Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 104
PSAL. CIV.
Verſ. 1. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul] This was much in Davids mouth, as Deo gratias was in Auſtines. See Pſal. 103.1, and 22. after which this Pſalm is fitly ſet. There he bleſſeth God for his benefits to himſelf, and the whole Church, here for his works of Creation and Government common to the whole world.foreign, The Greek and Latine Tranſlations prefix this title, David de generation: Mandi, Continet opera Bereſhith, ſaith Kimchi. It is of the ſame ſubject with the firſt Chapter of Geneſis, the firſt five dayes works are here after a ſort conſidered, and celebrated, as a mirror wherein Gods Majeſty may be clearly diſcerned. This Pſalm is by ſome called, Davids Phyſicks.
Thou art very great] Non molis dimenſion…, ſed virtutis & rerum gestarum gloria; Thou haſt made thee a great Name by thy works of wonder.
Thou are cloathed with Honour and Majeſty] i.e. With thy creatures, which are as a garment both to hide thee in one reſpect, and to hold thee forth in another, to bee ſeen.
Verſ. 2. Who covereſt thy ſelf with light] That lovely creature that firſt ſhone out of darknes, and is chief among all things ſenſible, as coming neareſt to the unapproachable glory of God; like as the robe royal is next unto the King. Herod upon a let day came forth arrayed in royal apparel, in cloath of ſilver, ſaith Joſephus, which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams, dazled the eyes of the people, and drew from them that blaſphemous acclamation, Act. 12.21. God when he made the world, ſhewed himſelf in all his royalty; neither can we aſcribe too much unto him.
Who ſtretcheſt out the heavens like a curtain] The whole expanſe or firmament is as a Canopy over Gods Throne, or rather as a Curtain or Skreen betwixt us and the Divine Majeſty, the fight whereof we cannot bear.
Verſ. 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters] God, as he hath founded the ſolid earth upon the fluid waters, Pſal. 24.2. So the higheſt heaven upon thoſe waters above the firmament, Gen. 1.7. Pſal. 18.11. This notably ſets forth the wiſdome and power of this Almighty Architect, ſith Artiſts ſay, In ſolido extruendum, the foundation of a building ſhould be hard and rocky, and experience ſealeth to it.
Who maketh the clouds, &c.] Theſe are his Charriot royal, drawn (or rather driven) by the winds, as his Charriot-horſes.
Verſ. 4. Who maketh his Angels ſpirits] Immaterial ſubſtances, fit to attend upon the Father of ſpirits, and with ſpeed to move ſuddenly and inviſibly into moſt remote parts.
His Miniſters a flaming fire] Seraphims they are called for their burning zeal, like ſo many heavenly Salamanders; as alſo for their irreſtible power; the Angel that deſtroyed Sennacheribs. Army is held to have done it by burning them within, although it appeared not outwardly, as ſome have been burnt by lightning.
Verſ. 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth] Heb. He hath founded the earth upon her baſes. See Pſal. 24.2. Job 38.4, 6. with the Notes.
That is ſhould not be removed for ever] Neither can it be, by reaſon of its own weightineſs, whereby it remaineth unmoveable in the center of the univerſe. Say it ſhould move any way it muſt move towards heaven, and ſo aſcend, which is utterly againſt the nature of heavy bodies.
Verſ. 6. Thou covereſt it with the deep as with a garment] Operueras, Thou hadſt at firſt covered it, till thou for mans ſake hadſt made a diſtinction; for elſe ſuch a garment would this have been to the earth, as the ſhirt made for the murthering of Agamemnon, where he had no iſſue out.
The waters ſtood above the mountains] As the garment, in the proper uſe of it, is above the body; and ſo they would ſtill, did not God for our ſakes ſet them their bounds and borders.
Verſ. 7. At thy rebuke they fled] At thy word of command and angry countenance, overawing that raging and ranging creature; So Chriſt rebuked the winds and waves.
They haſted away] They ran away headlong, as for life.
Verſ. 8. They go up by the mountains] They run any way in poſt haſle, breaking through thick and thin, and no where reſting, till imbodied in the Abyſſe, their elemental place and ſtation. This is check to our dulneſs, and diſobedience. If a man had been preſent, ſaith One, when God thus commanded the ſeas to retreat from the earth, hee might have ſeen both a terrible, and a joyful ſpectacle.
Verſ. 9. Thou haſt ſet a bound, &c.] A certain compaſs and courſe, an argument of Gods ſingular and ſweet power and providence. See Job 38.10, 11. with the Notes.
