A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 84
PSAL. LXXXIV. To the chief Musician upon Gittith. A Psalme for the sonnes of Korah.
THis Psalme is of the same subject with Psalm 42. and Psalm 63. Wherein the Psalmist lamenteth his banishment from the Temple and the publick Ordinances of Religion, to ver. 8. and then prayeth for his restoring to that priviledge in the rest of the Psalme. This Psalme agreeth well with the time of Davids parting with the Ark, when he fled from Absalom.
In his lamentation; First, he commendeth the place of publick worship, ver. 1. Then sheweth his longing after it, ver. 2. Thirdly, he wisheth to be as a sparrow, in the meanest condition partaker of that priviledge, ver. 3. Fourthly, he proclaimeth the blessednesse of all the Lords Ministers, who may alwayes be there, ver. 4. Fifthly, he calleth them blessed who have liberty to come on foot from any part of the country, to keep at least the solemn feasts, ver. 5, 6, 7. In his prayer he requests in generall terms, to be restored to the Lords worship, ver. 8, 9 for two reasons; one is, because he preferreth the meanest officers condition in Gods house to the most quiet dwelling among the wicked, ver. 10, Another reason, because felicity is to be found in God, by the means of his Ordinances, ver. 11. and mean time while his p…ayer should be granted, he resteth by faith on God, in whom believers are made blessed whereever they be.
Ver. 1. HOW amiable are thy tabernables, O LORD of hostes!
The Psalmist being now in exile, casteth his eyes upon his own countrey, wherein throughout all the land the Lord was worshipped in their several Synagogues, but most solemnly in Sion, the place where the Ark and the Tabernacle were; and putting a difference between the holy Ordinances of Gods worship, and the multitude of profane mixed among the godly, who did joyn in the worship, he beholdeth the glorious beauty of the holy service, and places where the occasion thereof was offered, and so breaketh out in commendation and admiration of the lovelinesse thereof. Whence learn, 1. As God is glorious in all his hosts, which all are very ready as souldiers to fight for him at his com…d: so is he most glorious in the campe of the visible Church …ilitant: for here his authori… justice, mercy, grace, wisdom, and power is most of all manifested, for the overthrowing of the kingdom of sin and Satan; therefore saith he, How …iable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hostes?
…. This beauty of the Lords Churches and places of his residence, as it is not discerned by the blind world, but only by such as are illuminated with heavenly light: so is it highly prized, loved and admired by them only: for it is the sweet singer of Israel, who saith, How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts? 3. Albeit the world will not believe what here is said, nor take this praising of the lovelines of Gods publick worship from the hand of the godly, yet the Lord will receive this testimony unto the beauty of his Ordinances from such as do present it before him; therefore doth the Psalmist most confidently direct his speech to God himselfe here; How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord?
Ver. 2. My soule longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
In the next place, he professeth his longing after liberty to enjoy the priviledges of the publick Ordinances, albeit he was to have it no wayes, but in the societe of such people, as were then in the visible Church, of whose wickednesse he had sufficient experience, they being now in armes against him, following Absalom. Whence learne, 1. The beauty and lovelinesse of Gods publick Ordinances, is best discerned, and love and longing after th… most stirred up, when a man is deprived of them for a time, …y soule longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. 2. Bodily affliction sharpeneth the sense of spiritual wants, and the sense of wan… of spiritual meanes of comfort augmenteth bodily affliction: My soul fainteth, my heart and my flesh cryeth out. 3. It is not the publick Ordinances alone, to be enjoyed in an outward formality, which Saints do seek after, but it is to finde God in, and by the meanes; it is to finde the Lords lively operation on their hearts, which they long after; My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Ver. 3. Yea the sparrow hath found an house, … the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay … young; even thine Altars, O LORD of hostes, my King and my God.
In the third place, he wisheth to be partaker of the publick worship, were it in never so mean and despicable a condition; so he may enjoy Gods presence in his ordinances, he is content to creep into any corner of Gods house, and go out and seek his meat, and return like a sparrow or swallow. Whence learn, 1. A soul which loveth communion with God indeed, will choose any temporal condition of life, how poor soever, how despised soever, rather then be deprived of what may make better for his spiritual condition, as appeareth in the Psalmist, who wished to have the place of a Sparrow, or of a Swallow; any residence near Gods Altar. 2. The soul which craveth lively communion with God, should cleave close unto the title and interest which he h…th in God by Covenant; as the Psalmist doth here: Thine Altar (saith he) my King and my God.
Ver. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee. Selah.
