mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 8.xml

<div2 id="Ps.ix" n="ix" next="Ps.x" prev="Ps.viii" progress="24.29%" title="Chapter VIII">
<h2 id="Ps.ix-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.ix-p0.2">PSALM VIII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.ix-p1">This psalm is a solemn meditation on, and
admiration of, the glory and greatness of God, of which we are all
concerned to think highly and honourably. It begins and ends with
the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God's
name. It is proposed for proof (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.1" parsed="|Ps|8|1|0|0" passage="Ps 8:1">ver.
1</scripRef>) that God's name is excellent in all the earth, and
then it is repeated as proved (with a "quod erat
demonstrandum"—which was to be demonstrated) in the <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.9" parsed="|Ps|8|9|0|0" passage="Ps 8:9">last verse</scripRef>. For the proof of God's
glory the psalmist gives instances of his goodness to man; for
God's goodness is his glory. God is to be glorified, I. For making
known himself and his great name to us, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.1" parsed="|Ps|8|1|0|0" passage="Ps 8:1">ver. 1</scripRef>. II. For making use of the weakest of
the children of men, by them to serve his own purposes, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.2" parsed="|Ps|8|2|0|0" passage="Ps 8:2">ver. 2</scripRef>. III. For making even the
heavenly bodies useful to man, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.3-Ps.8.4" parsed="|Ps|8|3|8|4" passage="Ps 8:3,4">ver. 3,
4</scripRef>. IV. For making him to have dominion over the
creatures in this lower world, and thereby placing him but little
lower then the angels, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.5-Ps.8.8" parsed="|Ps|8|5|8|8" passage="Ps 8:5-8">ver.
5-8</scripRef>. This psalm is, in the New Testament, applied to
Christ and the work of our redemption which he wrought out; the
honour given by the children of men to him (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.2 Bible:Matt.21.16" parsed="|Ps|8|2|0|0;|Matt|21|16|0|0" passage="Ps 8:2,Mt 21:16">ver. 2, compared with Matt. xxi. 16</scripRef>)
and the honour put upon the children of men by him, both in his
humiliation, when he was made a little lower then the angels, and
in his exaltation, when he was crowned with glory and honour.
Compare <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p1.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.5-Ps.8.6 Bible:Heb.2.6-Heb.2.8 Bible:1Cor.15.27" parsed="|Ps|8|5|8|6;|Heb|2|6|2|8;|1Cor|15|27|0|0" passage="Ps 8:5,6,Heb 2:6-8,1Co 15:27">ver. 5, 6,
with Heb. ii. 6-8; 1 Cor. xv. 27</scripRef>. When we are observing
the glory of God in the kingdom of nature and providence we should
be led by that, and through that, to the contemplation of his glory
in the kingdom of grace.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.ix-p1.9" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8" parsed="|Ps|8|0|0|0" passage="Ps 8" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.ix-p1.10" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.1-Ps.8.2" parsed="|Ps|8|1|8|2" passage="Ps 8:1-2" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.8.1-Ps.8.2">
<h4 id="Ps.ix-p1.11">Glory of God in His Works.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.ix-p1.12">
<p id="Ps.ix-p2">To the chief musician upon Gittith. A psalm of David.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.ix-p3">1 <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.ix-p3.1">O Lord</span> our
Lord, how excellent <i>is</i> thy name in all the earth! who hast
set thy glory above the heavens.   2 Out of the mouth of babes
and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p4">The psalmist here sets himself to give to
God the glory due to his name. Dr. Hammond grounds a conjecture
upon the title of this psalm concerning the occasion of penning it.
It is said to be upon <i>Gittith,</i> which is generally taken for
the tune, or musical instrument, with which this psalm was to be
sung; but he renders it upon the <i>Gittite,</i> that is,
<i>Goliath the Gittite,</i> whom he vanquished and slew (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.17.1-1Sam.17.58" parsed="|1Sam|17|1|17|58" passage="1Sa 17:1-58">1 Sam. xvii.</scripRef>); that enemy was
stilled by him who was, in comparison, but a babe and a suckling.