Verſ. 10. He ſondeth the ſprings into the vallies] God doth this; he by certain iſſues or ven…s ſendeth forth the waters of the Sea, (which here and there break out in ſprings, leaving their ſaltneſs behind them) that men and other earthly creatures might have that foreign (as Pindar… …iſeth it) for the ſatisfying of their thirſt, and for other neceſſary uſes. This is Davids Philoſophy, and his ſon Solomon ſaith the ſame, Eccleſ. 1.7. Though Ariſtotle aſſign another cauſe of the perennity of the fountains and rivers.
Verſ. 11. They give drink to every beaſt] A great mercy, as we have lately found in theſe late dry years, 1653, 1654. wherein God hath given us to know the worth of water by the want of it; Bona ſunt à tergo formoſiſſima.
The wild-aſſes] Thoſe hotteſt creatures, Job 39.8, 9, 10, 11.
Verſ. 12. By them ſhall the ſouls of the heaven] Aſſuetae ripis volueres, & fluminis alve….Virg.
Which ſing among the branches] Moſt melodiouſly many of them; therefore it is reckoned at a judgement to loſe them, Jer. 4.25. and 9, 10.
Verſ. 13. He watereth the hils from his chambers] That is, from his clouds, he giveth water to hills, and high places, where Wells and Rivers are not.
The earth is ſatisfied with the fruit of thy works] i.e. With the rain of thy clouds, dropping fatneſs.
Verſ. 14. He cauſeth the graſs to grow for the cattel] Hee cauſed it to grow at firſt, before cattel were created, Gen. 1.11, 12. And ſo he doth ſtill, as the firſt cauſe; by rain and dew from heaven, as the ſecond cauſe.
And herb for the ſervice of man] Ad eſum & ad uſum, for food, phyſick, &c. Gen. 1.29. Green herbs, it ſeemeth, was a great diſh with the Ancients, which therefore they called Holus, ab foreign Ariſtippus told his Fellow-Philoſopher who fed upon them, If you can pleaſe Dionyſius, you need not eat green herbs. He preſently replied, If you can eat green herbs, you need not pleaſe Dionyſius, and be his Paraſite.
That he may bring forth food out of the earth] Alma parens Tellus. Labour not for the meat that periſheth, but for the meat. &c. Job. 6.37.
Verſ. 15. And wine that maketh glad] That hee may the more cheerfully ſerve his Maker, his heart being liſted up, as Jehoſaphats was, in the wayes of obedience, Judg. 9 13. Prov. 31.6, 7.
And oyl to make his face to ſhine] The word ſignifieth Oyntments of all ſorts, whereof ſee Pliny lib. 12. and 13. Theſe, man might want and ſubſiſt; But God is bountifull.
And bread which ſtrengtheneth, &c.] In nature, Animantis cujuſque vita est fuga; were it not for the repair of nutrition, the natural life would be extinguiſhed. The Latines call bread Panis, of the Greek foreign; be cauſe it is the chief nouriſhment.
Verſ. 16. The trees of the Lord are full of ſap] Heb. are ſatisfied, viz. with moiſture ſucked by their roots out of the earth plentifully watered, whereby they are nouriſhed, grow mightily, and ſerve man for meat, drink, medicine, &c.
The Cedars of Lebanon] Theſe are inſtanced as talleſt and moſt durable. Gods Temple at Jeruſalem was built of them; and ſo was the D…vils temple at Epheſus, for he will needs be Gods Ape.
Verſ. 17. Where the birds make their neſts] Each, according to their natural inſtinct, with wonderful art.
As for the Stork] That Pietaticultri…, as Petronius calleth her (and her name in Hebrew ſoundeth as much) becauſe ſhe nouriſheth and cheriſheth the old ones whereof ſhe came; whence foreign.Genetricum ſenectam invicem educant. Plin. Ciconiis pietas eximia ineſt, Solin.
Verſ. 18. The high hills are a refuge] Theſe wild, but weak creatures are ſo wiſe, as to ſecure themſelves from violence, when purſued they run to their refuges, and ſhould not we to God, for the ſecuring of our comforts, and ſafe-guarding of our perſons?
Verſ. 19. He appointed the Moon for ſeaſons] Moſt Nations reckoned the year by the Moon, rather than by the Sun.
The Sun knoweth his going down] As if he were a living and intelligent creature; ſo juſtly doth he obſerve the Law laid upon him by God, and runs through his work. See Job 38.12.
Verſ. 20. Thou makeſt darkneſs] Which though it be dreadful, yet is it uſeful, and in the viciſſitude of light and darkneſs, much of Gods wiſdome and goodneſs in to bee ſeen, We muſt ſee that we turn not the day into night, nor night into day, without ſome very ſpecial, and urgent occaſion.
Verſ. 21. The young Lions roar] Rouſing themſelves out of their dens by night; and then uſually ſeizing upon what prey God ſendeth them in; for they are at his, and not at their own finding.
And ſeek] Like as the young Ravens cry to him, Pſal. 147. implication only. See Joel 1.18, 20.
