Exposition of the Proper Psalms, Commentary 5
PSALME 132.
Lord remember Dauid, and all his troubles, &c.
THis hymne conſiſts of two parts: a
Prayer, for the Prince, Prieſts, & people, with a commemoratiō of their zeale to Gods holie worſhip and ſeruice, from the 1. to the 11. verſe.
Promiſe, made by God particularly to Dauid and his ſeede, as alſo generally to the whole Church, as the ground of the prayer, from verſ. 11. to the Pſalmes end.
The penner of this Pſalme prayes for theyBucer. Wilcox. King firſt as the chiefe, Lord remember Dauid. And then afterward for his ſtate, bothzLuther. Mollerus. Strigellius. Eccleſiaſticall and Ciuill, the Church and Common-weale. The Church, Ariſe O Lord into thy reſting place, that is, thy Temple, let thy Prieſts bee clothed with righteouſnes. TheaTileman. Common-weale, Let thy Saints ſing with ioyfulnes, &c. The which is anſwerable to the Suffrages in our Liturgie, Indue thy Ministers with righteouſnes, and make thy choſen people ioyfull. And happily the Church of England aimed at this Prayers, order, in the compoſition of the Letanie; where praying more particularly, wee beſeech God in the firſt place to bleſſe our moſt gracious King and gouernour. In the next, to bleſſe the whole Clergie, Biſhops, Paſtors, and Miniſters: and then all degrees of the Laitie, ſuperiours, as the Counſell, Nobilitie, Magistrates: and inferiours, all the people.
Satan is called bybIohn 8.44. Chriſt, a lyar, and a murtherer from the beginning, euer buſily labouring to deſtroy both our ſoule with vntruths, and our bodies with murthers.cLuther in loc. Againſt theſe two policies and kingdomes of the Diuell, almightie God hath erected other two kingdomes, the politike ſtate to fight againſt murthers: and the Prieſthood to fight againſt falſe doctrine and hereſies. So that Dauid, and all other Kings in gouerning the Common-wealth, ought to performe their beſt endeuours, that their ſubiects may leade a d2. Tim. 2.2.quiet and a godly life. Quiet, as being free from mutinies and murthers: godly, as being free from hereſies and lyes. And theſe two kingdomes, although they be farre vnlike, are ſo ioyned together, that the one cannot ſtand without the other. For where politike peace is wanting, there pietie cannot bee maintained without great danger: and where the word of God is wanting, there can bee no ſound and ſecure peace. Policie ſerueth the Church, and the Church preſerueth policie. The Prieſts and Preachers are ſaid in the 17. verſe of this Pſalme, to be deckt with ſaluation, that is, the miniſtration of the word, whereby theye1. Tim. 4.16. ſaue themſelues, and thoſe that heare them. And in this reſpect calledfCaluin. Ribera. Ʋatablus in Obad. ſauiours, Obadiah 21. as being helpers and labourers together with God, who ſaueth, 1. Cor. 3.9.
But that part of this Hymne concerning the promiſe, concerneth our preſent feaſt eſpecially. The Lord hath made a faithfull oath vntounto Dauid, &c. The Papiſts (in the firſt verſe, Lord remember Dauid with all his afflictions; and in the tenth verſe, for thy ſeruant Dauids ſake, turne not away the preſence of thine annoynted) dreame that Salomon and the people did pray to God, that he would heare them at Dauids interceſſion, and for his merits; and thereupon eſtabliſh inuocation of Saints, and praying to the dead. But ourgLuther. Mollerus. Caluin. Tileman. Strigellius. Diuines anſwere, that Dauid is not here to bee taken abſolutely for his perſon onelyonly: but as hauing the couenant, and clothed (as it were) with the promiſes of God. For Dauid neuer entreated God to be heard for his owne merits, but on the contrary crieth,hPſal. 143.2. Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruant, for in thy ſight ſhall no man liuing be iuſtified. Neither did ye Church here deſire to be heard for Dauids ſake, but for the promiſe made to Dauid. And their meaning is briefly this, O Lord God we pray vntounto thee for the kingdome, not counting our ſelues in any ſort worthie that we ſhould be heard: but (asiDan. 9.18. Daniel ſpeakes) we preſent our ſupplications before thee, truſting in thy great and tender mercies, and in that thou haſt promiſed to Dauid, to wit, that our kingdome ſhall endure for euer. So Moſes prayed,kBxod. 32.13. Deut. 9.27. Remember Abraham, Iſaac, and Iſrael thy ſeruants, to whom thou ſwareſt by thine owne ſelfe. He doth not inuocate Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, as the Papiſts imagine fondly: but hee doth alleage Gods holy couenant made to them, as touching their ſeed and poſteritie. For how could God be put in minde of theſe promiſes better, then by reciting thoſe perſons to whom God hath made thē? Here then is a notable preſident for vsus, yt when we pray, we ſhould appeare before the ſeate of God as wretched and miſerable ſinners, not truſting vponupon our owne merit, but clothed (as you would ſay) with his merciemercy; not as he who bragged,lLuke 18.12. I faſt twice in the weeke, I giuegive tithe of all that euer I poſſeſſe: but as he who ſaid, Lord remember thy promiſes; for the promiſes of God are nothing elſe, but mercies and compaſſions offered freely vntounto vsus in Chriſt.
