A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 73
PSAL. LXXIII. A Psalme of Asaph.
THe Psalmist setteth down here the doctrine of Gods goodnesse to the faithful, however he seem to deal with them, ver. 1. and cleareth it by his own experience: Wherein first, after he had stumbled to see the wicked prosper in the world, comparing his own calamities with their prosperity, ver. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. he was like to be overcome with the tentation, and to forsake the course of godlinesse, ver. 13, 14. Next, with this tentation he wrestles, ver. 15, 16. And thirdly he getteth the victory, by consulting the Word of God, ver. 17, 18, 19, 20. In the last place, he maketh a fourefold use of this experience; the first whereof is, the acknowledging of his own weaknesse under the tentation, ver. 21, 22. The next is, the confessing of Gods kindnesse to him in the time of tentation, ver. 23. The third is, the confirming of his own faith for time to come, ver. 24, 25, 26. The fourth is, his resolution to draw more near to God hereafter, ver. 27, 28.
Ver. 1. TRuly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
The doctrine set down in this verse, is the result of his sad exercise, after he had gotten the victory of the tentation, which did call in question the blessedness of believers, whensoever their outward condition should be found more miserable then the condition of the wicked. Whence learn, 1. As the tentations of Satan do aim at the weakening of our believing of saving doctrine, so our exercises, our experiences of conflicts against the tentation, and our victories over it, should strengthen our faith so much the more, to hold fast that truth which the tentation did oppose; After this experience the Prophet not only holds sorth this doctrine, That God is good; but also prefixeth unto it, truly, yet, or notwithstanding. 2. However the Lord seem to deal more hardly with humble beleevers, and worshippers of him, then with the wicked, yet is his dispensation toward them alwayes for their welfare: Truly God is good to Israel. 3. Those persons are true Israelites, who not only do cleanse their conscience by the blood of the Lamb of God, but also study to be holy in soul and body in the sincerity of their heart: This is the cleannesse of heart which the Scripture teacheth; God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Ver. But at as for me, my feet were almost gone: my steps had well nigh slipt.
3. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
The Psalmist compareth his late carriage under a tentation unto the rule of this doctrine, and doth acknowledge that he did not hold it so firmly as he should have done, but was almost driven from the maintaining of it. Whence learn, 1. In the time of adversity a beleever may prove weak in the faith of that truth, which was not questioned by him in prosperity, and be neer-hand unto the quitting and renouncing of it; But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipt. 2. Albeit the Lord so farre decipher the weakness of his own children, as to let them be brought to the very brink of misbelieving of a necessary and saving truth, yet he preventeth their quitting of it altogether; they may be very near the fall, and not sall altogether: My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipt. 3. The godly will not stand to confess to their owne shame their own weakness, when it may serve to strengthen others, and give warning to prevent the fall of others, or any way prove profitable to others, as in this example we see. 4. The measure of our faith or love to God and to Religion, the measure of our faith to obey known truth, is best known in time of tentation, when the object is in our eye, and the tempter is making use of it to insnare us: I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 5. If the prosperity of the wicked, and trouble of the godly be looked upon, in respect of their outward worldly estate only, it cannot chose but trouble a mans thoughts; I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Ver. 4. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firme.
5. They are not in trouble as other men: neither are they plagued like other men.
6. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chaine: violence covereth them as a garment.
