Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 2 · Psalm 68
PSAL. LXVIII. foreign.
DIverſe conjectures there are of the occaſion of the compoſure of this Pſalm; But the moſt probable is, that it was compoſed by David, when he brought up the Ark of God, which was the Type of the Church, and Symbol of Gods preſence to Jeruſalem. This, after it was ſent home by the Philiſtines, reſted firſt in the obſcure Lodge of Aminadab, then for a while it ſtay'd with Obed-Edom, near ſixty years in both places. It was Davids care to provide a fit room for it in the head of the Tribes, even in his own City. And to expreſs his joy, and honour the Solemnity, David led the way, dancing with all his might in a linnen Ephod, and all the houſe of Iſrael followed with ſhouts and inſtruments of Muſick in a Triumphant manner. Now that the Quire might not want how to expreſs their joyful affections, the ſweet Singer of Iſrael ſcored this Antheme, and began the Verſe himſelf, as was commanded at the remove of the Ark, Numb. 10.35.
The Pſalm hath ſix parts.
1. The Entrance or Exordium, from verſ. 1. to 4.
2. An Invitation to praiſe God, verſ. 4.
3. The Confirmation of it by divers Arguments, from verſ. 4. to 24.
4. A lively deſcription of the Triumph or Pomp in the Arks deportation, from verſ. 24. to 28.
5. A Petition, which hath three parts, from verſ. 28. to 31.
6. An exhortation to all Nations to praiſe God, from verſ. 31. to the end.
1. 1A prayer or Acclamation, that God ariſe.Let God ariſe, is either a Prayer, or an Acclamation. A Prayer that he would, or an Acclamation that he doth ſhew his power and preſence, of which the conſequence would be double.
1. Vers. 1 Toward his enemies deſtruction, for which he prayers, Let his enemies be ſcattered. The conſequence.Let thoſe that hate him, fly before him. 2. Which he illuſtrates by a twofold compariſon.
1. 1To his enemies deſtruction.As ſmoke, when it is at the higheſt, is driven away, ſo drive them away.
2. Vers. 2 As wax eaſily melts at the fire, ſo let the ungodly periſh at the preſence of God.
2. 2To good men joy.Toward good men his ſervants, which is quite contrary to the other, Let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God, yea let them exceedingly rejoice. Vers. 3 As it fell out at this time. For when the Ark was taken by the Philiſtines, the glory was departed from Iſrael, and there was nothing but ſadneſs and ſorrow. Phinehees Wife named her child Ichabod. But with the return of the Ark, the glory return'd, and there was nothing but joy and gladneſs.
2. The ſecond part.And ſo by an Apoſtrophe he turns his ſpeech to all good men, and exhorts them to praiſe God.
1. He exhorts to praiſe God.Sing unto God. Let it be done with your voice, aloud, publickly.
2. Pſallite. Sing praiſes to his Name. Let it be done with inſtruments of Muſick. Vers. 4
3. Extoll him, or ſternite viam ejus: as in a triumph, and was in uſe when our Saviour rode into Jeruſalem, when they cut down branches, and ſtrew'd their garments in the way.
3. And ſo David enters upon his Confirmation, producing his reaſons,The reaſons. The third part.
1. Drawn from his Majeſty. He rides upon the heavens, i.e. 1Gods Majeſty.rules in heaven. Vers. 4
2. From his Eſſence. By his name, Jah, the contract of Jehovah, 2His Eſſence.I am. He gives Eſſence to all things; therefore; Rejoice before him.
3. From his general providence and goodneſs toward his Church.
1. He is the Father of the fatherleſs. Loves, cares for, 3His ſpecial providence.provides an inheritance for them.
2. A Judge of the Widows. He cares for his people, when deſerred, Vers. 5 and for whom no man cares; and when expos'd to injury, To his Church in general.a Huſband to her he is, even then; Even our God is ſuch in his Holy Habitation; That God, whoſe preſence is repreſented by this Ark. Vers. 6
3. God ſets the ſolitary in Families. He makes the barren woman to keep houſe, and to be a joyful Mother of Children: As alſo the barren woman, the children, the Gentile Church, that had no Husband, to bring forth children to God.
