Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 7
PSAL. VII.
SHiggaion of David] i.e. Davids delight, or ſolace, ſay ſome: his mixt Song, or Synodee, ſay others.
Which he ſang unto the Lord] He could ſing away care, and puniſh his Reproachers with a merry contempt, as knowing his own innocency; the property whereof is to throw off ſlanders, as Paul did the Viper, yea in an holy ſcorning, it laughs at them, as the wilde Aſſe doth at the Horſe, and his Rider.
Concerning the words of Cuſh the Benjamite] which ſome take to be ſome Couſen and Courtier of Sauls, who had falſly accuſed good David (far from any ſuch thought, Pſal. 131.1.) of affecting the Kingdom, and ſeeking Sauls life. See 1 Sam. 24.10. But I rather underſtand with the Chaldee Paraphraſt, Sauls ſelf, who was of Kiſh, and of Jemini, 1 Sam. 9.1. and that by a diſguiſe of name; he is called Cuſh the Benjamite, that is an Aethiopian, becauſe of his obſtinate impenitency, according to Jer. 13.23. So Am. 9.7. Rebellious Iſrael is to God as Aethiopia. Profeſſors ſhall be as deep in Hell, and deeper than Turks and Infidels, becauſe of their diſſembled ſanctity, which is double iniquity, Wrath ſhall bee upon the Jew firſt, Rom. 2. and when the foul ſinner goes to Hell, what ſhall become of the fair Profeſſor? may ſuch be asked, as are both in one. In the Aethiopian is nothing white but his teeth: ſo in an Hypocrite, &c.
Verſ. 1. O Lord my God, in thee do I put my truſt] Or, I betake me to thee for ſafety. David found it always beſt to run to the old Rock, Iſa. 26.4. and to cry, O Lord my God, pleading the Covenant. This, no wicked man can do; but, being beaten out of earthly comforts, he is as a naked man in a ſtorm, and an unarm'd man in the field, or as a ſhip toſſed in the Sea without an Anchor, which preſently daſheth on the Rocks, or falleth upon the Quick-ſands. Saul for inſtance, who being in diſtreſs, and forſaken of God, ran firſt to the Witch, and then to the Swords point.
Save me from all them that perſecute me] Where the Prince is a Perſecutor (as in the Primitive times, and here in the Marian days) many will be very active againſt Gods people, O ſancta ſimplicitas, ſaid John Huſſe Martyr, when at the ſtake he obſerved a plain Country-fellow buſier than the reſt, in fetching Faggots.
Verſ. 2. Leſt he tear my Soul like a Lion] i. e. put me to a cruel and tormentful death; exerciſing againſt me both cruelty, and alſo craft; by taking me at ſuch a time, as there is none to deliver me?
Verſ. 3. O Lord my God] See on Verſ. 1.
If I have done this] i.e. This treachery and treaſon, whereof Saul doth cauſeleſly ſuſpect me, and wherewith his pick-thank Partiſans unjuſtly charge me. As for Sedition, ſaith Latimer, for ought that I know, methinks I ſhould not need Chriſt, if I might ſo ſay. But where malice beareth maſtery,Serm. 3. before K. Ed. 6. the doing of any thing, or of nothing, is alike dangerous.
If there be iniquity in my hands] Heb. in the palms of my hands, where it may bee concealed. If I have ſecretly acted againſt my Soveraign.
Verſ. 4. If I have rewarded evil, &c.] If I have broke the conditions of our reconciliation, or betrayed my truſt.
