Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 46
PSAL. XLVI.
VPonUpon Alamoth] i.e. Upon the Virginals. Virgins with their ſhril treble tune 1 Chr…. 15.20. uſed (belike) to ſing this triumphant Pſalm, and to play it on the Inſtrument; and their hearts were ſomewhat ſuitable to it. The pen-man ſome think to have been David, upon occaſion of thoſe notable victories, 2 Sam. 8. Others, Solomon; for the Virgins to ſing and play at his wedding, Pſal. 45.8, 9. with Cant. 1.2. Others, Iſaiah; either upon the overthrow of thoſe two Kings, Rezin and Pekah, 2 King. 16.5. Iſa. 7. & 8. confer Judg. 5.11. or elſe after the ſlaughter of Sennacheribs armie by an Angel; then the Virgin Daughter of Zion, (much more than before) deſpiſed him, and laughed him to ſcorn: the Daughter of Jeruſalem ſhook her head at him, Iſa. 37.22. and ſang as followeth.
Verſ. 1.Tremel. God is our reſuge and ſtrength] Dem nobis eſt receptus, & robur. All Creatures, when in diſtreſſe, run to their reſuges, Prov. 30.26. Pſal. 104.18. Prov. 18.11. Dan. 4.10, 11. Judg. 9.50, 51. So do the Saints to God Almighty, for the ſafe-guarding of their perſons, as here, and Iſa. 25.4. Luther, when in greateſt diſtreſſe, was wont to call for this Pſalm; ſaying, Let us ſing the forty ſixth Pſalm in conſort; and then let the Devill do his worſt.
A very preſent help in trouble] Or,Joh. Manlii loc. com. We have abundantly found him an help in tribulation. God, as he is not farre off his people at ſuch a time, ſo he needeth not much intreaty; but when we are neareſt danger, he is neareſt to deliver, as in the Gun-pouder-plot prevented eight or nine houres before it ſhould have been acted; Maſſes were ſung in Rome, for the proſpering of it; but no prayers particularly made in England, for the preventing, nor could be. Here God was, if ever, auxilium praeſentiſſimum.
Verſ. 2. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth, &c.] No not in the greateſt concuſſions of States, and revolutions in nature. Earthquakes are very dreadfull, and lay whole Cities on heaps ſometimes (as Antioch often, which was therehence called foreign) but though not ſome part only, but the whole earth ſhould be turned topſy-turvy,1 ege Plindib. 2, cap. 83. & 88. as a man wipeth a diſh, wiping it, and turning it upſide down, 2 King. 21.13. yea though heaven and earth ſhould be mingled, Heb. 13.26. in this alſo the Beleever would be confident, becauſe God is with him (Pſal. 23.4. & 27.1.) whoſe praiſe and promiſe is, to ſee to his Servants ſafety in the greateſt dangers, and to ſet them out of the gunſhot.
And though the Mountaines be carried into the midſt of the Sea] Though all the World ſhould be reduced again into that firſt Chaos of confuſion.
Si fract us illab at ur orbis,Horat. Od. 3. Lib. 3.
Impavidum forlent ruina.
Verſ. 3.U: omnes procellae horriblli cum boatu circumſonent. Ethic. 3.7. Though the waters thereof roar and bee troubled] Heb. Be mudded; yet we will not fear, viz. with a baſe diſtruſtfull fear. Tanti eſt experientiam ſenſuni que auxilii divini habere. The tempeſtuous riſing and roaring of the Sea is ſo terrible, that Ariſtotle ſaith, whoſoever feareth it not, is either mad, or ſenſeleſſe. Fear not, ſaith the Angell to St. Paul himſelf in that dreadfull ſtorm, Act. 27.24. which implyeth, that he was afraid with a naturall fear; and he might be ſo without ſin. An a wefull fear of God is conſiſtent with faith; neither is any Beleever guilty of a Stoical apathie. The very Devills beleeve and tremble, Jam. 2.19. The A poſtles word there implieth, that they roar as the Sea roareth, and ſhrieke horribly.
Though the Mountains ſhake, &c.] As ſometimes Promontories fall with the force,Id quod Propheta miris verborum figuris additis illuſtrate Beza. and impetuous beating of the Sea upon them. Admit all this, and more (whether in a ſenſe literall, or allegoricall; ſet forth it is in a ſtrain high and hyperbolicall) yet wee will bear up, and bee bold to beleeve, that all ſhall go well with us.
Verſ. 4. there is a River, &c.] Interea civitas Dei, amidſtall theſe garboiles and hurly-burlies abroad, the Church ſhall be helped with a little help, as Dan. 11.34. that through weaker means, ſhe may ſee Gods greater ſtrength. That contemptible brook Cedron (whereof read Job. 18.1. compaſſing ſome part only of the City Jeruſalem; or paſſing thorough the middle of it, as ſome write) together with the rivorets Siloe and others that run into it, ſhall be able, through God, to ſave her from the power and greatneſſe of her enemies. Confer Iſa. 8.6. and this place ſhall be the better underſtood.