The conjecture would be probable enough but that we find two other
psalms with the same title, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.81.1-Ps.81.16 Bible:Ps.84.1-Ps.84.12" parsed="|Ps|81|1|81|16;|Ps|84|1|84|12" passage="Ps 81:1-16,84:1-12">Ps. lxxxi. and lxxxiv.</scripRef>. Two things
David here admires:—</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p5">I. How plainly God displays his glory
himself, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.1" parsed="|Ps|8|1|0|0" passage="Ps 8:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>. He
addresses himself to God with all humility and reverence, as the
Lord and his people's Lord: <i>O Lord our Lord!</i> If we believe
that God is the Lord, we must avouch and acknowledge him to be
ours. He is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special
care of us. He must be ours, for we are bound to obey him and
submit to him; we must own the relation, not only when we come to
pray to God, as a plea with him to show us mercy, but when we come
to praise him, as an argument with ourselves to give him glory: and
we shall never think we can do that with affection enough if we
consider, 1. How brightly God's glory shines even in this lower
world: <i>How excellent is his name in all the earth!</i> The works
of creation and Providence evince and proclaim to all the world
that there is an infinite Being, the fountain of all being, power,
and perfection, the sovereign ruler, powerful protector, and
bountiful benefactor of all the creatures. How great, how
illustrious, how magnificent, is his name in all the earth! The
light of it shines in men's faces every where (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Rom.1.20" parsed="|Rom|1|20|0|0" passage="Ro 1:20">Rom. i. 20</scripRef>); if they shut their eyes against
it, that is their fault. There is no speech or language but the
voice of God's name either is heard in it or may be. But this looks
further, to the gospel of Christ, by which the name of God, as it
is notified by divine revelation, which before was great in Israel
only, came to be so in all the earth, the utmost ends of which have
thus been made to <i>see God's great salvation,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Mark.16.15-Mark.16.16" parsed="|Mark|16|15|16|16" passage="Mk 16:15,16">Mark xvi. 15, 16</scripRef>. 2. How much more
brightly it shines in the upper world: <i>Thou hast set thy glory
above the heavens.</i> (1.) God is infinitely more glorious and
excellent than the noblest of creatures and those that shine most
brightly. (2.) Whereas we, on this earth, only hear God's excellent
name, and praise that, the angels and blessed spirits above see his
glory, and praise that, and yet he is exalted far above even their
blessing and praise. (3.) In the exaltation of the Lord Jesus to
the right hand of God, who is the brightness of his Father's glory
and the express image of his person, God set his glory above the
heavens, far above all principalities and powers.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p6">II. How powerfully he proclaims it by the
weakest of his creatures (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.2" parsed="|Ps|8|2|0|0" passage="Ps 8:2"><i>v.</i>
2</scripRef>): <i>Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou
ordained strength,</i> or perfected praise, the praise of thy
strength, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Matt.21.16" parsed="|Matt|21|16|0|0" passage="Mt 21:16">Matt. xxi. 16</scripRef>.
This intimates the glory of God, 1. In the kingdom of nature. The
care God takes of little children (when they first come into the
world the most helpless of all animals), the special protection
they are under, and the provision nature has made for them, ought
to be acknowledged by every one of us, to the glory of God, as a
great instance of his power and goodness, and the more sensibly
because we have all had the benefit of it, for to this we owe it
that we <i>died not from the womb,</i> that the knees then
prevented us, <i>and the breasts, that we should suck.</i> "This is
such an instance of thy goodness, as may for ever put to silence
the enemies of thy glory, who say, There is no God." 2. In the
kingdom of Providence. In the government of this lower world he
makes use of the children of men, some that know him and others
that do not (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Isa.45.4" parsed="|Isa|45|4|0|0" passage="Isa 45:4">Isa. xlv. 4</scripRef>),
and these such as have been babes and sucklings; nay, sometimes he
is pleased to serve his own purposes by the ministry of such as are
still, in wisdom and strength, little better than babes and
sucklings. 3. In the kingdom of grace, the kingdom of the Messiah.
It is here foretold that by the apostles, who were looked upon but
as babes, <i>unlearned and ignorant men</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.4" osisRef="Bible:Acts.4.13" parsed="|Acts|4|13|0|0" passage="Ac 4:13">Acts iv. 13</scripRef>), mean and despicable, and <i>by
the foolishness of their preaching,</i> the devil's kingdom should
be thrown down as Jericho's walls were by the sound of rams' horns.
The gospel is called <i>the arm of the Lord</i> and <i>the rod of
his strength;</i> this was ordained to work wonders, not out of the
mouth of philosophers or orators, politicians or statesmen, but of
a company of poor fishermen, who lay under the greatest external
disadvantages; yea, we hear children crying, <i>Hosanna to the Son
of David,</i> when the chief priests and Pharisees owned him not,
but despised and rejected him; to that therefore our Saviour
applied this (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.5" osisRef="Bible:Matt.21.16" parsed="|Matt|21|16|0|0" passage="Mt 21:16">Matt. xxi.
