Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 36
PSAL. XXXVI.
A Pſalm of David the Servant of the Lord] See Pſal. 18. title. Then hee had well-nigh finiſhed his Ruledom, here he is about to begin it, and therefore aſſumeth this title. Serum eſt nomen officii, Servant is a name of Office or Duty. Tertullian faith of Auguſtus (we may better of David] Gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis, quam potestatis, he took more pleaſure in names of duty than of dignity; ſo thoſe heavenly Courtiers rejoyce rather to be ſtiled Angels, that is, Meſſengers, and Miniſtring Spirits, than Thrones, Principalities, Powers, &c.
Verſ. 1.Hieron. Vulgata. The tranſgreſſion of the wicked ſaith within my heart] Some ſay tis libbi for libbo, Jod for Ʋan, and render it within (or in the midſt of) his own heart; and ſo make it the ſame in ſenſe with Pſal. 14.1. but theſe make too bold with the text. David, that zealous Servant of God, was fully perſwaded of, and deeply affected with, the profligate wickedneſs of ſome graceleſs perſons (ſuch as were Saul, and his bloud-ſucking Sycophants) that they were ſtark Atheiſts, and had not the leaſt ſpark of common goodneſs left in them; that they had neither the fear of God, nor ſhame of the World to reign them in from any outrage. This is mine opinion of them, ſaith David, I am ſtrongly ſo conceited, and I will give you my grounds. I ſpeak as to wiſe men: judge yee what I ſay.
Verſ. 2. For he flattereth himſelf in his own eyes] This is the firſt proof of the foregoing charge, and the fountain of all the following exorbitancies. See the like, 2 Tim. 3.2. there ſelf-love brings all out of order: here ſelf-flattery. Sibi palpum obtrudit, he ſtroketh himſelf on the head, and ſaith, I ſhall have peace, though I walk in the ſtubbornneſs of mine heart, to adde drunkenneſs to thirſt; and rebellion to ſin, Deut. 29.19. Thus he ſootheth and ſmootheth up himſelf, neither ſhall any one perſwade him but that his penny is as good ſilver as the beſt of them all. Thus he calleth evil good, and good evil; and proudly bolſtering of himſelf in his ſinful practices, he maketh a bridge of his own ſhadow, and ſo falleth into the ditch of deſtruction.
Vntil his iniquity be found to be hateful] Till God by his Judgements uncaſe him, and men out of utter hatred of his execrable practices, tell him his own to his teeth. Thus Stephen Gardiner being charged of cruelty by Mr. Bradford, anſwered in open Court, I for my part have been challenged for being too gentle often times, which thing Bonner confirmed, and ſo did almoſt all the audience, that he had ever been too mild and moderate. But Doctor Taylour told him another tale,Act. & Mon. 1461. Ibid. 1380. when he ſaid to him, How dare you for ſhame look me or any Chriſtian man in the face, ſeeing you have forſaken the truth, denied our Saviour Chriſt, done contrary to your Oath? &c. So Bonner, They report me, ſaid he, to the Lord Mayor, to ſeek bloud, and call me Bloudy Bonner; whereas God knows I never ſought any mans bloud in all my life. To whom Mr. Smith the Martyr anſwered, Why my Lord,Ibid. 1537. do you put on this fair viſor before my Lord Mayor, to make him beleeve that you ſeek not my bloud, to cloak your Murthers through my ſtoutneſs, as you call it? Have you not had my brother Tomkins before you, whoſe hand when you had burnt moſt cruelly, you burnt his whole body: and not only of him, but of a great many of Chriſts Members, &c? So upon the Martyrdom of Maſter Philpot, a certain unknown good woman in a Letter to Bonner wrote thus; Indeed you are called the common Cut-throat, and general ſlaughterſſave to all the Biſhops of England; and therefore it is wiſdom for me and all other ſimple ſheep of the Lord to keep us out of your butcherly ſtall, as long as we can, eſpecially ſince you have ſuch ſtore already that you are not able to drink all their bloud, leſt you ſhould break your belly; and therefore you let them lye ſtill, and dye for hunger,Ibid. 1672. &c. And ſoon after, you have broken a Pot indeed (Mr. Philpot) but the precious Word contained therein is ſo notably therewithall ſhed abroad, that the ſweet ſavour thereof hath wonderfully well refreſhed all the true Houſehold, or Congregation of Chriſt, that they cannot abide any more the ſtinking ſavour of your filthy ware, that came from the dunghil of Rome, though your Lordſhips Judaſſes ſet them to ſale every where to fill up your Baggs, &c. Thus theſe bloud-ſuckers ſtunk above ground, and it is probable that the Saints ſhall look upon ſuch in the next World, throughout all eternity, with execrable and everlaſting deteſtation.
