mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 29.xml

<div2 id="Ps.xxx" n="xxx" next="Ps.xxxi" prev="Ps.xxix" progress="30.81%" title="Chapter XXIX">
<h2 id="Ps.xxx-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.xxx-p0.2">PSALM XXIX.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.xxx-p1">It is the probable conjecture of some very good
interpreters that David penned this psalm upon occasion, and just
at the time, of a great storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, as
the eighth psalm was his meditation in a moon-light night and the
nineteenth in a sunny morning. It is good to take occasion from the
sensible operations of God's power in the kingdom of nature to give
glory to him. So composed was David, and so cheerful, even in a
dreadful tempest, when others trembled, that then he penned this
psalm; for, "though the earth be removed, yet will we not fear." I.
He calls upon the great ones of the world to give glory to God,
<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.1-Ps.29.2" parsed="|Ps|29|1|29|2" passage="Ps 29:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. To convince
them of the goodness of that God whom they were to adore, he takes
notice of his power and terror in the thunder, and lightning, and
thunder-showers (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.3-Ps.29.9" parsed="|Ps|29|3|29|9" passage="Ps 29:3-9">ver.
3-9</scripRef>), his sovereign dominion over the world (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.10" parsed="|Ps|29|10|0|0" passage="Ps 29:10">ver. 10</scripRef>), and his special favour to
his church, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.11" parsed="|Ps|29|11|0|0" passage="Ps 29:11">ver. 11</scripRef>. Great
and high thoughts of God should fill us in singing this psalm.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.xxx-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29" parsed="|Ps|29|0|0|0" passage="Ps 29" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.xxx-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.1-Ps.29.11" parsed="|Ps|29|1|29|11" passage="Ps 29:1-11" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.29.1-Ps.29.11">
<h4 id="Ps.xxx-p1.7">The Glory of the Lord.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.xxx-p1.8">
<p id="Ps.xxx-p2">A psalm of David.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.xxx-p3">1 Give unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.1">Lord</span>, O ye mighty, give unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.2">Lord</span> glory and strength.   2 Give unto the
<span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.3">Lord</span> the glory due unto his name;
worship the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.4">Lord</span> in the beauty of
holiness.   3 The voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.5">Lord</span> <i>is</i> upon the waters: the God of glory
thundereth: the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.6">Lord</span> <i>is</i> upon
many waters.   4 The voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.7">Lord</span> <i>is</i> powerful; the voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.8">Lord</span> <i>is</i> full of majesty.   5
The voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.9">Lord</span> breaketh the
cedars; yea, the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.10">Lord</span> breaketh the
cedars of Lebanon.   6 He maketh them also to skip like a
calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.   7 The voice
of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.11">Lord</span> divideth the flames of
fire.   8 The voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.12">Lord</span>
shaketh the wilderness; the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.13">Lord</span>
shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.   9 The voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.14">Lord</span> maketh the hinds to calve, and
discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of
<i>his</i> glory.   10 The <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.15">Lord</span>
sitteth upon the flood; yea, the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.16">Lord</span> sitteth King for ever.   11 The <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.17">Lord</span> will give strength unto his people;
the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xxx-p3.18">Lord</span> will bless his people with
peace.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p4">In this psalm we have,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p5">I. A demand of the homage of the great men
of the earth to be paid to the great God. Every clap of thunder
David interpreted as a call to himself and other princes to give
glory to the great God. Observe, 1. Who they are that are called to
this duty: <i>"O you mighty</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.1" parsed="|Ps|29|1|0|0" passage="Ps 29:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>), you sons of the mighty, who have
power, and on whom that power is devolved by succession and
inheritance, who have royal blood running in your veins!" It is
much for the honour of the great God that the men of this world
should pay their homage to him; and they are bound to do it, not
only because, high as they are, he is infinitely above them, and
therefore they must bow to him, but because they have their power
from him, and are to use it for him, and this tribute of
acknowledgment they owe to him for it. 2. How often this call is
repeated; <i>Give unto the Lord,</i> and again, and a third time,
<i>Give unto the Lord.</i> This intimates that the mighty men are
backward to this duty and are with difficulty persuaded to it, but
that it is of great consequence to the interests of God's kingdom
among men that princes should heartily espouse them. Jerusalem
flourishes when the <i>kings of the earth bring their glory and
honour into it,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.21.24" parsed="|Rev|21|24|0|0" passage="Re 21:24">Rev. xxi.
