Psalms 115

the.rebellious also, that Ihe Lord God might dwell among them. Thou hast declared as much, O God: who art gone tip thither, and hast highly exalted thyself by illustrious victories; which through their invisible ministry thou hast given us over our enemies (as the Messiah, who shall be thy sanctuary, will do far more magnificently, when, after the conquest of death, &c. he shall ascend in a bright chariot, Acts i. 9. attended with the heavenly hosts, into the highest heavens, to be exalted at thy right hand), whom by thy aid we have carried away captive, and their spoils together with them, to be distributed among thy people (an emblem of the rich gifts the Messiah shall bestow upon us, and distribute among us, after his a5cension); yea, the rebellious opposers of thee in other nations shall become proselytes to dwell with thee, O Lord God, and worship at thy sanctuary (as the gentile world shall, by that effusion of Divine gifts, submit themselves to the Messiah, the Lord God of all the world). There is great reason to think, that this Psalm was made in some time of sore distress; when their pagan enemies began to boast and brag, as if their gods were too hard for the God of Israel. But by whom it was made, or on what particular occasion, there are so many conjectures, that it will be no presumption to interpose mine, which is this: that when Jehoshaphat saw that vast army (which wc read of 2 Chron. xx. 2.) composed of several nations coming against him; and, after his prayer to God for deliverance, was encouraged by a prophet to hope for •it; (ver. 14, 15.) and had by the Lcvites given him thanks for this hope; he, or that prophet, composed this Hymn to quicken and confirm their faith in God: unto which you read he exhorted them, (ver. 20.) And it is likely that this was the Hymn which, by common consent, the singers were appointed to use, when they went out to encounter those enemies: saying not only those words, which we read there, (ver. 21.) " Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever;" but these, " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake," &c. stroy all those impious men, who have no regard to his laws; nor make any scruple to abuse and oppress such* virtuous persons. Vcr. 21. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.] For which, and all the rest of his benefits, I will never cease to sing hymns of praise unto the Lord: and let all mankind (remembering how weak and frail they arc) join together with me in this employment (as the greatest support, and comfort, and security, they have), to bless his incomparable goodness, and power, and careful providence, for ever and ever. Hallelujah. This Psalm, and the other four which follow, both begin and conclude with the word Hallelujah, i. e. Praise ye the Lord. And therefore might, if the Jews had pleased, have been called The great Hallelujah; being all of them exhortations and incitements to the people; to stir up themselves to that heavenly employment: which this Psalm recommends to them, from, the consideration of several of the Divine excellences: which make him the proper object of our confidence in all conditions. The Vulgar Latin, and the present Greek, entitle it to Haggai and Zechariah: but there is no such thing in the Hebrew, nor in other ancient interpreters, nor in the LXX. in the Hexaplus, as Theodoret tells us. And we might rather think it not unlikely to have been composed by David; when Saul, who at first had a great kindness for him, afterward turned his most bitter enemy: were it not for one word, viz. the mention of Zion; which was not then in David’s possession. This, it is possible, inclined those that made the forcgoingtitle to think it was not composed till aftertimes: and they could find none so likely, as that after the captivity: when they soon found it was in vain to rely upon the favour of princes; some of which hindered the building of the temple, as much as Cyrus, at the first, had furthered it. I shall not trouble the reader with any other conjectures: but only note; that the eighth verse was most exactly and literally fulfilled in our Lord Christ; when he came to give salvation to us.

Psalms 115:1

JSOTunto vs, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Prosper our arms, O Lord, and give us the victory over these enemies that invade us: not that we may grow more famous (no, we have no thoughts of the glory that will accrue to ourselves thereby); but that thy Divine Majesty may be honoured, and thy goodness and faithfulness to thy promises be made the more illustrious. JL RAISE ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul’] Stir U p thyself, O my soul, to give the Lord, who gave being to all things, those affectionate praises which are due unto him.

Psalms 115:2

Wlierefore should the heathen say, JVJiere is now their God?. What a sad thing will it be to hear the nations that surround us insult, not so much over us, as over thee; saying, What is become of their God in whom they trusted? if he be so powerful as they boast, why doth he not deliver them? While J live will I praise tlte Lord: I will sing praises unto my God, while I have any being.’] The best resolution thou canst make is this; I will praise the Lord all my life long; and never cease to give thanks unto my God, who never ceases to bestow his benefits on me. Vcr. 3. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.’] And let all mankind, if they would be happy, preserve his favour, by being grateful to him; and not (with the neglect of his service) court the favour of princes, and settle upon them their dependancc: for the greatest king on earth, though never so just, never so bountiful, as well as rich -and powerful, is still but a • man; who cannot be present every where when we are in danger, nor bo able always to help us in our greatest needs. -Ver. 4. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.] For there is a time when he cannot help himself, nor, by the whole power of his empire, keep his soul from leaving his body: nay, a small accident may carry him away suddenly; and then a clod of earth can do as much as he, and whatsoever designs and projects ho had laid (for any man’s preferment, suppose), they all die together with him. Vcr. 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in theLordhis God.] He, and he alone, is the truly happy man, who expects help from the mighty God, by whom Jacob was fed all his life long, (Gen. xlviii. 15.) who trusts to him that is Lord of the world; and hath made him his friend so much, that he can call him his God.

