Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 116 – Psalm 117
PSAL. CXVI
VErſ. … I love the Lord] Heb. I love: becauſe the Lord hath heard, &c. Vox abrupta & ecliptica, an abrupt conciſe ecliptical expreſſion, betokening an inexpreſſible unconceiveable paſſion, or rather pang of love, ſuch as intercepteth his voice for a time,Sa…beo. Tremel. till recollecting himſelf, and recovering his ſpeech, hee becometh able to tell us, not only that hee loveth, or is well ſatisfied, but alſo why he loveth, and is all on a light flame as it were, viz.
Becauſe hee hath heard my voice] Though but an inarticulate incondite voice: Lam. 3.56. Thou haſt heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
And my ſupplications] My prayers for grace, when better formed and methodized.
Verſ. 2 becauſe hee hath inclined his ear] As loth to loſe any part of my prayer, though never ſo weakly uttered; therefore hee ſhall have my cuſtome, Pſal. 65.2. O thou that heareſt prayer, unto thee ſhall all fleſh come.
As long as I live] Heb. in my dayes, that is ſay ſome, whilſt I have a day to live. Others ſenſe it thus, In the time of my affliction (confer Pſal. 137.7. Lam. 1.21.) which by the word dayes hee noteth to bee of long continuance.
Verſ. 3 The ſorrows of death compaſſed mee] See Pſal. 18.4, 5. Pictura poetica ingentium periculorum. Sorrows, or pangs, and thoſe deadly ones, and theſe compaſſed mee as a bird in a ſnare, or a beaſt in a grin.
The pains of Hell (or the griefs of the grave) gat hold] Heb. Found mee, as Num. 32.23.
I found trouble and ſorrow] Straits inextricable cauſe ſorrows inexplicable. The word ſignifieth ſuch ſorrow as venteth it ſelf by ſighing, Iſa. 35.10. & 51.11.
Verſ. 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord] That ſtrong Tower, whereto the Righteous run and are ſafe, Prov, 18.10. Others have other refuges, the witch or Endor, the god of Ekron, the arm of fleſh, &c.
O Lord I beſeech thee] Ana, blandiontis & deprecantis particula. The Pſalmiſt here hath a ſweet way of inſinuating,Sic & N…ì Philem. 20. Rev. 1.7. and getting within the Lord; which oh that wee could skill of.
Deliver my ſoul] q.d. It is my ſoul, Lord, my precious ſoul that is ſought after; oh deliver my ſoul from the ſword, my darling from the power of the dog, Pſal. 18.20.
Verſ. 5 Gracious is the Lord, &c.] Gracious God is ſaid to bee, and mercifull, that wee deſpair not; Righteous alſo, that wee preſume not. Or, faithfull in performing his promiſes, as 1 Joh. 1.9. and this was Davids comfort amidſt his ſorrows.
Verſ. 6 The Lord preſerveth the ſimple] Heb. The perſwaſible (oppoſed to the ſcorner, Prov. 19.25.) the plain-hearted (oppoſed to the guilefull, 2 Cor. 1.12. & 11.3. Rom. 16.19.) the deſtitute of humane help, that committeth himſelf to God, and patiently reſteth on him for ſupport and ſuccour, Pſal. 102.1 — 17.
I was brought low] Or, drawn dry; I was at a great under, at a low ebbe; I was exhauſted or emptied as a pond, ſtrengthleſſe, ſuccourleſſe, clean gone in a manner.
And hee helped mee] The knowledge that David had of Gods goodneſſe was experimentall. See the like, Rom. 8.2. A Carnal man knoweth Gods excellencies and will revealed in his word only, as wee know far Countries by Maps; but an experienced Chriſtian, as one that hath himſelf been long there, 1 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16.
Verſ. 7 Return unto thy reſt, O my ſoul] The Pſalmiſt had been at a great deal of unreſt, and much off the hooks, as wee ſay… Now, having prayed (for prayer hath vim pacativam; a pacifying property) hee calleth his ſoul to reſt; and rocketh it aſleep in a ſpirituall ſecurity. Oh learn this holy art; Acquaint thy ſelf with God, acquieſce in him, and bee at peace; ſo ſhall good bee done unto thee, Job 22.21. Si… Sabbathum Chriſti. Luth.
For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee] Of Sertorius it is ſaid, that hee performed his promiſes with words only. And of the Emperour Pertinax, that he was magis blandus quam beneficus, rather kind ſpoken than beneficiall to any;Hinc dictus foreign No… ſo the Almighty.