Verſ. 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit] That is, ſaith Calvin, he hath ſomething to ſay to excuſe and juſtifie himſelf, to the hardening of his heart, and haſtening of his deſtruction; as there is no Wool ſo coarſe but will take ſome colour. But God will one day waſh off his varniſh with rivers of Brimſtone; hee can skill of none other Language but that of Hell; the words of his mouth are, deſiderium & dolus; there is no truth, and as little truſt to be put in any thing that he ſpeaketh. And why? there is no fear of God before his eyes. See a like Text, Rom. 3.13, 14, 15.
He hath left off to be wiſe, and to do good] That little light he once had, he hath loſt, and caſt off ſuch good practices as once in hypocriſie he performed; neither will he learn to do better. Dicit reprobos fugitare rationem bene agendi, ne vitam ſuam in melius corrigere cogantur, ſaith Vatablus.
Verſ. 4. He deviſeth miſchief upon his bed] He bendeth his wits and beateth his braines, perdius & pernox, breaking his ſleep to plot and plow, to contrive and effect miſchief. Vanity, or villany is his whole ſtudy. He is alwaies either weaving ſpiders webs, or batching Cockatrices eggs.
He ſetteth himſelf in a may that is not good] And there meaneth to keep him, as the word importeth; ſet he is, and he will not be removed, being every whit as good as ever he meaneth to be. Statuit ſe; there you left him, and there you may find him, for he is no changeling; and that's a peece of his ſilly glory.
He abhorreth not evill] Sed ſtudio ſiſſime amplectitur, Jun.but doth wickedly with hands earneſtly, and taketh long ſtrides towards Hell (which is but a little before him) as if he feared it would be full ere he came thither. If he do abſtain from any wickedneſs, yet hee abhorreth it not. It is for the evill conſequents of ſin (viz. ſhame, loſs, puniſhment) that he forbeareth it; and not becauſe it is offenſivum Dei, & averſivum à Deo, an offence againſt God, and a turning away from God; that's no argument at all to him, ſed fertur laxis habenis in quaevis flagitia, but he is hurried headlong into all wickedneſſes, as Ʋulturs flye ſwiftly to the moſt ſtinking carcaſes.
Verſ. 5. Thy mercy O Lord, is in the Heavens.] Yea farre above them, Pſal. Admiratur David incredibilem Dei patientiam, &c. Vat.108.4. and over all thy good and mens bad works. Otherwiſe thou couldeſt never endure ſuch provocations of the profane rout; who yet live upon thee, and ſhare in thy generall goodneſſe.
And thy truth unto the cloudes] Gods mercy goeth uſually yoaked with his truth and bounded by it; leſt any ſhould preſume upon it, conſidering that God is faithfull as well as mercifull; faithfull, I ſay, to fulfill both his promiſes and his menaces too. And as he hath mercy unmeaſurable, and truth unfailable for his Saints; ſo he hath Righteouſneſſe and Judgements for the Wicked, as it followeth.
Verſ. 6. Thy Righteouſneſs is like the great mountaines] Heb. Mountaines of God, pro more linguae, quae quando magnificat aliquid, addit nomen Dei, ut Jon. 3.3. Gen. Sic foreign Arat. in Dioſem. foreign30.5. Rev. 15.2. Pſal. 80.11. & 68.16. ſaith R. David, that is, after the manner of the Hebrew tongue, which when it would magnifie any thing, addeth the name of God; becauſe as any thing is nearer to God, the more excellent it is. The like is to be found alſo in Heathen-Authors. David meaneth that as Gods mercy is matchleſſe, ſo his Juſtice is unmoveable; and we are to give him the glory of the one, as well as of the other, ſith they are both alike in him; for whatſoever is in God, is God.
Thy Judgements are a great deep] A fathomleſſe abyſſe, in quam dejicis impios, & nunquam evadunt, ſaith Kimchi; wherein the Wicked ſink irrecoverably. Thy providentiall diſpenſations alſo are paſt finding out, Rom. 11.33. They are to Reaſon as the Sea is to Shallows; and therefore we muſt do by them as the Romanes did by a certain lake of unknown depth, they dedicated it to Victory.
O Lord, thou preſerveſt man and beaſt] Such is thy beneficence, anſwerable to thy patience afore celebrated. Thou not only beareſt with mens evill manners, even to admiration; but abundantly provideſt for their being, and well-being; of ſuch I mean, as walk about the World with hearts as full as Hell of all kind of wickedneſſe. Howbeit bonitas tua ad Atheum eſt ſicut illa ad beſtiam, ſaith Kimchi, here thou doſt but for the Atheiſt, as thou doſt for the Beaſt, and by that courſe of common preſervation and kindneſſe which runneth toward all; that none need doubt of a Providence.
