Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 66 – Psalm 67
PSAL. LXVI.
VErſ. 1. Make a joyful noyſe unto God, all yee lands] Heb. All the earth; ſhout aloud for joy as the people did at the return of the Ark, ſo that the earth rang again. God ſhall one day ſhew himſelf to be the God not of Jews only, but of Gentiles alſo; theſe ſhall as well cry Chriſt, as thoſe Jeſus; theſe ſay, Father, as thoſe Abba. And as there was great joy in Samaria, when the Goſpel was there firſt received, Acts 8.8. ſo ſhall there bee the like in all other parts of the earth.
Verſ. 2. Make his praiſe glorious] Heb. Put glory to his praiſe; ſo Joſh. 7.19. Gods glory is as himſelf, eternal and infinite, no way capable of our addition or detraction: howbeit to try how we prize it, and will exalt it, he declareth that he accounteth himſelf made more glorious by us, when we receive him into our hearts as King of glory, and praiſe him accordingly.
Verſ. 3. Say unto God] Hereby it appeareth, that this among other Pſalms of like nature, was written for the perpetual uſe of the Church, and to ſerve for a ſet form of praiſing God, as occaſion required, either in publick, or private.
Shall thine enemies ſubmit themſelves unto thee] Heb. Shall lye unto thee; that is, ſaith Kimchi, ſhall deny that they ever did any thing againſt thee, or thy people. Or rather, they ſhall perforce acknowledge thy power and proweſſe; as Julian the Apoſtate did in his laſt Viciſti Galilae: they ſhall alſo yeeld obedience to thee, ſuch as it is, becauſe they can neither will nor chuſe; this Virtus nolentium nulla eſt.
Verſ. 4. All the earth ſhall worſhip thee] Heb. They ſhall bow down to thee, ſtoop to thy Government, ſubmit to the Scepter of thy Kingdom, they ſhall become the Kingdoms of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. O dieculam illam! O mora! Chriſte veni.
Selab] Let that thy Kingdom come; come ſpeedily, come in our days,Bimherab. Beiamenn. as the modern Jews pray daily.
Verſ. 5. Come and ſee] Venite, vidite; Hee taketh good people by the hand, as it were, leading them to the ſight of Gods ſtupendious proceedings, which may not be ſlighted, Iſa. 5.12.
Toward the children of men] For they are his chief care, and about them is his providence principally exerciſed.
Verſ. 6. He turned the ſea into dry land] A mercy much celebrated, and not without cauſe, in all after-ages.
They went thorough the floud on foot] That is, thorough the River Jordan, when it had over-flowed the banks; and met with no enemy on the other ſide, to forbid their landing.
There did we rejoyce in him] We who were then in the loyns of our fore-fathers, and ſo ſhared in their joy. See Hoſ. 12.4. with the Note.
Verſ. 7. He ruleth by his power] As ſole Soveraign, univerſal Monarch, foreign. Seſoſtris King of Aegypt would needs bee ſtiled foreign, Emperour of the whole World;Herod. l. 2. he lived about the time of Sampſon, and periſhed by the hands of his own houſhold-ſervants.
His eyes behold the Nations] For which purpoſe they run to and fro through the earth, 2 Chron. 16.9.
Let not the rebellious, &c.] Heb. The off-faln, froward, and refractory perſons; theſe ſhall ſoon be repreſt, and creſt-faln.
Verſ. 8. O bleſs our God, yee people] We muſt not only publiſh Gods praiſes, but provoke others alſo ſo to do.
Verſ. 9. Which holdeth our ſoul in life] Heb. Putteth, that is, beſtoweth life on us, preſerveth it, reſtoreth it. Some think this Pſalm was made upon Davids deliverance from the Giant that ſought to kill him, 2 Sam. 21.16.
And ſuffereth not our feet to be moved] David gave back diverſe paces, ſay the Hebrews, but was ſeaſonably reſcued by Abiſhai, who ſlew the Philiſtine.
Verſ. 10. For thou, O God, haſt proved us] Non ut ipſe ſciat ſed ut ſ…ire n…s… faciat, ſaith Auſtine. God proveth his people, not thereby to better his own knowledge of them, Joh. 2.25. & 6.6. & 21.17, Acts 1.24. but to bring them to a better knowledge of their own, both Vices and Graces. It is not known what Corn will yeeld, till it come to the Flail; nor what Grapes, till they come to the Preſs. Grace is hid in Nature, as ſweet water in Roſe-leaves; the fire of affliction fetcheth it out.
