Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 33
PSAL. XXXIII.
Verſ. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord, O yee righteous] That is, O yee upright …, as it followeth here, and as Pſal. 32.11. For as there he ended, ſo here he begineth, calling upon the Saints to be cheerful; and indeed there is hardly any duty more preſſed in the Old and New Teſtamen, or leſs practiſed. To quicken them therefore to ſo necessary but …ch neglected a duty, this Pſalm … to be added to the former, purposely to excite us by many Arguments, … whole lives to the … forth of Gods worthy praiſes. In which regard … faith … Pſalm; andif it were well practiſed we might have a very heaven here as becauſe it is not, we loſe very much of the comfort of our lives. Only that cautionating counſel of Berward would not be forgotten, Laeti ſ…, non ſecuri; gaudentes in ſpiritu ſancte… ſed vera caventes a …ecidive; Let us be cheerful, but not ſecure; and rejoyce in the Holy Ghoſt, but take heed we let not fall the watch of the Lord. Crede mibi res ſev…ra eſt gaudium verum, Beleeve me, true joy is a ſevere matter, ſaid Seneca, Wee may better ſay ſo of Spiritual joy, which he never taſted of, neither doth any ſtranger meddle with. And if Plato could tell the Muſicians, Philoſophers could tell how to be merry without Muſick; much more may Gods people. Quid nobis cum Fabulis, cum riſu? ſaith Bernard, What have we to do with carnal mirth, and jollity, &c? we have Meat to eat, and Muſick to our Meat, that the World knoweth not of; let us make us merry with it.
For praiſe is comly for the upright] For them, and for none but them; High words are not fit for a fool, ſaith Solomon. Laudari ab illaudato, to be praiſed by a praiſeleſs perſon,Seneca. is no praiſe at all. That State in ſtory would not approve of good words from an evil mouth: no more doth God, Pſal. 50.15, 16. Chriſt would not ſuffer the Devil to confeſs him. Hypocriſie ſlurrieth all it toucheth. If a man ſhould ſing a good Song with his voyce, and play a bad one on his Inſtrument, it would make but a black ſanctis: Such is the praiſe of the unupright; who had better therefore be ſilent, unleſs themſelves were better, ſith they do not only loſe their labour, but commit ſin. Diſpleaſing ſervice is double diſhonour; and diſſembled ſanctity, double iniquity.
Verſ. 2. Praiſe the Lord with Harp] Or Cittern, Jubals invention, Gen. 4.21. much uſed by David, and others of old under the Jewiſh Pedagogy, as an help to devotion, as were alſo other Muſical Inſtruments, here, and elſewhere mentioned. Now it is otherwiſe: the beſt melody is to ſing Pſalms with grace in our hearts; and for other Muſick, when Aristotle was asked what he thought of it? he anſwered, Jouem nec canere neque cit haram pulſare, that Jupiter regarded it not.
Verſ. 3. Sing unto him a new Song] ſc. upon every new emergent occaſion. God reneweth his Mercies not only every morning, but every moment; ſo thould we out praiſes; every breath we draw ſhould praiſe the Lord, Pſal. 150. ult. Doth God give comforts? praiſe him, and they ſhall be continued. Doth hee ſend Croſſes? praiſe him, and they ſhall be removed, ſaith a Father; but in every thing … thanks; and that not coldly and curſorily, but ardently, and with utmoſt affection; for which cauſe this duty is ſo reiterated here, and preſſed with ſuch forcible arguments in the following verſes, as might work upon the very ſtones almoſt; much more men, for whoſe ſakes all this fair Fabrick of the World was erected.
Play skilfully (or luſtily) with a loud noyfe] Make good Muſick, ſet all your skill and might a work to magnifie the Lord. It is not an eaſie matter to praiſe God aright; it muſt be done Corde, ore, oper…, with the very beſt of the beſt. Benefacite canendo, cuns jubilatione.
