Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 118 – Psalm 119
PSAL. CXVIII. foreign.
DAƲID being freed from many dangers, and confirmed in his Kingdom according to Gods promiſe, in this Pſalm gives thanks.
The parts of this Pſalm are:
1. An Exhortation to praiſe God for his mercy, from ver. 1. to 5.
2. A perſwaſion to truſt in God, and that from his own example, who call'd upon God in trouble, and was deliver'd, from ver. 5. to 15.
3. The Exultation of the Church for it, from ver. 15. to 19.
4. A ſolemn Thankſgiving kept for it, and in what manner it was celebrated, from ver. 19. to 28.
5. David invites to praiſe God. The firſt part.A ſhort Doxology, ver. 28, 29.
1. David invites all to praiſe God, O give thanks unto the Lord; and adds his Reaſons.
1. For he is good, than which nothing could be ſaid more briefly, nothing more powerfully; he is properly and abſolutely good, and therefore ought to be praiſed, becauſe there is nothing rightly worthy of praiſe, but that which is good. Ver. 1 Solum honeſtum laudabile.
2. His reaſons are, 1. Good, Good to us, a mercifull God.But ſecondly, He is good, and ever good to us; a merciful God, which flowes from his goodneſs, and is then moſt conſpicuous, when it is imparted to thoſe in miſery: Praiſe him, becauſe his mercy endureth for ever. His mercy created us, his mercy redeemed us, his mercy protects us, his mercy will crown us; there is then no end of his mercy.
This his mercy extends eſpecially to his people, To his people.and therefore he puts into the mouth of all his people this ſong of his mercy; whom he diſtributes into three parts.
1. Ver. 2 Let Iſrael now ſay, the whole Nation, that his mercy endureth for ever.
2. Ver. 3 Let the houſe of Aaron, that whole Tribe conſecrated now to him, ſay, that his mercy endures for ever.
3. Ver. 4 Let them now that fear the Lord, Proſelytes, &c. now ſay, that his mercy endures for ever; that is the burden of the Hymn; ſo he begins, ſo he ends, ver. 29.
2. The ſecond part.And ſo in general having given a Commendation of his mercy, he deſoends to that particular in which his mercy did conſiſt, The particulars of his mercy.viz. A great deliverance of him, when he was in a great ſtrait, which he could impute to no other cauſe than his mercy.
1. Ver. 5 I was in distreſs: And that's the caſe of Gods people, as well as Davids.
2. I called upon the Lord: I boaſted not of my merits, I complained not, that I ſuffered unjuſtly, but I fled to his mercy, and invoked; ſo did the Church in Peters caſe, Of which he is an example.Acts. 12.5.
3. The iſſue was, The Lord anſwered, and ſet me in a large place; and ſo it fell out to Peter.
Upon which experience David exults, Shewing how God had been mercifull to him; upon which he makes three Concluſions.as the Church in the like caſe may; ſo that all be ſtill attributed to God, and his mercy.
1. The Lord is my helper: And the firſt inference upon it, is, The Lord is on my ſide, therefore I will not fear what man can do unto me. He ſaith, God is for me, therefore I ſhall not ſuffer; for he knew, that he was to ſuffer many things: But God is my helper, therefore I will not fear for the evils that man can bring upon me, becauſe I know, That all things ſhall work together for good to thoſe that fear God, Matth. 10.28. 2 Cor. 4.17.
2. The Lord takes my part with them that help me: And his ſecond Inference is, Therefore I ſhall ſee my deſire upon them that hate me; I ſhall ſee my ſelf in ſafety, my enemies caſt down, and peace reſtored to the Church, which laſt is my chief deſire.
Out of which, he deduceth yet a third Inference, viz. that men truſt in God; for,
1. It is better to truſt in the Lord, than to put any confidence in man; Ver. 8 for be it, he be willing to help, yet oftentimes man is not able.
2. And again, It is better to truſt in the Lord, than to put any confidence in Princes; for ſay they be able to help, yet they are falſe, politick, and will not. David found it true in Achiſh King of Gath: But the Lord both can and will, and therefore it is far better to truſt in him.
