Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 3 · Psalm 73
PSAL. LXXIII. foreign.
THE Prophet ſhews the grief that good men ſuſtain at the proſperity of the wicked, and at the preſſures of the godly, and how bitter a tentation this is; but at laſt conſulting the Will of God, he finds, and acknowledgeth, that the felicity of wicked men ends in infelicity, and the croſſes of the godly are the way to happineſs, with which conſideration he quiets his troubled ſoul.
Let then the Queſtion be, Who is the happy man, whether the godly or ungodly? he that ſerves God with a pure heart; or he that ſerves his belly and lusts? And the parts of the Pſalm will be in general, Are theſe:
1. The Arguments produced for the happineſs of the wicked, from ver. 1. to 10.
2. The impreſſion theſe Arguments make too often in a carnal mind, ver. 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
3. The Rejection of thoſe impreſſions and doubts, 15, 16, 17.
4. The Refutation of thoſe former Arguments, that for thoſe the wicked were not to be accounted happy, ver. 18, 19, 20.
5. The Prophets cenſure and condemnation of himſelf for his former judgment, ver. 21, 22.
6. His full reſolution of the doubt after the full examination of the Reaſons on both ſides, that it is happineſs only to cleave to God, and therefore the wicked, however they flo…h, are unhappy, from ver. 23. to the end.
The Prophet, before he falls to debate the queſtion, The firſt part. A Paradox.premiſeth this Paradox or Probleme, Truly, or, But God is loving or good to Iſrael: 2. And that he be not miſtaken in it, he warily limits it, viz. that be means not all Iſrael, Ver. 1 not every one that carries the name; But thoſe who are of a clean heart: Iſraelites indeed, That God is good to Iſrael. viz. the ſincere-hearted.as was Nathanael.
And this he premiſeth for a Truth, though at firſt ſight a ſtrange on, praeter opinionem vulgi, as are all Paradoxes; and it ſeems before he durſt pronounce it, he had a long debate with himſelf, and ſtrugled with fleſh and blood, heard all that could be ſaid to the contrary (much of which he after expreſſes) and yet he is bold to utter, and reſolute to ſtick to this concluſion, Truly God is good to Iſrael: David tempted to think otherwiſe, which wrought much upon him.Much debate there was, as I ſaid, betwixt him and his ſoul, before he came to reſolve; and the temptations to the contrary, as it ſeems, were very ſtrong; ſo much he confeſſeth in the two following verſes.
1. But as for me, my feet were almoſt gone, my ſteps had well …gh ſlipt: Ver. 2 The Argument on the contrary ſide, had near drawn him to a contrary opinion, near made him reſolve that God is not good to Iſrael.
2. Ready to breed in him envy, emulation, vexation, Ver. 3 and perturbation of ſpirit: For I was envious at the fooliſh.The Argument, was their preſent proſperity
Now the main Argument was, The peace, the proſperity, the ſucceſſes of wicked perſons: I well nigh ſlipt, I grew envious, Ver. 3 when I ſaw the prosperity of the wicked. A ſharp tentation, as appears, not only in this place, but Jarem. 12.1, 2. Job 21.7, &c.The ſecond part. This amplified,
Now this proſperity of the wicked is amplified by a long Narration, and ſhewed in many particulars to the tenth verſe, and that two wayes: Negatively. 2. Affirmatively.
1. Negatively.1Negatively.
1. There are no bands in their death, but their ſtrength is firm; the ſenſe diverſe. Ver. 4
1. Either not vexed with ſharp diſeaſes, ſo that they have foreign, an eaſie death.
2. Or their death not haſtned by misfortunes, adverſities, calamities.
3. Or elſe by their riches they extricate themſelves from the bonds of all Laws, by which otherwiſe they ought to dye; and therefore their strength is firm; for by the power of their purſe, there is nothing which they cannot do.
2. Ver. 5 They are in no trouble like other men, neither are they plagued like other men. In troubles they are, and plagued they may be, but not like other men.
