EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Whole Psalm.—The last Psalm was a litany before the king went forth to battle. This is apparently a Te Deum on his return.—J. J. Stewart Perowne, B.D., in the “Book of Psalms: a New Translation, with Introductions and Notes,” 1864.

Whole Psalm.—The prayer which the church offers up at the conclusion of the preceding Psalm now issues in a hymn of praise, the result of a believing view of the glory which is to follow, when Messiah’s sufferings are ended. This is one of the beautiful songs of which we find many in Scripture, prepared by the Holy Spirit to awaken and enliven the hopes and expectations of the church while she waits for the Lord, and to give utterance to her joy at the time of his arrival. The theme is Messiah’s exaltation and glory, and the time chosen for its delivery is just the moment when darkness covered the earth, and all nature seemed about to die with its expiring Lord. Scripture deals largely in contrasts. It seems to be suitable to the human mind to turn from one extreme to another. Man can endure any change, however violent and contradictory, but a long continuance, a sameness either of joy or sorrow, has a debilitating and depressing effect.—R. H. Ryland.

Whole Psalm.—“After this I looked ... and behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Rev. iv. 1, 2. Such may be considered as the description of this Psalm, after the foregoing prayer. “He who in the preceding Psalm,” says St. Jerome, “was prayed for as having taking the form of a servant, in this is King of kings, and Lord of lords.”—Isaac Williams.

Whole Psalm.—I am persuaded that there is not one who consents to the application of the preceding Psalm to Christ in his trouble, who will fail to recognise in this, Christ in his triumph. There he was in the dark valley—the valley of Achor; now he is on the mount of Zion; there he was enduring sorrow and travail; now he remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a spiritual seed is born into the world; there he was beset with deadly enemies, who encompassed him on every side; but here he has entered upon that which is written in Psalm lxxviii. 65, 66, “Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.”—Hamilton Verschoyle.

Whole Psalm.—As you have already observed in the heading of this Psalm, it is said to have been composed by David. He wrote of himself in the third person, and as “the king.” He penned the Psalm, not so much for his own use, as for his people’s. It is, in fact, a national anthem, celebrating the majesty and glory of David, but ascribing both to God—expressing confidence in David’s future, but building that confidence upon God alone.—Samuel Martin, in “Westminster Chapel Pulpit,” 1860.

Verse 1.—“Thy strength ... thy salvation.” So you have two words, “virtus and salus,” strength and salvation. Note them well; for not virtus without salus, nor salus without virtus, neither without the other is full, nor both without Tua Domine. In virtute is well, so it have in salute after it. For not in strength alone is there matter of joy, every way considered. No, not in God’s strength, if it have not salvation behind it. Strength, not to smite us down, but strength to deliver; this is the joyful side. Now turn it the other way. As strength, if it end in salvation, is just cause for joy, so salvation, if it go with strength, makes joy yet more joyful; for it becomes a strong salvation, a mighty deliverance.—Launcelot Andrews (Bishop), 1555-1626, in “Conspiracie of the Gowries.”

Verse 1.—“In thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.” Oh, it is good rejoicing in the strength of that arm which shall never wither, and in the shadow of those wings which shall never cast their feathers! in him that is not there yesterday and here to-day, but the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever! For as he is, so shall the joy be.—Launcelot Andrews.

Verse 2.—“Thou hast given him the desire of his soul.” He desired to eat the passover, and to lay down his life when he would and again when he would to take it; and thou hast given it to him. “And hast not deprived him of the good pleasure of his lips.” “My peace,” saith he, “I leave with you;” and it was done.—Augustine, in loc.

Verse 2 (first clause).—Good men are sure to have out their prayers either in money, or in money’s worth, as they say—in that very thing, or a better.—John Trapp.

Verse 2.—“Selah.” See pp. 23, 26, 27, 35, 307.

Verse 3.—“For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.” The Son of God could not be more ready to ask for the blessings of the divine goodness, than the Father was to give them; and his disposition is the same towards all his adopted sons. Christ, as King and Priest, weareth a crown of glory, represented by the purest and most resplendent of metals—gold. He is pleased to esteem his saints, excelling in different virtues, as the rubies, the sapphires, and the emeralds, which grace and adorn that crown. Who would not be ambitious of obtaining a place therein?—George Horne.

Verse 3.—“Thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness.” As if he should say, “Lord, I never asked a kingdom, I never thought of a kingdom, but thou hast prevented me with the blessings of thy goodness.”... From whence I take up this note or doctrine, that it is a sweet thing and worthy of all our thankful acknowledgments, to be prevented with the blessings of God’s goodness, or God’s good blessings.... It is no new thing for God to walk in a way of preventing love and mercy with the children of men. Thus he hath always dealt, doth deal, and will deal; thus he hath always dealt with the world, with the nations of the world, with great towns and places, with families, and with particular souls.... As for particular souls, you know how it was with Matthew the publican, sitting at the receipt of custom. “Come and follow me,” says Christ; preventing of him. And you know how it was with Paul: “I was a blasphemer, and I was a persecutor, but I obtained mercy.” How so? Did he seek it first? ‘No,’ says he, ‘I went breathing out threatenings against the people of God, and God met me, and un-horsed me; God prevented me with his grace and mercy.’ Thus Paul. And pray tell me what do you think of that whole chapter of Luke—the fifteenth? There are three parables: the parable of the lost groat, of the lost sheep, and of the lost son. The woman lost her groat, and swept to find it, but did the groat make first towards the woman, or the woman make after the groat first? The shepherd lost his sheep, but did the sheep make first after the shepherd, or the shepherd after the sheep? Indeed, it is said concerning the lost son, that he first takes up a resolution, “I will return home to my father,” but when his father saw him afar off, he ran and met him, and embraced him, and welcomed him home. Why? But to show that the work of grace and mercy shall be all along carried on in a way of preventing love.—Condensed from William Bridge, 1600-1670.

