Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 146
PSAL. CXLVI.
DAvids Pſalm of praiſe] Heb. Davids praiſe or hymn, well worthy, ſaith learned Beza, to bee made uſe of by all men for a rule and pattern of praiſing God. Perfectum illi…s rationalis culms exemplum. Beza. Kimchi. R. Arama.It is one of thoſe Pſalms that are artificially made up after the order of the Alphabet: and ſo highly prized by the Rabbines, that they doubt not to promiſe Heaven to him who ſhall thrice every day pray over this Pſalm, corde, ore, & opere.
Verſ. 1 I will extoll thee, O God, my King] i. e. O Chriſt the King of Kings, whoſe Vaſall I profeſs my ſelf; as did afterwards alſo thoſe three moſt Chriſtian Emperours, Conſtantine, Valentinian and Theodoſius.
Verſ. 2. Every day will I bleſs thee] No day ſhall paſs mee without a morning and evening ſacrifice; beſides what is more, upon all emergent occaſions. The Jews have above an hindred Benedictions which they are tyed to ſay over every day; and one among the reſt, for the benefit of Evacuation; it I were a Nightingall (ſaith Epictetus a Heathen) I would do as a Nightingall; In Encher.but ſince I am a man, what ſhall I do? I will praiſe my Maker, and never ceaſe to do it: I exhort alſo all men to do the like.
Verſ. 3 Great is the Lord] See his greatneſs ſet forth by Moſes, Deut. 10.17.
And greatly to bee praiſed] viz. According to his excellent greatneſſe, Pſal. 150.2. which yet cannot bee.
And his greatneſs is unſearchable] Tantum recedit quantam capitur, ſaith Nazianzen. Hee is above all name, all notion, all parallel in nature: we can ſee but his back-parts and live; wee need ſee no more that wee may live.
Verſ. 4 One Generation ſhall praiſe thy works to another] Gods praiſes are many, and mans life ſhort, and one Generation ſucceedeth another: let them relate Gods wonderfull works one to another; and ſo perpetuate his praiſes to all poſterity.
Verſ. 5 I will ſpeak of the glorious honour] Or, I will meditate of the glory of the honour of thy magnificence. I will diſcourſe of thoſe high and honourable conceptions that I have of thee, which yet words (how wide ſoever) are too weak to utter, ſuch is thy tranſcendent excellencie, and ſurpaſſing glory.
And of thy wondrous works] Wherein thou art in ſome ſort to bee ſeen, as the beams of the Sun are made viſible by reflection; and letters, being refracted and broken, in a pair of ſpectacles, are made legible to a dim eye.
Verſ. 6 And men ſhall ſpeak of the might of thy terrible acts] Thoſe that will not talk of thy bounty, ſhall bee made to ſay, O the ſeverity of God!
Verſ. 7 They ſhall abundantly utter] Eruct abunt, as a fountain caſteth out waters plentifully and conſtantly: ſo ſhall thoſe that are like-minded to mee abundantly and artificially (even with ſongs) ſet forth thy goodneſs and faithfulneſs; ſaying, and ſinging,
Verſ. Beza.8 The Lord is gracious, &c.] See Pſal. 86.5, 15. & 103.8.
Slow to anger, and of great mercy] De quo penc poſſi… amb…gi ſit ne ad iraſcendum tard…or, an ad parcendum promptior.
Verſ. 9 The Lord is good to all] And of this hee hath not left himſelf without witneſs, Act. 14.17.
And his tender mercies are over all his works] Holding the whole Creation together, which elſe (by reaſon of the curſe for mans ſin, hurling confuſion over the World) would long ſince have been ſhattered, and diſſipated.
Verſ. 10 All thy works ſhall praiſe thee] i. e. Miniſter matter of thy praiſe.
And thy Saints ſhall bleſs thee] viz. Upon that account. If it were not for a few Saints on earth, God ſhould loſe his glory here, in great part.
Verſ. 11 They ſhall ſpeak of the glory] That Kingdome of the Saints of the moſt high, which is far beyond the Grandeur, and ſplendour of all the four great Monarchies, as is to bee ſeen, Dan. 7.27.
Verſ. 12 To make known to the ſons of men] This is the end why the Church is collected, and the Goſpell preached. God aimeth at his own glory in all; as well hee may, ſith hee hath none higher than himſelf, to whom to have reſpect.
Verſ. 13 Thy Kingdome is an everlaſting Kingdome] It cannot bee over-turned (that's comfortable to all Chriſts ſubjects) as other flouriſhing Kingdomes are; which have their times and their turns, their riſe and their ruine. Alexanders Kingdome continued but twelve years only; and fell with him: ſo did Tamberlains greatneſs.
Verſ. 14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall] None of his ſubjects can fall below his helping-hand, his ſweet ſupportance.
And raiſeth up all thoſe that are bowed down] Either with the burden of ſin, or miſery in any kind. Camden.Alphonſus King of Arragon is famous for helping with his own hand one of his ſubjects out of a ditch. Of Queen Elizabeth it is recorded to her eternall praiſe that ſhee hated (no leſs than did Mithridates) ſuch as ſought to cruſh vertue forſaken of fortune. Chriſt bruiſeth not the broken reed, but upholdeth it; hee quencheth not the ſmoking wick, but cheriſheth it.
Verſ. 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee] Heb. Look up with hope to this great houſe-keeper of the World. The Elephant is ſaid to turn up the firſt ſprig towards Heaven when hee comes to feed. The young Ravens cry to God for food, Pſal. 147. at leaſt by implication.
Their men] Suitable to their ſeverall appetites.
Verſ. 16 Thou openest thy hand] With Kingly munificence.
And ſatisfieſt the deſire] Or, Of thy good pleaſure thou ſatiateſt.
Verſ. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes] This wee muſt hold for an undoubted truth; though wee ſee not alwayes the reaſon of his proceedings. Sinfull men dare to reprehend oft-times what they do not comprehend.
Verſ. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all thoſe, &c.] Hee is ever at hand to hear and help his faithfull ſuters and ſuppliants: theſe have the royalty of his ear, free acceſs, ſure ſucceſs.
To all that call upon him in truth] That draw neer with a true heart, in full aſſurance of faith, having their hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience, and their bodies waſhed with pure water, Heb. 10.22.
Verſ. 19 Hee will fulfill the deſire, &c] Or, The will, the pleaſure. Beneplacitum.Hence that bold requeſt of Luther, Fiat voluntas mea, Let my will bee done. But then hee addeth, Mea, Domine, quiatua, my will, becauſe thine, and no otherwiſe. They that do the will of God, ſhall have their own will of God. See 1 Joh. 3.22. The King can deny you nothing.
Verſ. 20 The Lord preſerveth all them that love him] See Pſal. 91.14, 15, 16. with the Notes.
But all the wicked] That love not God, but their baſe luſts.
Verſ. 21 My mouth ſhall ſpeak, &c.] This he had oft before promiſed; but ingageth again, that hee may not ſtart back.
And let all fleſh] But eſpecially men, good men: for high words beſeem not a fool. But it well becommeth the Saints, to bee thankfull, Tertull.nec ſervire Deo ſolum ſed & adulari, as an Ancient ſpeaketh.