Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 148
PSAL. CXLVIII.
VErſ. 1 Praiſe the Lord] And again Praiſe yee the Lord; and ſo often, in this and the reſt of the Halelujaticall Pſalms; In praiſing God the Saints are unſatifiable, and would bee infinite (as his perfections are infinite) ſo that they make a circle (as one phraſeth it) the beginning middle and end whereof is Halelujah.
From the Heavens; praiſe him in the heights] Or high places. As God in framing the World began above, and wrought downward: So doth the Pſalmiſt in this his exhortation to all creatures, to praiſe the Lord.
Verſ. 2 Praiſe him all his Angells] Whoſe proper office it is to adore and praiſe God. Job 38.7. Iſa. 6.3. Heb. 1.6. which alſo they do conſtantly and compleatly; as thoſe that both perfectly know him, and love him. Jacob ſaw them 1 Aſcending, to contemplate and praiſe the Lord, and miniſter to him, Luk. 2.13. Dan. 7.10. Mat. 18.10. Pſal. 103.20. 2 Deſcending, to execute Gods will upon men, for mercy to ſome; and for Judgement to others; which tendeth much to his praiſe. And David, by calling upon theſe heavenly courtiers, provoketh and pricketh on himſelf to praiſe God.
Praiſe yee him all his Hoaſts] i e. His Creatures (thoſe above eſpecially which are as his cavalry) called his Hoaſts for their 1 Number. 2 Order. 3 Obedience,
Verſe. 3. Praiſe yee him Sun and Moon] Theſe do, after a ſort, declare the glory of God, Pſal. 19.1, 2. Habak. 3.3. not with mind and affection, as if they were underſtanding creatures (as Plato held) but by their light influences admirable motions and obedience, whereby quaſi mutis vocibus, by a dumb kind of eloquence, In Epimeni…ſaith Nazianzen, they give praiſe to God, and bid check to us, for our dulneſs and diſorders.
Praiſe him all yee ſtars of light] A light then they have of their own (beſides what they borrow of the Sun) which they with-hold at Gods appointment, Iſa. 13.10. and influences they have which cannot bee reſtrained, or reſiſted, Job. 38.31, 32.
Verſ. 4 Praiſe him yee Heavens of Heavens] Whereby hee meaneth not the loweſt Heavens, the air whereon wee breath, and wherein birds flye, clouds ſwim, &c. as ſome would have it; but the higheſt Heaven, called by St. Paul the third Heaven, the habitation of the crowned Saints and glorious Angels; called by Philoſopher cal… Empyreum, and hereby the Pſalmiſt the Heavens of Heavens, as King of Kings, ſong of ſongs, &c. by an exceſtency. See Deut. 10.14.
And the waters that …ee above the Heavens] i. e. Above the air, and that do diſtinguiſh betwixt the Air and the Sky, as the … doth betwixt the Sky, and the higheſt Heavens.Superius ſupenſae aquarum forni…
Verſ. 5 For hee commanded and they were … ] His … only made all; this is celebrated by that heavenly quite, Rev. 4.11.
Verſ. 6 Hee hath alſo eſtabliſhed them for ever] viz. The courſe and appointed motions of the Heavens which hee hath ſetled by a Covenant; and hath not falſified with them, Jer. 33.25. much leſs will hee with his faithfull people.
Verſ. 7 Praiſe the Lord from the earth] The Pſalmiſt proceedeth to factour for God among the inferiour creatures; beginning with the loweſt in the waters beneath, as the Dragons o… great whales; and then comming to Rain and Snow, &c. which are made out of the waters above.
Yee Dragons and all deeps] Of Sea-Dragons. See Aelian. lib. 4. Animal. cap. 12. they live partly in the Sea, and partly on the land, as do Crocodiles. Theſe alſo yeeld matter of Gods praiſe.
Verſ. 8 Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapour] This latter is the matter of thoſe former meteors, which hee purpoſely mingleth with thoſe forementioned miracles of land and waters, the more to ſet forth the power of God, becauſe theſe ſeem to have no ſetledneſs of ſubſiſtence, and yet in them hee is made viſible.
Stormy winds fulfilling his word] The winds blow not at randome, but by a divine decree: and God hath ordered that whether North or South blow, they ſhall blow good to his people, Cant. 4.16. Hee ſaith to all his Creatures, as David did to his Captains concerning Abſolom, Handle them gently for my ſake.
Verſ. 9 Mountains and all hills] Theſe praiſe God by their form, hugeneſs, fruits, proſpects, &c.
Fruitful trees] Theſe, by the variety of their natures and fruits, do notably ſet forth the wiſdome, power, and goodneſs of the Almighty; whilſt they ſpend themſelves, and the principall part of their ſap and moiſture, in bringing forth ſome pleaſant berry, or the like, for the uſe of man; who is thereby ingaged to bleſs God.
Verſ. 10. Beaſts] i. e. Wild-beasts, that are fulleſt of life; and there-hence have their name in the Hebrew tongue.
And all Cattel] Domeſtick and tame beaſts, even to the Elephant; which is ſaid to turn up the firſt ſprig towards Heaven, in token of thankfulneſs, by a naturall inſtinct, when hee comes to feed
Creeping things] Whether in earth, or Sea; all theſe are ſummoned in by the Pſalmiſt, to pay their tribute of praiſe, and to do their homage to the moſt high.
Verſ. 11 King of the earth] Theſe are doubly-bound to God (as Queen Elizabeth wrot to the French King) firſt, as they are men; and next as they are ſo great men: Leunclau. Annal. Turc.But this is little conſidered. Tamerlan having overcome Bajazet, asked him whether ever hee had given God thanks for making him ſo great an Emperour? who confeſſed ingenuouſly hee never thought of it.
Princes and all Judges of the earth] Theſe are thrice called upon, becauſe hardly perſwaded to pay God his rent, as holding themſelves too high to do him homage.
Verſ. 12 Both young men and maids] Souls have no ſexes; let the choice youths, and the compt laſſes qu… tot… occupantur in ſeſe ornandis, ſaith Kimchi, who are much taken up in tricking and trimming themſelves, leave that folly, and give glory to God.
Verſ. 13 Let them praiſe the Name of the Lord] Joyn in this harmony of Halelujah.
His glory is above] Being deeper than Earth, higher than Heaven.
Verſ. 14 Hee alſo exalteth the horn] i. e. Hee graceth them ſingularly.
A people near unto him] And in that reſpect happy above all people on the earth, Deut. 4.7. & 33.29. becauſe in Covenant with him, and near-allied to him, as the word here importeth.