Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5
A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the Book of PSALMS.
THe Book of Pſalms] So Chriſt calleth it, Luke 20.42. the Hebrew word ſignifieth Hymns, or Praiſes; becauſe the greater part of theſe Pſalms ſerve to ſet forth the praiſe of God. This title ſeemeth to be taken from Pſal. 145. called Davids Hymn, or Pſalm of Praiſe; ſo highly prized by the ancient Hebrews, that they pronounce him an Heir of Heaven, who ſhall three times a day devoutly repeat it.Athanaſ. Chryſoſt. The Greeks call this Book the Pſalter; and deſervedly give it many high commendations; as that it is the Souls Anatomy, the Laws Epitomy, the Goſpels Index, the Garden of the Scriptures, a ſweet Field and Roſary of Promiſes, Precepts, Predictions, Praiſes, Soliloquies, &c. the very Heart and Soul of God, the Tongue and Pen of David, a man after Gods own heart; one murmur of whoſe Michtam, or Maſchil, one touch of whoſe heavenly Harp is farre above all the buskind Raptures, gariſh Phantaſms, ſplendid Vanities, Pageants, and Landskips of prophaner wits; farre better worthy to be written in letters of Gold, than Pindars ſeventh Ode in the Temple at Rhodes (though Politian judged otherwiſe, like a Wretch as he was) and farre more fit to have been laid up, as a rare and precious Jewel, in that Perſian Casket, embroydered with Gold and Pearl, than Homers Iliads, for which it was reſerved by great Alexander. But that Cock on the Dunghil never knew the worth of this peerleſs Pearl; as did our good King Alured, who himſelf tranſlated the Pſalter into his own Saxon Tongue;Turk. Hiſ and as the Emperour Andronicus, who cauſed this Book to be bound up in a little Volume by it ſelf, to ſerve as his Manual, and attend him in his running Library: for therein he found amulets of comfort, more pleaſant than the Pools of Heſhbon, more glorious than the Tower of Lebanon, more redolent than the Oyl of Aaron, more fructifying than the dew of Hermon, as one expreſſeth it. All the latitude of the Holy Scriptures may be reduced to the Pſalms, ſaith Auſtin, after Athanaſius; Luther calleth them Parva Biblia, & ſummarium utriuſ que Teſtaments, a little Bible, a Summary of both Teſtaments. The Turks diſclaim both the Old and New Teſtament, and yet they ſwear as ſolemnly by the Pſalms of David, as by the Alchoran of Mahomet. Anciently they were ſung in the Temples, and in the Primitive Chriſtian Church happy was that tongue held that could ſound out aliquid Davidicum, any part of a Pſalm of David, Nicephorus telleth us, that as they travelled and journied they uſed to ſolace themſelves with Pſalms, and that thereby there was at a certain time a Jew converted. Saint Paul calleth them Spiritual Songs, Col. 3.16. both becauſe they were indited by the Holy Spirit; and for that they do ſingularly ſuit with mens ſpirits; for they are ſo penned that every man may think they ſpeak De ſe, in re ſua, of himſelf, and to his particular purpoſe, as Athanaſins obſerveth. And laſtly, becauſe they do after a ſpecial manner Spiritualize, and ſanctifie thoſe that ſing them in the right tune; which is, Sing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord, as the Apoſtle there ſetteth it; and elſewhere hinteth unto us, that there is no ſmall edification by the choyce of a fit Pſalm, 1 Cor. 14.26.
Verſ. 1. Bleſſed] Heb. O the bleſſedneſs, the heaped up happineſs both of this Life, and a better, fitter to be beleeved than poſſible to be diſcourſed. The Hebrew comes from a root that ſignifieth to go right forward, ſcil. in the way that is called Holy, having Oculum ad metam, an eye upon the mark, viz. True and real happineſs, ſuch as all men pretend to, but he only attaineth to who is here deſcribed.Policrat. lib. 8. cap. 4. Sylla was by his flatterers ſurnamed Felix, becauſe high and mighty; and Metellus likewiſe, Quod bona multa bono, modo invenerat, becauſe rich by right means. But he that firſt called Riches Bona was a better Husband than Divine; and they that ſeek for a felicity in any thing here below, ſeek for the living among the dead. The Philoſophers diſcourſes of this ſubject are but learned dotages; David ſaith more to the point in this ſhort Pſalm, than any, or all of them put together; they did but beat the Buſh, God hath here put the Bird into our hands.