Faith is neceſſarily required in prayer, (for mRom. 10.14.how ſhall any call on him, in whō they hauehave not beleeued?) and faith is grounded euer vponupon the ſure promiſes of God, who ſaith,nExod. 20.5. I am the Lord thy God, and ſo loued the world, that he gaue his oIohn 3.16.only begotten ſonne, in pMatth. 3.17.whom he is well pleaſed. If then hee giueth himſelfe to be our owne, and his ſonne to be our owne, how ſhall hee not with himſelfe and his ſonneqRom. 8.32. giuegive vsus all things alſo? Verily, verily, (ſaith our bleſſed Sauiour, that euer ſpake veritie) whatſoeuer ye ſhall aske the Father in my name, he will giuegive it you, Ioh. 16.23. Theſe things ought to be taught diligently, becauſe Gods holie promiſes are the rLuther in loc.chiefe part of the Scripture, the true boſome and wombe wherein the Church is carried, and all her children the faithfull.
Now the promiſe mentioned here touching the ſeed of Dauid, is categoricall and abſolute, ſo farre forth as it concernes Chriſt, of the fruit of thy body will I ſet vponupon thy ſeat for euermore. But as it concernes other of Dauids houſe,ſPlacidus. Luther. Mollerus. Genebrard. hypothetical and conditional, if thy children will keepe my couenant, &c. In that which is promiſed and prophecied touching Chriſt, obſerue
The Manner of the promiſe, the Lord hath made a faithfull oath vntounto Dauid, and he ſhall not ſhrinke from it, verſ. 11.
The matter of the promiſe,
1. That the Meſſias is to bee borne of Dauids ſeed, of the fruit of thy body.
2. That the Meſſias is to ſit on Dauids ſeate, ſhall I ſet vponupon thy ſeate.
The Lord hath made a faithfull oath] Men vſe to ſweare by him, that is greater then themſelues, Hebr. 6.16. that is, by God; and that fortCaluin. & Ma…lorat. in Heb. 6.16. three cauſes eſpecially. 1. Becauſe God is greater then themſelues in credit. 2. Greater then themſelues in knowledge. 3. Greater then themſelues in power. Men by ſinne hauehave loſt their credit, and therefore doe they pawne the credit of God, which is truth it ſelfe; and in caſes of neceſſity, for want of other ſufficient proofe, God is content to pledge his truth for honeſt men, who meane well. All men are by natureuPſal. 116.10. & Pſalm. 62.9. lyars, andxMark. 10.18. onelyonly God is good and true, wherefore men vſe to ſweare by him, as being greater inyPrimaſius, Lombard. in Heb. 6. credit.
2. An oath is for the manifeſtation of a ſecret truth or intention of the heart: for to ſweare in things apparant, is to take the name of God in vaine. But God alone is the ſearcher of thez2. Chron. 6.30. heart andaPſalm 7.10. reines; and therefore men vſe to ſweare by him, as greater inbSee Thomas 22 a. quaeſt. 89. art. 1. knowledge.
