Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 32
PSAL. XXXII.
A Pſalm of David, Maſchil] i.e. Giving inſtruction, or making prudent; for David here, out of his own experience, turneth Teacher, verſ. 7. and the leſſon that he layeth before his Diſciples is the Doctrin of Juſtification by Faith, that ground of true bleſſedneſs, Rom. 4.6, 7. Docet igitur hic Pſalmus verè precioſus pracipuum & proprium fidei Chriſtiana caput, ſaith Beza, This moſt precious Pſalm inſtructeth us in the chief and principal point of Chriſtian Religion, and it differeth herein from the firſt Pſalm, that there are ſet forth the effects of Bleſſedneſs; but here, the cauſe; Quon…dò etians eſt Paulus cum Jacobo conciliandus, ſaith he.
Verſ. 1. Bleſſed is be whoſe tranſgreſſion is forgiven] The heavy burthen of whoſe treſpaſſes is taken off, as the word importeth, and he is looſed, caſed, and lightned. Sin is an intollerable burden, Iſa. 1.3. ſuch as preſſeth down, Heb. 12.1.2. burden it is to God, Am. 2.13. to Chriſt it was, when it made him ſweat water and bloud; to the Angels, when it brake their backs, and ſunk them into Hell; to men, under whom the very earth groaneth, the Axeltree thereof is even ready to crack, &c. it could not bear Corah and his company, it ſpewed out the Canaanites, &c. O then the heaped up happineſs of a juſtified perſon, disburdened of his tranſgreſſions! The word here rendred tranſgreſſion ſignifieth Treachery, and wickedneſs with a witneſs. Aben-Ezra faith, David hereby intends his Sin with Bathſheba; and ſurely this Pſalm, and the one and fiftieth may ſeem to have been made upon the ſame occaſion, they are tuned ſo near together.
Whoſe ſin is covered] As excrements and ordure are covered, that they may not be an eye-ſore, or annoyance to any. Sin is an odious thing, the Devils duivell, or vomit, the corruption of a dead ſoul, the filthineſs of fleſh and ſpirit. Get a cover for it therefore (ſc. Chriſts righteouſneſs, called a propitiation, or coverture, and raiment, Rev. 3.18.) Ʋt ſic veletur, ne in judicio reveletur, that the ſhame of thy nakedneſs may not appear.
Verſ. 2. Bleſſed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity] Let no man think this triplication of the ſame thing needleſſe or ſuperfluous; ſith the poor ſoul afflicted with ſenſe of ſin and fear of wrath, is not eaſily perſwaded of pardon; but when faith would lay hold on the promiſe, Satan rappeth her on the fingers, as it were, and ſeeks to beat her off. Beſides, by ſuch an emphaticall repetition and heap of words to one purpoſe, the great grace of God in pardoning mens ſin, is plainly and plentifully declared and celebrated; it being a mercy that no words, how wide ſoever, can ſufficiently ſet forth. By the word iniquity, ſome underſtand originall ſin, that peccatum peccans, as the Schooles call it, that foreign common cauſe and impure ſeminary of all actuall diſobediences. Neither this, nor any of the fruites of it, doth the Lord impute, reckon count, or think to the pardoned finner, 2 Cor. 5.19. Cui non cogitat peccatum, ſo ſome render it, To whom he thinketh no ſin, that is, he reputeth or imputeth it not for a ſin he putteth it not into the reckoning, Iſa. 43.25. & 48.9, 11. the Bill or Bond is cancelled Col. 2.14. and there remaineth no action. Chriſt is our ſuerty, Heb. 7.22. Now the ſuerty and debtour are in law reputed as one perſon. Chriſt is made ſin for us, that is, in our ſtead or place, that wee might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. ult.
And in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile] Sed ſincere & ſine dolo à ſuis peccatis reſipiſcit, & ad Dei miſericordiam ſe recipit. The juſtified are alſo ſanctified, 1 Cor. 6.11. they hide not their ſins as Adam, thy neither excuſe nor extenuate what evills they have done, but think and ſpeak the worſt of their ſins, they lay load upon themſelves, they hate Hy pocriſie and deteſt diſſimulation; it is a queſtion whether they do more deſire to be good, or abhorre to ſeem only to be ſo. B ſil, as he commendeth that ſentence of Plato, that ſeeming ſanctity is double iniquity; ſo hee juſtly condemneth that ſaying of Euripides; I had rather ſeem to bee good, than be ſo indeed. That maxim of Machiavel is the ſame for ſenſe, that vertue it ſelf ſhould not be ſought after, but only the appearance; becauſe the credit is an help, the uſe a cumber. The pardoned finner is ſanctified throughout, waſhed not only from his ſin (the guilt and filth of it) but his ſwiniſh nature alſo (the love and liking of it) he hath no mind to return to his vomit, or wallowing in the mire, ſaith R. Solomon here; he ſaith not Reſipiſcam & denuo peccabo, vel peccabo & reſipiſcam, as R. David ſenſeth it, I will repent, and then ſin again; or ſin again, and then repent. This he knoweth to be incompatible with faith unfeigned, and hope unfailable, 1 Tim. 1.5. 1 Joh. 3.3.
