A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 67
PSAL. LXVII. To the chief Mufician on Neginoth. A Ps…lm or song.
THis Psalm is a prophetical prayer for a blessing upon the Church of the ewes, for the good of the Gentiles, and enlarging of the Kingdom of Christ among them. The petition is propounded, ver. 1, 2 In the next place, is an acclamation with the Gentiles, glorifying of God at their in-bringing, now foreseen that it should come most certainly, ver. 3, 4. In the third place, the Church of the Jewes do applaud the second time the conversion of the Gentiles, and their praising of God, promising to themselves that by that meanes the increase of Gods blessing on them shall follow, and the enlarging of the Kingdom of God; through all the world, ver. 5, 6, 7.
Ver. 1. GOD be merciful unto us, and blesse u… and cause his face to shine upon us. Sela…
2. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy s… ving health among all nations.
This is the blessing which the Lord commanded the children of Aaron to pronounce upon the people of Israel, Numb. 6. 22, 23. …hich here the people do turn into a prayer, for the drawing in …f the Gentiles unto Gods service. Whence learn, 1. It is safe turning of Gods offers, promises, and forms of blessing of his people into prayers; we are sure so to pray according to Gods will, as the Church doth here. 2. It is the duty of every citizen of the Church, as lively members of that body, to pray for the blessing of God upon all his people; God be merciful unto us, and cause his face to shine upon us. 3. Then are the Lords people blessed, when God doth make them instrumental to enlarge his Kingdome, and to propagate the true Religion, that is, the doctrine of mans salvation, and Gods service: and this should be the aim we should shoot at▪ in seeking any blessing to his people, That the Lord may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all the nations 4. The world is ignorant of true Religion, till God by his own instruments reveale it; and no way of Religion will please God, nor profit men, save Gods way only, wherein he will have men to walk in the course of faith and obedience, and wherein he revealeth how he will deal with us, and how we must behave our selves toward him; Therefore say they, That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
Ver. 3. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
4. O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selab.
The Psalmist foreseeth by the revelation of Gods Spirit, that the Gentiles shall be converted, and shall rejoyce in God, and praise him, and therefore will have the Church of the Jewes to welcome them, and to joyn in acclamation of praise to God with them, because of Christs reigning among them, and ruling them by his most holy lawes. Whence learn. 1. The manifestation of Gods freely gifted salvation in Christ, and the revealing of his manner of dealing with people, and how he will have people deal with him, and one with another, is a matter of unspeak…ble praise to God, and joy to men, to whom this grace is revealed, that thy saving health may be known among all nations: let the people praise thee, O God. 2. True converts unto Christ, besides the joy they have of their own salvation, have also daily new accession of joy at the conversion of others, as they come in and ought to blesse and praise God heartily with them, when they behold their conversion; Let all the people praise thee: do they say twice, and hereafter also the third time. 3. The conversion of the Gentiles was not a thing only wished for by the Church of the Jewes, but also prophesied of unto them clearly: O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, &c. 4. The Spirit which did endite the Psalmes, did not degrade the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ from his Godhead, for his future incarnation; but speaketh of him, and to him, as God blessed for ever; that is, the true God, to the Jewish Church before his coming: and true God, to the converted Gentiles after his coming in the flesh, one with the Father and holy Spirit; for sixe times in this Psalm he is called God, and acknowledged here to be the fountain of mercy, and blessing to men, and of manifested reconciliation with men; and the object of all divine honour and praise, and God the Lord, and Law-giver of the converted Gentiles; Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. 5. The doctrine and discipline of Christ, whereby he judgeth and governeth his Church, is most holy and righteous, and in as far as particular Churches and Christians submit themselves to his Lawes, Doctrine, and Government, they are his true subjects, and shall finde the fruit of his governing and judging; For these shall he judge righteously, unto these shall he do the part of a Governour, even on earth; He shall govern the nations upon earth.
Ver. 5. Let the people praise thee, O God, let a… the people praise thee.
6. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God shall blesse us.
7. God shall blesse us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
In the last place, the Jewish Church giveth a second acclamation to the incoming of the Gentiles, and do promise to themselves by that meanes Gods blessing more abundantly upon themselves, as now being one body with the Gentiles, in the same Covenant of grace with them. Whence learn, 1. As the conversion of the Gentiles was esteemed by the Jewes, a matter worthy to be oftner presented to God, and prayed for, and earnestly pursued by all that loved God; so was it foreseen to bee a matter of growing and lasting joy to men, and growing and lasting praise to God, and to Christ, who is God, the Converter of them, and the Governour and Teacher of them effectually, to know his Name and salvation; Let all the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee. 2. The Spirit of God gave the Church of the Jewes to understand, that the conversion of the Gentiles, especially the conversion of the fulnesse of the Gentiles, (which here is prayed for, when he saith, Let all the people praise thee) was to be a means or a mercy antecedent unto, or nearly joyned with the bringing in and blessing of the Jewish Church, and possibly in their own land; Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God even our own God shall blesse us: for by the earth he meaneth the promised land of Canaan, which hath been, and is accursed, during the time of their ejection out of it. 3. When God shall be gracious to the Jewes, after the conversion and bringing in of the Gentiles, and shall renew the Covenant with them in Christ, it shall fare the better with true Religion, and with the Christian Churches among the Gentiles; it shall be to them as a resurrection from the dead, in regard both of the purity of Doctrine and Worship, and of the multiplication of persons converted unto Christ in all places; God shall blesse us (saith he then,) and what more? And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.