A Two Edged Sword out of the Mouth of Babes, Introduction
Introduction ſhewing the ſcope and parts of the Pſalme.THe 4th. Verſe of this Pſalme, is the key of the whole Pſalme, What is man that thou art mindfull of him? or the ſon of man, that thou viſiteſt him? And it fully manifeſts, that the whole ſcope of this Pſalme is to glorifie God for the ſingular dignity that God hath put upon Man above all other Creatures; and this dignity or glory of man is exemplified in Two particulars. Firſt,
That God hath choſen out this creature Man, whoſe originall is from being a Babe and a Suckling to bee his Champion, whereby he will quell and deſtroy all his enemies; that is in this ſecond Verſe. The other Branch is,
2.That God hath choſen this creature Man to be his Viceroy, his Deputy, to rule and govern all the workes of his hands: God hath truſted him ſo farre, as to put all that hee hath made under Mans feet; and having done theſe two things for him, made him his Champion to conquer his enemies, and the Maſter of his houſe for the governing of his friends; what remaines more to bee done for him, this is to bee a little inferiour to God himſelfe; Lord, what is man, that thou art thus mindfull of him? or the ſonne of man, that thou ſhouldeſt thus viſit him? Analyſis of the Text.The firſt of theſe two, Mans being choſen to bee Gods Champion, to ſtill or quiet Gods enemies; I have choſen to ſpeake of this day: and in it there are theſe two things to bee handled. Firſt,
1.Who it is upon whom this great honour is conferred, deſcribed in theſe words, Babes and Sucklings. Secondly,
2.The dignity or honour that is put upon them in the other words, Out of the mouth of theſe Babes and Sucklings thou haſt ordained ſtrength, becauſe of thine enemies, to ſtill the Enemy and the Avenger: And this ſecond Branch hath two remarkable particulars. Firſt,
1.The dignity it ſelfe which is put upon him, or what the ſavour is, that hee hath received, and that is ſtrength, and ſuch ſtrength as ſhall quell all Gods enemies, the enemy and the avenger.
2.The way and manner how this ſtrength is exerciſed, that is, by the mouth; Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings haſt thou ordained ſtrength. For the interpretation of the words, all doe agree that Man is the ſubject here meant, but of what Man, is a great queſtion. Interpretation of the Text, what is meant by Babes and Sucklings.I finde the greateſt part of Interpreters to agree, that it is meant of the firſt Adam, Adam in his Creation, who was lifted up above all the reſt of the creatures, as Lord and King over them; and ſo it is nothing, (as they conceive) but the praiſing of God for the excellency that Man was endued with in the day wherein God created him, or formed him out of the duſt of the earth: but whoſoever will ſeriouſly conſult the New Teſtament, where this Pſalme is three ſeverall times quoted, ſhall evidently finde, that this is meant, Eſay. 53. 3.not of Man in his creation, but of Man in his renovation, not of the firſt Adam, but of the ſecond Adam, of the Lord Chriſt, primarily I ſay; who grew up as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground, a poore deſpicable beginning, made like the ſonnes of Men, partaker of their nature; and ſecondarily, of his brethren and ſeed with him, who though they have their originall from being Babes and Sucklings, as all other men have, yet they are the prime and the choice of all the ſonnes of Men, and upon them hath the Lord beſtowed this great honour, as to ordaine ſtrength out of their mouth, to quell all his and their enemies. And that this is the meaning, I ſhall firſt demonſtrate to you out of the Scripture; Matth. 21. 