Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 102
PSAL. CII.
A Prayer of the afflicted] Or, for the afflicted, made by Daniel, or ſome other Prophet, not long before the return out of Babylon, where they ſuffered much, but prayed little, as Daniel confeſſeth, Chap. 9.13. Here therefore they are taught to take unto them words, and ſay, Hear my prayer, O Lord, &c. In greateſt afflictions there is place left for prayer, Pſal. 103.1. and ſomething God will yeeld to it, when moſt bitterly bent againſt a people, Mat. 24.20, 21.
When he is overwhelmed] Preſſed out of meaſure above ſtrength, 2 Cor. 1.8. ad deliquium animae, till heart faint, and faith ſeem to fail, bowing down through weight of grief, at ſi pars una corporis alia eſſet operta; for ſo the word here uſed ſignifieth, ſaith Kimchi, as if one part of the body were overcovered with another Eſtque pulchra collatis in verbi… gnataph & ſhaphac quae naturam fidei deping unt, ſaith Mollerus: Faith may bee under a cloud for a ſeaſon; but it will recover, and pour out its complaint before the Lord.
Verſ. 1. Hear my prayer, O Lord] O Lord Chriſt, for ſo this Pſalm is to bee underſtood, as the Apoſtle ſheweth, Heb. 1.
And let my cry] Which is, that thou wouldeſt be pleaſed to bring us poor exiles back to our own Country; and ſo this prayer is anſwerable to that of Daniel, Chap. 9.
Verſ. 2. Hide not thy face from me] For this would be worſe than all the reſt. See Jer. 16.13. I will caſt you cut of this land-and I will ſhew you no favour: This laſt was a cutting ſpeech, and far worſe than their captivity; and yet, Non exul curae dicitur eſſe De….
Anſwer me ſpeedily] Feſtina, reſponde: In our earneſt prayers we may preſs for expedition in general, not tying God to any particular time, as thoſe Bethulians did in the book of Judith.
Verſ. 3. For my dayes are conſumed like ſmoak] Which the higher it mounteth, the ſooner it vaniſheth. Some read it, in the ſmoak So Pſal. 119.83. I am become like a bottle in the ſmoak, dryed and withered, …
And … bones are burnt as an hearth] Oſſae mea quaſi fri… conta…er…. My ſtrength is gone.Vel…l ſartagi… Arah. Here, to the twelfth verſe, is a moſt lively picture of a dejected perſon, ſuch as can hardly bee paralleld; teaching us to be deeply affected with the Churches afflictions.
Verſ. 4. My heart is ſmitten] Blaſted with thins indignation, that ventus urent & …xi…ans.
So that I forget eat my bread] I am …achleſs, through want of that beat heart ſhould ſupply.
Verſ. 5. By reaſon of the voyce of my … ] A broken ſpirit drieth the bones. Prov. 17.22. and by drinking up the marrow and radical moiſture, caſ…eth all into a conſumption.
Verſ. 6. I am like a … ] Or … which liveth in lonely pla…, and crieth ou… …
I am like an Owl of the Deſert:] Avis lutifuga, Night-bird, a Night-raven, the Vulgar hath it; others, a Bat, a Cuccow, but moſt an Owl, that noctis monſtr…, as Pliny ſpeaketh of her, net cantu aliqu… vocales ſedge…itu, hated of all other fouls,Lib. 10. cap. which never come near her, but to keep a wondering at her.
Verſ. 7. I watch] I can as little ſleep, as eat, verſ. 4. That nurſe of nature, and ſweet Parentheſi… of mens griefs and cares, ſleep departeth from me, Nec membris dat curaſ…p…rem.
And am as a ſparrow] That hath loſt his mate, ſo have I mine aſſociater, which is a ſore loſs; for optimum ſolatium ſodalitium,
Verſ. 8. Mine enemies reproach me all the day] This is an evil that mans nature is moſt impatient of. See Pſal. 137.
And they that are mad againſt me] That let flye at me… or, that once praiſed me, flattered me… So the Sept.
