Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 51
PSAL. LI.
A Pſalm of David] who was not aſhamed to do open penance here in a white Sheet, as it were: ſo did Theodoſius the Emperour, at the reprehenſion of Ambroſe, after the flaughter at Theſſalonica; he ſpent eight months ſaith Theadoret, in weeping and lamentation: he fell down on his face in the place of the Penitents, and ſaid, My ſoul is glued to the earth, &c Henry the Fourth (then King of Navarre only, after wards of France alſo) having abuſed the Daughter of a Gentlemanin Rochel, by whom he had a Son, was perſwaded by Mounſieur du-Pleſſis, to make a publick acknowledgement of his fault in the Church,Life of Phil. de Morn. by Mr. Cler…. which alſo he did before all the Nobility of his Army. This counſel being thought by ſome to be too rigorous, Du-Pleſſis made this anſwer, That as a man could not be too couragious before men: ſo he could not be too humble in the preſence of God.
Wh…n Nathan the Prophet came unto him] Rouſing him out of a long Lethargy, into which Sin and Sathan had caſt him. See here the neceſſity of a faithful Miniſtery, to be to us as the Pilot was to Jonas, as the Cock to Peier, &c. as alſo of a friendly admonitour, ſuch as David had prayed for, Pſal. 141.5. and here he is anſwered. David had lain long in ſin without repentance to any purpoſe; ſome remorſe he had felt, Pſal. 32.3. but it amounted not to a godly ſorrow, till Nathan came; and in private, dealing plainly with him, more prevailed than all the Lectures of the Law, or other means had done, all that while.
After he had gone in to Bathſheba] This was the Devils Neſt-egge that cauſed many ſins to be laid, one to, and upon another. See the woſul chain of Davids luſt, 2 Sam. 11. & 12. and beware.
Verſ. 1. Have mercy upon me, O God] Twas wont to be, O my God, but David had now ſinned away his aſſurance, wiped off his comfortables: he dares not plead propriety in God, nor relation to him, as having forfeited both. At another time, when he had greatly offended God, by numbring the people. God counted him but plain David, Go, and ſay to David, 2 Sam. 24.12. whereas before, when hee purpoſed to build God a Temple, then it was, Go tell my ſervant David, 2 Sam. 7.5. Sin doth much impair and weaken our aſſurance of Gods favour; like as a drop of water falling on a burning Candle, dimmeth the light thereof. The courſe that David taketh for recovery of this laſt evil, is confeſſion of ſin, and hearty prayer for pardoning and purging grace. In the Courts of men, it is ſafeſt (ſaith Quintilian) to plead Non feci, Not guilty; not ſo here, but Ego feci, miſerere miſerrimi peccatoris, miſericors Deus. Guilty Lord, have mercy, &c.
Permiſer…ra m…i to…itur ira Dei.
According to the multitude of thy tender mercies] They are a multitude of them and David needeth them all, for the pardon of his many and mighty ſins; tha where … had abounded grace might ſuper abound, it may have a ſuper-pleonaſ…, … 1 Tim. 1.14.
Blo… out my tranſgreſſions] Out of thy Deb…-book: croſs out the black lines of my ſins with the red lines of Chriſts bloud; cancel the Bond, though written in black and bloudy Characters.
