Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 110
PSALM CX.
Verſ. 1. THe Lord ſaid unto my Lord, &c.] Though this might be taken as ſpoken by the people of Iſrael concerning David, who was indeed a glorious type of Chriſt, and did by the mighty help of God ſubdue all his enemies round about him, ſee the Note Pſal. 89.27; yet I rather take it to be only a propheſy concerning Chriſt: and that 1. becauſe there are ſome paſſages in this Pſalm, which cannot with any ſhew of probability be applyed to David, as that verſ. 4. for how can it be ſaid that David was a prieſt, much leſſe a prieſt for ever? or that there was a prieſthood after another order, the order of Melchizedek, erected by God at that time, when the prieſthood after the order of Aaron was ſtill ſettled in the Church? 2. Becauſe our Saviour himſelf alledged this very Text to the Phariſees, Matth. 22.43, as a paſſage commonly acknowledged to be meant concerning the promiſed Meſſiah, and that to prove that he was to be more then mere man: for when the Phariſees had acknowledged, that Chriſt when he came was to be the ſon of David, our Saviour objected this very place to them, How then, ſaith he, doth David in ſpirit, (that is, by the ſpirit of propheſy) call him Lord, ſaying, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thy enemies thy footſtool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his ſon? and the Evangeliſt adds there immediately verſ. 46. that no man was able to anſwer him a word; which was a clear proof, that in thoſe times this was generally acknowledged to be a propheſy concerning Chriſt, or elſe the Phariſees would ſoon have objected that. 3. Becauſe the Apoſtle Heb. 1.13. doth in effect ſay, that no angel, and therefore much more no mere man, could be capable of that honour which is promiſed in theſe words; To which of the angels ſaid he at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, untill I make thine enemies thy footſtool? and 4. Becauſe the Apoſtle Peter doth expreſly ſay Act. 2.34, 35, that it is not the people that ſpeak here of David their Lord, but that it is David himſelf that ſpeaks theſe words, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord; and that thoſe words, Sit thou on my right hand, &c. could not be meant of David, becauſe David was not taken up into heaven as Chriſt was, For David, ſaith he, is not aſcended into the heavens; but he ſaith himſelf, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, untill I make thy foes thy footſtool. Theſe words therefore, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, &c. are doubtleſſe a propheſy concerning the kingdome of Chriſt: for the fuller underſtanding whereof we muſt know, 1. that David calls Chriſt here his Lord, both as he was God, and as he was his King and Redeemer; 2. that by the Lords ſaying that which is here mentioned to Chriſt, Davids Lord, is meant, that God the Father had from all eternity decreed this concerning Chriſt his Son, and did in time make known this his decree and promiſe, both to Chriſt and to his Church; 3. that by Chriſts ſitting at the right hand of God the Father is meant, the advancement of Chriſt, as he was both God and man in one perſon, to the ſupremeſt place of power and authority, of honour and heavenly glory, under God the Father: for this word ſitting implyes reigning with continuance, after he had finiſhed the work of mans redemption, even as a prince that ſits in his throne of glory; and Gods right hand notes the next place of power and glory under God, or, as ſome expreſſe it, a place of equall power and authority with God, even that he ſhould be advanced far above all principality and power and might and dominion, Eph. 1.21. and ſhould from the higheſt place of heavenly glory, as Mediatour, and his Fathers Deputy, reign over the whole world, which is therefore called the right hand of the majeſty, Heb. 1.3. and the right hand of the power of God, Luk. 22.69: and 4. that in thoſe words, untill I make thine enemies thy footſtool, though the act of ſubduing Chriſts enemies be aſcribed to God the Father, yet we cannot thence inferre that Chriſt doth not himſelf ſubdue his enemies; for what things ſoever he, that is, the Father doeth, theſe alſo doeth the Son likewiſe; only acts of power are uſually aſcribed to God the Father, not only becauſe Chriſt, as the Mediatour, is aſſiſted by the Father in all that he doeth, but alſo becauſe whatſoever the Son doeth, he doeth it by that power which he hath from the Father by his eternall generation. And as for this word untill, though it doth not alwaies imply a certain prefixed time, unto which that which is affirmed ſhall be, and no longer, as Gen. 28.15. and Pſal. 112.8. may ſeem rather to imply a certain determinate time: for though there is no queſtion, but that Chriſt ſhall reign with God the Father unto all eternity, ſee the Note Pſal. 45.6; yet becauſe it is as certain, that when death, the laſt enemy of Chriſt, is once wholly ſubdued, he ſhall no longer reign as he doth now, to wit, as a Mediatour, and as his Fathers Deputy, gathering and defending his Church againſt her enemies, and interceding with his Father in her behalf as formerly; but as one true God, of the ſame eſſence with the Father, he ſhall reign without any externall means or inſtruments, without word or Sacraments, without enemies or hindrances, &c. therefore here, I ſay, this word untill may imply, that Chriſts kingdome as Mediatour ſhould continue till all his enemies were ſubdued, and that then he ſhould voluntarily reſign it into the hands of the Father, which is that the Apoſtle ſaith 1 Cor. 15.24, 28.