4. He brings forth thoſe which are bound with chains. As Joſeph, Jeremy, Daniel, Peter, Paul.
5. On the contrary. But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Periſh for want and hunger.
4. From his ſpecial providence toward his people Iſrael, To Iſrael in ſpecial.to which he makes his way by an Elegant Apoſtrophe, O God, when thou wenteſt out before thy people; and amplifies it by many particulars. As, Vers. 7
1. Gods going before them, and marching along with them, Vers. 8 in Egypt, in the Wilderneſs: all which time there were manifeſt ſigns of his preſence. For the earth ſhook, the heavens alſo dropt at the preſence of God, even as Sinai alſo was moved at the preſence of God, the God of Iſrael. Vers. 9
2. Gods proviſion for them after he gave them the poſſeſſionof the Land. He fed, ſuſtain'd them there, counted them his inheritance, and gave them rain and fruitful ſeaſons. Thou, O God, didſt ſend a plentiful rain, Vers. 10 whereby thou didſt confirm thy inheritance when it was weary. Vers. 11 Thy Congregation hath dwelt therein. Thou, O God, of thy goodneſs haſt prepared for the poor.
3. The Victories he gave them over their enemies, expreſſed, verſ. 12. To which he prefaces, by intimation of the foreign as was then uſually ſung by the women and damoſels of thoſe times, verſ. 11. The Lord gave the Word, i. e. either the Word of Warre, or elſe the matter and occaſion to theſe ſongs, and then great was the company of the damoſels that publiſhed it. As Miriam, Deborah, &c. 2. And in their ſongs, they ſung, Kings with their Armies did fly apace, and they that tarried at home divided the ſpoile. So great was the prey.
4.
The deliverance he ſends from troubles, and the advance and joy he after gives them. Though ye have lien among the pots, i.e. caſt aſide as ſome uſeleſs, old, or broken crok, been foreign, the off-ſcouring of all things, yet ye ſhall be as the wings of a Dove covered with ſilver, and her feathers with yellowgold, i. e. ſhining and glorious. The alluſion, I gueſs, is from ſome ſtandard, whoſe portraiture and device was a Dove ſo overlaid. The Babylonian Enſign was a Dove. Scaliger. Etſi jacueritis, splendebitis.
And this he farther declares by another ſimilitude. When the Almighty ſcattered Kings in it, or for her, i.e. his Church, it was white, i. e. gliſtering, glorious, to be ſeen a far off, as was duplicate page duplicate page the ſnow upon the top of Salmon, with which it was for the moſt part covered.
5. From Gods eſpecial preſence among them; which that he might make the more evident, Vers. 15 he enters upon the commendation of the Hill of Zion, to which the Ark at this time was to be brought, comparing it with other Hills, eſpecially with Baſan. That is a Hill of God, a high, plentiful, fertile Hill. As if he had ſaid, So much I grant, to them, to other Hills. But Why leap you ſo, ye Hills? why are you ſo proud? why do you inſult? why do you boaſt of your vines, your fruits, your paſtures, your cattle? Zion hath the preheminence of you all in two reſpects.
1. For Gods continual inhabitation, and more than ordinary preſence in it. This is Gods Hill, in which it pleaſeth him to dwell, yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever.
2. For his defence of it. The Chariots of God are twenty thouſand, even thouſands of Angels, and theſe are for the defence of Zion, his Church, for God is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place. In glory and Majeſty there in Sinai; and in glory and Majeſty here in Zion.
And yet he hath not done with his Arguments to perſwade us to praiſe God; Two Arguments more to praiſe God. 1. The Arks aſcenſion, which was a Type of our Saviours.Two there are yet behind. 1. His ſtrange and wonderful works. 2. And the performance of his promiſes. Now among his great works, there was none ſo glorious as was the Aſcenſion of our Saviour, of which the Arks aſcenſion to Jeruſalem at this time, was a type, and therefore he inſtanceth in that.
1. Before which it may well be thought, that David and the people uſed theſe words of Acclamation, Aſcendiſti in altum, Thou haſt aſcended up on high, Vers. 18 i. e. Thou, O God, whoſe preſence is ſhadow'd out by the Ark, haſt aſcended from an obſcure houſe, to a Kingly Palace, Zion.
2. Thou haſt led captivity captive; thoſe that led us captives, being captives themſelves, and now led in Triumph.
3. Thou haſt received gifts for men, i. e. ſpoils, and gifts from the Kings that be conquered, or who now became homagers unto him, and redeemed their peace.
