Exposition of the Proper Psalms, Commentary 3
PSALM. 89.
My ſong ſhall be alway of the louing kindneſſe of the Lord, &c.
THis one ſhort verſe containes the ſummarie pith andkBellarmin. argument of the whole long Pſalme. wherein obſerue the
Songs dittie, the louing kindneſſe and truth of the Lord, manifeſted vntounto the whole world generally, to Dauids houſe (that is, the Church) eſpecially.
Singers duty, magnifying the mercies of God alwaies, euen from one generation to another. And by all meanes, with his mouth, for that is expreſſed in this verſ. with his mind, for that is implied in the next, I hauehave ſaid, &c.lGeneua gloſſe. Wilcox. that is, beleeued it in my heart; and therefore ſpake it with my tongue, Pſalm. 116.10. For out of the harts abundance the mouth ſpeaketh, Mat. 12.34.
My ſong ſhall be alwaies of the louing kindneſſe] Or as other tranſlations, I will ſing the mercies of the Lord, hismVatablus. manifold and ſundrie mercies: as if he ſhould ſay, wee hauehave taſted of more then of one, yea wee hauehave felt all his mercies; I will therefore praiſe the ſame for euer. I will ſing his mercy for creating this vniuerſe, which isnIo. de combis compend. theolog. lib. 2. cap. 2. Macrocoſmus, a great world; and for making man, which is Microcoſmus, a little world. 1. My ſong ſhall ſet forth his kindneſſe, for that he gaue me being. 2. For adding to my being, life, which he denieth vntounto ſtones. 3. To life, ſenſe, which hee denieth vntounto plants. 4. To ſenſe, ſpeech, and vnderſtanding, which he denieth vntounto bruit beaſts. I hauehave great cauſe to praiſe the Lord, for that I am a man; and yet greater, for that I am a ſound man, hauing a due portion of wit, and a true proportion of limbs and lineaments, maimed neither in the powers of my ſoule, nor in the parts of my body. Some men are like the carued images of Pagans, and Papiſts,oPſal. 135.16. hauing mouthes and ſpeak not, eyes and ſee not, eares and heare not, feete and walke not, hands and handle not. I will therfore ſing of thy mercies, O Lord, for giuing vntounto me perfect limbes, and perfect vſe therof; eyes to ſee, tongue to ſpeake, eares to heare, feet to walke. I do not want ſo much as the left hand, or the little finger of that hand, or the leaſt ioynt of that finger. Againe, ſome men are maimed in their minds, as being either borne ſtarke fooles (O heauie puniſhment!) or elſe for abuſing their good wits in bad workes, are (by Gods ſecret and ſeuere iudgement) bereft of their intellectuals. Some, which hauehave heretofore worſhipped Chriſt at Bethlem, & hauehave preached alſo Chriſt vntounto the King and his Court, in Bethel, are now lunaticke, bound hand and foote in Bedlem pFatius de mortificatione. cap. 2. In nature, the middle participates euer with his extreames, as the ſpring, which is the middle betweene winter and ſummer, hath (as you know) part of the winters cold, and part of the ſummers heate; and the morning, which is the middle betweene night and day, hath a little darkneſſe of the night, and a little light of the day: ſo man is created by God, tanquam medius inter angelum & brutū, a middling betweene an Angell, and a brute; being a good deale better then a beaſt, and a littleqPſalm. 8.5. lower then an Angell. Hauing in reſpect of his body, ſomthing of a bruit, being ſenſuall and mortall; and in reſpect of his ſoule, ſomthing of an Angell, as being intellectuall and immortall. Now then, if the ſpring hauehave not any heate of ſummer, it is ſo cold as winter; and if the morning hauehave no light of the Sunne, it is ſo darke as night: ſo man, if he want angelicall abilities of the ſoule, is little better then a beaſt, asrPſalm. 32.10. horſe and mule without vnderſtanding: for asſOrat. de Dione. Syneſius ſaid, A wiſe man excels a foole, more then a foole doth excel a beaſt.
