Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 65
PSAL. LXV.
A Pſalm and ſong of David] Made by him, as it is thought, when the people were delivered from that three-years famine for the ſlaughter of the Gibeonites, 2 Sam. 21. and that three dayes peſtilence for Davids …, in numbring the people, 2 Sam. 2.4.
Verſ. 1. Praiſe waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion] Tibi ſilentium, lam tibi, De…, in Zion; ſo Beza rendreth it. There is firſt a deep ſilence in Sion, and then due praiſe; a ſilence of admiration, a ſilence of religious a we and devotion, ſuch as was afterwards that in the Chriſtian Church, Revel. 8.1. or a ſilence of expectation to receive mercies; and a praiſe by way of retribution, for mercies received. Or, ſilence in all other places (not ſenſible of Gods favours) but praiſe in the Church, where God is magnified; firſt, for bleſſings proper and peculiar to his own people; ſecondly, for preſerving Common-wealths, and thereby providing graciouſly for Human ſociety; and thirdly, for giving men all things richly to enjoy, as in the end of this Pſalm.
And unto thee ſhall the vow be performed] That is, ſolemn thanks ſhall bee rendred. Thy people ſtand ready preſt with their praiſes and memories, as Joſephs Brethren once did with their Preſents, againſt the time that hee ſhewed himſelf.
Verſ. 2. O thou that heareſt prayer] And art thereby known to be the true God, 1 King. 18.38, 39. and no ſuch dull deity as the Heathens worſhipped, Iſa. 45.16, 19. Mic. 7.17, 18. O happy we that have to deal with ſuch a Prayer-hearing, ſin-pardoning God, verſ. 3▪ Baſil compareth prayer to a chain, the one end whereof is linked to Gods Ear, and the other to mans Tongue.
Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus.
VntoUnto thee ſhall all fleſh come] And well they may, ſith he keepeth open houſe, his Mercy doors are ever wide open, as were the doors of the Aediles, or City Chamberlains in Rome, that all who had occaſion of complaint might have free acceſs unto them at any time. A good houſe-keeper is ſeldom without company. Why ply we not the Throne of Grace upon ſuch encouragement? Why, ſith wee are not ſtraitned in God, are we ſtraitned in our own bowels? Why make we not our ſelves happy by asking, ſith wee may have but what we will of God, even all that Heaven and his Grace can afford us?
Verſ. 3. Iniquities prevail againſt me] And ſeek to choke my prayers, they prick me in the foot, as it were, that I cannot come to thee in prayer; or not with that confidence; but that is more than needs, ſith
As for our tranſgreſſions, thou ſhalt purge them away] So that if wee turn from them, they ſhall not hinder good things from us. No man was ever rejected by God for his confeſſed badneſs, as ſundry have been for their ſuppoſed goodneſs: witneſs the Publican and the Phariſee, Luke 18.
Verſ. 4. Bleſſed is the man whom thou chooſeſt] Whom thou chooſeſt for thy love, and then loveſt him for thy choyſe.
And cauſeſt to approach unto thee] i. e. Effectually calleſt. Here Vocation is fetcht from the Fountain (as is alſo Juſtification in the former verſe) viz. Gods free election. See that golden chain, Rom. 8.30.
That he may dwell in thy Courts] viz. To hear thy Word, and partake of thine Ordinances. For our Saviour telleth the Jews, Hee that is of God, heareth Gods Words, yee therefore hear him not, becauſe yee are not of God, John 8.4. our Worſhip-ſcorners then have a black brand upon them.
We ſhall be ſatisfied] He maketh himſelf one of the number of Gods elect (as Paul alſo doth often) and there-hence concludeth to himſelf, and the reſt, a beatifical communion of all good things.
Verſ. 5. By terrible things in righteouſneſs wilt thou anſwer us] As he did when he gave the Law in Mount Sinas, and ever after in his Oracles, and Ordinances. God loveth at once familiarity and fear; familiarity in our converſation, and fear in his Worſhips; he loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience; yet he taketh ſtate upon him in his Ordinances, and will bee trembled at in his Word and Judgements.
Who art the confidente of all the ends of the earth, &c.] i. e. of all thine Elect abroad the whole World.
Of them that are afarre off upon the Sea] The Iſlanders, Ut penitus toto disjuncti abs orbe Britanni.
