Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 62
PSAL. LXII.
APſalm of David] Who being well aſſured that his prayers in the former Pſalm were heard, and ſhould be anſwered, breaketh forth into this triumphant profeſſion of his faith. Lo here the happy fruit of faithful and fervent prayer.
Verſ. 1. Truly my ſoul waiteth upon God] Waiting is nothing elſe but Hope and Truſt lengthened; and hereof David giveth us an excellent example in his own perſon, Idque tantâ tam que vegetâ cum magnitudine animi, cul ipſa quo que ſententiae & voc…s reſpondent, and that with ſo good a courage ſet forth in ſuitable expreſſions, that he who hath this Pſalm by heart, and hath laid it to his heart, cannot but be transformed into the ſame Image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3.18.
From him cometh my ſalvation] Take it in the full extent, not only as it ſignifieth the privative part of mans happineſs, but the poſitive part alſo, and preſervation therein.
Verſ. 2. He only is my rock &c.] See Pſal. 18.2, 3.
I ſhall not be greatly moved] Non labaſcam multo lapſu, Vatabl. Tehom Nabi bah.for the Lord putteth under his hand. I ſhall not be moved greatly, or into the great abyſſe (as Aben-Ezra hath it) into Hell (as other Rabbines ſenſe it) I ſhall not be tempted above that I am able, as 1 Cor. 10.13. perſecuted I may be, but not relinquiſhed; caſt down, but not caſt off, 2 Cor. 4.9. ſhaken, but for my better ſettlement at laſt.
Verſ. 3. How long will yee imagine miſchief againſt a man?] What though I am but a man, and in your eyes a mean deſpicable creature; yet know yee, that the Lord hath ſet apart him that is godly for himſelf, Pſal. 4.3. where David beſpeaketh his enemies, with like ſharpneſs as here, for their malice and madneſs againſt him. The Hebrew word rendred imagine is found only here,foreign Irrnitis. the Septuagint and Vulgar Latine render it, How long will ye ruſh againſt a man? Auſtin, Quouſ que apponitis ſuper hominem? ſc. Onera & opprobria, how long lay you load of injuries and indignities upon me?
Yee ſhall be ſlain all of you] Or, Will yee be murthered? Will yee run upon the Pikes? Are you ambitious of your own ruine?
As a bowing wall ſhall yee be] Born down by the weight of your own wickedneſs. As a bulging wall ſtandeth not long, and as a rotten Hedge, if but trod on, breaketh under a man; ſo ſhall yee be ſuddenly deſtroyed, and with little ado. Thus he threatneth his enemies, the proudeſt of them, being himſelf gotten upon the rock that was higher than he, Pſal. 61.2.
Verſ. 4. They only conſult to caſt him down from his excellency] Or, yet they conſult, q. d. Notwithſtanding all that I can ſay, or that God will do to them, they will on in their evil deviſes and indeavours againſt me; there is no reclaming of them. Deus quos deſtruit dement at.
They delight in lyes] Not only he that maketh a Lye, but he that loveth and delighteth in it when made by another, ſhall bee ſhut out of Heaven, Revel. 22.15. See Rom. 1. …lt.
They bleſs with their mouthes] Heb. With his month, that is, every one doth ſo; neither is there ever a better of theſe glavering companions, diſſembling ſcrubs.
Verſ. 5. My ſoul, wait thou only upon God] They truſt not God at all, that is, not alone. He that ſtands with one foot on a Rock, and another foot upon a Quick ſand, will ſink and periſh, as certainly as he that ſtandeth with both feet on a Quickſand. David knew this, and therefore calleth earn and earneſtly upon his Soul, (for his buſineſs lay moſt within doors) to truſt only upon God. See verſ. 1.
For my expectation is from him] If he will not help me, none elſe ſhall; but it is he that ſaith, Look unto me and be ſaved, for I am God, and there is none elſe, Iſa. 45.22.
Verſ. 6. He only is, &c.] Verſus amaebaeus, ſee verſ. 2.
I ſhall not be moved] Before it was, I ſhall not be greatly moved; now, upon further exerciſe of his truſt, it is, I ſhall not be moved. Ita in lucta creſcit lux fidei, & ſides fit firmior: faith is made ſtronger by trials.
Verſ. 7. In God is my ſalvation, and my glory, &c.] By theſe many Adjuncts and Attributions David helpeth his faith, and quelleth the Commotions of his headſtrong affections. See Pſal. 18.2.