3. If a man violate his oath and forſweare himſelfe, the wrong is done directly vntounto God, his truth is falſified, his witneſſe abuſed, his name blaſphemed, and therfore men ſweare by him, as being greater in power,c2. King. 2.23. that he may take vengeance on ſuch wretches as dare wrong his ſacred Maieſty.
But God as hauing none greater to ſweare by, ſware by himſelfe to fatherdGen. 22.16.18. Abraham, in thy ſeed all the nations of the earth ſhall be bleſſed. This oath is renued againe to Iſaac, Gen. 26.3. and repeated often vntounto Dauid. 2. Sam. 7.12.13. and 1. Chron. 17.12. and 2. Chron. 6.16. and remembred alſo by the Prophets, Eſay 55.3. Pſalm. 89.34. It was in him exceeding rich mercy, to giuegive his bare word, that he would in the fulneſſe of time, giuegive his only begotten Sonne for the redemption of the world, ſaying, the ſeed of the woman ſhall breake the ſerpents head: but it was vndoubtedly greater mercy, for his ſeruants better aſſurance, to bind his promiſe with a faithfull oath, ſwearing by his holineſſe that hee will not ſhrinke from it. See my notes vponupon Pſalme. 110. verſ. 4.
Of thy fruit of thy body] Saint Peter expounds this of Chriſt, Act. 2.30. for according to the fleſh hee was the ſeed and ſonne of Dauid. eLib. 3. cap. 27.Irenaeus, andfIn loc. Auguſtine, andgHugo in loc. other Doctours note, that it is according to the Hebrew de fructu ventris, of the fruit of thy belly: not de fructu femoris aut renum. Becauſe thy promiſed ſeed is the ſeed of the woman, Geneſ. 3.15. made of a woman, Gal. 4.4. hauing the materials of his body from his mother Mary, but his formale principium, from God the holy Ghoſt, agent in his admirable conception. And yet for as much as Mary was of Dauids houſe, it may bee ſaid that her ſonne was the fruit of Dauids body. For proofe whereof, it is ſaid thathGen. 47.29. Ioſeph put his hand vnderunder Iacobs thigh, and the ſeruant ofiGen. 24.2. Abraham vnderunder the thigh of his maſter, becauſe (ſaithkDe Abra. Patriar. lib. 1. cap. 9. Ambroſe) Chriſt our bleſſed Sauiour, was to proceed out of the loynes of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob. For as Chriſtians taking an oath in our time, lay their hands vponupon ſome part of that ſacred book wherein Chriſt is reuealed: ſo the Fathers in old time put their hands vnderunder the thighes of thoſe Patriarches, of whom Chriſt was then to come. Moreouer, Sonnes are called the fruit of the fathers venter, as well as of the mothers; according to that of Dauid; 2. Sam. 16.11. Behold my ſonne which came out of mine owne bowels, ſeeketh my life.
Shall I ſet vponupon thy ſeate] You hauehave heard, how Chriſt is the ſeed of Dauid; now let vsus examine, how he ſits on the ſeate of Dauid. Wee reade in the Goſpels hiſtory, that heelIoh. 6.15. hid himſelfe in a mountaine, when as the people would hauehave made him a King, and that hee profeſſed openly before Pilate, mIoh. 18.36.my kingdome is not of this world. nD. Incognitus.Anſwere is made, that by Dauids ſeate, is meant HieruſalemoGalath. 4.26. aboue; not Hieruſalem here below, myſticall Hieruſalem, andpApoc. 21.2. heauenly, not materiall and earthly. So the Lord, Pſalm. 2.6. I hauehave ſet my King vponupon mine holy hill of Sion, that is, I hauehave made my begotten ſonne ruler and head ouer the whole Church, of which Hieruſalem is a figure. Sion, and the ſeate of Dauid, are to bee conſtrued here typically, not topically. For Chriſts high and holy kingdome is internall and ſpirituall, not exaernall and temporall.qAuguſtin. & Theophylact. in Ioan. 18. See Recognit. Bellarmin. à pag. 26. ad pag. 46. It is hîc, not hinc; in the world, but not of the world. By the preaching of his word, which is the ſcepter of his kingdome, hee rules in therPſal. 110.1.2. middeſt of his enemies, and makes them all his foot-ſtoole, conuerting ſuch enemies as appertaine to Gods election, and confounding ſuch enemies, as are the ſons of perdition; his Goſpell is vntounto the one, theſ2. Cor. 2.16 ſauour of life vntounto life; and to the other, the ſauour of death vntounto death. See my notes vponupon the 110. Pſalme 2. and third verſ.
