The Beautify of Magistracy, Part 1
VER. 1.
God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty, he judgeth among the Gods.
TO speak any thing in Commendation of the Book of Psalms, were to pour water into the Sea, or to set up a Light to the Sun; tis so fully done already by others, that I shall only refer you to*V. Piscators Preface in his Comment on the Psalms. And Mr. Roberts Key to the Bible, before the Psalms. them, and so pass on.
We read of divers Psalms in the Book of Psalms,Psalterium est quaedam Coelestis sphaera, stellis densa micantibus; est Paradisus animarum, poma… continens innumera, quibus mens humana suaviter saginata pinguescit. Cassiodorus. which bear the Title of Asaph; as Psal. 50, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83. The Question is, whether these Psalms were written By Asaph, or For Asaph, Duodecim sunt Psalmi qui Asaph inscribuntur; … Lap. 13. saith Weemse. Le Asaph i. e. Asaphi vel Asapho, nam Le inservit tum Genitivo, tum …since the Original will bear both. Some conceive that Asaph was the Author and Inditer of the Psalm, for Asaph was a Seer and a Prophet and made Psalms as well as David, as appears, 2 Chron. 29. 30. foreign, Psalmus ipsi Asapho, Sept. V…rsio Arabica. …ontan▪ Scultetus, Piscator.The Levites praised God with the words of David and Asaph the Seer; Yet the best and most Interpreters do conceive that this Psalm was made by David, and committed to Asaph as chief Singer, or to his Sons who were singers in Israel, (1 Chron. 25. 2.)Tis usual in Scripture to put the Head of a Family for the Family it self, as Aaron for his Sons, 1 Chron. 12. 27. Canticum ipsi Asaph, tradi…um ut decantaretur. Vatabl. to be sung for the use of the Church of God. Hence the Geneva Translation renders it, A Psalm committed to Asaph. That some of those twelve or thirteen Psalms which bear Asaph's Title, yet were Davids Psalms, appears by the stile of them,Who were the several Pen-men of the Psalms, you may see in the Exercitations of Weems, Exercit. 18. pag 166. and is almost confest on all hands: whether this eighty second Psalm be one of these, let the Reader judge. But since David. and Asaph were both holy Prophets of God and divinely inspired; and specially since our Saviour himself hath confirmed the Divine Authority of this Psalm,In re tam parvi momenti liberum sit cui que judicium. by referring us to it (Iohn 10 36.) 'tis needless to enquire which of them wrote it, since we are assured that it is Canonical Scripture.
This Psalm may fitly be called the Magistrates Psalm, or the Magistrates Directory; the matter of it is Didactical and Doctrinal, setting forth the Dignity, Duty, and Mortality of Magistrates and Judges; whom the Psalmist exhorts to a faithfull discharge of their places, by an impartial administration of Justice, in punishing the wicked, and defending the good; and this he backs with many weighty Arguments.
The first is drawn from the Presence of God: he is said in a more especial manner to be Present and President with these his Vice-gerents and Deputies. Verse 1.
2. From the Dignity of their place and calling: They represent the Person of God, they bear his Name, and are called his Sons, and therefore they ought more especially Patrizare, to resemble their Father in doing Justice and Judgement.
3. In respect of their Mortality; they must die as other men, and come to judgement, and give an account for all that they have done.
4. That his words might bave the greater weight he brings in God himself expostulating and reasoning the case with those unjust Judges, for their abuse of that Power which he had given them▪ Verse 2.
5. He exhorts them to a Right performance of their Duty, by an impartial dispensing of justice unto all. Verse 3, 4.
6. He aggravates their sin by their sottish ignorance and wilfull negligence. They were Lucifugae, haters of the light. Verse 5. They know not, neither will they understand, yea they walk on in darkness, albeit the very foundations of the earth be moved. q. d. though all things be in confusion and disorder, and the very Pillars of the State shake under them by reason of their Oppression and Tyranny, Bribery, and Partiality, yet they would not see it to amend it, but made their Lusts their Law to their own confusion.
7. He concludes with Prayer, and by an Apostrophe turns his speech to God, Verse 8. Arise O God, judge thou the earth, q. d. O Lord, I see tis in vain to expect justice from these unjust ones; Do thou therefore O thou just Judge of all the world, Arise, and take the matter into thine own hands, execute justice for those that are opprest; for all the Nations of the world are thy proper Possession.