Verſ. 3. When I kept ſilence] i.e. Whileſt I through guile of ſpirit (for this leaven of Hypocriſie is more or leſſe in the beſt hearts, though it ſway not there) concealed my ſin, and kept the Devills counſel, contenting my ſelf with his anodines and falſe plaiſters. That old man ſlayer knoweth well, that as ſin is the ſoules ſickneſſe, ſo confeſſion is the ſoules …; and that there is no way to purge the ſick ſoul, but upwards. He therefore holdeth the lips cloſe, that the heart may not diſburden it ſelf. David by his perſwaſion, kept ſilence for a while, but that he found was to his ruthe; and if he had held ſo, it might have been to his ruine. Men, in pain of conſcience, will ſhark for eaſe, rather than ſue for pardon; as the Prodigall firſt joyned himſelf to a Citizen, then ate husks, &c. before he would reſolve to return. Satan had firſt ſeduced David, and then gagg'd him, as it were, that he might keep ſilence. But then God took him, and ſet him, upon the rack, where he roared till he reſolved to confeſſe. And the like befell Bilney, Bainbam, Whittle, and many other of the Martyrs, who having firſt yeelded, could never be at reſt within themſelves till they had publickly confeſſed their fault, and retracted their ſubſcriptions to thoſe Popiſh Articles.
My bones waxed old] i.e. My ſtrength waſted and wore away, I was in a pittifull plight, per febrim for ſan, ſaith an expoſitour, by a feaver, poſſibly, the fruit of his inward affliction. So bitter and burdenſome is ſin cloaked, and cloſe kept.
Through my rearing all the day long] Like a wild beaſt,Jun. belluinos potius quam humanos gensitus & querimonias fudi, I rather roared to the enfeebling of my body, than repented to the eaſing of my conſcience. I cryed out for pain, but prayed not for pardon. As a Lyon in a ſnare roareth, as a bird in a gin fluttereth, ſo it fareth with Hypocrites under Gods hand (and with better men too ſometimes, and for a ſeaſon) but eſpecially in pangs of conſcience, they bellow like bulls in a net, or ſwine, when a ſticking; they beat the air with many brutiſh roarings and ragings, which avail them no more than if an Ox ſhould break out of the ſlaughter-houſe after the deadly blow given him; the ſting of conſcience ſtill remaineth.
Verſ. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee] See what God can do when once he taketh a man to do. Day and night hee had ſinned againſt God; therefore day and night he ſuffereth; and glad he may be that he ſo ſcapeth, and is not forced to undergo an eternity of extremity. Some think that this Pſalm, and the ſixth, were made much about a time; when David was newly recovered of ſome grievous fit of ſickneſſe. It may be meant only of his inward terrours, or chiefly at leaſt; his body ſuffering by Sympathy, as having ſhared in his ſin.
My moiſture is turned into the drought of Summer] My naturall radicall moiſture, that oyl that maintaineth the lamp of life, is dryed up and become like a lump of clay; the vigour alſo and verdure of my ſoul is quelled and conſumed with the fire of thy fierce wrath. God will bring his beſt people to this, if they put him to it; that they ſhall find it to be the greateſt folly in the World, to buy the ſweeteſt ſin at ſo dear a rate.
Selah] I ſpeak it feelingly.Vat. O quantum tormentum, &c. O aridum & exhauſtuns me prae maſtitia, &c. O my pittifull condition!
Verſ. 5. I acknowledged my ſin unto thee] Though it were long firſt, yet thou broughteſt mee to it. The ſoul is ready to hang her comforts on every hedge, to ſhift and ſhark in every by-corner for comfort, rather than to repair to the right fountain. Let ſhould have eſcaped to the Mountaines at firſt; but he would needs to Zoar; which yet was ſoon too hot to hold him; David ſhould have acknowledged his ſin ere this time; he ſhould ſpeedily have caſt up the poyſon he had ſwallowed down, before it got to the vitalls; but he had no mind to it, till he had taſted of the whip, and then he agnized his ſin unto the Lord, he put himſelf into the hands of juſtice, in hope of mercy. The properties or conditions of ſound Confeſſion are theſe, ſay the Schoolmen in this Tetraſtich.
