Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 125
PSALM CXXV.
Verſ. 1. THey that truſt in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, &c.] The meaning is, that as mount Zion ſtood faſt & could not be overturned, though the winds on every ſide ſhould blow with never ſuch violence upon it; ſo the Church ſhall never be overthrown, but in the midſt of all the changes & confuſions that are in the world, & all the perſecutions that are raiſed againſt her, ſhe ſhall ſtand faſt and continue for ever: and ſo ſhall it be with every faithfull member of the Church, in regard of their conſtant perſeverance in the right way unto eternall ſalvation. Only we muſt know, that becauſe mount Zion was a type of the Church, therefore the Pſalmiſt ſets forth the ſtability of the Church by the ſtedfaſt ſtanding of mount Zion, rather then of any other mountain.
Verſ. 3. For the rod of the wicked, &c.] That is, the perſecution & oppreſſion of wicked men, the rod whereby they ſcourge & beat Gods faithfull ſervants; or the rod & ſcepter, the tyrannicall government of wicked men: shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; that is, upon the Church, or upon their ſubſtance & inheritance: lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity; that is, ſay ſome, leſt they ſtretch forth their hands in praying to idols; or, (for it is not ſafe ſo to limit the words) leſt by the proſperity of ſuch wicked men they be tempted to partake with them in their ſins; or, leſt through deſpair or faint-heartedneſſe & fear of ſuffering, they yield to doe any thing that is evil, or take any unlawfull courſe to help themſelves. And indeed that phraſe of putting forth their hands unto iniquity ſeemes to imply, either ſome ſly, cloſe & ſecret ſtealing forth of mens hands, as it were, to do ſomething that is evil, thereby to avoid ſuffering; or ſome ſodain reaching forth their hands, being overborn by the violence of temptation, to ſome unlawfull way of ſecuring themſelves, even as men ready to fall or ſink in the water will ſodainly catch at any thing that is within their reach to ſave themſelves.
Verſ. 4. Doe good, O Lord, unto thoſe that be good, &c.] This may be underſtood more particularly (as in reference to what was ſaid in the foregoing verſe) of Gods ſending them ſuch ſeaſonable deliverance from the oppreſſion of wicked men, that they might not put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Verſ. 5. As for ſuch as turn aſide unto their crooked waies, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, &c.] That is, God ſhall cut them off & deſtroy them; yea & at the laſt judgement, ſeparating them from his elect people, he ſhall caſt them together with other reprobates into the pit of hell: for in this expreſſion, the Lord shall lead them forth, &c. there is doubtleſſe an alluſion to that uſuall cuſtome of leading forth malefactours in publick from the place of their impriſonment to the place of execution. But what is meant here by thoſe that turn aſside unto their crooked waies? & why is it ſaid that they ſhall be led forth with the workers of iniquity? I anſwer, that this may be probably expounded ſeverall waies: as 1. that thoſe cunning hypocrites, that profeſſe themſelves to be of the number of Gods people, & make a ſhew of religion, and yet the whilſt do ſecretly turn aſide into the crooked waies of any baſe ſinfull practiſes, ſhall be puniſhed no leſſe then thoſe that are openly profane, yea no leſſe then the heathen, that are profeſſedly workers of iniquity; or 2. that thoſe that forſake the waies of righteouſneſſe, & turn aſide into the crooked waies of wickedneſſe, ſhall be deſtroyed no leſſe then thoſe that have alwaies given up themſelves to work iniquity; or 3. (which I like the beſt, becauſe it beſt agreeth with that which went before verſ. 3, 4.) that thoſe that in times of perſecution, when the rod of the wicked is upon the lot of the righteous, ſhall for fear or hope of favour deny the faith, or take any other crooked ſinfull way, to ſecure or advance themſelves, ſhall be puniſhed as workers of iniquity; no pretence of the temptations by means whereof they were ſeduced, ſhall keep them from being numbred amongſt workers of iniquity, nor from being puniſhed as ſuch: for this expreſſion, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, is to the ſame effect with this, the Lord ſhall puniſh them as workers of iniquity; as if we ſhould ſay, They that ſecretly filch away other mens goods, the judge ſhall puniſh them with thieves. And as for that laſt clauſe, but peace shall be upon Iſrael, therein is this covertly implyed, that the deſtruction of ſuch hypocrites ſhall tend to the peace of the truly faithfull.