16</scripRef>) and by it stilled the enemy. Sometimes the grace of
God appears wonderfully in young children, and he <i>teaches</i>
those <i>knowledge, and makes</i> those <i>to understand doctrine,
who are</i> but <i>newly weaned from the milk and drawn from the
breasts,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.6" osisRef="Bible:Isa.28.9" parsed="|Isa|28|9|0|0" passage="Isa 28:9">Isa. xxviii.
9</scripRef>. Sometimes the power of God brings to pass great
things in his church by very weak and unlikely instruments, and
confounds the noble, wise, and mighty, by the base, and weak, and
foolish things of the world, that no flesh may glory in his
presence, but the excellency of the power may the more evidently
appear to be of God, and not of man, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.7" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.1.27-1Cor.1.28" parsed="|1Cor|1|27|1|28" passage="1Co 1:27,28">1 Cor. i. 27, 28</scripRef>. This he does <i>because
of his enemies,</i> because they are insolent and haughty, that he
may still them, may put them to silence, and put them to shame, and
so be justly avenged on the avengers; see <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p6.8" osisRef="Bible:Acts.4.14 Bible:Acts.6.10" parsed="|Acts|4|14|0|0;|Acts|6|10|0|0" passage="Ac 4:14,6:10">Acts iv. 14; vi. 10</scripRef>. The devil is the
great enemy and avenger, and by the preaching of the gospel he was
in a great measure stilled, his oracles were silenced, the
advocates of his cause were confounded, and unclean spirits
themselves were not suffered to speak.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p7">In singing this let us give God the glory
of his great name, and of the great things he has done by the power
of his gospel, in the chariot of which the exalted Redeemer rides
forth conquering and to conquer, and ought to be attended, not only
with our praises, but with our best wishes. Praise is perfected
(that is, God is in the highest degree glorified) when strength is
ordained out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ps.ix-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.3-Ps.8.9" parsed="|Ps|8|3|8|9" passage="Ps 8:3-9" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.8.3-Ps.8.9">
<h4 id="Ps.ix-p7.2">Condescension of God.</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.ix-p8">3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy
fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;   4
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that
thou visitest him?   5 For thou hast made him a little lower
than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.  
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all <i>things</i> under his feet:   7 All sheep
and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;   8 The fowl of
the air, and the fish of the sea, <i>and whatsoever</i> passeth
through the paths of the seas.   9 <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.ix-p8.1">O
Lord</span> our Lord, how excellent <i>is</i> thy name in all the
earth!</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p9">David here goes on to magnify the honour of
God by recounting the honours he has put upon man, especially the
man Christ Jesus. The condescensions of the divine grace call for
our praises as much as the elevations of the divine glory. How God
has condescended in favour to man the psalmist here observes with
wonder and thankfulness, and recommends it to our thoughts. See
here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p10">I. What it is that leads him to admire the
condescending favour of God to man; it is his consideration of the
lustre and influence of the heavenly bodies, which are within the
view of sense (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.3" parsed="|Ps|8|3|0|0" passage="Ps 8:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>):
<i>I consider thy heavens,</i> and there, particularly, <i>the moon
and the stars.</i> But why does he not take notice of the sun,
which much excels them all? Probably because it was in a
night-walk, but moon-light, that he entertained and instructed
himself with this meditation, when the sun was not within view, but
only the moon and the stars, which, though they are not altogether
so serviceable to man as the sun is, yet are no less demonstrations
of the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator. Observe, 1. It
is our duty to consider the heavens. We see them, we cannot but see
them. By this, among other things, man is distinguished from the
beasts, that, while <i>they</i> are so framed as to look downwards
to the earth, man is made erect to look upwards towards heaven.
<i>Os homini sublime dedit, coelumque tueri jussit—To man he gave
an erect countenance, and bade him gaze on the heavens,</i> that
thus he may be directed to set his affections on things above; for
what we see has not its due influence upon us unless we consider
it. 2. We must always consider the heavens as God's heavens, not
only as all the world is his, even the earth and the fulness
thereof, but in a more peculiar manner. <i>The heavens, even the
heavens, are the Lord's</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.115.16" parsed="|Ps|115|16|0|0" passage="Ps 115:16">Ps. cxv.
16</scripRef>); they are the place of the residence of his glory
and we are taught to call him <i>Our Father in heaven.</i> 3. They
are <i>therefore</i> his, because they are the work of his fingers.