1. Incumbrances of wife, children, houſhold affairs, victuals, &c. lie on other men.
2. Famine, war, peſtilence invade others; but they living in proſperity, have means to avoid the firſt, and find means to eſcape the extremities of the laſt.
Then affirmatively he ſhews what follows upon their proſperity, 2Affirmatively.and to the life ſets out unto us their manners: Vermis divitiarum ſuperbia; Therefore,
1. They are divelliſh proud, Pride compaſſeth them about, as with a chain: As their Chains of Gold compaſs their necks, He expreſſeth their manners.ſo pride ſurrounds their hearts; or, they are catenati, as ſlaves in chains, ſo are they bond-ſlaves of pride.
2. 1Inwardly.And guilty they are of that, which commonly accompanies pride, viz. Violence, Tyranny, Oppreſſion; Violence covereth them as a Garment: They are involved, and wrap't up in it, and hope to keep themſelves warm by it.
3. 2Outwardly.Pride and fierceneſs are their internal qualities, and now the Prophet ſhews how they are manifeſted outwardly, in their geſture, apparrel, gate, ſpeech.
1. Ver. 7 Their pride is ſeen in their eyes, Their eyes ſwell with fatneſs.
2. Then in their words, They paſs the thoughts of the heart; on this he ſtayes.
1. They ſpeak againſt the poor: For they are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppreſſion: foreign, They impudently boaſt of their Theft and Rapine. 2. They speak loftily, They ſpeak with Authority, think of others words nothing to theirs.
2. They ſpeak againſt God; For they ſet their months against the Heavens.
3. Their tongue walks through the Earth; They intermeddle, and labour to have an oar in all Kingdoms, no Law of God or man holds them.
This impreſſion the proſperity of the wicked may ſometimes make even upon a conſiderate and good man; This their proſperity produceth a dangerous effect on the vulgar.but upon the common man, and ſottiſh multitude, the tentation produceth a far more dangerous effect; in them it brings forth,
1. Faction, and part taking in miſchief; therefore his people are turned hither; i. e. 1Faction.becauſe they have money to feed them, they behold them ſucceſsful, therefore his people, i. e. Thoſe who profeſs Religion, turn to them, ſide with them, fight for them: 2. And they again pay them well, Waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
2. 2Atheiſm.Atheiſm and Blaſphemy, Heſitation of Gods Providence, nay, a plain denial of it.
1. They ſay, how doth God know? as if they had ſaid, They are fools which think God takes care of things below, and what every one does in this World.
2. Nay, how can he, he is in excelſo, on high, and how can he know what's done here? What, is there knowledge in the moſt High?
3. 3Extream folly.Extreme folly; for they collect, That God cares not for things below, becauſe theſe men are ungodly, and yet they proſper in the World, and increaſe in riches.
1. In this yet they are wiſe, that they can diſcern betwixt piety and impiety.
2. In this alſo, that they think it juſt, Ʋt bonis benè, ut malis malè, à Deo fiat.
3. In this lies their folly, that they know not, that eternal happineſs is reſerv'd as a portion, an inheritance for the juſt; and that the happineſs which the Earth can afford, is a common commodity, alotted to men in general, nay, to beaſts alſo.
Hitherto the Prophet hath diſputed the Theſis, as far as it makes againſt him, and may ſeem to ſpeak for the felicity of a wicked man, together with the impreſſions their proſperity makes at firſt on ſome good men, and generally on the vulgar and the multitude.
1. But now he deſcends to ſpeak of the other part, and to prove, The third part. The carnal concluſion made out of the premiſes.that notwithſtanding all that had or could be ſaid, yet the good and godly perſon is the ſole happy man: To which, before he comes directly, he repeats again his tentation to think otherwiſe, confeſſes his weakneſs, and how far it wrought upon him; if this be ſo, then all my ſtudy of Religion is in vain: 2. All my ſufferings are to no purpoſe, 'tis all folly, 'tis all vanity.
