Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 8
PSAL. VIII.
TO the chief Muſician upon Gittith] Upon the Cittern, or Gittern brought from Gath, ſaith the Chaldee Paraphraſt; or that was uſed by the Sons of Obed-Edom the Gittite, 2 Sam. 6.10. or, that was ſung at the Wine-preſſes, as the Greek hath it, for a thankſ-giving in time of Vintage. This laſt Aben-Ezra diſliketh, though I ſee no reaſon why he ſhould.
Verſ. 1.Vani homines exponunt de torculari. Ab. Ezra. O Lord, our Lord &c.] The ſcope of this whole Pſalm is, to ſet us a wondering at, and magnifying the Majeſty and Magnificence of the Almighty; together with his inexpreſſible goodneſs to Mankind;
1 In our Creation in Adam.
2 In our Reſtauration by Chriſt: which laſt is the true end of this Pſalm, as appeareth Mat. 21.15. 1 Cor. 15.27. and Heb. 2.8.
How excellent is thy Name] This, David ſpeaketh as one ſwallowed up with admiration at that Nomen illud Magnificum & Majeſtativum, that Glory, Honour, Power, Wiſdom, Goodneſs, &c. that being inveſted in God, and manifeſted in the Creature (Gods Handy-work) ſhould make us both wonder and inquire into Gods excellencies,foreign Ariſt. Rhet. lib. 1. cap. 11 according to that of Ariſtotle, to admire, and learn at once is a pleaſant thing: and ſure that which is admirable, ſtirreth up deſire to ſee further into it. Admiratio peperit Philoſophiam, ſaith another, Admiration brought forth Philoſophy; let it breed devotion in us, and a deſire to praiſe God, who hath therefore diſplayed his excellencies in his Works, that we might give him his due glory. The Angels ſhouted at the Creation, Job 38.4, 5, 6, and ſhall we be dul, and dumb? God tells Job of his own great Works, (the Elephant, and Whale eſpecially) and thereby brings him to a right temper. The Elephant is in Chaldee called Pil, of a word that ſignifieth Wonderful; becauſe the Wonders of Gods glory do ſo marvellouſly appear in him. See Job 40.15, 16, &c with the Notes. The Philoſophers make Iris, Plate.or the Rainbow, the Daughter of Thaumas, or Admiration; but becauſe that when they knew God, ſcil. Per ſpecies Creaturarum, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations — therefore were they given up to a reprobate ſenſe, Rom. 1.21.28.
In all the earth?] Where a man cannot look beſide a Miracle, ſo full of God are all places.
Who haſt ſet thy glory above the Heavens] Nam in eis robu… Dei maximè apparet; for in the Heavens (how much more above them) doth the glory of God chiefly appear: the Earth is a ſmall point in compariſon of the Heavens, and is governed by them, as R. David here noteth.
Verſ. 2. Out of the mouth of Babes and ſucklings] For whom, God hath filled two Bottles of Milk againſt they come into the World: and in whoſe birth, ſuſtenance, and wonderful protection (for Puerilitas eſt periculorum pelagus) but eſpecially in their holy and religious education, much of Gods Providence, Power, and Goodneſs is clearly ſeen and ſet forth to the conviction of the vileſt Atheiſts. So that, beſides the Earth and the Heavens, we have very Infants Preachers of Gods praiſes, and more effectual Oratours than ever were Iſocrates, Demoſthenes, Pericles, &c. ſo our Saviour underſtands it, Mat. 21.10. where the Children ſang Hoſanna when the Phariſees were ſilent. It is ſometimes ſeen, that Ipſa Deo blandos fundant cunabula flores.
John Baptiſt ſprang in the Wombe for joy of Jeſus. Hierom writeth of Paula, that noble Matron, that ſhe rejoyced in nothing more than this, That ſhe heard her Neece Paula ſing Hallelujah in her Cradle. Bellarmine tells us out of Theodoret, In cunis cunis ba… butienti lin… Hallelujah Cantare. Hi…that the Children of Samoſatena playing at Tenniſ-ball in the midſt of the Market, did ſolemnly caſt it into the fire, becauſe it had but toucht the foot of the Aſſe, wheron Lucius the Heretical Biſhop rode. The Children of Merindal ſo poſed, and anſwered one another, in matters of Religion, before the perſecuting Biſhop of Cavaillon, that a religious man that ſtood by ſaid unto the Biſhop, I muſt needs confeſs that I have often been at the Diſputation of the Doctors in Sorbon, Act & Mon… fol. 865. Ibid. 1156.but yet I never learned ſo much as I have done by hearing theſe young children. When Mr. Blecter the Biſhops Chaplain told Mr. Wiſehart the Scotch Martyr, that he had a Devil in him, and the ſpirit of Error; a Childe that ſtood by anſwered him, ſaying, A Devil cannot ſpeak ſuch words as yonder man ſpeaketh. At the burning of John Laurence at Colcheſter, as he was ſitting in the fire (for ſtand he could not, he had been ſo hardly uſed in the Priſon) the young Children came about the fire, and cried, Lord, ſtrengthen thy Servant, and keep thy promiſe. Ibid. 1403.Here was ſtrength out of the mouthes of little ones, taught betime to ſpeak the language of Canaan. Sed vae vae parentibus illis (ſaith Polanus on the Text) But wo, wo to thoſe Parents who make their Children (whom God would have to be witneſſes of his Majeſty) witneſſes of their impiety, pride, and vanity.