9 15, 16. opened and explained.Conſider the 21 of Matthew, verſe 15, 16. there you will finde that when our Saviour Chriſt rode upon an Aſſe into Jeruſalem, which was but a little before his paſſion, God did then inſpire the multitude of all Chriſts Diſciples to owne him for their Meſſiah; and accordingly both by the way as hee came into the City, and in the Temple, after hee was come into the City, all the Diſciples, yea, the very young ones, who had but newly learned to know him, did all ſing, Hoſanna to the ſonne of David, which was an acclamation taken out of the 118 Pſalme, verſe 25, 26. the words there are, Save now I beſeech thee O Lord, O Lord I beſeech thee ſend now proſperity; bleſſed is bee that commeth in the Name of the Lord. This the Scribes and Phariſees did take to bee ſuch an intolerable blaſphemy, that they ſhould aſcribe unto Chriſt that Divine acclamation which was peculiar to God, that they come to Chriſt, and aske him, Heareſt thou what theſe ſay? canſt thou being but a man endure this, that Hoſanna ſhould bee ſung unto thee, that the praiſes and glory due to God, ſhould bee attributed to thee who art a man? Yes, (ſaith Chriſt) I doe heare it; but have not you read, That out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings thou haſt ordained praiſe, &c. which I confeſſe ſome Interpreters doe conceive to bee meant onelyonly thus, that now was fulfilled that of the Pſalme, that Babes ſhould acknowledge him, when Rulers rejected him; but that cannot bee all the meaning, for it is cleare that the Scribes and Phariſees did intimate, that Chriſt ought not to permit them them thus to blaſpheme; it was blaſphemy to aſcribe that to him that was peculiar onelyonly to God; and Chriſt alledges this Text as an apology for himſelfe, why he did receive that acclamation, which hee might not have done, if the Pſalme had not acknowledged it to bee his due; and had not this been a due acknowledgement of theirs, Chriſt could not thus have excuſed them, children may not be allowed to ſpeak blaſphemy: But the other Scriptures will yet make it plainer,Heb. 2 6, 7, 8. Heb. 2. v. 6, 7. this Pſalme is brought to prove, that Jeſus Chriſt as Man hath all things put under him. One in a certaine place teſtified, What is Man that thou art mindfull of him? or the ſonne of Man that thou viſited'ſt him? Thou madeſt him a little lower then the Angels, and crownedſt him with honour, and didſt ſet him over the workes of thy hands, thou haſt put all things in ſubjection under him; and then goes on, We ſee not all things yet put under Man, but wee ſee Jeſus, who was made a little lower then the Angels for the ſuffering of death, crowned with honour and glory; though this dignity of having all things put under his feet, is not made good to other men, we ſee it is made good of Chriſt. And as plaine you'll finde this in 1 Cor. 15. ver. 25, 27. there it is ſaid of Jeſus Chriſt, ver. 25. Hee muſt reigne untill bee hath put all his enemies under his feet, Ʋ. 26. Yea, the great enemy death it ſelfe, The laſt enemy which ſhall bee d…ſtroyed is death; and the proofe of all this is in verſe 27, taken out of this Pſalme, For hee hath put all things under his feet. 1 Cor. 15. 25, 26, 27.And theſe two laſt Scriptures are ſo cleare, that I finde many Learned Interpreters agree that the latter part of this Pſalme, from the 4 Verſe to the end, is meant of Chriſt, and can bee meant of none but Chriſt; but ſo muſt the whole Pſalme alſo, for the Prophet ſpeakes of the ſame Adam, or race of men, throughout the Pſalme: beſides, there is no word in all this Pſalme, of ſubduing of enemies, but onelyonly in this ſecond verſe. Now to this I might adde, that ſome other expreſſions in this Pſalme doe further cleare it, as verſe 5. Thou maedeſt him a little lower then the Angels, ſo wee tranſlate it, but in the Hebrew it is, Thou madeſt him a little lower then God, Phil. 2. 6. 7.the word is Elohim, which is parallel to that expreſſion of the 2 of the Philippians, Though our Lord was in the forme of God, and thought it no robbery to bee equall with him, yet hee made himſelfe of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a ſervant, & was made in the likeneſſe of men: And ſome Criticks conceive, (though I build not upon it) that there is a further proofe out of the very Title of the Pſalme, Pſal. 81. Pſ. 84.it is a Pſalme upon Gittith, the word from whence it is derived, ſignifies a Winepreſſe; and they conceive that this Pſalme, and the reſt which beare this Title, were uſually ſung vindemiarum, or torcularium tempore, at the time of treading their Winepreſſes, which was about the feaſt of Tabernacles, the feaſt which typified the Incarnation of Jeſus Chriſt. Yea, they note further, that the reſt of the Pſalmes upon Gittith, are Pſalmes which relate to the Incarnation of our Saviour. This then I ſuppoſe wee may take as cleare, that by the Babes and Sucklings here meant, are our Lord Chriſt, and his ſeed; the