As God is principium effectiuum in creatione: ſo refectiuum in redemptione. I am exceeding much bound vntounto God for creating me when I was not; and for preſeruing me vnderunder his wings, euer ſince I was: yet I am more bound to his mercy for redeeming me, for bleſſing mee with all ſpirituall bleſſings in heauenly things in Chriſt his Sonne, Epheſ. 1.3. for his electing of me, for his calling of me, for his iuſtifying of me, for his ſanctifying of me. Theſe graces are thetEpheſ. 2.4. & 3.16. riches of his goodneſſe and glory;uBellarmin. miſericordiae in aeternum, euerlaſting mercies, as reaching fromxBernard. ſer. 2. in aſcen. Dom. euerlaſting predeſtination, to euerlaſting glorification. O Lord, I will alway ſing thy mercies in promiſing, and euer ſhew thy truth in performing thy promiſe made to Dauid, thy choſen ſeruant, concerning thy ſonne, my Sauiour, ſaying, thy ſeed will I ſtabliſh for euer. So theyHierom. Turrecremat. Fathers expound our text, I will euer ſing thy mercies, in vouchſafing to ſend thy ſonne to viſit thy ſeruants, ſicke to death in ſinne. Firſt, I will euer ſing of thy mercifulneſſe: and then I will euer bee ſhewing thy faithfulneſſe. zAuguſtin.Neque enim exhiberetur veritas in impletione promiſſorum, niſi praecederet miſericordia in remiſſione peccatorum. And what is Gods mercy ſet vp for euer, and his truth establiſhed in the heauens? but that whichaEſay 55.3. Eſay termes the ſure mercies of Dauid: that is, asbAct. 13.34. Paul conſtrueth Eſay, the holy promiſes made to Dauid: and the promiſe made to Dauid, is briefly this, thy ſeed will I ſtabliſh for euer, and ſet vp thy throne from generation to generation. For the Prophet Ethan here dothcAuguſt. de ciuit. dei, lib. 17. cap. 9. Idem Euthym. & Tileman in loc. allude to the Prophet Nathan, 2. Sam. 7. I will (ſaith he from the Lord vntounto Dauid) ſet vp thy ſeed after thee, and I will ſtabliſh the throne of his kingdome for euer. Now this holy promiſe was not fulfilled in the temporall kingdome of Dauid, as Gods people complaine in this Pſalme, from the 37. to the 45. verſe. It is therefore to bee conſtrued of Chriſt, and his ſpirituall kingdome. Chriſt, according to the fleſh, is thedRom. 1.3. ſeed of Dauid, and theeMat. 1.1. ſonne of Dauid: of him it is true which is ſaid heere by the Lord, My couenant will I not breake, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips: I hauehave ſworne once by my holineſſe, that I will not faile Dauid. His ſeed ſhall endure for euer, and his ſeat is like as the Sunne before me. He ſhal ſtand faſt for euermore as the Moone, and as the faithfull witneſſe in heauen. Of him it is true,fPſal. 45.7. Heb. 1.8. thy throne is for euer and euer. Of him it is true, heaven and earth ſhall periſh, and wax old as doth a garment, and as a veſture thou ſhalt fold them vp, and they ſhall be changed: but thou art the ſame, and thy yeeres ſhall not faile, Pſal. 102.27. Heb. 1.12. Thou ſweet Ieſus art a Prieſt for euer, and a Prince for euer. And ſurely God would hauehave Dauids earthly kingdom to determine in Iehoiachim and Zedechia, that his people mightgHoc admonet vox intellectus in titulo poſita. Bellar. argum. huius Pſalmi. vnderſtand the holy couenant made with Dauid of Chriſt, and that they might pray, Lord, where are thy old louing kindneſſes, which thou ſwareſt vntounto Dauid in thy truth. See S. Auguſt. de ciuit. dei. lib. 17. cap. 9.10.11.12.13.
Now the Prophet, in proceſſe of his hymne, deſcribes the natures and vertues of Chriſt, as well inherent in his owne perſon, as infuſed into his people.