That thou mighteſt ſtill the enemy and the avenger] i.e. Silence Atheiſts and Perſecutors.
Verſ. 3. When I conſider thy Heavens] And that men ſhould be much in this conſideration, both the bolt-upright figure of their bodies may moniſh them, and alſo that fifth Muſcle which God hath ſet in Mans eye (whereas other Creatures have but four) to draw it upward, Ut ejus auxilio coelum intueremur, ſaith the Anatomiſt, that by the help thereof we might conſider the Heavens. This,Columb. de re Anatom. l. 5. c. 9. thoſe Chriſtians that do not, ſhall have thoſe Heathens riſing up in Judgement againſt them. Anaxagoras Clazomenius, who uſed to ſay, that he was therefore born that he might contemplate the Heavens. And Ennius, who blameth Epicurus for that Dum palato quid ſit optimum judicaret, coeli palatium non ſuſpexerit, he did ſo purvey for his Palate, that he looked not up to Heavens Palace. Certain it is, that many men have ſo much to do upon Earth, that they cannot have while to caſt an eye towards Heaven, as the Duke of Alva told a great Prince, who asked him if he had taken notice of the laſt Eclips. That wonderful Globe of Silver ſent by King Ferdinand to Solyman the great Turk, lively expreſſing the wonderful motions,Turk. Hiſt. 71 and converſions of the Caeleſtial frame, the hourly paſſing of the Time, the Change and Full of the Moon, &c. was much more beheld and admired, than Heaven it ſelf is by moſt people. True it is, that that Globe was a moſt curious and ſtrange Piece of Work, deviſed and perfected by the moſt cunning Aſtronomers, for Maximilian the Emperour, whoſe noble minde never ſpared for any coſt to obtain things of rare and ſtrange deviſe. But what was all this to the Heavens? That
Work of Gods finger] That is, moſt elaborate and accurate; a Metaphor from Embroyderers, or from them that make Tapeſtry. Aben-Ezra's Note here is, Digiti ſunt decem, & ſphaera ſunt decem, As there are ten Fingers, ſo there are ten Spheres, &c.
The Moon and the Stars] No mention of the Sun, becauſe included in this word Heaven; wherein by Day the Sun is moſt conſpicuous, as by Night, the Moon and Stars.
VVhichWhich thou haſt ordained] That was a witty ſpeech of Cyril, They were foreign Athieſts by Night, who worſhipped the Sun, and Atheiſts by Day, who worſhipped the Moon and Stars.
Verſ. 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him?] Sorry, ſickly man, a Maſs of Mortalities, a Map of Miſeries, a mixture or compound of Dirt and Sin? And yet God is mindful of him; he not only takes care of him in an ordinary way, as he doth other Creatures, but ſingularly attendeth, and affecteth him, as a Father doth his deareſt Childe. Heis, Divini ingenii cura, ſaith one; he is the end of all in a ſemi-circle, ſaith another Philoſopher; meaning, that all things in the World were made for man, and man made for God: Neither is there ſo much of the glory of God in all his Works of Wonder, as in one gracious performance of a godly perſon. But if we underſtand the Text (as the Apoſtle doth, Heb. 2.6.) of the Man Chriſt Jeſus, Hic homo & filius hominis qualis & quantus eſt, Deus bone! ſaith Junius.
And the Son of Man] Heb.Arrian in Epictet. Of earthly men; for what is the greateſt Potentate, but foreign a peece of Clay neatly made up?
That thou viſiteſt him?] That thou mindeſt him more than other Creatures, and makeſt him Lord of all? thy viſitation preſerveth his ſpirit, Job 10.12.
Verſ. 5. For thou haſt made hima little lower than the Angels] Compare here with Heb. 2.6, 7. and it will appear that whatſoever is ſpoken here of man, is applied to Chriſt, and ſo is proper to the Saints, by vertue of their union with Chriſt; in which reſpect they are more glorious, ſaith one, than Heaven, Angels, or any Creature. This is their dignity: and for their duty they muſt therefore give the more earnest heed to the Doctrin of the Goſpel, leſt at any time they ſhould leak, or let ſlip the ſame, but retain and obey it. This is the Apoſtles own inference, Heb. 2.5, 6, 7. for thus he argueth: Unto the Angels God hath not put in ſubjection the World to come, where of we ſpeak; But to man (for whoſe ſake the Son of God came in the fleſh, for whoſe ſake the Goſpel was preached, for whoſe ſake wee ſpeak of that World to come) he hath; therefore it behooveth man to obſerve, and obey the Goſpel.