tSee Auguſt. in tract. 115. in Joan.As his kingdome is not of the world; ſo the faithfull his voluntarie ſubiects are not of the world, Ioh. 17.16. you were of the world (ſaith our Sauiour to his followers) but I hauehave choſen you out of the world, Ioh. 15.19. As his kingdome is ſpirituall, euen ſo they beeuRom. 8.14. led by the ſpirit inxIoh. 2.27. all things. And therefore when you come into Gods houſe, to be made partakers of his holy word and Sacraments, open the doores of your eares, and gates of your hearts, that theyPſal. 24.7. King of glory may come in, and ſo dwell in you, and raigne in you for euermore. Behold, hee ſtandeth at the doore and knocketh, Apoc. 3.20. Open and obey, that hee may ſet vp his kingdome in the parlour of thine heart. It is our daily prayer, thy kingdome come: the meaning whereof is briefly this, O heauenly father, let not Satan and ſinne raigne in our ſoules, but rule thou by thy word and ſpirit, and ſo build in vsus the kingdome of grace, and haſten the kingdome of glory.
The difference betweene our heauenly King, and earthly Princes is great. 1. Their dominions are limited, and the borders of their kingdomes bounded, their people numbred, & the time of their raigne preſcribed. But Chriſt hathzMat. 28.18. all power in heauen and earth, he ſhall ſit vponupon the Throne of Dauid for euer, and of his kingdome there is no end, Luk. 1.33.
2. Other Kings hauehave power onelyonly ouer our bodies and goods: but Chriſts authority reacheth vntounto the ſoule. Their ſword is materiall, able onelyonly to kill the body: but his ſword is ſpirituall, proceeding out of hisaApoc. 1.16. mouth, able to deſtroybMat. 10.28. both ſoule and body in hell, entring thorow euen vntounto the diuiding aſunder of the ſpirit, and of the ioynts, and the marrow, a diſcerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart, Heb. 4.12.
3. Other Kings deriue their authority from him, Prouerb. 8.15. By me Kings raigne, by me Princes rule; and ſtand accountable to him, he ſtandeth in the congregation of Princes, and iudgeth among gods, Pſalm. 82.1.2. But who ſhall ſay to the Lord of Lords, Why doest thou ſo?
4. Other Kings reward their fauourites and followers, onelyonly with a few titles of honour, or with a few parcels of land, which are holden of them in fee-farme, frank-almoign, Knights-ſeruice, &c. They make not their vaſſals heires apparant to their kingdomes: but Chriſt our Lord maketh all his faithfull ſeruants no leſſe thencApoc. 1.6. Kings, anddRom. 8.17. heires of God, euen heires annexed with himſelfe.
If thy children will keepe my couenant] Literally this may be conſtrued of Dauids owne children according to the fleſh,eMollerus. who ſucceeded him in his Throne, 1072. yeeres, vntill the Meſſias, (borne of his poſterity) conſtituted an euerlaſting kingdom without end.fCaluin. According to this ſenſe, the Lord ſaith, Ezech. 21.26. I will take away the Diademe, and take off the Crowne, this ſhall be no more the ſame, I will ouerturne, ouerturne, ouerturne it, and it ſhall be no more vntill he come, whoſe right it is, and I will giuegive it him. His promiſe here concerning Chriſt, is abſolute, but his promiſe touching other of Dauids houſe, conditionall: If thy Children keepe my couenant, and my teſtimonies, that I ſhall learne them g1. Chron. 28.9.. If thou ſeeke the Lord (ſaid Dauid to his ſonne Salomon) he will bee found of thee; but if thou forſake him, hee will caſt thee off for euer. And therefore becauſe Dauids poſterity did not obſerue his law, but follow their owne inuentions; hee made them (as we reade in the Bibles hiſtory) captiues of Captaines, and gaue their kingdome to another people: firſt vntounto the bloodie Romans, and now to the barbarous Turkes; and ſo Hieruſalem heretoforehLament. 1.1. great among the Nations, and Princeſſe among the Prouinces, is made tributarie; ſhee dwelleth among the Heathen, and findeth no reſt, among all her louers ſhee hath none to comfort her, all her friends hauehave dealt vnfaithfully with her, and are made her enemies.
