Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 22
PSAL. XXII. De Meſſia, ejus Paſſione & Regno.
THIS Pſalm, though in ſome ſenſe it may be applied to David, as a Type, yet Chriſt is the thing ſignified, and therefore it is primarily and principally verified of and in him; for he is brought in here ſpeaking: Firſt, complaining of his dereliction; then ſhewing his Paſſion, and the cruelty of his Enemies: Thridly, intreating eaſe and deliverance from them: Laſtly, Promiſing to his Father thanks, foretelling the preaching of the Goſpel, and the enlargement of his Kingdom, by the acceſſion of all Nations.
There be three chief parts of this Pſalm.
1. Our Saviours complaint, and the cauſes of it, lively and prophetically expreſſing his ſufferings, almoſt through the whole Pſalm.
2. His Petition and Prayer, that God would not abſent himſelf, but deliver and ſave him, ver. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21.
3. His Thankſgiving, from ver. 22. to the end.Davids, and in him Chriſts complaint of dereliction.
1. He begins with a heavy complaint of Dereliction in his extremity, and that he could not be heard, though he roared and cried; which is thus pathetically expreſſed and ingeminated; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? The firſt part.why art thou ſo far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Ver. 1 O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou heareſt not; and in the night-ſeaſon, and am not ſilent.
2. And that he might ſeem to have the more juſt reaſon to complain for this deſertion, God carried himſelf to him after an unuſual manner; when other his Saints called upon him, he heard them, he ſent them comfort, which in this diſtreſs he afforded not him. Martyres ſi non eripuit tum non deſeruit: His caſe then was more grievous than any before: Nunquam dolor ſicut; Ver. 3 and of this he puts God in mind in the three following verſes, and preſſeth him in effect to remember his Promiſe and Covenant: Call on me in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee. For of this they that went before had experience, and he was the ſame God ſtill, and why then ſhould not he be heard and eaſed, why only deſerted and caſt aſide.
1. God heard his other ſervants in extremity.Thou continueſt Holy, i. e. propitious and benevolous, O thou that inhabiteſt the praiſes of Iſrael, dwelleſt among the Iſraelites, help'ſt them, and thence giveſt them an occaſion to praiſe thee.
2. Chriſt deſerted.Our Fathers trusted in thee: they truſted in thee, and thou didſt deliver them.
3. Ver. 6 They cryed unto thee, and were delivered; they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
But it ſeems my caſe is worſe than any mans. Ʋermis ego, non homo. And then he expreſſeth the extremity of his miſeries by parcels.
1. Scoffed.The ſcoffs and ſcorns put upon him. I am become the reproach of men, and the despiſed among the people.
2. They expreſs their ſcorns by words and geſture. All they that ſee me, laugh me to ſcorn: they ſhoot out the lip, and ſhake their head, ſaying.
3. They labour to take my God from me, inſulting over me with this Sarcaſm, Inſulted over. The ſecond part. Yet truſts in God.He truſted in the Lord, that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, ſince he delighted in him.
Now here he breaketh off the Narration of his ſufferings: and converts his ſpeech to God. Refutes their Irony, ſhews his confidence in God, and prayes aſſiſtance, by three Arguments drawn from Gods goodneſs to him.
1. His generation and birth. Thou art he that tookeſt me out of my mothers womb.
2. His ſuſtenance and nouriſhment ever ſince. That didſt make me hope when I was upon my mothers breaſts. I was caſt upon thee from the womb, thou art my God from my mothers belly. My Saviour, Protectour, Preſerver.
3. Trouble it near, and there is none to help: Therefore, Be not far from me.
And now he returns to the Narration or Story of the paſſion again. The ſecond part of the firſt part.In which he ſets forth the deſpite, cruelty, and rage of the Jews toward him, whom he compares to Bulls, Vers. 12 Lions, Doggs, verſ. 16.
1. The Jews rage toward him.They apprehended him; to that end, as many Bulls they compaſſed him, ſtrong Bulls of Baſan beſet him round.
2. They long'd to condemn and devour him. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and roaring Lion.
3. The Rulers.Vers. 16 This was the cruelty and rage of the Bulls and Lions, the chief Rulers, towards him, And people.and now follows the Ravin of the Doggs the multitude: the people, they were caetus malignantium, the aſsembly of the wicked; and being ſtirr'd up by the chief Prieſts and Rulers, they compaſſed him, they encloſed him.
