Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, 4 [i.e. 5] (cont.) · Psalm 144
PSALM CXLIV. An ode of David.
THis Pſalm is of a mixt kind, for in it is contain'd a thankſgiving. A prayer. And doctrine. Interpreters are not agreed upon the occaſion and time of the writing of it. For ſome think, being moved thereto by the Title, that it was compoſed by David upon his victory over Goliah: Others, upon his victories after over the Philiſtines, Ammonites, &c. Some again, in the beginning of his reign, before he was fully ſetled. But be it as it will,
The parts of the Pſalm are,
1. A thankſgiving, from verſ. 1. to 5.
2. A petition, from verſ. 5. to 12.
3. A diſcuſſion of happineſs, and wherein it conſiſts, from verſ. 12. to the end.
1. The firſt part. He gives thanks.In the beginning the Prophet gives thanks, and praiſeth God.
1. He gives him thanks. Bleſſed be the Lord. And he expreſſeth his reaſon. Ver. 1 Which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. In general, 1For the Art of War God taught him.Who hath taught me the Art of War. In particular, That taught my hands to uſe the ſling, and my fingers to chooſe the ſtones, and direct them to the forehead of Goliah. For this was Artis opus, non virtutis. Skill, not ſtrength, which he taught me.
2. Ver. 2 He praiſeth God, and that for many Titles. He is my ſtrength, my goodneſs, 2Becauſe his ſtrength, his goodneſs, &c.and my fortreſs, my high tower, and my deliverer, my ſhield, and he in whom I truſt, in which foreign, there is an Incrementum, and a Gradation. As it is before, Pſalm 18.1, 2. To which Pſalm this is very like, ſo that it is thought to be made on the ſame occaſion.
1. He is my Strength, or my Rock. The ſtrength I have, is from him.
2. My Goodneſs, benignity, or mercy. That is, original of all my good. In mercy he call'd me from the ſheepfold: And in mercy he hath hitherto prevented and ſuſtained me.
3. He is my Fortreſs, to him I fly as to a ſtrong hold, 3Subdued the people under him.or an high Tower of defence.
4. And when I fly to him, he deſerts me not, he is my deliverer from danger and captivity, and he is my ſhield to protect me, and cover my head in the day of battel. Therefore I will Truſt in him, and relie upon him.
3. He praiſeth God, that he had done more for him, than he could wiſh or expect, for he had not only freed him from the hand of Goliah, but had ſubdued the people unto him. He admires that God ſo great ſhould do ſo much for man ſo vile.Put it unto their hearts to yield obedience to him, as their General, after his victory over Goliah, 1 Sam. 18.5. or when they made a league with him in Hebron, 2 Sam. 5. It is a favour of God, when the people are ſubdued, and yield quiet obedience to their King.
Now out of the conſideration of ſo many benefits, David breaks forth into an admiration. He wonders that when God is ſo great, and man ſo vain, vile, and baſe, that he ſhould look upon him, eſteem him at ſo high a rate, to love him, to advance him. Of which he was an example above other men. Which acknowledgement tends very much to the praiſe of God.
1. As amaz'd therefore and aſtoniſhed, he asks, Lord, what is man? Ver. 3 what am I, and my fathers houſe? 2 Sam. 7.18. What is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the ſon of man, that thou makeſt account of him?
2. To which foreign he returns this anſwer, which tends to the exaltation of God, and debaſement of man.
1. Man is like to vanity. Capable indeed of great things, Ver. 4 if God fill him, but till he be fill'd by God, like a vain and empty veſſel, that hath nothing but aire in it.
2. His dayes are as a ſhadow that paſſeth away. God is alway the ſame, he changeth not, but man is but for a moment, like a ſhadow that is alwayes moving, and ſhifts the place, till the night coming on, it vaniſheth. In compariſon of God, this is the condition of man, who otherwiſe is the glory of Gods creatures.
2. David, though he had the people ſubdued unto him, The ſecond part. He prayes for Gods aſſiſtance to perfect his victories.yet was not as yet freed from enemies, the Philistins, Ammonites, &c. did moleſt him, and therefore he prayes to God to aſſiſt him in the conqueſt of theſe, and ſhew ſome evident tokens from heaven, that he did aſſiſt him in their Conqueſt. He ſpeaks after the manner of men, as before, Pſal. 18. from verſ. 7. to 16.
Ver. 5 Incline the heavens and come down, touch the Mountains and they ſhall ſmoke.
Caſt forth lightnings and ſcatter them, ſhoot out arrows and conſume them.
Send thine hand from above. Since the pride of man is ſuch, that it will not acknowledge thee, nor fear thee for thy mercies, ſhew thy preſence by dark clouds, by fire ſent from heaven, by thunder and lightniog, &c. that they may be terrified, and forced to acknowledge thee.2And makes his addreſs for himſelfe.
This is the firſt part of his Petition againſt his enemies. 2. And now he commenceth a ſecond, and makes his Addreſs to God for himſelf.