4. Yea, for the rebellious alſo, formerly ſo, but now Tributaries.
5. That the Lord God might dwell among them. Might have a certain place to dwell in, and the Ark not carried from place to place as before.
This is the literal ſenſe, but the Myſtical is other, and muſt be referr'd to our Saviours Aſcenſion, the Apoſtle being our Author for it, Eph. 4.
1. Aſcendiſti in altum. When the cloud carried him from earth to heaven.
2. Then he led captivity, i. e. Thoſe which captiv'd us, captive, viz. Death, the Devil, Sin, the power of Hell, the curſe of the Law.
3. He receiv'd, and gave gifts to men. 1. The Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, Prophets, Doctors, and Teachers, were thoſe gifts. 2. foreign. Graces, Giſts of the Spirit.
4. Yea, for the rebellious alſo. Paul a perſecutor call'd. Auſtin a Manachaean, &c.
5. That he might dwell among them; for to that end St. Paul ſaith, theſe gifts were given, to the work of the Miniſtry, to the edification of the Church, to the building up the body of Chriſt, Epheſ. 4.Of Chriſts aſcenſion, two effects.
The two effects then of this Aſcenſion were, One toward his enemies, the other for his friends. When thou aſcendeſt up on high.
1. 1To his enemies.Thou ledſt captivity captive. That was the conſequent on his enemies.
2. Thou receivedſt, and gaveſt gifts: That's for his friends; 2To his friends.for which he ſings a Benedictus, Bleſsed be God; for he comes over both theſe again, but by an Epanodos, ſpeaking of the laſt firſt. Ver. 19
1. The gifts to his friends: Bleſſed be God, which loadeth us with benefits, Ver. 20 even the God of our ſalvation: He that is our God, is the God of ſalvation, and unto God the Lord, belong the iſsues from death; he knows many wayes to deliver, even in ipſa morte, when there is no hope.
2. The conqueſt of his enemies, for ſuch he counts obſtinate, impenitent, and malicious ſinners; thoſe he will deſtroy, even the higheſt, the heads of them: God ſhall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy ſcalp of ſuch a one as goeth on ſtill in his wickedneſs.
2. His laſt Argument, is, 2The ſalvation of his people.Gods performance of his promiſe to his to ſave them, as if he had ſaid, Although you ſhould be in ſo great ſtraits as you were in the Wilderneſs, when you fought with Og King of Baſan, or at the red Sea, yet I will fetch you out, and deliver you, as I did them; his word is paſt for it, The Lord ſaid, Ver. 22
1. I will bring again from Baſan; from dangers as great as that was.
2. I will bring my people again from the depth of the Sea, Ver. 23 when there is no hope.
3. And for thy enemies, they ſhall be deſtroyed by a great effuſion of blood; That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thy enemies, The pomp at the aſcent of the Ark. The fourth partand the tongue of thy Dogs in the ſame: Thou ſhalt waſte, and be glutted with their blood.
4. And now he deſcends by an elegant foreign, to ſet before our eyes the pomp and ſhew which was uſed in the Aſcent and deduction of the Ark, and the proceeding of it.
1. The people were all preſent to ſee the pomp: They have ſeen thy goings, O God, even the goings of my God, my King, in the Sanctuary.
2. The manner uſed in the pomp: The Singers go before, the Players on Inſtruments followed after, amongſt them were the Damſels playing with Timbrels.
3. In the pomp they were not ſilent; and that they be not, he exhorts them, Bleſs ye the Lord in the Congregations, ye that are of the Fountain of Iſrael, i. e. Jacobs poſterity.
4. And he gives in the Catalogue of the Tribes that were preſent, all, but theſe eſpecially.
1. There is little Benjamin, Jacobs youngeſt ſon, or now the leaſt, waſted with War, with their Ruler, the chief Prince of their Tribe.
2. The Princes of Judah, and their Counſel.
3. The Princes of Zebulun, and Princes of Napthali, the fartheſt Tribes, therefore the neareſt.To the pomp he annexeth a prayer.
