Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, 4 [i.e. 5] (cont.) · Psalm 149
PSAL. CXLIX. Hallelujah. A Hymn.
IN this Pſalm the Saints of God are excited to give him due thanks, The Prophes excites Gods Saints to praiſe him. The firſt part.for For two reaſons:
1. For the Grace and Favour received from him, from verſ. 1. to 5.
2. For the Glory and Priviledges they ſhall receive, Ver. 1 from verſ. 5. to 9.
1. The Prophet firſt excites the Saints to a return of thanks. And amplifies it divers wayes.Let Iſrael rejoice, let the children of Zion praiſe. Which is amplified
1. From the perſons who are to perform it, Saints, call'd here Iſrael, the children of Zion. For praiſe is not comely in the mouth of ſinners.
2. From the Quality of the Song, it muſt be Canticum novum, a New Song, it was an old Song the Creatures ſung in the former Pſalm for their Creation. It muſt be a New Song the Saints muſt ſing for their Renovation and Glorification. A new matter to be ſung by new men.
3. From the place, in which it is to be ſung, not in private, but in publick in the Church, in a full Congregation of the Saints.
4. From the manner in which it is to be done, in all allacrity, with all the affection that may be, with a Song, with joy, with praiſe. Cantate, pſallite, jubilate. And, as if all we could do were too little, to take the help of all Muſical inſtruments. Let us praiſe his Name in the dance, let us ſing praiſes unto him with Timbrel and Harp.
5. From the object, God, who was their Creatour, and their King. Ver. 2 Let Iſrael rejoice in him that made him, let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
And this part he concludes, with a ſtrong reaſon for a New Song.1For his love and favour to them.
1. For the Lord takes pleaſure in his people. He loved them from everlaſting, and that out of meer good-will, and this his foreign is the root and foundation of all our good, therefore he predeſtinated, therefore he called, therefore he juſtified, therefore he ſanctified, Ver. 4 therefore he will glorifie, becauſe it was his good-pleaſure ſo to do, he takes pleaſure in his people, Luk. 12.32.
2. He will beautifie the meek with Salvation. What was his good-pleaſure, he will fulfill. That people, who hath learned of him to be meek and humble, he will exalt, he will ſave, he will honour with beauty and glory.
2. And now he begins to deſcribe the future glory, The ſecond part.with which he will beautifie them.
1. Let the Saints be joyful in glory. To which they ſhall never come, He deſcribes their future glory.except Saints.
2. Let them rejoice in their beds, i. e. Ver. 5 Their Manſions prepared for them in heaven, where they inſtantly reſt from their labours, Rev. 14. But not from their praiſing God, that's no labour. They ſing aloud, they ſleep not then.
Their work there is twofold, Their work in heaven for preſent, to praiſe God.one for the preſent, the other for the future.
1. For the preſent. The high praiſes, the greateſt and higheſt that can be thought on, let theſe be in their mouths. Exaltant Deum, & exultant. Vers. 6
2. Hereafter to exerciſe judiciary power.For the future; when Chriſt ſhall come to judgement; Let a two-edged ſword be in their hand. The ſword is in a Judges hand, for he is an avenger of all that do ill. By the ſword then, Judiciary power may well be underſtood, Deut. 32.41. Rom. 13.4. And the Saints at the laſt day are to be Judges, 1 Cor. 6.2. Mat. 19.28.
Then the exerciſe of this judiciary power ſhall be,The end of that power.
1. Vers. 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, to reprove them, and to pronounce a condemnatory ſentence againſt them, to exprobate to them their former life, Wiſd. 5.1, &c. and to pronounce puniſhment on the people. To judge them to puniſhment.
2. Vers. 8 To bind even the greateſt, their Kings in chains, and their Nobles with fetters of iron. The phraſe is Metaphorical, as is that of the Goſpel, Mat. 22. Bind him hand and foot, and caſt him into utter darkneſs. The meaning of it is, that at the day of Judgement, the Saints ſhall approve the ſentence paſſed by Chriſt againſt all Nero's, Diocletians, Herods, Julians, when they ſhall be bound in chains of darkneſs, and cruſhed by Chriſts iron Scepter.
3. Vers. 9 To execute upon them the judgement written. The judgement againſt wicked doers, and perſecutors of Gods Church, written in Gods Book, and as certain, as if engraven in a pillar. His immutable judgement.
3.This is the glory of all his Saints. He concludes with an Epiphonema. This glory of ſitting with Christ in the clouds, and judging the world, is the Glory of all his Saints. Allelujah.
An Appendix to the four laſt Verſes in this Pſalm.
BEcauſe theſe laſt verſes have, according to mens fancies, been applyed to ſeveral purpoſes, as they might ſuit beſt with their intereſts, therefore I thought good to ſay a little more of them.
1. The Jews firſt applyed them to the time ſucceeding their Captivity, and fancied to themſelves, that the promiſe was made to them, that they ſhould have a two-edged ſword in their hand, that is, power, to execute vengeance on the heathen, &c. But he that ſhall read the ſtory of the Maccabees, and Joſephus, ſhall find, that ſuch a time never came, that ſo far they were from binding Kings in chains, that Kings held them in bondage, as Antiochus, Seleucus, Tryphon, Pompey, &c. This ſence then can have no foundation in theſe words.