Are ſworn againſt me] Have ſworn my death, or do ſwear and curſe by me, as the Turks do at this day, when to confirm a truth they ſay, Judaeus ſim ſi ſallam, I would I were a Jew, it is ſo. See Zach. 8.13. Iſa. 6.15. Jer. 29.22. God make thee as Abab, and as Zedechiah, &c.
Verſ. 9. For I have eaten aſhes like bread] Being caſt on the ground as a mourner, I know not whether I eat bread or duſt; this reliſheth to me as well as that, my mouth is ſo out of taſte.
And mingled my drink with weeping] I forbare not to weep, no not while I drank; ſorrow is dry, and wine driveth away ſorrow we ſay; Not ſo from me.Wine is calle by Simon ide… in Athonaeu… foreign, an expeller o… ſadneſs. De coelo in terram. R. Solom.
Verſ. 10. Becauſe of thine indignation] This lay heavier upon the good mans heart than all the reſt, God was diſpleaſed.
For thou baſt lifted me up, and caſt me down] That is, that I might fall with the greater poiſe. Significatur graviſſima colliſie. Here the Prophet accuſeth not God of cruelty, but bewayleth his own miſery; Miſerum eſt ſuiſſe felicem, It is no ſmall unhappineſs to have been happy.
Verſ. 11. My dayes are like a ſhadow that declineth] As at Sun-ſet, the ſhadows are at longeſt, but not long laſting.
And I am withered like graſs] Mown down, and laid a drying.
Verſ. 12. But thou, O Lord, ſhalt indure for ever] And therefore wee thy Covenanters ſhall be reſtored, Lam. 5.19.
And thy remembrance] Which thou haſt of us, and we of thee.
Verſ. 13. Thou ſhalt ariſe, and have mercy upon Sion] This hee ſpeaketh with as much confidence, as if he had been in Gods boſome; for hee knew the promiſe of deliverance, after ſeventy years captivity. See the like Hab. 1.12.
For the time to favour her, &c.] This he underſtood by books, as Dan. 9.2. and therefore preſſeth God to a ſpeedy performance. God loveth to be burdened with his own word, to be ſued upon his own bond, &c. But beſides the promiſe, the Pſalmiſt had another ground of his confidence, and that is in the next.
Verſ. 14. For thy ſervants take pleaſure in her ſtones] They pity he…, and wiſh her welfare, much more then doſt thou. Hee argueth from that ſweet, tender, melting frame of ſpirit that was found in the faithful, which is but a reflex of that farſweeter that is in God.
And ſavour the duſt thereof] Theruines and the rubbiſh, heartily deſiring, and expecting a re-edification, and reſtauration, whereof they had a ſweet promiſe, Am. 9.9. and for the ſpiritual Temple to be built of Jews and Gentiles, they had many more. See all that followeth.
Verſ. 15. So the beathen ſhall fear, &c.] By the reſtauration of Jeruſalem where the Meſſias was to be born and manifeſted, the everlaſting Goſpel ſhall be preached, and the Gentiles converted to the faith.
And all the Kings of the earth] Caught by thoſe Fiſhermen, and their ſucceſſors in the Miniſtry.
Verſ. 16. When the Lord ſhall build up Zion] Iſaiah had foretold that the ſecond Temple ſhould be more glorious than the firſt, Iſa. 54.11. and 60.17. the ſtones whereof, were types of thoſe living ſtones whereof that ſpiritual Temple was to bee built, 1 P…t. 2.5. and wherein God would manifeſt more of his glory than ever li… had done in all the world beſides.
Verſ. 17.Humileſque Myticae. Virg. He will regard the prayer of the deſtitute] Heb. Of the poor ſhrub, tha is in the wilderneſs trod upon by beaſts, unregarded, worthleſs: Heath, Juniper, t Wild Ta mar…k; Tremelli… rendreth it Nudatiſſimi; Others Excitantis ſe, the prayer of one that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold of God, and thereby prevaileth with him. I came for thy prayer, ſaith the Angel to Daniel, chap. 10.12.
