A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 80
PSAL. LXXX. To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph.
THis Psalm given to the Church to be made use of, is of the like sad subject with the former, and may be applied to the time of carrying away the ten tribes out of the holy land, while Iudah was yet in possession of it, and the Temple was yet standing, and the Lord was dwelling between the Cherubims in the Sanctuary, where the Ark and Mercy-seat was yet remaining; or to the time of the begun desolation of the land by Nebuchadnezzar, or to any other desolation which did threaten their final rooting out. The summe of the Psalm is a lamenting of the miserable condition of the Israelites, and an earnest entreating of the Lord to give them repentance and a delivery. In the first place, the Church maketh her addresse to God, and propoundeth the main Petition, ver, 1, 2, 3. In the second place, they lament their misery, and repeat the same Petition; ver. 4, 5 6, 7. In the third place, they call to minde the Lords care to plant his people in the land as a vine-tree, and do lament the doleful change of their happy condition into that of their present misery, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. In the fourth place, they pray for Gods mercy and pity toward his desolate people, ver. 14, 15, 16. In the last place, th…y pray for the standing of the tribe of Iudah, and that …or Christs cause, who was to take his humane nature of this tribe; and do close the Psalme with repearing the third time their special Petition for repentance and delivery to be granted unto them, ver. 17, 18, 19.
Ver. 1. Glve eare, O shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Ioseph like a flock, thou that dwellest between the Cherubims, shine forth.
Many sweet fruits hath the Lord drawn forth from the bitter afflictions of his people, and this Psalme amongst the rest; wherein first, the Church beggeth from God audience, for the relations between God and them, ver. 1. and then prayeth for salvation, ver. 2. and to this end doth make request for the gracious gift of Repentance to his people, that they might be saved, ver. 3.
From the fi…st verse; Learn, 1. When our heart is full of grief, or of any holy affection, which we desire to lay sorth before the Lord, we may call for, and expect audience at the Lords hands, as the Church doth here, saying to the Lord, Give car. 2. He that would speak to God in the d…y of calamity, had need to fasten faith on God, and should go about it, how grievous soever his rod seem, as here the Church is taught by the Psalmist to do. 3. Albeit faith will finde small strength from anything in the supplicant, yet on Gods part it cannot misse solid ground to fixe upon, according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace, such as is Christs Prophetical and Kingly office, whereby the Lord taketh on him to lead and feed his people; to govern and protect them, as a shepherd doth his flock: as here the Church doth, O shepherd of Israel. This is one consideration. Another is, the constant experiment and proof given of his actual exercising of this office; Thou that leadest Iacob as a flock: and unto the former they …oyn the free offer of grace to all that do seck for mercy from God …hrough the Mediator Christ; Thou that dw…llest between the Cherubims. 4. Albeit sin doth overcloud the manifesting of Gods favour and loving kindesse towards his people, yet the prayer of faith upon the grounds of the Covenant may expect the clearing up of his countenance again: O shepherd of Israel, shine forth.
Ver. 2. Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stirre up thy strength, and come and save us.
For understanding of the second verse, we must remember, that when the A…k of the Covenant rested, or marched in the wildernesse, these three Tribes, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manassc…, were in the teareward of the host of Israel, or on the Westside thereof, as is set down, Numb. 2. 18, 19, &c. when the host marched, and the Art set forward, Moses said to the Lord, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee, flee before thee: answerable to this, doth the sixty …ight Psalme begin, when the A…k removed and was carried up to mount Sion, now the people of God being in distresse here, do call those dayes to remembrance, and do request the Lord, that as he had in the eye sight of those three tribes here mentioned, ma…isisted himself many a time to be the leader and defender of his people: so he would now also in this their lamentable condition stirre up himselfe for th…ir reliefe and safety. Whence learne, 1. The remembrance of the Lords humbling himselfe to be fafamiliar with his people, and how sweet and glorious communion his people have had with him, may and should encourage believers in him to seek and expect new experience of the like mercy in their need, as here the Israelit…s do pray for new proof of that favour, which their ancesters did finde sometime; Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh stirre up thy strength, and come and save us. 2. The posterity of those who have been in fellowship with God, should pray for themselves, and be prayed for by the Church, that they may have room in the Lords host, and have God their leader, as their godly fathers had before them; Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh stirre up thy strength.
