Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 130 – Psalm 131
PSAL. CXXX.
VErſ. 1 Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee] i. e. Ex portis ipſis deſperationis, from the very boſom and bottom of deſpair, cauſed through deepeſt ſenſe of ſin and fear of wrath. One deep calleth to another, the depth of miſery to the depth of mercy. Baſill and Beza interpret it, Ex intimis cordis penetralibus, from the bottom of my heart, with all earneſtneſs and humility. Hee that is in the low pits and caves of the earth, ſeeth the ſtars in the firmament; ſo hee who is moſt low and lowly, ſeeth moſt of God, and is in beſt caſe to call upon him. As ſpices ſmell beſt, when beaten: and as frankincenſe maximè fragrat cum flagrat, is moſt odoriferous, when caſt into the fire: ſo do Gods afflicted pray beſt, when at the greateſt under, Iſa. 19.22. & 26.16. & 27.6. Luther when hee was buffeted by the Devill at Coburgh, and in great affliction,Joh. Man…. loc. com. 43. ſaid to thoſe about him, Venite, in contemptum diaboli Pſalmum, de profundis, quatuor vocibus cantemus, come let us ſing that Pſalm, Out of the depths, &c. in deriſion of the Devill. And ſurely this Pſalm is a treaſury of great comfort to all in diſtreſs (reckoned therefore of old amongſt the ſeven Penitenti…) and is therefore ſacrilegiouſly by the Papiſts taken away from the living, and applyed only to the dead; for no other reaſon, I think, ſaith Beza, but becauſe it beginneth with Out of the Depths have I cryed; a poor ground for Purgatory, or for praying for the ſouls that are there, as Bellarmine makes it.
Verſ. 2 Lord hear my voice.] Precum exauditie identidem eſt precanda. Audience muſt be begged again and again; and if hee once prepare our heart, tis ſure that hee will cauſe his ear to hear, Pſal. 10.17. as when wee bid our Children ask this or that of us, it is becauſe wee mean to give it them.
Verſ. 3 If thou, Lord, ſhouldeſt mark iniquities] This and the next verſe contains, ſaith one, the ſumme of all the Scriptures. Twice hee here nameth the Lord, as deſirous to take hold of him with both his hands. Extremity of Juſtice hee depre…h, hee would not bee dealt with in rigour and rage. Extrema, fateor, commeritus ſum, Deus; Quid enim aliud dixers? It is confeſſed I have deſerved the extremity of thy fury; but yet let mee talk with thee (as Jer. 12.1) or reaſon the caſe.
O Lord, who ſhall ſtand?] Stand in Judgement, as Pſal. 1.5. and not fall under the weight of thy juſt wrath, which burneth as low as Hell it ſelf? How can any one eſcape the damnation of Hell, which is the juſt hire of the leaſt ſin, Rom. 6.23. and the beſt mans life is fuller of ſins than the Firmament is o… ſtars, or the furnace of ſparks? Hence that of an Ancient, V… homiu… vit…, quantumvis laudabili, ſi, re… miſcericordi…, judicetur. Woe to the beſt man alive, ſhould hee bee ſtrictly dealt withall: Surely if his faults were but written in his forehead, it would make him pull … hat over his eyes.
Verſ. 4 But there is forgiveneſs with thee] This holds head above water, that we have to do with a forgiving God, Neb. 9.31. none like him for that, Mic. 7.18. For hee doth it naturally, Exod. 34.6. abundantly, Iſa. 55.7. conſtantly, as here; there is (ſtill is) forgiveneſs and propitiation with God; ſo Job. 1.27. the Lamb of God doth take away the ſins of the World; tis a perpetuall act, and ſhould be as a perpetuall picture in our hearts.
That thou mayeſt bee feared] i. e. Sought unto, and ſerved. It is a ſpeech like that, Pſal. 65.2. O thou that heareſt prayer, unto thee ſhall all fleſh come. If there were not forgiveneſs with God, no man would worſhip him from his heart, but flye from his as from a Tyrant. But a promiſe of pardon from a faithfull God maketh men to put themſelves into the hands of juſtice, in hope of mercy. Mr. Perkins expoundeth the words thus, In mercy thou pardoneſt the ſins of ſome, that thou mighteſt have ſome on earth to worſhip thee.