And haſt crowned him with glory and honour] Some refer this to the reaſonable Soul, whereby he not only differeth from Beaſts, but draweth nigh to the heavenly Nature. As Rome was an Epitome of the World; as Athens was the Greece of Greece; and as one ſaid to his Friend who deſired to ſee Athens, Viſo Solone vidiſti omnia, when thou haſt ſeen Solon thou haſt ſeen all Athens: So man is a little World, and is therefore called every Creature, Mark 16, 15. and the Saints (in whom Gods Image is repaired) are called All things, Coloſ. 1.20. Chriſt being unto them All, and in all.
Verſ. 6. Thou madeſt him to have dominion, &c.] He had ſo at firſt, Gen. 1.26. and ſhall have again, Zech. 8.12. Rev. 21.7. mean while (though Rebellis facta eſt Creatura homini, quia homo numini, the Creature rebelleth againſt man, becauſe man doth againſt God; yet) we cannot but ſee ſome foot-ſteps remaining of that ancient Soveraignty,Tully. Plutarch. E…ncus. which the very Heathens alſo acknowledged, and there-hence fetched excellent Arguments for a Providence. Lions hate Apes, but fear men; though Simia quam ſimilis, turpiſſima beſtia, nobis: Hereof no probable reaſon can be given but this, That God hath put all things under mans feet; inſomuch as that the moſt timerous men dare kick and beat the hugeſt Elephants. Indeed by reaſon of Sin, as was ſaid, we ſee not all things ſubdued. Heb. 12.8. But why hath Nature denied to Horſes,Bodin. Theat. Nat. p 405. Aſſes, Camels, Elephants. Deer, &c. a Gall, which it hath given to Lions, Wolves, and other fierce Creatures? Surely herein appeareth the wonderful Wiſdom and goodneſs of God; who hath done this, that thoſe ſo ſerviceable Creatures might be the better tamed, and ſubdued by man. Let man conſider (ſaith one well) what excellency he hath loſt through Adams fall, and bewail his miſery. Let him alſo on the other ſide well weigh the grace beſtowed on him in Chriſt, and be joyful and thankful or mercy; knowing this, that if the Creatures be not now ſubjected unto us, it is by reaſon of the Body and relicks of Sin, that yet remain in us; and that therefore if we would have a conqueſt over the Creatures, we muſt begin firſt to get a victory upon ſin, or elſe we ſhall never profit that way.
Thou haſt put all things under his feet] The Earth hath its name from treading upon it; teaching us,Terra à teendo. 1 To trample upon earthly things, as baſe and bootleſs; not to dote upon them with out hearts, nor graſp them over greedily with our hands: as that covetous Cardinal Sylberperger, who took ſo great felicity in Mony, that when he was grievouſly tormented with the Gout, his only remedy to eaſe his pain was, to have a Baſon full of Gold ſet before him, into which he would put his lame hands, turning the Gold upſide down. But if Silver and Gold be a mans happineſs, then it is in the earth, and ſo (which is ſtrange) nearer Hell than Heaven, and ſo nearer the Devil than God. The ancient Romans had for a difference in their Nobility, a little ornament in the form of a Moon, to ſhew that all worldly things were mutable; and they wore it upon their ſhooes, to ſhew that they trod all under their feet. 2. By this poſture of all things sunder mans feet, God would teach him to uſe them as a Stirrop, for the raiſing of his heart to thoſe things above. A ſanctified fancy can make every Creature a Ladder to Heaven, and ſay with that Father, Si tanti vitreum, quanti verum margaritum? If this traſh be ſo highly eſteemed of, how much more the true Treaſure?
Verſ. 7. All Sheep and Oxen, &c.] There are Beaſts ad eſum et ad uſum, ſaith one. Some are profitable dead, not alive, as the Hogge; ſome alive, not dead, as the Dogge, Horſe, &c. ſome both, as the Oxe; yet none ſo profitable as the Sheep, who hath Wool for Raiment, Skin for Parchment, Fleſh for Meat, Guts for Muſick, and was therefore in Sacrifice ſo frequently offered.
Verſ. 8. The Fowl of the air] Theſe Moſes ſeemeth to have forgot, in that diſcontented ſpeech of his, Numb. 11.22. but God ſent thoſe murmurers ſuch a drift of Quails (meat of Kings, with their bread of Angels) as he could not have imagined, or hoped for.
And the Fiſh of the Sea] Piſcis of Paſco. Many Iſlands are maintained, and people fed by Fiſh. In Hebrew the ſame word ſignifieth a Pond, or Fiſh-pool, and a Bleſſing. And ſurely it is a bleſſing to any Country that they have plenty, and dainty, of theſe good Creatures,
And whatſoever paſſeth, &c.] As Whales, and other great Fiſhes, which make a ſmooth path in a calm Sea, as a Ship or Boat doth, Job 41.23, &c. See the Note there.
Verſ. 9. O Lord, our Lord, &c.] Prius incipit Propheta mirari quam loqui, & deſinit loqui non mirari. The Pſalmiſt endeth as he began, tranſported with an extaſie of admiration. So he begins, and ends many of his Pſalms with Hallelujah. Betwixt God and us the diſtance is infinite; and if it were poſſible our love and thankfulneſs ſhould fill up that diſtance, and extend it ſelf to infiniteneſs, ſaith a grave Divine.