Verſ 4. For the Word of the Lord is right.] Every Word of God is pure and precious, Prov. 30.5. his Commandement holy, and juſt, and good, Rom. 7.12. but by Word here we are to underſtand Gods Counſel, and Decree concerning the Creation and government of the World, which is unqueſtionably right, and agreeable to ſound reaſon, and therefore they are too blame that diſlike of his doings. If any evil befall them, the Saints confeſs Gods righteouſneſs and praiſe him as Iſa. 12.1. Pſa. 10.1. faith Kimchi here.
And all his works are done in truth …, In faith; that is in faithfullneſſe, without deceit or fickleneſſe. This is to be underſtood of the execution of Gods decree; all is done well, and equitable.
Verſ. 5. … loveth righteouſneſs and judgement] q. d. How can he do otherwiſe than right whoſe nature is ſuch, that he loveth righteouſneſs and judgement, that is, …
…
Verſe. … gave them a Being. Or, by his eſſentiall Word, Solo ipſius … ſu & nutu.which is his Son the ſecond perſon in Trinity, Prov. 8.27. Joh. 1.3. Col. 1.16. Heb. 1.2.
And all the hoaſt of them] Theſe are firſt mentioned, becauſe the moſt glorious of all the works of God, ſo Pſal. 19.1.
By the breath of his mouth] By his word and command. Or rather, by his Holy Spirit, the third perſon in Trinity, inſeparable from the other two, as well in eſſence, as in operation. See Gen. 1.1, 2. with the Notes. It hath been elſe-where noted, that in Thebe, a Town of Aegypt, they worſhiped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortall. But how painted they him? In the likeneſſe of a man blowing an egge out of his mouth; to ſignify, tha hee made the round World by his Word, and by the breath of his mouth, as here. Va…o addeth, that in way of thank-fullneſſe,Plut. de Iſid… & Oſicid. Var. de re ruf… l. 2. cap. 1. they dedicated a ſheep to him, to be offered in Sacrifice. This Text was commonly urged by the Ancients for the Trinity of perſons in the Godhead; which Olymphus an Arrian Biſhop denying, was ſtruck with three thunderbolts and killed in a Bath.
Verſ. 7. Hee gathereth the waters of the Sea together] Confining them to their concave, to the pit he digged for them. Ecce altera miſericordia, ſaith kimchi here, Behold another mercy; without the which the earth would be inhabitable, unleſſeby fiſhes only; becauſe the waters would cover the earth.
As an heap] This ſheweth that the Sea is higher than the Earth. Saylers obſerve, that their ſhips flie faſter to the ſhore than from it, whereof what other reaſon can be given but the height of the waters above the land?
Hee layeth up the depth in ſtore-houſes] In his treaſuries; that is, he ſecretly hideth them, and limiteth then to a certain place (that they overwhelm not the earth) by his Almighty power, Jer. 5.22. Job 38.16. See there.
Verſ. 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord] viz. For theſe ſtupendious works of his, ſufficient to ſtrike an a we, into all creatures, of the divine Majeſty, Jer. 5.22. Tremble thou earth at the preſence of the Lord, at the preſence of the God of Jacob, Pſal. 114.7.
Verſ. 9. For he ſpake, and it was done] So true is that ſaying, Dei dicere eſt facere. And a great ſhame it is to men to diſobey the great Creatour; and not rather to follow the example of the unreaſonable and inſenſible creatures.
And it ſtood faſt] The whole order of nature remaineth, as he ſet it: firm, faſt, and unmoveable.
Verſ. 10. The Lord bringeth the counſel of the heathen to noughi] i. e. He counter-worketh the Devill and his imps, who would overturn and deſtroy the fair order of nature, mingle heaven and earth together as it were, and ſoon marre all. God fruſtrateth the counſells and attempts of ſuch tumultuating boutefeaus and trouble-States; and maugre their malice; preſerveth polities, lawes, judgements, and naturall equity; without which mankind could not long ſubſiſt. Who then would not fear thee, O King of Nations? for to thee doth it appertain, Jer. 10 7. Rev. 15.4.
