Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 36
PSALM XXXVI.
The Title. A Pſalm of David the ſervant of the Lord.] So he ſtiles himſelf here, becauſe God had anointed him to ſerve him as king in the government of the kingdome of Iſrael; and in the confidence hereof he ſeeks to God in this Pſalm for help againſt his wicked enemies. Yet ſome conceive it is rather, becauſe being to ſet forth herein the profaneneſſe of Atheiſticall wretches, that would not be ſubject to God, and yet flouriſhed, whilſt the godly were in trouble, he would hereby imply, that for all this he would be, and rejoyced to profeſſe himſelf to be, the ſervant of the Lord.
Verſ. 1. The tranſgreſsion of the wicked ſaith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.] That is, His wicked life doth teſtify to me within my heart, from the wickedneſſe of his life it ſeems to me, or I do certainly conclude, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. And this laſt clauſe is alledged by the Apoſtle Rom. 3.18. to prove the ſinfull and corrupt diſpoſition of all naturall men.
Verſ. 2. For he flattereth himſelf in his own eyes, &c.] To wit, by perſwading himſelf, upon falſe deceitfull grounds, that what he doth is not evil; or that however no evil ſhall befall him thereby, he ſhall ſcape well enough; or by applauding himſelf for doing thoſe things wherein he pleaſeth himſelf, though he doth diſpleaſe God, out of a brutiſh ſtupidity and contempt of God, untill his iniquity be found to be hatefull, to wit, by the wrath of God that it brings upon him: or the meaning of this clauſe may be, that by his ſo flattering himſelf, he is found to be hatefull, either becauſe this applauding of themſelves in their wickedneſſe is to all men, that are not deſperately Atheiſticall, a moſt hatefull thing; or becauſe by thus emboldening themſelves, they proceed to ſuch degrees of wickedneſſe, that at length they become deteſtable both to God and man.
Verſ. 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, &c.] That is, they tend to iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wiſe, and to doe good; that is, he refuſeth all inſtruction, and ſuppreſſeth the very light of nature in him, whereby men are enabled to know what is good and what is evil; and ſo never minds the doing of that which is good, but rather gives over the doing of that good which at firſt he did, though with a falſe and unſound heart. Yet ſome underſtand this ſtill of the words whereby the wicked man flattereth and deceiveth himſelf in his evil waies, whereby he comes at laſt to be given over to a reprobate ſenſe, ſo that he makes no difference between good and evil.
Verſ. 4. He deviſeth miſchief upon his bed, &c.] Which implyes, both that he is violently bent upon evil, in that he will break himſelf of his reſt, that he may contrive miſchief; and that his own wicked heart is the chief cauſe of it, in that of his own accord he meditates evil, when he hath no outward enticement or evil example to draw him thereto: he ſetteth himſelf in a way that is not good; he is reſolved to runne on in his unwarrantable wayes: he abhorreth not evil; to wit, no evil whatſoever; though he may not be guilty of every ſin, yet he doth not avoid it becauſe he abhorres it.
Verſ. 5. Thy mercy (O Lord) is in the heavens, and thy faithfulneſſe reacheth unto the clouds.] It is ſaid Pſal. 57.10. thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and Pſal. 108.4. above the heavens; but the meaning of all theſe expreſſions is the ſame, namely, that the mercy and faithfulneſſe of God, in making good what he hath ſpoken, are infinite, and above our reach and underſtanding, and all the creatures in heaven and earth do declare the ſame. Some conceive that this is inſerted here, as by way of admiring that God ſhould bear with, and doe good to ſuch Atheiſticall wretches, as theſe he had now ſpoken of. But rather the drift of theſe words is, to declare Davids aſſurance, that notwithſtanding all this horrid impiety of ſo many deſperate wretches, yet he knew well that God was in the midſt of all theſe confuſions infinitely good and mercifull and juſt; as is farther expreſſed in the following verſe.
Verſ. 6. Thy righteouſneſſe is like the great mountains, &c.] That is, it is firm and unmoveable; or rather, agreeably to thoſe expreſſions in the former verſe, it is infinitely high and great, above our reach, or eminently conſpicuous that all men may ſee it: thy judgements are a great deep; that is, thy juſt and righteous dealings in the government of the world are incomprehenſible and paſt finding out; or they are very great, as the ocean, being manifeſt above and beneath, yea in every place, which way ſoever we caſt our eyes.
