Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 3 · Psalm 76
PSAL. LXXVI. foreign vel Triumphalis.
THE Glory and Power of God is in this Pſalm amply ſet forth in his defence of Jeruſalem and Zion, which were types of his Church; and it hath
Three parts.
1. The Prerogative of Judah and Iſrael, verſ. 1, 2.
2. A Narration of Gods Majeſty in his Church, from verſ. 3. to 11.
3. An Exhortation to worſhip and ſerve God, verſ. 11, 12.
1. 1The Jews Prerogative. The firſt part.In the two firſt verſes is ſet forth the Jews Prerogative above other Nations.
1. Vers. 1 That God was known among them. In Judah is God known.
2. That his Name was great in Iſrael. Great for his manifold deliverance. Vers. 2 Illuſtrious.
3. 2 Gods zeal for his Church.At Salem is his Tabernacle, his Temple, his ſeat of worſhip. His preſence ſingular.
4. His dwelling in Zion. I will dwell in the midſt of them, and I will be their God.
2. The ſecond part.Next he declares Gods power and Majeſty, and vindicating his people, and deſtroying their enemies. There, i. e. at Jeruſalem, before Zion, as in the dayes of Senacherib. Or elſe in the Land of Judah. There brake he the arrows of the bow, By which he ſhew'd himſelf 1. Glorious.the ſhield, and the ſword, and the battail. Selah. By which he became Glorious. 2. And Terrible, verſ. 7.
1. Glorious. Thou art more Glorious and Excellent, viz. among good men, than the Mountains of prey. Than the Kingdoms gotten by violence, murder, and robbery.
And this his glory was made manifeſt in theſe particulars.
1. That they who came to ſpoyl, were ſpoyled. The ſtout-hearted are spoyled.
2. They have ſlept their ſleep. Either dead. Or overtaken with ſo deep a ſlumber, that like men ſurpriz'd by a deep ſleep, and ſuddenly awaked, they were amaz'd, and knew not which way to turn themſelves. Their hands were feeble, their courage loſt.
3. Which he explains in the words following, And none of the men of might have found their hands. foreign. Pind.
4. The cauſe of this conſternation. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the Chariot and Horſe are caſt into a dead ſleep.
Thus God became Glorious and Excellent among good men.2Terrible.
2. Vers. 7 But he became Terrible alſo to wicked men. So Terrible, that
1. Thou, even thou art to be feared, for who may ſtand in thy ſight when thou art angry? None, be he never ſo proud.
2. Vers. 8 Of which this is an evident Argument, Thou didſt cauſe judgement to be heard from heaven. It was ſo in the deſtruction of Senacherib. The earth feared, and was ſtill. Men ſaw it, were amaz'd at it, and put to ſilence.
And this work of God in overthrowing his enemies, The effects of it.and ſaving his Church, he farther amplifies, When God aroſe to judgement, to ſave all the meek of the earth. Vers. 9
The conſequent was this.
1. Surely the wrath of man ſhall praiſe thee; 1Praiſe from the wicked.The fierceneſs and rage of man againſt thy Church, ſhall at laſt turn to thy praiſe; confeſs they ſhall, being conquered by thy hand, that thou art mightier than they; ſo did Pharaoh, This is the finger of God; ſo Julian. foreign.
1. The remainder of wrath ſhalt thou reſtrain; 2And victory.Though they body and rally again, yet thou ſhalt overcome and conquer their fury.
3. In the Cloſe, he exhorts all Gods people to vow him honour, The third part. For which,and to perform their vow.
1. Vow and pay unto the Lord your G…d; let all that are round about him, bring preſents unto him that ought to be feared.All to vow praiſes.
2. And he adds his Reaſon in an Epiphonema.
1. He ſhall cut off the spirits of Princes; Take away from Tyrants their courage and prudence.
2. He is terrible to the Kings of the earth, They ſhall know he is God.
A Pſalm of Thankſgiving after ſome great Victory, collected out of the ſeventy ſixth Hſalm.
O Omnipotent God, and moſt merciful Father, it hath pleaſed thy unſpeakable goodneſs beyond any merit or deſert of our's, Ver. 1 to make thy ſelf known to us in thy Goſpel, and thy Name great and famous in our Iſrael. Declared thou haſt to all Nations, that Salem, the City of peace, is that place where thou wilt ſet up thy Tabernacle, and Mount Sion thy Church, Ver. 2 that habitation, which thou wilt defend from the violent attempts of her malicious enemies.
Our ingratitude no queſtion was very great, and our provocations many, our lives not anſwering to the light of thy Word which thou madeſt ſhine unto us; and becauſe we rebelled againſt thée, therefore this great Army of rebellious men is juſtly riſen up againſt us, who threatned to unroot thy people, and utterly to lay waſte thy Zion: But thou, O Lord, paſſing by our tranſgreſſions, haſt put a hook into the noſe of our enemies, and a bridle into their lips, defended miraculouſly thou haſt thy City Jeruſalem for thy own ſake, and for thy ſervant Davids ſake, our bleſſed Saviour.
There haſt thou broken the ſtrength of the Bowe, Ver. 3 and not ſuffered him to ſhoot an arrow there; in our land thou haſt made void their Shield, dull'd the edge of the Sword, ſcattered their Army: and by thy power diſſolved and brought to nothing all their warlike preparation and ammunition.
When we are compaſſed, as it were, with a darkſom cloud of fear, and even deſpaired of any help and ſuccour, then thou didſt appear in glory, thy excellence then aroſe to ſave us; our aid was from Heaven, our deliverance from above; thy Kingdom eſtabliſhed in righteouſneſs and holineſs, far excéeds that power that is gotten by violence, murder and robbery; therefore they that came to ſpoil us, are ſpoiled, they are conſumed, and have ſlept their ſleep; out of which when they awaked, they have béen amazed, that in their hands, (of ſo much wealth and plunder which they dreamed of) they found nothing; which hapned unto them, not by the courſe and ordinary changes and chances of things in this World, no, nor yet by our force and power, but at thy rebuke, O God of Jacob; by thy command, by the ſeverity of thy judgment, both the Chariot, and thoſe who truſted in it, both the Horſe and his Rider are fallen.
O Lord, Thou, even thou, art terrible; Thou, even thou alone art to be feared, Who is there, though never ſo potent, though defenced with the ſtrongeſt Army, that is able to reſiſt thée, that may ſtand in thy ſight when thou art angry? At this time thou haſt fought from Heaven for us, Thou didſt make all people to hear thy judgments from thence, and the Tyrants of the earth, when they felt the power of thy hand, trembled, and ſhaked at it, their heart melted, and their knées ſmote together, quiet they were, and ſilent, not daring to mutter againſt thée, or againſt thy people.
O Lord, the fierceneſs, the rage, the pride of man ſhall turn to thy praiſe; even thy enemies, the profaneſt men, being humbled by thy judgments, ſhall confeſs thy power, and acknowledge thy hand; ſay they ſhall, This is the finger of God, that thou Lord goeſt before thy people, that thou haſt done it; and their poſterity ſhall by their example be reſtrained from doing any ſuch wickedneſs, and by their fathers puniſhment taught to fear God.
And now, O all ye which are Iſraelites indéed, and perptually ſtand in his preſence, Vow unto your God for this his great mercy, and pay the ſacrifice of praiſe, bring preſents unto him, whom alone you ought to fear and reverence: To him I ſay, vow, and perform your vows, who for your ſake, hath cut off the animoſities, and taken down the courage of Princes, and made it appear, That he will be a terrible God to all the Kings of the earth; to whom be praiſe, to whom be glory now and for ever. Amen.