Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 141 – Psalm 142
PSAL. CXLI.
VErſ. 1 Lord I cry unto thee] No diſtreſs or danger, how greatſoever ſhall ſtifle my faith, or ſtop my mouth, but make mee more earneſt and my prayers like ſtrong ſtreams in narrow ſtrains, ſhall bear down all before them.
Make haſte unto mee] Leſt help come too late.
Verſ. 2 Let my prayer bee ſet forth before thee as incenſe] Faithfull prayer is foreign (ſaith Da…aſen) the aſcenſion of the heart to God. Dim. de fide.In this incenſe how many ſweet ſpices are burned together by the fire of faith, as humility, hope, love, &c? all which come up for a memoriall before God: Act. 10.4.and the Saints (as Manoahs Angel) aſcend up in the flame, and do wonderouſly, Judg. 13.19, 20. whilſt their pillars of ſmoak are perfumed with myrrhe and frankincenſe, with all powders of the ſpice-Merchant, Cant. 3.6. that is, with the merits and mediation of Jeſus Chriſt, Heb. 9.24. thoſe ſweet odours poured into the prayers of Saints, Rev. 5.8. & 8.4. for want whereof the incenſe of the wicked is abomination, Iſa. 1.13. as ſtinking of the hand that offereth it.
As the evening Sacrifice] The ſacrificium juge, that was offered every morning and evening, Exod. 29.39. Numb. 28.4. in reference to that immaculate Lamb of God, ſlain from the beginning, for an offering and a ſweet ſmelling ſavour, Epheſ. 5.2. Chryſoſtom telleth us, that the Greek Church made uſe of this Pſalm in their evening-Liturgie.
Verſ. 3 Set a Watch, O Lord, before my mouth] Orat pro patientia; ſaith One, here hee prayeth for patience; leſt by giving himſelf leave to over-laſh, hee make the matter much worſe. The beſt patience long tryed, and hard put to't, may miſcarry, to its coſt.
Keep the door of my lips] That it move not creaking, Dal pro Deleth per Apo…cp…n poc…icam.and complaining as on ruſty hinges, for want of the oil of joy and gladneſs. David had ſomewhat to do with his tongue, as wee ſee, Pſal. 39.1.3. and when hee had carted the Ark, how untowardly ſpake hee, as if the fault were more in God than himſelf, that there was ſuch a breach made in Uzzah, 1 Chron. 15.2? It was but need therefore thus to pray.
Verſ. 4 Incline not my heart] Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh. For the better ordering of his words, therefore hee prayeth, not to be delivered up to Satan, and to his own hearts luſt (as hee was, 1 Chron 21.1. with 2 Sam. 24.1.) for God tempteth no man, but the Devill and his own concupiſcence, Jam. 1.13, 14. but to bee bent the better way by Gods over-powering efficacious grace, and to bee ſtabliſhed with his free Spirit,
To practiſe wicked works] The Vulgar rendreth it, ad excuſandas excuſationes in peccatis, to frame excuſe for mine offences; but that, when I have over-laſht,Gnala… ſignificat operaticut occaſione pratex…u, cauſa. I may confeſs and forſake, and ſo finde mercy.
And let mee not eat of their dainties] Their murthering morſels of iniquity, The Chaldee… expoundeth i… of their ſongs at banquets.or their tid-bits and baites, whereby Sauls courtiers ſought to inſnare him.
Verſ. 5 Let the Righteous smite mee, &c.] In case I do offend in word or deed, let mee never want a faithfull reprover, who may ſmite mee as with a hammer (ſo the word ſignifieth) reprove mee ſharply, Prov. 23.35. Zech. 13.5. Tit. 1.13. cuttingly, as the Apoſtles word importeth, yet mildly and lovingly, Gal. 6.1. Prov. 9.8. foreign& 19.25. & 25.12. with ſoft words, but hard arguments.
It ſhall bee a kindneſſe] David thought the better of Nathan for ſo roundly reproving him, 2 Sam. 12. and made him of his Councill, 1 King. 1. Peter thought the better of Paul for dealing ſo plainly with him at Antioch, Gal. 2. and maketh honourable mention of him, and his writings, 2 Pet. 3. Tis ſaid of Gerſon (that great Chancellour of Paris, that … r… alia tantop… laetaretur, In vita Joh… Gerſon.quam ſi a… aliquo fraterne & charitarive redargueretur, hee rejoyced in nothing ſo much as in a friendly reprehenſion: great pitty it was that none beſtowed a shi…ing on him for being ſo active againſt John H…, and Hier… of Pragus, at the councill of Conſtance. Of Queen Anne Bullen, it is reported, that ſhee was not only willing to bee admoniſhed, but required her Chaplains freely and plainly to tell her of whatſoever was amiſs. Mr. Clark Matryrolo… p. 78.Her Daughter Queen Elizabeth was well pleaſed with Mr. Deerings plain dealing, who told her in a Sermon that once ſhee was Tanquam …vis, but now Tanquam indemita juvenca, as an untamed Heifer: and ſpeaking of the diſorders of the times, Theſe things are ſo, ſaid hee, and you ſit ſtill, and do nothing, &c.
