EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS (2)

Verses 1, 5.—In the first verse the Psalmist says, “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;” and in the fifth he says, “The Lord perform all thy petitions.” Does he in both these cases refer to one and the same time? The prayers mentioned in the first verse are offered in “the day of trouble,” in the days of his flesh; are the petitions to which he refers in the fourth verse also offered in the days of his flesh? Many think not. Before our blessed Saviour departed out of this world, he prayed to the Father for those whom he had given him, that he would keep them from the evil of the world, that they might be one, even as he was one with the Father. He prayed too for his murderers. After his ascension into heaven, he sat down at the right hand of the Father, where he “maketh intercession for us.” “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.” It is to this, as many think, that the prophet refers when he says, “The Lord perform all thy petitions;” to the intercession which he is continually making for us.—F. H. Dunwell.

Verse 2.—“Send thee help from the sanctuary.” Here we see the nature of true faith, that it causeth us to see help in heaven, and so to pray for it when there is none to be seen in the earth. And this is the difference between faith and unbelief; that the very unbelievers can by reason conceive of help, so long as they have any means to help them; but if they fail they can see none at all; so they are like unto those that are purblind, who can see nothing but near at hand. But faith seeth afar off, even into heaven, so that it is “the evidence of things that are not seen;” for it looketh unto the power of God, who hath all means in his hand, or can work without them, who made all of nothing, and “calleth the things that be not, as though they were.” So that as the holy martyr Stephen, when his enemies were ready to burst for anger and gnash at him with their teeth, looked steadfastly into heaven, and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to defend him; so faith in the promises of the word doth see help in heaven ready for us, when there are no means in earth.—Nicholas Bownd.

Verse 2.—“Send thee help from the sanctuary.” Why “from the sanctuary,” but because the Lord presented himself there as upon the mercy-seat! The sanctuary was in Zion, the mercy-seat was in the sanctuary, the Lord was in the mercy-seat; he would have himself set forth as residing there. Herein they pray, and pray in faith for help and strength.—David Clarkson.

Verse 2.—“Strengthen thee out of Zion.” That is, out of the assemblies of the saints, where they are praying hard for thy welfare.—John Trapp.

Verse 3.—“Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice.” “All thy offerings:” the humiliation that brought him from heaven to earth; the patient tabernacling in the womb of the holy Virgin; the poor nativity; the hard manger; ox and ass for courtiers; the weary flight into Egypt; the poor cottage in Nazareth; the doing all good, and bearing all evil; the miracles, the sermons, the teachings; the being called a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, the friend of publicans and sinners; the attribution of his wondrous deeds to Beelzebub. “And accept thy burnt sacrifice.” As every part of the victim was consumed in a burnt sacrifice, so what limb, what sense of our dear Lord did not agonise in his passion? The thorny crown on his head: the nails in his hands and feet; the reproaches that filled his ears; the gloating multitude on whom his dying gaze rested; the vinegar and the gall; the evil odours of the hill of death and corruption. The ploughers ploughed upon his back, and made long furrows; his most sacred face was smitten with the palm of the hand, his head with the reed. What could have been done more for the vineyard than he did not do in it? Isa. v. 4. So, what more could have been borne by the vine, that this dear Vine did not bear? “Remember” them now, O Father, call to mind for us sinners, for us miserable sinners, and for our salvation, “all” these “offerings;” “accept,” instead of our eternal punishment, who are guilty, his “burnt sacrifice,” who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth!—Dionysius, and Gerhohus (1093-1169), quoted by J. M. Neale.

Verse 3.—“Accept:” Hebrew, “turn to ashes,” by fire from heaven, in token of his acceptance as was usual.—Matthew Poole.