Yea I have delivered him that, &c.] This was true Chriſtianity, to overcome evil with good, Matth. 5.44, &c. Rom. 12.17, &c. O quam hoc non eſt emnium! O how few can skill of this! Eliſha made the Syrians a Feaſt, who came to make him a Grave. David ſpared Saul, and delivered him, not without the hazard of his own life. Bradford conducted Bourn from the Pulpit at Pauls Croſs, (where hee had cried up Popery at the coming in of Queen Mary) ſafe to his Lodging. A certain Gentleman ſaid unto him, Ah, Bradford, Bradford, thou ſaveſt him that will help to burn thee. I give thee his life, if it were not for thee, I would run him thorow with my ſword. And it proved as the Gentleman had Propheſied. There he ſits, I mean my Lord of Bath, Mr. Bourn (ſaid Bradford in his third Examination before Stephen Gardiner) which deſired me himſelf for the Paſſion of Chriſt, I would ſpeak to the people. Upon whoſe words, I coming into the Pulpit, I had like to have been ſlain with a Dagger which was hurled at him, I think, for it touched my ſleeve. He then prayed me I would not leave him, and I promiſed, that as long as I lived I would take hurt before him that day: And ſo went I out of the Pulpit, and intreated with the people, and at length brought him my ſelf into an houſe. Beſides this, in the afternoon I preached in Bow Church, and there going up into the Pulpit, one willed me not to reprove the people; For, quoth hee you ſhall never come down alive if you do it. And yet in that Sermon I did reprove their Fact, and called it Sedition at leaſt twenty times. For all which my doing I have received this recompence, Priſon for a year and half, and more, and Death now, which you (my Lord of Bath among the reſt) go about.Acts and Mon. fol. 146… Let all men bee judge where Conſcience is. Thus Maſter Bradford, like another David in his own defence.
Verſ. 5. Let the enemy perſecute my Soul, and take it] Thus he cleareth himſelf by an holy imprecation. (The Spaniſh Bible hath for Shiggaion Davidis in the Title, Purgatio Davidis, as the ſame Hebrew word foreign ſignifieth both Sin, and Purification from ſin, Pſal. 51.) taking God to witneſs of his innocency and good Conſcience, and wiſhing evil to himſelf, if it were otherwiſe. This he did from a good cauſe, in a good manner, and for a good end. And not as many prophane ones do now adays, who taxed, though never ſo truly, with ſome evil they have done, ſeek to juſtifie themſelves by appealing to God, and calling for his Curſe upon them, if guilty, who therefore ſtriketh ſuch impudent imprecatours immediately, as Anne Averies and others. See Mr. Clarks Mirrour.
And tread down my life] Heb. My lives; ſo uſually called, ſaith an Interpreter, for the many faculties and operations that are in life, the many years, degrees, eſtates thereof.
And lay mine honour in the duſt. Selah] Let him brand me for a moſt treacherous ignominious wretch, and let me lye buried in a bog of indeleble infamy.
Verſ. 6. Ariſe O Lord in thine anger] Here David repeateth, and re-inforceth his Suit, filling his mouth with Arguments for that purpoſe, ſuch as he well knew would be of avail.
Lift up thy ſelf, &c.] Wherein they deal proudly be thou above them, to controle and over-top them.
And awake for me] Sometimes God ſeemeth to be aſleep, we muſt awake him; to forget, we muſt in-mind him; to have loſt his mercy, we muſt finde it for him. Where is thy zeal, and thy ſtrength? &c. Iſa. 53.
To the Judgment that thou haſt commanded] That is, promiſed, viz. that thou wilt command deliverances out of Zion. Or, which thou haſt commanded to men in caſe of wrong done, to releeve the oppreſſed, and wilt no… thou for me, great Judge, much more do it?
Verſ. 7. So ſhall the Congregation of the people compaſs thee about;] As people love to flock to Aſſizes, or ſuch places of Judicature where Sentence is paſſed upon Great ones that have offended. Or thus, then ſhall the publick ſincere Service of God be ſet up, and people ſhall fly to it, as the Doves do to their windows.
For their ſakes therefore return thou on high] Seat thy ſelf upon thy Tribunal, and do juſtice; q. d. Thou haſt ſeemed to come down from the Bench, as it were, and to have no care of Judgement; but go up once again, and declare thy power. Reverteid eſt oſtende manum tuam eſſe altam, return, that is, ſhew that thou haſt an high hand, ſaith R. Solomon.
Verſ. 8. The Lord ſhall judge the people] The Aethiopian Judges leave the chief Seat ever empty, as acknowledging that God is the chief Judge.