Sit ſimplex, humilis confeſſio, pura, fidelis,
At que frequens, nuda & diſcreta, lubens, verecunda,
Integra, ſecreta, & lachrymabilis, accelerata,
Fortis, & accuſans, & ſe punire parata.
And mine iniquity have I not hid] In confeſſion wee muſt ſhew the Lord the iniquity of our ſin, the filthineſſe of our leudneſſe, the abomination of our provocations, Rom. 7.13. Wee muſt bring out our ſins (as they took the Veſſells of the Sanctuary, Ezra. 8.34.) by number, and by weight; laying open how many tranſgreſſions are wrap'd up in our ſins, and their circumſtances. See for this, Levit. 16.21.
I ſaid, I will confeſſe, &c. i.e. I reſolved and purpoſed ſo to do; but … that could be done, thou forgaveſt, &c. Gods ear was in Davids heart, before his confeſſion could be in his tongue. So, at another time, he did but conceive a purpoſe to build God an houſe, and God rewarded it with the building and eſtabliſhing of Davids houſe, 2 Sam. 7.
And thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin] The ſting and ſtain of it, the criminall and penall part ofit,Vel peccatum peccati, Uti…ur duobus vocabulis ad aggravandum peccatum ſuum. Kimchi. As we ſay, terra pulveris, or … luti. the worſt thing that was in it; not the fire only, but the filth that was in it; reſerving ſtill to thy ſelf a power of fatherly corrections, and medicinall miſeries. But the iniquity of ſin is wiped off by the ſpunge of true confeſſion. Homo agnoſcit, Deus ignoſcit. Man no ſooner acknowledgeth the debt, but God croſſeth the Book. It is therefore good counſell that a Father giveth, Fac confitendo propitium, quem tacendo non facis neſcium, Confeſſe and find mercy; ſith by a ſenſeleſſe ſilence thou canſt not keep thy ſins from Gods knowledge of them. Let out that bad blood by opening a vein, that good health may enter.
Per miſereremti, tollitur ira Dei.
Wot you what? (ſaid Henry the eighth to the Duke of Suffolk concerning Step…en Gardiner when he had confeſſed his Popery, for which he ſhould have been the morrow after ſent to the Tower) he hath confeſſed himſelf as guilty in this matter as his man,Act. & Mon. fol. 1177. and hath with much ſorrow and penſiveneſſe ſued for my pardon. And you know what my nature and cuſtome hath been in ſuch caſes, evermore to pardon them that will not diſſemble, but confeſſe their fault, &c.
Selah] q. d. I ſpeak it joyfully, there being no ſuch matter of mirth in all the World, as the ſweet ſenſe of forgiveneſſe of ſin. O ſingularem (inquit David hic) Dei erga homines peccata ſua agnoſcentes gratiam & benevolentiam!
Verſ. 6. For this ſhall every one that is godly pray unto thee] For this, that thou haſt ſo graciouſly done for mee, the godly ſhall gladly perform theſe two duties; the prayer of faith, and the obedience of faith. As I have been an example to them of ſin (which is now my grief) ſo I ſhall be to them of good, and that's my comfort. Where note firſt, That every godly man is a praying man. God hath no dumb children in his houſe. Secondly, That ſuch will be making uſe of Gods dealing with others for their own inſtruction and comfort, For this. Thirdly, That they will obſerve the fitteſt times to make their addreſſes to God; as Courtiers watch their — molliſſima fandi Tempora
In a time when thou maieſt be found] i.e. In a time of need, ſay ſome, Pſal. 50.15. Or, in a time of favour (as the Chaldee here hath it) Iſa. 53.6. before the decree bring forth, Zepb. 2.2. before the draw-bridge be taken up, the day of grace be expired, Joh. 7.34. & 8.21. Heb. 6.6. Luk. 13.29.
Surely in the floods of great Waters] In the greateſt of outward troubles, or inward perplexities.
They ſhall not come nigh unto him] ſc. To prejudice his eternall ſalvation; freed he ſhall be, if not from the ſmart, yet from the hurt of perſonall croſſes; and for publick calamities, he ſhall be delivered, if not from the common deſtruction, yet from the common diſtraction. Waſhed he may bee, as Paul was in the ſhipwrack, but not drowned with thoſe floods of great waters; be they never ſo great, they are bounded. Beſides, the godly man reſcipiſcit antequam ſuperveniant fluctus miſeriarum, as R. Obad. here noteth, repenteth before thoſe floods come upon him, and ſo redeemeth his own ſorrows. For he ſaith thus,
Verſ. 7. Thou art my hiding place, &c.] And therefore I being a pardoned perſon, ſhall be in ſafety under thy wings, Pſal. 91. per to…um.
