Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 24
PSAL. XXIV.
A Pſalm of David] The Greek addeth, Of the firſt day of the week (Becauſe wont to be ſung in the Temple, on that day) which is now the Chriſtian Sabboth, in memory of Chriſts reſurrection and ruledome over all, which is here celebrated.
Verſ. 1. The earth is the Lords, and the fullneſſe thereof] Hee alone is the true Proprietary, Job 41.11. Deut. 10.14. and the earth is Marſupium Domini, as One ſaith, the Lords great purſe; the keeping whereof hee hath committed to the ſons of men, Pſal. 115.16. like as alſo hee hath given the heavenly bodies to all peoples, Deut. 4.19. every ſtar being Gods ſtorehouſe, which hee openeth for our profit, Deut. 28.12. and out of which hee throweth down riches and plenty into the earth, ſuch as the Servants of God gather, and the reſt ſcramble for. What uſe the Apoſtle putteth this point to, See 1 Cor. 10.26, 28. with the Notes. Other uſes may well bee made of it; as, that Kings and Princes bear not themſelves as Lords of all (the Turk and Pope ſo ſtile themſelves; the great Cham of Tartary every day aſſoon as hee hath dined cauſeth, they ſay, his trumpets to beſounded; by that ſign giving leave to other Princes of the earth (his Vaſſals, as hee conceiteth) to go to dinner) but the Lords vicarii & villici, vicegerents and Stewards, to whom they muſt give an account of all. Again, that Gods dear Children cannot want any thing that is good for them; ſith they have ſo rich a Father, who ſeemes to ſay unto them, as Gen. 45.20. Regard not your ſtuff, for all the good of the land is yours. To him that overcommeth will I give to inherit all things; I have all things. Phil. 4.18 2 Cor. 6.10.
The world, and they that dwel therein] This is Gods univerſall Kingdome by right of Creation, verſ. 2. beſides which hee hath a ſpirituall Kingdome over his elect, (ut docet nos pulcherrimus hic Pſalmus. ſaith Beza) who are here deſcribed, verſ. 4, 5, 6. and encouraged to enlarge their deſires after their Soveraigne in the exerciſe of faith, and uſe of means; and to give him the beſt entertainment, verſ. 7, 8, 9, 10. For the Church is Chriſts Temple; and every faithfull ſoul is a gate thereof to let him in as Rev. 3.20.
Verſ. 2. For hee hath founded it upon the Seas] The ſolid earth hee hath founded upon the liquid waters. This Ariſtotle acknowledgeth to bee a miracle; as alſo that the waters which are naturally above the earth, overflow it not, but are kept within their ſhoares, as within doors and barres. This is the very finger of God, and a ſtanding miracle, worthy to bee predicated to his praiſe all the World over, Job 38.6, 7, 8. &c. See the Notes there. See alſo Gen. 1.9. with the Note.
And eſtabliſhed it upon the floods] Upon the waves and ſurges of the Sea; which, but for Gods decree, would ſoon ſurmount it. The dry land is that which is here called Teb. foreign, the habitable world. And this is Gods univerſall Kingdome, which becauſe leſſe conſiderable, the Prophet ſpeaketh but little of it in compariſon, as haſtening to the ſpirituall.
Verſ. 3. Who ſhall aſcend into the Hill of the Lord] Montem caeleſtem ſignificat, ſaith Vatablus, hee meaneth into Heaven; for the Prophets purpoſe is to ſhew, that although God made all, yet hee will not ſave all; but that there is a ſelect number, c…lled and called out of the many, who ſhall bee everlaſtingly happy; and theſe are here characterized, as they are alſo, Pſal. 15. wherewith this Pſalm hath great affinity, and is thought to have been compoſed at the ſame time, that is ſaith R. David, poſt ne gotium Ornani Jebuſai, after the buſineſſe with Araunah the Jebuſite, when God by fire from Heaven had pointed out the place where the Temple ſhould bee built, 1 Chro. 21.26. & 22.1.
And who ſhall stand in his holy place?] Stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion? Tautologia has eſt Hebrais perquam familiaris. Who is a true Member of the Church militant? and ſhall bee no leſte of the Church triumphant?