Ver. 3. Turn us again, O God: and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
This is the special Petition most insisted upon, that God by giving of Repentance would reclaim his people from their apostasie, and grant the evidence of his former favour unto them, and so deliver and save them. Whene learne, 1. As the apostasie of Gods people f…om God, is the fountain of all their calamity: so their repentance and returning unto God, is the first step unto their reliefe, and delivery from procured misery of captivity, or any other calamity, as the prayer here importeth: Turn us again, O Lord. 2. Conversion of people from their sin unto God, and leading of them back from the misery drawne on by sin, is the work of God, which no man can work of himselfe, or in himself, or in others, till God begin and enable them to return, and lead them on in their turning; Therefore saith the Psalmist, Turn us again, O Lord: thus they say as unable to turn again of themselves. 3. When a people or person do turn unto God, repenting their sin or back-sliding from him, they may expect the Lord shall shew unto them evidences of his reconciliation and favour toward them; Turn us again, and cause thy face to shine upon us. 4. It is to Gods children very salvation to be in favour with God, and to be assured of reconciliation with him: Turn us again, cause thy face to shine, and so shall we be saved.
Ver. 4. O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people:
5. Thou feedest them with the bread of teares: and givest them teares to drink in great measure.
6, Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
In the second place, the Church lamenteth the Lords wrath, manifested first, in answering their prayers with indignation, ver. 4. Secondly, by increasing of their woful misery without consolation, ver. 5. And thirdly, by making them the matter of their enemies strife among themselves (which of them should have meanest Hebrewes to be their slaves,) and the object of their enemies sport, when they had parted the prey among them, ver. 6. After which he repeateth the former prayer for Repentance, and for delivery, ver. 7.
From the first part of their complaint and lamentation, set down, ver. 4. Learne, 1. The people of God may in their affliction put up prayers to God, which he will not accept, to wit, prayers for removing of judgement, when they have not repented the sins which drew on the judgement; yea they may pray long, and be instant in such prayers, and not receive a comfortable answer; yea they may finde their prayers answered with evidencing of Gods displeasing such prayers; How long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people? 2. When God doth not answer the prayers of his people in their affliction, the afflied must not cease to pray on still, neither may the truly godly among them cease to deal with God for his afflicted people, joyned in external Covenant with them, but must continue and be still instant with God, as here they do; For how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people? is a part of their prayer, notwithstanding that God seemeth angry at their prayers. 3. As Gods supremacy over all the hosts of the creatures maketh his wrath more terrible to the supplicant, so should it make the supplicant more instant in prayer, and more loath to take a refusal to his supplication, as here it doth; O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people? 4. We are not alwayes to look after a present answer to our prayers, but must wait on so long as God pleaseth not to answer: yea it is possible, that after a believer hath begun to humble himselfe, God may send messenger after messenger of more and more appearance of wrath; but we must resolve, as to wrestle with all difficulties, so also with the sense of Gods anger against us, yea, and that against our prayers: How long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people?
From the second part of the lamentation, ver. 5. Learne, 1. When Gods people will not mourne for sinne in time, as penitents, no wonder he drive them to mourne for the fruit of their sinne in sad affliction: Thou feedest them with the bread of teares. 2. We are more sensible of the evill of trouble, then of the evill of sinne; the tears of Repentance are very rare, and soon d…ied up, but the teares of sorrow for affliction do easily flow, as affliction increaseth or continueth, and that in Gods wise dispensation, that worldly sorrow for afflictions, may drive us to godly sorrow for offending of God; Thou feedest them with the bread of teares. 3. The comfort of the creatures, yea of necessary food, may be overcome and swallowed up by trouble and worldly sorrow, and that in Gods wise dispensation, that men may learn to hunger and thi…st for heavenly and strong consolation: as it befell this people, who were taken up so with weeping, as they forgot their ordinary meales, and when they did eat and drink, did drench their food with teares; Thou feedest them with the bread of teares, and givest them teares to drink in great measure.