Verſ. 7. How excellent (Heb. precious) is thy loving-kindneſſe?] That ſpeciall love and favour that thou vouchſafeſt to thine own elect only. Oh this is incomparable, and inexpreſſible. It maketh a vaſt difference betwixt the Righteous and the wicked, though the blind World obſerveth it not.
Therefore the Children of man] Who are alſo the Children of God, by a better birth, Joh. 1.12, 13. and that's their greateſt preferment, 1 Joh. 3.1. Ludovicus ſirnamed the Saint, King of France, would needs be called Ludovicus de Piſſiaco, rather than take greater titles; becauſe there he became a Chriſtian. He thought no birth to a new birth in Chriſt, no Parentage to that of God to his Father.
Put their truſt under the ſhaddow of thy wings] As chickens (in a ſtorm, or when the Purtock threatneth) hover and cover under the Henne. See Pſal. 91. Matth. 23.
Verſ. 8. They ſhal be abundantly ſatisfied] Heb. watered, inebriated. They ſhall be plentifully provided for, as the Domeſticks; they ſhall have a confluence of all comforts and contentments for this life and a better; for godlineſſe hath the promiſes of both. Hic locus eſt conſolationis pleniſſimus, ſaith One.
And thou ſhalt make them drink of the river of thy pleaſure] And ſo utterly quench their thirſt after the World and ſin.
Clitorio quicun que ſitim de fonte levarit,
Vina fugit.
Verſ. 9. For with thee is the fountain of life] Vena vita, verae vitae ſcaturigo. A fountain communicateth its water, and yet is not exhauſted. Fontium perennitas, is one of the wonders in nature; what ſhall we ſay of this divine fountain of life, temporall, ſpirituall, and eternall, over-flowing and ever-flowing?
In thy light ſhall we ſee light] viz. Of knowledge, and comfort; what's the air without light? or any thing elſe without God? Abſ que Deo omnis copia eſt egeſtas, ſaith Bernard. In the former compariſon, with thee is the fountain (or vein) of lives, the Prophet alludeth either to waters, as is aforeſaid, or to metalls; to ſhew that as the veines of gold, ſilver, and the like, do lye in bank in the boſome and bowels of the earth; ſo doth life in God. Or, to the veines of the body, which as ſo many rivers or rivolets derive their blood from that red Sea, the liver. Certain it is, that man hath neither life nor light in himſelf, till it be communicated unto him from God.
Verſ. 10. O continue thy loving kindneſſe] Heb. Draw it out at full length, extend and exerciſe it, lengthen and perpetuate it. Thus the godly greatly taken with the ſweetneſſe of Gods houſe, and rapt in the admiration of his tranſcendent goodneſs towards them, pray for a continuance thereof; Intimating alſo by the manner of expreſſion, that Gods peculiar mercies to his are a continued ſeries, there is a connection between them, yea a concatenation. And as in a chain, one link draweth on another, ſo doth one mercy another; unleſſe we break the chain by our unthankfullneſſe.
Ʋnto them that know thee — to the upright in heart] Here we have a juſt deſcription of the heirs of Gods promiſes, and of the partakers of his peculiar mercies. Firſt, They muſt be knowing perſons; know they muſt God and his will, themſelves and their duties. Secondly, They muſt be upright in heart; for knowledge without practice is like Rachel, beautifull, but barren; or like rain in the middle region, where it doth no good. A good underſtanding have all they that do his Precepts, Pſal. 111.10. and ſuch only are upright in heart.
Verſ. 11.Terent. Let not the foot of pride come againſt mee] The Wicked do manibus pedibus que obnixe omnia facere, that they may ruine the Righteous; but God can divert them, manacle them, ſhackle them that they ſhall neither march againſt his people, nor meddle to unſettle their faith. Nevertheleſſe hee looketh to be ſought unto for theſe things, Ezek. 36.37. Dan. 10.12. I came forth for thy word, ſaith the Angel, that is, upon thy prayer.
Verſ. 12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen] There where they plotted or practiſed the downfall of the Righteous; as Henry the third of France was ſtabbed in the ſame Chamber where hee and others had contrived the Pariſian Maſſacre. God taketh notice of the very place where ſin is committed, to puniſh accordingly; as he did Abimelech, Ahab, the Jews, that cryed Crucifie him, crucifie him, &c.
They are caſt down] With a force, the Angel of God …aſing them according to my prayer, which now methinks I ſee to be graciouſly anſwered. It muſt needs go ill with the Wicked, when the Saints ſhall turn them over to God to be tamed, and taken an order with.
And ſhall not be able to riſe] Becauſe laid for dead by an Almighty hand. The Righteous falleth ſeven times in a day, and riſeth again; not ſo the workers of iniquity.