Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 77
PSAL. LXXVII.
A Pſalm of Aſaph] Or, for Aſaph, Davids melancholy Pſalm ſome call it, made by him when he was in grievous affliction and deſertion. Out of which he ſeeketh to wind by earneſt Prayer, by deep Meditation upon Gods former favours, and unchangeable nature; and laſtly, by calling to minde Gods wondrous works of old, both in proving, and in preferving his Church and choſen.
Verſ. 1. I cried unto God with my voyce, &c.] I prayed inſtantly and conſtantly, and ſped accordingly. No faithful prayer is ineffectual.
Verſ. 2. In the day of my trouble] The time of affliction is the time of ſupplication, Pſal. 50.15.
My fore … in the night] Heb. My hand was poured out; that is, ſtretched out in prayer; or wet with continual weeping. Non fuit remiſſe, nec … in lectum.
And ceaſed not] Or, was not tired; in alluſion, belike to Moſes his hands held up againſt A…leck; though
My ſoul refuſed to be comforted] I prayed on, though I had little heart to do it, (as Daniel afterwards did the Kings work, though he were ſick) or though with much infirmity, whilſt I rather wrangled with God, by cavelling objections, than wraſt…ed with him, as I ought to have done, by important prayer.
Verſ. 3. I remembred God, and … troubled] …; for God ſeemed to be angry, and to caſt out my prayers; this made mee mourn, and little leſs than ….
My … ] With ſenſe of Sin, and ſeat of Wrath. This was a very grievous and dangerous temptation, ſuch as we muſt pray not to be …d into, or at leaſt … to be left under, ….
Verſ. 4. ….
That I cannot ſpeak] Cura l…es loguuntur, ing…ntes ſtupent.
Verſ. 5. I have conſidered the days of old] What thou diddeſt for Adam, Abraham, Iſrael, in Aegypt, &c. all which was written purpoſely, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. See Deut. 32.7.
Verſ. 6. I call to remembrance my Song in the night] i. e. My former feelings and experiments, being glad in this ſcarcity of comfort, to live upon the old ſtore, as Bees do in winter.
I commune with mine own heart] Pſal. 4.4. ſee there.
And my ſpirit made diligent ſearch] For the cauſe, and cure of my preſent diſtempers.
Verſ. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever?] No, not at all, though the extremity and length of the Pſalmiſts grief put him upon theſe ſad Interrogatories, with ſome diffidence, touching the Nature, and Promiſe of God.
Will he be favourable no more?] So the Devil, and carnal reaſon would have perſwaded him; and did haply for a time. But this very queſtioning the matter ſheweth, he yet lay languiſhing at Hopes Hoſpital, waiting for comfort. The Soul may ſucceſſively doubt, and yet beleeve.
Verſ. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for over?] They that go down into the pit (of Deſpair) cannot hope for Gods truth, Iſa. 38.18. but ſo doth not any Saint in his deepeſt deſertions.
Doth his promiſe fail for evermore?] Hath he retracted his Promiſes, recalled his Oracles confirmed with Oath, Seal? No, he will not ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, Pſal. 89.33.
Verſ. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious?] So it ſeemeth ſometimes to thoſe that are long afflicted, and ſhort-ſpirited; But what ſaith the Prophet? Can a Woman forget her ſucking childe, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the Son of her womb?H…yt. Geor. yea they may forget (they may prove unnatural, and grow out of kind, as Medea, and thoſe Suevian women, who threw their young Children at the Romanes (under the conduct of Druſus, Son in Law to Auguſtus) inſtead of Darts) yet God will not forget his people, Iſa. 49.15. Indeed he can as ſoon forget himſelf, and change his nature.
Hath he in anger ſhut up his tender mercies?] Theſe things the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh not as utterly deſpairing, but as one couragiouſly wraſtling againſt an old Manſlayer, and a miſgiving heart of his own. Homines vero ſecuri, & voluptatibus ebrii, nihil horum intelligunt. This is little underſtood by profane Senſualiſts, who therefore reap no great benefit by the reading of theſe Pſalms.
Verſ. 10. And I ſaid, this is my infirmity] My frailty, and folly. Here he begins to recollect, and recall himſelf, as every good ſoul will, after its extravagancies and out-burſts. Vatablus rendreth it, Mors mea eſt, This is my death; Beza, Caedeo mea haec, This is my Deaths-wound, ſc. whereof I ſhould ſurely dye, were it not for the change of Gods hand upon me.