Psalms 115:3

But our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he pleased. Let them know that thou art infinitely superior to them and all their gods; being the possessor of the heavens, as well as the earth, (2 Chron. xx. 6.) whom no power of theirs can hurt, or so much as restrain; but art able to do whatsoever thou pleasest for their confusion, aud for our deliverance.

Psalms 115:4

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s liands. Their idols cannot hinder it in the least; who are of no more value than the silver and gold of which they are made; and are so far from being the makers of things, that they themselves are the work of those that adore them.

Psalms 115:5

They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not. They are mere lifeless images; that have mouths, but cannot give a word of advice, or of encouragement and comfort, to their supplicants: and eyes also, but cannot see the devotion wherewith they look up unto them, or prostrate themselves before them.

Psalms 115:6

They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not. Let their worshippers cry to them never so loudly, they cannot hear a word: all the frankincense and sweet odours which they burn to them are merely lost; for they cannot smell them. Which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; which keepeth truth for ever.] For, as he never dies, so there can be no defect in his power, nor want of his presence in everyplace; the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and all that is in them, being his own works: and, as nothing can hinder him from doing what he pleases, so, he will never alter his mind, nor go back with his word; but faithfully keep his promises for ever, with those that rely upon them..

Psalms 115:7

Tliey have hands, but they handlenot; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through tlieir throat. Though they have thunderbolts in their hands they feel them not; nor are able to do either good or harm: they cannot stir a foot from the place where they stand, unless they be carried; nor make so much noise as a fly; being utterly void of breath, as well as of sense and reason. Wldch executeth judgment for the oppressed; which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners.] There are innumerable instances of the careful providence of this great King; who doth not slight or forget the cries of his grieved subjects, but in due time asserts the right of those who arc oppressed, and can find no relief in other courts of judgment: he supplies also the needs of poor hungry wretches, who are ready to famish: and is so gracious a Lord, that he sets them at liberty, who, by unjust or pitiless men, have been held in miserable captivity.

Psalms 115:8

They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. To what then, but to those idols, shall we compare the makers of them, and such as confide in them? who are mere images of men: having eyes, but do not see that the brutes are more excellent than such gods; and that the least help is not to be expected from them. TJie Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lotd raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous.] The Lord sends help, when there are no hopes of human cure; for he restores sight to the blind (as we shall see most remarkably when the Lord Christ appears), and lifts up those who are bowed together, by tedious weaknesses, (Luke xiii. 11.) or crushed under other insupportable burdens: and," above all, the Lord delights to do good to them who have done good to others. Vcr. 9. The Lord preserveth the strangers; heretievetk the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.], The friendless strangers are preserved by the Lord from those injuries which men are apt to do them, when they commit themselves to his protection: and so do the disconsolate widows and fatherless children find support and relief from him, against the injustice and violence of their wicked oppressors, whose designs and practices he utterly confoundeth. Vcr. 10. The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations.* Praise ye the Lord.] Be of good comfort then, O ye inhabitants of Zion, who sincerely worship this great Lord, that doth all these wondrous things: for his power and authority never fail, but from age to age will ever succour those pious souls who are destitute of human help; therefore praise perpetually this everlasting King.

Psalms 115:9

O Israel, trust thou in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. O ye Israelites, who by the Divine favour are better instructed, repose that confidence in the eternal Lord, which they do in those vanities: and he will not only protect and defend you against all the assaults of your enemies, but help you to overcome them, (2 Chrori. xx. 9.)

Psalms 115:10

O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. O ye priests and Levites, do you above all others rely upon that eternal Lord; whose praise you sing, and to whom you offer continual sacrifice: for he will never fail, not only to protect, but to assist, all such as piously confide in him.

Psalms 115:11

Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. And let all that fear the Lord, and devoutly worship him (of whatsoever nation they be), place the like confidence in his almighty goodness: for he will never forsake those that depend on him alone (though they be not of the seed of Abraham), but defend them also in all dangers, and aid them against all their enemies.

Psalms 115:12

Tlie Lord hath been mindful of us; he will bless us: he will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron. We have had abundant experience of his care over us in all ages; and therefore, though now for the present our enemies afHict us, yet let us believe that the Lord will do us good, and bless us with a glorious deliverance: all the house of Israel shall sec how kind he is; especially they that minister unto him in his holy temple.

Psalms 115:13

He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. And he will not forget those pious proselytes that are come to worship him there, as the only God; but, withouttuiy respect of persons, give them his blessing also: which shall not be denied, either to old or young, to rich or poor.

Psalms 115:14

The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.* Nor will he grant you only a single blessing, by sending a present deliverance: but heap his benefits, and multiply his mercies, upon you; and upon all those that shall succeed you.

Psalms 115:15

You are blessed of the Lord, tvhich made heaven and earth. Ye are a happy people, who live under the care, and love, and benediction, of that mighty Lord, whose power nothing can confine: for he is not made (like the gentile gods), but himself created both the heaven, and the earth.