Verſ. 2. The Lord shall ſend the rod of thy ſtrength out of Zion, &c.] That is, thy mighty and powerfull kingdome, (the ſcepter, the ſign, being put for the thing ſignified;) or, thy ſtrong ſcepter, the ſcepter whereby thou doſt ſhew forth thy power; that is, the preaching of the Goſpel, accompanied with the mighty working of the ſpirit of Chriſt, for this is the ſcepter whereby Chriſt doth mightily ſubdue and govern his people: and therefore is the Goſpel called the word of the kingdome, Matth. 13.19. and the power of God unto ſalvation to every one that believeth, Rom. 1.16. And accordingly the ſumme of that which is here ſaid is, that though the Goſpel ſhould be firſt publiſhed, and the ſpirit ſhould be firſt poured forth upon the Apoſtles in Jeruſalem, Act. 2.4. yet from thence it was to be ſpread abroad all the world over; and ſo, though the foundations of his kingdome ſhould be laid in Zion, yet it ſhould be extended afterwards unto the fartheſt parts of the earth: ſee the Notes Pſal. 2.6, 8. As for the following clauſe, rule thou in the midſt of thine enemies, the meaning is, that Chriſt ſhould rule as King, even where the power of his enemies was greateſt, and maugre all their malice and rage againſt him; and that not only by ſubduing and deſtroying his enemies at his pleaſure, but alſo by gathering a people to himſelf, and governing them by his word and ſpirit: which is more clearly expreſſed in the following verſes.
Verſ. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, &c.] That is, when thou ſhalt goe forth as a mighty king to conquer and ſubdue the world, and ſhalt make thy Goſpel to work mightily upon the conſciences of thoſe that hear it, then ſhall thine elect people with all readineſſe and willingneſſe ſubmit to thee, follow and obey thee. As for the following words, in the beauties of holineſſe from the womb of the morning; thou hast the dew of thy youth (which is acknowledged by all Expoſitours to be one of the hardeſt paſſages in all the Pſalms) for the underſtanding thereof we muſt know, Firſt, that by the beauties of holineſſe may be meant, 1. Gods holy Temple, or (in alluſion thereto) the holy aſſemblies of Gods people, for which ſee the Notes 1 Chron. 16.29. Pſal. 27.4. and 29.2; and then the meaning is this, that in the day of Chriſts power his people ſhould willingly gather themſelves together, to worſhip him in his Temple, or in the place of the holy aſſemblies: or 2. the amiableneſſe that is in the holy wayes of Chriſtianity; and then this may be added, as the cauſe of the peoples coming in ſo willingly to the ſervice of Chriſt: or 3. which I like the beſt, that glorious holineſſe wherewith all true Chriſtians are adorned; and then this clauſe is added to ſet forth the glory of that people, that ſhould ſo willingly come in and ſubmit themſelves to Chriſt, namely, that they ſhould come in to him in the beauties of holineſſe, that is, adorned with all the holy graces of Gods ſpirit; as ſouldiers, that for the honour of their Generall, do goe forth to ſerve him in their braveſt attire, or as the Prieſts in the Law did wait upon God in their holy garments, beautifull and glorious; the holineſſe of the Church being that which indeed makes her beautifull as Tirzah, and comely as Ieruſalem, Cant. 6.4. Secondly, thoſe words from the womb of the morning, may be read, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, more then the womb of the morning; and then they muſt needs be referred to the foregoing words, as making known that the beauties of holineſse, wherewith the people of Chriſt ſhould be adorned, ſhould be more then are the beauties of the morning, where it firſt breaks forth. But now if we read this clauſe, as it is in our Bibles, from the womb of the morning, then may theſe words be referred either to the foregoing words, in the beauties of holineſſe; and ſo that which is hereby intended is this, that from the firſt ſhining forth of Chriſt upon his people in the preaching of the Goſpel, (and Chriſt is indeed called the bright morning ſtar, Revel. 