From the third part of their lamentation, ver. 6. Learne, 1. It is righteousnesse for God to make his people finde the bitternesse of mens hatred and enmity, when they have slighted his friendship and favour; as here, he gave Israel over …to the hands of their enemies, when they had provoked him: Thou makest … a strife to our neighbours, and our enemies laugh. 2. When the Lord lets the wicked world loose upon his people, they finde as many neighbours, as enemies, who make havock of them, and strive amongst themselves who shall do them most harm, and serve themselves most of their persons …nd goods; and this is the Lords wise despensation, to let hi… own know, what his protection is worth; Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours. 3. The grief and trouble of the Lords people, is the joy of the wicked, and it is the property of an enemy to rejoyce at their calamity; and God in his most wise dispensation will give his people a taste of this, that they may know the fruit of their rejoycing in that which offended God, and what they may expect of the world, if they fall out of his favour; Thou makest us a strife to our neighbours, and our en…mies laugh among themselves.
From the repetition of the same prayer for giving them repentance, reconciliation, and salvation, ver. 7. Learne, 1. Ardency of affection maketh the repetition of the same prayer not to be babling; Turn us again, O God, is now the second time propounded. 2. The way to remedy all the evill …oth of sin and punishment lying upon Gods people, is to repent their sins, and to seek reconciliation with God; if his people would repent, then would not the Lord be angry with their prayers; then affliction should either be removed; or made light to them: for to remedy all the lamented evils, they pray, Turn us again, O God. 3. A praying peoples case cannot be so dark and desperate, but looking to Gods power shall give light and hope of relief; Turn us again, O God of hosts, saith he; nothing is too hard for him to do. 4. Gods people cannot dispense with the want of his manifested good will to them; Turn us, and cause thy face to shine upon us, is their fixed Petition. 5. Salvation may be certainly expected in Gods order… and if we labour to be sure of our turning to God, and living in the sense of communion with him, we need not make question of salvation; for that shall follow infallibly on the former two: Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine upon u…, so shall we be saved. The last is not put up by way of prayer here, but p…omised to themselves, and put out of question, that it sh…ll follow; Turn us, so shall we be saved, say they.
Ver. 8. Thou hast brought a Vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9. Thou preparedst room before-hand: and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
10. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars.
11. She sent out her boughes unto the sea: and her branches unto the river.
In the third place, they renew their Lamentation, by comparing the sometime blessed condition of the Church of Israel with the present miserable estate they are now in. In former times Israel was as a fruitful vineyard, v. 8 9, 10, 11. but now the Lords protection is removed, and they are made a prey to every beastly enemy, ver. 12, 13. Whence learn, 1. Adversity bringeth to minde neglected prosperity in time past, and the distresse of a Church deprived of former favours putteth a price upon, and giveth lustre unto abused mercies looked back upon: as here, the calamity of the ten tribes, or of the whole twelve tribes cast out of their land, doth make their delivery out of Egypt, their planting in Canaan, and the mercies which they felt in that land to appear very glorious; and setteth up that their sometime condition in the similtude of a fruitful vineyard. 2. There is no fitter similitude then of a vine-tree and of a vineyard, to represent the weaknesse of Gods Church and people, and Gods care of them, to have fruits of faith and obedience from them: therefore here and elsewhere is this comparison made use of. 3. It serveth much to help the faith of Gods people in their calamity, to call to minde Gods begun work among them, and in them, and for them: for when his people do claim to wonted kindnesse, the Lord is ready to make his mercy run in the former channel. This is the ground of the: Churches reasoning here, in her supplication to God. 4. It is not enough lightly to mention a course of kindnesse shewen to us of God, but every part and passage of it is worthy to be marked and prized highly; as here, 1. Israels bringing out of Egypt is observed, and compared to the bringing of a noble plant out of a farre countrey in the Lords own hand; Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt. 2. The casting out of the Canaanites, is compared to the purging of the ground from stones, and thorne…, and blocks in comparison of Israel, to be planted there; Thou hast cast but the heathen, and planted it. 3. They observe the benefit of enlarging their dwelling for commodious habitation: Thou preparedst room for it. 4. And their setling in the land; Thou causedst it to take deep root. 5. And their multiplying in it; It filled the land. 6. And their riches, and power, and glory in the land, comparable to a wood of Cedars; The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the bought thereof were like the goodly Cedars. 7. And the spreading of their authority and government, according to the bounds … to their promised possession, Gen. 15. 18. from the Mediterranean sea westward, to the river Eupbrates eastward; She sent out her boughes to the s…, and her branches to the river. Thus a well ordered Church is like … pleasant and fruitful vineyard.