Psalms 115:16

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. In which he cannot be comprehended neither; for his empire extends farther than you can see; to the heavens, which are above these visible heavens: from whence his providence reaches down, even to us the children of men; whom he hath placed upon this earth, to admire and praise his infinite majesty.

Psalms 115:17

The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. And therefore will not suffer us to be rooted out, as our enemies design; (2 Chron. xx. 11.) for then the earth would have none in it to sing his praises: which the dead, who dwell in the silent grave, cannot celebrate.

Psalms 115:18

But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord. But will continue us still alive, that we may praise the Lord, and speak good of his name, as we do at this time; (2 Chron. xx. 21, 22.) and leave those to succeed us, who shall continue his praises in all future generations to the world’s end. Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Blessed be the Lord, who day by day exercises as tender and careful a providence over us, as a mother over her children: (Isa. xlvi. 3.) that mighty God be blessed, to whom Ave owe all our deliverances,

He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death. And they are very great and very many, which it is not in the power of any other god to bestow, but of him alone that dwells in Zion; who, as the author of all men’s being, and their supremo Lord and governor, disposes of their lives, and assigns them what passages be pleases out of the world.

But God shall wound the head of his enemies; and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses. And certainly God, the righteous judge, will now break in pieces all those enemies that lift up their heads so high, in hope to destroy us: their fierce captain, (2 Sam. viii. 3.) whose shaggy hair makes him look very terribly, shall not escape, if he go on still presumptuously to offend thee. -.

Tlie Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan; J will bring my people again from the deptlts of the sea. Thus the Lord hath determined within himself, saying, 1 will renew the wonders I wrought in former times; and make my people as victorious over all these mighty armies, as they were over Og the king of Bashan, (Numb, xxi.) and oyer Pharaoh, when they marched through the Red Sea. (Exod. xv.) -.

TJiat thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same. The victory shall be so complete,, and such a slaughter made, that thou mayest wade, and thy dogs put their tongues, in the blood that shall flow from those enemies, and from him that leads them.

They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. For thy people, God, have seen to their joy, and thy enemies to 4 their terror, what a solemn entrance thou madest (by the ark of thy presence), with what pomp thou, my mighty God, and my King, wast brought into the sanctuary, (2 Sam. vi. 13, 15, 16.).

Tlie singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; amongst them were the damsels playing with timbrels. Part of the Levitcs went singing before, and the rest with musical instruments followed after; (1 Chron. xv. 1G. 28.) and, to complete the melody, the damsels playing with timbrels camo between them both. Ver. 2(>. Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.] And as they went along, they sang this song; bless your good God, in all your assemblies: bless the Lord, all yc that are the offspring of Israel.

There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes ofJudah and their council, the pnnces of Zebuhin, and the princes ofNaphtali. Who were universally assembled to accompany that pomp; (1 Chron. xiii. 5. xv. 3.) for not only the nearest tribes were there, viz. Benjamin, little indeed in number, (Judg. xxi. G.) but from whom the first king of Israel came; and the princes of the tribe of Judah, the great support and prop of the kingdom: but the princes also of those which were mostrcmote,as Zebulun and Naphtali, came to attend at that solemnity.

Thy God hath commanded thy strength.‘Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. This happy union, thy God, O Israel, hath brought about; and thereby made thee strong and formidable to thy enemies: and may it please thee, O God, to continue and confirm it; for as it is begun, so it must be perfected by thee alone.

Because of thy temple at. Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. Pour down thy blessings upon Jerusalem out of thy sanctuary, (1 Sam. i. 9. iii. 3.) which now thou hast settled there: and so shall heathen kings bring presents, (2 Sam. viii, 9 — 11.) in token of their subjection to thee.

Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver; scatter thou the people that delight in zvar.] Destroy that fierce prince, (2 Sam. viii. 3.) who like a wild beast of the forest comes against us; with a great number of captains as furious as bulls; and of soldiers as insolent as young heifers: who prances in arms plated with silver, and, unprovoked by us, makes war upon us merely to satisfy his vain ambition, or desire of wealth; scatter, good Lord, all such people as have no better reason for the blood they delight to shed.

Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. Which shall invito even the Egyptians to send princely ambassadors to Jerusalem: and the neighbouring countries also (1 Kings iv. 21.) shall make haste to stretch out their hands unto the Divine Majesty, in oblations and prayers (which the most idolatrous nations in tlie world shall, in abundance, offer unto the Lord Christ, when he Teigns)..

Sing unto God, ye kingdoms^ of the earth; sing praises unto the Lord. Selah. Nothing shall conduce so much to their happiness: and therefore, ye kingdoms of the earth, both far and near, sing joyful songs unto God; set forth the praises of the great Lord of all the world with hymns and psalms.

To him that rideth upon the. heaven of heavens which were of old, lo, he doth s$nd cut his voice, and that a mighty voice. 1 Whose empire is the most ancient of. all other, and extends beyond the highest heavens: hearkep when it thunders, and consider how terrible his majesty is; for that is his voice, which makes the mightiest men oa earth to tremble,