Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 101
PSAL, CI.
A Pſalm of David] Wherein he promiſeth and pre-ingageth, that whenever hee came to the Kingdome, he will be a ſingular example both as a Prince, and as a Maſter of a Family: In which reſpect this Pſalm ſhould be often read and ruminated by ſuch, that their houſes may be as the houſe of David, Zach. 12.8. and as the Palace of George Prince of Anba…, which was, ſaith Melanctben, Eccleſia, Academia, Curia, a Church,Act. & Mon. fol. 1559. an Academy, and a Court. Biſhop Ridley read, and expounded this Pſalm oftentimes to his houſhold, hiring them with money to learn it, and other ſelect Scriptures by heart. A good Governour is like that Noble-man who had for his Impreſs two bundle of ripe Mi…et bound together, with this M…tto, Servare & Servari me… est; for the nature of the Mi…et is both to guard it ſelf from all corruption, and alſo thoſe things that lye near it. That is a rare commendation that is given the late Reverend and Religious Dr. Chatterton, that he was an houſe-keeper three and fifty years, and yet in all chat time, he never kept any of his ſervants from Church to dreſs his meat,His life by Mr. Clark. ſaying, That he deſired as much to have his ſervants know God, as himſelf.
Verſ. 1. I will-ſing of Mercy and Judgement]… Davids Ditty was compoſed of diſcords. Mercy and Juſtice are the brighteſt ſtars in the ſphere of Majeſty; the main ſupports of a Throne Royal: How heit there ſhould be a preheminence to Mercy; as one well obſerveth from Micah 6.8. Mercy muſt be loved, and not ſhewn onelyonly: Juſtice muſt be done, and no more. The ſword of Juſtice, muſt be bathed in the oyl of Mercy; A well-tempered mixture of both, preſerveth the Commonwealth, Rom. 13.34.
Ʋnto thee, O Lord, will I ſing] Acknowledge thee alone, the beſtower of theſe graces and thy glory …s the end. Theſe are matters that Philoſophers and Politicians mind not.
Verſ. 2. I will behave my ſelf wiſely] I will begin the intended reformation at my ſelf, and then ſet things to rights in my family, which while Auguſtus did not, he was worthily blamed by his ſubjects, and told, that publick perſona muſt carefully obſerve, Aedibus in pr…priis quae recta … prava gerantur.Plu…
Cate ſaid, that he could pardon all mens faults, but his own. But Cate the wiſe, wanted the wiſdome from above, and was therefore ſhort of David, who promiſeth here ſo be merry, I will ſing, and yet wiſe, I will behave my ſelf wiſely in a perfect way; that is, in an upright converſation, and in a faithful diſcharge of the great truſt committed unto me.
O… when wilt then come unto me?] In the performance of thy promiſe concerning the Kingdom? For I am reſolved not to …evert thee, but to wait thy coming; Eſt ſuſpirium … ex abrupto, like that of Ju…, I have waited, O Lord; for thy ſalvation Gen. 49, 18. Or, When wilt thou come, viz. to reckon with me? For come thou wiles
I wilt walk within my houſe with a perfect heart] And although my house … not ſ… with God, 1 Sam. 23.5. yet this is all my deſire (and ſhall be mine endeavour) although be make it not to grow, ib. Indeſinentes …m…ulabo. Kimchi.I will walk unceſſantly, walk in the midſt of mine houſe, … 2 King. 4.35. and this I will do in the … of mine heart▪ for that a man is in truth, that hee is at home. Follow hypocrites home to their houſes, and there you ſhall ſee what they are. Look upon Stage-players, and you may ſee them act the parts of Kings and honeſt men; but follow them to their tyring-houſes, and there they are but baſe Varlets.
Verſ. 3. I will ſet no wicked thing (Heb. thing of Belial) before mine eyes] that is, in my thoughts, ſaith Kimchi; for the thinking-faculty is in the fore-part of the brain, as are alſo the eyes. I will not gaze upon forbidden objects, nor venture upon a temptation to, or an occaſion of ſin. I will alſo be wiſe and wary in the choice of my ſervants, and under-officers. Theodoſius his Court was virtutu… officina, non vitior…m ſentina, ſaith One. And Archbiſhop Granniers houſe was Schola vet palaestra pieta… & literarum, Pare us. Tremellius.ſaith another. See above on the title of this Pſalm.
I hate the work of them that turn aſide] Of treacherous men and Apoſtates;Euſeb. ſuch as Conſtantius Chlorus, the Father of Conſtamine the Great ſound (by proof made) ſome of his Counſellors and Courtiers to be, and therefore turned them off, ſaying, He cannot be faithful to me, who is unfaithful to God: Pietate ſublata fides to llitur.
