Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 · Psalm 97
PSAL. CXVII. foreign.
IN this Pſalm David ſets forth Gods power and glory, and being moved by the Spirit of Propheſie, foretels the downfall of Idolators, and the happy eſtate of thoſe who ſerve God with an honeſt heart.
Three parts there are of this Pſalm.
1. A Prophetical deſcription of Chriſts power and glory, eſpecially at the day of judgement, from verſ. 1. to 7.
2. A manifeſt difference put betwixt Idolators, and the people of God. Confuſion he imprecates to the firſt, verſ. 7. And gives notice of the joy of the ſecond, with the reaſons, verſ. 8, 9.
3. He exhorts thoſe that love God, to a good life, encouraging them upon Gods favour, verſ. 10. And upon the joy that is like to follow it, verſ. 11. for which he ſtirs, them up to rejoice, and to be thankful, verſ. 12.
He begins with a Solemn Acclamation, The Lord reigneth: The firſt part. God is the Supreme King.being the ſelf-ſame that he commanded to be proclaimed in the former Pſalm, verſ. 10. As if he had ſaid, By the coming of Chriſt, the Empire of Death, Vers. 1 the Power of the Devil, all Oracles are ſilenc'd, and all Idols deſtroy'd. And he will uſe his Scepter now, and at the day of judgement.Jehovah is become the Supreme King, and all other Kings and Powers, become his Vaſſals and Servants; A benefit ſo great, that he moves the world to be glad of it: Let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of the Iſles, that is, the inhabitants of both, be glad thereof. All men whereſoever, and whatſoever, for if they be oppreſſed by Tyrants, yet the Lord they ſerve is Mightier, the Kingdom is his, all Power in heaven and earth given into his hands, and he can repreſs and bring into order the proudeſt Tyrants. He hath this name written on his thigh, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Rev. 19.16.For the good
2. And 'tis moſt certain, that he will make uſe of his Scepter for the good of his Subjects, and for the confuſion and ruine of their and his enemies, which is often done in this life, but if deferr'd, for ſome reaſons beſt known unto him, yet it ſhall be certainly done at the laſt day, when his appearance will be very terrible, yet comfortable to His.
For,
1. Clouds and darkneſs ſhall be round about him, Vers. 2 as it was when he gave the Law in Sinai.Of his Subjects.
2. Righteouſneſs and Judgement the habitation, the Baſis of his Throne.
1. Righteouſneſs, juſtly to paſs ſentence in the defence of his people. And ſo comfortable to them.
2. Judgement, to be poured out upon his enemies. And ſo a terrible day to them.
3. A fire goeth before him, and burns up his enemies round about. Vers. 3 His lightnings enlightned the world, the earth ſaw it, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the preſence of the Lord, at the preſence of the Lord of the whole earth. For the confuſion of his enemies.In which three verſes are ſet down the terror of that day, as it is deſcribed, Mat. 24 29, &c. 2 Pet. 2.10, &c. Pſal. 18.7, &c. Which fire yet ſhall not hurt the godly, it ſhall burn up only his enemies, as is here ſaid.
4. And at this day, the heavens declare his righteouſneſs, When his appearing ſhall be glorious.when the Lord himſelf ſhall deſcend from heaven with a ſhout, with the voice of the Arch-angel, and the Trump of God, 1 Theſſ. 4. 2. And all people his glory, appearing in the clouds of heaven, with all the Angels about him, when every knee of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, ſhall bow unto him, Phil. 2.
2. Upon the conſideration of Chriſts Soveraignty, The ſecond part. Upon which the Prophet,and his glorious appearance at the laſt day, our Prophet imprecates, and exhorts.
1. He imprecates that confuſion and a curſe may fall upon all Idolators. Confounded be all they that ſerve carved Images; Vers. 7 and boaſt themſelves of Idols. Which is indeed their ſhame.1Imprecates.
2. 2Exhorts.He exhorts. Adore him all ye gods; ye that excell in power on earth, ye Angels that excell in power in heaven, adore, worſhip, invocate, ſubmit to this King. For this was, and ought to be the practice of Gods people.
1. Vers. 8 Sion heard of it, heard that the Lord reigned, that he would come to judge the quick and dead, 3And the people of God exult.that Idolators ſhould be confounded, that Chriſt only was to be adored, and rejoiced at it, and was very well pleaſed with the News, and deſired it ſhould be ſo.
2. Vers. 9 The daughters of Judah, that is, the people of God rejoiced, becauſe of thy judgements, O Lord; did exult, becauſe thou, O Lord; do'ſt judge all men with a juſt judgement.