4. They Crucifie him.They Crucifie him. And this his paſſion is expreſſed by an foreign, foretelling what Chriſt was to ſuſtain in his body, his ſoul.
1. I am poured out like water: No part of my body hath any conſiſtency, The paſſion deſcribed.no more than water, that being poured on the ground, runs every way: Or elſe my blood is poured out freely, and no more accompt made of the effuſion, than of water.
2. All my bones, being rack'd on the Croſs, are luxated, and out of joint.
3. My heart, at the ſenſe of Gods wrath, is diſſolv'd and melted like wax at the fire: It is melted in the midſt of my bowels. He was in an Agony.
4. My ſtrength, my radical humour, is dried up like a baked pot.
5. My tongue, for thirſt, cleaves to my jaws. Sirio.
6. Thou haſt brought me to death. 2. To the dust of death. Dead. Buried.
7. And Crucified alſo. For he was to dye upon the Croſs. They pierced my hands and my feet.
8. My bones are ſo diſjointed, that they may be all told. I may tell all my bones.
9. And yet for all this they ſhew no pity, no compaſſion at all. For,
1. They look, and ſtare upon me. With pleaſure they behold my miſery, which, foreign, is an affection fit for the Devil.
2. They part my garments among them, and caſt lots upon my veſture.He prayes as Chriſt did on the Croſs.
And he falls to Prayer again. Which in effect is the ſame with that ejaculation with which Chriſt gave up the Ghoſt: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my Spirit.The ſecond part of the ſecond part.
But, be not thou far from me, O Lord, O my ſtrength, haſt thee to help me. Deliver my ſoul from the Sword, my darling, that is, Vers. 19 my ſoul from the power of the dog. Save me from the Lions mouth, for thou haſt heard me from the horns of the Ʋnicorn.
The third part of the Pſalm, is the profeſſion of thanks for the delivery; The third part. The thankſgiving for deliverance.and it contains a clear Prophecy of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, that having conquer…d Death, and the Devil, he was to reign, and gather a Church out of all Nations, which was to continue for ever. This is amplified
1. By a Publick Profeſſion of this benefit receiv'd from God. Vers. 22 I will declare thy Name to my brethren. In the midſt of the Congregation I will praiſe thee. And again, Shew'd in the promulgation of the Goſpel.My praiſe ſhall be of thee in the great Congregation, and I will pay my vows before them that fear him. In which we have
1. The Propagation, Proclamation, or Preaching of the Goſpel. Which is amplified
1. Narrabo nomen: by the notation of the Object to whom preached, honour'd here by the name of Brethren. Ʋos vocavit fratres. Thoſe that fear the Lord, the ſeed of Jacob, the ſeed of Iſrael. The afflicted, the Meek. Vers. 22 The fat of the earth, they that go down to the duſt. Vers. 25
2. By the place, In the midſt of the Congregation, In the Church and Gods worſhip there obſerv'd.in the great Congregation, that is, in the Church, grown great by the Acceſſion of all Nations.
3. By the Worſhip they were to exhibit. Praiſe, paying of vows. Fear. I will praiſe thee. My praiſe ſhall be of thee. I will pay my vows, &c.
2. An Exhortation to his brethren, &c. to do this duty, Vers. 23 and that they be fit to do it. 2To which he exhorts Gods people.For every one is not fit to take Gods name into his mouth. It is, Ye that fear the Lord, the ſeed of Jacob, the ſeed of Iſrael, do ye praiſe him, glorifie him, fear him. Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoyce before him with reverence. Exhibit external, internal worſhip.
3. And to perſwade to this, he gives two reaſons.
1. Drawn from Gods goodneſs, his acceptance of the Worſhip, 1Becauſe God will accepts is.and hearing our prayers, and affording help when we call. Vers. 24 For the Lord hath not despiſed nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cryed to him, he heard him.
2. This is the firſt Reaſon: A ſecond there is at the 26. verſe, 2By the promiſes made to them.which is the great good that ſhould happen to thoſe that believe and accept of the Goſpel preach'd to them. Vers. 26 Whom he calls here, The Meek; i. e. the humble, the broken-hearted, the penitent, the heavy-laden, thoſe who are oppreſſed with the burden of their ſins, and aſtoniſhed at the ſenſe of Gods wrath. Three promiſes of comfort are made unto them.