It ſhall not cleave to mee] Ile none of them, neither ſhall any ſuch wickedneſs hang at my heels, to hinder my progreſs in piety and good government.
Verſ. 4. A froward heart ſhall depart from me] i.e. ſay ſome, I will endeavour to put off the old man with the luſts thereof, Eph. 4 22. the old crooked frame ſhall be diſſolved, and a better erected. I will not know evil, that is, regard, or allow it, Pſal. 1.6. Others underſtand the Text of rotten-hearted, and wicked Counſellors, whom David would abhor and abandon.
Verſ. 5. Whoſe privily ſlandereth his neighbour] Heb. Him that in ſecret, tongue-ſmiteth his fellow-friend, will I ſuppreſs. This David purpoſed to do, but this hee did not ſo throughly in the caſe of poor Mepbibeſ…eth, belyed by falſe Zita; his reſolution was Maledices & maleficot à ſe depellere, to drive away from him ſycophants, back-byters,Sorices & tineas palatii appellabat Conſtan. Mag. flatteres; but there is a great ſympathy betwixt Princes, and ſuch Peſts, thoſe Harpye…, and gaping Crows of Courts, as one calleth them. David promiſeth fair to purge and diſempeſter his houſe and Court of ſuch, and to cut them off, ſecundum leges regni, according to the Laws of the Kingdome, as Aben-Ezra gloſſeth.
Him that bath ax bigh look] Pride will ſit and ſhew it ſelf in the eyes aſſoon as any where. A man is ſeen what he is, in oculis, in poculis, in loculis, ſay the Rabbins, See Prov. 6.17.
And a proud heart] Heb. a wide, or broad heart, that thinketh great things of himſelf, and ſeeketh great things for himſelf.
I will not ſuffer] Heb. I will not, ſc. away with, or endure at any hand. The Greeks, Leguntocal pro ucal.and after them others read, I will not eat with them; and by large of heart, they underſtand belly-gods, men of large appetites, ſuch as were the two ſons of Eli, Belialiſts, and Hellicones.
Verſ. 6. Mine eyes ſhall be upon the faithful of the land] i.e. Let them live where they will, I will hearken them out, and find them out. The Rabbins ſay, that here David repenteth him of taking into his ſervice and tuition thoſe indebted and diſcontented perſons, men of broken fortunes, and looſe manners, 1 Sam. 22.1, 2. and reſolveth to be better adviſed in the chuſing and uſing of his retinue, when he cometh to the Kingdom, that his Court might be like that of Cyrus, whereof Xenophon ſaith,Cyrop. l. 8 that though a man ſhould ſeek or chuſe blindfold, he could not miſs of a good man. Zonaras mainly commendeth Valentinian the firſt, and Les Armenius, Emperours, for their good choice of both Civil and Military Officers. He condemneth as much Macyinus for the contrary.
He ſhall ſerve me] foreign he ſhall be of honourable imployment about me, as Joſeph was to Pharaoh, Cromwel to Hen. 8. his Vicar General.
Verſ. 7. He that worketh deceit ſhall not dwell in my houſe] If I may know him to bee ſuch an one, I ſhall ſoon caſhiere him, and ſerve him as Philip of Macedon afterwards did two of his evil ſervants; the one whereof he compelled to run out of his Country, and the other to drive him. David was not guarded and ſurrounded, as many Princes are now adayes, Mag… …gmine Ai…, Nego…m, Gan…o…m, Palpenum, Gnathenum, Balatrenum.
He that telleth lyes ſhall not t…rry in my ſight] Liars are frequent in Courts; as in Sauls, and do much miſchief. The good Emperor Aurelius was much abuſed by them. Lewis the eleventh of France complained that he had plenty of all things, but of only one: And being asked of what? O… truth quoth he. Auguſtus took on exceedingly, when Va… was ſlain in battel, and gave this for a reaſon, Quòd non eſſet à quo verum oudire…, becauſe he had not now a friend from whom he could hear the truth of things.
Verſ. 8.Indefinenter regnum, regiam Eccleſiamque purgabo … malo, Trem. I will early deſtroy all the wicked of the land.] All, without partiality, and beti…s, in Matutinis, without delay, making it my mornings work to do juſtice; for then was judgement executed, Jer. 21.12. Or, I will do it daily, and as duly as the houſe is ſwept. See Lam. 3.23.
That I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of God] All the notorious Deboyſheers from the Church; that I may weed out thoſe wicked ones, thoſe Trouble-towns, thoſe Deſper…does, the botches of humane ſociety. And here David deſcribeth the utmoſt and chief end of Civil Government (that which the Philoſophers never dreamed of) viz. That God may be purely and ſincerely ſerved in his City, that is, in his Church.