1. Verily I have cleanſed my heart in vain, and waſhed my hands in innocency. Ver. 13
2. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chaſtned every morning.
2. Then next he ſhews by a Dilemma, He reſolves the queſtion. But not by reaſon that too weak to do it; His Arguments are.the way he took how to find out the reſolution of this queſtion; and two wayes he propoſed, firſt, that of Reaſon, and he condemns it by a double Argument; the firſt drawn, ab abſurdo: The ſecond, ab impoſſibili.
1. If I ſay, I will speak thus; Thus, as ver. 13, 14. That I have cleanſed my heart in vain, that no man can be happy under the Croſs, Behold, I ſhould offend againſt the Generation of thy children; Ver. 5 for all theſe were plagued and chaſtned, and yet all theſe cleanſed their hearts, 1Ab abſurdo.and were innocent; 'tis abſurd then to affirm this.
2. If I examine this again in the balance of Reaſon, 2Ab impoſſibili.That good men ſhould be under the Croſs, and yet happy, it ſeemed to me impoſſible to be true, let Reaſon be Judge, and the quite contrary will appear, viz. that thoſe who have power, authority, wealth, health, are the happy men; Ver. 16 and therefore the Prophet adds, When I thought to know this, viz. by the ſtrength of Reaſon and Diſcourſe, it was too painful, too hard and difficult for me.
3. Irreſolved then he was, and ſo ſhall any other about this point, Ver. 17 till he conſults with God, and the Oracle of his Word, Being then irreſolved from Reaſon. He conſults with God, and finds their end miſerable.there he ſhall find a remedy; in his Book, and the School of Chriſt, what ſhall quiet the paſſions and tumults of his ſoul, there it is to be learned, and not from fleſh and blood; this he confeſſes, I underſtood nothing in this point, untill I wont into the Sanctuary of God, for then I underſtood the end of theſe men: By the end of life a man is to judge of any mans happineſs; for ante obitum nemo, &c. To their end then we are to look, and by that to judge; What is their end then? that Gods Book here teacheth.
1. Be it that they are ſet on high, yet their felicity is unſtable and uncertain; Surely, Thou O God, Thou raiſeſt them thither, but then, 1Their felicity unſtable.Thou ſetteſt them in ſlippery places; They can have no certain ſtay and ſtanding for their feet.
2. Under them is a great Gulf and Precipice, 2They caſt down.and God not only humbles them, for that ſometimes befals good men; But theſe thou caſts down to deſtruction, proſternis ut intereant.
3. Their ruine is not vulgar and common, nor delayed long, but ſudden, and unlooked for, which the Prophet intimates by his Exclamation, How are they conſumed, and brought to deſolation, 3Unexpectedly, ſuddenly.as in a Moment?
4. Add to this, That their deſtruction is terrible, and full of amazement, 4Their ruine fearful.both to others that behold it, and to themſelves, being troubled with the affrights of a guilty conſcience, and the fear of the wickedneſs that purſues them: They are utterly conſumed with terrours, as Judas, Saul, Cain, Nero, Julian, &c.
So that all their happineſs in this World was but a vain, empty thing, like a dream, Their happineſs then is vain.which ſimilitude is explained, Iſa. 29.7, 8. As a dream when one awaketh, ſo, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou ſhalt deſpiſe, and make contemptible their image, totam foreign, all their pomp and great ſhew.
4. The fourth part. Upon it he confeſſeth his weakneſs that tempted.And now the Prophet begins ingeniouſly to acknowledge his weakneſs and infirmity in the debating this queſtion betwixt him and his own Reaſon; he takes all the fault to himſelf, and clears God.
1. He confeſſeth that he was tranſported with indignation, animoſity, and fretfulneſs at it; 1By animoſityThus my heart was, is not now, grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
2. 2By ignoranceHe confeſſeth his folly, ignorance, brutiſhneſs about it; So fooliſh was I, and ignorant, I was as a beaſt before thee; in this point I knew no more than a bruit beaſt.