3. Of which being confident, he ſings an foreign, Davids Triumph for his aſſured victories.acquaints us in what dangers he was, and yet how God ever deliver'd him, and therefore propoſeth himſelf for an example, how good it is to truſt in God.
1. All Nations, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Philistines, Syrians compaſſed me about? But to no purpoſe; for in the Name of the Lord will I deſtroy them.
2. They compaſſed me about, yea they compaſſed me about; but in the Name of the Lord I will deſtroy them.
3. They compaſsed me about like Bees; ſwarms there were of them, and they were angry creatures, arm'd with ſtings, but they were quench'd as fire of thorns, that makes a great blaze, and a great noiſe, but ſuddenly goes out; for in the Name of the Lord will I deſtroy them.
A multitude of enemies here were, angry and ſtinging enemies, and all compaſſing, and about him; David a King (for Kings are moſt oppoſed, and ſubject to be ſtung) but in the Name of the Lord I will deſtroy them. The arms that I confide in, and eſpecially prepare againſt them, is Nomen Domini; I fight indeed, and war againſt them, but my ſpecial weapons in all my War, in which I truſt, is the Name, the Protection, the Tutelage of the Lord, ſetting upon them in his power, with his help, I will deſtroy them. Now he that fights in the Name of the Lord, muſt be ſure to have, 1. A Vocation to fight. 2. A good Cauſe: And 3dly, He muſt manage the War with affections conformable to piety, he muſt not ſeek himſelf, nor his own ends, but Gods glory, execution of juſtice, &c.
4. He told us of a multitude of enemies, and for the overthrow of theſe he ſang his Triumph; now he ſingles out ſome one in particular, whether Saul, Iſhboſheth, or his ſon Abſolon, it is uncertain: But to ſuch a one by an Apoſtrophe he turns his ſpeech.
1. Thou haſt thruſt ſore at me, that I might fall: Ver. 13 I came into ſome great danger, there was little hope of life, or of eſcape.
2. But the Lord helped me. I impute it not to my own indeavour, wit, good fortune, that I eſcaped, nor yet to any ſecond cauſes; it was the Lord that did it for me.
Which in the next verſe he more fully acknowledgeth, The Lord is my ſtrength and ſong, and is become my ſalvation.
1. My ſtrength, that I am able to reſiſt my enemies.
2. My ſalvation, that I be delivered from my enemies.
3. My ſong, The third part. The Triumph ſung by the Church.him whom I joyfully praiſe and ſing of after I am delivered.
3. And that this his ſong might be the fuller, here David calls for the whole Quire to ſing with him. His delivery concern'd the whole Church, and therefore he deſires the praiſe be ſung in full voyce, by the whole Church; and ſo it fell out, for they kept a Jubilee, a day of Thankſgiving for it.
1. Ver. 15 The voyce of rejoycing and ſalvation, is in the Tabernacles of the righteous: They congratulate their own ſafety in my delivery, and ſing thus to God.
2. Ver. 16 The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted. The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. This was the Anthem that the whole Quire of Saints and Believers ſang, and they repeat it, and come over it again and again, to expreſs their joy.
Now this Anthem ſung by the Church, By David again.was no ſooner ended, but David takes his Harp again, and ſings this Verſicle by himſelf, and inſulting over his enemies, he chants,
1. I will not dye; as they deſired and indeavoured, by a violent death; I will not be broken-hearted by theſe griefs and preſſures, but I will take heart, and riſe, as it were, out of the Grave, not to live an idle life, and ſpend my dayes in pleaſure, but to declare the works of the Lord.
2. And among his works, this is one, upon which I will eſpecially inſiſt, that,
1. The Lord hath chaſtned me ſore. Within I have ſtrugled with ſin, with the Devil, with the ſorrowes of death; without I have been aſſaulted by bitter enemies.
2. But in both theſe, I muſt acknowledge his fatherly affection; for theſe ſtroaks were not deadly, he hath not given me over unto death.
