Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 2 · Psalm 72
PSAL. LXXII. foreign.
DAƲID being near his death, makes his prayer for his ſon Solomon, that he may be a juſt, peaceable, and great King, and his Subjects happy under his Government. But this is but the ſhell of the Pſalm, for the kernel is Christ, and his Kingdom, under whom righteouſneſs, peace, and felicity ſhall flouriſh, and unto whom all Nations ſhall do homage for ever and ever.
The parts of the Pſalm are,
1. The Petition, verſ. 1.
2. The general expreſs of the Qualities of this Kingdom, verſ. 2, 3, 4.
3. The particular unfolding of theſe in the effects, from verſ. 4. to 18.
4. The Doxology, from verſ. 18. to 20.
1. The firſt part. He prayes for Solomon.David being taught by experience how hard a matter it is to govern a Kingdom well, prayes to God for aſſiſtance to his ſon Solomon, to whom, being to dye, he was to leave his Crown and Scepter.
1. Give the King thy judgements, O Lord; Vers. 1 The true knowledge of thy Law.This granted the effects will be,
2. And thy righteouſneſs to the Kings ſon: That he may not decline to the right or left hand, but judge ex aquo & bono. Adminiſter thy juſtice. Judge for God.The ſecond part.
2. For then this will follow.
1. Juſtice will flouriſh in his Kingdom. 1Juſtice.He ſhall judge thy people with righteouſneſs, and thy poor with judgement. Vers. 2
2. And peace alſo, and proſperity. The Mountains, i. e. 2Peace.The chief Magiſtrates, and the little hills, the leſſer officers, Vers. 3 ſhall bring peace to the people. 2. But by righteouſneſs. For juſtice upholds the world. Opus juſtitiae pax.
3. And now he proceeds to unfold himſelf upon the two former generals; The third part. The effects of juſtice.firſt of juſtice, then of peace. 1. Of juſtice he aſſigns two effects.
1. The defence of good men. He ſhall judge the poor of the people, he ſhall ſave the children of the needy. Vers. 4
2. The revenge of the ill. He ſhall break in pieces the oppreſſor.2Of peace.
The Conſequents of peace are,
1. Fear and reverence, and the ſervice of God. They ſhall fear thee, Vers. 5 as long as the Sun and Moon endures, throughout all generations.
2. Plenty and abundance. Vers. 6 He ſhall come down as the rain upon mowen graſs, that cauſeth it to ſhoot again, and as ſhowers that water the earth.
3. Proſperity of good men. In his time ſhall the righteous flouriſh, Vers. 7 and abundance of peace ſo long as the Moon endureth.
4. Now he ſhews the amplitude and greatneſs of this Kingdom, 2The Amplitude of Solomons, or rather of Chriſts Kingdom.which will not be ſo true of Solomon, as of Chriſt and his Kingdom.
1. His Kingdom will be very large. He ſhall have dominion from Sea to Sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.
2. His Subjects many; ſome of which ſhall willingly, others againſt their wills, obey him. They that dwell in the Wilderneſs, ſhall bow before him. 2. His enemies ſhall lick the duſt. Croutch at his feet, low to the earth.
3. Homage ſhall be done to him by Aſian, Europaan, and Arabian Princes.
1. The Kings of Tarſhiſh, and of the Iſles, ſhall bring preſents: The Kings of Sheba and Seba ſhall offer gifts.
2. Nay, all Kings ſhall fall down before him, all Nations ſhall ſerve him.
5. He ſets down divers excellent qualities of this King.
1. He ſhould be foreign, ready to good, 3The qualities of the King.a gracious Lord to the meaneſt Subject. For he ſhall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor alſo, and him that hath no helper. Vers. 12
2. He ſhould be foreign, far from loading his Subjects with exactions, Vers. 13 burdens, penalties. He ſhall ſpare the poor, and ſhall ſave the ſoul of the needy.
3. Vers. 14 Far from all tyranny. For he ſhall redeem their ſoul from deceit and violence.
4. Far from ſhedding innocent blood. And precious ſhall their blood be in his ſight.
6. 4The gratitude of his Subjects.And as he ſhall be kind and loving to his Subjects, ſo ſhall his Subjects ſhew great love and affection to him.
1. Vers. 15 They ſhall pray for his life. He ſhall live.
2. They ſhall offer him preſents. And to him ſhall be given of the gold of Arabia.
3. They ſhall pray for him. Prayer alſo ſhall be made for him continually.
4. The motive to their gratitude.They ſhall ſpeak well of him. Dayly ſhall he be praiſed.
7. And that which in all likelyhood might move them to it, was, that beſides the equity and juſtice, love and kindneſs he ſhew'd to all, they found that under him they were in a happy condition, they enjoyed a very great plenty and abundance of all things.The plenty they enjoyed under him.
1. For the earth brought forth corn in abundance, not ſo much as the Mountains, Vers. 16 but afforded them an ample Harveſt; There ſhall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top, the higheſt part of the Mountains. The fruit even there ſhall ſhake, ſtand ſo thick, that the ears bruſh one againſt another, as the trees in Lebanon.