His Humane nature, becauſe the ſeed of Dauid, a perfect man in ſoule and body, againſthBellarmin. de Chriſto. lib. 2. cap. 2. Eutycheans, iEpiphan. haereſ. 77.Apollinariſts,kAuguſt. haereſ. 11. Valentinians, lAlphonſ. de haereſ. lib. 4. fol. 70.Neſtorians,mIdem ibid. fol. 73. Monothelites, &c.
His Diuine nature: Firſt, for that the Church inuocates him as God, verſ. 5. O Lord, the very heauens ſhall praiſe thy wondrous works, and thy truth in the congregation of the Saints. By heauen, is meant thenEuthym. Tileman. Church, and theoAuguſtin. Hierom. Preachers of Chriſt in the Church.
Secondly, Ethan proues Chriſt to be God by compariſon, in the 6.7.8.9. verſes. Who is he among the cloudes that ſhall bee compared vntounto the Lord; or what is hee among the gods, that ſhall be like vntounto him? as if he ſhould ſay, there is neither Monarch on earth, nor Angel in heauen his peere.
Thirdly, from the preſeruation of all things, v. 10.11. Thou ruleſt the raging of the ſea, thou ruleſt the waues thereof when they ariſe, &c.
Fourthly, for that he created the world, ver. 12.13.14. The heauens are thine, the earth alſo is thine, thou hast laid the foundation of the round world, &c.
Hauing thus expreſſed his natures, and ſhewed him to bepAlphonſ. de haereſibus. lib. 1. fol. 25. verus homo, veruſque Deus, tamen vnus vterque. He begins in the 15. verſe, to ſing of his vertues, as well in his owne perſon, as people. For himſelfe, righteouſnes and equity is the habitation of thy ſeat, mercy and truth ſhall goe before thy face. For his people, bleſſed are they that can reioyce in thee, they ſhall walke in the light of thy countenance, their delight ſhall be daily in thy name, &c. Theſe things affoord manifold inſtructions, according to the prefixed title, a Pſalme for inſtruction of Ethan the Ezrarite. But the point aimed at moſt, is vndoubtedly,qVatablus. Caluin. that in all our tentations, and tempeſts of conſcience, we ſhould flie to the ſure mercies, and holy promiſes of God in Chriſt. If once we ſtay our ſoules on this anchor, hold, wee ſhall eſcape ſhipw-rack of faith. Ethan, who was either penner, or ſinger of this hymne, is byrAuguſtin. interpretation robuſtus, one which is ſtrong: now no man is ſtrong in this world, but hee who relieth vponupon the ſure promiſes of God. The conſideration of our owne merits, is able to make vsus faint and feeble: but our truſt in the Lords euerlaſting mercies, maketh vsus like mount Sion, which cannot bee remoued, but abideth faſt & firme for euer, Pſal. 125.1. And thereforeſGalat. de arcan. lib. 6. cap. 12. ſome Diuines hauehave conſtrued this Scripture, by that Ierem. 9.23. Thus ſaith the Lord, let not the wiſe man glory in his wiſdome, nor the ſtrong man glory in his ſtrength, neither the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he vnderſtands and knowes me to bee the Lord, which ſhew mercy, iudgement, and righteouſneſſe.