5. And in the midſt of the pomp, he interſerts a prayer, which hath three Votes, before which he prefixeth this ingenuous acknowledgment, that all the power and ſtrength of the Kingdom of Iſrael was from God; Thy God hath commanded thy ſtrength; and then he prays, Ver. 28
1. For the confirmation, eſtabliſhment, continuance of this ſtrength: 1For confirmation of the Kingdom.Strengthen, O God, that which thou haſt wrought in us; and let this be evidenced by the Kings and Tributaries that ſhall bring gifts: Becauſe of thy Temple at Jeruſalem, ſhall Kings bring preſents to thee.
2. For the conqueſt and ſubduing of the enemy, 2For conqueſt of the enemies.untill they become Tributaries, and do their Homage: Rebuke the company of Spear-men, the multitude of the Bulls and Calves of the people, i. e. Kings, Princes, and their potent Subjects, For increaſe of the Kingdom.till every one ſubmit himſelf with pieces of ſilver; ſcatter thou the people that delight in War.
3. For the increaſe of Chriſts Kingdom, of which Davids was but a Type by the acceſs of the Gentiles: Princes ſhall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia ſhall ſoon stretch out her hands to God: Theſe by a Synecdoche put for all Nations.
5. The fifth part. He renews his invitation to praiſe God.This excellent Pſalm draws now toward a Concluſion, and it is a reſumption of that he principally intended, viz. that God be bleſſed, honoured, praiſed; to which he firſt exhorts, and then ſhews new Reaſons for it.
1. He exhorts all Nations to perform this Duty; before the Jewes, but now all univerſally: Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the Earth, O ſing praiſes to the Lord. Selah.And that all Nations do it. His Reaſons.
2. His Reaſons to perſwade it.
1. The Majeſty of God teſtified.
1. 1The Majeſty of God.By his works: To him that rides upon the Heaven of Heavens which were of old.
2. 2His protection.His power, in his Thunder, in his Word: He doth ſend forth his voyce, and that a mighty voyce.
2. His wiſe protection and providence to his people: Aſcribe ye the power to God, his excellency is over Iſrael, and his ſtrength is in the Cloud.
3. 3His goodneſs to his Church.His communication of himſelf to his Church in particular.
1. O Lord thou art terrible out of thy holy places.
2. The God of Iſrael is he that gives ſtrength and power to his people.
3. Bleſſed be God, with that Epiphonema he concludes.
The Prayer collected out of the ſixty eight Pſalm.
O God, in Majeſty terrible, in thy protection of thy people moſt merciful; ſince thy power is ſo great, thy preſence ſo powerful, that at the blaſting of the breath of thy Noſtrils, thy enemies vaniſh as a vapour when it is raiſed to the higheſt, and thoſe that hate thée, haſte from thy preſence; Why art thou abſent from us? why ſléepeſt thou in this néedful time of trouble?
O Lord, awake, and ariſe for us, and ſcatter our, nay, thy enemies; they hate not us, Ver. 1 but thée, and thy Law, and Ordinances; make them to flie from thy face, drive them away as ſmoke; as wax conſumes and melts before the fire, Ver. 2 ſo let the wicked periſh at thy preſence, O God; ſo ſhall the righteous have juſt occaſion to rejoyce, Ver. 3 they ſhall rejoyce before thee their God, they ſhall be exceedingly joyful.
O God, Thou art infinite in thy Eſſence, wonderful in thy works, moſt merciful in thy wayes to the ſons of men: Thou rideſt above upon the Heavens, when we crawle upon this Dunghill of Earth; Thou art Jehovah, and haſt a being in thy ſelf; a time there was when we were not, and the time will come when we ſhall not be; and what we are at preſent, we have from thée; O let us live then, and we will praiſe thée; Turn away thy wrath from us, and we will rejoyce before thee, and ſing praiſes to thy Name.
As Orphans we are in this World, be thou our Father; as Widows, be thou our Husband; Ver. 5 deſtitute we are, without any humane help, left alone, and ſolitary, O gather us into Families and Societies; for our rebellions againſt thée, bound we are with Chains, and brought into a dry Land; hear the groans and ſighs we ſend up unto thée, and out of thy holy habitation make it appear, that thou art preſent with us; look upon the humble, conſider thy diſperſed and diſtracted people, have pity on the Widows and Orphans, and let us dwell once more together in peace, unity, and plenty.