Verse 3.—“For thou hast prevented him with the blessings of sweetness.” Because he had first quaffed the blessing of thy sweetness, the gall of our sins did not hurt him.—Augustine.

Verse 3.—“Thou preventest him.” The word “prevent” is now generally used to represent the idea of hindrance. “Thou preventest him,” would mean commonly, “Thou hinderest him.” But here the word “prevent” means to go before. Thou goest before him with the blessings of thy goodness as a pioneer, to make crooked ways straight, and rough places smooth; or, as one who strews flowers in the path of another, to render the way beautiful to the eye and pleasant to the tread.—Samuel Martin.

Verse 3 (first clause).—The text is an acknowledgment of God’s goodness. God had anticipated David’s wants; and he writes. “Thou preventest—thou goest before him—with goodness.” The words “blessings of goodness” suggest that God’s gifts are God’s love embodied and expressed. And this greatly enhances the value of our blessings—that they are cups as full of God and of God’s kindness as of happiness and blessedness.—Samuel Martin.

Verse 3 (first clause).—A large portion of our blessing is given us before our asking or seeking. Existence, reason, intellect, a birth in a Christian land, the calling of our nation to the knowledge of Christ, and Christ himself, with many other things, are unsought bestowed on men, as was David’s right to the throne on him. No one ever asked for a Saviour till God of his own motion promised “the seed of the woman.”—William S. Plumer.

Verse 3.—“Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.” Christ may be said to have a fourfold glory, or crown. 1. As God co-essential with the Father; “the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of his person.” Heb. i. 2, 3. 2. He hath a crown and glory as Mediator, in respect of the power, authority, and glory wherewith he is invested as God’s great deputy, and anointed upon the hill of Zion, having power, and a rod of iron, even in reference to enemies. 3. He hath a crown and glory in respect of the manifestation of his glory in the executing of his offices, when he makes his mediatory power and glory apparent in particular steps: thus sometimes he is said to take his power to him (Rev. xi. 17); and is said to be crowned when the white horse of the gospel rides in triumph. Rev. vi. 2. The last step of this glory will be in the day of judgment; in short, this consists in his exercising his former power committed to him as Mediator. 4. There is a crown and glory which is in a manner put on him by particular believers, when he is glorified by them, not by adding anything to his infinite glory, but by their acknowledging of him to be so.—James Durham, 1622-1658.

Verse 3.—The “crown of pure gold” has respect to his exaltation at the right hand of God, where he is crowned with glory and honour, and this “crown” being of “pure gold,” denotes the purity, glory, solidity, and perpetuity of his kingdom.—John Gill.

Verse 4.—“He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.” The glory of God is concerned in Christ’s living for ever. 1. The glory of his faithfulness: for eternal life and blessedness were pledged to Immanuel in covenant as the reward of his work (Psalm cx. 1-4; Isaiah ix. 6, 7, etc.); and it was in the anticipation and confident hope of this, that he “endured the cross, despising the shame.” Heb. xii. 2; Psalm xvi. 8-11. 2. The glory of his justice. The justice of God was honoured and fully satisfied in all its righteous demands by the death of Christ. His subsequent life is the expression on the part of God of that satisfaction. His perpetual life is a permanent declaration that in him and his finished work the everlasting righteousness of Jehovah rests for ever satisfied. Death can “never more have dominion over him:” for to inflict the penalty again would be a violation of justice. 3. The glory of his grace. The glory of this grace he now lives actively to promote. John xvii. 2. By living “ever” at God’s right hand, he appears as an eternal memorial of God’s love in making him our Mediator and Substitute—our Saviour from sin and wrath; and his permanent appearance there will keep all heaven perpetually in mind that “by the grace of God they are what they are,” owing all to the sovereign mercy of God through Jesus Christ. He shall appear as the blessed medium through which all the gifts and joys of salvation shall flow to the guilty for evermore. Thus the power of God and all his moral attributes secure the perpetuity of the life of the risen and exalted Saviour.—Ralph Wardlaw, D.D.

Verse 4.—“He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him.” He asked a resurrection saying “Father, glorify thy Son;” and thou gavest it him, “Length of days for ever and ever.” The prolonged ages of this world which the church was to have, and after them an eternity, world without end.—Augustine.

Verse 4.—“He asked life of thee,” etc. Thus God is better to his people than their prayers; and when they ask but one blessing, he answereth them as Naaman did Gehazi, with Nay, take two. Hezekiah asked but one life, and God gave him fifteen years, which we reckon at two lives and more. He giveth liberally and like himself; as great Alexander did when he gave the poor beggar a city; and when he sent his schoolmaster a ship full of frankincense, and bade him sacrifice freely.—John Trapp.