Thou haſt tried us as Silver] The wicked alſo are tried, Revel. 3.10. but they prove reprobate ſilver, Jer. 6.28.30. or at beſt, as Alchymy gold, that will not bear the ſeventh fire, as Job did, chap. 23.10.
Verſ. 11. Thou broughteſt us into the Net] A Metaphor from Hunters, or Fowlers; Vtitur figuris tanquam in poemate.
Thou layedſt affliction upon our loyns] Co…rctationem in lumbis; wee are not only hampered, as in a Net, but fettered, as with chains; as if we had been in the Jaylors or Hangmans hands.
Verſ. 12. Thou haſt cauſed men to ride over our heads] Subjected us to the villanies and outrages of the baſeſt perſons, who have uſed us more like beaſts than men.
We went thorough fire, and thorough water] That is, thorough variety of ſharpeſt afflictions, noted out by this Proverbial paſſage; Fire and Water are mercileſs Elements. Aelius Pertinax fortune pila pervulgatè dicebatur, quòd variis caſibus exercit us fuit. It is the true Chriſtians comfort, that nothing befalleth him but by a ſweet providence; and that God goeth along with him into both fire and water, Iſa. 43.2. to ſee that he take no hurt by either.
But thou broughteſt us out into a wealthy place] Heb. Moyſt, that is, into the air, ſaith Aben-Ezra, (oppoſed to Fire and Water) where wee might draw breath, and live comfortably; In locum irriguum, in refrigerium. It is but winking, ſaid that Martyr at the ſtake, and we ſhall bee in Heaven immediatly. The Arabick hath it, Eduxiſti nos ad requiem. Confer Acts 3.19.
Verſ. 13. I will go into thim houſe, &c.] I will begin to others in that publick ſolemn Thankſgiving, and not grutch at the coſt, I will be Vir gregis, as the He-Goat before the flocks, Jer. 50.8.
Verſ. 14. Which my lips have uttered] Heb. Have opened, that is, which I have uttered diductis labiis, with lips wide open. Videmus qualiter vota nuncupari ſoleant, ſaith Vatablus, Here we ſee after what ſort vows uſe to be made; when we are under any preſſing affliction: but when once delivered, how heavily many come off in point of paiment.
And my mouth hath ſpoken when I was in trouble] Then, men will promiſe any thing for eaſe and releaſe; But what ſaith the Italian Proverb? Sciapato il morbo, frandato il Santo, when the Diſeaſe is cured, the Saint is defrauded. Horace calleth upon Macaenas (who in his Sickneſs had vowed to build a Temple)
— Reddero victimasLib. 2. Od. 17
Aedem que votivam memento:
Nos humilem feriemus agnam.
Verſ. 15. I will offer unto thee burnt ſacrifices of fatlings] Heb. Marrow, the very beſt of the beſt: and better I could beteem the Lord, if I had it.
With the Incenſe of Rams] Which being offered infaith, and as Figures of that great Sacrifice to come, ſhall be accepted of God for a ſweet-ſmelling ſavour.
I will offer Bullocks with Gouts] Faciam …oves: this, Ecci… alledgeth (but abſurdly) to prove the Popiſh unbloudy ſacrifice of the Maſs; as if Chriſt when he ſaid. This do ye in … of me, had meant, Thus ſacrifice ye.
Verſ. 16. Come and hear] He had ſaid before, Come and ſee, verſ. 5. He held it a greater honour, Prodeſſe … pra…ſſe.
All yee that … God] For ſuch only will hear to good purpoſe, others either cannot, or care not.
And I will declare, &c.] Communicate unto you my Soul-ſecrets, and experiments; There is no ſmall good to be gotten by ſuch declarations. Bilney perceiving Latimer to bee zealous without knowledge, came to him in his ſtudy, and deſired him for Gods ſake to hear his confeſſion. I did ſo, ſaith Latimer, and to ſay the truth, by his confeſſion, I learned more than afore in many years.Act. & Mon. So from that time forward I began to ſmell the Word of God, and forſake the School-Doctors, and ſuch fooleries.
Verſ. 17. I cryed unto him] I prayed fervently and frequently.
And he was extolled, &c.] My prayers were ſoon turned into praiſes, which I ſilently framed within my ſelf, even while I was praying.
