Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 63
PSAL. LXIII.
WHen he was in the Wilderneſs of Judah] That is, of Idumea, ſaith Genebrard, which bordered upon the Tribe of Judah. But better underſtand it, either of the Forreſt of Hareth, 1 Sam. 22.5. or of the Wilderneſs of Ziph, 1 Sam. 23.14. where David was, In deſerto deſertus exul, & omnis ferè conſolationis inops, not only deſtitute of outward comforts, but in ſome deſertion of ſoul; Et ſic miſerrimus, & calamitoſiſſimus oberravit, ſaith Beza.
Verſ. 1. O God, thou art my God] And that is now mine only comfort; Divini mellis alvearium, the Bee-hive of heavenly honey.
Early will I ſeek thee] Now they who ſeek God early, have a promiſe that they ſhall finde him. Aben-Ezra rendreth it, Cicut mercator gemmas, inquiramte; foreign Mercator.I will diligently ſeek thee, as a Merchant doth precious Stones.
My ſoul thirſteth for thee] Thirſt is Tacl…th hattaavah ſay the Rabbines, the perfection of deſire. The whole life of a Chriſtian is nothing elſe but Sanctum deſiderium, ſaith Auſtin. How many broken ſpirits ſpend and exhale themſelves in continual Sallies as it were, and egreſſions of affection unto God, thirſting after, not only an union but an unity with him?
My fleſh longeth for thou] Non habet haec vox ſocium, ſaith Aben-Ezra; this word is here only found: It is a notable Metaphor, ſaith another Interpreter,R. Solomon. Areſcere exponit. taken from Women with Childe, to expreſs the earneſt affection that hee had to Godward. The Septuagint render it foreign, Quam multipliciter. His ſoul, his fleſh, all was on a light fire, as it were, with ardent affection towards God.
In a dry and thirſty Land] Where I am hardly beſtead, and at a great fault for outward accommodations, but much more for ſweet and Spiritual communion with thee in holy Ordinances, there lieth the pinch of my grief.
Verſ. 2. To ſee thy power and thy glory] To feel thoſe heart-raviſhing apprehenſions of thine incomparable excellencies from thy ſelf immediatly; who canſt bee to thy people in their baniſhment as a little Sanctuary, Ezek. 21.16. and ſupply all their wants out of thine All ſufficiency, who art rich in mercy to all that call upon thy Name.
So as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary] Where were to be ſeen the houſe of God, Exod. 25.8. Deut. 12.5. the throne of glory from the beginning, J…r. 17.12. the Ark of the Covenant, Exod. 25.22. the tables of the Covenant laid up in the Ark, Exod. 28.21. the Mercy-ſeat, Exod. 25.21. the Oracle, 22. Numb. 7.89. the ceremonies that ſhewed the eſtate of the faithfull both by nature and by grace, and indeed were their Goſpel, and Chriſt in figure. Theſe were glorious ſights and ſignals, which therefore David dearly deſired, and more bewailed the want of them, then of all outward comforts and contentments.
Verſ. 3. Becauſe thy loving kindneſſe is better than life] Mr. Bradford being threatned by Stephen Gardiner (then L. Chancellour) anſwered, I know to whom I have committed my life,Acts & Mon. fol. 1459. even into his hands which will keep it, ſo that no man may take it away before it be his pleaſure, Therefore his good will be done; life in his diſpleaſure is worſe than death, and death in his true favour is true life. This made him and the reſt of the holy Martyrs, that they loved not their lives unto the death, Rev. 12.11. The ſight of God, though but in that dark glaſſe of the ceremonies, would have been better to David than life with the appurtenances, thoſe foreign, riches, honours. pleaſures, &c. See Pſal. 4.7, 8.
My lips ſhall praiſe thee] Gods love ſhed abroad in the heart can cauſe the lips of them that are a ſleep to ſpeak, Cant. 7.9.
Verſ. 4. Thus will I bleſſe thee, while I live] I will divide my time betwixt praiſes and prayers, and ſo drive an holy trade betwixt heaven and earth. See Pſal. 18.3.
I will lift up my hands] i.e.Fretus tuo au…. c. pray, as Pſal. 141.2. 1 Tim. 2.8.
In thy Name] i.e. Cleaving to thy goodneſſe and mercy.