Verſ. 7. How excellent is thy loving kindneſſe, O God! &c.] Some underſtand this likewiſe, and that which followeth in the two next verſes, of the kindneſſe which God ſheweth to all the creatures. But rather from the kindneſſe of God to all the creatures he inferres here, that his loving kindneſſe to his children muſt needs be far more excellent. Therefore the children of men put their truſt under the shadow of thy wings; therefore thy people, (poor ſinfull frail creatures) however they ſee the wicked triumph, do ſecurely caſt themſelves upon thy fatherly providence: ſee the Note Pſal. 17.8.
Verſ. 8. They shall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſſe of thy houſe, &c.] That is, with abundance of the choiceſt bleſſings, both temporall, ſpirituall and eternall, which thou haſt ſtored up for them that are of thy houſhold & family. Thus, I conceive, theſe words may be generally taken: only then we muſt remember, that earthly bleſſings can only be ſaid to ſatisfy Gods ſervants, in that they enjoy them as pledges of Gods fatherly love to them, and providence over them. Yet, I conceive, it is chiefly meant of ſpirituall and heavenly bleſſings: as 1. that they ſhall be refreſhed and comforted, even to the full ſatisfaction of their ſouls, and to the rendring of them contented with their condition in other regards, whatever it be, with the graces and comforts wrought in them by the word and ſpirit of God, and eſpecially the clear manifeſtation of his love and favour to them thereby; and ſo this may be tearmed the fatneſſe of Gods houſe, in relation to the Tabernacle, or in relation to heaven, becauſe the righteous in theſe joyes of Gods ſpirit have as it were a taſt of the joyes of heaven before-hand: and 2. that they ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with that fulneſſe of joy and glory they ſhall have in heaven, Gods dwelling-place, ſo that they ſhall not hunger nor thirſt any more, nor deſire any thing but what they there enjoy. And thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleaſures; that is, thou ſhalt yield them a conſtant never-failing ſupply of thoſe pleaſures which thou only canſt give, or which from thee ſhall ſucceſſively flow in unto their ſouls. And this alſo muſt be underſtood, as the former clauſe, of all the comforts which God affords his people, both in this life, and that which is to come; but eſpecially of thoſe which they enjoy by the light of Gods countenance, which (as by theſe expreſſions David would imply) are as meat and drink unto the faithfull.
Verſ. 9. For with thee is the fountain of life, &c.] This ſeems to be added in reference to the foregoing words, and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleaſures; for to make good this, David affirms here, that God is the fountain of life, both becauſe he hath life in and of himſelf, and becauſe all the life that is in the creature, both temporall, ſpirituall and eternall, flows from him, as rivers from their fountains, and ſo ſhall for ever, he being an ever-ſpringing fountain of living waters, that can never be drawn dry. And becauſe God by his ſpirit doth work that life of faith and grace, which is the ſpirituall life of his people, in relation thereto David might ſay, with thee is the fountain of life. However, the following clauſe muſt accordingly be underſtood, and in thy light we shall ſee light; to wit, though partly of that light of life wherewith all men are enlightened from God, yet more eſpecially 1. of the ſpirituall enlightening of Gods people here in this world; In thy light, that is, by thine enlightening of us, and by the light of thy countenance ſhining upon us, we ſhall ſee light, that is, we ſhall enjoy all ſaving knowledge, comfort and joy; or by thy bringing of us truly to know thee, we ſhall certainly enjoy true bliſſe and happineſſe: and 2. of their being partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and life eternall; In thy light we shall ſee light, that is, in thee, who art the true light, and the fountain of light, we ſhall ſee thee who art that light inacceſſible; (thus ſome underſtand theſe words, becauſe whereas here we ſee God only in his works and word, by faith, and not by ſight, as through a glaſſe, darkly, in heaven we ſhall ſee him in himſelf, face to face, 1 Cor. 13.12, and that not by the help of any medium, as we ſee the Sun mediately by the aire, but immediately in and by himſelf) or elſe, in and by the light of thy glory, filling and transforming us, we ſhall be made capable of beholding thee, who art the true light, face to face, and ſo ſhall enjoy thy preſence in glory for evermore.
Verſ. 11. Let not the foot of pride, &c.] Having in the foregoing verſe prayed for the faithfull in generall, O continue thy loving kindneſſe unto them that know thee, &c. here, as reckoning himſelf one of that number, he adds, Let not the foot of pride come againſt me; that is, let not proud men invade me, or let them not be able to come at me, or trample upon me: and let not the hand of the wicked remove me; that is, let them not be able to beat me off from my confidence in thee, and from that way of truth and holineſſe wherein I have hitherto walked; or, let them not put me to flight, or drive me from my country, and the place of Gods worſhip. See the Notes Pſal. 11.1, and 13.4.
Verſ. 12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen, &c.] To wit, when in their pride they thought to invade me. See the Note Pſal. 14.5.