1. 1They ſhall be ſatisfied with the Goſpel.They ſhall eat and be ſatisfied: i. e. They ſhall be fed by the Word of the Goſpel, and the Sacrament, and they ſhall be ſatisfied with the glad tidings thereof.
2. 2Celebrate the Euchariſt.They ſhall praiſe the Lord for this mercy, ſeeking his favour in his Ordinances, eſpecially the Euchariſt. The Sacrifices of the New Teſtament, are Sacrifices of praiſe.
3. 3Their conſcience quieted.Their heart ſhall live for ever. Their conſcience being quieted, and pacified, and freed from the ſenſe of Gods wrath.
And now the Prophet goes on, Theſe promiſes made to the Gentiles, as wel as the Jews.and ſets forth unto us the extenſion and amplitude of theſe benefits, that they belong'd not only to the Jews, but even to the Gentiles, by whoſe Converſion the Kingdom of Chriſt was to be enlarged.
All the ends of the World. Vers. 27
1. Being warn'd by the preaching of the Goſpel, and allured by theſe promiſes, ſhall remember themſelves, Who were to be converted.conſider of their lamentable condition in which they are, and deplore their former eſtate, impiety, idolatry, &c. and the mercy of God now manifeſted to them, being laid to heart.
2. They caſting away their gods, and forſaking their lewd courſes, ſhall turn unto the Lord, from whom they have been alienated.
3. And embrace a new form of Religion.And being converted, they ſhall embrace a new form of Religion under the Goſpel; All the Kingdoms of the Nations ſhall worſhip before thee.
Of which the reaſon is, Vers. 28 Becauſe Chriſt is advanc'd to the Throne; All power is given to him. For Chriſt is exalted to be King.For the Kingdom, i. e. of the Church, is the Lords, and he is the governour among the people.
And then he inſtanceth in two ſorts of men that ſhould become ſubjects of this Kingdom. In effect all, Rich, and poor.
1. Vers. 29 The fat upon the earth: that is, the wealthy, the mighty, Kings, Princes, 1To whom the rich ſhould be Subjects.Great Men, are not excluded from the ſociety of this Kingdom, and participation of Grace. All they that be fat upon the earth, ſhall eat and worſhip.
2. 2And the poor, penitents. Ezek. 27.30.They alſo that go down to the dust: that is, who are poor, neglected, draw out their life in miſery, and ſit, as it were, in the duſt. Thoſe that are perpetual Mourners, and have perpetual duſt and aſhes on their heads. Theſe ſhall bow before him.
And, No man hath quickned his own ſoul: Or, None can keep alive his own ſoul.
This clauſe is diverſly read.
Moller. Et qui animam ſuam non vivificat. Vulgar. Et anima mea illi vivet. Jun. Qui animam ſuam in vita non conſervaverit. Muſculus. Quorum nemo animam ſuam vivificabit. Chald. Et anima impii non vivet. And therefore admits of ſeveral interpretations, which read in the Authours.
3. 2And to be a perpetual King.Laſtly, He doth amplifie the greatneſs of this benefit, by the perpetuity of Chriſts Kingdom. It was not a Feaſt of one hour, but it was to continue.
1. Vers. 30 A ſeed ſhall ſerve him. It ſhall be counted to the Lord for a generation, a holy Nation, Whom his ſeed ſhall ſerve.a royal Priesthood.
2. And when one generation was paſt, another ſhould come up to perform this Duty, Vers. 31 being inſtructed by their fathers. They ſhall come, and declare his righteouſneſs to a people that ſhall be born. For ever.Manebit ſemper Eccleſia.
3. Laſtly, He concludes with the cauſe of all, why we call'd, why juſtified, why ſanctified, why ſaved. Quia ipſe fecit. Ipſe. God the Authour of all: This is Gods doing.or if we read, That he hath done it. Then it is to be a part of the Declaration.
A Prayer collected out of the 22. Pſalm, to be uſed by a diſconſolate ſoul in a ſpiritual Deſertion.
