Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 146
PSAL. CXLVI.
VErſ. 1 Praiſe the Lord, O my ſoul] See Pſal. 103.1.
Verſ. 2 While I live, I will praiſe the Lord] George Carpenter, the Bavarian Martyr, being deſired by ſome godly brethren, that when hee was burning in the fire hee would give them ſome ſign of his conſtancy, anſwered, Let this bee a ſure ſign unto you of my faith and perſeverance in the truth, quod uſque dum os aperire, aut certe hiſcere licebit, that ſo long as I am able to hold open my mouth, or to whiſper, I will never ceaſe to praiſe God, and to profeſs his truth. Id quod & fecit, Sculter. Anna… dee. 2. p. 110…ſaith mine Author, that which alſo hee did; and ſo did many other Martyrs beſides.
While I have my being] Either in this world, or in the next: for then alſo, and much more, I ſhall praiſe God.
Verſ. 3 Put not your truſt in Princes] But in God alone; this being a principall peece of his praiſe: it is a kind of ſetting the Crown on his head. See Judg. 9.15. The word rendred Princes. ſignifieth liberall, bountifull ones, foreign, ſo Princes would bee accounted? but there's no truſting to them without God, or againſt him.
Nor in the ſon of man] The arm of fleſh. See Pſa. 118.8, 9.
In whom there is no help] For themſelves. ſaith Aben-Ezra; much leſs for others.
Verſ. 4 His breath goeth forth] It is but in his noſtrills at beſt; every moment ready to puff out: ceaſe from him therefore, Iſa. 2. Man, ſay the Rabbines, Naz.is but a bladder full of air, which can ſtand on no ground: but prickt with a pin, it ſhriveleth to nothing. Man, ſaith a Father, is nothing elſe but Soul and Soil, breath and body; a puff of wind the one, a pile of duſt the other, no ſolidity in either.
He returneth to his earth] Of which he was made, and to which hee is condemned, Gen 3. and upon which hee hath too much ſet his affections, being totus terreus, and ſo the ſooner forfeiteth all. It was therefore good counſell that One once gave to a great man, who had ſhewed him his ſtately houſe and pleaſant Gardens. You had need make ſure of Heaven, my Lord, or elſe, when you dye, you will bee a very great loſer. But this, few Princes think of; which made the Spaniſh Frier ſay, there were but few Princes in Hell; for why? there were but few in all.
In that very day his thoughts periſh] His golden thoughts, his white-ſhining thoughts, irritae diffluunt, come to juſt nothing. Princes may haply have in their heads whole Common-wealths, and the affairs of many Kingdomes; as Alexander had, and Tamberlan, who dyed of an ague in the midſt of his great preparations for the conqueſt of the Greek Empire. Or, his thoughts (ad … benefa…iend…s, as Aben-Ezra expoundeth it) of doing thee and others good; theſe fall to the ground with him. Great mens words are like dead mens ſhooes, ſaith one; hee may go barefoot that waiteth for them. Wherefore
Verſ. 5 Happy is hee that hath the God of Jacob for his help] Sith hee is the King immortall, all-powerfull, as verſ. 6. and no leſs willing, ſith hee is a God in Covenant.
Whoſe hope is in the Lord his God] This is a well-grounded hope indeed, and ſuch as will not drag after a man. The Leper beleeved Chriſts power, Lord if thou wilt, thou canſt make mee clean. Martha beleeved his will to raile her dead Brother, but doubted of his power; ſith hee had now been four dayes in the grave. Hee that is confident of both, is upon ſure-ground, and happy indeed.
Verſ. 6 Which made Heaven and Earth, &c.] And therefore can help doubtleſs.
Which keepeth truth for ever] And therefore will: ſith hee will not ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail, not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, Pſal 89. And this forever is oppoſed to that mortality and mutability of earthly Princes, Verſ. 4.
Verſ. 7 Which executeth Judgement] Vindicat violatos. This ſhould draw cuſtome and company about him; as all that were in diſtreſs fled to David, and hee became their Captain.
Which giveth food to the hungry] As hee did to Eliah by the Ravens; to Hunniades by his Shepheard, with whom hee ſupt on courſe fare, and found it ſweet; to the Town of Rochel by a ſhole of fiſh extraordinarily caſt up into it by the tide, when they were ſtraitly beſiedged and diſtreſſed.
The Lord looſeth the priſoners] As hee did Peter, Act. 12. and ſtill hee knoweth how to deliver his, ſaith the ſame Peter, who could ſpeak it by good experience, 2 Pet. 2.9.
Verſ. 8 The Lord openeth the eyes] Both of body and mind, as in the Goſpell. As for thoſe miracles which Facitus and Suctonius attribute to Veſpaſian (as that he made a blind man ſee with ſpittle, healed another that was lame, and another that had a drye hand, by treading upon it) they are the miracles of Chriſt, which thoſe prophane Authors would caſt upon their Emperour. Tacitus writeth that the blind man ſaid to Veſpaſian, that the god Serapis ſent him to him. Now the Paynims did think that the Chriſtians did worſhip Serapis, as appeareth by the Epiſtle of Adrian the Emperour to Severianus the Conſul, that in the Town of Alexandria, they that worſhipped Serapis were Chriſtians, &c.
The Lord raiſeth, &c.] As hee did that Daughter of Abraham in the Goſpel, whom Satan had bound and bowed down twelve years, Luk. 13.16. and as hee doth ſtill, Iſa. 61.1.
The Lord loveth the Righteous] And this is more than all the reſt. God diſpenſeth outward bleſſings, but not alwayes in love.
Verſ. 9 The Lord preſerveth] Theſe all are his clients, becauſe neglected by the World, as yeelding no profit.
Hee turneth upſide down] As one doth a diſh that is waſhed, and wiped, 2 King. 21.13.
Verſ. 10 The Lord ſhall reign for ever] Non ſibi, ſed in ſalutem noſtram, for our ſakes hee reigneth, that hee may execute Judgement, give food, looſe priſoners, open eyes, &c.
Supplices idem, ti…idoſ que terrâ
Erigit v…ltus, & hon…r… donat.
Therefore truſt in him, and Him alone, and that way praiſe him.