Verse 3.—“That thy burnt offering may be fat.” That is, abundant, fruitful, and full. But here we must understand this burnt offering, as we did the sacrifice, in a spiritual sense, as we have before observed. Thus Christ offered up himself wholly upon the cross to be consumed by the fire of love. And here, instead of “all thy sacrifice,” it might be rendered “the whole of thy sacrifice.” Even as burnt sacrifice (holocaustum) signifies the whole of it being burnt with fire. By which groaning of the Spirit, he shows and teaches the righteous, that they should pray and hope that none of their sufferings shall be vain, but that all shall be well-pleasing, remembered, and fully acceptable.—Martin Luther.

Verse 3.—“Selah.”[13]—This word, in the judgment of the learned, is sometime vox optantis, the voice of one that wisheth, equivalent to amen; or vox admirantis, the voice of one admiring, showing some special matter; or vox affirmantis, of one affirming, avouching what is said; or vox meditantis, of one meditating, requiring consideration of what is said. But withal, it is a rest in music. Jerome saith it is commutatio metri, or vicissitudo canendi.—Edward Marbury.

Verse 4.—“Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.” Let us here call to mind the zealous and earnest desire of the Redeemer to accomplish his work, “I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished.” Luke xii. 50. “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer” (Luke xxii. 15); that he might leave a memorial of his sufferings and death, for the strengthening and refreshing of their souls. These earnest desires and anticipations did the Father satisfy, as of one with whom he was well pleased.—W. Wilson.

Verse 4.—“Fulfil all thy counsel;” whatever was agreed upon in the counsel and covenant of peace between him and his Father, relating to his own glory, and the salvation of his people.—John Gill.

Verse 4.—“Fulfil all thy counsel.” Answer thee, ad cardinem desiderii, as a father, Augustine, expresseth it; let it be unto thee even as thou wilt. Sometimes God doth not only grant a man’s prayer, but fulfilleth his counsel; that is, in that very way, by that very means, which his judgment pitched upon in his thoughts.—John Trapp.

Verse 5 (first clause).—Whosoever do partake with Christ’s subjects in trouble, shall share with them also in the joy of their deliverance; therefore it is said, “We will rejoice in thy salvation.”—David Dickson.

Verse 5.—“In the name of our God.” As those cried out, Judges vii. 20, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon;” and as we have it in Joshua vi. 20, “And the people shouted, and the walls of Jericho fell down;” and king Abiah, crying out with his men in the same, killed five hundred thousand of the children of Israel; and so now also, according to the military custom in our day, the soldiers boast in the name and glory of their general, in order to encourage themselves against their enemies. And it is just this custom that the present verse is now teaching, only in a godly and religious manner.—Martin Luther.

Verse 5.—“In the name of our God we will set up our banners.” The banners formerly so much used were a part of military equipage, borne in times of war to assemble, direct, distinguish, and encourage the troops. They might possibly be used for other purposes also. Occasions of joy, splendid processions, and especially a royal habitation, might severally be distinguished in this way. The words of the Psalmist may perhaps be wholly figurative: but if they should be literally understood, the allusion of erecting a banner in the name of the Lord, acknowledging his glory, and imploring his favour, might be justified from an existing practice. Certain it is that we find this custom prevalent on this very principle in other places, into which it might originally have been introduced from Judea. Thus Mr. Turner (Embassy to Thibet, p. 31), says, “I was told that it was a custom with the Soobah to ascend the hill every month, when he sets up a white flag, and performs some religious ceremonies, to conciliate the favour of a dewta, or invisible being, the genius of the place, who is said to hover about the summit, dispensing at his will, good and evil to every thing around him.”—Samuel Burder’s “Oriental Customs,” 1812.

Verse 5.—“In the name of our God we will set up our banners.” In all religious as well as warlike processions the people carry banners. Hence, on the pinnacles of their sacred cars, on the domes or gateways of their temples, and on the roof of a new house, may be seen the banner of the caste or sect, floating in the air. Siva the Supreme, also, is described as having a banner in the celestial world.—Joseph Roberts’ “Oriental Illustrations.”