He made them; he made them easily. The stretching out of the
heavens needed not any outstretched arm; it was done with a word;
it was but <i>the work of his fingers.</i> He made them with very
great curiosity and fineness, like a nice piece of work which the
artist makes with his fingers. 4. Even the inferior lights, the
moon and stars, show the glory and power of the Father of lights,
and furnish us with matter for praise. 5. The heavenly bodies are
not only the creatures of the divine power, but subject to the
divine government. God not only made them, but <i>ordained</i>
them, and the ordinances of heaven can never be altered. But how
does this come in here to magnify God's favour to man? (1.) When we
consider how the glory of God shines in the upper world we may well
wonder that he should take cognizance of such a mean creature as
man, that he who resides in that bright and blessed part of the
creation, and governs it, should humble himself to behold the
things done upon this earth; see <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p10.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.5-Ps.113.6" parsed="|Ps|113|5|113|6" passage="Ps 113:5,6">Ps.
cxiii. 5, 6</scripRef>. (2.) When we consider of what great use the
heavens are to men on earth, and how the lights of heavens are
<i>divided unto all nations</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p10.4" osisRef="Bible:Deut.4.19 Bible:Gen.1.15" parsed="|Deut|4|19|0|0;|Gen|1|15|0|0" passage="De 4:19,Ge 1:15">Deut. iv. 19, Gen. i. 15</scripRef>), we may well
say, "<i>Lord, what is man</i> that thou shouldst settle the
ordinances of heaven with an eye to him and to his benefit, and
that his comfort and convenience should be so consulted in the
making of the lights of heaven and directing their motions!"</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p11">II. How he expresses this admiration
(<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.4" parsed="|Ps|8|4|0|0" passage="Ps 8:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>): "<i>Lord, what
is man</i> (<i>enosh,</i> sinful, weak, miserable man, a creature
so forgetful of thee and his duty to thee) <i>that thou art</i>
thus <i>mindful of him,</i> that thou takest cognizance of him and
of his actions and affairs, that in the making of the world thou
hadst a respect to him! What is the <i>son of man, that thou
visitest him,</i> that thou not only feedest him and clothest him,
protectest him and providest for him, in common with other
creatures, but visited him as one friend visits another, art
pleased to converse with him and concern thyself for him! What is
man—(so mean a creature), that he should be thus honoured—(so
sinful a creature), that he should be thus countenanced and
favoured!" Now this refers,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p12">1. To mankind in general. Though man is a
worm, and the son of man is a worm (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Job.25.6" parsed="|Job|25|6|0|0" passage="Job 25:6">Job xxv. 6</scripRef>), yet God puts a respect upon him,
and shows him abundance of kindness; man is, above all the
creatures in this lower world, the favourite and darling of
Providence. For, (1.) He is of a very honourable rank of beings. We
may be sure he takes precedence of all the inhabitants of this
lower world, for he is made but a <i>little lower than the
angels</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.5" parsed="|Ps|8|5|0|0" passage="Ps 8:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>),
lower indeed, because by his body he is allied to the earth and to
the beasts that perish, and yet by his soul, which is spiritual and
immortal, he is so near akin to the holy angels that he may be
truly said to be but <i>a little lower than they,</i> and is, in
order, next to them. He is but for a little while lower than the
angels, while his great soul is cooped up in a house of clay, but
the children of the resurrection shall be
<b><i>isangeloi</i></b>—<i>angels' peers</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Luke.20.36" parsed="|Luke|20|36|0|0" passage="Lu 20:36">Luke xx. 36</scripRef>) and no longer lower than they.