O Heavenly Father, and moſt Merciful God, thou ſéeſt that at this time I am a man of ſorrows, and beſet with heavineſs, thy comforts I now moſt néed, and yet thou ſéemeſt to turn thy face from me. My God, Vers. 1 whom I have alwayes ſerved, my God, whom I have alwayes truſted, why haſt thou forſaken me? why art thou ſo farre from my help? why is it, that thou doeſt not hear the words of my complaint? O my God, Vers. 2 I cry day and night to thée, to take away this bitter cup from me, but thou who art wont to hear thoſe who call upon thee, yet doeſt not regard the voice of my roaring.
As water that is poured out upon the ground, and hath no conſiſtence: Vers. 14 as wax that melts at the heat of the fire, and loſeth its continuity: ſo is the heart in the midſt of my body, it flows every way, and is melted by the furnace of thy fierce wrath, I have not whereon to ſtay, I have not whereon to conſiſt, I pine with grief, I diſſolve with pain, I pine and languiſh, and faint, and dye. My bones are fill'd with torture, Vers. 15 all the ſtrength of my limbs is waſted, my vital ſpirits fail, my moyſture is dryed up, my tongue cleaveth to my gums, and I am brought even to the very duſt of death.
I looked about to ſée if any would pity me, Vers. 17 but I found them all miſerable comforters, they ſhew no pity, no compaſſion at all. Vers. 6 For as if I were a worm and no man, they ſtare and look upon me, delighting themſelves in my miſery. They ſcoff and ſcorn me, ſo that I am become the reproach of men, and the deſpiſed of the people. Their words are bitter, their geſtures worſe. Vers. 12 They laugh me to ſcorn, they ſhoot out their lips, they ſhake their heads. They thus inſult over me, nay blaſpheme thée. He truſted in God, that he would deliver him, let him deliver him now, if he hath any delight in him. They compaſs me as wild Bulls, they encloſe me as mad doggs, they gape upon me as roaring Lyons. They pierce my ſoul. They part my goods among them, and caſt lots upon mine inheritance.
But O thou God of Iſrael, thou continueſt propitious and benevolous, Vers. 3 why then doeſt thou ſtop thine ears at my prayers? Thou haſt perform'd thine Oath to out fore-fathers, they truſted in thée in the depth of their calamities, and thou didſt comfort or deliver them. They cryed in their afflictions, and thou ſenteſt them help; they hoped in thée, and were not aſhamed, or fruſtrated of their hope. But me, who have alwayes call'd upon thée, who have alwayes hoped in thée, thou haſt deſerted and forſaken, expoſed as the vileſt and moſt contemptible worm to be trampled upon by every foot, and inſulted over by my cruel enemy.
Yet, O Lord, I am thy creature, and thy hands have faſhioned me in my mothers womb, and being faſhioned, thou art he, that brought'ſt me into this light, upon thée have I faſtned all my hope even from my infancy, even from that time to this very hour, thou haſt ſhew'd thy ſelf a merciful God in nouriſhing, governing, and preſerving me from all evil. Do not thou therefore, who hitherto haſt béen preſent with me, whom I have acknowledged, whom I have honour'd, in whom I have hoped, Do not, O do not thou depart, be not farre from me, for moſt grievous trouble is near, and there is none beſides to help me: none to mitigate the preſſnre of my calamities with any comfort. But O thou Father of Mercies, deferre no longer, but haſte thee to help me; O Lord my ſtrength, deliver my ſoul from the Sword, my ſoul, I ſay, which is only dear to me, from the power of the Dogg. Save me from the Lyons mouth, from my Adverſary the Devil, that goes about like a roaring Lyon ſeeking whom he may devour, and hear me, and frée me from the hands of Tyrants.
This if thou ſhalt do for me, Vers. 22 as I certainly believe thou wilt, then I will appear before thee in the great Congregation, then I will declare thy Name, thy Power, thy Goodneſs, to all my brethren, to thoſe who are bone of my bone, and fleſh of my fleſh, to all thoſe who are partakers of the ſame Covenant, and of the ſame ſpirit with me, I will fréely and openly profeſs and praiſe thée, Before thée, and of thée ſhall I make my boaſt in the moſt frequent Aſſemblies of thy Servants. Thy praiſe ſhall ever be in my mouth, and thoſe ſacrifices of thankſgiving, which I have vowed, theſe I will pay in the preſence of all thy people.