According to my righteouſneſs] viz. In this particular Crime, whereof I am accuſed; great is the confidence of a good Conſcience toward God. Such only can abide by the everlaſting burnings.
Verſ. 9. O let the wickedneſs, &c.] Put a ſtop to their rage and rancour.
But eſtabliſh the juſt] The overthrow of the one will be a ſtrengthening to the other; as it was betwixt the Houſe of Saul and David, 2 Sam. 3.1. But who are juſt?
The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins] i. e. The thoughts and affections or luſts of people,Gogitarlonum & cupiditatum. Junius. and accordingly eſteemeth of them: for Mens cujuſ que is eſt quiſ que and God judgeth of a man according to the hidden man of his heart.
Verſ. 10. My defence is of God] Heb. My Buckler is upon God. See the Note on Pſal. 3.3.
Which ſaveth the upright in heart] Of which number I know my ſelf to be one; and do therefore look for his Salvation.
Verſ. 11. God is angry with the wicked every day] Or, all day long, they are under the arreſt of his wrath, and liable to the wrath to come. Children they are of wrath, becauſe of diſobedience. One rendreth it, God troubleth them; ſcil. by laying continually ſome Judgement or other upon them; and yet there is no cauſe to fear (as the Heathen did of his Jupiter) that he ſhould bee exhauſted. Si quoties peccent homines, &c.
Verſ. 12. If he turn not] ſcil. Inspius ab impietate ſu… ſaith R. Salomon. If the wicked turn not from his wickedneſs, by true and timely repentance.
He will whet his Sword, he hath bent his Bow] i. e. God will, God hath; and mark that he whets before he ſtrikes, and is bending his Bow, ſetting his Arrows, preparing his Inſtruments of death; all which muſt needs take up ſome time, and ſo give fair warning to theſe foul Sinners, if they have grace to make uſe of it. See the like Deut. 32.41, 42. God firſt whets his Sword, before he devours fleſh, and firſt takes hold on Judgment, before his Judgement take hold of men. But if this bee not obſerved and improved, Patientia Dei qu… diuturnior … est minaci…r; and what ſhall wicked men plead for themſelves, when God ſhall ſay to them as Reuben once did to his Brethren, Gen. 42.22. Did not I warn you, ſaying, Sin not?
Verſ. 13. He hath alſo prepared, &c.] The puniſhment of ungodly perſons is here elegantly ſet forth by Three Similitudes.
1 From Warfare.
2 From Child-birth, verſ. 14.
3 From Hunting, verſ. 15, 16. Well might the Lord ſay, I have uſed Similitudes by the Miniſtery of the Prophets, Hoſ. 12.10. See the Note there.
He ordaineth his Arrows againſt the Perſecutors] Heb.Ardemes, Importing … haſt to perpetra… miſchief. The hot burning Perſecutors, that are ſet on work by the great red Dragon. Such were Felix of Wartemburg, who ſwore that ere he dyed he would ride up to the Spurs; and Forneſius, who vowed that he would ride up to the Saddle-skirts in the bloud of the Lutherans. The Arch-biſhop of Toures made ſute for the erection of a Court called Chambre Ardent, wherein to condemn the French Proteſtants to the fire.Act., & Mon. 1911. But ere he dyed he had fire enough, for he was ſtricked with a Diſeaſe called The Fire of God; which began at his feet, and ſo aſcended upward, that he cauſed one Member after another to be cut off, and ſo he dyed miſerably. This was Gods burning Arrow againſt a hot burning Perſecutor. The like may be ſaid of Diocleſian that bloudy Tyrant, who had his houſe burnt over his head with fire from Heaven;Euſeb. l. 5. wherewith he was ſo affrighted that he dyed ſoon after. The above-mentioned Count Felix of Wartemburg was, the ſame night that he had ſo vowed and vaunted,Illyric. choaked in his own bloud. So he rode not, but bathed himſelf, not up to the Spurs but Throat, not in the Lutherans bloud, but in his own, before he dyed. And the like we read of Charls the ninth of France.