Verſ. 2. Waſh me thorowly from mine iniquity] Heb. Multiply, waſh me; ſo Iſa. 55.7. God is ſaid to multiply pardon, as much as we multiply ſin. David apprehended his ſin ſo exceeding ſinful, his ſtain ſo inveterate, ſo ingrained, that it would hardly be ever gotten out, fill the cloath were almoſt rub'd to p…eces; that God himſelf would have ſome what to do to do it. He had been in a deep ditch, Prov. 23.27. and was pitifully moyled; He therefore begs hard to bee thorowly rinſed, to be bathed in that bleſſed fountain of Chriſts bloud that is opened for ſins, and for uncleaneneſs, Zach. 13.1. to be cleanſed not only from outward defilements, but from his ſwiniſh nature: for though a Swine be waſhed never ſo clean, if ſhe retain her nature, ſhe will be ready to wallow in the next guzzle. The time of our being here is foreign, as Nazianzen calleth it, i. e. our waſhing time, Waſh thy heart, O Jeruſalem, that thou maiſt be clean, Jer. 4.14. not by thinking to ſet off with God, and to make amends by thy good deeds for thy bad; this is but lutum luto purgare, to waſh off one filth with another, but by the practice of Mortification, and by Faith, in Chriſts meritorious Paſſion: for he hath waſhed us, from our ſins in his own bloud, Revel. 1.5. Other bloud defileth, but this purifieth from all pollutions of fleſh and ſpirit, 1 Joh. 1.7.
And cleanſe me from my ſin] In like manner, as the Leper under the Law was cleanſed. Leproſie, Frenſie, Hereſie, and Jealouſie, are by men counted uncurable: Sed omnipotenti medico nullus inſanabil…s occurr it morbus, ſaith I ſidore, to an Almighty Phyſician, no Diſeaſe is uncurable. There is indeed a Natural Novatianiſ… in the timorous Conſciences of convinced ſ…ners, to doubt and queſtion pardon for ſins of Apoſtacy, and failing after Repentance; but there need bee no ſuch doubting, ſith God who hath bidden us to forgive a repenting Brother ſeventy times ſeven times in one day, will him ſelf much more. All ſins and Blaſphemies ſhall bee forgiven to the ſons of men, &c. Mat. 12.31.
Verſ. 3. For I acknowledge my tranſgreſſions] And therefore look for pardon, according to thy promiſe. Home agroſcit, Deus ignoſcit.
And my ſin] My twiſted ſin, and ſadly accented; mine accumulative ſin, voluminous wickedneſs, that hath ſo many ſins bound up in it, as Cicero ſaith of Paricide.
Is ever before me] To my great grief and regret, my Conſcience twitteth mee with it, and the Devil layeth it in my diſh. This maketh him follow God ſo cloſe, reſolved to give him no reſt till he hath regiſtred, and enrolled the remiſſion of his ſins in the Book of Life, with the bloudy lines of Chriſts ſoul-ſaving ſufferings, and golden Characters of his own eternal love.
Verſ. 4. Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned] This he ſpake in reſpect of the ſecreſie of his ſins, ſay ſome: whence alſo it followeth, And done this evil m thy ſight… David ſent for Bathſheba by his Servants, but they knew not wherefore he ſent for her, ſaith Kimchi; neither knew any one why Letters were ſent to Joub to kill Uriah: but becauſe hee refuſed to obey the King, bidding him go home to his honſe, &c. Others thus, Againſt thee only, that is, thee ma…ly; for every ſin is a violation of Gods Law, the treſpaſs may be againſt man, but the tranſgreſſion is ever againſt God. Others again thus, Againſt thee, &c. that is, Againſt thee ſo good a God have I thus hainou…y offended, giving thereby thine enemies occaſion to blaſpheme thee. This, I take it, is the true meaning.
And done this evil in thy fight] Which was to deſpiſe thee, 2 Sam. 12.10. not caring though thou lookedſt on.
That thou might eſt be juſtified when thou ſpeak…ſt, &c.] i.e. declared to be juſt, whatever thou haſt denounced againſt me, or ſhalt inflict upon me. The unrighteouſneſs of man commendeth the righteouſneſs of God, Rom. 3.4, 5. To thee, O Lord God, belongeth righteouſneſs, but unto us confuſion of face, ſaith Daniel chap. 9.