24</scripRef>. 3. What they are called to do—to <i>give unto the
Lord,</i> not as if he needed any thing, or could be benefited by
any gifts of ours, nor as if we had any thing to give him that is
not his own already (<i>Who hath first given to him?</i>), but the
recognition of his glory, and of his dominion over us, he is
pleased to interpret as a gift to him: "<i>Give unto the Lord</i>
your own selves, in the first place, and then your services.
<i>Give unto the Lord glory and strength;</i> acknowledge his glory
and strength, and give praise to him as a God of infinite majesty
and irresistible power; and whatever glory or strength he has by
his providence entrusted you with offer it to him, to be used for
his honour, in his service. Give him your crowns; let them be laid
at his feet; give him your sceptres, your swords, your keys, put
all into his hand, that you, in the use of them, may be to him for
a name and a praise." Princes value themselves by their glory and
strength; these they must ascribe to God, owning him to be
infinitely more glorious and powerful than they. This demand of
homage from the mighty must be looked upon as directed either to
the grandees of David's own kingdom, the peers of the realm, the
princes of the tribes (and it is to excite them to a more diligent
and constant attendance at God's altars, in which he had observed
them very remiss), or to the neighbouring kings whom he by his
sword had made tributaries to Israel and now would persuade to
become tributaries to the God of Israel. Crowned heads must bow
before the King of kings. What is here said to the mighty is said
to all: <i>Worship God;</i> it is the sum and substance of the
everlasting gospel, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.14.6-Rev.14.7" parsed="|Rev|14|6|14|7" passage="Re 14:6,7">Rev. xiv. 6,
7</scripRef>. Now we have here, (1.) The nature of religious
worship; it is <i>giving to the Lord the glory due to his name,</i>
<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.2" parsed="|Ps|29|2|0|0" passage="Ps 29:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>. God's name is
that whereby he has made himself known. There is a glory due to his
name. It is impossible that we should give him all the glory due to
his name; when we have said and done our best for the honour of
God's name, still we come infinitely short of the merit of the
subject; but when we answer that revelation which he has made of
himself, with suitable affections and adorations, then we give him
some of that glory which is due to his name. If we would, in
hearing and praying, and other acts of devotion, receive grace from
God, we must make it our business to give glory to God. (2.) The
rule of the performance of religious exercises; <i>Worship the Lord
in the beauty of holiness,</i> which denotes, [1.] The object of
our worship; the glorious majesty of God is called <i>the beauty of
holiness,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.5" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.20.21" parsed="|2Chr|20|21|0|0" passage="2Ch 20:21">2 Chron. xx.
21</scripRef>. In the worship of God we must have an eye to his
beauty, and adore him, not only as infinitely awful and therefore
to be feared above all, but as infinitely amiable and therefore to
be loved and delighted in above all; especially we must have an eye
to the beauty of his holiness; this the angels fasten upon in their
praises, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.6" osisRef="Bible:Rev.4.8" parsed="|Rev|4|8|0|0" passage="Re 4:8">Rev. iv. 8</scripRef>. Or, [2.]
The place of worship. The sanctuary then was the <i>beauty of
holiness,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p5.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.48.1-Ps.48.2 Bible:Jer.17.12" parsed="|Ps|48|1|48|2;|Jer|17|12|0|0" passage="Ps 48:1,2,Jer 17:12">Ps. xlviii.