And as the Fathers vnderunder and before the law, comforted themſelues in all afflictions and miſery, with the conſideration of Chriſts firſt comming: ſo let vsus in the middeſt of our tentations and troubles bee ſtedfaſt and immoueable, becauſe we look for his ſecond comming. He deferred his firſt comming a great while, yet in thetGalat. 4.4 fulnes of time he dealt with his ſeruantsuLuke 2.29. according to his word. So the Saints expecting his ſecond comming, crie with a loud voyce,xApocal. 6.10. How long Lord, holy and true, doeſt not thou iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth? And mockers in the laſt daies alſo ſay,y2. Pet. 3.4. Where is the promiſe of his comming? for ſince the fathers died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation. And yet the Lord (ſaith Saint Peter) is not ſlack concerning his promiſe, (as ſome men count ſlacknes) but is patient toward vsus, and would hauehave all men come to repentance.zHeb. 10.37. Yet a very little while, and he that ſhall come, will come, and will not tarrie. Behold, (ſaith he who neuer vttered vntruth)aApoc. 22.12. I come ſhortly, and my reward is with me, to giuegive eueryevery man according as his workes are. The life preſent is ſo full of diſeaſes and diſaſters, that our happineſſe isbColoſſ. 3.4. hid with Chriſt in God: but whē he which is our life ſhall appeare, then we ſhall alſo appeare with him in glorie, for hee ſhallcPhilip. 3.21. change our vile body, that it may be like his glorious body:dMartialis ad Burdegal. epist. 8 Non euacuabitur veritas corporis, ſed non erit pondus & fragilitas corruptionis. Wherefore let vsus alway be rich in the work of the Lord, for as much as wee know, that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord, 1. Cor. 15.58.
Hitherto concerning the dittie of the ſong: I come now to the dutie of the ſinger. I will alway ſing thy mercies with my mouth, I will euer be ſhewing thy truth from one generation to another. I knoweBellarmine. ſome ioyne in aeternum to the nowne miſericordias, and not to the verbe cantabo, making the ſenſe to bee this: I will alway ſing thy mercies which endure for euer. But alwaies is referred as well, if not better vntounto the verbe, I will ſing: as who would ſay, Lord, thy mercies are ſo manifeſt, and ſo manifold, ſo great in their number, and ſo good in their nature, that I will alway, ſofPſal. 146.1. long as I hauehave any being, ſing praiſes vntounto thee. Happily ſome will obiect, All fleſh is graſſe, and the grace thereof as the flower of the field: the graſſe withereth, and the flower fadeth away. Dauid being perſecuted by Saul, ſaid,g1. Sam. 20.3. there is but a ſtep between death and me. Nay Dauid, thy life is ſhorter then a ſtride, but a ſpanne long, as thy ſelfe witneſſeth, Pſalme 39.6. How can he then that begs his bread but for a day, promiſe to ſpend his breath in magnifying the Lord for euer? Anſwere is made, that the Prophet will not only commend the mercies of the Lord in word, but alſo commit them vntounto writing.
hEobanus Heſſus.Vt ſciat haec aetas, poſteritaſ que legat.
As the tongue of the Prophet is termediPſal. 45.2. elſewhere, the penne of a ready writer: ſo the writing of the Prophet is heere termed his mouth, as Euthymius vponupon the place, Liber Pſalmorum *Acts 4.25.os Dauid. kWilcox.Hee doth intend to note the mercies of God, and to ſet foorth his truth in a book, the which he will leaue behind him, (as an inſtrumēt) to conuey the ſame from generation to generation, from the generation oflEuthym. Incognit. Turrecremat. Iewes to the generation of Chriſtians.mHierome. Or from the old Teſtament to the new: for the bleſſed Apoſtles in their Sermons vſually cite ſentences out of the Pſalmes. S.n2. Pet. 4.6. Peter telleth vsus, that the Goſpell was preached vntounto the dead; ſo may we ſay, that the Goſpel is preached by the dead. For the moſt ancient Fathers, and other iudicious authors, which hauehave ſpēt their daies in writing learned expoſitions, & godly meditatiōs vpō the holy ſcriptures, although they be dead & ſleep in the bed of their graue, yet they ſing alway the mercies of the Lord, and ſhew the truth of his word from one generation vntounto another. It is reported in ouroMalmesbur. de geſtis Reg. Anglorum, lib. 2. cap. 6. Chronicles of Athelſtan; Parum aetati vixit, multum gloriae. So, many zealous and induſtrious Doctors hauehave liued (in reſpect of their age) but a little, yet in reſpect of their acts, a great while, ſhining ſtill in their works and writings, as lights of the world.