Verſ. 8. Truſt in him at all times] As well in the fail of outward comforts, as in the abundance of them, truſt him without a pawn; truſt in a killing God, as Job did.
Pour out your hearts before him] ſc. In prayer, 1 Sam. 1.11. firſt, rent your hearts, ut effundatur peccatum, ſaith Kimchi, and then your them out as water, Larn. 2.19. not as Oyl, which ſticks to the ſides of the Veſſel that held it, but as water, that will out every drop: make a plain and full confeſſion of all your ſins in prayer, leſt God ſay to you of your ſins, as Samuel did to Jeſſe of his ſons, Are theſe all? See the practice hereof in thoſe penitent Iſraelites, 1 Sam. 7.6. and give not over the practice of Mortification, till you feel your hearts fall aſunder in your boſoms like drops of water. If iniquity be harboured there, prayer is obſtructed; and if it do break out, it will have the ſcent and ſavour of that iniquity upon it.
God is a refuge for us] A ſafe and ſure refuge; not as men who are a lye, verſ. 9. and were never true to thoſe that truſted them.
Verſ. 9. Surely men of low degree are vanity] Man is a depending Creature, and like the Vine muſt have ſomewhat to lean upon; apt he is to leave God, and cleave to the Creature, to make either Men, or Means his refuge: David therefore dehorteth from both, in this and the next verſe; ſhewing, that men of what degree ſoever are in no wiſe to be confided in. The word rendred Vanity denoteth a vain light thing, ſuch as is the breath of ones mouth, or a bubble on the water.
Men of high degree are a lye] There is no more truth, nor aſſurance in them, than in a falſe tale; alſo they fruſtrate mens hopes, as a barren Fruit-tree, Habbak. 3.17.
They are altogether lighter, &c.] Put all Mankind into one bundle, into one balance and vanity into the other, and it will weigh them down, Vt aſcendant ipſi pra vanitate ſimul.
Verſ. 10. Truſt not in oppreſſion, &c.] In the fail of Perſons, ſome may think that Things may be truſted to, as Wealth, Wit, Power, &c. but eſpecially Wealth, 1 Tim. 6.17. Truſt not to that, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, whether it be ill or well gotten, unleſs you covet to be deceived: for Firſt, he who getteth riches and not by right ſhall leave them in the middeſt of his days, and is his end be a …ool, a poor fool God will make of him, Jer. 17.11. Male parta wa…e dilabentur.
If riches increaſe] Though by means lawful and laudable, though they come in at the ſtreet door,Policrat. l. 8. c. 4. and not at a poſtern (Non minimum felicitatis argumentum Metello fuit bona multa bono modo inveniſſe:) yet
Set not your heart upon them] Place not your felicity in them, think not your ſelves ſimply the better, or the ſafer, for them. Be not puffed up with outward things, as a bubble with a Childes blaſt in a Walnut-ſhel, when he hath in it a little Sope: Wilt thou cauſe thine eyes to fly upon that which is not? Prov. 23.5. An Eagle will not catch Flies (that is no Game for her) much leſs will ſhe make a flight at nothing, when there is no Game ſprung at all. He is the true rich man, who loveth his riches poorly, ſaith one.
Verſ. 11. God hath ſpoken once: twice have I heard this] The Septuagint have it thus, Once ſpake God, theſe two things have I heard, that is, ſay ſome, in the Second Commandement, where mention is made of Gods jealouſie and mercy, Exod. 20.5, 6. Others, Once and again ſpake God, and I have heard it. Or, God ſpake once, I heard him twice, viz. by an after-deliperate meditation upon what I had heard; I preached over the Sermon as it were again to my ſelf, and ſo heard it a ſecond time.
That power belongeth unto God] He is well able to puniſh the wicked, Ezra 8.22. See the Note there.
Verſ. 12. Alſo unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy.] viz. To ſet thy Power a work for the good of thy people. And as theſe two, Gods Power, and Gods Mercy, are the two Pillars, the Boaz and the Jachin of every Beleever (hence Job, chap. 42.2. having ſpoken of his Power, he ſpeaketh of his thoughts of peace toward his people) ſo they are ſufficient proofs of the Doctrines before delivered, and do evince the truth of that which followeth.
For thou rendreſt to every man according to his work] viz. Judgement to the wicked, and Mercy to the righteous; where the Syriack interpreter giveth this good Note, Eſt gratia Dei ut reddat homini ſecundum opera bona, quia merces bonorum operum est exgratia. It is mercy in God to ſet his love on them that keep his Commandements, Exod. 20.6.