Is the man] Heb. that man, with an Article, with an Accent, and by an excellency, as Jer. 5.1. that eminent and eximious man, who is rationally Spiritual, and Spiritually rational; that man in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 12.2. who hath learned Chriſt, and doth live Chriſt, walking as he walked, 1 Joh. 2.6. and not in the counſel of the ungodly, &c. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, &c. Magnus atque admirabilis vir, ſimodo viri nomine deſignare illum fas eſt, as Chryſoſtom ſaith of Babylas the Martyr, that is, a great and an admirable man, if a man we may call him, and not an earthly Angel rather. He muſt indeed bee content to paſs to Heaven as a concealed man, becauſe the World knoweth him not, 1 Joh. 3.1. but thoſe that have ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern good and evil, may eaſily know him, as he ſtands here deſcribed, 1 To depart from evil, verſ. 1. 2 To do good, verſ. 2.
Walketh not in the counſel of the ungodly] or reſtleſs; the counſel of ſuch ſhould be far from us, Job 21.16. & 22.18. The Jews caſt their whole Nation of People into three ranks, Reſhagnim (the word here uſed) that is, the profane rabble. Tſadichim, righteous men, and Chaſidim, good, or gracious men; ſee Rom. 5.7. To theſe two latter are oppoſite here Sinners, and Scorners; theſe laſt being the worſt of wicked perſons,foreign Prov. 20.1. foreign. Prov. 9.12. foreign. Prov. 3.34. foreign Pſal. 119.51. foreign Panormit. and therefore ſet laſt in this gradation, as ſome will have it. The Septuagint here render them Peſts or Botches, and elſewhere incorrigible, wicked (with a witneſs) proud, prevaricating, &c. Beware of this Sin, ſaith Father Latimer; for I never knew but one ſcorner that repeuted: he who is fitten down in this Chair or Peſtilence (as having tired himſelf in ways of wickedneſs, and will not bee better adviſed, Prov. 9.7, 8. but with Lots Sons in Law, jeareth what he ſhould fear) wil not eaſily be raiſed out of it.
Verſ. 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord] i.e. in the whole Doctrin of the Holy Scriptures, that invariable rule of truth, as Irenaeus rightly calleth it. He findeth reſt no where, Niſi in angulo cum libello, in a Nook with this Book, as Thomas à Kempis was wont to ſay, who alſo with his own hand wrote out the Bible. King Alphonſus read it over fourteen times, together with ſuch Commentaries as thoſe times afforded. Luther ſaid, hee would not live in Paradiſe without the Word,Par. in Epist. ad Ja. N…wer. Paſtor. Heidelb. as with it he could live well enough in Hell. Magdalen Wife to D. Paraeus, after ſhe was married, and forty years of age, out of love to the Scriptures learnt to read, and took ſuch delight in it, and eſpecially in the Pſalms, that ſhe gat them almoſt all by heart. B…za being above fourſcore years old, could ſay perfectly by heart any Greek Chap.Act. & Mon. in St. Pauls Epiſtles. Cranmer and Ridley had all the New Teſtament by heart; the former had learnt it in his journey to Rome, the latter in the Walks of Pembrook-Hall in Cambridge.