(2.) He is endued with noble faculties and capacities: <i>Thou hast
crowned him with glory and honour.</i> He that gave him his being
has distinguished him, and qualified him for a dominion over the
inferior creatures; for, having <i>made him wiser than the beasts
of the earth and the fowls of heaven</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.4" osisRef="Bible:Job.35.11" parsed="|Job|35|11|0|0" passage="Job 35:11">Job xxxv. 11</scripRef>), he has made him fit to rule
them and it is fit that they should be ruled by him. Man's reason
is his crown of glory; let him not profane that crown by disturbing
the use of it nor forfeit that crown by acting contrary to its
dictates. (3.) He is invested with a sovereign dominion over the
inferior creatures, under God, and is constituted their lord. He
that made them, and knows them, and whose own they are, has <i>made
man to have dominion over them,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.6" parsed="|Ps|8|6|0|0" passage="Ps 8:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>. His charter, by which he holds
this royalty, bears equal date with his creation (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.6" osisRef="Bible:Gen.1.28" parsed="|Gen|1|28|0|0" passage="Ge 1:28">Gen. i. 28</scripRef>) and was renewed after the
flood, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.7" osisRef="Bible:Gen.9.2" parsed="|Gen|9|2|0|0" passage="Ge 9:2">Gen. ix. 2</scripRef>. God has
put all things under man's feet, that he might serve himself, not
only of the labour, but of the productions and lives of the
inferior creatures; they are all delivered into his hand, nay, they
are all <i>put under his feet.</i> He specifies some of the
inferior animals (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.8.7-Ps.8.8" parsed="|Ps|8|7|8|8" passage="Ps 8:7,8"><i>v.</i> 7,
8</scripRef>), not only <i>sheep and oxen,</i> which man takes care
of and provides for, but <i>the beasts of the field,</i> as well as
those of the flood, yea, and those creatures which are most at a
distance from man, as <i>the fowl of the air,</i> yea, <i>and the
fish of the sea,</i> which live in another element and pass unseen
through the paths of the seas. Man has arts to take these; though
many of them are much stronger and many of them much swifter than
he, yet, one way or other, he is too hard for them, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.9" osisRef="Bible:Jas.3.7" parsed="|Jas|3|7|0|0" passage="Jam 3:7">Jam. iii. 7</scripRef>. <i>Every kind of beasts,
and birds, and things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed.</i>
He has likewise liberty to use them as he has occasion. <i>Rise,
Peter, kill and eat,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p12.10" osisRef="Bible:Acts.10.13" parsed="|Acts|10|13|0|0" passage="Ac 10:13">Acts x.
13</scripRef>. Every time we partake of fish or of fowl we realize
this dominion which man has over the works of God's hands; and this
is a reason for our subjection to God, our chief Lord, and to his
dominion over us.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p13">2. But this refers, in a particular manner,
to Jesus Christ. Of him we are taught to expound it, <scripRef id="Ps.ix-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.2.6-Heb.2.8" parsed="|Heb|2|6|2|8" passage="Heb 2:6-8">Heb. ii. 6-8</scripRef>, where the apostle, to
prove the sovereign dominion of Christ both in heaven and in earth,
shows that he is that man, that son of man, here spoken of, whom
God <i>has crowned with glory and honour</i> and made to <i>have
dominion over the works of his hands.</i> And it is certain that
the greatest favour that ever was shown to the human race, and the
greatest honour that ever was put upon the human nature, were
exemplified in the incarnation and exaltation of the Lord Jesus;
these far exceed the favours and honours done us by creation and
providence, though they also are great and far more than we
deserve. We have reason humbly to value ourselves by it and
thankfully to admire the grace of God in it, (1.) That Jesus Christ
assumed the nature of man, and, in that nature, humbled himself. He
became the <i>Son of man,</i> a partaker of flesh and blood; being
so, God visited him, which some apply to his sufferings for us, for
it is said (<scripRef id="Ps.ix-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:Heb.2.9" parsed="|Heb|2|9|0|0" passage="Heb 2:9">Heb. ii. 9</scripRef>),
<i>For the suffering of death,</i> a visitation in wrath, <i>he was
crowned with glory and honour.</i> God visited him; having laid
upon him the iniquity of us all, he reckoned with him for it,
visited him with a rod and with stripes, that we by them might be
healed. He was, <i>for a little while</i> (so the apostle
interprets it), made lower than the angels, when he took upon him
the form of a servant and made himself of no reputation. (2.) That,
in that nature, he is exalted to be Lord of all. God the Father
exalted him, because he had humbled himself, <i>crowned him with
glory and honour,</i> the glory which he had with him before the
worlds were, set not only the <i>head of the church,</i> but
<i>head over all things to the church,</i> and gave all things into
his hand, entrusted him with the administration of the kingdom of
providence in conjunction with and subserviency to the kingdom of
grace. All the creatures are put under his feet; and, even in the
days of his flesh, he gave some specimens of his power over them,
as when he commanded the winds and the seas, and appointed a fish
to pay his tribute. With good reason therefore does the psalmist
conclude as he began, <i>Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the
earth,</i> which has been honoured with the presence of the
Redeemer, and is still enlightened by his gospel and governed by
his wisdom and power!</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.ix-p14">In singing this and praying it over, though
we must not forget to acknowledge, with suitable affections, God's
common favours to mankind, particularly in the serviceableness of
the inferior creatures to us, yet we must especially set ourselves
to give glory to our Lord Jesus, by confessing that he is Lord,
submitting to him as our Lord, and waiting till we see all things
put under him and all his enemies made his footstool.</p>
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