Verſ. 22. They gather themſelves together] viz. into their dens and lurking holes, ſmitten with fear of light, and of men. A ſweet providence, but little conſidered.
Verſ. 23. Man goeth forth unto his work] His honeſt imployment in his particular place and calling, whe the manual or mental; eating his bread in the ſweat either of his brow, or of his brain.
Ʋntil the evening] That time of reſt and refreſhment. The Lord Burleigh (William Cecil) when he put off his gown at night, uſed to ſay, Ly there Lord Treaſurer, and bidding adieu to all ſtate affairs, diſpoſed himſelf to his quiet reſt.
Verſ. 24. O Lord, how manifold, &c.] q. d. They are ſo many, and ſo great, that I cannot recount or reckon them up, but am even ſwallowed up of wonderment: All that I can ſay, is that they are Magna & mirifica. In mans body only there are miracles enough, betwixt head and foot, to fill a volume.
The earth is full] It is Gods great purſe, Pſal. 24.1.
Verſ. 25. So is this great and wide ſea] Latum manibus id eſt ſi…bus; yet not ſo great and wide as mans heart, wherein is not only that Leviathan ſome ſpecial foul luſts, but creeping things innumerable, crawling bugs and baggage vermine.
Wherein are things creeping innumerable,] Far more, and of more kinds than there are on earth.
Verſ. 26. There go the ſhips] The uſe whereof was firſt ſhewed by God in Noahs Ark, whence afterwards Audex Iapeti genus, Japhets off-ſpring ſailed, and repleniſhed the Iſlands.
There is that Leviathan] Whereof ſee Job 41. with Notes.
Verſ. 27. Theſe wait all upon thee] The great Houſe-keeper of the world, who carveſt them out their meet meaſures of meat, and at fit ſeaſons. Of thee they have it, Per cauſarum concatenationem.
Verſ. 28. That thou giveſt them they gather] Neither have they the leaſt morſel of meat, but what thou caſteſt them by thy providence. Turcicum imperium quantum quantum eſt nibil eſt niſi panis mica quam dives pater-familias projicit canibus, ſaith Luther.
Thou openeſt thy hand] By opening the boſome of the earth thou richly provideſt for them. foreign.
Verſ. 29. Thou hideſt thy face] i. e. Thou withdreweſt thy favour, thy concurrence, thine influence, they are troubled, or terrified, a cold ſweat ſitteth upon their limbs, animam agunt, they ſhortly expire; for in God, we live, move, and have our being, Act. 17. A frown of Auguſtus Ceſar, Camden.proved to be the death of Cornelius Gallus, Sir Chriſtopher Hatton Lord Chancellor of England dyed Sept. 20.1591. of a flux of his urine, and grief of mind conceived upon ſome angry words given him by Q. Elizabeth.
Thou takeſt away their breath] Heb. Thou gathereſt it, calleſt for it again, viz. their vital vigour.
Verſ. 30 Thou ſendeſt forth thy Spirit] Virtutem vivificam.
They are created] Others of the ſame kind are; and ſo the face of the earth is renued, whiles another generation ſpringeth up. This is matter of praiſe to their maker.
Verſ. 31. The glory of the Lord ſhall endure for ever] Or, Let glory be to the Lord for ever, ſo. For his great works of Creation and Conſervation.
The Lord ſhall rejoyce in his words] As he did at the Creation, when he ſaw all to bee good and very good; ſo ſtill, is doth God good as it were, to ſee the poor creatures feed, and men to give him the honour of all.
Verſ. 32. He looketh an the earth, and it trembleth] This muſt be conſidered, that God may be as well feared, as loved and praiſed.
He toucheth the hills, and they ſmoak] Its therefore ill falling into his hands, who can do ſuch terrible things with his looks and touches.
Verſ. 33. I will ſing unto the Lord Though others be ſlack to do God this right, to help him to his own, to give him the glory due to his Name, yet I will do it, and do it conſtantly, ſo long as I have a breath to draw.
Verſ. 34. My meditation of him ſhall be ſweet] Or, Let it be ſweet unto him, let him kindly accept it (though it be mean and worthleſs) through Chriſts odours powred thereinto.
I will be glad in the Lord] Withdrawing my heart from other vile and vain delights, or at leaſt vexed at mine own dulneſs, for being no more affected with ſuch inexplicable raviſhments.
Verſ. 35. Let the ſinners be conſumed, &c.] Such ſinners againſt their own ſouls, as when they know God, or might know him by his, wonderful works, glorifie him not as God, neither are thankful, Rom 1.21. but pollute and abuſe his good creatures to his diſhonor, fighting againſt him with thoſe lives that he hath given them.
Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul] The worſe others are, the better be thou, kindling thy ſelf from their coldneſs, &c.