1, 2; Jer. xvii. 12</scripRef>. The beauty of the sanctuary was the
exact agreement of the worship there performed with the divine
appointment—the pattern in the mount. Now, under the gospel,
solemn assemblies of Christians (which purity is the beauty of) are
the places where God is to be worshipped. Or, [3.] The manner of
worship. We must be holy in all our religious performances, devoted
to God, and to his will and glory. There is a beauty in holiness,
and it is that which puts an acceptable beauty upon all the acts of
worship.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p6">II. Good reason given for this demand. We
shall see ourselves bound to give glory to God if we consider,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p7">1. His sufficiency in himself, intimated in
his name <i>Jehovah</i>—<i>I am that I am,</i> which is repeated
here no fewer than eighteen times in this short psalm, twice in
every verse but three, and once in two of those three; I do not
recollect that there is the like in all the book of psalms. Let the
mighty ones of the earth know him by this name and give him the
glory due to it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p8">2. His sovereignty over all things. Let
those that rule over men know there is a God that rules over them,
that rules over all. The psalmist here sets forth God's
dominion,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p9">(1.) In the kingdom of nature. In the
wonderful effects of natural causes, and the operations of the
powers of nature, we ought to take notice of God's glory and
strength, which we are called upon to ascribe to him; in the
thunder, and lightning, and rain, we may see, [1.] His glory. It is
the God of glory that thunders (thunders is the <i>noise of his
voice,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Job.37.2" parsed="|Job|37|2|0|0" passage="Job 37:2">Job xxxvii. 2</scripRef>),
and it declares him a God of glory, so awful is the sound of the
thunder, and so bright the flash of its companion, the lightning;
to the hearing and to the sight nothing is more affecting than
these, as if by those two learning senses God would have such
proofs of his glory to the minds of men as should leave the most
stupid inexcusable. Some observe that there were then some
particular reasons why thunder should be called <i>the voice of the
Lord,</i> not only because it comes from above, is not under the
direction or foresight of any man, speaks aloud, and reaches far,
but because God often spoke in thunder, particularly at Mount
Sinai, and by thunder discomfited the enemies of Israel. To speak
it the voice of the God of glory, it is here said to be <i>upon the
water,</i> upon <i>many waters</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.3" parsed="|Ps|29|3|0|0" passage="Ps 29:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>); it reaches over the vast ocean,
the waters under the firmament; it rattles among the thick clouds,
the waters above the firmament. Every one that hears the thunder
(his ear being made to tingle with it) will own that <i>the voice
of the Lord is full of majesty</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.4" parsed="|Ps|29|4|0|0" passage="Ps 29:4">Ps.
xxix. 4</scripRef>), enough to make the highest humble (for none
can <i>thunder with a voice like him</i>) and the proudest
tremble—for, if his voice be so terrible, what is his arm? Every
time we hear it thunder, let our hearts be thereby filled with
great, and high, and honourable thoughts of God, in the holy
adorings and admirings of whom the power of godliness does so much
consist. <i>O Lord our God! thou art very great.</i> [2.] His power
(<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.4" parsed="|Ps|29|4|0|0" passage="Ps 29:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>): <i>The voice
of the Lord is powerful,</i> as appears by the effects of it; for
it works wonders. Those that write natural histories relate the
prodigious effects of thunder and lightning, even out of the
ordinary course of natural causes, which must be resolved into the
omnipotence of the God of nature. <i>First,</i> Trees have been
rent and split by thunderbolts, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.5-Ps.29.6" parsed="|Ps|29|5|29|6" passage="Ps 29:5,6"><i>v.</i> 5, 6</scripRef>. <i>The voice of the
Lord,</i> in the thunder, often <i>broke the cedars,</i> even those
of Lebanon, the strongest, the stateliest. Some understand it of
the violent winds which shook the cedars, and sometimes tore off
their aspiring tops. Earthquakes also shook the ground itself on
which the trees grew, and made <i>Lebanon and Sirion</i> to dance;
<i>the wilderness of Kadesh</i> also was in like manner shaken
(<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.8" parsed="|Ps|29|8|0|0" passage="Ps 29:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>), the trees by
winds, the ground by earthquakes, and both by thunders, of which I
incline rather to understand it. The learned Dr. Hammond
understands it of the consternations and conquest of neighbouring
kingdoms that warred with Israel and opposed David, as the Syrians,
whose country lay near the forest of Lebanon, the Amorites that
bordered on Mount Hermon, and the Moabites and Ammonites that lay
about the wilderness of Kadesh. <i>Secondly.</i> Fires have been
kindled by lightnings and houses and churches thereby consumed;
hence we read of hot thunderbolts (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.78.48" parsed="|Ps|78|48|0|0" passage="Ps 78:48">Ps.
lxxviii. 48</scripRef>); accordingly the voice of the Lord, in the
thunder, is here said to <i>divide the flames of fire</i>
(<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p9.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.7" parsed="|Ps|29|7|0|0" passage="Ps 29:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>), that is, to
scatter them upon the earth, as God sees fit to direct them and do
execution by them. <i>Thirdly,</i> The terror of thunder makes the
hinds to calve sooner, and some think more easily, than otherwise
they would. The hind is a timourous creature, and much affected
with the noise of thunder; and no marvel, when sometimes proud and
stout men have been made to tremble at it. The emperor Caligula
would hide himself under his bed when it thundered. Horace, the
poet, owns that he was reclaimed from atheism by the terror of
thunder and lightning, which he describes somewhat like this of
David, <i>lib.</i> 1, <i>ode</i> 34. The thunder is said here to
<i>discover the forest,</i> that is, it so terrifies the wild
beasts of the forest that they quit the dens and thickets in which
they hid themselves are so are discovered. Or it throws down the
trees, and so discovers the ground that was shaded by them.