2. And the Kingdom ſhall abound in people. They of the City ſhall flouriſh as graſs upon the earth; Which is thick ſet, and green.
In a word, Which moved them to love his Memory.this King ſhall be ſo dear unto his people, that they ſhall love his name living, and honour his memory when he is dead, and continue it to all poſterities.
1. Vers. 17 His name ſhall endure for ever. His name ſhall be continued, as long as the Sun.
2. Men ſhall be bleſſed in him. God bleſs thee, as he did Solomon.
3. All Nations ſhall call him bleſſed: acknowledge his happineſs, and wiſh a bleſſing to themſelves after Solomons example.
3. The third part. The Doxology.In the cloſe of the Pſalm, according to his manner, he gives thanks. For taking into his conſideration the happineſs that was to accrue unto his people under ſuch a King, even when he was laid up in his grave. He breaks forth,
1. Vers. 18 Bleſſed be the Lord God, the God of Iſrael, which only doth wondrous things; for indeed ſuch a King is a wonder, and 'tis the grace and Spirit of God that muſt make him ſo.
2. And again. Bleſſed be his glorious Name for ever.
3. Vers. 19 And that not in Judea alone, but all the world over. And let the whole earth be fill'd with his glory. Amen. Amen.
The Prayers of David the Son of Jeſſe, Vers. 20 are ended. Of which
1. Some, and moſt judge that this was the laſt Prayer David made.
2. Jumus, that it was ſo the laſt, that it is abſolutely the laſt, and thoſe that follow, were compoſed by ſome other. And adds, Haec eſt mea ſententia. But Bellarmine runs as wide another way, affirming, that all the Pſalms were compoſed by David.
The Prayer collected out of the ſeventy ſecond Pſalm.
O Merciful God, Vers. 1 the fountain and giver of all good things, give unto our Solomon, whom thou haſt ſet to be King over thy people, an underſtanding heart, grant that the equity of thy Law may alwayes be before his face; commit unto this ſon of our King, thy power of judicature, and let him alwayes bear in his mind that he is in thy place, and judgeth for thée, whoſe ſentence is righteous, and execution juſt. For ſo long as he ſhall be guided by thy righteouſneſs, he will rule thy elect people with equity, and thy poor, Vers. 2 that are left to thy care, and depend on thée with a righteous decrée.
Grant, that all thoſe who are Magiſtrates under him, be they Mountains, Vers. 3 or lower Hills, in a higher, or a lower order, may receive from above, and from his example peace and juſtice, and adminiſter both ſo unto thy people, that all unjuſtice boing removed, thy people may lead a peaceable and quiet life, under this King, in all godlineſs and honeſty.
Then ſhall proſperity and plenty again dwell in our Land, Vers. 5 then ſhall righteouſneſs and peace once more kiſs each other, Vers. 6 then ſhall thy fear and ſervice which is now neglected and derided, return unto us. Verſ. 7 Let him come to us as rain upon the mow'd graſs, and as the ſhowers that water the thirſty earth, Vers. 15 that the Righteous may flouriſh, and the Oppreſſor be broken to pieces. Vers. 16 For him we make our prayer, that he may live, and they of the City under him, flouriſh like graſs upon the earth.
But this King and Kingdom is nothing in compariſon of that of thy dear Son our Lord and Saviour, for the advance then, and proſperity of that, we offer up our prayers unto thée. O let thy Kingdom come. Vers. 4
He, we are aſſured, ſhall judge the poor of thy people, he ſhall ſave the children of the needy from the violence of their oppreſſor, and ſhall break in pieces the ſlanderer and accuſer of thy people, that impious and accurſed Tyrant the Devil.
When he was pleaſed to deſcend to this great work, Vers. 6 his coming was new and wonderful. He came as the rain into Gideons fléece of wooll, without noyſe, without any alteration in the fléece: ſo thy Son, the man from heaven, by a new and unheard of manner, deſcended into the Virgins womb, neither corrupting her Virginity by his ingreſs, nor violating her modeſty by his egreſs. This was the firſt ſtep it pleaſed him to take to his Crown, and in this inſenſibly he deſcends ſtill, that he may reign in the hearts of his people.
O let then thoſe ſwéet dews and drops of grace flow into our dry, earthy hearts, that they may mollifie and make them fruitful, that whereas before we brought forth the fruits of the fleſh, we may now abound in the fruits of the Spirit.
Before his coming, injuſtice and iniquity prevailed in the world, there were as many Religions as Nations, for men walked in, their own wayes, Vers. 7 in his dayes it ſhall be otherwiſe: O Lord, therefore raiſe up thy power, and come amongſt us, that all iniuſtice being put to flight, righteouſneſs may flouriſh; and iniquity chaſed away, holineſs may take place, and war, and contention, and ſtrife, and hatred, being baniſh'd from among men, there may be abundance of peace ſo long as the Moon endureth.