4. The fourth part.It is conceived, that this Pſalm was compoſed by David, that it might be ſung, The Anthymn ſung betwixt David and the Prieſts.when Prieſts and people were aſſembled together to give thanks to the Lord, for that their good King was now fully delivered from his enemies, and quietly ſetled in his Throne; that then which followes, may be beſt underſtood, if with Junius, we form it into a Dialogue.
1. Ver. 19 David in theſe words ſpeaks to the Prieſts and Levites, who had the care of the Tabernacle: Open to me the gates of righteouſneſs; that is, the gates of Gods houſe, in which righteouſneſs ought to dwell: For I will go in to them, and I will there publickly, and in the whole Aſſembly of good men, praiſe the Lord, and give him thanks for his mercy to me.
2. Ver. 20 To this the Prieſts return anſwer: This is the gate of the Lord, the ſole gate of juſtice that leads to him, and the juſt only ſhall enter into it; procul eſte profani.
3. David replies, ſhewing his Reaſon in brief, why he entred into Gods houſe; Ver. 21 his end was to praiſe God, which he doth in few words, for God loveth not long prayers: I will praiſe thee, for thou haſt heard me, and art become my ſalvation.
And to the 28th. verſe, how God had ſetled him in his Kingdom, made him the head of the corner, that was rejected, that it was Gods doing alone, and a marvellous work, that the day in which this was done, was a Feſtival, and the people to rejoyce in it; that then they pray'd to God to ſave them by his hand, and bleſſed their King, adorned their Temple, and offer'd Sacrifices with many thanks to God for his mercies. Thus no queſtion theſe verſes may literally be underſtood of David: But it muſt be confeſſed that in all this, David was but a Type of Chriſt; and that theſe words properly belong unto him, we have a clear teſtimony, firſt from his own mouth, atteſted by three Evangeliſts, Matth. 21.42. Mark. 12.10. Luke 20.17. and by his Apoſtles St. Peter, Acts 4.11. and St. Paul, Rom. 9.33. Theſe words to be applied to Chriſt.out of Iſa. 28.16. Of Chriſt then I ſhall rather interpret them, than of David; without doubt the Prophet being wonderfully illuminated by the Holy Ghoſt, wrote concerning Chriſt, as followeth.
1. The stone which the builders refuſed, is become the head-ſtone of the corner. Ver. 22
1. The Church is oftentimes in Scripture likened to a building, of which the Saints are living ſtones, of which Christ is the chief ſtone, the head and corner stone, foreign, that joins and keeps together the two walls, Jewes and Gentiles.
2. But the Jewes, the Prieſts eſpecially to whom did pertain the office of building the Church, refuſed this ſtone, and caſt him aſide; We will not have this man to reign over us, we have no King but Caeſar. They crucified him, and in his Grave call'd him a Deceiver; St. Peter layes it to their charge, Acts 4.11.
3. But God call'd for him again, and he is become the head of the corner, Epheſ. 2.20. That is, he is made head of the whole Church, and ſuch a head, that whoſoever is not built upon him, cannot be ſaved.
2. This, ſaith the Prophet, was the Lords doing; both his rejection, and raiſing again, was from him; it was done by his Election, and Divine Power, not from any counſel or hand of man, Acts 2.23, 24.
3. And it is marvellous in our eyes: For who can do leſs than wonder, that a crucified man, dead and butied, ſhould by his own power riſe again after three dayes, be immortal, and have all power given to him, and be made Head and Prince of all men and Angels, For this mercy a day ſet apart.and that by him there ſhould be a way made to mortal men to the Kingdom of Heaven, to the ſociety of Angels, and an immortal life.
For ſo great a work, fit it is, that a day be ſet apart, and ſuch there is, ſaith David.
1. This is the day that the Lord hath made, which queſtionleſs was the day of his Reſurrection, and God is ſaid to have made this day more than other, as honouring it above other, making it memorable to poſterity, in which the Son of righteouſneſs aroſe from the Grave; and making it an high and holy day, from which every other Sunday had his Original; This is the Lords day.
2. And the end, why this day was made for joy and gladneſs. The duty of the day.The day wherein Adam fell, was a doleful day; but this day wherein Chriſt roſe from the dead, is a joyful day. The Redemption by Chriſt is a year of Jubilee, the Reſurrection of Chriſt is the chief day in the year. We will therefore rejoyce for it, and be glad in it.