But I will remember, &c.] This is ſupplied out of the following verſe. Some make no ſuch ſupply, but render the text thus, The right hand of the moſt High can change theſe things. Others, This is the change of the right hand of the moſt High, and is therefore to be taken patiently; Shall we receive good at Gods hands, and not evil, Job 2.10? I am not utterly deſerted, but only the caſe is a little altered, the right hand of the moſt High alternated.
Verſ. 11. I will remember the works, &c.] Remember, and, commemorate, as the Hebrew (by a double reading) importeth.
I will remember thy Wonders] God is wonderful in counſel, and excellent in working, Iſa. 28. ult. and as we behold the Sun in the waters, ſo God in his works, Saculum speculum, the World is a glaſs or theater, but eſpecially the Church, wherein God ſetteth forth his wonders to the view of all.
Verſ. 12. I will mediate alſo of all thy works, and …alk, &c.] See the Note on Pſal. 45.….
Verſ. 13. Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary] There it is only that I can get ſatisfaction about, thy proceedings, Pſal. 73.17. There I am …ught, that thou … and holy in all thy works, … this text, Thy way O God is … q. d. Thy way is in Heaven, farre above mans reach.
Who is ſo great a God us our God?] And therefore no wonder his wayes are ſo incomprehenſible.
Verſ. 14 Thou art the God that doeſt wonders] In the daily defence and government of thy Church. Thou art the great Thaumaturgus, or wonder-worker.
Thou haſt declared thy ſtrength among the peoples] As among the Egyptians, Canaanites, Phil…ſtines &c. Vere … eſt Deus Chiſtianorum, ſaid one Calocerius, an Heathen.
Verſ. 15. Thou haſt with thine arm redeemed thy people] viz. Out of the bondage of Egypt, that memorable mercy; but nothing to that of ours and theirs from ſins thraldome.
The ſons of Jacob, and Joſeph] Joſeph is inſtanced, quia nobilis inter fratres, vel in malis quae pendit, vel in bon… quae rependit, as Auſtin hath it.De Doct. Chriſt. l. 4. c. …
Verſ. 16. The waters ſaw thee, O God — they were afraid] This is check to ſuch as will not ſee to fear ſo mighty a God. Lord, ſaith the Prophet, when thy hand is lifted up they will not ſee; but they ſhal… ſee and be aſhamed for their envy at the people; yea the fire of thine enemies ſhall devour them, Iſa. 26.11.
Verſ. 17. The clouds poured out water, the skies, &c.] Calvin taketh this to be a deſcription of that hideous tempeſt, Exod. 9. the ſeventh Plague of Egypt. But others with more probability hold, that the Prophet here hath reſpect to that very time mentioned in the former verſe, when the Lord looked unto the hoaſt of the Egyptians out of the fiery and cloudy pillar, and ſo troubled and turmoiled them with ſtormy tempeſts, that their Charret wheels fell off, and themſelves ſank as lead in the mighty waters, Exod. 14.24, 25. & 15.10. Of theſe terrible tempeſts mention is made alſo by Juſtin.
Verſ. 18. The voice of thy thunder was in the Heaven] Heb. In the Sphere or round-orb of the air. Of the thunder in the air, ſee Job 37.2-5. Pſal. 29. This made the Egyptians ſay, Let us fly, for God fighteth for Iſrael againſt us.
The lightenings lightened the World] Such flakes of fire there were with flaſhes of lightening, as darkened the Sun, and made the whole Heavens ſeem to be on a light fire.
Verſ. 19. Thy way is in the Sea, &c.] A way of thine own miraculous making. God uſually goeth a way by himſelf.
And thy footſteps are not known] Not ſo much as is the way of an Eagle in the air, the way of a Serpent upon a rock, or the way of a ſhip in the midſt of the Sea, Prov. 30.19. Let God alone with his own work, commit we our ſelves to him in wel-doing, and it ſhall go well with us, no queſtion of it. Pii viam deſperatae ſalutis, impi… foveam insperatae mortis intrant.Oroſ.
Verſ. 20. Thou leddeſt thy people like a flock] And ſo he ſtill leadeth his Church with much love and care, by good Magiſtrates and Miniſters, who are as his under-ſhepheards.