Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 3 · Psalms · Psalm 130 – Psalm 131
PSAL. CXXX.
THis is the twelfth Psalme of Degrees, rightly so called, because that from the lowest ebb of misery, it is ascended to the highest degree of felicity, even to the Lord; to whom he saith, that he cryed out of the deep. Vers. 1.The Papists use this Psalme only for the dead thus sacrilegiously taking the use of it away from the living; whereas it is a very treasury of great comfort to all, that are pressed under the burthen of their sinnes. So Calvin, Calvin.From the deeps have I cryed unto thee; being heavy laden, and pressed with miseries. Basil, Out of the depth of my heart: Not from my tongue within Basil. August. Vers. 3.my mouth only. Augustine, Out of the depth of sin, under which I lay most deep: as appeareth, because he addeth, If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities, who shall stand? And none of the ancient Fathers ever found any Purgatory here, or ground of praying for theis Soules there, till that blindnesse and ignorance, raigning amongst the Papists, found it out. Let us joyne Calvin and Augustine together, and Basil also; and then we shall come to the true sense. Out of not one depth, but depths of sin, and sorrowes coming for sin, and out of the bottome of my heart I have cryed; that is, with all Iam. 5. 16.earnestnesse, for so our praying must be, that we may prevaile. Of afflictions called deeps, see Psa. 69. 3. 15. and Psal. 42. And sin is a depth, because Isa. Psal. 38. 4.men dig deep to hide it, and the sinner lyeth under sin, as under a burthen too heavy to be borne, and so low, that he is almost in the bottomlesse, and therefore deepest pit of Hell; and deep sighs and groanes are the intercessions of the Spirit.Rom. 8. 26.
If thou shouldst observe iniquities, who can stand? but there is forgivenesse Vers: 3, 4.with thee, that thou mayst be feared. Having cryed to the Lord, Verse 1, 2. now he acknowledgeth, that without forgivenesse of his sinnes, neither he, nor any man can pray, with hope to be heard, which he, meaneth by standing: as it is said of the Publican, that he stood praying afar off. But herein lyeth the comfort of the penitent sinner, that there is forgivenesse with God; and therefore with feare and reverence, he addresseth himselfe unto him in prayer: which is meant by saying, That thou mayst be feared. Of serving God with feare, see Psal. 2. 7. …nd this must be the ground of our crying to God, being otherwise ready to flee from him in desperation: and therefore the popish Doctrine of seeking deliverance from sin, by satisfying Note. by acts of penance, and meriting by good works, and that there is no certainty by faith, is a ground of despaire; and their teaching the perfection of some, a Doctrine of presumption, and contradictory to this, Who can stand? and to all the Fathers that write hereupon. But that we may be able to lay this ground, and to pray in assurance, we must have a deep sense of our sinnes, affecting our hearts, not slightly, but deeply; as Verse 1. but in respect of the guilt and the punishment, crying out, if we should be strictly dealt withall. who can stand, and not to be put to everlasting confusion? And because most by far want this, they may pray as they do, but shall not be heard to be forgiven, and everlastingly saved.
I waited for the Lord, I waited, in his word did I hope. Here the Prophet applyeth to himselfe the ground before generally laid, viz. That there is Vers. 5.forgivenesse with the Lord; for by reason of this he waited, and that not a little while, but with perseverance▪ certainly expecting to be heard: for which the word is doubled: & for this he depended only upon this word, as every one must do, that would be saved, although he seeth nothing before him, but cause of despaire. And he illustrates his expecting, Verse 6. from a similitude of watch-men, watching for the morning light, whereof they are Vers. 6.most desirous, as being weary, especially in Winter, of the long dark and cold night: So the faithfull Soule, being weary of sin and misery, most earnestly looks and cryes for the morning light of comfort, by being assured of pardon and deliverance.
Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with him is mercy and plenteous redemption. Here he applyeth the Doctrine before going, not only to himselfe▪ but Vers. 7. 8.to all Israel; who, according to the signification of the word, would prevaile with God for pardon. And here the meanes of mercy are set forth; viz. Redemption, coming from God, when he sent his only deerly beloved Son, to pay his life for his Israel; for we are not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1. 18.
PSAL. CXXXI.
HAving bidden Israel hope in the Lord, Psal. 130. 7. now in his own person he sheweth, in what humility this must be done; viz. in such humility as is in little Children, who are without all pride. And to this he Phil. 2. 5.that humbled himselfe most low, to pay the price of our redemption, often exhorteth, averring, that who so doth not humble himselfe as a little Childe, Hieron.shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. Jerome thinks this to be spoken in the person of Christ, giving us example, O Lord my heart is not Vers. 1.haughty, &c. for indeed it was most humble; and he that s…t forth a little Child to be learned of, biddeth, Learne of me that I am humble and lowly: Matth. 11. 28.And therefore, in humility, was as a Childe new weaned, free yet from all pride. Then as an argument of humility it is said, I have not walked in great matters, and too marvellous for me. Which being understood of the Vers. 2.humane nature, agreeth very well to our Lord: for in speaking of the day of Judgment, having shewed the signes thereof, he saith, Of that day and Matth. 24. 36.houre knoweth no man, no nor the Angels of Heaven; and Marke 13. 32. Nor the Son, but the Father; But in speaking of his humility, by a similitude of a weaned Childe, it is to be noted, that he saith, If I have not quieted, and kept my Soule silent, as a weaned Childe with his Mother, as a weaned Vers. 2.Childe within my Soule: For so the words go Hebr. being a form of an Oath, and therefore in the Vulgar Latine thus supplyed, Deus retribuet animae mea: and the Cald acknowledgeth the same; an Oath, saith he, is taken to make it the more credible; and when a man by Oath bindes himselfe to any thing that is good, he will apply himselfe unto it with the greater care. And the meaning is, as a Childe is quiet with his Mother, so am I with my Father, resting in his good pleasure, and through contentation in all my sufferings, bearing a quiet minde still within me, and not sending out murmurings and complaints, after the manner of proud and impatient men. And this answers to that which was said in the former Psalme, about his waiting upon the Lord. Lastly as there, so here he ends, with applying the same to Israel; Let Israel hope in the Lord, from this time forth for ever: That is, in the like Vers. 3.humble submission to his will, not prying into his secrets, but resting in his will revealed in his word, without murmuring at any thing, and herein to be constant for ever, and not to despaire in any case.