A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 53
PSAL. LIII. To the chief Musician up…n Mahalath Maschil. A Psalme of David.
AS in the fourte…nth Psalm, so here David comforteth himself, and the rest of the godly in their sad sufferings which they felt from godlesse men lying in the miserable condition of nature, ver. 1, 2, 3. The grounds of comfort are three; the first, because God was engaged in the sufferings of his own, and would plead their controversie against the wicked, ver. 4. The next, because Gods judgements were to come on all the persecutors of the godly, v…r. 5. and the third, because there is hope of full salvation of the godly in Christ, ver. 6. Comparing this Psalme with Psalmer 14. wherein. the enmity of the wicked against the godly, and the comfort of the godly in that case, in this place are the same which are set down there; We learn, That as the godly may fall oftener then once, in one case, under one and the same tentation, some sort of hard exercise and grief: so may they, and should they make use of the same comforts, and bring to memory the same doctrines for that end, as the Church is taught to do, Psalme 14. and here in this Psalme.
Ver. 1. THe foole hath said in his heart, There is no God; corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doth good.
2. God looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
3. Every one of them is gone back, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that doth good, no not one.
From the description of the miserable condition, wherein the world and every unrenewed man within the Church visible …o lie; Learn, 1. All unrenewed persons are fools before God, how wise soever they may seem to men 2 All unrenewed men are inwardly in their affections and resolutions Atheists in effect, and such as do not regard God in any thing; whatsoever they may seem to themselves or others outwardly, They say in their heart, There is no God. 3. All unren…wed men are altogether rotten in their principles and motives of their actions: They are corrupt. 4. The actions of the unrenewed will be found abomination before God, and will prove them to be corrupt: They have done abominable iniquity. 5. Among all unrenewed men, whether without or within the visible Church, not so much as one man shall be found to have done so much as one good action, which can stand for good in Gods accompt: There is none that doth good. 6. The truth of this doctrine is put to trial and proo… by God himself, and sentence is pronounced of all mens natural aversenesse from God, and impotency to do good. God looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there we…e any that did good, and he found none. 7. As it is impossible they can do any good, or be wise who seek not God; so the proof and trial of this naughtinesse of all men, so long as they lie in nature unrenewed, is found by their not understanding; not seeking of God; The Lord looked to see if there were any that did understand, that did, seck God. 8. Every man by nature is a Revolter from God, and from the state wherein once God made man, Every one of them is gone back. 9. There is nothing clean or unpolluted in soul or body of the unrenewed man; but the longer he liveth in nature, the viler is he: They are altogether become filthy. 10. Seeing all men by na…ure are concluded under sin, without exception, And there is none that doth good, no not one; It is no wonder, that the image of God appearing in his children, be ill entertained by natural men, and that Gods children expect no good fruits from such ill trees, as all men are by nature, for this doctrine is delivered to quiet the hearts of the godly, when they are molested by the men of this world. 11. It should yield comfort to the godly, to behold the miserable condition wherein all men are by nature, and themselves called forth of this miserable estate, and converted; for this doctrine offereth ground for the comparison and consolation.
Ver. 4. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge▪ who eat up my people as they eate bread; they have not called upon God.
The first direct Argument for the comforting of the godly under their persecution by the wicked among whom they live, is, that God conside eth their case, and will plead their cause, When… learn, 1. The Lord observeth every point of enmity which the world …ieth agninst his People; he taketh their case to heart, and will plead their cause, and this is a solid ground of comfort to his People in all their sufferings; H… the workers of iniquity no knowledge? that ca… up, &c. 2. Grounds of di… between the unrenewed, and the renewed or …, … in this opposition of the one sort … the other are th…; First, the unrenewed, all of them are ca… workers of iniquity; but they that aree reconciled, howsoev… they are not … sin, yet they are not counted by God to be workers of iniquity. Again, the Lord doth own the regene… and call them … own People, but doth disclaim the other, as in …t not his people, but his enemies. And lastly, the un… generate do … call upon God, to wit, in earnest, or in …, but the …ate by the oppos…ion made are presupposed h… to call on God, and to depend upon him in truth. 3. … doth more evidence the blindnesse and beastly be… of the conscience of sinners, then the pe…ecuting of the Saints; … will not … the un…dly to …ve a godlesse life themselves, except they m…igne and most unreasonably oppose Piety in … thers; Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? that they … up my People as they eat bread. 4. To vex, be… down, and destroy the godly, is as great a pleasure to the wicked, as to … their meat; They … up my People as they eat bread.
Ver. 5. There were they in great feare, where … feare was; for God hath scattered the bones of him that encamped against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
The next ground of comfort to the godly against persecution, is, because Gods judgements shall overtake the troublers of God; People, when they do least feare it. Whence learn, 1. As persecution doth cauterise the conscience, and maketh it sen…clesse of sin▪ so also doth it make the Persecutors fearlesse of judgement, when they do eat up the People of God as b… without fea…e; For there, faith he, no feare was. 2. The … secure a sinner is, and in special a Persecutor of Gods People, the more terrible shall his wakening be, when Gods judgement cometh on him; There were they in great feare where no feare was. 3. The enemies of Gods Church make it their study and main work, to overthrow the godly, and to compasse them as it were by way of laying siege about them, that they escape not; They encamp against thee, saith the Psalmist, speaking as it were to every one of Gods People. 4. Wra…h pursueth the Persecutor, both living and dead, and ceaseth not to follow him so long as there is any thing of him capable of punishment; for God not only …iseth the …, and destroyeth the enemie, and consumeth his flesh, but also he hath seattered the b…es of him that en…ampeth against the…. 5. When the… is nothing left of the P… … unpunished in the world, the wrath of God pursueth his name and memo…ial; and the wrong done to the innocent, is the Persecutors great… … Thou hast put them to s…me. 6 As true h…ur, and th… …ring of …pect from men upon any, is the gift of God, who honoureth them that honour him; so deserved s… and … for …n committed, when it is po…ed out, as the eff…ct of God… justice maketh them who … him to be lig…ly esteemed; Thou hast put them to s…, because God hath … them.
Ver. 6. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion! when God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Iacob shall rejoyce, and Israel shall be glad.
The last ground of comfort to the persecuted godly, is the hope of compleat …ion to the Church of God, and of every true member therof in Christ. Whence learne. 1. There is no …lid consolation against persecution, or any other grievance, save in the salvation which is to be …ad in Christ; He is the S…iour and salvation of Israel. 2. As Christs coming …o accomplish salvation by p…t and part, in his own order and time, is most certainly to be bel…ved and hoped for: so is it most earnestly to be wished, longed after, and prayed for: as the example of the Lords People here (longing for his coming to …ion, in his incarnation and mani…ion of his grace; and then in the spreading forth of his grace and salvation out of Sion to G…ntiles and Jewe… doth teach us; O th… the salvation of … were come out of Sion. 3. As the captivity of Gods People d… remain in any degree and measure, which may make … coming to be so much the more de…eable, and to be the object of wishes, and matter of Prayer; so shall every sort and degree of captivity at last be removed from Gods People, till Redemption be compleatly fulfilled; God shall bring back the captivity of his People. 4. As of all People, whoever had the name of Gods People, the miseries and captivities of the Israelites, because of their provocation against God, have been the most conspicuous and signal: So of all the People on the earth, and of all the Nations which have been honoured with the title of Gods People, the deliverance of Israel from captivity shall be most eminently and conspicuously comfortable; for when God shall bring back the captivity of his People, then Jacob shall rejoyce, and Israel shall be glad.