In the fourth place, he proclaimeth the Priests and Levites, the Lords Ministers to be blessed men, for their priviledge and opportunity to serve the Lord. Whence learn, 1. Albeit, many who have the means and opportunity of profiting by publike ordinances, do not consider the day of their visitation, to make use of the means while they have them: yet the godly who are deprived of the means and do behold the faire occasions of grace offered by them, do count them blessed, as here: Blessed are they … dwell in thy house. 2. It is a blessed thing indeed to have the occasion of communion with God in publick ordinances, and to make use thereof in setting forth the Lords glory; and in this respect there are no men in the world more blessed then faithful Ministers; Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee.
Ver. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the wayes of them.
6. Who passing through the valley of Baca, make … Well: the raine also filleth the pooles.
7. They go from strength to strength: every one, of them in Sion appeareth before God.
In the fifth place, he looketh upon their condition who dwell farre o… from the Tabernacle, who might at least thrice a year come front the farthest corner of the land, to keep the solemnities appointed of God; and he counteth them blessed, albeit in their voyage they should endure never so much toile in travelling, and should with difficulty drink their water, either rained down from the clouds, or drawn from a well or cistern digged with much labour: for albeit they should sustain toile and drought in their way, yet having refreshments one after another, and renewed strength for their journey, they should all come at last to the place of publick ordinances in Sion; and here he describeth the true and blessed Israelites, whether Proselytes or borne Jewes, resolved to come and appear before the Lord in the appointed solemnities, by these six properties: First, they encourage themselves for the journey, by hope in God to be furnished with strength: Blessed is the man, (saith he) whose strength is in thee. Next, they are resolved in their heart for all the inconveniences they may meet with in the journey, to hold on their course; In whose heart are the wayes of them. Thirdly, they do hold on their course through dry and comfortlesse places, which may be called places of Ba…a, or weeping; They passe through the valley of Baca. Fourthly, they overcome this difficulty of wanting water, either by digging a Well, where they may finde water, or by finding some already digged cistern, wherein Gods providence had reserved some quantity of rain-water for them▪ Who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a Well: the raine also filleth the pooles. Fifthly, after refreshment found in their journey they are encouraged to go on their way, till they need and finde some new refreshment, and reparation of their strength; They go from strength to strength Sixthly, these godly travellers all come at length to the place they aimed at, to Sion, where they appear before God in the holy Feast, chearful and joyful souls; Every one of them in Sion appeareth before God. And therefore doth he call them blessed, because at length they come through all difficulties to have sweet communion with God.
These two degrees of blessed Israelites, are so painted … figurative termes, as they may most easily lead the spiritual … …o the blessednesse which the figure is fit to represent, so that the typical words cannot well be understood, except the spiritual blessedness be taken along: for there are two degrees of really blessed persons; some are at home already dwelling with God, of whom it may be most solidly said: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee, which is their perpetual exercise. Others are travellers, who are in their way toward heaven, the Lords house; who indeed despair of their own strength to make out their journey, but their confidence is in Gods strength, and their encouragement to set forward is this, that of them it may be well said, Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: such mens journey doth take up their heart, the stream of their affections run… thitherward; I… whose heart are the wayes of them. Those travellers have a wildernesse to go through, a comfortlesse valley wherein they do fi…e matter of mourning, and no solid consolation, save that which God doth provide, beyond the nature of the place, which God one way or other doth furnish unto them, that they shall not fail to have a timous consolation: Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a Well: the raine also filleth the pooles. So that albeit God suffer them to thirst, yet he suffereth them not to want a sufficient measure for bringing them on their ways a strengthening them to go torward: if they misse a Well, they shall have a Cistern filled with rain from heaven; the measure furnished unto them, reneweth their strength after wearinesse, and sufficeth them till they need, and meet with another renovation of their strength; They go from strength to strength. Not one of those resolute travellers, or self-denying persons, relying on Gods strength and furniture do perish by the way, all are upheld, and brought forward, till they come where they would be, to enjoy Gods presence in Sion which is above; Every one of them, without exception, in Sion appeareth before God.
Ver. 8. O Lord God of hostes, hear my prayer: give …are, O God of Iacob. Selah.