2. Which the Jews that now live, perceiving, tell us, that theſe words ſhall have the accompliſhment at the coming of their yet expected Meſſias, for then they ſhall be Lords of the world, and bind all Kings they pleaſe in chains, and Nobles with f…tters of Iron, &c. But never any ſuch temporal Meſſiah ſhall come, and therefore this is but a fiction of their own brain.
3. The Anabaptiſts, Millenaries, Fifth-Monarchy-Men, dream alſo of ſuch a golden age, they tell us of a thouſand years, that Chriſt ſhall come, and with his Apoſtles reign upon the earth, in which time his Laws only muſt take place, and that his Saints ſhall have a two-edged ſword in their hands, execute vengeance, and puniſh who they pleaſe, binds Kings and Nobles in chains, puniſh who they pleaſe, and execute the judgement written. And the conſequent of this Doctrine is deſtructive and dangerous, as experience hath taught us in Muncer, John of L…yden, our new Sectaries, who upon it labour to unroot all Monarchies, and deſtroy all that wear a Crown. But this is but an illuſion, for of Chriſt it is ſaid, That him the Heavens muſt contain, till the conſummation of all things, when Chriſt will come, and take his Elect to him, that where he is, they may be alſo; and that is into Heaven, not on Earth. Here then we may not expect to reign with him.
4. A fourth opinion there is, which is the moſt received, and by very judicious Divines, that theſe words are to be taken in a ſpiritual ſenſe, That by the Saints, are to be underſtood Chriſt, his Apoſtles and Succeſſors; that by the two edged Sword, is to be underſtood the Word of God; by Chains and Fetters, the Lawes and Precepts of the Goſpel; by puniſhments, the ſharp rebukes uſed by the Miniſters of the Word to ſtubborn ſinners, by the revenge taken on them, Repentance, which is a revenge taken for a former ſin, 2 Cor. 7.11. which being admitted, the ſenſe will run thus:
Let the hi…gh praiſes of God be in the mouth of his Miniſters, and the two-edged Sword of the Goſpel, Hebr. 4.12. in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the Heathen, to bring them to repentance, and make them take revenge upon themſel…es, for their former wayes and puniſhments, to utter ſharp rebukes upon the people; to bind, not the people only, and Plebians, but even the moſt mighty Kings and Princes, Nobles and great men with the Lawes of Chriſt, and Precepts of the Goſpel, as faſt, as if they were bound with Chains of Braſs, and Fetters of Iron: And 'tis known how the greateſt Princes have ſubmitted their necks to the yoke and Doctrine of Chriſt. To execute upon them the judgment written: Not that any of Chriſts Miniſters uſurp Authority over Kings and Princes in temporal matters; for they are only to proceed according to the letter of their Commiſſion: Go and teach all Nations, and acquaint the greateſt Princes, That if they obey and believe the Gospel, they ſhall be ſaved; but if they believe not, they ſhall be damned: This is the judgment written; and it is executed, when proclaimed and preached to them; which, if it take no place, it is beyond their Commiſſion to raiſe Arms againſt them: This is no where written.
Now this is the honour of all his Saints, of all thoſe whom he hath entruſted with his Commiſſion. And indeed an honour it is unto them to be his Embaſſadors and Heraulds.
5. The fifth interpretation, is that which I mentioned before in the Analyſis, who apply the Text to the Judiciary power, that the Saints receive at the laſt day, and I rather embrace it than the former: But I leave every one to his choice.
The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty ninth Pſalm.
THOV art worthy, O Lord God of Heaven and Earth, Ver. 1 to whom a new Song ſhould be ſung in the Congregation of thy Saints; and indéed how can it he otherwiſe, that that people, Ver. 2 who acknowledge thée the God that made them, and the King who rules and governs them, ſhould do leſs than rejoyce in thée their Creator, and be joyful in their Soveraign? Ver. 3 To this end we tune our hearts, and conform our voyces; and becauſe they are too little, call for the aſſiſtance we do of all Muſical Inſtruments, Praiſe thee we will with Timbrel and Harp.
There is no merit at all in us, why thou ſhouldſt look upon us, a maſs of corruption and ſin we find in our ſelves, but nothing to deſerve thy love; Ver. 4 and yet thou in mercy haſt béen pleaſed to take pleaſure in us, to redéem, to juſtifie, to ſanctifie us, and to beautifie all ſuch as are méek in heart with ſalvation.
In thy good time, O Lord, bring us to glory, Ver. 5 where we may be joyful with thy Saints; let us reſt in thoſe Manſions which thou haſt prepared for us, as in our beds, and exerciſed with no other labour, but in ſinging perpetual Allelujahs: O let the high praiſes of thee our God, be in our mouth; let us ſing the Song of Moſes, and the Lamb, ſaying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, juſt and true are thy wayes, Thou King of Saints, Who ſhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorifie thy Name, for thou only art holy?
We do not doubt, Ver. 7 but thou art able to take revenge of the Nations and people who do blaſpheme thée, That thou canſt bind their Kings in Chains, and their Nobles with Links of Iron. Therefore we pray thée, that either by the two-edged Sword of thy Word thou wouldſt convert them, or elſe execute thy judgment written upon them; Lord, let thy Kingdom come: Thy Kingdom of Grace, by which thou doſt reign in the hearts of all thy Elect: Thy Kingdom of power, by which thou wilt ſubdue all thy enemies; and thy Kingdom of glory, when thy Saints ſhall be called to ſit upon their Thrones, and with thée, judge the World, When vengeance ſhall be executed on the Heathen, that have not known thy Name; and an inheritance given to the Saints, whom thou wilt honour for ever and ever.