Thou ſhalt preſerve mee from trouble] Either from it, or in it; that I be not hurt by it. The godly, after one trouble muſt prepare for another; after one deliverance expect another. A company cometh, as ſhe ſaid.
Thou ſhalt compaſs mee about with ſongs] i.e. Plentifully furniſh mee with matter of praiſe, ita ut latus Peana canam. And like as in a lottery at every prize the trumpet ſoundeth; ſo at every deliverance I will ſing aloud to thy glory. All my springs ſhall be in thee.
Verſ. 8. I will inſtruct thee and teach thee, &c.] No diſgrace is it then for great men to be teachers of others. Here we have 2 Prince-preacher; ſuch as was alſo Salomon, George Prince of Anbals, and others.
I will guide thee with mine eye] i. e. With my carefull inſpection and overſight. I will ſee that thou profit in godlineſſe. The Chaldee hath it, I will counſell thee, and ſet mine eye upon thee for good. Thus Chriſt counſelled Peter with his eye, Luk. 22.61. Miniſters muſt watch over their peoples and ſee that all go right. Hence they are called Seers, Superintendents, Biſhops.
Verſ. 9. Bee yee not as the horſe, or as the … ] David having according to the title Maſchil promiſed to teach, uſeth this preface to beſpeak attention: Be not uncounſeilable, irreclaimeable, ſuch as Baſil complaineth of, qui ne que Ad Evag. Epiſt. 10.quid ſit veruns ſciun…, ne que ſuſtineut diſcers, who neither knew, not would bee taught what was true, and fit to be practiſed. Of the Rhinoceros, ſome write, that ſlain he may be, caught he cannot be. Others, that he is animal an…e …, a moſt untameable creature; for if he be taken, he preſently dyeth of ſullenneſſe. Such ſpirits we meet with not a few, who yet would take it in foul ſcorn to bee reckoned horſes, and Aſſes that have no underſtanding, neither will be taught any. To theſe the Pſalmiſt here ſaith, No obſt upeſaite, & obbruteſcite ad exercitations Dai, &c. Be not as horſe or mule, leſt ye be led thorough a fools Paradiſe into a true priſon. Bee not headlong, headſtrong, untameable, untractable, &c. The horſe and mule are inſtanced, as well known amongſt the Jews; and uſed to bee ridden on.
Which have no underſtanding] And yet the horſe knoweth his owner, &c. Strange things are reported of Bucephalus, and Julius Ceſars great horſe. Of the Egpptian Mamalukes horſes it is reported, that they were ſo docible, that at certain ſignes or ſpeeches of the rider, they would with their teeth reach him up from the ground a launce, an arrow, or ſuch like thing; and as if they had known the enemy,Turk. hiſt. 529. run upon him with open mouth, and laſh at him with their heeles; and had by nature and cuſtome learned not to be afraid of any thing.
Wheſe mouth muſt be held in with bit and bridle] Leſt they kick and bite thee.Ne morde… noceatve … Jun. Such is the mad Worlds wages and uſage of the moſt faithfull Preachers. B. Ridley lamented it in his time, the great ones ſpurned privily againſt thoſe that went about moſt buſily and whole…omely to cure their ſore backs.Act. & … 1616. As for Latimers Lever, Bradford, Knox (ſaith he) their tongues were ſo ſharp, they ripped in ſo deep to their galled backs, to let out the filthy matter, that they could never abide them. Thus He, and much more concerning King Edward the ſixth his Courtiers. The words may be read thus, whoſe mouth, except it be held with bit and bridle, they wilnot come nigh unto thee, that is, thou wilt not be able to rule them. It is a good obſervation of a modern Divine, Not the unruly colt only, but the horſe that is broken, hath a bitt and bridle alſo; So even the godly need the bridle of the Law, n… … excutiant, leſt they caſt their rider.
Verſ. 10. Many ſorrowes ſhall bee to the wicked] This is Davids Doctrin (his life followeth in the next verſe) Many pains, or great ſmarts are for the Wicked, &c. And as Luther ſaith, Let him that can rightly diſtinguiſh betwixt Law and Goſpel, give thanks to God, and know himſelf to bee a good Divine; ſo ſay I, Let him that is firmly perſwaded of this truth here delivered, know himſelf to be a good proficient in Chriſts School; for it is the principle of all holy learning.
Verſ. 11. Bee glad in the Lord] Joy is the just … portion. A pardoned ſinner, as verſ. 1, 2. is here called upon (in an uſe of conſolation) to be as merry as mirth can make him; for what ſhould ayl ſuch an once as wee ſay of a rich man. Viſcaunt Liſte in Henry the eighths time dyed for joy of an unſpected pardon. … what was that to Gods pardon of all fins?