Verſ. 18. This ſhall be written for the generation to come] This, that the poor ſhrub hath ſped ſo well in prayer; together with all other the particulars of this Pſalm, and indeed the whole Scripture, Rom. 15.4. So little truth is there in that aſſertion of the Jeſuits, that the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles were intended onelyonly for the uſe of thoſe Churches, or perſons, to whom they were firſt written.
And the people which ſhall be created] Created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, Eph. 2.10.Iſa. 51.16. his regenerated people; For God planteth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, that be may ſay to Zion, Thou art my people.
Verſ. 19. For he hath looked down from the height, &c.] This is no ſmall condeſcention; ſith he abaſeth himſelf to look upon things in heaven, Pſal. 113.6.
From heaven did the Lord behold the earth] That is, his poor deſpiſed ſervants, that are in themſelves no better than the earth they tread on.
Verſ. 20. To hear the groaning of the priſoner] Thoſe priſoners of hope held ſo long captive in Babylon, the cruelty whereof is graphically deſcribed, Jer. 51.34.
Verſ. 21. To declare the Name of the Lord in Zion] This ſhall bee the buſineſs of the converted Gentiles, to make up one Catholick Church with the Chriſtian Jews, and to bear a part in ſetting forth Gods worthy prayſes. See verſ. 18.
Verſ. 22. When the people are gathered together] ſc. to the Lord Chriſt; For to Shil… ſhall be the gathering of the people, Gen. 49.10.
And the Kingdoms to ſerve the Lord] As they did under Conſtantine the Great, Valentinian, Theodoſius, which three Emperors called themſelves, Vaſalles Chriſti (as Socrates reporteth) the Vaſſals of Chriſt: And the like may be ſaid of other Chriſtian Kings and Princes ſince, who have yeelded profeſſed ſubjection to the Goſpel, and caſt their Crowns at Chriſts feet.
Verſ. 23. He wea…ned my ſtrength in the way] This is the complaint of the poor captives yet undelivered, In via, hoc eſt in vita; quia bic ſumus viatores, in coelo comprehenſores, here wee are but on our way to heaven, and wee meet with many diſcouragements.
He ſhortned my dayes] viz. According to my account, For otherwiſe in reſpect of God, our dayes are numbred. Stat ſua cuique dies.
Verſ. 24. Take me not away in the midſt of my dayes] Heb. Make me not to aſcend, Serus in coelum redeam. Fain I would live to ſee thoſe golden dayes of Redemption. Abraham deſired to ſee the day of Christ, Job. 8. Simeon did, and then ſang out his ſoul. All the Saints after the Captivity, looked hard for the conſolation of Iſrael.
Thy years are throughout all generations] And that's the comfort of thy poor Covenanters, who are ſure to participate of all thy goods.
Verſ. 25. Of old thou haſt laid the foundation, &c.] Here is a clear proof of Chriſts eternity; Heb. 1.10. becauſe he was before the creation of the world, and ſhall continue after the conſummation thereof, verſ. 26, 27. So the Saints a parte peſt, 1 Job. 2.17. The world paſſeth away, and the luſts thereof; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.
Verſ. 26. They ſhall periſh] i.e. They ſhall change form and ſtate, being diſſolved by the laſt fire, 2 Pet. 3.7, 10.
But thou ſhalt end…re] Heb. Stand, and with thee thy Church, Mat. 22.32.
Yea all of them ſhall wax old as a garment] Which weareth in the wearing; ſo do the viſible heavens and the earth, what ever ſome write, de conſtantia naturae, Iſaiah ſaith, It rotteth as a book (that is vener andae rubigini… and waſteth away as ſmoak, chap. 65.17. and 66.22.foreign. Tucetu, Arab.
At a veſture ſhalt thou change them] The Greek hath roul them, confer Iſa. 34 4.
Verſ. 27. But thou art the ſame] Therefore immutable, becauſe Eternall, ut nihil tibi poſſit accedere vel decidere.
Verſ. 28. The children of thy ſervants ſhall continue] By vertue of the Covenant, and that union with thee which is the ground of communion. If it could be ſaid of Ceſar, that he held nothing to he his own that he did not communicate to his friends, how much more of Chriſt? Propterea bene ſemper ſperandum, etiamſi … ruant, the Church is immortal, and immutable.