Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, 4 [i.e. 5] (cont.) · Psalm 135
PSAL. CXXXV.
IN this Pſalm the Prophet invites the ſervants of God to praiſe him, and Miniſters eſpecially, verſ. 1, 2. by arguments drawn,
1. From his goodneſs, eſpecially in his election of Iſrael, verſ. 3, 4.
2. From his greatneſs and power ſhewed in his works, from verſ. 5. to 8.
3. From his juſtice ſhewed upon the enemies of Iſrael, from verſ. 8. to 13.
4. From his loving kindneſs extended, and to be extended, to his ſervants, verſ. 13, 14.
5. He invites the Levites to praiſe God. The firſt part.Having derided the vanity of Idols, from verſ. 15. to 19. he returns to his exhortation, calling upon all to bleſſe God, from verſ. 19. to 21.
1. He calls upon the Miniſters of Religion eſpecially to attend to the recitation of divine praiſes, and in the ſame words of the former Pſalm.
1. Ver. 1 Praiſe ye the Lord, praiſe ye the Name of the Lord, praiſe Him, O ye ſervants of the Lord.
2. Ver. 2 Ye that ſtand in the houſe of the Lord, in the Courts of the houſe of our God.
2. The ſecond part. The reaſons.And now ingeminating his words again, he produces his reaſons to perſwade it.
1. Ver. 3 Becauſe the Lord is worthy of all praiſe. Praiſe the Lord, for he is good. What is good is worthy of praiſe, 1Becauſe he is good.what is bad worthy of diſpraiſe. But God is abſolutely good, not comparatively, nor by participation, from himſelf good, not from any other, and therefore praiſe the Lord, becauſe he is good.
2. 2It is a pleaſent work.Sing praiſes to his Name, becauſe it is pleaſant, it is no troubleſome work, or laborious, but full of delight, ſweetneſs, content. The Hebrew word Nahim, may be referred to the Lord, to his Name, or to the praiſe, ſo that the ſenſe may be, ſing unto the Lord, becauſe the Lord is ſweet, or ſing to his name for it is ſweet, or ſing unto the Lords Name, for it is a pleaſant and an action of content that delights the ſoul. Ver. 4
3. Praiſe the Lord for his love to Iſrael, which impoſeth a debt and obligation to praiſe him.3They tyed to do it becauſe God choſe Jacob.
1. For the Lord hath choſen Jacob unto himſelf, to be his inheritance, portion.
2. And Iſrael to be his peculiar treaſure. Rom. 9. Malach 1. I have l…ved Jacob and hated Eſau. And this obligation lies upon Chriſtians now.The third part.
3. The next Argument which the Prophet uſeth to perſwade to the praiſe of God, is from his greatneſs, of which he was aſſured.
For I know, firſt, that the Lord is great; ſecondly, Ver. 5 that our Lord is above all gods.4Becauſe God is great.
And firſt that the Lord is great, and of great power, he proves by many inſtances.
1. From his Empire, and univerſal dominion, in heaven, the earth, the ſeas, &c. Ver. 6
1. Whatſoever the Lord pleaſed, that he did. In his worksNothing is impoſſible to him. We would do many things, but cannot. He does all by his free will, not out of any need: but we work for the moſt part, becauſe we want, neceſſity compels us. 'Tis but't fithen we give to him the praiſe, not to our ſelves.
2. He doth all things what he pleaſeth in all places, in heaven, earth, ſeas, hell.
And theſe laſt words the Prophet amplifies, by ſetting down ſome eſpecial places, in which his works are moſt apparent.
1. In the earth. 1In the earth.He cauſeth the vapours to aſcend from the ends of the earth from all parts, Eaſt, Weſt, North, South, Ver. 7 which are endued with ſeveral qualities.
2. In the air, and clouds above. He maketh lightning for the rain. 2Aire.A wonder, that fire ſhould be mixt with water, and not diſtinguiſhed.
3. In the water. For he brings the winds out of his treaſures. 3The water.A third wonder, for nothing is more obſcure than the generation of the winds, out of his treaſures they come, from his rich and ſecret power. John 3.
4. The third argument the Prophet uſeth to perſwade us to praiſe God, The fourth part.is from his juſtice in taking vengeance of the enemies of his people: as,5Becauſe juſt
1. Upon the Aegyptians. Ver. 8
1. Who ſmote the first-born of Aegypt both of man and beaſt, For inſtance on Egypt.and it was evident that it was his hand, becauſe the firſt-born only were ſmitten, and of the Aegyptians onelyonly, and not of Iſrael.
2. Who ſent tokens, and wonders into the midſt of thee O Aegypt, upon Pharaoh, and all his ſervants, Exod. 7.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. in brief, he minds us of all the ſigns and plagues of Aegypt.
2. On the Amoritiſh Kings, Sihon and Og, 2On the Amoritiſh Kings.and the thirty one Kings of Canaan.
He ſmote great Nations, and ſlew mighty Kings, as for example, Ver. 10
Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Baſhan. Ver. 11
And gave away their land for an heritage; Ver. 12 an heritage unto Iſrael his people. All which is evident out of the books of Numb. Deut. Joſhua.
5. The fifth part. For this he extols God.To the commemoration of the revenge that God took upon the enemies of his people, and the benefits he beſtowed on them, he adds a concluſion formed into an Epiphonima, in which he firſt extols Gods name, and then ſhews his mercy to his people.
1. Thy Name O Lord endures for ever, i. e. for theſe thy wonderful works.
2. And thy memorial throughout all generations. Thy memory, thy fame, the remembrance of thy Acts ſhall flouriſh and remain to all poſterity.