3. But that which did moſt of all excite and heighten their joy, was, the exaltation of Chriſt to the Throne, that the Lord of Gods people, was now to be the Supreme Lord. Glad they were, becauſe, Thou, O Lord, art high above all the earth, high above all Kings, and earthly Monarchs, that thou art exalted far above all gods, i. e. far above all Angels, who are called gods by participation; and far above all Devils, who are worſhipped as gods by an error of judgement.
3. The third part. The Character by which Gods people may be known.At the eighth verſe he made mention of the Church, and call'd them Zion, he ſpoke of the people of God under the name of the daughters of Judah, and he ſaith, they did exult, and rejoice at it. But that no man footh up himſelf with this Title, for there be many who lay claim to Zion, that belongs not to Zion, and ſeem to rejoice, that Chriſt is King, who wiſh in their hearts it were otherwiſe; Vers. 10 The Prophet ſets down an infallible Character by which the Elect may be known, viz. The Love of God; and the infallible conſequent of it: The Hatred of evil; to which he exhorts, Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.
1. 1They love God.O you that make God your choice, and Christ your King, not feinedly, but truly; not with the lips alone, but with the heart; that fear and worſhip God, not according to the external work, but according to the Spirit of the Law:
2. 2They hate evil.See that ye hate evil; 'tis not ſufficient to fly it, to decline from it, but you muſt deteſt and hate it, which without the work of the heart, will never be done. For the heart is the fountain of all actions, good or bad, from it before God they have their denomination and acceptance. As out of the heart proceeds the love of the chief good, ſo out of the heart again proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, &c. Mat. 15.
And that we lend the eaſier ear to this counſel, The reward for this work.the Prophet propoſeth two great rewards to thoſe that love the Lord, and hate evil.
1. Enemies they have in this life, that hate them, that ſeek to oppreſs th…m, againſt theſe God promiſeth protection, from theſe deliverance.
1. Vers. 10 He preſerveth the ſouls of his Saints, often their lives, but alwayes their ſouls, 1Preſervation.which is a benefit beyond the other. The Accuſer of the brethren ſhall not hurt them.
2. He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked, ſometime out of their hand, that they fall not into it, and ſometime out of their hand, when they are in it. Ovis erepta lupo. Now this is their firſt reward.
2. Vers. 11 A ſecond reward there is in the next verſe. That in their miſeries they ſhall be fill'd with content, 2In miſeries they ſhall find comfort.and find comfort, when they little expected it: but then they muſt be righteous, and upright in heart.
1. 1Light, content.Light is ſown for the righteous; or as the old Tranſlator reads out of the Septuagint. Light is riſen up to the righteous. The diverſity as Moller and Bellarmin…, aroſe out of the nearneſs of the two Hebrew words, Zarahh, and Zarach; Zarahh ſignifying Seminare, and Zarach, oriri. By the firſt the Metaphor is more hard, by the ſecond the more eaſie and ſweet, but the ſence will be the ſame.
1. By light then here is underſtood Gods favour, the light of underſtanding, truth, goodneſs, with the effect of it, or that which ariſeth from it, comfort, content of ſoul, tranquility, peace of conſcience.
2. Now this is ſown, as ſeed, it often times lies hid under the clods, but at laſt it ſhews it ſelf. 2. Or as light is obſcured by ſome cloud, which at length breaks forth, or riſeth to ſome height, as the Sun in the morning. The ſence then is this. Such a time there is, when the juſt man may ſay, Wiſd. 5. 6. The light of righteouſneſs hath not ſhined unto us, and the Sun of righteouſneſs roſe not upon us. The favour of God hath ſeemed to us to be hid, and buried, as it were, in disfavour. But this, ſaith our Prophet, ſhall not be alwayes, the favour of God is ſow'd, and it will ſpring up again; The light of comfort, of peace of conſcience, though it be clouded and darkned, yet it will break forth, and riſe again.
2. Again, There ſhall be gladneſs for the upright in heart. 2Gladneſs of heart.For uprightneſs doth direct, and eſtabliſh the heart, whence there ariſeth an ineffable joy in the conſcience, when a man is a Witneſs to himſelf, that his will is conformable to Gods Will, and all thoſe things, and only thoſe things pleaſe him, which pleaſe his God. Which is the ſecond reward or fruit that he reaps, who loves God, and hates evil.
3. He concludes: ThereforeAnd out of theſe premiſes the Prophet draws his inference and concluſion, which he forms into an advice. Vers. 12 Since light and joy doth ariſe to thoſe who are upright in heart, and that joy is from God. Then
1. You that are juſt, rejoice not in the vanities of this world, 1Rejoice in the Lord.as do the unjuſt, but rejoice in the Lord, who gives you this juſtice, 2Be thankful.and rewards it with this joy.