And in his Law doth he meditate day and night]
Hoc primus repetens opus, hoc poſtremus omittens; HoraHaving gathered with the Bees the ſweet of thoſe heavenly flowers, he doth by meditation work his Hony-comb within his Hive; and at this work he is perdius & pernox, till he feel it to become an ingrafted word, yea till he hath turned it in ſuccum & ſanguinem, and is after a ſort transformed into it, 2 Cor. 3.18. The Hebrew word Hagah here ſignifieth both to ſpeak with the mouth, and with the heart, to read, and to meditate; becauſe to read is not to run over a Chapter, as a Childe at School, but to muſe upon the matter, and to make ſome benefit of it. It is ſtoried of Pythagoras, that he lived in a Cave for a whole year together, that being ſequeſtred from the ſociety of men, he might the better meditate upon the abſtruſer parts of Philoſophy; he uſed alſo with a thread to tye the hair of his head to a beam over him, that ſo when he did but nod by reaſon of ſleep, he might be awakened thereby. Is not this check to our oſcitancy and careleſneſe of ſearching the Scriptures, and making them our daily and nightly ſtudy? Hierom exhorted ſome godly women to whom he wrote,Hier. ad E… De cuſted Virgin. not to lay the Bible out of their hands, until being overcome with ſleep, and not able any longer to hold up their heads, they bowed them down, as it were to ſalute the leaves below them with a kiſs.
Verſ. 3. And he ſhall be like a tree] An Olive-tree, ſay ſome, from Pſal. 52.8. which is green all the year, ſaith Pliny; that in Noahs Floud kept its greenneſs though it had been ſo long time under the water; and is therefore made an Embleme of the Reſurrection. Others will have it to be the Palm-tree, from Pſa. 92.12.N…t. Hiſt. … 16. cap. 20. Gen. 8.11. Purch Pilgri v. 2. p. 1466 which likewiſe is always green, and very fruitful. Plutarch ſaith, that the Babylonians make three hundred and ſixty Commodities of it. The Tree whereon the Coquonuts grow in the Indies, is ſaid to be ſuch, as where with alone a ſhip may be built, and furniſhed to Sea with Meat and Merchandize. Let it be what tree it will that is here meant, if Plato could ſay, that Man in a tree inverted, with the root above, and the branches below, and that he is foreign, and heavenly Plant,Plato. Homer. foreign, as another hath it; Much more may we ſay ſo of a godly man, that Plant of renown, rooted in Chriſt, and fruited by the Spirit, of a right conſtitution, and righteous converſation, Gal. 5.25. See Jer. 17.8. Ezekiel 47.12.
Planted by the rivers of water] In locis irriguis, in moyſt places, where moſt trees thrive beſt; underſtand it of thoſe waters of the Sanctuary, Ezek. 47.12. together with thoſe never-failing influences of grace and conſolation that are in him, as a Well of water bubling up to eternal life, Job. 4.14.
That bringeth forth his fruit in his ſeaſon] There are no barren trees in Gods Orchard, and yet they may have their fits of barrenneſs, as an Apple-tree ſometimes hath: but they will re…flouriſh with advantage, as thoſe Philippians did, Chap. 4.10. (ſee the Note there) and bear fruit in the right ſeaſon, Nec praecocem nec ſerum. Now, every thing is beautiful in its ſeaſon, Eccleſ. 5.11. and it was no ſmall ſhame to Achitophel, when it was told him by Huſhai the Archite, Thy counſel is good, but not n…w, 2 Sam. 17.7.
His leaf alſo ſhall not wither] Heb. fade, for want of ſap or ſafety from Chriſt the root; but as the Olive of Palm-tree, Semper in ſue genere viret viget que retaineth its green leaf, and hath for its Motto, Nec premor nec perimor; ſo doth the good Soul perſevere and perſiſt in the profeſſion and practiſe of the truth, which is after godlineſs, Tit. 1.1. Maugre the malice of Earth, and of Hell.Plin. l. 12. cap. 11. Aug. de C. … lib. 21. cap. … Of Tylos an Indian Iſland Pliny and Auſtin ſay. That no tree therein growing doth at any time of the year loſe their leaves. Certain it is, that ſaving faith cannot be loſt altogether, though it may ſuffer ſome decays, Iſa. 6.13.