Verſ. 5. Behold I was ſhapen in iniquity] This he alledgeth, viz. his original pravity, not as an excuſe, but as an aggravation of his actual abominations, which he ſaith were committed out of the vile viciouſneſs of his nature. See Pſal. 58 3, 4. The Maſorites here obſerve, that the word rendred iniquity is full, written with a double Vau; to ſignifie the fulneſs of his ſin; whole evil being in every man by nature, and whole evil in man; which when the Saints confeſs, they are full in the mouth, as I may ſo ſay, they begin with the root of ſin (not at the fingers ends as Adenibezek did) ſtabbing the old man at the heart firſt, and laying the main weight upon original corruption, that in-dwelling ſin, as the Apoſtle calleth it, Rom. 7.14. that ſin of evil concupiſcence, as the Chaldee here: that peccatum peccans, as the Schools. Tully belike had heard ſomewhat of this, when he ſaid, Cum primum naſcimur, in omni continuo pravitate verſamur, Aſſoon as ever we are born, we are forth-with in all wickedneſs. Auguſtine ſaith, Damnatus homo antequam natus, Man is condemned as ſoon as conceived.
And in ſin did my mother conceive me] Heb. Warm me; This Aben-Ezra interpreteth to be our great Grand-mother Eve, Qua non parturiebat antequam peccabat. David meant it doubtleſs of his immediate mother, and ſpake of that poyſon where-with ſhe had warmed him in her wombe, before the ſoul was infuſed. Corruption is conveyed by the impurity of the ſeed, Job 14.4. Job. 3.6. & 31. Sin may be ſaid to be in the ſeed incoative & diſpoſitive, as fire is in the Flint. Let us therefore go with Eliſha to the Fountain, and caſt ſalt into thoſe rotten and ſtinking waters. And for our Children, let us labour to mend that by education which we have marred by propagation.
Verſ. 6. Behold, thou deſireſt truth in the inward parts] Quam tamen mihi defuiſſe res ipſa demonſtrat; but this truth hath not been found in me, when I acted my ſin in that ſort, and did mine utmoſt to hide it from the world. I have ſhewed little truth in the inward parts, but have groſly diſſembled in my dealings, with Vriab eſpecially, whom I ſo plied at firſt with counterfeit kindneſs, and then baſely betrayed him to the ſword of the enemy. Siniſterity is fully oppoſite to ſincerity, trcachery to truth.
And in the hidden parts thou ſhalt make me to know wiſdom] Thus, by faith, ſaith one, he riſeth out of his ſin, being taught wiſdom of God. Others read it, Thou haſt made me to know, &c. And yet have I ſinned againſt the light of mine own knowledge and Conſcience; although thou haſt taught me wiſdom privately, E… eheu quam familiaritèr, as one of thine own Domeſticks, or Diſciples. Some make it a prayer, Cauſe me to knew wiſdom, &c.
Verſ. 7. Purge me with Hyſop and I ſhall be clean] Sprinkle me with the bloud of Chriſt by the Hyſſop-bunch of faith, not only taking away thereby the ſting and ſtink of ſin, but conferring upon me the ſweet ſavour of Chriſts righteouſneſs imputed unto me. See Heb. 9.13, 14, 19. where he calleth it Hyſſop; of which ſee Dioſcorides, lib. 3. chap. 26.28. David multiplieth his ſute for pardon, not only in plain terms, but by many metaphors.
Waſh me, and I ſhall be whiter than ſnow] So we cannot be by any waſhings of our own, though with Snow-water, Iſa. 6.46. The Brides Garments are made white in the Lambs bloud, Rev. 1.14. the fouleſt ſinners waſhed in this Fountain become white as the ſnow in Salmon, Iſa. 1.18. 1 Cor. 6.11. Eph. 5.27. Peccata non redeunt.