2. Then again be thankful for it. Give thanks at the remembrance of his holineſs. It is his holineſs, his righteouſneſs, not your own that you carry in your hearts, and ſo often as this comes to your remembrance, bleſs and thank him for it.
The Prayer collected out of the ninty ſeventh Pſalm.
O Omnipotent Lord; I never think of that great day, when I muſt ſtand before thy Tribunal, and render an account of my words, thoughts, and actions, but my heart trembles for fear, and my knees are ready to ſmite one againſt another. Terrible thou wert upon Mount Sinai, when thou gaveſt, and terrible thou wilt be, when thou wilt exact an anſwer for the breach of thy Law. The clouds and thick darkneſs then round about thee, amaze my ſinful ſoul; the fire that ſhall go before thee, Vers. 2 and burn up thine enemies round about thee, flaſheth in my eyes; the lightning darting out of the clouds, Vers. 3 and the earth trembling under me, makes me tremble. Methinks I hear men call to the Mountains to cover them, and the Hills to hide them from the ſeverity of thy wrath, but theſe Rocks of Stone diſſolve and melt as Wax at thy preſence, at thy preſence, O Lord, at the preſence of thee, who art the Lord of the whole earth.
My heart, O Lord, is hard like one of thoſe Rocks, hardned it is by the deceitfulneſs of ſin, ſend down into it the fire of thy holy Spirit, that may diſſolve and melt it as war, and make it apt to receive thy impreſſions of grace; of a hard heart, make it ſoft and tender; of a heart of ſtone, make it a heart of fleſh, that I may hear thy Law and obey it, that I may repent for the breaches of it, and every day judge my ſelf, that I may not be judged of the Lord. Never let that day flip out of my memory, when the heavens ſhall declare thy righteouſneſs, Vers. 6 and all the people ſee thy glory, for then the whole world ſhall ſee the Son of man coming in the clouds, when the Lord himſelf ſhall deſcend from heaven with a ſhout, with all the Angels about him, with the voice of the Arch-angel, and the Trump of God; when that general Summons ſhall be blown abroad, Ariſe ye dead, and come to judgement.
A day indéed this will be of darkneſs, and gloomineſs, a day of ſorrow, Vers. 7 and ſuch as never was from the beginning of the world. So in it ſelf, ſo to thy enemies, ſo to Idolators. Theſe would not that thou ſhouldſt reign over them, Confounded therefore on that day, be all they, that ſerve graven Images, and that boaſt themſelves of Idols.
Thou art our King, O God, ſend help unto Jacob, and we are ſur… thou wilt ſend help, Vers. 2 becauſe thou haſt ſet up thy Kingdom for that end, and reigneſt, that thou mighteſt do good to thoſe that are upright in heart. Righteouſneſs and judgement are the habitation of thy Throne, Vers. 8 as in judgement thou wilt procéed againſt the workers of iniquity, ſo wilt thou alſo in juſtice deal with all thoſe that love the Lord, and hate iniquity. At the hearing of this it is, that Zion rejoiced, and the daughters of Judah were glad.
O make me one of the inhabitants of this Zion, that I may lift up my head, and not be amazed at the remembrance of that fearful day, being fully aſſured, that it ſhall be the day of my Redemption, not my deſtruction; O thou, who ſhalt be my Iudge, be my Saviour alſo, preſerve my ſoul, and the ſouls of all thy Saints, and deliver us out of the hand of the wicked. Able thou art to do it, for thou, Lord, art far above all the earth, thou art exalted far above all gods. If thou wilt, thou canſt ſave us, and we believe thou wilt, becauſe it was the end thou cameſt into the world, the end why thou ſuffereſt that painful and ſhameful death of the Croſs to ſave ſinners. Sinners, O dear Saviour, we are, we deſire in uprightneſs of heart to ſerve thée; though we cannot ſhake off the ſin that hangs ſo faſt on, yet we deteſt and hate it. The conſciouſneſs of our guilt, too often over clouds ou… joy; O let it break forth again, and ſhew us the light of thy countenance; the comforts of our ſouls are buryed under the thoughts of thy diſpleaſure, oh that the day were come, that they might ſhoot again, and ſpring up, then would we hope, though we ſowed in tears, yet we ſhould reap in joy.
This if thou wilt grant us, Then will we rejoice in thee our Lord and King, and give thanks at the remembrance of thy righteouſneſs, thy holineſs, thy merits, thy innocent life and undeſerved death, which alone we can truſt to at that day.