And whatſoever he doth ſhall proſper] So Joſh. 1.7, 8. This, and the like Promiſes muſt be underſtood with an exception of the Croſs, as need requireth, 1 Pet. 1.6. Gain, his proſperity, that of the Soul I mean, he ſhall be ſure of, Rom. 8.28.37. Temporal alſo, ſo far as may make for his etenal good. Pintus out of Pliny tells us, That the Palm-tree will not grow well in a fat ground, but in a light an ſandy; and that if the foyl be ſtrong and fertile, they muſt caſt ſalt and aſhes at the root to qualifie the ſtrength of the ground. As Chriſt is the true Vine, ſo his Father is a good Husband-man, and knoweth well how to order his trees of righteouſneſs: but uſually Piety hath proſperity, an is profitable to all things, 1 Tim. 4.8. And outward proſperity, if it follow cloſe walking with God, is very ſweet; as the Cypher when it followeth the Figure, addeth to the Number, though it be nothing in it ſelf.
Verſ. 4. The ungodly are not ſo] Not like any ſuch tree afore deſcribed, but rather like the Cypreſs-tree, which the more it is watered, is the leſs fruitful: or like the Cyparit-tree, whereof Pliny writeth, that it is good for nothing, no not for ſhew, ſhadow, or ſmell. Saint Jude ſaith, They are trees indeed, but ſuch as are twice dead, pulled up by the roots, verſ. 12. Twice dead they are ſaid to be, 1. Becauſe a Spiritual death is ſo great a death, that it may well go for two. 2 Becauſe thoſe ungodly ones were dead, both in regard of fruit and leaves, truth of grace, and any outward actings of grace. Their fruit, if any, is but Hedge-fruit, their leaves of formal profeſſion wither, and come to nothing; if they proſper in the World, (as Sigonius obſerveth of Pope Zachary that he dyed, Rebus non tàm piè quàm proſperè geſtis, Not over-pious, and yet every proſperous) it is that they may be cut down for ever, Pſal. 37.2. ſuch a temporary proſperity. Plus deceptionis habet quàm delectationis, ſaith Lactantius, is more deceitful than delightful, and is therefore well called by Bernard, Miſericordia omni indignatione crudelior, a gift-leſs gift, &c.
But are like the chaff] Not ſo they are, but much worſe in many reſpects, as it is fit they ſhould be. God will ſurely ſet a difference, Mal. 3. ult. See the note there. A profane Souldier at the ſiege of a Town, paſſing a place of danger was heard ſwearing, and when one that ſtood by warned him, ſaying, Fellow Souldier, do not Swear, the bullets fly; he anſwered, They that ſwear come off as well as they that pray: But what came of it? Soon after a Shot hit him, and down he fell. The wicked is (as chaff) driven away in his wickedneſs: but the righteous hath hope in his death, Prov. 14.32. The word here rendred Chaff, is Palea tenuiſſima & minutiſſimè contrita, chaft beaten to duſt, and therefore good for nothing, but apt to be whiffled up and down with every wind of Doctrine, with every puff of temptation. A good man is, as a tree, ſtedfaſt, and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. ult. An evil man as chaff, light and worthleſs, Religionem habens Ephemeram, conſtant in nothing ſo much as in his inconſtancy, ſerves God by fits and ſtarts, flies in his face when afflicted, as chaff doth in the face of the Winnower; whiles the weightier Corn falls low at his feet. See Job 21.18.… ſteris. trent. Pſal. 55.5. Hoſ. 13.3. Mat. 3.12. with the notes.