22.16. and the day-ſpring from on high, Luk. 2.78.) or, from the firſt forming of Chriſt in their hearts, they ſhould with much willingneſſe preſent themſelves before Chriſt in his ſervice, being adorned gloriouſly with the graces of his ſpirit, as with clothing of wrought gold and raiment of needle-work: or elſe it may rather be referred to the following words, from the womb of the morning; thou haſt the dew of thy youth; (for many learned men conceive that the Colon, or middle point that is in our Bibles betwixt theſe two clauſes, is only a diſtinction for convenient reading, not a disjunction of the ſenſe;) and then the meaning of the words is clearly this, that look as the dew is born out of the womb of the cool morning-aire, & ſo diſtilleth down inſenſibly with innumerable drops upon the earth, (and indeed the like figurative expreſſions we find elſewhere, as Job 38.28, 29. Hath the rain a father? or, who hath begotten the drops of the dew? out of whoſe womb came the ice? & the hoary froſt of heaven, who hath gendered it?) ſo from the firſt breaking forth of the ſun of righteouſneſſe in the morning-light of the Goſpel, an heavenly offſpring ſhall be ſuddenly born unto Chriſt, begotten by the word and ſpirit, in innumerable multitudes, as are the cryſtall drops of the dew which in a morning cover the earth. They are the children that are begotten unto Chriſt that are here called his youth, becauſe they are made new creatures, and are as new-born babes, 1 Pet. 2.2: and they are compared to the dew, thou haſt the dew of thy youth, that is, thy young and new-born people are as the dew, becauſe there ſhould be an innumerable company of them, and becauſe they ſhould be ſuddenly brought forth, by a heavenly calling, upon the firſt preaching of the Goſpel, as the dew that diſtils down from heaven upon earth. And indeed this explication is very ſutable to other places of Scripture where the like expreſſions are uſed: as Iſa. 54.1, and 66.8, 9; but eſpecially that Mich. 5.7. And the remnant of Iacob shall be in the midſt of many people, as a dew from the Lord, as the showres upon the graſſe, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the ſons of men.
Verſ. 4. The Lord hath ſworn, and will not repent, Thou art a prieſt for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.] The chief thing intended in theſe words is, that whereas there ſhould certainly be an end of Aarons prieſthood, as if the Lord had repented of the honour he had conferred upon that family, it ſhould not be ſo with Chriſt; for his prieſthood ſhould be an eternall and unchangeable prieſthood. But ſee alſo the Notes Gen. 14.18.
Verſ. 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall ſtrike through kings in the day of his wrath.] Here the Pſalmiſt ſets forth the victories of Chriſt, as in reference to that which was ſaid before verſ. 1. to wit, that God would make his enemies his footſtool. The Lord at thy right hand (ſee the Note Pſal. 16.8.) shall ſtrike through kings in the day of his wrath; that is, though he may forbear them a while, yet there will a day come, when his wrath will break forth againſt his mightieſt enemies, and he will utterly deſtroy them. And indeed, though ſome under this word kings include Chriſts ſpirituall enemies, as Satan, the Prince of this world, Joh. 16.11. and ſin, which reigneth as a king over carnall men, Rom. 6.12. and death, which is called the king of terrours, Job 18.14; yet it is chiefly meant of the mighty men of this world. The greateſt queſtion is, of whom and to whom thoſe words are ſpoken, The Lord at thy right hand, &c. And for this we muſt know, that they may be underſtood, 1. as ſpoken to God the Father concerning Chriſt; as if it had been ſaid, O God the Father of all power and majeſty, the Lord, thy Benjamin, the ſon at thy right hand, (as was ſaid of Chriſt verſ. 1.) shall ſtrike through kings, &c: or 2. as ſpoken to Chriſt concerning God the Father; O Chriſt, the Lord thy father ſhall ſtand by thee at thy right hand, to aid thee, and to deſtroy all thine enemies for thee: or 3. as ſpoken to the people of God concerning Chriſt; as if he had ſaid, Be not diſmayed, O ye ſervants of Chriſt; for as the Lord your Saviour ſits at the right hand of his Father in glory and majeſty, ſo he will alſo be at your right hand, to aſſiſt and proſper you, and to execute judgement on all your enemies.