7. Their eyes stand out with fatnesse: they have more then heart could wish.
8. They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression, they speak loftily.
9. They set their mouth against the heavens: and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10. Therefore his people return hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
What was the prosperity of the wicked, which stumbled him, he setteth down in particular inthese verses, Whence learn, 1. Albeit the great multitude of the wicked are subject to such outward miseries, as others are, yet to some of them, yea and to some of the worst of them, God for his own holy ends useth to give health of body, long life, little sicknesse, and a quiet death, when the time of it is come, and in their death to keep them from many troubles, which others are subject unto: and yet God doth not love them, nor approve any whit more of them for this: There are no bands in their death, but their strength is firme; they are not in trouble as other men, &c. 2. The more liberally the Lord deals with the wicked, they are the more insolent and proud, and vain-glorious; they are the more unjust and violent oppressors of others: their prosperity doth blinde them, and serveth to encrease their wickednesse; Therefore pride compasseth them as a chaine; violence covereth them as a garment. They glory in their oppression. 3. Albeit God bestow riches on the wicked, and more then they could reasonably wish, and do give them health of bodies to make use of their riches as they please, so as they swell for fatnesse, (which abundance should oblige a man to serve the Lord more heartily) yet the recompence they render to God is this, they become more and more vicious in their own persons, and do threaten more and more injuries to their neighbours; They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: They stand in awe neither of God nor man, but openly in their, speeches they despise all authority over them; They speak loftily: They scoffe and mock religion, and speak blasphemously of God and his providence: They set their mouth against the Heavens: They speak as they please of all things, and all men, not caring against whom they speak, or what they speak to any mans prejudice; Their tongue walketh through the earth: not caring whom it tread upon, or whom it abuse. 4. The prosperity of the wicked, and their thriving in an ill course, doth ensnare many inconsiderate people, even members of the visible Church, and moveth them to follow the evil wayes of the openly wicked, and to make defection from their own professed duties; Therefore his people return hither, saith he. 5. When men stumble at righteousness because of trouble, and follow the course of the wicked for love of worldly advantage; it is righteousness with God, to give both the bait for a while to such changelings, and the hook also, for hardening them in their own wicked choice; And waters of a full Cup (saith he) are wrung out unto them: that is, they finde some worldly commodity by their defection. 6. There is a threefold tentation to draw a man from the course of holiness unto looseness and profanity; one, when the wicked … observed to prosper in the world; another, when multitudes … off a good course, and follow the example of the wicked: and a third, when those backsliders also seem to prosper after their defection, as here. 1. The wicked do calumniate every good course, and they prosper. 2. Gods people return hither for love of prosperity. 3. Then waters of a full Cup are wrung out unto them. All these things may concurre, and the way mean time is most damnable notwithstanding.
Ver. 11. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12. Behold, these are the ungodly: who prosper in the world, they increase in riches.
Here he bringeth in the poor deluded people defending their defection, and their following the example of the ungodly, and hardening themselves in their evil course, saying in substance, that if God disliked the ungodly, he would not let them prosper so in the world, and heap riches upon them as he doth: and this is in substance to blaspheme God as an ignorant Governour of the world, or a misregarder how men do carry themselves. Whence learne, 1. When men are once insnared in an ill course, they will seek reasons to justifie themselves; those thoughts which did insnare them, do also hold them; for they to whom waters of a full Cup are wrung out, do say, How doth God know? 2. Men are ready to reproach the Lord, if he do not guide the world to their fancy, yea and to blaspheme God, rather then blame themselves for their faults, as these words do import: How doth God know? that is, how can it be, that God taketh notice of such mens wayes as wrong, seeing he doth prosper them? 3. To think that God is well-pleased with the way of the wicked, because they prosper; and that he respects not his Saints, because he doth afflict them more then the wicked, is as much as in effect to say, The Lord is not wise that doth so well to his foes, and dealeth so hardly with his friends; for so here is it interpreted by the Lord: Is there knowledge in the most High? 4. It seemeth very reasonable to carnal reason, that if God hate ungodlinesse, he should not suffer the ungodly to prosper in the world: and if he will suffer them to prosper, then he doth not hate ungodlinesse; and therefore when it is clear to all men that the ungodly do prosper, they conclude that God knoweth not; taketh no notice of ungodlinesse, or is not displeased with it, for here is their proof; Behold, (say they) these are the ungodly who prosper in the world, they increase in riches. 5. The thing that deceiveth the ungodly and the misbelieving world about Gods dispensation, is, that they look only to … which is done by God in this world; no punishment after death, or felicity after death do they think upon: These are the ungodly (say they) who prosper in the world. 6. In the very tentation whereby the wicked is insnared, the worme of their gourd, and the staine of their felicity is discovered: their felicity is but in riches, and their prosperity is but in this present world; They prosper in the world, say they.