Verſ. 5. Therefore the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in the judgement] i. e. Cauſâ cadent & damnabun…ur; at the Great Aſſizes they ſhall bee caſt and condemned. Revel. 6.17. For the great day of his Wrath is come, and who ſhall be able to ſtand? If the righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the ungodly and the ſinner appear? 1 Pet. 4.18. Surely no where, but in Hell, their own place, Acts 1.25. not before God, for he is a conſuming fire, Heb. 12. ult. and they chaff, or ſtubble fully dried. See Iſa. 33.14. Not before Chriſt, for he ſhall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance, &c. 2 Theſſ. 1.7. not in Heaven, for it's an undefiled inheritance, neither may any dirty Dogge trample on that golden pavement, Revel. 22.15. Not any longer on Earth, defiled by their iniquities, and therefore to bee purged by the fire of the laſt Day: for the earth alſo, and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up, 2 Pet. 3.10. R. David Kimchi by Judgement here, underſtandeth the day of the wicked mans death; and indeed his Deaths-day is his Doomeſday, when he muſt take a fearful farewell, and breath out his Soul and hope together with the breath of the ſame dying groan, Job. 27.8. & 11.20. Hinc illae Lachrymae, hence that loth-to-depart, though ſome ſet a good face upon it when to dye, as Sir Thomas Moore, who dyed for the Popes Supremacy with a light jeſt in his mouth; Veſpaſian likewiſe dyed with a jeſt, and Auguſtus in a Complement. This was but the Hypocriſie of mirth: for Death is the King of terror to a Natural man. See Heb. 2.15. 1 Sam. 15.32. & 28.20. Saul at the meſſage of death ſwooned quite away, and fell all along, Quantus quantus erat, as Peter Martyr phraſeth it; yea good Hezekiah wept when ſentenced to death, and the approach of it was to him Mar mar, bitter bitterneſs, Iſa. 38.3.17. he muſt have his faith at his fingers ends, as one ſaith, that will dye actively. But all men have not faith, 2 Theſſ. 3.2. and thoſe few that have, are not always aſſured that their hearts ſhall live for ever, as Pſal. 22.26. and that Death, the Devils Serjeant to drag wicked men to Hell, ſhall be to them the Lords Gentleman-uſher to conduct them to Heaven; as Mr. Brightman expreſſeth it.
Nor Sinners in the Congregation of the righteous] They ſhall never ſet foot within heavens Threſhold, within that general Aſſembly, that ſacred Panegyris, ample Amphitheatre, the Congregation-houſe of crowned Saints, and glorious Angels. Tertullian ſaith of Pompies Theatre (which was the greateſt ornament of old Rome) that it was Arx omnium turpitudinum, a receptacle of all kind of Ribaldry and Roguery. Not ſo Heaven; There ſhall in no wiſe enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatſoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lye, Rev. 21.27.Auguſtin. The Iriſh air will ſooner brook a Toad, or a Snake, than Heaven a Sinner. Mali in area nobiſcum eſſe poſſunt, in horreo non poſſunt, Chaff may be with Gods good Corn on the floor, but in the Garner it ſhall not. For Chriſt will throughly purge his floor, and gather his Wheat into the Garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire, Mat. 3.12.
Verſ. 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous] Or, acknowledgeth, approveth, adminiſtreth, and ordereth all things to their eternal Salvation; as may appear by the oppoſition, wherein there is a Rhetorical Apoſiopeſis. Gods knowledge of men and their ways is not meerly Intuitive, but Approbative of the good, and Vindictive of the evil; foreign His Providence (which is the carrying on of his Decree) is that helm which turns about the wholeſhip of the Univerſe with ſingular skill and juſtice. Dominus diligit, & dirigit viam, id eſt, vitam & omne inſtitutum juſtorum. See Pſal. 37.18. & 142.4. Nahum 1.7. Prov. 2.8. with the notes there. God knows the righteous by name, Exod. 33.17. knows them for his own, looks upon them and their whole courſe with ſingular delight and complacency; they are his Hephzibah, Iſa. 62.4. the dearly beloved of his Soul, Jer. 12.7. Verba notitiae apud Hebraos ſecum trahunt affectum.
But the way of the ungodly ſhall periſh] Their practices and perſons ſhall periſh together, be done away, be loſt for ever. And why? becauſe the Lord knoweth them not; unleſs it be for black Sheep, as we ſay, or rather for reprobate Goats, Mat. 25. Hence their Souls are flung out, as out of the middle of a ſling, when the Souls of the Saints are bound up in the bundle of life, with the Lord their God, 1 Sam. 25.29.