Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 112
The Hundred and Twelfth PSALM.
‖Hallelujah: ſee note a. on Pſal. 111.Praiſe ye the Lord.
The hundred and twelfth Pſalm is a deſcription of the preſent employments and felicities of the truly pious wan, ſuch as do much tend to the honour and praiſe of God, who is ſo exceeding gracious unto all his ſervants, that there cannot be a greater freedom and bliſs than to be in the number of them. And therefore the Pſalm, which deſcribes this, is by the Hebrews intituled Hallelujah, though there be no other expreſs praiſing of God in it. It is compoſed like the former, the ſeveral ſhort metres beginning with the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.
1. BLeſſed is the man that feareth the Lord, †be delighteth foreignthat delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Paraphrase. 1. There is no true felicity but that which conſiſts in a moſt carefull performance of all the commandments of God, ſtrictly abſtaining from all that may diſpleaſe him, and chearfully practiſing all that he requires of us. And indeed there is no ſuch ſecurity of all true durable delight and pleaſure as this, the preſent gratefulneſs, and the ſucceeding comforts of ſuch practices to any truly vertuous mind, are a continual feaſt, of all others the moſt exceeding, and all other pleaſures in reſpect of this are nothing worth.
2. His ſeed ſhall be mighty upon the earth; the generation of the upright ſhall be bleſſed.
Paraphrase. 2. And as this is the moſt pleaſurable, ſo is it the moſt thriving skilfull method to bring all greatneſs and flouriſhing upon any family, to advance and inrich the poſterity. For as long as God hath the diſpoſing of the good things of this world, honour and wealth, &c. 'tis unreaſonable to imagine that any ſubtleties or policies, projects or ambitions of ours, which have impiety in them, and thereby forfeit all title to God's benedictions, ſhall be near ſo ſucceſsfull toward our preſent worldly intereſts, as a ſtrict piety and conſtant adherence to the ways of God.
3. Wealth and riches ſhall be in his houſe, and his righteouſneſs endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 3. The promiſe of the greateſt abundance and confluence of earthly felicities being by God intailed on the perſons and families of ſuch men, as well as the eternal rewards in another world. (See 1 Tim. 4.8.)
4. Unto the upright there ariſeth light in the darkneſs; he is gracious, and full of compaſſion, and righteous.
5. A good man ſheweth favour and lendeth; he will guide his *or words foreignaffairs with ‖judgment foreigndiſcretion.
6. Surely he ſhall not be moved for ever: the righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance.
Paraphrase. 4, 5, 6. And if any affliction at any time befall ſuch (as the promiſes of felicities in this world are always to be taken with the exception of the croſs, ſome mixtures of afflictions for gracious and wiſe ends, the puniſhing our ſins here, that they be not puniſht hereafter, the curing our ſpiritual maladies, and exerciſing our graces) yet are there ſuch allays joyned with it, ſuch ſtrengths to ſupport, and ſuch ſeaſonable and oft unexpected iſſues and deliverances out of it, that this cannot be lookt on otherwiſe than as a ſpecial work of his mercifull providence toward them. And (which is oft to be obſerved) this ſupply from God of allays and comforts in affliction, together with timely deliverances out of it, ſhall certainly be performed unto good men, not onelyonly becauſe 'tis promiſed them, and therefore ſhall not fail them, but alſo becauſe 'tis made over to them from God's ſpecial providence, as a reward moſt fitly apportioned to ſeveral graces in them: as 1. to their charity and bounty and compaſſion to others, giving and lending to all that are in diſtreſs, God hath promiſed ſuch, by way of proportionable reward, that they ſhall receive mercy as the wages of their mercifulneſs, and not onelyonly in another world, but in this, they ſhall be bleſſed on earth, Pſal. 37.25. So 2. to diſcreet moderation and temper both of their words and actions. Good men, if they be throughly, ſincerely ſuch, are meek, and not apt to be impatient in words or deeds, and ſo they contribute much to the allaying of their afflictions, and ſoftening their perſecutors, both which ragefull and impatient behaviour is wont to exaſperate. And then 'tis over and above, a reward of their patience and meekneſs and diſcretion, which God hath allotted them to temper and ſweeten and timely to remove their ſufferings who bear them ſo well, at leaſt to afford them ſtrength, to make them very ſupportable. By theſe means, whatever miſadventures they may for a time meet with here, God will aſſuredly provide for them, yea and for their poſterity (if they go on conſtantly in their ſteps) he will give them ſtability in the proſperities of this life; and becauſe a good name after death is as great a bleſſing as wealth or honour in this life, that proportion ſhall be ſecured to them alſo, their memory ſhall be freſh and flouriſhing among all poſterities (when their bodies are rotten in their graves) and by their example they ſhall benefit many, when by their actions they can no longer oblige them.