Ver. 4. He that hath clean hands] The clean in hands, that is, of innocent and unblamable converſation; debet eſſe purus corde, ore, opere, ſaith Kimchi, Immunis … tetig… … Horat.he muſt not touch that unclean thing, 2 Cor. 6.17. Non magna munera, ſed immunis manus menſ que ſincera Deo placent. Men muſt lift up pure hands in prayer, 1 Tim. 2.8. or elſe their incenſe will ſtinck of the hand that offereth it, Iſa. 1.13. Thoſe that draw neer to God muſt not only have their hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience, but their bodies alſo waſhed with pure water, Heb. 10.22.
And a pure heart] Which while Pilat wanted, it nothing profited him to waſh his hands in the preſence of the people. Heaven is an holy place; and they that would go thither, muſt cleanſe themſelves from all filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſſe in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1. The Serpent could ſcrue himſelf into Paradiſe; but no unclean creature ever came into Gods Kingdome. The Citizens of Heaven muſt here affect purity of heart, aim at it, and in ſome meaſure attain to it too; the old frame of impure motions being diſſolved, &c.
Who hath not lift up his ſoul unto vanity] i. e. Ad id…la vel opes, ſaith One, that is, to Idolls, or riches, Jer. 22.27. but hath lifted it up in the wayes of the Lord, as Jehoſaphat did, 2 Chron. 17. and David, Pſal. 25.1. not heeding or hankering after the Worlds delights, or the Devills deluſions. Some write the word Shau, ſignifying vanity, with a little Vau, ad indicandum quòd minima vanit as eſt vitanda, &c. to ſhew, that hee who would dwell in Gods holy Mountain, muſt carefully avoid the leaſt vanity that is; keeping Gods Commandement as the apple of his eye, that will bear no jeſts, Prov. 7.2. Some for his Soul, read my Soul; Hee hath not taken in vain my Soul, that is, ſaith R. Obadiah, That ſoul inſpired by God (which I alſo have received) he taketh not in vain, he miſemployeth not to iniquity, but conſecrateth to the ſervice of God, whoſe image and ſuperſcription it beareth.
Nor hath ſworn deceitfully] Or inured his tongue to any other kind of the language of Hell, rotten communication, to the diſhonouring of God, or deceiving of others. Perjury is here inſtanced for the reſt, as one of the moſt hainous. But Peraldus rekoneth up four and twenty ſeverall ſins of the tongue; all which every Burgeſſe of the new Jeruſalem is carefull to avoid, as the Devills drovill, Tom. 1. pag. 264.no way becoming his pure lip.
Verſ. 5. He ſhall receive the bleſſing from the Lord] i. e. Omnimodam felicitatem, all manner of mercies, ſaith Vatablus; hee ſhall bee as happy as heart can wiſh; for great is the gain of godlineſſe. See my Righteous mans Recompence.
And Righteouſneſſe, &c.] i. e. The fruit and reward of Righteouſneſſe, which the Righteous God will not fail to beſtow upon all his; even the Crown of Righteouſneſſe, 2 Tim. 4.8. A grave Interpreter hath here obſerved, that there is ſuch a reciprocation between the deſcription of this reward and the perſons deſcribed,Ameſ. that the bleſſedneſſe aſſured to the perſons exciteth them to the care of piety; and this care of piety bringeth unto them a ſure and firm expectation of bleſſedneſſe.
Verſ. 6. This is the generation of them that ſeek him] Theſe are the true Seekers, farre different from thoſe that now-adayes ſo ſtile themſelves; being no better indeed than the Jeſuites by-blowes, as one wittily calleth them,M. Baxſto… though they are not yet ſo wiſe as to know their own Father. Theſe are a generation too, but an evil and adulterous, one in theſe laſt and looſeſt times of abounding and abetted Errours.
That ſeek thy face] i. e. Thy favour, that deſire nothing more than to bee in communion with thee and conformity unto thee.