Ver. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
Here is the well near slipping of the Psalmists feet, set down, in his begun yielding unto the devils tentation, forcibly born in upon him, and repeated over by him, after the manner of a resolute conclusion, condemning all his former course of godlinesse upon this one poor pretence, because he seemed to himself more miserable then the wicked were. Whence learn, 1. A tentation sometime may be so powerfully born in upon the spirit of a childe of God, as it may seem to be admitted, yielded unto, and subscribed unto as truth, as here we see; Verily I have cleansed in vaine, &c. 2. The true course of sanctification consists in the study of cleansing a man from all pollution both of soul and body, or in cleansing the heart and the hands, as here is set down: The heart is cleansed by the blood of the expiatory sacrifice laid hold on by faith, and by the begun works of the Lords Spirit manifested in the hearty resolution, purpose and study of holinesse the hands are cleansed by a blameless and harmless conversation or course of life and actions: I have cleansed my heart and hands in innocency. 3. When a man is under a tentation, or in a fleshly temper of spirit, for the present he putteth a high price upon any good he hath done, and forgetteth by what strength he did it; he forgetteth Gods part, and his glory in it; for the Psalmists part, was the consenters part, the instruments part, and he was in the point of action only a subordinate agent and co-worker at the best by a borrowed strength; and yet as if all the work had been his work alone; In vain (saith he) have I cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocency. 4 That which is the break-neck of the wicked, may readily be a stumbling-stone for a time to the godly: that which is the irrecoverable deadly sickness of the wicked, may be the hot fever or distemper of the godly for a season. In special, as the wicked man at all times doth look only to this present world, and to what may make him prosperous or miserable in this present life: so it may befal the godly man also in a fit, at a time, to look only upon temporal prosperity and trouble, as here we see the Psalmist looketh only to his present troubles; For all the day long I have been plagued; never a word here of his sweet consolations and man fold benefits bestowed on him. 5. To finde some new crosse daily, either from Godimmediately, or from the world, or from Satan, or from our own corruption, is no strange thing to the godly; All the day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning, saith the Psalmist: even while he was daily cleansing his heart, and washing his hands: so doth divine wisdom see it fit for the good of his children, and glorifying of his own Name.
Ver. 15. If I say, I will speak thus: behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
Thus have we seen his tentation. In the next place, we have his wrestling with it, by bringing this conclusion suggested by Satan to a further examination: and first, of humane reason, wherby he perceiveth, that if this conclusion should be maintained, then the Church of God in all ages, and all the godly from the beginning of the world should be condemned as miserable souls: which consequence he thinketh to be a rash condemning of the constant resolution of the godly wise in all ages past. Whe…ce learn, 1. Tentations driving at the subversion of faith in Christ, and holinesse of life, do finde resistance in the heart of a renewed man, how farre soever they seem to prevail at first: The seed of God remaineth in him, the principles of spiritual life, the infused habits of saving graces, the new creature by Gods up-stirring do make opposition, as in this example we see. 2. The way to take up and decipher Satans tentations, is to consider what they aim at, tend unto, drive at, what may be the consequence thereof; If I say, I will speak thus, then such a thing will follow. 3. So long as a tentation remaineth under dispute, and is not come to a setled decree and resolved practice, it hath not obtained full victory; it is with the Psalmist here, for all that was suggested and seemingly yielded, no more yet, but, If I say I will speak thus. 4. Whosoever doth condemn piety and holy conversation, because the world doth so, or because trouble doth follow such a course, he doth a high injury to all the Saints from the beginning of the world, and to God the Author of all holinesse; If I should speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 5. The godly are not the authors of their own spiritual being, the making them new creatures is the work of God, they are the children of God, begotten of him, by his Word and Spirit, and do resemble their Father in wisdom and righteousnesse; so doth the Psalmist stile them, in the time of his hard exercise here, The generation of Gods children. 6. In our disputing with tentations by the weapons of reason, we shall do well to make God Moderator of the disputants, and to look to God in our reasoning, that we may by his testimonies rectifie every thing, lest we reason amisse, as here the Psalmist doth; I should offend against the generation of thy children. 6. We ought to reverence the judgement of the godly, and the more universally their judgment is one, and agreeing together in a point of controversie, the more fear should we have to dissent from them, as the Psalmists example teacheth us.
Ver. 16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.
17. Until I went into the Sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.
18. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castedst them down into destruction.