3. Yea, and in the midſt of our rejoycing, we will pray, and ſound forth Oſanuah to the ſon of David, which is, being interpreted, Save now, we beſeech thee, O Lord; O Lord, we beſeech thee, ſend now proſperity. Bleſſed be he that comes in the Name of the Lord: Which was the gratulato… and precatory words, that the people uſed to our Saviour, when he rode in Triumph into Jeruſalem, Mat. 21. That we may be aſſured, that the Form of Acclamation belongs nor ſo much to David, as to Chriſt; and it was the opinion of the Jewes, That when their Meſſiah came, theſe words ſhould be ſung before him; that being the cauſe that the people uſed them then.
The whole Propheſie of Chriſts coming, riding into Jeruſalem in Triumph, The Prieſts duty then to bleſs.Rejection, Paſſion, Reſurrection, Benediction, being thus explained, the Prophet turns his ſpeech to the people, putting into the mouth of the Prieſts theſe words, in which they were to do their Duty, Numb. 6. and to bleſs.
1. We have bleſſed you, as we ought to do; all happineſs be to you under this King.
2. And all happineſs be to you, out of the houſe of the Lord; from the Church, and to the Church alone, the bleſſing belongs: Ye are the bleſsed of the Lord.
3. God is the Lord, which hath ſhewed us light. Revealed unto his Son the light of the World, and removed from us the darkneſs of errour, ſin, hell, &c.
4. Therefore be thankful unto him, bind the Sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the Altar; make a ſolemn day for it, and meet in the Church to praiſe him.
5. The fifth part. Being a Doxology.The Prophet concludes with a Doxology, fit to be uſed by the people met and aſſembled, in which he ſets forth his faith and gratitude.
1. Thou art my God.
2. And I will praiſe thee; which he ingeminates, Thou art my God, and I will exalt thee; which ingemination, ſhewes his ardent deſire to be thankful.
3. And ſo concludes with the ſame Exhortation that he began the Pſalm, and in the ſame words.
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.
The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eighteenth Pſalm.
O Bleſſed and Holy Ieſus, King of the World, and Head of the Church, who haſt bought us by thy blood, and eſpouſed us in mercy and lovingkindneſs; Ver. 13 it is not unknown unto thée, how the enemies of thy Truth dally oppoſe us, and with what ſtorms and tempeſts of perſecutions we are daily aſſaulted. The Devil daily thruſts ſore at us, that we might fall; and Antichriſt, with his complices, compaſs us about, they compaſs us about, they compaſs us about, in anger and rage they ſwarm about us, as thick as Bées, to ſting us even to death, might they have their will upon us.
In theſe our dangers, we have none to fly to, but thée, we have none to call upon in our diſtreſs, but on thée, Who art the Lord our God; anſwer us, O Lord, and ſet our feet in a large place. Be on our ſide, and then we will not fear what man can do unto us; take our part with them that help us, and ſo ſhall we ſee our deſire upon them that hate us.
We confeſs, O Lord, we confeſs before men and Angels, that our ſins with which we have provoked thy juſtice, Ver. 18 have deſerved far greater puniſhments; and that for theſe, Thou haſt ſorely chaſtned and corrected us, yet in mercy, Thou haſt not delivered over our ſouls to death; this encourageth us yet to rely upon thée, Ver. 8 and to truſt to thée; and we know, It is better to truſt in the Lord, than to put any confidence in man: It is better to truſt in the Lord, than to put any confidence in Princes: Ver. 14 For ſome would, but cannot; ſome can, but will not help; but thou art a God of power, and if thou wilt, Thou canſt become our ſalvation; and we believe thou wilt, becauſe thou haſt ſpared us hitherto, and haſt not given us over to death.
Save now, we beſeech thee, O Lord; O Lord, we beſeech thee ſend us now proſperity. Be our ſtrength, that we may reſiſt; and be our ſalvation, that in thy Name we may deſtroy them that compaſs us about. Let the voyce of rejoycing and ſalvation be once more in the Tabernacles of the righteous, and let this be their ſong, The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted. The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly.