Verſ. 18. If I regard iniquity in mine heart] If I have but a …exths-mind to it, as we ſay; If I caſt but a leering-look towards it, if there be in mee but an irreſolution againſt it; how much more then if I allow it and wallow in i… He who chuſeth to hold faſt ſin, doth, by his own election, forſake mercy, Jon. 2.8. neither let ſuch a man think that he ſhall receive any thing at the hands of God, Jam. 1.7. As in a wound, a plaſter prevaileth not, whiles the Iron remaineth within; ſo neither prayer, while ſin rankleth. God will never accept of a good motion from a bad mouth, as that State in ſtory would not. A man may deliver an excellent ſpeech, but becauſe of his ſtinking breath, we may have no pleaſure to hear him: ſo in this caſe. Prayer is a pouring out of the heart, as hath been already obſerved. If iniquity harbour there, prayer is obſtructed, and if it do break out, it will have the ſcent and ſavour of that iniquity upon it, and thereby diſpleaſe. Kimchi maketh this ſtrange ſenſe (quite from the purpoſe, and from the truth) If I regard iniquity only in my heart, ſo that I break not forth into outward act; God will not hear, i. e. ſo hear, as to impute it, or to account it a ſin. Phariſaice.
Verſ. 19. But verily God hath heard mee] As I well perceive by his anſwer full and enlarged as the cloud that riſeth out of the earth in thin and inſenſible vapours, falleth down in great and abundant ſhowers.
Verſ. 20. Bleſſed be God, &c.] This is the concluſion of Davids ſyllogiſm, in this and the two former verſes; and herein his Logick is better than Ariſtotles.
PSAL. LXVII.
VErſ. 1. God be mercifull unto us] ſc. In ſending his ſon, and calling his elect, both among Jews and Gentiles, to the participation of that gift, Joh. 4.10. that Benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2.
And bleſſe us] Specially with all ſpirituall bleſſings in heavenly things in Chriſt Jeſus, Epheſ. 1.3.
And cauſe his face to ſhine upon us] Giving us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 4.6. who is the brightneſſe (or glittering refulgency) of his Fathers glory, and the expreſſe image of his perſon, foreign Seren… ſuo vul… nos irrad. et. Beza.Heb. 1.3. the day-ſpring from on high, Luk. 1 78. In this prayer the Pſalmiſt plainly alludeth to that bleſſing pronounced upon the people by the High-Prieſt, Numb. …. and ſheweth, that all commeth from Chriſt the true Aaron, the High-Prieſt of the new Covenant.
Verſ. 2. That thy way may be known] Thy way of worſhip, that way that is called holy, the Goſpel, Act. 19.23. & 18.25, 26. the way of ſalvation, Act. 16.17.
Thy ſaving health] That is, thy Chriſt, Luk. 1.30, 32.
Verſ. 3. Let the people praiſe thee, O God] Enlarge the bounds of thy Church; and bring in the Hallelujahs of the Gentiles alſo. Let them praiſe Thee (that pronown Thee is emphaticall and excluſive) and not their Gods of gold and ſilver. Let them turn to God from Idols, to ſerve the living and true God, 1 Theſ. 1.9.
Verſ. 4. O Let the Nations be glad, &c.] As they cannot but bee upon their ſound converſion, Act. 8.8. there being no ſuch joy as the joy of faith, and that a mans name is written in Heaven. Beatus Lud…vicus, would be called Ludovicus de Piſſiaco, rather than take greater titles; becauſe there he became a Chriſtian.
For thou ſhalt judge the people righteouſly, &c.] Not rigorouſly; keeping thy Church in ſafety amidſt the greateſt ruines of the World, and colliſions of Empires.
And … the Nations upon earth. Selah] Heb. Thou ſhalt g…ly lead them, as … Shepheard doth his flock, or a Father his child; Lord haſten it.
Verſ. 5. Verſus …. See Verſ. 3.
Verſ. 6. Then ſhall the earth yeeld her increaſe] Omnia opera …ſtra eram proſpera, All ſhall go well with us, and we ſhall abound with bleſſings of both …es. The Goſpel is a cornucopia; and they that receive it ſhall have all that heart can with, or need require; all creatures ſhall conſpire to make them happy. The earth which was curſed for mans ſin, and hath lain bed-ridden, as it were, ever ſince, ſhall put forth her utmoſt ſtrength for good peoples uſe. God will hear the Heavens, and the Heavens ſhall hear the earth, &c. Hoſ. 2.21, 22. when once mens hearts bear fruit to the Lord, Mat. 13.19, 23. Heb. 6.7. Hierom interpreteth theſe words of the Virgin Mary bringing forth the child Jeſus. Others thus; Then ſhall the earth bring forth innumerable ſervants of God.
Verſ. 7.In more Nevochim. God ſhall bleſſe us] God is thrice named here and in the former verſe, to note the Trinity of perſons, as Kamban wrote, and had therefore his book burnt, by the Jews in France. And whereas it is thrice here ſaid, God ſhall bleſs us, it importeth that the bleſſings here meant, are more than terrene and bodily bleſſings.