A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 96
PSAL. XCVI.
WE fin'e, 1 Chron. 16. 23. a part of this Psalm, sung at the bringing up of the Ark to Sion, to be in substance and almost in words al…o one and the same with this which is here; for as there, so here the Prophet foreseeth in the Spirit the spreading of the Kingdome of Christ among the Nations; And therefore first, he exhorteth all people heartily to receive Christ, and propagate his glory, ver. 1, 2, 3. And giveth reasons for it, ver. 4. 5, 6. Then he repeateth and inlargeth the exhortation to glorifie God, and to rejoyce in him, because Christ was indeed to come among the Gentiles, to reign among them righteously, ver. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Ver. 1. O Sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD all the earth.
2. Sing unto the LORD, blesse his Name, shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3. Declare his glory among the heathen: his wonders among all people.
From the exhortation given to all Nations to rejoyce for Christs coming among them; Learne, 1. As sadnesse and sorrow, misery and mourning, is the condition of all people, till Christ the true Ark of the Covenant come unto them: so Christs coming among them, is the matter of the greatest joy that ever sinners did hear of: for upon this ground are all here exhorted to rejoyce; O sing unto the Lord. 2. As the matter of …oy in Christ is everlasting, and shall never decay: so the reason of praising of God for salvation in him, is everlasting also, new and fresh matter being alwayes offered of joy to us, and praise to God, which shall never vanish nor wax old; Sing unto the Lord a new Song. 3 All the earth hath interest in this Song, and is obliged unto the duty of joy and praise, because out of all people, tongues and languages, God is to gather a people to be saved: Sing unto the Lord all the earth. 4. We have …eed again and again to be stirred up to joy in Christ, to praise him: for we are dull, and the work excellent, and no man doth discharge the duty sufficiently: therefore is it said the third time, Sing unto the Lord. 5. The grace offered in Jesus Christ, is a perpetual reason of declaring the goodnesse of God, and that Christ is the fountaine of all blessednesse to them who do receive him: for, Blesse his Name, doth import so much. 6. The salvation which cometh through Christ, ought to be commended as Gods salvation indeed, because he devised it, he purchased it, and he it is that doth apply it to us, and maketh us partakers of it; Shew forth his salvation. 7. The doctrine of salvation by Christ, is the common good of mankinde, and ought not to be concealed, but set forth to all, preached, and proclaimed, and spoken of by all, according to their vocation and ability: Shew forth his salvation from day to day. 8. It is a part of the Commission given to the Ministers of the Gospel, not only to teach their Congregations concerning Christ, but also to have a care that they who never did heare of him, may know what he is, what he hath done and suffered, and what good may be had by his mediation: Declare his glory among the heathen. 9. Nothing so glorious to God, nothing so wonderful in it self, as is the salvation of man by Christ: to behold God saving his enemies, by the incarnation▪ sufferings and obedience of Christ the eternal Sonne of God; Declare his glory among the Heathen, his wonders among all people.
Ver. 4. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
The reasons of the exhortation are, because God is sovereign above all, ver. 4. and all other gods beside God are idols, ver. 5. and whatsoever is glorious is to be found in him only, ver. 6. Whence learn, 1. None can praise God till they consider his excellencie, and that his wisdom, power and empire is above all created or imaginable greatnesse; for The Lord is great and greatly to be praised. 2. As the Lord is praise-worthy for his goodnesse and readinesse to communicate of his riches to all his creatures, and most of all to his servants: so is he able to punish his adversaries, and all that contemn his Authority, which no creature is able to do▪ He is to be feared above all gods. 3. Whosoever do not submit themselves to God, and worship and obey him, shall be found to serve idols and vanities, whereby they can have no good, but disappointment of hopes: for, All the gods of the Nations are idola. 4. The framing of heaven and earth, and the upholding and governing of all the creatures proveth, that the Maker thereof is God alone, and that there neither is nor can be any beside him; all others who have the name of gods are idols: All the gods of the heathen are …dols: but the lord made the Heavens. 5. Before a man can come to the knowledge of God, he must first meet with the shining beams of his honour and majestie in his Word and in his Works; for these are Apparators and Harbingers going before him; Honour and majesty are before him. 6. The power and glory of God is not rightly seen, either to Gods praise or a mans salvation, except by his own ordinances in his Church where he himself is both teacher, and the substance also of what is taught; Strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary.
Ver. 7. Give unto the LORD, (O ye kindreds of the people,) give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Here he repeateth and dilateth the exhortation in foure branches. In the first, he exhorteth to acknowledge, that glory and power belong to God, both in decreeing wisely, and in executing timously and powerfully his own decrees; in special, the work of Redemption and Conversion of the Gentiles by Christ. Whence learn, As it is the sinful sicknesse of natural men, to take to themselves, or to give unto the creatures the glory of every excellent work, which is properly due to God alone: so is it the part of a renewed soul, to give the glory of every thing which is praise-worthy unto God alone; which glory God expecteth, and shall have it of the Gentiles being reconciled and instructed by the Gospel: Give unto the Lord, O …e kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Ver. 8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his Name, bring an offering, and come into hi… courts.