Verſ. 8. For thou haſt delivered my Soul, &c.] The better to excite himſelf to true thankfullneſſe, hee entreth into a particular enumeration of Gods benefits. It is not enough that wee acknowledge what God hath done for us in the lump, and by whole-ſale. See Exod. 18.8. how Moſes brancheth out Gods benefits: So muſt we, rolling them as Sugar, and making our utmoſt of them.
Verſ. 9. I will walk before the Lord] Indefinenter a…bulabo: I will not onelyonly take a turn or two with God, go three or four ſteps with him, &c. but walk conſtantly and in all duties, before him, with him, after him. Hypocrites do not walk with God, but halt with him, they follow him as a Dog doth his Maſter, till hee comes by a carrion; they will launch no further out into the main than they may be ſure to return at pleaſure ſafe again to the ſhore.
In the land] i.e. here in this world, called alſo the light of the living, Pſal. 56.13. and 52.5. Job 28.13.
Verſ: 10. I beleeved, therefore have I ſpoken] Fundamentum et fulcrum vera ſpei eſt fides viva. Hope is the daughter of faith, but ſuch as is a ſtaff to her aged mother; and will produce a bold and wiſe profeſſion of the truth before men, as alſo earneſt prayer to God. It is as the Cork upon the Net: though the lead on the one ſide ſink it down, yet the Cork on the other keeps it up. Some tranſlate the words thus: I beleeved, when I ſaid, I am greatly afflicted: I beleeved when I ſaid in my haſte, all men are Lyars. q. d. Though I have had my offs and my ons, though I have paſſed through ſeveral frames of heart, and tempers of ſoul in my tryals, yet I beleeved ſtill, I never let go my hold, my gripe of God in any perturbation.
Verſ. 11. I ſaid in my haſte] in my heat, trepidation, concuſſion, out-burſt. Saints may have ſuch, as being but men, ſubject to like paſſions; and as meeting with many moleſtations, ſatanical and ſecular; and left ſometimes to themſelves by God, as was good Hezekiah, for their tryal and exerciſe. The Sea is not ſo calm in ſummer, but hath its commotions: the mountain ſo firm, but may bee moved with an Earth-quake. Doggs in a chafe bark ſometimes at their own maſters; So do men in their paſſions let fly at their beſt friends. When the taſte is vitiated, it miſtaſtes. When there is a ſuffuſion in the eye (as in caſe of the jawndiſe) it apprehends colours like it ſelf: So here. Abraham felt the motion of trepidation; meek Moſes was over-angry at Meribah; ſo was Job, Jonas, Jeremy, &c. Ira comes of Ire, ſay Grammarians: becauſe an angry man goes out of himſelf, off from his reaſon; and when pacified, hee is ſaid, redire ad ſe, to return to himſelf.
All men are Lyars] Prophets and all: Samuel hath deluded mee I doubt, in promiſing mee the Kingdome, which I ſhall never come to, ſee 1 Sam. 27.1. Some make the meaning to bee thus, what can I hope for, ſeeing every man betrayeth mee, and that I can truſt no body? The truth is, that every man is a lyar, either by impoſture, and ſo in purpoſe, or by impotency, and ſo in the event, deceiving thoſe that rely on him, Pſal. 62.9.
Verſ. 12. What ſhall I render unto the Lord] This hee ſpeaketh as one in an extaſy, (Amor Dei eſt ecſtaticus) or in a deep demurre what to do beſt for ſo good a God: Such ſelf-deliberations are very uſefull, and acceptable, and thereunto are requiſite. 1 Recognition of Gods favours. 2 Eſtimation. 3 Retribution, as here.
Verſ. 13. I will take the cup of ſalvation] Calice… ſalut…, vel omnis ſalutis, Vatab. Trem.as in the drink-offerings, or as at the feaſt after the peace-offerings, ſee (1 Chron. 16.3.) wherein the feaſt-maker was wont to take a feſtival great cup; and in lifting it up to declare the occaſion of that feaſt, and then, in teſtimony of thankfulneſs, to drink thereof to the gueſts, that they in order might pledge him. This was called a cup of ſalvation, or a health-cup, but not in the Drunkards ſenſe.Ʋatab. To this the Apoſtle ſeemeth to allude, 1 Cor. 10.17. when hee calleth the ſacramentall cup, the cup of bleſſing. Heirom rendreth it, calicum Jeſu accipium.
And call upon the name of the Lord] Pray unto him, and ſo praiſe him. Or I will proclaim, and preach his praiſes, as 1 Pet. 2.….