O Jacob] Or, O God of Jacob: As the Church is called Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12.12. So God is here called Jacob; ſuch a neer union there is betwixt him and his people. Or, this is Jacob. So the true Seekers are fitly called, firſt, becauſe Iſraelites indeed, Joh. 1.47. Rom. 9.6. ſecondly, becauſe they ſee God face to face, as Jacob did at Penuel, Gen. 32.24, 26, 29, 30. thirdly, becauſe they alſo, as hee,Adjicitur Sel… ut often da… quantoperè haec ſentent ſit conſider… da. do bear away a bleſſing, Hoſ. 12.4. even Righteouſneſſe from the God of their ſalvation, as in the verſe aforegoing.
Verſ. 7. Lift up your heades O yee gates &c.] Here hee calleth unto Hell-gates, ſay the Papiſts; to the Heavens, ſay others, to give way to Chriſts aſcenſion thereinto,Vatab▪ Juſtin. pag. 55. Recipite Chriſtum in portis novae Hieroſol. Cyril. as the firſt fruites, and the opener of the way to all his Members; And hee doubleth the ſame ſpeech, verſ. 9. for the joy that hee had in the contemplation thereof; bidding them again and again, lift up and bee lifted up; a phraſe or term taken from triumphall arches, or great Portico's ſet up or beautified and adorned for the coming in of great victorious and triumphant Captaines. There are at this day to bee ſeen at Rome the ruines of Conſtantines triumphall arch erected at that time when hee entred the City, triumphing over the Tyrant Maxentius, quem vicit ſigno crucis, as Euſebius reporteth; making Chriſt to triumph at Rome, after thoſe ten bloody perſecutions;Vi…cars. with which triumph this Pſalm may fitly bee compared, ſaith a learned Interpreter: Our late Annotatours tell us of a faſhion in ancient times, that when they would ſolemnize the enterance of any Prince, or others that had well deſerved of the publick, they would break down the walls, and pull off the gates of the City; partly for more free entrance, and partly to ſhew that their City needed no walls nor gates, as long as they had ſuch a Guardian and Protector within it. It is likely, ſay they, that David by theſe words doth allude to ſome ſuch cuſtome. Or as Calvin and others will have it, to the Temple to bee ſet up by Solomon; which hee wiſheth were done, that ſo hee might bring in the Ark of the Covenant, hitherto tranſportative, into the place of its reſt, Pſal. 132.14. Certain it is, that the Saints, thoſe living Temples of the Lord, are here called upon to lift up their hearts, in the uſe of holy ordinances; yea therein to bee abundantly lifted up through faith, with a joyfull and aſſured wel-come of the King of Glory, who will thereupon come in to them, by the raviſhing operation of his love, benefits, and graces.
Verſ. 8. Who is this King of glory?] The gates are brought in as asking this queſtion, ſaith R. David. This is the Angells admiration at the comming in of Chriſts humanity into Heaven, ſaith Diodate; Rather, it is the queſtion of the faithfull concerning the perſon of their King, whom they hereby reſiſt not; but for their further confirmation, deſire to bee better informed of Him, and his never-enough adored excellencies.
The Lord ſtrong] Jehovah the Eſſentiator, the Eternall God; the moſt mighty and puiſſant Warriour; who if hee do but ariſe only, his enemies are ſcattered; and all that hate him flie before him, Pſal. 68.1.
Verſ. 9. Lift up your heads, &c.] See Verſ. 7. And learn, that in matters of moment wee muſt be more than ordinary earneſt, and importunate with our ſelves and others.
Verſ. 10. Who is this King of glory?] The beſt are acutè obtuſi in the myſtery of Chriſt crucified; and muſt therefore by ſtudy and inquiry grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Pet. 3.18. praying for that Spirit of wiſdome and revelation, for the acknowledgement of him, Epheſ. 1.17.
The Lord of Hoaſts] Hee who hath all Creatures at his beck, and check, the Lord of Sabaoth, Rom. 9.29. Jam. 5.4. where the word ſignifying hoaſts or armes is uſed untranſlated; becauſe well underſtood both by Jews and Gentiles, as is alſo Hoſanna, Hallelujah, Amen.