Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 24
PSALM XXIV.
Verſ. 1. THe Earth is the Lords and the fulneſse thereof, &c.] By the fulneſſe thereof is meant all the creatures that are on the earth, but principally the nations that dwell therein; as is expreſſed in the following clauſe, the world and they that dwell therein. Now this is prefixed, that hereupon he might adde, (and that by way of admiring the goodneſſe of God to his Iſrael) that though the whole world and all the inhabitants thereof were the Lords, yet all the world was not his as Iſrael was; though the whole Univerſe was his, yet he had choſen Jeruſalem to be in a ſpeciall manner his dwelling-place, & his Church to be above others his peculiar people: The earth is the Lords, &c. but ſaith he verſ. 3. who shall aſcend into the hill of the Lord? &c. I know that ſome Expoſitours give another reaſon why this is here prefixed, namely, that from the Lords dominion over all the world, he might afterwards inferre how neceſſary it was that the Princes of the world, that dwelt in the Lords holy hill, ſhould receive and obey Chriſt his anointed; which they conceive is that which is intended in thoſe words verſ. 7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, &c. But the reaſon before given is much the clearer. However very obſervable it is, that the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 10.25, 26. proves by theſe words, that Chriſtians might without ſcruple buy and eat any meats that were ſold in the market, becauſe all was the Lords, and made for mans uſe, and ſo they as Gods children (eſpecially alſo if we adde the right they had to them through Chriſt) might lawfully take them from the hand of their father; Whatſoever is ſold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conſcience ſake: for the earth is the Lords and the fulneſſe thereof: and yet immediately verſ. 28. by the ſame words he urgeth them not to eat of any meat, concerning which notice was given them that it had been offered to idols, to wit, becauſe all the creatures being the Lords, they were to uſe them to his glory, and therefore might not eat them to the ſcandall of their brethren; or becauſe the whole world being the Lords, they need not fear they ſhould not have to eat, ſeeing out of his rich ſtore he was able to provide otherwiſe for them, But if any man ſay unto you, This is offered in ſacrifice unto idols, eat not for his ſake that shewed it, and for conſcience ſake: The earth is the Lords and the fulneſſe thereof.
Verſ. 2. For he hath founded it upon the ſeas, and eſtablished it upon the flouds.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, by the ſeas and by the flouds; as we uſe to ſay in that ſenſe that London ſtands upon the river of Thames. But rather it is ſaid that God hath founded it upon the ſeas, &c. becauſe whereas the naturall place of the earth is to be under the waters, God hath ordered it ſo, that it is above the ſeas and above the flouds, ſo that in outward appearance it ſeems as it were to ſtand upon the waters, and hereby it was made fit for the habitation of his creatures. See the Note Gen. 1.9.
Verſ. 3. Who shall aſcend into the hill of the Lord? and who shall ſtand in his holy place?] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Though all the inhabitants of the world be the Lords, yet to dwell in Gods holy hill, as members of his Church, his peculiar people, that's a priviledge which few to ſpeak of do enjoy, yea even amongſt thoſe that are his people in outward profeſſion. But for the more clear underſtanding of theſe words, ſee the Notes Pſal. 2.6. and 15.1.
Verſ. 4. He that hath clean hands, &c.] That is, He whoſe works are blameleſſe; and a pure heart, that is, a heart purified by faith from all ſinfull pollutions, all erroneous opinions and carnall affections, he that is carefull to approve his heart unto God▪ as well as to avoid ſin outwardly. As for the following clauſe, who hath not lift up his ſoul unto vanity, that is diverſly expounded: Some underſtand it of the man that hath not worſhipped idols, which are often tearmed vanities in the Scripture, ſee the Note 1 Kings 16.13. Others of him that doth not give his mind to vain and fooliſh ſinfull practiſes, or that doth not heed or truſt in the vain and fooliſh deſigns of the world, nor the allurements of Satans temptations; ſee the Notes Job 31.5. and Pſal. 4.2. But there are two Expoſitions which moſt follow. The one is, that by lifting up his ſoul unto vanity is meant vain and falſe ſwearing: for becauſe they that ſwear do engage their ſouls thereby, and as it were offer them up as a pledge unto God, 2 Cor. 1.23. I call God, ſaith the Apoſtle, as a record upon my ſoul; therefore the man that ſwears vainly and falſly may be ſaid to lift up his ſoul unto vanity: and ſo they make this to be much the ſame with that which follows, nor ſworn deceitfully. The other is, that by the man who hath not lift up his ſoul unto vanity, is meant the man that doth not ſet his heart upon vanity: becauſe men are wont with much eagerneſſe to look and gape after thoſe things which they earneſtly deſire, Pſal. 123.1, 2, therefore by a borrowed ſpeech, they that earneſtly look after and greedily deſire the vain things of this world, riches and honours and pleaſures, or that proſecute eagerly any vain or ſinfull deſire, they are ſaid to lift up their ſouls unto vanity. The ſame expreſſion is uſed in the Hebrew much to the ſame purpoſe, Deuter. 24.15. and Jer. 22.27.