Or the Prophet may be ſaid, to ſing euer intentionally, though not actually.pIo. de Combis comp. Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 21. For as the wicked, if he could liue alway, would ſinne alway: ſo the good man (if God ſhould ſuffer him alway to breathe on earth) would ſing alway the mercies of the Lord. Hee will inq1. Theſſal. 5.18 all things giuegive thankes vntounto God,rPſal. 92.2. early telling of his louing kindnes in the morning, and of his truth in the night ſeaſon. In the morning,ſDr. Incognit. Turrecremat. Gloſſa. that is, in a proſperous eſtate, when as the Sunne ſhineth vponupon him, he will acknowledge that eueryevery good gift in him is from aboue, comming downe from the Father of lights, and Father of mercies. And in the darke night of aduerſitie hee telleth of Gods iuſtice, confeſſing ingenuouſly,tLuke 23.41. We receiue things worthie of that we hauehave done. Hee giueth thankes vntounto the Lord in both, in the one highly magnifying Gods fauour; in the other humbly vilifying his owne fault.
uPlacidus. Jncognitus.Or becauſe God hath inſpired into man, not only the breath ofxGen. 2.17. this preſent life, but ofyIohn 3.16. Apoc. 2.10. that alſo which is to come; the Saints are ſaid to continue their ſong of Gods praiſe in the kingdome of glorie, which here they begin in the kingdome of grace. For ſo the Spirit, Apoc. 19.1. I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen, ſinging Halleluiah, ſaluation, and glorie, and honour, and peace be to the Lord our God.
It is obiected, if the Saints in heauen alway ſing the mercies of the Lord, then they remember their miſeries on earth; and if they remember their ſinne and ſorrow here, how can they be perfitly bleſſed there? for the Lord ſaithzEſay 65.17. I will create new heauens, and a new earth, and the former ſhall not be remembred, nor come into minde. aGregor. moral. lib. 4. cap 42.Anſwere is made, that as men in perfit health often remember their terrible fits of their former ſickneſſe, with exceeding ioy; yea the more they call into mind their danger paſt, the greater is their delight preſent: euen ſo the Saints, in the kingdome of glorie, remember happily their miſdeeds and miſhaps in this valley of teares, but it is without any pollution of ſinne, or touch of ſorrow. SobƲbi ſup. Idem Auguſtin. lib. 22 de Ciuit. dei, cap. vlt. Gregorie the Great, Erit in illa beatitudine culpae memoria, non quae mentem polluat, ſed qua nos arctius laetitiae aſtringat; vt dum doloris ſui animus ſine dolore reminiſcitur, & debitorem ſe medico veriùs intelligat, & eò magis acceptam ſalutem diligat, quò moleſtiae meminit quam euaſit. cAuguſt. apud Io. de Combis comp. Theolog. lib. 7. cap. vlt.Heauenly happineſſe conſiſteth in two things, in the neceſſarie poſſeſſing of eueryevery thing which is good, and in the neceſſarie remouing of eueryevery thing which is euill. Miſerie then is not remembred of the Saints, as a matter of griefe, but as a motiue to ioy, becauſe they bee nowdRom. 7.24. deliuered from this bodie of death, and enioy the Crowne of euerlaſting life; where God is to theme1. Cor. 15.28. all in all, a glaſſe to their ſight, hony to their taſte, muſicke to their hearing, Balſome to their ſmelling: wheref1. Kings 3.12. Salomons wiſedome ſeemes follie;g2. Sam. 2.18. Ahaſels agilitie, ſlowneſſe; Samſons ſtrength, weaknes;h2. Sam. 14.25. Abſoloms comelines, deformitie; Caeſars empire, beggerie; Methuſalems long life, ſhortnes of daies, or a ſpeedie death. Thus I hauehave ſhewed how the Prophet may be ſaid to ſing alwaies the mercies of the Lord, in this life vntounto the worlds end, in the next for euer and euer world without end.
As for al meanes: he praiſes the Lord with his mouth, and all that is without him; as alſo with his minde, and al that is within him. HisiPſal. 45.1. heart indites a good matter, and his tongue is the penne of a ready writer. All his members are for the ſeruice of his Maker, as S.kIn loc. Augustine gloſſeth our text, Obſequantur membra (inquit) mea, domino meo loquor, ſed tua loquor, annunciabo veritatem tuam in ore meo. Si non obſequor, ſeruus non ſum: ſi à me loquor, mendax ſum. Ergo vt abs to dicam, & ego dicam, duo quaedam ſunt, vnum tuum, vnum meum: veritas tua, os meum.