Verſ. 8. Make me hear joy and gladneſs] God will ſpeak peace unto his people, he createth the fruit of the lips to be peace, Iſa. 57.19. &c. No ſuch joyful tidings to a condemned perſon as that of a Pardon. Be of good cheer, thy ſins are forgiven thee. Feri, feri Domine, nam à peccatis abſolutus ſum, ſaid Luther. Davids Adultery and Murther had weakned his Spiritual condition, and wiped off all his comfortables: but now he begs to be reſtored by ſome good Sermon, or ſweet promiſe ſet home to his poor ſoul.
That the bones which thou haſt broken may rejoyce] By leaping over Gods pale he had broke his bones; and fain he would be ſet right again, by a renewed righteouſneſs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt, by his former feelings of Gods favour.
Verſ. 4. Hide thy face from my ſins] We are not able to indure Gods preſence, much leſs his Juſtice for our ſins; nor can there be any ſound peace of Conſcience whiles he frowneth. His favour is better than life, but his diſpleaſure more bitter than death it ſelf. See 2 Sam. 14.32.
And blot out all mine iniquities] See how one ſin calleth to mind many thouſands; which though they lye a ſleep a long time, like a ſleeping debt, yet wee know not how ſoon they may be reckoned for. Make ſure of a generall pardon; and take heed of adding new ſins to the old.
Verſ. 10. Create in mee a clean heart, O God] His heart was woefully ſoiled with the filth of ſin, and the work of grace interrupted; he therefore prayeth God to interpoſe and begin it again, to ſet him up once more, to re-inkindle thoſe ſparks of the ſpirit that lay almoſt quite ſmothered; to put forth his almighty power for that purpoſe, to farm that-Augean ſtable of his heart; to ſanctify him throughout in ſpirit, ſoul, and body; and to keep him blameleſſe unto the comming of his ſon, 1 Theſ. 5.23.
Andrenew a right spirit within mee] Or, a firm ſpirit, firm for God, able to reſiſt the Devill, ſtedfaſt in the faith, and to abide conſtant in the way that is called holy.
Verſ. 11. Caſt mee not away from thy preſence] Deprive mee not of communion with thee, and comfort from thee; for that's a peece of Hell torments, 2 Theſ. 1.9. Cains puniſhment, which poſſibly David might here mind, as being guilty of murther. And Sauls loſſe of the Kingly Spirit, 1 Sam. 15.15. might make him pray on
And take not thine holy Spirit from mee] David knew that he had done enough to make the holy Spirit loath his lodging; he might alſo think that the Spirit had urterly withdrawn himſelf, and others might think as much, beholding his Croſſes, Jer. 30.17. But the gifts and callings of God are without repentance; and where the Spirit once inhabiteth, there he abideth for ever, Joh. 14.16. an interruption there may bee of his work, but not an interciſion; and a Saint falling into a groſſe ſin may loſe his jus aptitudinale ad calum, but not his jus heredit arium; his fitneſſe, but not his right to Heaven, that holy place.
Verſ. 12. Reſtore unto mee the joy of thy ſalvation] He had grieved that holy thing, that Spirit of God whereby he was ſealed to the day of redemption, Epheſ. 4.30. and is therefore at a loſſe for comfort; he had vilipended that patent of his pardon which God had paſſed under his hand and ſeal: God therefore calleth for it home again into the pardon-office, as it were; that he may know the worth by the want. A man may ſin away, not only the ſenſe and comfort of his pardon, but the evidence and knowledge of it, as that place of Peter ſeemeth to imply, 2 Pet. 1.9. Mountebanks, who wound their fleſh to try concluſions upon their own bodies how ſoveraign the ſalve is,D. Sibbes Souls confl. do oft feel the ſmart of their preſumption, by long and deſperate wounds: So God will let his Davids ſee what it is to make wounds in their conſciences, to try the preciouſneſſe of his balſam; ſuch may go mourning to their graves. And though with much ado they get aſſurance of pardon, yet their conſciences will be ſtill trembling, till God at length ſpeak further peace; even as the waters of the Sea after a ſtorm are not preſently ſtill, but move and tremble a good while after the ſtorm is over.
