, and men have their way of praising: speechlesse creatures praise God in their own kinde, when they hold forth, as in a table, the matter and reason of praising God, and men do praise God, when they do observe and acknowledge, and proclaim one to another, the reasons of Gods praise, and these exhortations do import both; Let them praise the Name of the Lord. 12. The course and appointed motions of the Heavens, are so setled during the standing of the world, as they shalll not faile to go on according to Gods decree, which as it is a matter of Gods praise, so also of mans comfort, who shall have the use and benefit thereof from generation to generation: He hath also established them for ever and ever, he hath made a decree which they shall not passe.
Vers. 7. Praise the LORD from the earth: ye dragons and all deeps.
8. Fire and haile, snow and vapour: stormy winde fulfilling his Word.
9. Mountaines and all hilles: fruitful trees and all Cedars.
10. Beasts and all cattel: creeping things, and flying fowle.
In the exhortation, made in the second place unto the creatures under heaven: Learn, 1. As the heavens, so also the earth and the deep sea, are filled with the matter of Gods praise: Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps. 2. The most terrible creatures serve to set forth Gods glory, as well as the most useful and comfortable: Ye dragons and all deeps. 3. The changes which are made in the clouds or in the aire, by stormes or tempests, or whatsoever way, come not by chance, but are all directed forth by God, for some intent of his: and in what work he doth employ them, they faile not to execute his will: Fire and haile, snow and vapour, stormie winde fulfilling his Word: and out of those changes praises do arise unto God. 4. The diversifying of the face of the earth with higher and lower parts, with mountains, hills and valleyes, and the adorning of the face thereof with trees, some taller, some lower and smaller, some barren, some fruitful, contributeth much to the praise of God: Mountaines and all hills, fruitful trees and all Cedars. 5. Beside all that is said in the variety of things living on the earth, each of them do contend with other, which of them shall shew forth more of Gods wisdom, power and goodnesse; Beasts and all cattel, creeping things and flying fowle: all those creatures do offer matter of praise unto God, that men may take the song of their hand, and directly, formally and properly, praise God for his glorious properties evidenced in them.
Ver. 11. Kings of the earth, and all people: Princes and all Iudges of the earth.
12. Both young men and maidens: old men and children.
13. Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for his Name alone is excellent: his glory is above the earth and heaven.
Having gone thorough other creatures, he cometh to man who is the chief, both matter and instrument of Gods praise. Whence learn, 1. The Lord is glorious in his workmanship and government of all the creatures, but most of all in men, whom he calleth to be Factors, Collectors and Chamberlains, as it were, to gather unto him the rent of praise and glory, from all other crea…ures, and then to pay praises for their own part also; Kings of the earth, and all people, let them praise, &c. 2. God is no leveller of mens estates and outward condition in the world, or allower of levelling, but for his own praise and mens good, he hath ordained distinction of men in Kings and subject people, Princes and Judges, and people to be judged in all parts of the earth; Kings of the earth, and all people: Princes, and all Iudges of the earth 3. As Civil government is appointed of God, so they who are advanced to this dignity, are first in the obligement unto the duty of setting for…h Gods praise, and yet subjects here also must contribute, according to their place and ability, Kings of the earth and all people, Princes and all Iudges of the earth. 4. It should qualifie the mindes of men who are in honour, that their preferment is but on earth, and their time no longer then while they are on the earth, and that they are under a King and Judge, whose dominion is heavenly and everlasting; therefore doth he joyne this addition, Kings of the earth, Princes and Iudges of the earth. 5. As distinguishing of men in regard o… estate, so distinguishing of sex and age, offereth much matter of praise, when particulars are considered; and for the very distinction in sex and age, God is to be praised: Both young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise. 6. There is much matter of Gods glory in the earth, and more in the heavens, but the glory of himselfe and of his properties, is more then all▪ that either is or can be seen, or found or expressed in, or by the creature: Let them praise the Name of the Lord: for his Name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and the heavens.
Vers. 14. He alone exalteth the horne of his people, the praise of all his Saints: even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
In the last place, he pointeth at the glory of God manifested to the Church, for which all Gods people are bound to praise him. Whence learn, 1▪ The praise of God for what he doth to, and for his Church … …bove all the rest of his praises, from the rest of his works, as farre as the work of redemption, grace, and salvation to sinners, is above the works of creation. and worthy to put the capestone upon the rest of the work of his praises, as here it is placed. 2. Beside all the use and benefit which the Lords people have of the whole works of Gods hands, he lifteth them up in strength, victory and glory over all their enemies, and over all other incorporations in the world, who are but slaves to sinne and Satan in comparison of them: He also exalteth the horne of his people. 3 The exalting of the strength, victory, and glory of the Church, standeth mainly in the exalting of the Messiah, or of the Kingdome of the Messiah represented by the exalting of David; for Christ is the horne of his people, in whom their victory and glory is obtained, and maintained unto them; and therefore the horne of his people is expounded here to be, The praise of all the Saints. 4. Those are the true children of Israel, who glory in Christ as their strength, their victory, and glory, and do study to be in effect Saints: for, his people, and his Saints, are here expounded to be, even the children of Israel. 5. Students of holinesse, who glory and rejoyce in Jesus, as their strength, victory, righteousnesse, and salvation, and who are wrestlers for the blessing as true Israelites, are the Lords people in a more straite union with God, then any other people in the world; A people near unto him: and that in regard of their Covenant with God, their incorporation in Christ, and the inhabitation of the holy Spirit in them, and the mutual love between God and them. 6. Of all people in the earth, the people of God have most reason to praise their Lord: Praise ye the Lord.