Now let vsus according to this copie draw the lines of our liues, vſing all meanes to ſet foorth the louing kindneſſe and truth of the Lord.lPſal. 105.1. O give thankes vntounto the Lord, and call vponupon his name, tell the people what things he hath done. O let your ſongs be of him, and praiſe him, and let your talking bee of his wondrous workes: O my ſoule praiſe the Lord, and all that is within me praiſe his holie name; praiſe the Lord O my ſoule, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiueth all thy ſinnes, and healeth all thine infirmities; who ſaueth thy life from deſtruction, & crowneth thee with louing kindneſſe, Pſal. 103. A good Chriſtian is a tymbrel of the holy Ghoſt, his whole life being nothing elſe but a well-tuned ſong of Sion, alway magnifying the mercies of God in his owne perſon, and inuiting other to doe the ſame. But themPſal. 14.6. mouth of the wicked is full of curſing and bitternes, their throate is an open ſepulchre, deſtruction and vnhappineſſe is in their waies. A man of a foule mouth is a beaſt in the forme of a man, his tongue is the tongue of anPſal. 140.3. Serpent, Adders poyſon is vnderunder his lips; nay worſe then a Serpent, for it hurts not a man except it be preſent to ſee him, or to bite him, or to ſtrike him with his taile: but he which hath a blaſphemous and a bitter tongue, hurteth all, as well abſent as preſent; neither ſea nor land, neither ſcepter nor ſepulchre, neither heauen nor hell hindreth him; hee blaſphemes God, he wrongs his neighbour, hee raileth on the dead, and rageth againſt the liuing, his tongue is the tongue of a Fiend, of a Fury. For as the holy Prophets of God, when they preached, had their tongues (as it were) touched with aoEſay 6.6. coale from the altar of God; and as godly men hauehave their tongues inflamed with thepMat. 3.11. Acts 2.3. fire of Gods ſpirit, when as they ſpeake graciouſly: ſo contrariwiſe, when a man ſpeaketh euill, his tongue (ſaith S.qChap. 3.2, Iames) is kindled by the fire of hell, and Satan comes from thence with a coale to touch his lips, and to ſet them on fire to all manner of miſchiefe. When as good men ſpeak good things, their tongue isrChryſoſt. hom. 99. in Mat. Chriſts tongue; but all manner of curſed and vngodly ſpeaking, is no better then the Diuels language. Thinke on this all yee that forget God, whoſe mouthes are ſo farre from ſinging his mercies alway, that yee can hardly come in your communication vntounto any full period, without interlacing an oath or two. It is no wonder, that in Italy (which is a parcell of Antichriſts kingdome) blaſphemies ſhould be darted out againſt God and his Chriſt ordinarily, openly, being madeſRelation of Religion, ſect. 53. phraſes of gallantrie to the brauer, and very interiections of ſpeech vntounto the vulgar. But in England (where the ſcepter of Chriſts kingdome hath a long time floriſhed) it cannot but wound the hearts of ſuch, as mourne for the ſins of the land, to conſider how commonly, not onelyonly the ruffin at the tauerne, and the raſcall on the ſtage: but alſo the labourer at his worke, and the gentleman at his recreation, and the very boyes, yea babes in the ſtreet curſe their Maker, and reuile their Redeemer. Other ſinnes are clothed (in ſome ſort) with excuſe before men, in reſpect either of profit, or pleaſure, content, or credit: but in ſwearing there is neither good, nor gaine, nor glorie. I beſeech you therefore (my deare bowels in the Lord) inſtruct your children and ſeruants, how to ſerue God in a liuely faith, and a reuerend feare, let your whole life be to them a walking Catechiſme, that they may ſing alway the mercies of the Lord, and ſhew foorth his truth from generation to generation.