19. How are they brought into desolation as in a moment? they are utterly consumed with terrors.
20. As a dream when one awaketh: so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
In the third place, finding himself not yet satisfied, he consulteth the Oracle of God, revealed in his Scripture and ordinances of his house, and so he findeth his doubt resolved, and victory over his bitter tentation granted unto him. Whence learn, 1. When a man doth see himself in a mist, and out of the Lords way, he is not able by himself to finde it again; for the strongest of humane testimonies will not settle him and make him quiet; When I thought to know this, it was too painful. 2. The last refuge of brangled faith, is God himself manifesting his will in his Word and Ordinances; no setling or satisfaction of doubts in Divinity, but by the Scriptures; It was too painful for me, until I went into the Sanctuary of God; that is, till I consulted the Scriptures, and considered what God had revealed in his Church by his Ordinances; this did satisfie and settle him. 3. The Lord hath revealed in Scripture what shall be the end and close of mens course, who studie not to walk according to his direction, how prosperous soever they may seem to be: and because the felicity of men is not to be known by Gods outward dispensation of worldly comforts or crosses, therefore the mans end must put the difference; Then understood I their end. 4. Whatsoever alterations and changes the godly man be subject unto in his temporal condition, bodily or spiritual, yet his felicitie is setled unto him on the rock but … felicity of the wicked is builded on the sand; the … are lifted up in that felicity earthly, which only they do affect, the more near are they to a fall and fearful ruine: Thou hast set them upon slippery places. 5. Whatsoever may seem to the wicked themselves, or to the world, or to the godly who look upon the wicked, how little appearance soever there be of their fall; yet it is decreed it shall be; for notwithstanding of all appearance it is said, Surely thou hast set them in slippery places. 6. As the wicked do not arise unto any greatnesse or power in the world by themselves, but the Lord is he that setteth them up for his own glory; so they do not fall of their own accord, but the Lord doth cast them down: beside their own weight, they have the throw of the right hand of the Lord, who sheweth his power in their overthrow, and doth drive them to more deaths then one; Thou castest them down into destruction. 7. The wicked perish suddenly, when neither they themselves nor others are looking for their ruine, in a way much more wonderful then their lifting up was; They are destroyed, how are they brought into desolation, as in a moment? 8. The destruction of the wicked is full of terror; how senselesly soever some of them go away, all their riches, honour and prosperity is pulled from them, and in great wrath they are sent out of the world, never to see any token of favour again; they are adjudged to irrecoverable perdition of soul and body for ever: They are utterly consumed with terrors. 9. When the wicked are flourishing in wealth, ease and honour, men do think that God is as it were sleeping; but the truth is, both the wicked themselves, and all who look upon them, and do judge them to be happy, are in a dream, as they shall see when the Lords time is come to execute judgement on them; for then all their riches, honour, pleasure and contentment shall be found nothing but a despicable picture of these things; As a dream when one awaketh: so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
Ver. 21. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reines.
22. So foolish was I and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
In the fourth place, he maketh a six-fold use of this experience. The first is this, that by it he is taught how weak and foolish he is in himself, and how unable so stand in time of trial and tentation. Whence learn, 1. Hardly will a man discern a powerful tentat… … is under it. The best sight to be had of the danger o… … is, when it is overcome and gone and look how well p…ed a man is, when the tentation is beautified with specious col… of carnal reason, so much will he be displeased with it, when it is seen, and discerned by spiritual light, as here we see in the Psalmists experience. 2, Much trouble do we bring to our own spirits, when we examine Gods dispensations by carnal reason, and not by the Scripture; and we may thank our selves for the misery which we draw upon our selves, as here the Psalmist doth; Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 3. So soon as the godly can perceive rheir own error, they will no longer maintain it, and no man will more shatply censure them for their fault then they will do themselves: This is a part of their up rightnesse, and ingenuous honesty of heart; So foolish was I and ignorant. 4. The sin of envy, and male-content with Gods afflicting of us, and sparing of the wicked, hath its own judgement bound upon the back of it: for as a soure-leavened vessel, turneth all things put into it unto sournesse, so doth envy of the prosperity of others make all the good that the Lord doth to our selves, uncomfortable, and unpleasant unto us: for the Word My heart was grieved; is in the force of the original, My heart was imbittered, made soure, and leavened. 5. Perplexity of minde, rising upon the mistaking of Gods providence, is like the pain of the gravel in the reines, very troublesome till we be rid of it; I was pricked in my reines, is a similitude borrowed from the bodily pain of the gravel. 6. Carnal reason not corrected by Gods Word, is beastly ignorance: it may bear some shew of reason among foolish men, but indeed it is nothing before God, but brutish folly; I was as a beast before thee.
Ver. 23. Neverthelesse, I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
The second use of thi… exercise, is the acknowledgmen… that hi… …nding in grace, and Gods obedience, depended only upon the Lord, by whose powerful susteining of him he was kept from being utterly overcome by the tentations of Satan, and from falling from the way of God by the tentation. Whence learn, 1. The …verance of the Saints is not of themselves, but of the Lord, who doth not forsake them, when they of themselves are ready to forsake him, but by his power secretly uphold them, and keep them fast to himselfe: This doth the Psalmist here acknowledge; Neverthelesse I am continually with thee. 2. …hen we have gotten proof of our own folly, and weakn… … deserving, then do we most clearly see and confes… … …e and power in preserving of us: Thou hast holden me by … hand.
Ver. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
The third use is the confirmation of his faith and hope in God for time to come. Whence learn, 1. The Believer, how sensible soever he be of his own weaknesse, may be perswaded of his own perseverance, by looking on Gods constancy, and felt experience of his work of grace in him in time past; Thou wilt g… me with thy counsel, &c. 2. There is an unseparable connexion between walking by Gods direction in the time of this life, and our receiving into heaven after this life: and he who is resolved to walk by the rule of Gods direction, may promise to himselfe to be received into glory immediately after his journey in this life is ended; Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 3. Albeit the Believer may meet with many doubts and disficulties in his way, yet hath he a guide to direct him, and a rule to walk by, to wit, the Word of God revealed in the Church or Sanctuary, whereby he may be advised effectually how to walk on his way to heaven: Thou wilt guide me with …hy counsel.