And upholdeſt moe with thy free Spirit] Heb. firmly ſuſtain mee with thy noble or Princely Spirit, that may make mee ſteddy and ready to come off roundly in thy ſervice. Sin againſt conſcience diſableth for duty, taketh away freedom to it, and ſtability in it. David therefore prayes God to fix his quick-ſilver, to ballance his lightneſſe, to ſettle and fill that vain and empty heart of his, with ſomething that may ſtay and ſtabliſh it, that may alſo free and enlarge it (for where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17.) that he might yeeld prompt and preſent obedience to God in all things; and with all might be apt and able to teach tranſgreſſors, as he promiſeth to do in the next words.
Verſ. 13. Then will I teach tranſgreſſors thy wayes] Inſtruunts nos Patres tum docentes, tum labentes, ſaith Auguſtine, Two wayes the Saints teach us. Firſt, By their Doctrin. Secondly, By their Falles and Failings. David had taught men this laſt way to his coſt, that it is triſte mortalitatis privilegium licere aliquando peccare; Now he promiſeth by his example and inſtruction to teach tranſgreſſours, thoſe that are in the very bonds and hands of the Devill, Gods wayes of mercy to the penitent; and that they muſt either turn to God, or burn for even in Hell.
And ſinners ſhall be converted unto thee] They ſhall give not the half, but the whole turn; and it ſhall appear by them. The turning of a ſinner from evill to good, is like the turning of a Bell from one ſide to another; you cannot turn it, but it will make a ſound, and report its own motion.
Verſ. 14. Deliver mee from blood-guiltineſſe O God] Heb. From bloods; in every drop whereof is a tongue crying for vengeance. Beſides, if Davids adultery was a ſin of infirmity (he was preocoupated, as Gal. 6.1.) yet his murthering of Uriah, and many others that fell together with him, was a ſin of preſumption; a deliberate prepenſed evill, done in cold blood, and therefore lay very heavy upon his conſcience. Howbeit he gat pardon of this great ſin alſo; ſo that it never troubled him on his death-bed, as ſome other did, though not ſo great, where of he had not ſo throughly repented, 1 King. 2.
Thou God of my ſalvation] By making choice of this ſo fit an Attribute, he flirreth up himſelf to take better hold.
And my tongue ſhall ſing aloud of thy Righteouſneſs] That is, of thy faithfullneſſe in performing thy promiſe of pardon to the penitent. As Aarons golden bells ſounded, ſo ſhould our tongues ſound Gods praiſes, and ſing them aloud, ſhrill them out.
Verſ. 15. O Lord open thou my lips] Which now I find ſtopt and ſealed up, as it were, with the ſin that doth ſo eaſily beſet mee; ſo that whereas I promiſed before to ſing aloud of thy Righteouſneſſe; this I ſhall never be able to do without thy ſpeciall furtherance, niſi verba ſuppedites & tanquam pracas, unleſſe thou pleaſe to ſupply mee both with affections and expreſſions, as well as with matter of praiſe.
And my mouth ſhall ſhew forth thy praiſe] David had not been dumb till now, all the while he lay in his ſin, but all he did was but lip-labour, and therefore loſt-labour. Daniel confeſſeth the like of himſelf and his people, chap. 9.13. All this evill is come upon us; yet made we not our prayer before the Lord …ur God; that we might turn from our iniquities, and underſtand thy truth. Prayed they had, but becauſe they turned not frons their iniquities, they got nothing by their prayers or praiſes. God is a Fountain, and if he meet with a fit pipe (as is an ordinance rightly performed) there he uſually conveyeth his grace; but if he meet with a foul pipe and obſtructed, there he doth not conferre a bleſſing. The Phariſees were not a button the better for all their long prayers, becauſe rotten ar heart.