3. 3And ſhews the difference of good & bad men under the Croſs.He comforts himſelf in Gods goodneſs and preſence, ſhewing, that though he be in trouble, and under the Croſs (which is the lot of the godly) yet there is a great deal of difference betwixt their troubles, and thoſe of the wicked; for,
1. They are not neglected and deſerted; Nevertheleſs, I am continually with thee.
2. Thou haſt holden me by my right hand; As a Father thou leadeſt me by the hand.
3. Thou directeſt me with thy counſel; by thy Word and Spirit.
4. And after receive me to Glory; Here I may be vilified, but one day glorified; yea, and if thou ſeeſt it good, raiſed to honour, glory, and promotion in this life.
5. The fifth part. His reſolution upon it.And now being as it were, raviſhed with the contemplation of Gods Providence, and certainty of his good will toward him, in an ardent affection he breaks forth, expreſſing how reſolute he is, ſay fleſh and blood what it will, in all his troubles to ſtick and cleave faſt to his God.
1. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? What God beſide, what Angel or Saint to be my hope?
2. And there is none upon earth I deſire beſides thee; They are miſerable comforts and comforters, I nauſeate all in Heaven or Earth in compariſon of thee.
3. I confeſs through weakneſs, I am often tempted to ſee the proſperity of the wicked; and when I feel my ſelf preſſed with miſeries, poverty, violence, wrongs, ſo that my fleſh and my heart faileth.
4. And the concluſions he draws thence. The ſixth part.But through confidence and hope in thee, I quickly revive and recover: God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
6. Now two concluſions I have learned from this tentation and debate.
1. That they that are far from thee, ſhall periſh; Thou haſt deſtroyed all that go a whoring from thee.
2. That it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my truſt in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works; Thy works in governing and defending thy Church in this life, and rewarding thy ſervants with glory.
The Prayer collected out of the ſeventy third Pſalm.
O Lord God of Iſrael, who ſits above the Cherubims, and yet caſts thy eyes down to behold all things that are in the Earth, wiſely diſpenſing, and ſecretly governing, and by thy Providence and ſecret counſel diſpoſing of the Affairs of this World; in all humility I preſent my ſelf before thy Throne, intreating thée to forget, and to forgive the diſorderly paſſions of my ſoul, and the ſecret whiſpers of my heart, by which I have béen tempted to doubt of thy Wiſdom and Providence.
When I have ſéen the proſperity of wicked men, Ver. 3 I confeſs my heart hath grown hot within me, my ſoul hath béen moved with envy at their peace, and with indignation at their ſucceſſes; angry I have béen, That their ſtrength is firm; That they ſhould be fréed from the troubles of famine, cold, wearineſs, and the ſharp pangs and cruelty of death, to which thy beſt ſervants are ſubject, and which they ſuffer; their pride is intolerable, their violence bottomed on their wealth, impudent they are, and their thoughts impious, their words lofty; For they ſet their mouth againſt Heaven, and their tongues walk through the Earth, endeavouring to aunul or change the Laws of God and man, theſe are the ungodly, and theſe proſper in the World, theſe are they that increaſe in riches.
Yea, and this proſperity of their's (I confeſs it to my own ſhame) prevailed ſo far upon me, that I forgot my ſelf, Ver. 2 and thy Covenant of mercies made with thy ſervants, upon it my féet were almoſt gone from that confidence I had in thée my God, and my treadings had well nigh ſlip't from the ſtudy of vertue, and practice of piety, I was even ready to ſay, Verily then have I cleanſed my heart in vain, and waſhed my hands in innocency. Ver. 13
Eſpecially when I ſaw how the whole World ran after them, how the multitude clove to them, applauded their wayes, bleſſed their happineſs, yea, Ver. 10 even then, when they impiouſly blaſpheme, How doth God know what we do in the Earth? Is there any knowledge or care of theſe worldly buſineſſes in the moſt High?