1. Rid me and deliver me out of great waters, i. e. from dangers of men.
2. From the hands of strange Children. Moabites, Ammonites, Ver. 7 Philiſtins, &c.
Upon whom he ſets theſe two Characters.
1. Their mouth ſpeaks vanity. Lyes, no truth, flatteries, no ſincere words.
2. And their right-hand, is a right-hand of falſhood. Ver. 8 Their power they uſe to oppreſs, to deceive, to rapine, homicide, &c.Interſerting an Hymn.
But before he proceeds and ends his Petition, Intercerting an Hymn.he breaks out, as it were, in an extaſie, and falls back to that he began with, the praiſe of God, interſerting this ſhort Hymn.
1. Ver. 9 I will ſing a new ſong unto thee, O God, upon a Pſaltery, and an inſtrument of ten ſtrings, will I ſing praiſes to thee, Pſal. 33.3. And this I will do, becauſe Thou giveſt victory unto Kings. To Saul by my hand and ſervice, but eſpecially becauſe, Thou hast delivered me David thy ſervant from the hurtful ſword. From that ſharp and deadly ſword of the great Goliah.
And then he returns, Repeats his petition.repeats, and concludes his Petition in the ſame words he began.
Rid me and deliver me from the hand of ſtrange children. Ver. 11 2. Whoſe mouth speaks vanity. 3. And their right-hand, is a right-hand of falſhood.
3. The third part. Who is a happy man.His Benedictus and Petition being ended, he falls upon a diſcourſe of the Happy man, and ſhews that happineſs is of two kinds; one in the eye of the world, and that it ariſeth from Temporal felicities. The other in the ſight of God, and it ariſeth from Piety and Religion, where both theſe are conjoined, the Man is happy, but the firſt without the laſt, will never make a happy man. The firſt are the things that the greateſt part of the world aim at. That their ſons may be as plants, &c. verſ. 12, 13, 14. And David denies not, but the people are happy that are in ſuch a caſe, verſ. 14. But alwayes with this condition and limitation, that God be not left out and forgotten. For, Happy is that people, whoſe God is the Lord, verſ. 14. The addition of Temporal bleſſings will be a great comfort to our lives, and God promiſeth them to the obedient, Deut. 28. But there is another thing Neceſſary, the fear of God, which will make a Man happy. Without which, men talk in vain, when they ſpeak of felicity, and therefore the old Tranſlatour reads the words thus.
Quorum filij. Ver. 12 Whoſe ſons may be as plants, &c. verſ. 12. And then the Antecedent to Quorum muſt be. An acute ſenſe of theſe words.They whoſe mouth ſpeaks vanity. And then the ſenſe will be. It is the deſires of vain men, that their ſons may be as plants, their daughters beautiful, that their ſheep multiply, their Oxen ſtrong, no decay of any thing. Upon which they are apt to ſing to themſelves. Happy are the people that are in ſuch eſtate. But David checks this vanity, this falſe opinion. What, they happy? No, no. They are happy, who have the Lord for their God.
This is an acute ſenſe of this whole clauſe; But if I miſtake not, David in earneſt intends it as a bleſſing, when men enjoy even Temporal bleſſings, ſo it be with God. For Godlineſs hath the promiſes of this life, as well as that which is to come. And it may not be conceiv'd, that God created ſo many excellent things in this world only for fools and diſobedient perſons. Temporal bleſſings the rewards of piety.Beſides, many of his beſt Servants have enjoyed the particulars here mentioned, let no man think then, but they may be rewards of piety. David therefore prayes,
1. Ver. 12 Ʋt, That our ſons may be as plants grown in their youth. Well planted, well rooted, green and flouriſhing. Which is the firſt happineſs of any family. For ſons are the pillars of any houſe. They firſt deſired, and for them other things.
2. Ʋt, That our daughters may be as Corner-ſtones. Antarij lapides. Stones that joyn and knit the buildings, Poliſhed after the ſimilitude of a Palace, i. e. very beautiful, ſpecious, hanſome, for upon ſuch ſtones there is commonly moſt Art ſhew'd.
3. Ver. 13 Ut, That our garners may be full, affording all manner of ſtore. Semper domus tota boni & aſſidui Domini lccuples, abundat haedo, lacte, caſeo, gallina, &c. Referta est cella vinaria, olearea, mellarea, &c. It hath in it newand old.
4. Ver. 14 Ut, That our ſheep may bring forth thouſands, and ten thouſands in our ſtreets. Our flocks increaſe.
5. Ut, That our Oxen may be ſtrong to labour. Healthy, not ſickly.
6. Ʋt, That there be no breaking, nor going out. No plundering among us, nor inroads made upon us, as Job 1. But that we live in peace, and enjoy our own.
7. Ʋt, That there be no complaining in our ſtreets. No ſcreetches of women, tumults of people, cryes, and clamours in our Cities, as is uſual in inſurrections, and irruptions of enemies.