Verſ. 11. The counſell of the Lord of ſtandeth for ever] That counſell of his, whereby he hath decreed to maintain government amongſt men, to relieve the oppreſſed, to puniſh the Wicked, to uphold the Church, is firm and inviolable. Divinum conſilium dum devitatur, impletur; humana ſapientia dum reluctatur, comprehenditur, ſaith Gregory. There is a councell in Heaven will daſh the mould of all contrary counfells upon earth.
Verſ. 12. Bleſſed is the Nation whoſe God is the Lord] viz. By ſpeciall favour and covenant. The preſervation of the Church (which hath ſo few friends on earth, and ſo many enemies in earth and hell) is juſtly brought as an evident argument of the divine providence, Chriſt ſtandeth upon Mount-Zion; and that mountain ſhall bee exalted above all mountaines. The Church, as it is higheſt in the favour of God, ſo it ſhall be ſet above all the World; and het enemies ſhall be in that place that is fitteſt for them the loweſt, the footſtool of Chriſt.
The people whom he hath choſen] Some read it, The people which hath choſen Hims for their inheritance. It cometh all to one. See Deut. 26.17, 18, 19.
Verſ. 13. The Lord looketh from Heaven] Ita r…ſpicit univerſos quaſi ſingulas, it … ſ…l…s. And this Doctrin of Gods particular providence is, fides natinnum quarum Deus eſt Dominus, ſaith Kimchi, taught in the Church only.
Verſ. 14. From the place of his habitation he beholdeth] And this is a very great condeſcenſion, ſith he humbleth himſelf to behold things in Heaven, Pſal. 113.6, to look out of himſelf upon the Saints and Angels; how much more upon the inhabitants of the earth?
Verſ. 15.Unum pa…ter acaliud, Kimchi. He faſhioneth their hearts alike] i. e. Ones as well as anothers. The Arabick hath it, Format ſigillatim he faſhioneth them ſeverally one after another; and not all ſoules together, as the Origeniſts, and ſome Jew-doctors held.
Hee conſidereth all their works] Their hearts are not hid from him (ſith he made them, as is ſaid before) much leſſe their works. Theſe God conſidereth, and therefore men had need conſider them, and turn their feet to his Teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59.
Verſ. 16. There is no King ſaved by the multitude of an hoaſt] Witneſſe Sennacherib, Xerxes, Bajazet. Away then with Creature-confidence; it will be the ruine of all that reſt in it; whether it be in men, or means that they truſt. See Pſal. 62.9, 10. with the Notes.
A mighty man] Or, A Giant, Goliah for inſtance. As the moſt skilfull ſwimmers are often drowned; So here.
Verſ. 17.Pauſan. An Horſe is a vain thing] And yet a warlike creature, full of terrour (See the Note on Pſal. 32.9.) and ſo ſwift in ſervice, that the Perſians dedicated him to the Sun. See Job 41.20. Prov. 21.31. With the Notes.
Verſ. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is on them that fear him] Hee looketh upon ſuch with ſingular delight; not without ſweet intimations of his ſingular kindneſſe, and care of their good.
Upon them that hope in his mercy] Here we have a deſcription of that true Church which God will never forſake; ſc. It is a company of ſuch as truly ſerve God, and boaſt not of their merits; but poſſeſſing their ſoules in hope and ſilence, wait for his mercy.
Verſ. 19. To deliver their ſoul] Freedom from troubles He promiſeth not; but deliverance in due time he aſſureth them; and ſupport in the mean while, to keep them alive in famine.
Verſ. 20. Our ſoul waiteth for the Lord] i. e. Patiently tarrieth the Lords leisure. We can both wait and want for a need.
Verſ. 21. Our heart ſhall rejoyce in him] We ſhall be ſure of an happy iſſue and event; but yet ſo as that we pray for it, as in the next words.
Verſ. 22. Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us, according as we hope in thee] Not that we would have no more mercy than we have truſt; but we would ſhew that our truſt is bottomed upon thy promiſes, and that we humbly expect the full accompliſhment of the ſame, in due time.