Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 110
PSAL. CX.
A Pſalm of David] Concerning Chriſt, ſaith R. Obadiah, and ſo ſay Chriſt himſelf, Mat. 22.foreign Chryſoſt. and his Apoſtles, I Cor. 15. Heb. 7. & 10. though ſome Rabbines maliciouſly ſay otherwiſe, as R. Joſeph, ca…us qui bic cae…li…, to ſay the beſt of him, and other Jew Doctors, who ſtagger here in their expoſitions, as drunkards.
Verſ. 1. The Lord ſaid unto my Lord] In this one verſe we have a deſcription of Chriſts perſon, his ware and his victory; ſo that we may ſay of it (and ſo indeed of the whole Pſalm, which is an Epitome of the Goſpel) as Tully did of Bru…as his Laconical Epiſtle, Quàm multa, quàm pancis! How much in a little. See the Note on Mat. 22.44.
Sit thou at my right hand] Sit thou with me in my Thron…, having power over all things in heaven and earth, Matth. 28. Chriſt, as man, received, what, as God, hee had before.
Ʋntil I make thine enemies thy footſeel] Foes Chriſt hath ever had, and ſhall have to the worlds end; but then they ſhall be all in a place fitteſt for them, viz. under Chriſts feet; even thoſe who now ſe… up their Creſts, face the heavens, and ſay unto the King, Apoſ…t…, … it … with him.
Verſ. 2. The Lord ſhall ſend the Ro…of thy ſtrength] That is, the Goſpel, that Scepter of Chriſts Kingdome, that power of God to ſalvation, unto as many as beleeve, mighty through God to work …, 2 Cor. 10.5. Act. 20.31. even the preaching of Chriſts croſs.
Out of Sin] For ſalvation in of the … Job. 4. … lem till, &c. Act. 1.
Rule thou it the midſt of thin… enemies] Among Jews, Pagans, Turks, Papaga…s, thoſe that will not bend, let them break; thoſe that will not ſtoop to thy Government, let them feel thy power, Pſal. 45.5.
Verſ. 3. Thy people ſhall be willing] All Chriſts ſubjects are Volunteers, free-hearted,In Pſal. 1. like thoſe Iſles that wait for Gods Law, Iſa. 42.8. Zech. 8.11. They love to be his ſervants, Iſa. 56.6. Lex voluntaries quaerit, ſaith Ambroſe.
In the day of thy power] Copiarum tuarum of thine Army, or of thy Militia, when thou ſhalt lead on thy Church Militant, and be in the head of them, conquering and to conquer, Rev. 6.2. Some underſtand it of the Chriſtian Sabbath day.
In the beauties of holineſs] i.e. In Church aſſemblies, in the beauty of holy Ordinances, at the adminiſtration whereof, Chriſts Birth-dew, that is, the influence of his Spitis and his preſence in thoſe Ordinances is from the womb of the morning, i.e. is of that generating and enlivening vertue, that the dew of the teeming morning is to the ſeeds and plants of the earth. An apt ſimilitude both to expreſs the multitude of Chriſt… converts, and the manner of their heavenly generation. See Mac. 5.7. with the Note.
Verſ. 4. The Lord hath ſworn, &c.] Chriſts Prieſtly Office, as well as his Kingly, is here deſcribed, whereof how many, and how great myſteries there are, ſee Heb. 7. with the Notes. The Church is collected and conſerved not onelyonly by Chriſts Kingly power, but alſo by his Prieſtly mediation.
Thou art a Prieſt] 1. To expiate. 2. To intercede.
After the order of Melchiſedeck] Who whether he were Shem, or ſome other, is not eaſie to determine. Melchiſedeck was a King, and a Prieſt. Chriſt was more, a Prieſt, a Prophet, and a King. Theſe Offices have met double in ſome others; as Melchiſedech, was King and Prieſt, Samuel a Prieſt, and a Prophet; David a King, and a Prophet; but never met all three in any, but in Chriſt alone.
Verſ. 5. The Lord at thy right hand] Before, Chriſt was at the Fathers right hand; here the Father at his; this is to ſhew the equality of the Father, and the Son, falſh Hierom. Athanaſius, by Lord here, underſtandeth the Holy Ghoſt. Others by thy right hand, will have the Church to be meant, who is promiſed protection and victory. The Lord Chriſt ſhall ſlay her enemies in battel verſ. 5. compel them to flye and turn their backs, verſ. 6. purſue them flying, verſ. 7. as Judg. 7.5. &c.
Verſ. 6. He ſhall judge among the heathen] Do execution upon his enemies, as verſ. 1. whether Kings or Caitives.
He ſhall fill the places] The ditches of their own camps.
He ſhall wound the heads] Heb. Head; cruontabit caput, whereby ſome underſtand the Roman Empire, with its Image, Antichriſt with his adherents, who are called Heathens, Rev. 11.2. Others, Turks and Saracens, reading the next words, Over the land of Rabbab, the chief City of the Ammonites, who were likewiſe Arabians; and ſo they make it an alluſion to Davids victories over the Ammonites, 2 Sam. 10. & 12.
Verſ. 7. He ſhall drink of the brook in the way] i. e. Of the wrath of the Almighty,Viver paup… rem vitem foreign Chryſ…ſt. Ae…umnas omnes dutiſ… mae militiae perferet. Be… pointing to Chriſts ſtate of humiliation, as in the next words to his exaltation; Or, he ſhall content himſelf with a low condition here; ſuch as was that of Eli… when he drank of the brook, I King. 17. Or, in the eager purſuit of his enemies, he ſhall drink haſtily of the water next at hand, i.e. as Gideon, and his Souldiers did.
Therefore ſhall be lift up the hand] Maugre the heads of his enemies, he ſhall riſe again, reign, and triumph, and ſo ſhall all his members, after that through many …ibulations they have entred into the Kingdom of heaven. Chriſts and their … but a drinking of the brook, not a ſpring of water for perpetuity; they are … a dark entry into out Fathers houſe, a dirty lane to a ſtately Pallace, ſhut but your eyes, as that Martyr at the ſtake ſaid, and there will be a change immediately. Look how the Diſciples, after they had taken Chriſt into the ſhip, were preſently at ſhore, after a Tempeſt: So the Saints have no ſooner taken death into their beſomes, but they are landed preſently at the … of …, at the Kingdome of heaven.