Ver. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
The fourth use of this exercise is, the setling of his affection and confidence on God, as the matter of his satisfactory cont…ntment, and upholding, when all creatures failed him. Whence learn, 1. As nothing can give true contentment, excep… God: so God will have us to loose our heart from all creatures, and expect no contentment in any of them, but in himselfe; Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth whom I desir… besides thee. 2. He that seeth Gods sufficiency, seeth also t… emptinesse of the creatures, and nothing to be in them, but wh… they have of God. A Believer may see that he needeth nothing in heaven or …th, but communion with God, to make him fully blessed; … I in heaven but thee, and there is none … earth that I d… … thee. 3. As to finde all things to fai… us, except God, in the time of trial, doth serve to loose our affections and confide…e off them: so to finde help in God when all things do faile, serveth to tic the heare of a Believer strongly to the Lord; My heart and my flesh faileth me, but God is the strength of my hea…t. … 4. When the Believer hath seen his own strength fail him, and yet not the lesse doth believe in God, he shall finde his sailing heart and fainting courage upholden, and his own exhausted strength supplied with a greater strength from God: My heart and my flesh fail me, but God is the strength of …y heart. 5. Every man seeketh something for his portion▪ some one thing in the creature, some another, but the believers portion is the Lord himselfe, and no lesse will content him: The Lord is the strength of my heart, and my portion. 6. This is the Believers advantage above all that do seek their blessednesse in the creature; for his portion is the eternal God, and he is made an everlasting enjoyer of him: God is my portion for ever.
Ver. 27. For lo, they that are farre from thee, shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
The fifth use, is his resolution to draw nearer unto God: the reasons of which resolution are two; one, because they perish, who do not draw near to God: ver. 27. The other is great advant…ge is to be had by drawing near to him, ver. 28. Whence lea…n, 1. The Lords childe doth profit by hardest exercises, and h… tentations being resisted by faith, do leave him in better case then they did finde him: his knowledge of Gods ways, his faith, his love to God, and hatred of wicked courses are augmented, as in this example is to be seen. 2. They whose confidence, …ffections, course of life and actions do run toward, and cleave unto the creature, do depar… from God more and more; for here they are said to be f…rre from God: and they that depart from God, do draw near to eternal perdition: They that are farre from thee, shall p…rish. And howsoever this truth be not believed, yet it is as sure and certain, as if it were seen with our eyes; For …o, they that are farre from thee, shall perish. 3. A chaste soule …ath no choice, no love, to delight it selfe in contentedly, except God: no confidence to rest it selfe upon, but God. And whosoever do seek their delight and satisfaction in the creature, especially if they be members of the visible Church, in Cove…ant with God, they are adulterers: They go a whoring from God: and they shall not finde felicity in the creatures; but perdition no lesse certainly, then if it were already past: Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
Ver. 28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
In this verse, he giveth the other reason of his adherence unto God, from the advantage he findeth by so doing, and closeth the Psalm with the sixth use of his experience, which is the fixing of his faith on God, that his experiences may be more and more frequent, and he may be a fitter instrument to glorify God. Whence learn, 1. The right use of the perishing of the wicked, is to be more holy, and to seek nearer communion with God, as our only blessednesse, how many soever depart from him: They shall perish who are farre from thee, but it is good for me to draw near to God. 2. No man is so near in communion with God in this life, but there is a further degree to be aimed at, and possibly to be found; as there are degrees of departing from God, so also degrees of coming near unto him; and the better for us, the nearer we draw: It is good for me to draw ne… to God. 3. The use of all assaults against our faith, is more and more to fixe our …ith and confidence on God; for this is the use the Psalmist do…h make of the assault spoken of in this Psalm: I have put my trust in the Lord God. 4. None but a Believer can discern the Lord▪ working, it is only faith that giveth a right construction unto all the Lords works, only faith makes men fit instruments to glorify God; I … put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works. 5. As the Believer is the best observer of Gods work… and sittest to set them forth before others; so he is the man of greatest experience; and he of all men is filled with most matter of Gods praise: for the Lord never disappoints the believer, but makes him …ave new proofs of his wonderful wisdome, power, and goodnesse; so doth the Psalmist lay his reckoning: I have put … trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.