9. Behold, O God, our shield: and look upon the face of thine anointed.
In the latter part of the Psalme is his prayer, wherein he maketh request for communion with God, both in the … type, and in the spiritual truth. Whence learn, 1. The godly mans holy wishes and desires do not vanish and die, but are recommended to God in prayer. What the Psalmist longed for in the former part of the Psalm, in the latter part he prayeth for. 2. The earnest supplicant hath no will to be refused, but fasteneth his hope to speed on Gods power and Covenant, and doubleth his petitions in the Lords bosome; O Lord of hostes, hear my prayer: give eare, O God of Iacob. 3. Albeit the beleever be separate in place from the communion of Saints in publike worship, yet he will finde a conjunction with them in affection and prayer at the throne of Gods grace, and claim the same interest with them in God for protection and comfort; Behold, O God, (saith he) our shield. 4. How little appearance soever of possession, or performance of promises the beleever hath, yet must he claim his right and titles, which shall bring him to possession; Look upon the face of thine anointed. He counteth himself King in regard of his right to the Crown, because God had caused Samuel to anoint him to be King. 5 He who hath right to a principal mercy, may pray and look for every accessory mercy, which is presupposed in the principal, or annexed unto it; as here upon the promise of the Kingdom, David prayeth for the liberty of the Temple, which behooved to follow upon his repossession in the Kingdom, and here also he looks through his own anointing unto the Messiah Christ, of whom he knew himself to be a type: and for the Messiah Christ, he seeketh to have his petition granted, through whom alone every good thing is purchased, and must be conveyed unto us: Look (saith he) upon the face of thine anointed.
Ver. 10. For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse.
This is the first reason, why he desireth to have the priviledges of the publick ordinances restored unto him. Whence learn, 1. Whatsoever may be a means to bring us to the …ition of God, is incomparably better then any earthly thing; and one hour… spent in the means of eternal felicity, is worth a thousand spent … …. The lowest and most painful condition of life, joyned … any measure of communion with God, is better then the … quiet, easie, and plentiful condition of life▪ without commu… on with God; To be a door-keeper in the house of the Lord, better then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse. 3. The god man whose judgement is rectified about things spiritual, is … only right estimator of estates and conditions of life in th… world, for that is best to him (if he may choose) wherein he may be most serviceable to God, and best helped to heaven. He for his part had rather have the meanest condition of life, joyned with the benefit of the publick ordinances, then live without them more plentifully among the wicked; I had rather (saith the Psalmist) be a door-keeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse.
11. For the LORD God is a sunne and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly.
The second reason why he so loveth the publike ordinances is, because by this means he getteth accesse to the fountain of all felicity, who doth ward off all evil from the upright beleever, and giveth unto him whatsoever is good for his soule or body i… this life and in the life to come. Whence learn, 1. The g… have need of light and direction, life, vigour, strength and con… folation; and all this is in God, or what more can be imported in the similitude taken from the Sunne, in relation to earthly creatures; For the Lord God is a Sunne. 2. The godly are subject to dangers and perils from without, especially from enemies bodily and spiritual, and have need of preservation and defence from all adversarie power, malice and craftinesse: and this protection only God is able to give: The Lord is a Sunne and … shield. 3. The beleever is burdened with the body of sin, and born down frequently with the sense of his own unworthinesse, witlesseness and weakness, and in God is the perfect remedy of all those evils; The Lord will give grace. 4. Albeit the beauty of godliness be much obscured in this life, with crosses and afflictions from God, with calumnies and persecutions from men, and the godly must lie in grave, and suffer corruption of the… …, as others; yet the remedy of this also shall be, found God to the beleever; He will give grace and glory: grace in … life, and glory after it without fail. 5. Albeit the Lord …n to keep the godly in great scarcity sometimes of things com…table in this life, and of spiritual consolations also for a time, …et doth he so dispose of their entertainment in all respects, as every thing shall work together for their good; For no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Ver. 12. O LORD of hostes: blessed is the man that trusteth in thee
When the Psalmist hath lamented his exile from the publick ordinances, and prayed to be restored to that priviledge; he comforteth himself in the mean time, by the consideration of Gods grace and power to supply all wants, even that of publick ordi…nces, when it cannot without hazard of life be had by the beleever. Whence larn, 1. How hard soever the Lords dispensation be to his own children, yet must we ever continue to trust in God, as the Psalmists example here doth teach. 2. God can supply the want of the publike ordinances, and be a little Sanctuary to his children, and make them quiet; yea, and blessed in beleeving in him: O Lord of hostes, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee: for in the beginning of the Psalm his heart …eth for the longing after the publike ordinances; he count… the Ministers of Gods house blessed, he counteth every man who may be in any corner of Gods house happy; he counteth the travelling Israelite coming to the ordinances blessed; and at length pronounceth every beleever blessed, and so himself to be blessed also.