Exposition of Psalm 25, Commentary 2 · Psalm 51
The Title. To him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Pſalme of Dauid when the Prophet Nathan came vntounto him, after he had gone in to Bathſhebah.
The Title beares foure things. 1. the Author and pen-man of this Pſalme, Dauid; Gods Spirit no doubt being the inditer. 2. To whom it was committed to be ſung, To the chiefe Muſitian on Neginoth. 3. At what time, when Nathan had reprooued him. 4. The occaſion of the reproofe, his going in to Bathſhebah.
Dauid is not content verbally to vtter his repentance, or to leaue it in the periſhing books of the records of his kingdome,His repentance is cō mitted to the eternal monument of Gods booke. but he committeth it to the euerlaſting momuments of Gods booke, where of one iote cannot periſh, but ſhall endure for euer, in deſpight both of the Diuell and Antichriſt the Pope his firſt borne.
A Pſalme of Dauid.
He putteth to his name, prefixing and ſubſcribing it himſelfe, neither will ſuffer any to publiſh it but himſelf: as he was not aſhamed to ſin, he is not aſhamed to repent; as he was not aſhamed to ſin openly,Let not thoſe be aſhamed to repent for ſinne, who hauehave not bin aſhamed to ſin. Theodoſius his repentance. he is not aſhamed publikly to declare his repentance.
Theodoſius the Emperour is renowned in all the world for his humble repentance before Saint Ambroſe, after the ſlaughter at Theſſalonica, where in the place of the penitents he fell downe on his face, and ſaid, Agglutinata eſt terra anima mea, My ſoule is glued to the earth. None are aſhamed to ſinne, but all are aſhamed to repent; and ſo God powreth ſhame vponupon many, becauſe they will not honour him whom they hauehave diſhonored.
To the chiefe Muſitian, or, to him that excelleth on Neginoth.
This ſame is the title of the 4. Pſal. Lāmenatzeah oftentimes in the Scriptures is taken for the Preſidents who are chiefe in any thing, as 2. Chron. 18. & 34.18.The ſweete ſinger of Iſrael giues it to a ſweete ſinger. I thinke it to be beſt tranſlated, To him that excelleth. Neginoth was an inſtrument of muſick, vponupon which they played. So they did not only reade the Pſalmes, but alſo ſing them; yea ſo diſtinctly, that the people eaſily might vnderſtand them: not ſo much addicted to t… note or tune, as to the matter; as our Sauiour did ſing after the Communion;Mat. 26.3… and Paul commandeth it, Col. 3.16.
Muſicke is an Art very pleaſant, delectable and profitable, to ſtirre vp the affections of man to Gods ſeruice,The commodities of muſick. 2. Kin. 3.15 or to reſtraine the anger and perturbations of our nature, as was in Elizeus, who ſought for a minſtrell to appeaſe him.
But firſt we hauehave to ſee, that this excellent Pſalme is committed to an excellent perſon, who hath great cunning to put it forth to the vſe of the Church; teaching vsus hereby, that ſpirituall exerciſes are not to be put into the hands of ignorant dolts, who hauehave no wiſedome or skill to ſet forth the glorie of their God. For the ſubiect being moſt glorious, why ſhould it be concredited to ſuch as hauehave neither learning nor wiſdome? And if that ſinging ſhould hauehave ſo worthy inſtruments, what do ye thinke of the preaching of the Goſpell? of which the Apoſtle ſaith, Who can be ſufficient for thoſe things? Happie then is that Church when learned men are promoted to good places, whereby the word may be further aduanced. And in a miſerable caſe are thoſe who are committed to the charge of ignorants,Againſt ignorant and idle preachers. idle bellies, and ſuch like, who are vnfit to take the care of Gods people, for whom they ſhall be countable to God at the great day, and Gods vengeance ſhall be vponupon them in this world.
Dauid he aduanceth muſick very much, as Solomon alſo after him;1. Chron. 15.16. and the Muſicians were diſtributed into certaine claſſes and orders.Col. 3.16. 1: Cor. 14.15. The antiquitie and ancientie hereof maketh much for its commendation, for God did inuent it. This is a principall ſcience, and yet it hath few aduancers. Mens deafned eares betoken their beaſtly ignorance, who will not ſuffer themſelues to be wakened and rouſed vp from their ſecurity and ſleepe.
There are ſome good Chriſtians chalenged,Obiect. who being of a melancholious nature, are thought to abhorre all muſicke and muſicall inſtruments.Solut. But men are deceiued herein: if muſicke be free of profanitie and ſuperſtition, there is no good man of religion who cannot but like it well, and delight greatly therein. But the auarice of our age, as it hath bin the decay of many ſciences, ſo likewiſe of this.Nota. The Church being ſpoiled of her rents, is not able to entertaine this ſcience as it ſhould be; which God ſupply whē he thinketh time. And this I ſay not, that I do like either the profanitie of beaſtly men, that in ſtead of heauenly ſongs ſing bawdie ballads; or of ſuch ſuperſtitious Papiſts; who ſing and tune Latine words in their Maſſes, thereby mocking God, and making religion a ſport. But the abuſe of that ſcience I diſallow; the vſe I allow and approue, as moſt neceſſarie to Gods glorie. And ſeeing it will be perpetuall in the heauens, why ſhould it not begin on earth? There ſhall be a naturall, not artificial ſong; of which we ſhall ſing for euer the ſong of Moſes the ſeruant of God.Apoc. 15.3 Let vsus therefore begin on earth, learne of our Gamma, and enter into our Alphabet here,Nota. that we may be perfect Muſitians, when we become perfect our ſelues in glorie. Here let vsus ſing with grace in our hearts to the Lord,Col. 3 16. reiecting vaine, idolatrous and profane ballads, and ſing ſpiritually vntounto the Lord.