Verſ. 5 I wait for the Lord] I wait, and wait, viz. for deliverance out of miſery, verſ. 1. being aſſured of pardoning mercy. Feri, Domine, feri; à peccatis enim abſolut… …, ſaid Luther, ſtrike, Lord, while thou wilt, ſo long as my ſins are forgive… I can bee of good comfort; I can wait, or want for a need.
And … ] viz. Of promiſe, that ground of hope unfailable, Rom. 5.5. of … unfeig…ed, 1 Tim. 1.5.
Verſ. 6 My ſoul waiteth for the Lord] Or, Watcheth for the Lord, Heb My ſoul to the Lord, an eclipticall conciſe ſpeech, importing ſtrong affection, as doth alſo the following reduplication, Prae cuſtodibus ad mane, prae cuſtodibus ad man….
I ſay more than they] Or, More than they that watch for the morning, wait for the morning; wherein they may ſleep, which by night they might not do.
Verſ. 7 Let Iſrael hope in the Lord] Hope and yet fear, as verſ. 4. (with a filiall fear) fear, and yet hope.
Plenteous Redemption] Are our ſins great? with God there is mercy, matchleſs mercy. Are our ſins many? with God is plenteous redemption, multa redempti…; hee will multiply pardons, as wee multiply ſins, Iſa. 55.7.
Verſ. 8 And hee ſhall redeem Iſrael] By the value and vertue of Chriſts death, by his merit and ſpirit, 1 Cor. 6.11.
PSAL. CXXXI.
VErſ. 1 Lord, my heart is not haughty] Though anointed and appointed by thee to the Kingdome; yet I have not ambitiouſly aſpired unto it, by ſeeking Souls death, as his pick thanks perſwaded him; nor do I now being poſſeſſed of it, proudly domineer (as is the manner of moſt Potentates) and tyrannize over my poor ſubjects; but with all modeſty and humility (not minding high things) I do condeſcend to them of low eſtate, Rom. 12.16. Now,Bucholc. in alto poſitum non altum ſapere, difficile eſt, & omnino inuſitatum; ſed quanto inuſitatius, tanto glorioſius. It is both hard and happy not to bee puffed up with proſperity and preferment, Veſpaſian is ſaid to have been the only one that was made better by being made Emperour.
Nor mine eyes lofty] Pride ſitteth and ſheweth it ſelf in the eyes as ſoon as in any part. Ut ſpeculum oculus eſt artis, ita oculus eſt naturae ſpeculum.
Neither do I exerciſe my ſelf in great matters] Heb. I walk not; manes intra metas, I keep within my circle, within the compaſs of my calling; not troubling my ſelf and others by my ambitious projects and practices, as Cle…n did, Alchibiades, Ceſar Borgia, and others Ambitioniſts.
Or in things too high for mee] Heb. Wonderfull; high and hidden things, that paſs nay apprehenſion, and which it behoveth mee, mirari p…tius quam rimari, to admire rather than to pry into, Arcana Dei ſunt Arca Dei. The Bethſhemites payed dear for peeping into the Ark. Phaeton is feigned by the Poets to have periſhed by taking upon him to rule the chariot of the Sun and Bellerophon, by ſeeking to flye up to Heaven upon his Pegaſus, to ſee what Jupiter did there.
Terret ambuſtus Phaeton avaras
Spes: & exemplum grave praebet ales
Pegaſus, terrenum equitem grava…us
Belleroph…ntem.Horat. lib. 4. Od. 11.
Verſ. 2 Surely I have behaved] Heb. If I have not, &c. a deep aſſeveration,Si non comp… ſui & ſedavi. ſuch as hath the force of an oath.
And quieted my ſelf] Heb. Stilled or made ſilent my ſoul; chiding it when diſtempered or noiſefull, as the Mother doth her weanling.
As a child that is weaned of his Mother] Who neither thinketh great things of himſelf, nor ſeeketh great things for himſelf but is lowly and fellowly, Mat. 18.1. innocent, and ignoſcent, taking what his Mother giveth him, and reſting in her love.
My ſoul is even as a weaned child] Who will not bee drawn to ſuch again, though never ſo fair and full-ſtrutting a breaſt: So nor David, the worlds dugs.
Verſ. 3 Let Iſrael hope] See Pſal. 130.7.