We have béen froward and ſtubborn children, and for this, the doors of thy houſe have béen ſhut againſt us; in mercy, O Lord, open unto us once more the gates of righteouſneſs, Ver. 19 that we may go into them, and praiſe the Lord: That hath befallen to us, Ver. 22 which befel our Head, thy dear Son, our Lord and Saviour; He was the Head-ſtone of the corner, and yet the chief builders refuſed him, and caſt him aſide; but thou didſt not forſake him in this contempt, and low condition, Thou call'oſt for him again, and gaveſt him a Name above every name: This was the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Look down now, O Lord, from thy Mercy-ſeat, behold how the living ſtones in thy building are refuſed, and caſt aſide; call for them again, and ſet them in their places, and do it in ſuch a way, that the whole World may ſay, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes: Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the praiſe. In the day of thy power, thy people ſhall offer thée free-will offerings, they ſhall appear in the beauty of holineſs, and ſing, This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoyce, and be glad in it; God is the Lord, that hath ſhewed us light. The Prieſts then ſhall bleſs thy people, as they ought, out of thy houſe, Ver. 1 and every one of thy people ſhall ſing with a loud voyce, and with his whole …eart, Thou art my God, and I will praiſe thee; Thou art my God, and I will exalt thee. How joyful will be the melody of the whole Aſſembly, as the Seraphims, crying one to another, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, becauſe his mercy endureth for ever. Let Iſrael now ſay, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let the houſe of Aaron now ſay, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let them all now that fear the Lord, ſay, that his mercy endureth for ever. It is his mercy that we were not conſumed, and his méer mercy that hath brought us together again into his houſe, to offer unto him this Sacrifice of Thankſgiving in the Name of Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: Amen.
PSAL. CXIX. Eſt mixti generis; foreign.
AS this Pſalm is the longeſt of all the reſt, ſo it is of moſt uſe, becauſe it teacheth us in what true happineſs doth conſiſt, and by what means it may be obtained; to wit, in the keeping of Gods Commandments.
1. To theſe David ſhewes a ſingular affection, becauſe there is not any one verſe, except the 122. in which he makes not mention of Gods Word, under ſome of theſe names, Law, Statutes, Precepts, Teſtimonies, Commandments, Promiſes, Wayes, Word, Judgments, Name, Righteouſneſs, Tr…th.
2. What he writes of them, he deſires no doubt to be committed to memory, and to help us in that, he hath divided the whole into twenty two Sections, and comprized every Section in eight verſes, and every verſe in the Hebrew of each Section, begins with that letter with whith the Section is intituled; as if it begins with Aleph, then Aleph begins every verſe; if with Beth, with Beth, and ſo in all the reſt; for which, this Pſalm may be called the A. B. C. of godlineſs.
3. Any other method of this Pſalm cannot well be laid; only we may ſay, that every verſe in it, either contains,
1. A Commendation of Gods Word, from ſome excellent quality in it.
2. Promiſes to thoſe that keep it.
3. Threatnings againſt them that keep it not.
4. A prayer of David for grace to confirm him in the obſervation of it.
5. Proteſtations of his unfeigned affection toward it.
The meaning of thoſe Synonyma'es uſed in this Pſalm, under which the Commandments of God are ſignified, which are ten.
1. The Law, becauſe it is the Rule of our actions; Torah, Gods Doctrine.
2. Statutes, becauſe in them is ſet down what God would have us do.
3. Precepts, becauſe God, as the great Law-giver, preſcribes the Rule for us.
4. Commandments, becauſe God layes his Commands upon us for their obſervation.
5. Teſtimonies, becauſe they witneſs his Will to us, and his Good-will, if obſerved by us.
6. Judgments, becauſe they pronounce Gods judgment, of our words, works, thoughts.
7. His Word, becauſe they proceeded from his mouth.
8. The wayes of God, becauſe they ſhew the way that God would have us walk.
9. His Righteouſneſs, becauſe they contain an exact righteouſneſs and juſtice in them.
10. Promiſes, becauſe they have the promiſes of life, if kept.