Ver. 12. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges: so that all they which passe by the way do pluck her?
13. The boare out out of the wood doth waste it: and the wilde beast of the field doth devoure it.
After calling to minde this glorious condition they were in, they in a weeping and lamentable manner do compare their present misery with what happinesse once they had, and do lay it forth before the pitiful eyes of the Lord. Whence learn, 1. As present felt misery commendeth prosperity past, so past prosperity doth augment present misery, when the two conditions are compared, as in this comparison is held forth. 2. The most glorious and best planted Church may for its unfruitfulnesse and provocation of God by its ill fruits, be plucked up again, and the hedge of discipline, the hedge of civil government, and the hedge of Gods protection may all be removed suddenly from it, as here we see; Why hast thou broken down the hedges? 3. It is a wonderful and astonishing judgement, to see the Lord casting down the work of Reformation once begun by him, and plucking up the plantation of his Church once made by him; and yet the provocation of a wicked generation may procure this evil, which hardly can be beleeved till it come; and even then it is wonderful, and should send men unto God, to make them see rightly the causes thereof, as this interrogation importeth; Why best thou broken down her hedges? 4. When God removeth his hedges from about his people, for their provocation of him, then any body that pleaseth may make a prey of them; So that all they who passe by the way do…ck her. 5. If God remove the hedge of his protection from about his people, no wonder they call into the hands of the most savage, cruel and beastly sort of men, as did besal Israel; The boare out of the wood doth waste it, and the wilde beast out of the field doth devoure it. 6. When the Lords Church is in the worst condition, she is not so wasted and destroyed, but a remnant is left to present by prayer her condition unto God, to deal with him for her restauration, as the case in hand here and elsewhere doth shew.
Ver. 14. Return we beseech thee, O God of hostes: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this Vine.
15. And the Vineyard which thy right hand hath planted: and the branch that thou madest strong for thy self.
16. It is burnt with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
In the fourth place, they pray that God who was departed from them, would return and have compassion on the desolate condition of his Church. Whence learn, 1 Although the Lord seem to depart from his Church, yet he is within cry, and may be recalled by prayer, and may by his power set all right again: Return, we beseech thee, O God of hostes. 2. Although no hope of help or possibility of relief can be seen on earth, yet there is hope of help from heaven; Look down from heaven. 3. In the least degree of Gods respect and kindnesse to a desolate Church, begun to be manifested after pouring out judgements on it, faith will reade hope; of relief and restauration of it; Behold and visit this Vine: for to come and see, is all to them which they crave. 4. The labour and care which God hath bestowed on his Church, for setting up, and setling of it in any place, may give hope to those who pray for it, that albeit the Lord afflict it heavily, yet he will not lose his labour; Visit this Vine, and the Vineyard which thy right band hath planted. 5. There was a branch to come of the stock of Israel, for whose cause the Nation of the Israelites could not be utterly forsaken and destroyed, and this was the Messiah, Christ Jesus (promised to come of Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Iudah, David,) of whose coming, because God had a special care that the stock should be underpropped and upheld and made strong till this branch came forth, the Church of Israel might be confident not to be utterly cast off, and therefore in their prayer they make mention of him; Visit the Vineyard and the Branch (to wit, of the house of David,) that thou madest strong for thy self: In the Hebrew, it is the Son whom thou madest strong, even Christ, who is the true Sonne of God, the true Vine-tree, Iohn 15. 1. whereabout the Fathers husbandry is in a special way imployed. 6. The visible Church or people of God by Covenant, at some time may be so farre from a glorious and flourishing condition of prosperity, that on the contrary in outward appearance she may be almost destroyed, and like to perish utterly, as here of the Lords Vineyard, or the whole visible Church we read, It is burnt with fire, it is cut down: he meaneth Gods people; They perish (saith the Psalmist,) at the rebuke of thy countenance. 7. We are to look, not so much to instruments of the Churches desolation, as to the peoples sinnes procuring it, and to Gods wrath causing it? They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
Ver. 17. Let thy band be upon the man of thy right hand: upon the Sonne of man, whom thou madest strong for thy self.
18. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, ana we will call upon thy Name.
19. Turn us again, O LORD God of hostes, cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
In the last place, they put up three requests. In the first, they insist upon that point of their prayer, v. …5. which concerneth the Branch of the Vineyard of Israel, the promised Messiah, Christ the Redeemer: and do make request over again, that the stock and lineage of David, whereof Christ was to come, might be kept to the fore, till he should assume humane nature and become the Sonne of man, according to the solid grounds which God had laid down to bring this promise to passe: For the substance of the prayer is this: Seeing thou hast made one branch of this Vine, which thou broughtest out of Egypt, strong for thy self, or for thy own purpose, namely, the man of thy right hand, the Sonne of man, the promised Messiah, God to be incarnate: Let thy hand or power be imployed for bringing this to passe, that he who is at thy right hand, thy equal, may be made man, the man of thy right hand, the Sonne of man: So will not we go back from thee; that is, by him we thy redeemed shall be preserved from apostasie and separation from thee. In the second request, they pray for the pouring forth of the Spirit upon his dead people, that having spiritual life communicated unto them, they may worship God in Spirit and truth: Quicken us, and we will call upon thy Name, say they. In the third request, they repeat the third time that prayed for repentance and reconciliation, to be manifested to his people.
From the first request, ver. 17. Learn, 1. The refuge, rest, consolation and confidence of a distressed Church or person is Christ: and toward him must the afflicted cast their eye for relief, as here the Church in her deepest desolation doth. 2. Christ is alwayes at the right hand of the Father, in regard of power and glory; and it is for him no robbery to be equal with God the Father, Phil. 2. 16. and his humane nature assumed doth not degrade him from the glory which he had with the Father before the world began, Iohn 17. 5. … is the man of Gods right hand, in a singular manner. 3. Christ and his Kingdom are established before God for ever, for bringing to passe the purpose and service of God in the Redemption of his elect; He is the man whom the Father hath made strong for himselfe: for his humane nature is united with his divine nature in one person; his incarnation was made sure by the eternal and immurable decree of the Covenant of Redemption, wherein the elect were given over to Christ, and grace was granted and given to them in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim. 1. 9. And as his incarnation was made … by decree, so also made sure by many times repeated Promises in the Law and Prophets, beginning at Gen. 3. 15. where it is promised, that the seed of the woman should tread down the head of the serpent; all along the Scripture unto, Malachi 3. …. where it is revealed, that Christs messenger, to wit, Iohn Baptist in the power of Elias should come before him: and straightway, after he himself should shew himself, as did come to passe; This is the Sonne of man (saith he,) whom thou hast made strong for thy self. 4. To bring this promise to effect and accomplishment, the Almighty power of God shall set on work: and never drew back from operation, till his purpose was brought to passe; for after the time that the man Abraham was designed, of whose seed he was to take flesh, the Scripture sheweth what care the Lord had of Isaac and Iacob, and the Patriarchs in Egypt: and about the bringing of their posterity out of it to Canaan, till Davids family is designed for his sto…k: and when the ten tribes were scattered abroad, he preserved Iudah to the foxe: and when that tribe also was thrust out into captivity, he brought it back again, and preserved Davids race, and the tribe of Iudah under civil Government till Christ came; and this the prayer here propounded did make request for: Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand. 5. Neither the Church, nor any member thereof needeth any more security for their stability and perpetuation, but Christ: for now when the Vineyard is burnt, and the visible Church defaced, the remnant are cotent to rest satisfied with this, which