A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 75
PSAL. LXXV. To the chief Musician Al-taschith. A Psalme or Song of Asaph.
THis Psalm doth well agree with the time of Davids entry into the Kingdom after Sauls death, before he was established King over all the tribes, wherein he with the Church; First, doth thank God for bringing him wonderfully to a begun possession of a part of the Kingdome, ver. 1. Secondly, he promiseth, that when the Lord shall give him the rest of the Kingdom in possession, to imploy his power for righteous governing and setling of it, after it shall be put once in a right frame, ver. 2, 3. Thirdly, he begins to triumph over the wicked that followed Saul, bringing to their minde the advertisement he had given them, not to be proud in their places, ver. 4, 5. partly, because God had the disposing of preferments in his own hand, ver. 6, 7. and partly, because albeit God gave to all his own children a taste of troubles, as he saw fit, yet the dregs of wrath were reserved for the wicked, ver 8. Fourthly, he promiseth to praise God continually, for casting down the wicked, and exalting of the godly, ver. 9, 10.
Ver. 1. VNtoUnto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks; for that thy Name is neare, thy wonderous works declare.
From his thanksgiving; Learne, 1. The Church of God should take out of his hand every beginning of mercies and deliverances with affectionate and frequent thanksgiving: Unto thee, O Lord, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks. 2. As the Lord is described in his Word; so will he be found in his works, to wit, near at hand, and ready to help his people as they stand in need; We do give thanks, because thy Name is near; for this is the neernesse of Gods Name, when his powerful, gracious selt presence is answerable to what is said of him in his Word. 3. Whensoever the Lord doth shew himself for his Churches comfort, he doth it in some wonderful means, in one respect or other, that is, a farre other way then any could have expected; That thy Name is near, thy wondrous works declare.
Ver. 2. When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly.
3. The earth, and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved; I be are up the pillars of it. Selah.
From Davids undertaking to govern the Kingdom well, when it came all in his power; Learne, 1. Possession in part of promises made to us, doth give good hope to have the whole of what is promised in possession also; for, When I shall receive the Congregation, presupposeth his certain hope and expectation to have it. 2. He that is advanced to a civil Kingdom, consisting of people in Covenant with God, he hath gotten charge to nourish the Church, and to procure whatsoever a King civilly can procure to a Church, that his subjects may be all of them Gods Church; therefore David saith not, When I receive the Kingdome, but when I receive the Congregation, or the Church. 3. Foresight of a charge, whereunto a man is likely to be called, should make him prepare himself, and resolve before-hand for doing the duties of that calling, as David did before he was possessed in the Kingdome, When I shall receive the Congregation, I shall judge uprightly. 4. When a land is destitute of godly and gracious Governours, the whole countrey is left loose, both in the matter of Religion, and of civil Justice, as was seen in Sauls time before David was setled; The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved. 5. Kingdomes and Common-wealths have their pillars whereupon they should stand, to wit, religious and righteous government; for, I will judge uprightly, in the second verse, is as good as, I will heare up the pillars thereof, in the third verse. 6. Those that minde the reformation of a land, should be sensible of the desolation of it, and have not only will, but also skill and place of power to … matters in a right frame, as here the Psalmist, after saying, The land and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved, addeth, I bear up, or shall beare up the pillars of it. And here, whatsoever David speaketh or could say, was but a shadow of what is to be found in Christ, of whom he is a type: For the Kingdom and Countrey is ill guided, where Christ doth not reign; but wh… people do subject themselves to him, he sets the Kingdom o… Countrey upon true pillars, and sustaineth all by his power.
Ver. 4. I said unto the fooles, Deal not foolishly and to the wicked, Lift not up the horne.
5. Lift not up your horne on high: speak not with a stiffe neck.
In the third place, he calleth to minde his own prophecy of the change of affairs, and advertisement given by him before to his adversaries, not to behave themselves so insolently as they did. Whence learn, 1. Even in time of trouble, the godly, by the light of Gods Word, may be enabled to foresee and prophecie of the overturning of the wicked from the top of their preserment. I said unto the fools, Deal not so foolishly, saith the Psalmi. 2. When the prophecie u…ed according to Gods Word, is like to take effect, it is no small comfort for beleevers to call to remembrance acts of their beleeving before-hand, what they do see in their own time; I said to the foolish, Deal not so foolishly, is a sort of triumph over his enemies here. 3. Such as are acquaint…d with true wisdom, do justly account all wicked men to be fooles, forsakers of Gods teaching, and followers of their owne wit and will, to the ruine of their own bodies, soules, houses and same; I said unto the fooles. 4. The fruit of a wicked mans prosperity is pride, vain-glory, audacious boasting against the godly, wherein they grow more and more insolent against all warnings of Gods Word, as this reproof importeth; Deal n… foolishly, lift not up the horn: list it not on high, speak not with a stiffe neck.
Ver. 6. For promotion cometh neither from the East, nor from the West, nor from the South.