Verse 5.—“In the name of our God we will set up our banners.” 1. We will wage war in his name, we will see that our cause be good, and make his glory our end in every expedition; we will ask counsel at his mouth, and take him along with us; we will follow his conduct, implore his aid, and depend upon it, and refer the issue to him. David went against Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts. 1 Sam. xvii. 45. 2. We will celebrate our victories in his name. When “we lift up our banners” in triumph, and set up our trophies, it shall be “in the name of our God,” he shall have all the glory of our success, and no instrument shall have any part of the honour that is due to him.—Matthew Henry.

Verse 5.—“We will set up our banners.”—Confession of Christ, as the only name whereby we can be saved, is the “banner” which distinguishes his faithful people. O that this confession were more distinct, more pure, more zealous, in those who seem to be his followers, then would they be more united, more bold, in the profession of their religion, more successful in the cause of Christ, terrible as an army with “banners.” Cant. vi. 4.—W. Wilson.

Verse 5.—“Our banners.” Will you know the staff, the colours, and the flag or streamer of this ensign? Why, the staff is his cross, the colours are blood and water, and the streamer the gospel, or preaching of them to the world. The staff that carried the colours was of old time fashioned like a cross, a cross bar near the top there was, from which the flag or streamer hung; so as it were prefiguring, that all the hosts and armies of the nations were one day to be gathered under the banner of the cross, to which soldiers should daily flow out of all the nations and kingdoms of the earth.—Mark Frank, 1613-1664.

Verse 5.—“The Lord fulfil all thy petitions,” for thyself and for others, now that thou sittest on the right hand of the Father, pleading for us and showing thy side and thy wounds.—Dionysius, quoted by Isaac Williams.

Verse 6.—“Now know I.” A sudden change of number, speaking in the person of one, thereby to note the unity and consent of the people to this prayer, as though they had been all one, and uttered it all with one mouth. “The Lord will help his anointed;” that is, his king, whom he hath established. See Psalm ii. 2; xviii. 50. “And will hear him (see verse 1), from his sanctuary.” One readeth it thus—“from the heavens of his holiness;” meaning, from heaven where his holiness dwelleth.—Thomas Wilcocks.

Verse 6.—“He will hear him.” I would be glad of the prayers of all the churches of Christ; O that there were not a saint on earth but that I were by name in his morning and evening prayer (whosoever thou art that readest, I beseech thee pray for me); but above all, let me have a property in those prayers and intercessions that are proper only to Christ; I am sure then I should never miscarry: Christ’s prayers are heavenly, glorious, and very effectual.—Isaac Ambrose, 1592-1674.

Verse 6.—“His anointed.” As priests, and sometimes kings and prophets, were among the Jews anointed to their offices, so our Saviour was anointed as a Prophet, to preach glad tidings to the meek; as a Priest, to bind up the broken-hearted; and as a King to deliver the captives. As the unction means designation and ordination, it is properly applied to the divine person of the Mediator: he is spoken of as God, who was “anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.” Heb. i. 8, 9. As the anointing with the Holy Spirit signifies the gifts and aids of the Holy Spirit, it terminates upon his human nature only, and not his divine person, which has all the perfections in itself, and cannot properly, in the sense last mentioned be said to be anointed with the Holy Spirit. But yet as the human nature is taken into a subsistence in his divine person, the anointed may properly enough be predicated and affirmed of his Person. The unction of our Redeemer has a great stress laid upon it in Scripture. And therefore we read, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.” “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?” 1 John v. 1; ii. 22. Our Saviour’s enemies were sensible of this, when they made an order, that if “any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.” John ix. 22. Our Saviour’s anointing was superior to that of any other, and more excellent as to the work to which he was consecrated. The apostles and others, who are called his followers, had the Spirit by measure, but Christ without measure. He is “fairer than the sons of men” (Psalm xlv. 2); and had a glory as the “only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John i. 14, 16); and of his fulness the apostles and all others receive. Christ’s anointing answers to that of Aaron his type; the precious ointment which was “poured upon his head, ran down to the skirts of his garments.” Psalm cxxxiii. 2.