also they take for granted, and do subscribe unto it; Let thy hand he upon the man of thy right hand; upon the Sonne of man, whom thou hast made strong for thy self. 6. The consanguinity of Christ with the beleever, and his humiliation in his humane nature, are strong supporters of the faith and comfort of his people that do seek salvation through him; therefore do the faithful here fixe themselves on this, that as he is Gods Sonne, so he is a branch of their Vineyard also; that as he is at the right hand of the Father as God, so he is the man of his right hand also: the Son of man, or of Adam, partaker of flesh and blood with us, of the same stock that we are of, in all things like to us, except sin: for the Son of man is the stile, whereby Christ stiled himself in his humiliation. 7. The perpetuity of the Church, and the perseverance of the Saints, is founded upon the sufficiency of Christ: and the unseigned beleever may assure himself, as of the continuance of the Church, so of his own perseverance and constant communion with God through him: Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, &c. so will not we go back from thee.
From the second request, v. 18. Learn, … As there is a death of alienation from the life of God in the unregenerate, and a death of disability, discomfort and discouragement found in the regenerate in Scripture: so there is a quickening which giveth spiritual life to those that a e…t dead in their sinnes and trespasses; and a quickening which giveth strength and comfort to the weak, disconsola…e and discouraged souls of Gods children: for the first sort of quickening every regenerate man should pray in behalf of all the elect in the visible Church, who are not as yet converted; and for quickening in other respects they should pray in behalf of themselves and other afflicted spirits of the godly, as here the beleevers do pray; Quicken us. 2. The honouring of God in spiritual worship should be the end of our petitions which we do make for any good to our selves; Quicken us, and we shall call upon thy Name. 3. Albeit the work of calling on Gods Name, and worshipping of God in Spirit and tr…h, be the work of the regenerate man; yet the spiritual life, and the motion or stirring up of the regenerate man unto this work, the enabling of the man unto it, and in it, and the cheering up of his heart to do it affectionately, is the work of the Lord: for these doth the P…lmist here distinguish; first, he sets down Gods part: Quicken thou us; and then o…r part: And we shall call upon thy Name.
From the third request, ver. 19. repeated now the third time; Learn, 1. In what respects soever the Church of the Jewish Nation may seem to be alienated from God, yet the…e is hope of their repentance and returning and reconciliation unto God; for there is a petition of the Lords enditing standing he e, thrice repeated in their favour to be granted in due time by God, to whom nothing is hard: and here in this third repetition of this prayer, the Name of God Jehovah, whereby he told Israel that he would be known to them to be the performer of promises, is added expressely; Turn us again, O Iehovah, God of hostes. 2, Albeit we our selves do breed the mist and clouds, which do hide from us the shining of Gods favour towards us, and we do build the partition walls, we do raise up mountains of transgressions, which separate between God and us; vet it is the Lord himself only, who of his own free grace, and by his own power doth dissolve these clouds, and remove these impediments out of his own way towards us; Turn us again, and cause thy face to shine. 3. So oft as we are burdened with the same pressure, and straitened with the same necessity, as oft we may and should have recourse to God for relief by prayer: for this staffe hath God put in faiths hand, to help the believer in every stop of his journey, till he come home to the Lord, and be past all perill; Turne … again, cause thy face to shine. 4. As the sight of our distance from God, and sense of his displeasure, and fear of perdition, do serve to be a spurre to our prayer: so desire of reconciliation, desire and purpose of repenting, and hope of salvation …o serve to encourage us to persevere in prayer, till we have what we ask perfected to us: Turn us again, cause thy face to shine, so shall we be saved.