7. But God is the Iudge, he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
From the first reason of his admonition unto the wicked, Learne, 1. As the cause of mens pride in a wicked course, is t… forgetting of God, and of his government in the world on the one hand, and a strong con… of their own ability, to co… … designes by their own w…, power and industry o… the … the… hand: so the way of wisdom to remedy the evil, is to consider that God doth govern the world, and that men are nothing but what he pleaseth to make of them; Promotion cometh neither from the East, nor from the West, nor from the South: that is, howsoever, or from whence soever preferment to places of power in the world seemeth to come, yet the disposing of places is from a higher hand. 2. Places of power and preferment are disposed of only by the wise and righteous pleasure, and determination of the supreme Ruler of the world; But God is Iudge. He opposeth God the Judge his determination unto all the appearances from second causes. 3. As God hath a minde for the glory of his grace, to try, or to correct, or to comfort and imploy some men in his service, so he putteth them down, or setteth them up, and as he hath a minde to have the glory of his justice on other some, so he setteth them up, or putteth them down; God is Iudge, he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Ver. 8. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red: it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
From the second reason of the admonition given to the wicked; Learn, 1. As the Lord doth wisely distribute his benefits and temporal comforts among men, to testifie his goodnesse to his creatures: so also afflictions and calamities are measured our by him unto men, to restifie his justice and indignation against sin; For in the hand of the Lord is a Cup; that i… a measure of affliction proportioned unto them, for whom it is prepared. 2. This measure of affliction ordained for each man, is prepared for the time appointed, like drink, ready for the mouth of him to whose head the cup shall be put; it is a cup with wine in it, in Gods hand, ready to be set to any mans head be pleaseth. 3. The affliction is like strong wine, quietly piercing through all the mans veines who drinketh it, and cleaving fast unto him; The wine is red. 4. The Lord hath as it were …oth hot and cooling waters, whereby he doth mitigate the Cup … calamities to some, and increaseth the sense of his fiery in… nation unto others; It is full of mixture: or it is perfectly mixed, as the case requireth. 5. What is each mans measure of calamities, how mixed when it is executed, all is in Gods dispensation; He poureth forth of the same into the mouth and …lly of every person, as he pleaseth. 6. The calamities of the wicked, do follow ofttimes alter that the godly have drunk the first draughts of the Lords Cup; It is toward the bottom and dr…ga when the wicked drink; the hottest wrath, and heaviest indignation is reserved for them, and none of them shall escape, how long soever their judgement shall be delayed; But the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall drink. 7. The wicked shall be no lesse accessory to the drawing on of their own calamities, then he that wringeth the dregs, to draw out more liquor for himself to drink, is accessory to his own drunkennesse and damage; The dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them; their vanity, pride, greedinesse, lust, ambition, envie, and pleasant courses of sinning, wherein they delight themselves, while they are drinking in iniquity as an oxe doth water, shall be their destruction, as in the point of merit, so also in the point of meanes of their owne overthrow.
Ver. 9. But I will declare for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Iacob.
10. All the hornes of the wicked also will I cut off, but the hornes of the righteous shall be exalted.
In the last place, he promiseth to make this holy and wise dispensation of justice upon the wicked, and mercy toward the godly, the matter of his song in Gods praise. Whence learn, 1. However matters seem to go, how deep soever the godly drink of the cup of calamities, yet the beleevers in God shall ever have matter of joy in God, and praising of him: But I will declare for ever, (saith the Psalmist) I will sing praises to the God of Iacob; yea sanctified affliction shall be a part of their joy and their praising of God. 2. It doth delight the godly to be in the same Covenanr, and of the same faith with those that are commended by God in the Scripture; I will sing praises, (saith he) to the God of Jacob. 3. As a sincere heart doth resolve, never to weary in Gods service, so may it be assured never to want matter of great joy in Gods service, for … he hath said; I will declare for ever: then he addeth, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 4. It is the Magistrates part, as they have authority in their supreme or subordinate places, to cut short the power of wicked men; All the hornes of the wicked also will I cut off, saith David; which promise he did not cease to execute, by turning every man indifferently, whom he did not judge to be regenerate, out of his place; but by taking course how every man, whom he found in place, should be bound to apply his power for the good of Religion and Justice, as the history of Scripture doth shew; and by this meanes especially did David reform the Church of Israel; and this was the way of his true policy, to cut off all the hornes of the wicked, not to kill, or banish, or forfeit, or put from all place of power and trust, all those leading men, who did oppose and maligne him under King Saul; but by causing them all to concurre with him to set up true Religion, and bring up the Ark to Mount Sion, and to administer justice unto the subjects in their several places. Thus by binding all men to Religion and Justice, and ordaining that wickednesse should have no horne or power for it, but all bound to be against it; He cut off all the hornes of the wicked; And because the civil Magistrate or Ecclesiastical Governours are able to do in their Courts externally not so much as were need, the real effecting of what here is undertaken by David belongeth to the Antitype Christ; for he only can say, and make his words good; All the hornes of the wicked will I cut off. 5. The godly shall be victorious over all their wicked opposers, and righteousnesse shall bear them better out, and shall purchase more help and power unto them, then any course the wicked do take to have their power established against them; The hornes of the righteous shall be exalted.