O God, Ver. 7 when thou wenteſt before thy people Iſrael, when thou didſt lead them through the Wilderneſs, then thou didſt march before them in a cool Cloud by day, and in a Pillar of fire by night; the dull and heavy earth was moved at thy preſence, the Heavens drop't Manna, the Clouds ſhot forth lightnings, even Sinai it ſelf trembled, when thou gaveſt thy Law unto thy people, and after thou brought'ſt them into a wealthy Land. O Lord, thy power is yet the ſame, and thy goodneſs immutable, go out before us a ſinful Nation, and yet thy people, as thou didſt rain down Manna for them, ſo alſo we beg of thée to ſend us neceſſaries from above; and let this our Land, that hath béen long afflicted with many evils, enjoy a quiet peace, and her inhabitants the fruits of peace; confirm us Lord in that inheritance which thou haſt given us, let thy Congregation dwell therein; and of thy goodneſs, not for our merits, prepare and provide meat and rayment for thy people that hath béen long oppreſſed by Tyrants.
We have heard with our ears, O God, and our Fathers have told us, what thou haſt done in their time of old; great is the company that have publiſhed in our hearing, that by thy mighty power Kings with their Armies did flie, and haſte away, and that thou haſt given the ſpoil to be divided among thy Houſhold-ſervants. This puts us in hope, that we, even we that have béen for a long time caſt aſide, as the off-ſcouring of all things, and black and inglorious by many preſſures, ſhall yet be called for again, and ſet in our inheritances; our Dove-like and innocent faces ſhine as ſilver, and gliſter as gold; the Snow upon the top of Salmon ſhall not be ſo white, as ſhall our innocence, when thou by theſe afflictions haſt purged away out droſs, and melted away our tin.
Such a mercy we cannot expect for our own ſakes, for we are a ſinful people; but Lord remember Zion, and be gracious to Jeruſalem; This is the Hill of God, in this thou deſireſt to dwell, this thou haſt choſen to dwell in for ever: Shall then the other Hills inſult over it? ſhall the Kings of the Nations, and pride of Tyrants trample it to the duſt; Thy Chariots, O God, are twenty thouſands, even thouſands of Angels, and thou Lord art among them, as in Sinai. Now Lord ſhew thy ſelf in glory, aſcend on High, get the victory, and triumph over the enemies of thy-Church, lead them Captives that have captiv'd us, and make them bring and offer thee gifts, that have robbed thy Temples; and ſo change the hearts of the rebellious, That thou Lord may'ſt dwell among them, and be acknowledged and worſhipped by them.
Bring thy people, O Lord, out of their troubles, as thou of old didſt deliver thy choſen from the fury of Og the King of Baſhan; or thy people Iſrael from the hands of Pharoah, that purſued them to the depths of the red Sea: Wound the head of thy enemies, and the hairy ſcalp of ſuch a one as goeth on ſtill in his wickedneſs; let thy Beloved waſh their feet in the blood of their enemies, and let the very Dogs lick their blood; wiſely they wrought againſt us, conceiving they had incloſed us, but thou art our God, the God of our Salvation; to thée belongs, and thou haſt ſhewed, that there be in thy power many iſſues from death; for where the help of man hath failed, Thou haſt reached forth thy hand, and delivered us from the jaw of the Lyon, and the paw of the Boar: Bleſſed then be the Lord, which daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our ſalvation.
Make thy Word perfect, O our God, rebuke the multitude of the Spearmen, reſtrain the fury of thoſe whoſe rage and anger againſt us is no leſs than that, of enraged Bulls, ſtill the tumults of the people, ſcatter all thoſe that delight in War; for thy Temples ſake at Jeruſalem, be propitious unto us, and ſtrengthen that O God, which thou haſt wrought in us: Bring down our enemies, till they ſubmit every one, and humbly bring pieces of ſilver, untill Princes come out of Egypt, and ſtrangers ſtretch forth their hands, and become Homagers to thee our God.
O how glorious will be thy praiſe, how excellent thy Name, Ver. 32 when all the Kingdoms of the earth with one heart, and one voyce, ſhall ſing praiſes to thee.
Thou rideſt upon the Heavens which were of old, Thou ſpeakeſt from thence in Thunder, and ſendeſt out a mighty voyce; therefore will we aſcribe ſtrength unto our God, which is the God of Iſrael.
O God, Thou art wonderful and terrible out of thy holy place, when thou communicateſt thy preſence to thy ſervants; Thou art the God of Iſrael, that gives ſtrength and power unto thy people. Bleſſed therefore be our God. Amen.