Verſ. 16. For thou deſi…ſt not ſacrifice] This is the reaſon why David reſtipulateth Praiſe, if God will pardon his great ſin, verſ. 14. viz. becauſe he well underſtood that God preferred praiſe before all ſacrifices whatſoever; provided that i… came from a broken ſpirit, Verſ. 17. rightly humbled for ſin, and thankfully accepting of pardon. See Pſal. 50.14, 15, 23.
Thou delighteſt not in burnt-offering] viz. Comparatively; and indeed not at all without a contrite heart.
Una Deieſt, purum, gratiſſinsa victima, pectus.Nazianz.
Much leſſe then doth God reſpect the ſacrifice of the Maſſe, that hath no footing or warrant in the word. A certain Sorboniſt finding it written at the end of St. Pauls Epiſtles Miſſa est, &c. bragg'd he had found the Maſſe in his Bible.Bee-hive cap. 3… fol. 93, 94. Buxtorf. And another reading Joh. 1.44. Invenimus Meſſiam, made the ſame concluſion. Some of them, as Bellarmine for one, would fain ground it upon Mal. 1.11. Others fetch the name Miſſa from the Hebrew Maſs for tribute; which comes from Maſas to melt (becauſe it many times melteth away mens eſtates) Rect è quidem, ſaith Rivet; per Miſſam ſcilicet pietas omnis liquefacta eſt & diſſoluta.
Verſ. 17. The ſacrifices of God area broken ſpirit] i.e. Such an heart as lyeth low, and heareth all that God ſaith; ſuch a ſacrifice or ſervice as is laid on the low altar of a contrite heart, which ſanctifieth the Sacrifice; Mr. Abbas.ſuch a perſon as with a ſelf-condemning, ſelf-crucifying, and ſin-mortifying heart, humbly, and yet beleevingly maketh out for mercy and pardon in the blood of Chriſt, this, this is the man that God expects, accepts, and makes great account of.
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despiſe] This is great comfort to thoſe that droop under ſenſe of ſin, and fear of wrath, being at next door to deſpair. Bring but a broken heart and God will receive you graciouſly, pouring the oyl of his grace into your broken Veſſels. This comforted Bernard on his death bed, he dyed with this ſentence in his mouth.Je. Manl. loc. com. 73. Auſtin cauſed it to be written on the wall over againſt his bed where he lay ſick and dyed. Many poor ſoules even in times of Popery had Heaven opened unto them by meditating on this Pſalm; and eſpecially on this 17. verſ.
Verſ. 18. Do good in thy good pleaſure unto Sion] Having made his own peace with God, he now prayeth for the Church; and the rather, becauſe by his foul ſins he had hazzarded, or rather expoſed both Sion and Jeruſalem, Church and State, to divine diſpleaſure. Delirantreges, plectuntur Achivi.
Build thou the walls of Jeruſalem] i. e. Protect, defend and maintain the civill State, grant all things neceſſary for its ſafety and well-being; ſupply of all wants, confirmation and increaſe of all bleſſings. Thus pray we, Jer. 29.7. Pſal. 122.6, 7, 8. for except the Lord keep the City, &c. See Iſa. 5.1, 2, 3. & 27.3. Hee is a wall of fire, Rev. 20.9. of water, Iſa. 33.20, 21. ſay therefore as Iſa. 26.1. and beware of ſecurity, ſenſuality, ſenſeleſneſſe, &c.
Verſ. 19. Then ſhalt thou bee pleaſed with the ſacrifices, &c.] i. e. Such as are offered in faith, and according to the will of God, Pſal. 4.6.
Then ſhall they offer Bullocks upon thine Altar] They ſhall be free-hearted, and frequent in thy work and ſervice; va torpori noſtro, Woe to our dulneſſe and backwardneſs in theſe happy dayes of peace and free profeſſion, which we had need improve as they did, Act. 9.31. Otherwiſe, we may deſire to ſee one of the dayes of the Son of man, and not ſee it, Luk. 19.22, Go to Shiloh, &c.