Verſ. 5. He shall receive the bleſsing from the Lord, &c.] That is, He, and he alone, ſhall receive the bleſſing which the Lord hath promiſed his people, to wit, all bleſſings temporall, ſpirituall and eternall; for thus are all theſe comprehended under this word the bleſsing, 1 Pet. 3.9. knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a bleſsing: though indeed both here and there the bleſſing of eternall life may be principally intended, concerning which Chriſt ſhall ſay, Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you, &c. Matth. 25.34. And ſo in the following clauſe, and righteouſneſſe from the God of his ſalvation, it is this bleſſing promiſed that is there tearmed righteouſneſſe, to wit, either becauſe it ſhall be the reward of their righteouſneſſe, or becauſe God out of his righteouſneſſe or faithfulneſſe will beſtow it upon them; in both which regards the glory of heaven is accordingly called a crown of righteouſneſse 2 Tim. 4.8. See the Note Pſal. 5.8. Some, I know, underſtand this of the righteouſneſſe of God in Chriſt: but in regard he ſpeaks of rewarding the righteous, the firſt Expoſition muſt needs be intended.
Verſ. 6. This is the generation of them that ſeek him, &c.] By a generation of men in the Scripture is uſually meant ſome ſort or kind of men; as Matth. 12.39. An evil and adulterous generation ſeeketh after a ſign, and Luk. 16.8. The men of this world are in their generation wiſer then the children of light: and ſo it is taken here; This is the generation of them that ſeek him, that is, Theſe that I have before deſcribed, are that ſort or kind of men that do truly ſeek God, and are the true people of God. Yet withall I doubt not but that the title of the generation of them that ſeek him is here limited to theſe, purpoſely to ſhew how vainly thoſe Iſraelites boaſted of being the ſeed and generation of Abraham, and the peculiar people of God, who in the mean time lived not as became Gods people; and that though they went up amongſt others to worſhip God in his holy place, (for this is ſpoken in reference to that before verſ. 3. who shall aſcend into the hill of the Lord, &c.) yet they did not indeed ſeek God: and therefore in the ſecond clauſe, by turning his ſpeech to God (for ſo ſome read it, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, that ſeek thy face, O God of Iacob) he doth as it were call God to witneſſe that it was ſo; and ſo doth withall covertly imply, that however men might eſteem them Gods people, yet before Gods tribunal it would not be ſo. But if we read it as it is in our Text, the meaning is this, that ſeek thy face, O Iacob, that is, ſeek to joyn themſelves to the true Church and people of God, according to that of the prophet Iſa. 44.5. One shall ſay, I am the Lords; and another shall call himſelf by the name of Iacob, &c.