Verſ. 5. My ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſſe] Heb. As with fatneſſe and fatneſſe; his, ad corroborandum, ſaith Aben-Ezra, q.d. I ſhall be top-full of comfort, animo adipe & medullis ſanctiſſimarum deliciarum tunrum ſeginato. A ſoul taken up with Gods praiſes cannot but over-abound exceedingly with joy, Ita ut inter Dei laudationem & neſtram conſolationem ſit quaſi circulus perpetum & infinitus, ſaith One; Praiſes increaſe joy, and joy cauſeth perpetuall praiſes.
And my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyful lips] Heb.Toro gu…ture laudes tuas perſonabo. With lips of jubilations or exultations, labiis canoris, as if I were in a rapture or extaſie.
Verſ. 6. When I remember thee upon my bed] Heb. Beds, in the plural; becauſe he took up his lodging in many places, having Heaven ſometimes for his canopy; and well content to break his ſleep for Gods ſervice.
In the night watches] The Ancients divided the night into certain watches, Mark. 13.35.
Verſ. 7. Becauſe thou haſt been my help] This was the matter of his meditation, and hereby he helped his faith.
Therefore in the ſhaddow of thy wings, &c.] Metaphora à pulli… pipientibus ſub alis Matrum, ſaith Junius.
Verſ. 8.Adhaeſit anima mea poſt te. My ſoul followeth hard after thee] As hard as mine enemies do after me, even hard at heels, as we ſay; Sic trahit ſua quem que voluptas. A Chriſtians cloſe cleaving to God is the continent cauſe of all his comfort. This we muſt beg of God, Jer. 13.11. ſc. that we may cleave to God with full purpoſe of heart, Act. 11.23. and if he ſeem to withdraw, to follow him h…t-foot, and preſſe his foot ſtops.
Thy right hand upholdeth mee] For otherwiſe I ſhould ſaint and fail in the purſute of thee; my ſhort leggs and purſie heart would never hold on.
Verſ. 9. But thoſe that ſeek my ſoul to deſtroy it] Heb. Ad pracipitium, to hurl it down headlong, ſhall themſelves be laid low enough, even in the f…mie valley where are many already like them, and more (ſhall come after them) Job 21.31, 32. And this aſſurance of his enemies down-fall David had gotten by his meditations on God, verſ. 6.
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth] i. e. Into the grave at leaſt, if not into Hell, they ſhall be abyſſed into Hell, into eternall perdition, ſaith ….
Verſ. 10. … Heb. … Ezek 3….5.
They ſhall be a portion for Faxes] Or for any other beaſts of prey, they ſhall not have the honour of buriall, but lye above ground, to be devoured by beaſts and birds. See this fulfilled upon Sauls complices, 1. Sam. 3…. and the Antichriſtian … Rev. 19.21.
Verſ. 11. But the King ſhall rejoyce in God] i. e. I ſhall, who am anno…ed and appointed King after Saul, and therefore doubt not to ſpeak thus of my ſelf, as if I were King already. Wicked men praeſemende ſperant, & sperando …, hope groundleſly, and periſh by their preſumption. But true believers tru… God upon his bare word, and that againſt ſenſe in things inviſible, and againſt reaſon in things incredible, and according to their faith, ſo is it unto them.
Every one that ſweareth by him ſhall glory] By whom? not by the King (though the Egyptians did ſo of old, and the Spaniards at this day in the pride of their Monarches, ſweat by the life of their King) but by God, the ſole and proper object of an oath; for to ſwear by his name in due manner, is a ſpeciall peece of his ſervice, and is here put for the whole. So then, every one that ſincerely ſerveth God ſhall bee glad and thankfull to God that David reigneth; for now foreign (as the Raven is ſaid to have crouped from the Capitol when Auguſtus came to the Empire) all ſhall go well with them, according to their own hearts deſires.Dio.
But the mouth of them that ſpeak lyes] A fault whereof, Sauls Courtiers were deeply guilty. Some take this for a generall deſcription of all graceleſſe and godleſſe perſons, who are lyars habitually at leaſt; as godly men are right ſwearers, and fearers of Gods name.
Shall be ſtopped] Either with ſhame and confuſion, or with death, as was Sauls and his pick-thanks. Saunders his foul mouth was ſtopped with famine, (as hath been above noted) that had uttered ſo many blaſphemies againſt God, and ſo many lyes againſt men.