Thus my heart was grieved and diſquieted, and my very reins within me were ſorely pricked: The felicity, wealth, and flouriſhing eſtate of wicked men, made ſo déep impreſſion upon my ſoul, that I was tempted with thoughts of falling to them, and to tread thoſe ſteps they had chalked to my happineſs: So fooliſh was I, and ignorant, even as it were, a beaſt before thee.
Being in this perplexity of ſoul, and agony of ſpirit, I caſt about which way to come to a reſolution. I conſulted my own heart, but found no comfort, my own reaſon was too dark, and fleſh and blood too weak to give me ſatisfaction, why the wicked ſhould flouriſh, be rich and mighty, and the good man plagued all the day long, and chaſtned every morning; when I thought to know this, it was too hard and painful for me: Again, I ſaid, if I ſpeak thus, that the good man is miſerable, and the ungodly happy, then I ſhall condemn of vanity the whole Generation of thy children, who have béen ſtudious of piety, denied themſelves, and taken up their Croſs, and followed thée.
Being thus toſſed with theſe waves of diſcomfort, I found no aſſurance of reſt, untill I went into the Sanctuary of God, entred thy School, and addicted my ſelf wholly to learn thy will, and thy wayes; for then I plainly underſtood the end of theſe, whom the World, and their own corrupt heart accounted the ſole happy men; that their felicity was but momentary, their end fearful, their proſperity as a dream, that the temporal things in which they gloried, their ſole reward, for the bad uſe of which they were like to loſe Heaven, and be tormented for ever.
O my God, make this thy Word good, and as thou haſt ſer them in ſlippery places, ſo let them find no ſtedfaſt ſtanding, let them ſlip and fall, and ſuddenly caſt them down to deſtruction; bring them to deſolation in a moment, and let their conſumption be full of amazement, let the conſcience of their former wickedneſs purſue them at their death, and their end be accompanied with terrours to themſelves and others, even as a dream when one awaketh, vaniſheth ſuddenly, and deceives the man that was detained while he ſlept with a vain and empty delight of what was repreſented; ſo let all their pomp and ſhew of great happineſs be unto them at their latter end, if the remembrance thereof ſerve for any thing, let it be to vex them, that it is paſt and gone, and muſt be exchanged for a never dying torment; For lo, they that depart far from thee, from thy Law, from their Duty, ſhall periſh; and thou wilt deſtroy all thoſe, who leaving thée, the Fountain of living water, have digged to themſelves broken pits that will hold no water, who run a whoring after the creature, and forſake thée their Creator, to whom they ought only to adhere, and be conjoyned in a firm bond of love.
While then other men féed themſelves with the ſhadow of theſe pleaſing dainties, ſo encline my heart, O God, That I may be continually with thee; perſevere and continue thy ſervant, notwithſtanding all tentations to the contrary; and as a good Father, ſo uphold me by my right hand, that I fall not from thée; guide me by thy counſel, thy Spirit, thy Word, and afterward receive me to glory; for whom have I to flie to in Heaven, but thee? To which of the Saints ſhould I turn? and what one of the Angels ſhould I invocate? And when I turn my eyes down upon the Earth, I find every creature ſo unable to make me happy, That they are all vanity, and vexation of ſpirit.
I muſt confeſs my own infirmity, I do acknowledge my own weaknes; when I beheld the proſperity of the wicked, my fleſh and my heart failed: Thy goodneſs it is, that I recovered; for I acknowledge that God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever; with thée I am content, in thee ſatisfied, worldly proſperity, wealth, preferment, honour, power, are a very poor inheritance in compariſon of thée.
I have learned out of the Oracles of thy Word, I have béen inſtructed in thy School, That it is good by faith and love for me to draw near to God, and to commit my ſelf wholly to thy diſpoſe; I will therefore put my whole truſt in the Lord God; and therefore having had an aſſurance of thy mercies, I will declare thy wonderful works, and ſing forth thy praiſes in the Gates of the daughter of Zion, and in the City of Jeruſalem, for ever and ever.