Verſ. 7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlaſting doors, and the king of glory shall come in.] In theſe words firſt David expreſſeth his earneſt deſire that the Temple might be built, and the Ark ſettled therein; and therefore in a poeticall manner he ſpeaks to the gates of the Temple, calling them everlaſting doors, becauſe the Ark, that had been often removed from one place to another, was now in the Temple to continue for ever, according to that Pſal. 132.14. This is my reſt for ever, &c. ſee alſo the Note 1 Kings 9.3. And by ſpeaking to the gates to lift up themſelves, either firſt he may mean the building of them up; Lift up your heads, O ye gates, that is, Be ye built up, that the Lord of glory in his Ark may enter into you: or ſecondly, the lifting up of the upper poſts of the gates; as if he had ſaid, Raiſe up and enlarge yourſelves, and become greater then you are, becauſe the great King of Glory is to enter in by you; alluding to the cuſtome of opening the gates of a houſe or city to the wideſt, when ſome great Prince is to come in: or thirdly, the lifting up of their heads in a way of glorying and rejoycing; as if he had ſaid, Triumph, and rejoyce, O ye gates; thereby the better to ſet forth the ſolemnity and joy of the Arks removall into the Temple. But ſecondly, Doubtleſſe under this type, 1. he ſpeaks to the Church, the true ſpirituall Temple, deſiring that this Temple may be built up, and that at her doors (which are called everlasting, becauſe the Church ſhall continue for ever) the Lord Chriſt, the Lord of glory, 1 Cor. 2.8, may be entertained with joy as their Lord and King, and ſo he may enter and rule as king amongſt them: 2. to Chriſtians, the particular members of the Church, or to all men in generall, who being converted become the true Temples of the ever-living God, 1 Cor. 3.16; at the doors of whoſe hearts (called everlaſting doors, becauſe they ſhall live for ever) he knocks to have entrance, Rev. 3.20, exhorting them to lift up their heads, that is, to raiſe up their hearts from all earthly things, and to prepare them by faith, that God in Chriſt, the Lord of glory, and by whoſe merits all his members are glorified, may enter in and dwell and rule in their hearts by faith: 3. as ſome conceive, to Princes and Magiſtrates, exhorting them to let in the Lord Chriſt, and the Goſpel and kingdome of Chriſt, into their kingdomes and common-wealths, expreſſing this in theſe tearms, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, &c. either as alluding to the cuſtome of Magiſtrates ſitting in the gates in thoſe times when they judged the people; or becauſe of the great power that ſuch men uſually have, either to let in or to keep out the profeſſion of the Chriſtian religion amongſt the people: and 4. to the gates of Gods holy Temple in heaven, calling upon them with all joy to entertain the Lord Chriſt, when he ſhould after the accompliſhment of the work of mans Redemption triumphantly aſcend into heaven; and ſo in theſe words, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, &c. there may be an alluſion to thoſe triumphall Arches which uſed to be ſet up for the entertainment of great Conquerours.
Verſ. 8. Who is this king of glory? &c.] Theſe words muſt be taken as a queſtion propounded by David, either in his own name, as if he ſhould have ſaid, But who now is this king of glory that I ſpeak of? that ſo he might take occaſion to extoll this king of glory, and ſhew what reaſon there was why they ſhould gladly receive him; or in the name of ſome other that might move this queſtion, as if he ſhould have ſaid, But now if any one ſhall demand of me, Who is this king of glory? I anſwer, the Lord ſtrong and mighty, &c. I know, many Expoſitours take them to be the ſuppoſed reply of thoſe that were ſpoken to in that foregoing figurative expreſſion, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, &c. and accordingly they conceive that this reply is made, either by way of ſcorning and deſpiſing Chriſt, as if they ſhould have ſaid, What is this your glorious king, that we ſhould ſubmit to him? or elſe by way of deſiring to be informed and ſatisfied concerning Chriſt: yea they that underſtand the former verſe of Chriſts aſcenſion into heaven, take theſe words as the reply of the Angels, admiring that one clothed with a humane body ſhould aſcend above the heavens, and enter in as the Lord of that Jeruſalem. But that which is firſt ſaid of this ſeems moſt probable. And however that which is anſwered, The Lord ſtrong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battel, plainly imports, that it was he, who being of infinite power, was able to deſtroy thoſe that would not ſubmit to him, and to protect his people againſt all their enemies, both temporall and ſpirituall, and to make them victorious over them all; and it may have ſpeciall reference to Chriſts conqueſt over Hell and death, when after his Reſurrection he aſcended triumphantly into heaven.
Verſ. 10. The Lord of hoſts, &c.] See the Note Gen. 2.1.