And I will call to my brethren to ioyn with me, ſaying, O ye of the ſeed of Jacob, that fear the Lord; and, O all ye of the ſeed of Iſrael, that imitate his faith and piety, praiſe the Lord, glorifie my and your God; fall low before him, adore and worſhip him, for he hath not deſpiſed nor abhorred the affliction of me a poor afflicted, deſpiſed wretch, neither hath he hid his face from me, but when I cryed unto him, he heard me.
O Lord, thou heardſt thy Son when he pray'd for himſelf, hear him, we beſéech thée, Vers. 16 when he prayes for us. And look nor upon us as we are in our ſelves wretched, polluted creatures, but look upon the face of thine anointed, behold his hands and his féet digg'd through with nayls for our ſake, behold his blood poured out like water, and all his ſinews ſtretched upon the Croſs, and his bones put out of joint, conſider his bitter Agony, in which, as if he had béen near ſome furnace, he fell into a ſweat, and melted into drops of blood, when thou hidd'ſt thy face, affordeſt him no comfort, when in bitterneſs of ſoul being forſaken by thee, he complain'd and cryed, My God, my God: Remember how for us he became the reproach of men, Vers. 1 and the out-caſt of the people, Vers. 7 how they laugh'd him to ſcorn, and ſhak'd their heads at him, forget not thoſe Bulls, thoſe Lyons, thoſe Doggs, that came about him to devour him, and when they had brought him to the duſt of death, they parted his garments among them, and caſt lots upon his veſture. O let not this blood be ſpilt in vain, but for theſe ſufferings unknown to us, but felt by him, have pity upon us, and ſave us.
Since he hath given his ſoul a Sacrifice for ſin, Iſa. 53.divide him a portion with the great, and let him divide the ſpoil with the ſtrong, becauſe he hath poured out his ſoul to death, and was numbred with the tranſgreſſours, and bare the ſins of many, let him ſee his ſeed, let him prolong his dayes, and let the pleaſure of the Lord proſper in his hand: Since he hath borne our iniquities, and made interceſſion for the tranſgreſſours, let him ſee of the travail of his ſoul, and be ſatisfied, and let this thy righteous Servant juſtifie many.
Let all the ends of the world remember themſelves, Vers. 27 mourn and deplore their former eſtate, lament for their impiety, and forſaking their lewd converſation, be turned unto the Lord, and let all the kindreds of the Nations, inſtead of the creature, worſhip the Creatour. For thine, O Chriſt, is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory, and thou by the meritorious Death and Paſſion, Vers. 28 haſt merited to be the governour among the Nations. A ſeed even of the Gentiles ſhall ſerve thee, they ſhall be counted to the Lord for a generation. Vers. 26 Theſe are the méek upon earth, theſe are the poor in ſpirit, theſe are the contrite and broken-hearted. To theſe thou haſt ſent the glad tidings of the Goſpel, for theſe thou haſt prepared a banquet of thine own fleſh and blood. Oh give us grace ſo to eat thy fleſh, and drink thy blood, that we may eat and be ſatisfied, and being fill'd, with joy of heart, we may praiſe thée, that we ſéek to thée, and pleaſe thée, and our conſciences being quieted, and ſecured by this repaſt, we may acquieſce and live in the perſwaſion of thy peace and reconciliation for ever.
O let the fat on earth, the greateſt, the richeſt, the mightyeſt Princes and Potentates on earth, long after this food, and in teſtimony of their faith and Religion, eat, adore, and worſhip. Theſe, even theſe muſt go down to the duſt, for no man can keep alive his own ſoul. Let theſe then, together with all other Mortals, bow their knées at the Name of Ieſus, and come and eat this ſpiritual meat, that they may live for ever.
Thou, O Iehovah, art our righteouſneſs, this will we declare to a people that ſhall be born, our childrens children ſhall know, that thou alone haſt done this for us, that thou haſt redéemed us, that thou alone art the Authour and Finiſher of our juſtice and ſalvation, that thou doeſt juſtifie, thou doeſt ſanctifie thy people, and wilt ſave them by the meritorious Death and Paſſion of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And therefore for this we will declare thy Name unto our brethren, we will praiſe thee, we will glorifie thee, we will fear, adore, and worſhip thee. Our praiſe ſhall be of thee in the great Congregation, and we will pay our vows before them that fear thee for ever and ever. Amen.