It is the honour of thy Kingdom, that it is eſtabliſhed in equity and peace; Oh that it might be increaſed and inlarged! Vers. 8 It would be the very joy of our hearts to ſee thy dominion extended from Sea to Sea, and from the river to the end of the earth, that as all power is given unto thee in heaven and earth, ſo all knees might bow unto thy name, and every tongue confeſs, that Jeſus is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let the people that dwell in the Wilderneſs, bow before thee, and thoſe, Vers. 9 who were formerly thy enemies, and inhabit the farther parts of the earth, Vers. 10 become homagers unto thee, and in ſign of obedience and ſubjection to thy power, bow themſelves at thy feet, Vers. 11 and kiſs the very ground on which thou treadeſt. Let the Kings of Tarſhiſh, and thoſe that remain in the Iſlands, bring thee preſents, and let the deceiv'd Princes of Arabia and Saba in a reverent and humble manner, offer thee honourable gifts. O let all Kings fall down before thee, and all Nations become thy voluntary Servants. Neither ſhall it ever repent any man of this his profeſſion, and reverent ſubmiſſion to thy Scepter, ſince as it is thy office, ſo alſo thou wilt deliver the needy when he cryeth, thou wilt ſpare the poor, thou wilt ſave and redeem their ſouls from deceit and violence.
O Lord, we are thy people, poor and needy, deſtitute of all true goodneſs, weak and oppreſſed by the cruel power and impetuous tyranny of the enemy of man-kind the devil, Vers. 13 among men there is none to help us, among Angels there is not one who can deliver us, Vers. 14 and ſave us; an object we are fit for thy power and mercy, out of meer compaſſion ariſe for us, to thee we cry, upon thes we call, deliver theſe poor and needy ſouls of ours from ſlavery and bondage, from the heavy and bitter yoke of this Oppreſſor. Be not ſevere and harſh to us that are thy Subjects, but out of thy clemency ſpare us, pardon the errors of thoſe who are of an humble ſpirit, and paſs by the tranſgreſſions of thoſe who do acknowledge their own weakneſſes and diſabilities, look unto thy people that are of a broken heart, and ſave their ſouls from ſin, from death, from the curſe of the Law, from all evil.
O thou Saviour of the world, which didſt purchaſe that name with the price of thy own precious blood, redeem thy people from deceit and violence. The deceits and baits of ſin are many, with which we are too often taken, the allurements of the world more, with which we are bewitch'd, the violences and aſſaults of the Prince that rules in the air, moſt powerful, to whom we too too often yield our ſelves captive. O thou Redéemer of man-kind, redéem our ſouls we beſéech thée from this tyranny and baſe ſlavery. Let not ſin reign in our mortal bodies, that we obey it in the luſts thereof. But as thou haſt ſhed thy blood to redéem us from this vaſſalage, ſo let us be no longer flaves to ſin and Satan, but deliver us from this bondage, frée us from this tyranny, and as we have fornierly ſerded our luſts, ſo hereafter let us ſerve thée in righteouſneſs and holineſs all the dayes of our life.
Then ſhall we hope for proſperity in our wayes, Vers. 16 and thy bleſſing upon our labours, the handfulls of corn we ſow upon the tops of the hills, ſhall yield us a plentiful increaſe, and the ears ſhall be ſat, thick, and full, like the plenty of Lebanon; our Cities ſhall be full of people, and our people flouriſh as the graſs, which clothes and covers the ground with a pleaſing gréenneſs.
O bleſſed Saviour, live for ever, and of thy Kingdom let there be no end. To thée, and to the advancement of thy ſervice and honour, let men bring of the gold of Arabia, never let them think any thing too rich, too good for thée. Let thy Temples be had in honour, and thou alone honour'd in thy Temples. There let men bow with reverence. There let prayer and interceſſions be made continually to thée. And there let men offer the Sacrifice of praiſe and thanks. And thou, O King of Saints, who ſits at the right-hand of thy Father, receive the hymns which are preſented in thy name, hear, and hearken to, and hearken to, and grant thoſe petitions which thy people ſhall offer for the proſperity of thy Kingdom, and the good ſucceſſes of thy Goſpel.
O let thy name be praiſed, and the praiſe thereof endure for ever, and let thy Fathers name be honour'd in thée as long as the Sun ſhall rejoice as a Gyant to run his courſe. And according to thy promiſe made unto Abraham, in thée let all the Nations of the earth be bleſſed with ſpiritual and everlaſting bleſſings. Him, O everlaſting Father, thou haſt bleſſed and glorified, and in him and for him bleſs and glorifie us.
Bleſſed be the Lord God, the God of Iſrael, for he alone by his own power hath done theſe wonderful things for us; He is our King, and he ſaves, and he delivers; and he redéems, and he ſpares his people, pardoning our offences, and paſſing by our iniquities; right precious in his ſight is the blood of his Saints.
Let his name be praiſed, and had in perpetual remembrance, and let the Majeſty of his power, the greatneſs of his mercy, and the mercy of his righteouſneſs be glorious for ever and ever, and let the whole earth be fill'd with his Glory. Amen. Amen.
The end of the ſecond book of the Pſalms, according to the Hebrews.