7. He ſhall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixt, truſting in the Lord.
8. His heart is eſtabliſhed, he ſhall not be afraid, untill he ‖look upon his oppreſſors.ſee his deſire upon his enemies.
Paraphrase. 7, 8. Another ſpecial privilege there is that belongs to every pious man. His adherence to God and dependence on him is an amulet againſt all worldly fears or apprehenſions; when the news of danger or miſery, the one imminent, the other already preſent, aſſaults him, it is not able to diſquiet or diſturb him. The reaſon is, he hath reſigned his whole being into God's wiſeſt diſpoſal, and is aſſuredly perſwaded that his divine choices are to be preferred, that what he ſends or permits to fall, is fitter for his turn than any thing elſe that he could chuſe for himſelf, and conſequently that if God ſees it not good for him, he will avert it before it come, or remove it ſpeedily: and by this one aſſurance he is compleatly fortified, not onelyonly for a patient, but chearfull entertainment of all that is or ſhall come, remains unmoved, and well pleaſed with God's preſent diſpenſations, whatſoever they are, and ſo conſtantly continues, till the ſame hand that ſent them give him releaſe and deliverance out of them, which in God's good time ſhall be done alſo.
9. He hath diſperſed, he hath given to the poor, his righteouſneſs endureth for ever; his horn ſhall be exalted with honour.
Paraphrase. 9. As for his charity and conſtant liberality to the poor, (which is a ſpecial piece of piety, and interpreted by God as if it were done to himſelf) it never goes unrewarded. One crown is reſerved for it, eternal felicity in another world; which though a gift of God's free bounty, ſhall then be diſperſed with reſpect to the performances of this kind (ſee Matt. 25.34, &c.) And another is preſently beſtowed here; wealth, and honour, and a moſt flouriſhing condition in this world, is very frequently the viſible and diſcernible, and when not ſo, yet the ſecret unobſervable reward of this one ſort of piety, being promiſed to it more peculiarly than to …ny other good works. Deut. 26.11.13. Pſal. 41.2.37.26. Prov. 11.24, 25, 26, 27.13.22.14.21.19.17.22.9.28.27. Mar. 10.30.
10. The wicked ſhall ſee it, and be grieved, he ſhall gnaſh with his teeth and melt away; the deſire of the wicked ſhall periſh.
Paraphrase. 10. To conclude, the felicities of piety even in this life are ſuch, as are matter of real envy and trouble and indignation to the wicked, who cannot chuſe but ſee it, and ſecretly confeſs it, and repine and malign and be diſquieted at it, whilſt themſelves, be they never ſo intent and induſtrious in the getting and keeping of worldly wealth, do yet ſenſibly decay and grow hinderly, all their deſigns and indirect methods of thriving are curſt and blaſted, and purſued with a continual improſperouſneſs; yield them no kind of fruit in this world, yet coſt them full dear in another.
Annotations on Pſal. CXII.
foreignV. 8. See his deſire] The phraſe foreign ſhall ſee, in compoſition with foreign on his diſtreſſers or oppreſſors, hath been already explained, Note on Pſal. 44. c. in reference to David at that time. 'Tis uſed again Pſal. 59.10. foreign God ſhall let me ſee or look on mine enemies; and Pſal. 92. foreign Mine eye hath lookt on mine enemies, and mine ear hath heard of them that riſe up againſt me, i. e. ſeen and heard of their deſtruction v. 10. and ſo the Chaldee reads foreign on the ruine — So Pſal. 118.7. foreign I ſhall look upon my haters: the LXXII. reade, foreign, I ſhall behold my enemies, i. e. having God for my auxiliary, I ſhall without fear look on them. Here it is applied more generally to all pious men, and muſt ſtill be rendred ſhall behold or look upon his oppreſſors or diſtreſſers; the meaning ſtill being proportionable, he ſhall behold them ſecurely, confidently look in their faces, as we ſay, as being now no longer under their power, being freed from their tyranny and preſſures. The Chaldee, which rendred it Pſal. 44. by ſeeing revenge, here change it into foreign redemption, deliverance from his diſtreſs.
V. 10. Melt away] foreign here, foreignfrom foreign to diſſolve or melt, being joyned with ſeeing, grieving and gnaſhing with the teeth, expreſſions of the wicked man's envy, may be thought to belong to the ſame matter, conſuming or melting away with grief. But the word ſignifying any kind of melting, conſumption, or diſſolution, outward of the eſtate, as well as inward of the mind, that particularly which is cauſed by putrefaction, that may as probably be the notion of it here; and ſo it beſt agrees with that which follows, the deſire of the wicked ſhall periſh. Whilſt pious men thrive and proſper, wicked men decay, conſume, melt away, and all their covetouſneſs, worldly-mindedneſs, earneſt purſuit of wealth (ſo foreign deſire imports) comes to nought and periſheth. The Syriack therefore for melting reade foreign ſhall be taken away or deſtroyed.