2. And the reaſon is drawn from his mercy, which excites us alſo to praiſe him.
1. And ſhews his mercy to his peopleFor the Lord will judge his people. The world judgeth them forſaken, but he is their keeper and defender, and will judge their cauſe, and at laſt take revenge on their perſecutors, and deliver them.
2. And he will repent himſelf concerning his ſervants, Though he puniſheth his deareſt children, yet he will be at laſt entreated, be propitious and kind, and remove his heavy hand, Pſal. 136.23.
6. The ſixth part. 2. God above all gods.The Prophet hath proved that God is abſolutely great in himſelf, which he propoſed verſ. 5. And now he proves the ſecond part of his propoſition, that our Lord is above all gods. For being compared to the Idols of the Heathen, he far exceeds them. They were Divels, not gods, they the work of mens hands, made of earthy materials, they could not infuſe life, ſenſe, reaſon into their images, as God did into his image man, they nor ſaw, nor heard, nor moved. For he ſhews their vanity divers ways.And ſhews the vanity of Idols.
1. From their matter, wherof they were made. The Idols of the beathen are ſilver and gold. Ver. 15
2. From the efficient cauſe, their makers men. The work of mens bands.
3. From their impotence, from performing any act of life. They have mouths, but they ſpeak not, eyes they have, but they ſee not: They have ears, but they hear not, neither is there any breath in their mouths.
4. From the ſortiſhneſs and miſery of thoſe that worſhip them. They that make them are like unto them, Ver. 18 ſo is every one that trusteth in them. The makers are blind, mute, deaf, underſtand nothing at all, who ſuppoſe, that they can make gods. And they that truſt in them more ſotriſh, that think a ſtone can help them.
7. The ſeventh part.In the laſt part he invites all the true worſhippers of God to praiſe him, becauſe they are lively images of the living God, they ſee, they hear, they ſpeak, they underſtand, That therefore all praiſe God.and therefore they praiſe that God, from whom they the faculty of living, hearing, ſpeaking, ſeeing, and underſtanding. To this he invites,
1. All Iſrael. Bleſs the Lord O houſe of Iſrael.
2. Ver. 19 Then the Prieſts. Bleſs the Lord O houſe of Aaron.
3. The Levites. Bleſs the Lord, O houſe of Levi.
4. Laſtly, of all the Laity. Ye that fear the Lord, bleſs the Lord.
To which he adds his own vote, concluding with this Epiphonima.
1. Bleſsed be the Lord out of Zion, where he ſhews his preſence by the Ark.
2. Which dwelleth at Jeruſalem; who though he be every where by his Eſſence and preſence, yet peculiarly dwells in his Church by his inhabiting Spirit. Let the Citizens of Zion and Jeruſalem never ceaſe to bleſs him.
The Hymn and Prayer collected from the One hundred and thirty fifth Pſalm.
O Omnipotent God, all we thy ſervants now gathered together in thy Spirit to bleſſe thy name, and here met in the Courts of the houſe of our God to praiſe thee, Ver. 1 do acknowledge that we have inſtnite reaſons to pay this debt to thy divine Majeſty. For we know, O Lord, that thou art good, good abſolutely in thy ſelf, and gracious unto us, and that all our goodneſſe is as nothing in compariſon of thee. We know again that to ſing praiſes unto thee is a pleaſant thing, and therefore our heart ſhall be glad, when we ſend forth prayſes unto thee with joyful lips. Wee know alſo that thou art great, and far above all Gods. Thy benefits are innumerable, not only which thou haſt conferd upon thy choſen people, thy Iſrael, who is thy pecultar treaſure, but even which with a full hand, thou haſt poured forth upon all mankind.
For in heaven, the earth, the ſeas, and in all deep places, thou haſt done whatſoever thou pleaſedſt. Thou ſo ordereſt the clouds, the vapours, the lightning, winds, and rain that they may be obedient to thee, and ſerviceable for the uſe and ſuſtenance of man. And when thou haſt in thy power the hearts of all Kings and Princes, thou ſo bendeſt them, as may make moſt for the good and ſaidation of thy people, upon them thou revengeſt their wrongs, and delivereſt in due time thy choſen people from their power and oppreſſion. Egypt, the Amorites, and Canaanites felt thy power, whom thou ſmoteſt in thy anger, plagueſt, and ſlew in thy wrath, and gaveſt away their Land for an heritage, even for an heritage to Iſrael thy people.
Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever, Ver. 13 and thy memorial through all generations, and therefore our hope, which is grounded upon thy promiſes, is thereby confirmed and increaſed, that though thou art riſen up in judgment againſt thy people, yet at laſt it will repent thée concerning thy ſervants. O merciful God, ariſe we beſéech thée, and behold the miſeries and calamities of thy poor ſervants, and deal not with us according to the merit of our iniquities. Pardon our offences, and let it repent thée of the evil thou haſt brought upon us. We have liv'd unworthy of thy Name, unworthy of our Vocation, yet at laſt break the force of the Devil, and his inſtruments, and repreſs their pride and boldneſs, that we be not compelled to fall down and worſhip the imaginations of their own brains, which are little better than the Idols of the Heathens, that nor ſaw, nor ſpake, nor heard, nor underſtood.
Which mercy if thou will grant us, then all that fear the Lord, both Prieſt and people, the whole houſe of Aaron, of Levi, and all Iſrael ſhall have juſt occaſion to bleſs the Lord, and ſay, Bleſſed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jeruſalem. Allelujah.