It ſhall bee an excellent oil] Heb. A head-oil, ſuch as they poured on their friends heads; and that was of the beſt.
Which ſhall not break my head] My heart it may. Or, Let him not make it …ail my head, let him not ceaſe to do mee this good office daily; I ſhall count it a courteſie, and requite it with my beſt prayers for him, in his greateſt neceſſity.
For yet my prayer alſo ſhall bee in their calamity] I will not curſe them for their good counſell, raile at them for reproving mee, or inſult over them in miſery as juſtly met withall; but pray for them, and prize them as my beſt friends.
Verſ. 6 When their Judges are overthrown] As I like juſt reprehenſions, ſo I ſuffer unjuſt Perſecutions from the Grandees of the Nation, who ſhall ſhortly bee dejected from their dignity, and daſhed as it were againſt the rocks, And then
They ſhall hear my words] The common people that have been ſeduced by their evil Rulers to think the worſt of mee, ſhall be brought to a right underſtanding of things, and undeceived: ſo that they ſhall ſet by thoſe words of mine that they have vilipended and ſleighted.
Verſ. 7 Our bones are ſcattered at the graves mouth] i. e. I and company are in a dying condition, free among the dead; yea, if taken wee ſhould be put to moſt cruel deaths, Non una & ſimplici morte contenti ſunt.hewn in peeces, or pulled limbmeal, and left unburied; and our dead bodies mangled by a barbarous inhumanity, as wood-cleavers make the ſhivers flye hither and thither. This is the perillous caſe of mee, and my partiſans.
Verſ. 8 But mine eyes are unto thee] Afflictions to the Saints are tanquam ſcalae & alae, to mount them to God.
Leave not my ſoul deſtitute] Ne exinanias, make not bare my ſoul viz. of thy protection.
Verſ. 9 Keep mee from the ſnare, &c.] See Pſal. 140.5.
Verſ. 10 Let the wicked fall] Metaphora a piſcibus, ſaith Tremellius, as fiſhes in caſting-nets, Iſa. 19.8.
Whileſt that I withall eſcape] The Righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked commeth in his ſtead; Prov. 11.8. It appeareth at length that ſimple honeſty is the beſt policie, and wicked polity the greateſt ſimplicity, and moſt ſelf-deſtructive.
PSAL. CXLII.
WHen hee was in the cave] ſcil. Of Engedi, 1 Sam. 24. Loquitur in ſpel…ca, ſed prophetat in Chriſto, ſaith Hilary.
Verſ. 1 I cryed unto the Lord with my voice] ſcil. Of my heart, and more with my mind than mouth: for if hee had been heard, hee had been taken by the enemy. Thus Moſes cryed, but uttered nothing, Exod. 14.15. Egit vocis ſilentio, ut corde clamaret. Aug.Thus Chriſt cryed, Heb. 5.7.
Verſ. 2 I poured out my complaint] Heb. My m…ſſi…tion.
I ſhewed before him] Plainly and plentifully, how my danger increaſed to a very Criſis, as one expreſſeth it.
Verſ. 3 When my ſpirit was over-whelmed within mee] Or, covered over, with grief, as the Greek expoundeth it.
Then thou kneweſt my path] ſcil. That I neither fretted nor fainted: Or, thou kneweſt how to make a way to eſcape, 1 Cor. 10.13. The Lord knoweth how to deliver his, 2 Pet. 2.9.
Verſ. 4 I looked on my right hand] Not a man would appear for mee. foreign, miſery is friendleſs for moſt part. See a Tim. 4.16. Nulla fide… … delegit ….
Verſ. 5 I cryed unto thee, O Lord] I ran to thee as my laſt refuge, in the fail of all outward comforts, Zeph. 3.12. they are … afflicted poor people; and being ſo, they truſt in the Name of the Lord.
Verſ. 6 … Vat.6 For I am brought very low] Exhauſted and … dry, … and diſabled to help my ſelf any way.
Verſ. 7 Bring my … of priſon] …. Out of … leſs ſtraitened than if in priſon.
The Righteous ſhall compaſs mee about] Heb. Shall Crown mee: that is, ſhall incircle mee, as wondring at thy goodneſs in my deliverance; or they ſhall ſet the Crown on mine head, as the Saints do likewiſe upon Chriſts head (Cant. 3.12.) to whom this Pſalm may bee fitly applyed all along, as aboveſaid.