Myſtically theiArnobius. Caſſiodorus. Hugo. Doctors applie this vntounto the Children of Chriſt according to the ſpirit, I will ſet vponupon thy ſeate, that is, ordaine Paſtors and teachers, who ſhall ſit in thy chaire, kSo that kind of Speech is vſed, Mat. 23.2.that is, preach thy word and doctrine, for thelEpheſ. 4.11. gathering together of the Saints, and edification of the Church euermore. This was verified in the bleſſed Apoſtles, as being made Princes in all lands. Pſalm. 45.17.
In one word,mHierome. all true beleeuers in Chriſt are the ſons of God, and babes in Chriſt, and hee hath (asnEpheſ. 2.6. Paul ſpeakes) raiſed vsus vp together, and made vsus ſit together in heauenly places. His Charter is faire, Matth. 19.28. Verily I ſay vntounto you, that when the ſonne of man ſhall ſit in the Throne of his Maieſty, ye which hauehave followed me in the regeneration, ſhall alſo ſit vponupon twelue Thrones, and iudge the twelue tribes of Iſrael. And Apocal. 3.21. To him that ouercommeth will I grant to ſit with mee in my Throne, euen as I ouercome, and ſit with my Father in his Throne.
TheoLuther in loc. wicked abuſe the promiſes of God, applying them vntounto themſelues, which onelyonly belong to the true Church, the ſeed of Dauid, according to the ſpirit. So the Papiſts abuſe Chriſts promiſe, for eſtabliſhing of the Popes tyrannie,pMatth. 16.18. the gates of hell ſhall not ouercome it, and qMat. 28.20.I will be with you alway till the worlds end. Whence they conclude, that Peters boat (though it may be ſomtimes in danger) ſhall neuer bee drowned, and that the Pope (being the Churches head) cannot erre.rDr. Fulke in Matth. 16.18. Whereas theſe promiſes concerne onelyonly that Church which is built vponupon the Rocke Chriſt, and continueth in Saint Peters faith, obſeruing all things our bleſſed Sauiour commanded, as it is in our text, If thy children will keepe my couenant and teſtimonies that I ſhall learne them. But if the Biſhop and Church of Rome diſpenſe with Gods holy word, and deſpiſe his truth and teſtimony, teaching in ſtead of his infallible law,ſMat. 15.9. precepts of men, and doctrines of t1. Tim. 4.1.diuels: how ſhall this, or any the like promiſe belong to them?
So the wicked in a reprobate ſenſe, who make their bellie their god, and commit all vncleanneſſe euen with greedineſſe, abuſe theſe ſweet texts, at what time ſoeuer a ſinner, &c. and, Come to me all ye that are wearie and laden, and I will eaſe you, &c. For this promiſe concernes only ſuch as are laden, and feele the burthen of their iniquitie, hauing both a ſight and a ſenſe thereof, acknowledging that ſinne is a uEuthym. in Matth. 11.labour in accompliſhing, and a load when it is accompliſhed. It appertaineth onelyonly to ſuch as repent, and that of all their ſinne, and that from the heart, and bottome of the heart.
So the carnall Goſpellers, in comming irreuerently to the Lords Table, without any deuotion, or due reſpect to that holy Sacrament, abuſe the words of our bleſſed Sauiour, This is my body. For (as the godly MartyrxIn his laſt exam. apud. Fox, fol. 1463. Iohn Bradford well obſerued) the clauſe take, eate, is a precept; and the clauſe, this is my body, a promiſe, the bread and wine then are not vntounto any the body and blood of Chriſt, except they firſt eate and take, and none can take and eate, but byyConfeſſ. Anglican. art. 28. faith. A worthie receiuer therefore beggeth of God both a pardon of his faults, and an encreaſe of his faith. To conclude this point, in the law, the condition is, do this and liue: in the Goſpell, beleeue this and thou ſhalt be ſaued. He that neglects the precept, and yet will chalenge the promiſe, deceiueth himſelfe, hee ſhall not reſt on Gods holy hil, and ſit on his happie ſeat for euermore.