Whenever it thunders let us think of this psalm; and, whenever we
sing this psalm, let us think of the dreadful thunder-claps we have
sometimes heard, and thus bring God's words and his works together,
that by both we may be directed and quickened to give unto him the
glory due unto his name; and let us bless him that there is another
voice of his besides this dreadful one, by which God now speaks to
us, even the still small voice of his gospel, the terror of which
shall not make us afraid.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p10">(2.) In the kingdom of providence,
<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.10" parsed="|Ps|29|10|0|0" passage="Ps 29:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>. God is to be
praised as the governor of the world of mankind. He <i>sits upon
the flood; he sits King for ever.</i> He not only sits at rest in
the enjoyment of himself, but he sits as King in the throne which
he has <i>prepared in the heavens</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.103.19" parsed="|Ps|103|19|0|0" passage="Ps 103:19">Ps. ciii. 19</scripRef>), where he takes cognizance of,
and gives orders about, all the affairs of the children of men, and
does all according to his will, according to the counsel of his
will. Observe, [1.] The power of his kingdom: He <i>sits upon the
flood.</i> As he has founded the earth, so he has founded his own
throne, upon the floods, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p10.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.24.2" parsed="|Ps|24|2|0|0" passage="Ps 24:2">Ps. xxiv.
2</scripRef>. The ebbings and flowings of this lower world, and the
agitations and revolutions of the affairs in it, give not the least
shake to the repose nor to the counsels of the Eternal Mind. The
opposition of his enemies is compared to the flood (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p10.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.93.3-Ps.93.4" parsed="|Ps|93|3|93|4" passage="Ps 93:3,4">Ps. xciii. 3, 4</scripRef>); but the Lord sits
upon it; he crushes it, conquers it, and completes his own purposes
in despite of all the devices that are in men's hearts. The word
here translated <i>the flood</i> is never used but concerning
Noah's flood; and therefore some think it is that which is here
spoken of. God did sit upon that flood as a Judge executing the
sentence of his justice upon the world of the ungodly that was
swept away by it. And he still sits upon the flood, restraining the
waters of Noah, that they turn not again to cover the earth,
according to his promise never to <i>destroy the earth any more by
a flood,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p10.5" osisRef="Bible:Gen.9.11 Bible:Isa.54.9" parsed="|Gen|9|11|0|0;|Isa|54|9|0|0" passage="Ge 9:11,Isa 54:9">Gen. ix. 11; Isa.
liv. 9</scripRef>. [2.] The perpetuity of his kingdom; <i>He sits
King for ever;</i> no period can, or shall, be put to his
government. The administration of his kingdom is consonant to his
counsels from eternity and pursuant to his designs for
eternity.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xxx-p11">(3.) In the kingdom of grace. Here his
glory shines most brightly, [1.] In the adorations he receives from
the subjects of that kingdom (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.9" parsed="|Ps|29|9|0|0" passage="Ps 29:9"><i>v.</i>
9</scripRef>). <i>In his temple,</i> where people attend his
discoveries of himself and his mind and attend him with their
praises, <i>every one speaks of his glory.</i> In the world every
man sees it, or at least <i>may behold it afar off</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p11.2" osisRef="Bible:Job.36.25" parsed="|Job|36|25|0|0" passage="Job 36:25">Job xxxvi. 25</scripRef>); but it is only in
the temple, in the church, that it is spoken of to his honour.
<i>All his works do praise him</i> (that is, they minister matter
for praise), but his saints only do bless him, and speak of his
glory of his works, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p11.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.145.10" parsed="|Ps|145|10|0|0" passage="Ps 145:10">Ps. cxlv.
10</scripRef>. [2.] In the favours he bestows upon the subjects of
that kingdom, <scripRef id="Ps.xxx-p11.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.29.11" parsed="|Ps|29|11|0|0" passage="Ps 29:11"><i>v.</i> 11</scripRef>.
<i>First,</i> He will qualify them for his service: <i>He will give
strength to his people,</i> to fortify them against every evil work
and to furnish them for every good work; out of weakness they shall
be made strong; nay, he will perfect strength in weakness.
<i>Secondly,</i> He will encourage them in his service: <i>He will
bless his people with peace.</i> Peace is a blessing of inestimable
value, which God designs for all his people. The <i>work of
righteousness is peace (great peace have those that love thy
law</i>); but much more the crown of righteousness: the end of
righteousness is peace; it is endless peace. When the thunder of
God's wrath shall make sinners tremble the saints shall lift up
their heads with joy.</p>
</div></div2>