Verſ. 14. Behold he travelleth with iniquity] Heb. He ſhall travel, or hee continually travelleth; he taketh as great pains to go to Hell, as a travelling woman doth to be delivered.
And hath conceived miſchief] See Job 15.35. with the Note.
And brought forth falſhood] Or, a Lye, that is, a diſappointment. See Iſa. 26.18.R. Solom. The Jews have a Proverb, Quicquid genuit mendacium, diſpellit maledictio.
Verſ. 15. He made a Pit, and digged it, &c.] This Simile ſhews, that the wicked ſhall not only be fruſtrated, but undone by their own doing; as was Abſolom, Haman, our Powder-Papiſts, Pope Alexander the Sixth, and his Son Caeſar Borgia; Bucholcor.who, by a miſtake of the attendants at Table, drank up the impoyſoned Wine which they had prepared, and ſet ready for ſome Princes of Italy whom they had invited, and for whoſe Dominions they thirſted. Hic aut Caeſar aut nullus, ſaith Pontanus, who relateth the Hiſtory.Pentan. de prud. Herodot.
Verſ. 16. His miſchief ſhall return upon his own head] As the Thracians Arrows did, which they in a rage (becauſe it rained upon them unſeaſonably) ſhot up againſt Heaven.
And his violent dealing upon his own pate] i.e. abundantly, and apparently. Divers inſtances might be given hereof. Henry the Third of France was ſtabbed in the ſame Chamber, where he had helped to contrive the French Maſſacre. His Brother Charls the Ninth, had bloud given him to drink, for he was worthy:
Quem ſitiit vivens ſceleratâ mente cruor…m,
Perfidus hunc moriens Carolus ore vomit.
John Martin of Briquer as in France, vaunted every where,Act. & Mon. fol. 871. that he would ſlit the Miniſters Noſe of Angr…gne; But he was ſhortly after aſſaulted by a Woolf, which bit off his Noſe, ſo that he dyed thereof mad. Diſpatch the Knave, have done, (ſaid Sir Ralph Ellerken Governour of Callice, to the Executioner of Adam Davilip Martyr) for I will not away till I ſee the Traytors Heart out. But ſhortly after;Ibid. 112…. the ſaid Sir Ralph in a Skirmiſh betwixt the French and us at Bulloin, was among others ſlain, and had his Heart ript out by the enemy. That was a very remarkable one of Dr. Story, who eſcaping out of Priſon in Queen Elizabeths days, got to Antwerp, and there thinking himſelf out of the reach of Gods Rod, he got Commiſſion under Duke D• Alva, to ſearch all Ships coming thither for Engliſh Books. But one Parker an Engliſh Merchant trading to Antwerp, laid his Snare fair,Speed, 1174. (ſaith our Chronicler) to catch this foul Bird, cauſing ſecret notice to be given to Story, that in his Ship wereſtore of Heretical Books, with other intelligences that might ſtand him in ſtead. The Canoniſt conceiving that all was cock-ſure, haſted to the Ship, where with looks very bigge upon the poor Mariners, each Cabin, Cheſt, and corner above-board were ſearched, and ſome things found to draw him further on; ſo that the Hatches muſt be opened, which ſeemed to bee unwillingly done, and great ſigns of fear was ſhewed by their faces. This drew on the Doctor to deſcend into the Hold, where now in the Trap the Mouſe might well gnaw, but could not get out; for the Hatches were down, and the Sails hoiſed up, which with a merry gale were blown into England, where ere long he was arraigned, and Condemned of High Treaſon, and accordingly executed at Tiburn, as he had well deſerved.
Verſ. 17. I will praiſe the Lord according to his righteouſneſs] i.e. His faithfulneſs in keeping promiſe with his people, and with my ſelf in particular. I will ſay to his honour, as Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and without iniquity, juſt and right is he. And will ſing praiſe to the name, &c.] Where the Pſalmiſt mentioneth the overthrow of the wicked. Laus praecedit & ſequitur (ſaith R. Joſhua Ben Levi here) as in this place, and Pſalm 9.