Venice is ſaid to be ſituate ſix miles diſtant from any firm Land, and built in the heart of the Adriatick Sea, the waters whereof do flow into the City, and beat upon it, through all the ſtreets thereof. Now it may be hoped, that God hath many ſouls even in ſuch places;Spec. Europ. ſith there are thought to be no fewer than twenty thouſand Proteſtants in Civil it ſelf, a chief City of Spain. It was long ſince forepropheſied, that the Iſles ſhould wait for Gods Law, Iſa. 42.4. & 51.5. & 60.9.
Verſ. 6. Which by his ſtrength ſetteth faſt the mountains] Why then ſhould it ſeem incredible that he will do all manner of good to his Elect, for whoſe ſake hee made all at firſt, and ſtill upholdeth all by the word of his power? ſo he doth alſo States and Kingdoms (oft compared to Mountains in Scripture. See Jer. 51.25. Iſa. 13.2. Zech. 4.7.) that the Lord God might dwell among men, viz. in his Church and choſen people.
Being girded with power] With prevailing power, as the word ſignifieth.
Verſ. 7. Which ſtilleth the noyſe of the ſeas] Making a calm at his pleaſure: hee hath the Sea it ſelf, that brutiſh Creature, at his beck, and check: ſo hath he alſo Devils, and maſter leſs men, who ſeek to ſubvert Civil Government, and to lay all level. Hence it followeth,
The noyſe of their waves, and the tumult of the people] When they are in hurly burly, and contentions among themſelves:
— Savit que animis ignobile vulgus,Virg. Aene. foreign Piud. Horat. Od. 4. lib. 3
Jam que faces & ſaxa volant, furor arma miniſtrat.
Now it is God only that can aſſwage theſe tumults; others may ſtir ſtrife, but God only can ſtint it, ſaith Pindarus. It is he alone
Qui terram inertem, qui mare temperat
Ventoſum, & urbes regna que triſtia,
Divoſ que mortaele ſ que turbas
Imperio regit unus aequo.
Verſ. 8. They alſo that dwell in the uttermoſt parts, &c.] And are therefore Duri, horridi, immanes, latrociniis dediti, omnium deni que peſſimi; not further diſtant from the Sun than from all Humanity, except the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhine upon them, as he hath done upon us here in England.
Are afraid at thy tokens] Thy notable Works, thine Executions.
Thou makeſt the out-goings of the morning, &c.] That is, the inhabitants of Eaſt and Weſt, or the viciſſitudes of day and night, whereby men are occaſioned to praiſe and glorifie God. See Jer. 31.35. The Jews at this day, as they are bound to ſay over an hundred Benedictions every day, ſo theſe two among the reſt; When they go forth in a morning they ſay,R. Solom. in loc. Bleſſed bee He who hath created the greater Lights: And in the evening they ſay, Bleſſed be He who cauſeth the darkneſs of the night.
Verſ. 9. Thou viſiteſt the earth, &c.] i.e. With a gracious Rain, and ſo makeſt it to become an Alma parens to men and beaſts.
With the River of God] With thy ſweet ſhowers coming out of the Clouds, as out of a great Watering-pot,Pluvia de caelo replens flumin…. Aben-Ezra. Pſal. 147.8.
Thou prepareſt them Corn] As a good Houſe-keeper doth for his Family. How eaſie were it with God to ſtarve us all?
Verſ. 10. Thou watereſt the ridges, &c.] The fore-mentioned mercy of God in producing an Harveſt, he further amplifieth and explaineth by the parts, that men might be the more ſenſible; and not like bruit Beaſts, content themſelves with a natural uſe of the Creature, but taſte and ſee how good the Lord is.
Verſ. 11. Thou crowneſt the year with thy goodneſs] Whilſt each Month produceth its ſeveral fruits or commodities; ſo that the whole is as it were a Crown Royal; but eſpecially a year of extraordinary plenty, ſuch as was the laſt of Queen Mary, Mr. Clerks Martyrol.when Wheat was ſold for five ſhillings a Quarter, Malt for four ſhillings eight-pence, and a buſhel of Rye for four-pence.
Thy ſteps drop] Thy waggon-tracks; the Clouds are Gods Chariot: or, where-ſoever thou paſſeſt there is plenty.
Verſ. 12. Rejoyce on every ſide] Heb. Are girded with joy, which in time of drought ſeems to be clad in ſackcloth.
Verſ. 13. The Paſtures, &c.] Here is ſtately Rhetorick all along.