The holy place of the Tabernacles] This was the beauty and bulwark of Jeruſalem, viz. the Temple, the continued ſincere ſervice of God; this was the Tower of the ſlock, and the ſtrong hold of the Daughter of Gods people, Mic. 4.8. See Pſa. 26.1, 2. And theſe Rivers of the Sanctuary, theſe waters of life, drawn with joy out of the wells of Salvation; the precious Promiſes, made glad the City of God, the Conſciences of Beleevers; and cauſed them to triumph over all troubles.
Verſ. 5. God is in the midſt of her] Hence the Church is called Jehovali Shannonah, the Lord is there, Ezek. 48.35. there he hath ſet him up a Mercy-ſeat, a Throne of Grace, and paved his people a new and living way thereunto with the Bloud of his Son, ſo that they may come boldly, obtain mercy, and finde grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4.14.
She ſhall not be moved] Or, not greatly moved, Pſal. 62.2. in thoſe great commotions abroad the world, verſ. 2, 3. This buſh may burn, but ſhall not be conſumed; and that by the bleſſing of him that dwelt in the buſh, Deut 33.Exo. 14.23 Begneth have-ſhugnah. Kimchi. foreign built ſhee is upon a rock, Mat. 16.16, and ſo is every particular Beleever, Mat. 7.25. And if at any time they be in diſtreſs,
God ſhall help her, and that right early] Heb. When the morning appeareth; that is, in the nick of time, when help ſhall be moſt ſeaſonable, and beſt welcome. Mourning laſteth but till morning, Pſal. 30.5. the Church is invincible.
Verſ. 6. The Heathen raged] Among themſelves, and againſt the Church (Chriſt myſtical, as Pſal. 2.1, 2.) with great force and fury: Quia ab aſcenfore ſuo Damon… perur gentur, as Bernard giveth the reaſon, becauſe the Devil rideth them, and ſpurreth them on.
The King doms were moved] to remove and root out the Church, but that will not be; becauſe in the thing wherein they deal proudly, God is above them. See thoſe three ſweet ſimilitudes, Zech. 12.2, 3, 6.
He uttered his voyce] Thunder-ſtruck the enemies, and ſaved his people by a Miracle of his mercy, Pſal. 18.6, 7.
The earth melted] Centra naturam ſuam, quia eſt arida, ſaith Aben-Ezra; againſt the nature thereof, for it is dry. By the earth ſome underſtand the enemies, who had almoſt filled the whole Land with their multitudes.
Verſ. 7. The Lord of Hoſts is with us] Even the Lord who commandeth far other Hoſts and Armies than the enemy hath any; and this they ſhall ſee by our Spiritual ſecurity.
The God of Jacob is our refuge] Heb. Our high tower, ſuch as our enemies cannot come at. When he calleth him the God of Jacob, hee hath reſpect to the Promiſes, ſaith Vatablus; Gods Power and Goodneſs are the Churches Jachin and Boaz.
Ver. 8. Come, behold the Works of the Lord] Venite, videte. God looks that his Works ſhould bee well obſerved, and eſpecially when he hath wrought any great deliverance for his people. Of all things, hee cannot abide to bee forgotten.
What deſolations he hath made in the earth] How he hath dunged his Vineyard with the dead Carcaſſes of thoſe wild Boars out of the Forreſt, that had infeſted it. Thoſe four mighty Monarchies had their times and their turns, their riſe and their ruine; but the Church remains for ever.
Verſ. 9. He maketh Warres to ceaſe] As the Lord putteth the Sword in Commiſſion, bathing it in Heaven; ſo he can quiet it, and command it up at his pleaſure. He did ſo when Siſera was ſlain, and when Sexnacherib. The Church hath her Halcyous.
He breaketh the bow, &c.] No weapon formed againſt thee ſhall proſper, Iſa. 54.17. The Spaniſh Armada was ſet forth with infinite labour and expence; but ſoon diſperſed and defeated.
He burneth the Chariots] Inquibus inſtrumenta bellica vel victualia pro militibus circumgeſtant, ſaith Aben-Ezra, i. e. their carriages for ammunition, and proviſions.
Verſ. 10. Be ſtill, and know, &c.] q. d. As you muſt come and ſee, verſ. 8. ſo come and hear what the Lord ſaith to thoſe enemies of yours, Ceſſate, & ſcitete, Be ſtill, St, and know, Ex veſtris ſaltem malis diſcite, learn by what yee have felr, that there is no contending with omnipotency. I will be exalted, asking you no leave, &c.
Verſ. 11. The Lord of Hoſts, &c.] See verſ. 7.