ſecond Adam, the ſeed of the woman: The reſt is eaſie, To theſe Babes and Sucklings the Lord hath ordained ſtrength, that they ſhall quell Gods enemies, becauſe of thine enemies, and the enemy and the avenger. If it bee demanded, who? and what are theſe enemies? the anſwer is ready, plainely, if by the Babes and Sucklings bee meant the ſeed of the Woman; What is meant by enemies, and the enemy, and avenger.by enemies, and the enemy and the avenger, can bee underſtood none, but the ſeed of the Serpent; the one is the Church militant, the other is the Church malignant, Satan and all his children, his. Inſtruments, and his followers, theſe are the oppoſite party; and elſewhere is Satan called the enemy and the avenger, as Pſalme 44. By reaſon of the enemy and the avenger all this is come upon us; ideſt, through the malice and power of the Devill and his inſtruments. But that lie and his ſeed, are the known and onelyonly enemies of God and his Chriſt, his Church, and his people, is ſo cleare, that it is altogether needleſſe to adde any further proofe. To theſe babes and ſucklings (ſaith my Text) the Lord hath given ſtrength: What is meant by ſtrength.Strength, what is that? the Lxx. Interpreters render it, thou haſt ordained praiſe, and ſo it is quoted in the 21 of Matthew, but the word plainly ſignifies ſtrength; and as the Learned doe obſerve, it is robur celebrandum, robur laude dignum, eminent ſtrength, praiſe-worthy ſtrength, glorious ſtrength, ſuch ſtrength as ſhall ſtill thy enemies; What by ſtill or quell.ſtill, that is the next word, That thou mighteſt ſtill the enemy; the word that is tranſlated ſtill, is ſometimes render'd ſilentium imponere, to ſtop their mouthes, theſe Babes ſhall bee able in diſputing, to ſtop the mouthes of the adverſaries, that they ſhall ceaſe to blaſpheme; but frequently it ſignifieth, removere, ceſſare facere, perdere, redigere in nihilum, to remove, deſtroy, wholly to take away, and becauſe it is here uſed in reference to enemies, I conceive this latter here to bee intended, that theſe babes and ſucklings have received ſtrength to overcome, and wholly to deſtroy all Gods and their enemies. What is meant by mouthLaſtly, for the meaning of this other word mouth, Out of the mouth of babes, &c. the cleare meaning is, as ſhall (Godwilling) ſully appeare afterward, that all this ſtrength whereby they thus overcome their enemies, proceeds out of their mouth. So then the ſumme of it all amounts to thus much, Out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings haſt thou ordained ſtrength, becauſe of thy enemies, that thou mighteſt quell the Enemy and the Avenger; that when Satan the Devill had caſt Man from that excellency that God had given him at his Creation, even the Lordſhip and dominion over the creatures, and brought him into ſpirituall ſlavery and bondage, and had himſelf become the Lord of the world, ruling and domineering in the hearts of all: God having a purpoſe to quell & deſtroy the power of this adverſary, chuſes out a Champion, raiſes up a generation to undertake him, and in his choice did not pitch upon the ſeed of Angels, who might ſeeme equall matches for the Devill and all his followers, but chuſes out the Creature, Man, (whoſe original is from being a babe ſuckling, an unlikely Creature to cope with ſuch an enemy) and ſends his owne Sonne to bee borne, and to become even a babe and ſuckling, and ſo in all, other things like unto men, except their ſinne, and culls out a certaine number of ſinfull men to joyne with, and under him, and theſe hath hee endued with ſuch valour and ſtrength, that (how unlikely ſoever it appeare to fleſh and blood) they ſhall tread under feet all the power of Gods and their enemies; and the peculiar way and manner of their fighting and overcomming, is by a force proceeding out of their mouth. The words thus interpreted, doe afford two excellent Inſtructions.
Doct. 1.That though it bee very unlikely to fleſh and blood, to ſenſe and reaſon; yet Chriſt and his ſeed have ſufficient ſtrength wholly to rout and deſtroy all their enemies. The ſecond is,
Doct. 2.That all that power and ſtrength which Chriſt and his followers are endued with, proceeds out of their mouth: Out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings haſt thou ordained ſtrength to quell thy enemies.