Verſ. 14. I will pay my vows,] This word pay, importeth that vows lawfully made are due debt: and debt, till paid, is a diſquieting thing to an honeſt mind, Rom. 13.8. The Saints, in diſtreſſe eſpecially, uſed to make their Prayers with vows. Hence prayer is in Greek called foreign, a ſervice with vows. Mr. Philpot Martyr,…cts & Men. firſt comming into Smithfield to ſuffer, kneeled down and ſaid, I will pay my vows in thee, O Smithfield.
Verſ. 15. Precious in the ſight of the Lord] Rara, chara. God doth not often ſuffer his Saints to bee ſlain, Pſal. 37.32, 33. Or if hee do, hee will make inquiſition for every drop of that precious blood, Pſal. 9.12. See Pſal. 72.14. with the Note. This David delivereth here as a truth, that hee had experimented.
Verſ. 16. O Lord, truly I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant] Euge, O Jehovah, &c. by a real and an heavenly complement; thus hee inſinuateth, and therefore promiſeth praiſe to God, verſ. 17. and ſafety to himſelf, according to that Pſal. 119.94 I am thine, ſave me.
And the Son of thine handmaid] That is, of Ruth, ſay the Rabbines: or rather of his immediate mother,Quia religioſi…r patre. Gene…r. a good woman, and haply better than his Father; as Monoahs wife had a ſtronger faith than himſelf; and Priſcilla is named before her husband Aquila.
And the Son of they handmaid] Not born abroad, and bought or brought into thy family: but tuus quaſi vernaculus, et a ventre ad ſerviendum diſpoſitus, born and bred up to thy ſervice, of a child little.
Thou haſt looſed my bonds] Of affliction, of corruption, and made me Chriſts freeman, brought me into the glorious liberty of thine own Children.
Verſ. 17. I will offer to thee, &c.] I will perform to thee not ceremonial ſervice only, but Moral, and ſpiritual; ſuch as thou ſhall accept through Chriſt, Col. 3.17. And wil call, &c.] ſee verſ. 13.
Verſ. 18. I will pay] See verſ. 14.
Now] Vows were to bee paid without either diminution or delays, Deut. 23.21, 23. And herein Jacob (who is by the Hebrews called Votorum Pater, the Father of vows) was too ſhort: for it was long ere hee went up to Bethel.
In the preſence of all his people] For good example ſake. This alſo was Prince-like, Ezek. 46.10. the Kings ſeat in the Sanctuary was open, that all might ſee him there. 2 King 11.14. and 23.3.
Verſ. 19. In the Courts of the Lords houſe] In coetu ſacro; in the great Congregation, Pſal. 22.25. and 66.13. where there is a more powerful, lively, and effectual working of the Spirit, Pſal. 89.7. Heb. 4.1. 1 Cor. 14.24.
PSAL. CXVII.
VErſ. 1. O praiſe the Lord all yee Nations] viz. For Chriſt that gift, Joh. 4 10. that benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2. that deſire of all Nations, Hag. 2.7. that good tidings of great joy to all people, Luk. 2.10 who are by him received into the glory of God,Kimchi. Rom. 15.7, 11. where the Apoſtle thus applyeth this Scripture; and the Jew-Doctors confeſſe that this ſhort and ſweet Pſalm, is to bee underſtood de beneficiis Meſſiae, of Chriſt, and his benefits.
Praiſe him all yee people] Laudationibus commendate eum, ſo Tremel: rendreth it, praiſe him with a force, and as it were with a violence, with all your might, ye cannot poſſibly over-do.
Verſ. 2. For his merciful kindneſſe is great] Invaluit, hath prevailed over us, breaking through all obſtacles and impediments, whether within us or without us; eating its way through all rocks and remoraes, and though wee would put it back, yet it will overcome us: his grace is irreſiſtible, neither can it ever bee taken away.
And the truth of the Lord] As his mercy alone moved him to make promiſe, ſo his Truth bindeth him to perform the ſame. See 2 Sam. 7.18, 21. The word of promiſe bindeth God, and therefore it may ſeem to bee ſtronger than God. If his merciful kindneſſe prevail over us, as verſ. 1. his truth prevaileth over him. The Jew doctors obſerve that the word Emeth, here uſed for truth, conſiſteth of Aleph, the firſt letter of the Alphabet;Midrach. …illine. M… the middlemoſt letter thereof, and Tan the laſt: to ſhew that as God is Alpha and Omega, ſo the truth of God is the All in all of our comfort. Grace and Truth came by Jeſus Chriſt this is the ſum of all the good news in the World.