This is a part of Davids prayer, and it hath coherence with the tenth verſe, where he thanks God for delivering him from the ſword. This he deſires God to continue, that under his reign his people might be happy, and enjoy the fruits of peace, viz. that their ſons might grow up as plants in their youth, &c. Which if it happen, ſo they take in the laſt clauſe of the Pſalm, They make happy.he pronounceth them a Happy people. For he concludes all with this Epiphonema,
1. Happy is that people that are in ſuch a caſe. Ver. 15 Such as he formerly named.
2. Yea, Happy is that people, whoſe God is the Lord. With God.That hath for his God the True God: that is perſwaded he is loved by him, adopted to be his ſon, and that he takes care of him. For if they be happy, who poſſeſs thoſe outward bleſſings, They muſt needs be much more happy, who poſſeſs the fountain of thoſe bleſſings and all other.
The Prayer collected out of the one hundred and forty fourth Pſalm.
O Lord God of hoaſts, Ver. 1 we acknowledge that all military ſkill and power … from thée, for thou teacheſt our hands to War, and our fingers to fight, thou art our ſtrength in the battel, our fortreſs to fly to, our tower to defend us, the fountain and original of all our good, our deliverer from danger and captivity, our ſhield to protect us, and kéep off all blows, therefore we have and will ever hereafter relie and truſt on thée. The ſucceſs which we have had at this time, and the victory over our enemies, is from thée, and for it we bleſs and praiſe thy Holy Name. Thou haſt put into the hearts of the whole Army to be ſubdued and obedient to the conduct of their Leaders, and valiantly to oppoſe themſelves to the fury of the enemy, to thée therefore we attribute the honour of this conqueſt, and not to our own arm: To thée, this ready obedience and courage in this people, and not to our own wiſdom or directions.
Amazed, Lord, and aſtoniſhed I am, when I conſider this mercy, for what is man, that man ſhould obey him? Or what is man in compariſon of thy glory, that thou ſhouldſt ſet him over others to be obeyed? Ver. 3 What is any ſon of man, that thou takeſt notice of him? or that thou ſhouldſt make account of him? Ma…s like to vanity, capable indéed of great things, but till thou fill him, like an empty veſſel only full of thin aire, vain ſtudies he follows, empty things he deſires. He is of a ſhort life, and of no continuance, for his Dayes are as a ſhadow, which alwayes ſhifts the place, till night coming on, it paſſeth away. And wilt thou open thine eyes, and look upon ſuch an one? and wilt thou take him from the ſhéepco…e, from following the ſhéep, to be a Ruler over thy people, thy people Iſrael? O Lord, eſtabliſh this houſe, and confirm this throne for ever.
But thou ſeeſt, O Lord, how thine own work is oppoſed, Ver. 5 rebellious men there are that riſe up againſt it, and furious men who ſeek to deſtroy it. Bow the heavens, O Lord, and come down, and declare thy power from above to their confuſion. Send forth thy hand, and rid and deliver me out of theſe great waters, from theſe troubles, and free me from the hand of them who are ſtrangers to thy worſhip and true piety, whoſe counſels are miſchievous, and their works profane, for their mouth ſpeaks vanity, and their right-hand, is a right-hand of falſhood.
Rid me, O Lord, and deliver me from the violence and conſpiracies of theſe men, ſo will I ſing a new ſong unto thee, O God; upon a Pſaltery and inſtrument of ten ſtrings will I ſing praiſes unto thee. Experience hath taught me by my wonderful eſcape from an imminent death, that it is thou that giveſt ſalvation unto Kings, and haſt delivered David thy ſervant from the hurtful and unjuſt ſword.
Good God, as thou haſt hitherto protected and ſuſtained me, ſo reſtore me again to my people, and let my government over them be proſperous, ſucceſſeful and peaceable. Let the ſons of my ſubjects be as young plants, well rooted, gréen and flouriſhing, full of ſtrength, ſap, and youth, and let their daughters be as corner-ſtones, well compoſed and well beautified, fair as the poliſhed works of a Palace.
Lord, bleſſe their ſubſtance, and make them to abound in riches, and plenty of all good things, let their garners and ſtorehouſes be full, afording all manner of ſtore: let their ſheep bring forth thouſands, and ten thouſands in our ſtreets. Let their Oxen be ſtrong and healthy to labour. Suffer not any inrode from enemies abroad to be made upon them, nor ſequeſtrations at home to moleſt them, let there be no tumults or complaints, lamentation or mourning heard in the ſtréets of our Cities.
Give them, O Lord, theſe outward ſymbols of happineſs, and the rewards of godlineſs and obedience. Ver. 15 For happy are the people that are in ſuch a caſe. But never ſuffer them to place their felicity in theſe temporal bleſſings. Sanctifie theſe unto them, and let theſe be uſed as arguments to draw them nearer unto thée. For I know, that they only are truly happy, whoſe God is the Lord; thoſe whom he hath choſen and adopted to be h… people, and they who have choſen him to be their God; they who relie upon him to de their Protector, and they who acknowledge and worſhip him, that they may be protected. For God alone is the chiefeſt good, he alone can give good things, not only thoſe which are external, but thoſe which are internal and eternal, even eternal life to thoſe, who are his Servants through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.