When Nathan the Prophet came to him. Dauid (as is thought) lay a yeare almoſt in this ſinne aſleep, till God wakened him by Nathan, Ionah 1.6.as he did Ionas by the Pilot. It is certaine we would ſleep vntounto death before we awake from ſinne, if God did not put vponupon vsus,Man is lying aſleepe till God waken him and ſtirre vsus vp. We are ſo benummed by the ſpirit of ſlumber, and poſſeſſed by a lethargie, that all our ſenſes are ſtupified till Nathan come and awake vsus.
Next, God ſends him that which he praied for, euen a faithful admoniſher.Pſal. 119. One Prophet cometh to another: yea a greater then himſelfe;1. King. 13.18. not as the old Prophet came to the yong at Bethel to deceiue him, but as a father to admoniſh his child.
Paſtors ſhould freely rebuke the vices one of anotherThere ſhould be an holy freedome and libertie among Preachers, each one ſhould freely rebuke another when they ſee them doing wrong. One ſhould not winke at an other, as moſt part do; and others being reproued, rage mightily, ſaying with Zidkiah, When went the Spirit of the Lord out of me to thee? They rebuke the rebuker,1. King. 22 24. Eſa. 30.1… They ſay to the Prophet, Prophecie not.
Obſerue moreouer, that Nathan cometh firſt to Dauid, not Dauid to Nathan: the Phyſitian to the patient, not the patient to the Phyſitian. Chriſt himſelfe came to the ſinners and Publicans, and called them to repentance.
This is againſt the pride of ſome,Mat. 9.13. Againſt the pride and lazineſſe of Preachers and lazineſſe of others, who will not come or take the paines to viſit weake Chriſtians, yea will ſcarce admit them to their preſence when they come, as though they were Princes. Woe to their pride who come not to the ſicke, and heale not the broken, (as ſaith the Prophet) but feed themſelues with the fat of the ſheepe.
Let none of higher gifts deſpiſe thoſe of lower. Acts 9.17.God vſeth Nathan a Prophet, inferiour to Dauid both in Prophecie, wiſedome and other gifts, to be an inſtrument to warne Dauid. Let none then of greater gifts deſpiſe thoſe of leſſer. Ananias taught Paul, and here Nathan Dauid.
After he had gone in to Bathſheba. Albeit Dauid thought he had hid himſelfe well enough, yet God found him out by Nathan. Adam hid himſelfe among the buſhes, but God called to him.Gen. 3.8. Where art thou? Let vsus not then dreame, that God doth not ſee vsus, and whatſoeuer ſtarting holes we ſeeke to hide our ſelues in. The woman lighteth the candle,Luk. 15.4. and findeth the loſt pennie; and our Shepheard will ſeeke his loſt ſheepe, and bring it home againe. No whither can we go from the all-ſeeing eye of God.
Gone in to Bathſheba. As Dauid was an example of the frailtie of mans nature, and Nathan of a faithfull Preacher; ſo Dauid ſetteth down what euils do come of the beautie of women, which is conioyned with impudencie and leuitie. For if ſhe had not waſhed her ſelfe naked before the pallace, and conſented ſo readily to the King,Againſt the impudency of women. that he ſhould come in to her (a filthy action ſpoken in cleane termes, as Chriſtians ſhould do the like) there had not bin ſuch abhominable crimes committed. She repreſenteth many women in our days, ſhameleſly haunting ſuch places where they may giuegive occaſion to mē to ſuit after thē,Gen. 38.1… as Tamar ſitting by the high way when Iudah came by. This doth not diſgrace honeſt women, but rather giueth them matter to glorifie God, who hath not ſuffered them to be deborde in their filthy affections. As the wiſe mariner ſeeing others by throwing themſelues in danger ſuffer ſhipwrack,Simi… thanketh God who kept him from the like; ſo honeſt women may praiſe God that he hath preſerued their honeſtie, which was not in their owne hand.
Beautie a bleſsing of God, if not abuſed.Beautie is not to be euill thought of, being a benefit and bleſſing of God: but the abuſe of beautie, by the tentation of the diuell and deceitfulneſſe of our owne nature, when Satan allureth vsus to diſhonour God, and deſtroy that goodly peece of workmanſhip which God hath made vp in vsus, by that which ſhould hauehave bin an inſtrument to prouoke vsus to Gods ſeruice.Pro. 31.3… Beautie is deceitfull. Abſoloms beautie deceiued him,2. S…. 14.15 and many with him hauehave beautie, but hauehave no grace to vſe it well.
Finally, I ſee both the perſons are noted by their names, and not obſcured: wherein the Spirit of God in his word, as in a true mirror and glaſſe, repreſenteth eueryevery ones naturall face, either in their beautie or in their blemiſhes. So Iohn Baptiſt ſpoke particularly to Herod, Math. 14.4.and the Prophets to their Princes. They cloſed not vp their reproofes vnderunder generalities, that they might interprete them any way which pleaſed them beſt; but called blacke, blacke, ſowre, ſowre, and ſweete.whoſoeuer ſin openly, ought opē ly to be rebuked. ſweete. For particular applications to eminent perſons is moſt requiſite; and thoſe that ſin openly, ſhould be openly rebuked, that others may ſtand in awe.