Verſ. 6. He shall judge among the heathen, &c.] That is, He ſhall rule as king amongſt the heathen; or rather, he ſhall puniſh and deſtroy his enemies of all nations, not the Jews only, but the Gentiles alſo: which is clear by the following words, he shall fill the places with dead bodies, that is, with dead bodies lying unburied; which alſo may imply the multitude of the ſlain, in that they that were left alive ſhould not be able to bury their dead: he shall wound the heads over many countries; that is, he ſhall deſtroy the mightieſt of princes that oppoſe him.
Verſ. 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way, &c.] Some conceive that hereby the havock that Chriſt ſhould make amongſt his enemies is farther ſet forth; for they make the meaning of the words to be this, that Chriſt ſhould make ſuch a ſlaughter amongſt them, that as a conquerour he might drink the bloud of his enemies, which ſhould run down as a brook or ſtream, according to that expreſſion Numb. 23.24. Behold, the people shall riſe up as a great lion, and lift up himſelf as a young lion: he shall not lye down untill he eat of the prey, and drink the bloud of the ſlain: and hereby, they ſay, is ſignifyed Chriſts ſatiating, refreſhing and delighting himſelf in the deſtruction of his enemies. But there are two other expoſitions that are far more probable: and indeed of theſe it is hard to ſay which is the beſt. The firſt is, that hereby the Pſalmiſt ſets forth the alacrity, heat and fervency of Chriſt in purſuing his enemies: He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up the head; that is, being in the purſuit of his enemies, he ſhall no where ſtay to reſt and refreſh himſelf, but quenching his thirſt a little out of any brook that he meets with in the way, he ſhall preſently lift up his head again, and ſhall again follow his enemies cloſe at the heels. And this expoſition ſome learned Expoſitours do the rather approve, becauſe by the coherence of theſe words with the two foregoing verſes, it may ſeem, that the Pſalmiſt doth ſtill proſecute his propheſies concerning the victories of Chriſt. But then the ſecond is, that theſe words are meant, the firſt branch of his humiliation or paſſion, and the ſecond of his reſurrection and exaltation. For by thoſe words, He shall drink of the brook in the way, they ſay is meant, either 1. the poor and mean condition, wherein Chriſt lived as a pilgrim and ſtranger here in this world, like that of thoſe, that have no other drink, but the water that runs in brooks and rivers, to quench their thirſt, (wherein they ſay alſo that David, whilſt he lived obſcurely in deſolate places for fear of Saul, was a type of Chriſt;) and then by the lifting up of his head muſt be meant, the glory whereto afterwards Chriſt was exalted: or 2. the death and paſſion of Chriſt. As waters in the Scripture do uſually ſignify afflictions and ſorrows, ſee the Notes 2 Sam. 22.5. and Pſal. 42.7; ſo drinking of theſe waters may ſignify, either that a man is drowned and overwhelmed in theſe floods of afflictions, becauſe when a man is drowned, the water will run into his bowels, as we may ſee in that Pſal. 69.1, 2. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my ſoul, &c. for which ſee the Notes there; or elſe, a voluntary ſubmiſſion to the afflictions which a man undergoes, according to that of our Saviour, Joh. 18.11. the cup which my father giveth me, shall I not drink it? But now, as drinking of a cup may ſignify the undergoing of a certain portion of afflictions and miſeries; ſo on the other ſide, drinking of the brook may ſignify an undergoing of the higheſt degrees of all miſeries and ſorrows, becauſe a brook of waters may ſignify a confluence of all kind of miſeries. So that when it is ſaid here of Chriſt, He shall drink of the brook in the way, the meaning is, that all the miſeries due to men for ſin ſhould, as a torrent, come pouring in upon him. Having ſpoken ſo much in the foregoing verſes concerning the victories of Chriſt, under thoſe metaphoricall expreſſions of ſtriking through kings, of filling the places with dead bodies, &c. leſt we ſhould hence think that his kingdome ſhould be an outward worldly kingdome, the Pſalmiſt doth therefore adde this, concerning his ſuffering, and ſo entring into glory: He shall drink of the brook in the way; that is, as he paſſeth through this world, or, whilſt he is in the way of accompliſhing the will of God for the ſalvation of men, paſſing through this vail of tears, he ſhall drink of the troubled brook of many bitter ſufferings, he ſhall undergoe all the wrath that was due to man for ſin: therefore shall he lift up the head; that is, he ſhall riſe victoriouſly out of the grave, he ſhall triumphantly aſcend up into heaven, and ſhall there ſit down at the right hand of his Father. See alſo the Note for this phraſe of lifting up the head, Pſal. 3.3.