In the second branch, he exhorteth all to acknowledge the Lord, as they who are worshippers of him, and who are taught by his Word, should do. Whence learn, 1. It was foretold, that as the Church of Israel was taught by the Lords Word to know him: so should the Gentiles be so taught also; for, Give unto the Lord the glory due to his Name, presupposeth and importeth, that they should have his Name set forth in his Word, and …hould be instructed to know him, and how to worship him acceptably. 2. Whatsoever point of glory the Scripture giveth unto God, it may not be withdrawn from him, nor communicated to any other be…de him; for it is his own proper due: Give unto him the glory due to his Name. 3. It is the manner of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, to expresse the spiritual service of the Gospel in the termes of the service of the Law: Bring an offering, and come into his courts. 4. Albeit bodily sacrifices and oblations, and the material Temple of Ierusalem be taken away: yet the moral duties shadowed forth in them, are still necessary to be done: we must not come for fashion, empty and vaine before God, but with the calves of our lips, offering up our selves in a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him: Bring an offering unto hm. 5. The Church of the Gentiles make up one Church with the Jewes, and are of the same incorporation and holy society, and partakers of the priviledges of the Church with them: Bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Ver. 9. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holinesse: feare before him all the earth.
In the third branch, he exhorteth more particularly all the Gentiles to worship and feare the same God with the Church of the Jewes. Whence learn, 1. True Converts must submit themselves absolutely unto Christs Government, in soul and body; for, O worship the Lord, importeth so much. 2. Then is a mans worship and submission sanctified, and made acceptable when it is offered in and through Christ, and in society with his Church represented by the Sanctuary, here called the beauty of holinesse; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse. 3. Among all Gods works nothing so beautiful as his ordinances, rightly made use of in his Church: Worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse. 4. All our worship must be seasoned with fear, lest we swerve on either hand from the rule prescribed by God: Fear before him all the earth,
Ver. 10. Say among the heathen that the LORD reig…th: the world also shall be established, that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11. Let the heavens rejoyce: and let the earth be glad: let the sea roare and the fulnesse thereof.
12. Let the field be joyfull, and all that is therein: then shall all the tre…s of the wood rejoyce.
13. Before the LORD, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteous…esse, and the people with his truth.
In the fourth place, he exhorteth the Lords Ministers, his called messengers every where to proclaime Christ King in his own Church, and to declare the benefits of his reigning; in special these three. 1. The putting of all things which are in disorder and confusion in the world by sin, into their own order again; and setling all things to the perpetual benefit of his subjects. 2. Christs righteous governing and de…ending of his subjects. 3. The unexpressible joy which Christ doth bring to his people, for setting forth whereof, all the reasonable and understanding creatures are unable. Whence learn, 1. Wheresoever the Gospel is preached, there without injurie to Magistrates Christ may and should be declared King, sovereigne Lord and Law-giver in all the matters of Religion, and whatsoever concerneth the salvation of men and service of God: Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth 2. Before Christ come to a people, men neither know God, nor themselves, nor what is their profit, nor what is their losse: for before Christ reveale himself to a man, things earthly and temporall are put in the room of things heavenly and everlasting: the creatures and lusts of men are put in the room of God, and the sinner is made a slave to his own lusts and unclean spirits; but when Christ cometh, who is the light of the world, and the life of men, and convin…eth men of sin and righteousnesse and judgement, then is the sinner humb…ed, and God exalted, and every thing is put in its own place, and a solid state of grace and glory is …ounded by his Word and working, and is setled by his decree for the benefit of the world of his Elect and Regenerate people: for by Christs governing the world also shall be established. 3. The Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom which cannot be moved, and they who are his Subjects, do receive this Kingdom in title and right, and begun possession, which cannot be taken from them again; The world also shall be established that it cannot be moved. 4. The government of Christs Kingdom is so well and wisely carried by him, as right is done to God and man, to friends and foes, and no injury to any party is allowed; and course is taken to give effectually to every man according as his work shall be: He shall judge the people righteously. 5. There is no true rejoycing for sinners in heaven or earth, except in and through Jesus Christ alone: all joy of sinners without him is madnesse, and in him men have cause of rejoycing whatsoever condition they shall be in: Let the heaven rejoyce, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roare, and the fulnesse thereof 6. The joy which Christ bringeth to his people is such, that men and Angels are not able to expresse it; and if all the dumb creatures had mindes and mouthes to set it forth, it were a taske and more for them to undertake it: Let the heavens rejoyce, and the earth be glad; let the sea roare, and the fulnesse thereof, &c. 7. As all the creatures are in a sort of bondage and subjection unto vanity through the sins of men; so have they their own redemption & freedom from vanity in relation to Christ, and the service which they do unto the Saints, who make right use of them; and at length the creature shall be fully delivered from the bondage of corruption, and in its owne kinde have cause of rejoycing: Let the heaven, earth, sea and fields rejoyce, &c. 8. All the creatures are at enmity with man, before he be reconciled to God in Christ; but when peace is made by Jesus Christ, they look upon man all of them with another countenance, as servants unto and children of their Lord, who is Father of the reconciled, and governour of all for their good: Let the fields be joyful, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce. They shall look upon a reconciled man walking in the light of Gods countenance as a Paradise. 9. The first and second coming of Christ to shew himself King of his Church, is ground and cause of all joy to his Subjects; Let them and all the creatures rejoyce before the Lord, for he cometh, for this for he cometh (twice said) to judge the earth, is given for a reason of the exhortation. 10. By Christs government, every poor and needy Subject is helped, supplied, comforted and provided for, as their case requireth: all the Subjects are justified by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ, all of them are renewed and begun to be sanctified, and made to aime at righteousnesse more and more in their wayes; all the proud and adversaries of his Subjects are declared against; course is laid down in the Word of truth for a full deliverie of his people from all injuries and oppression, from all miserie and sin, with the full punishment of their enemies: He shall judge the world with righteousnesse, and the people with his truth.