mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 113.xml

<div2 id="Ps.cxiv" n="cxiv" next="Ps.cxv" prev="Ps.cxiii" progress="61.11%" title="Chapter CXIII">
<h2 id="Ps.cxiv-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.cxiv-p0.2">PSALM CXIII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.cxiv-p1">This psalm begins and ends with "Hallelujah;" for,
as many others, it is designed to promote the great and good work
of praising God. I. We are here called upon and urged to praise
God, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.1-Ps.113.3" parsed="|Ps|113|1|113|3" passage="Ps 113:1-3">ver. 1-3</scripRef>. II. We are
here furnished with matter for praise, and words are put into our
mouths, in singing which we must with holy fear and love give to
God the glory of, 1. The elevations of his glory and greatness,
<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.4-Ps.113.5" parsed="|Ps|113|4|113|5" passage="Ps 113:4,5">ver. 4, 5</scripRef>. 2. The
condescensions of his grace and goodness (<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.6-Ps.113.9" parsed="|Ps|113|6|113|9" passage="Ps 113:6-9">ver. 6-9</scripRef>), which very much illustrate one
another, that we may be duly affected with both.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.cxiv-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113" parsed="|Ps|113|0|0|0" passage="Ps 113" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.cxiv-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.1-Ps.113.9" parsed="|Ps|113|1|113|9" passage="Ps 113:1-9" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.113.1-Ps.113.9">
<h4 id="Ps.cxiv-p1.6">A Call to Praise God; God's Greatness and
Condescension.</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.cxiv-p2">1 Praise ye the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.1">Lord</span>. Praise, O ye servants of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.2">Lord</span>, praise the name of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.3">Lord</span>.   2 Blessed be the name of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.4">Lord</span> from this time forth and for
evermore.   3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down
of the same the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.5">Lord</span>'s name
<i>is</i> to be praised.   4 The <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.6">Lord</span> <i>is</i> high above all nations,
<i>and</i> his glory above the heavens.   5 Who <i>is</i> like
unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.7">Lord</span> our God, who dwelleth
on high,   6 Who humbleth <i>himself</i> to behold <i>the
things that are</i> in heaven, and in the earth!   7 He
raiseth up the poor out of the dust, <i>and</i> lifteth the needy
out of the dunghill;   8 That he may set <i>him</i> with
princes, <i>even</i> with the princes of his people.   9 He
maketh the barren woman to keep house, <i>and to be</i> a joyful
mother of children. Praise ye the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxiv-p2.8">Lord</span>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p3">In this psalm,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p4">I. We are extorted to give glory to God, to
give him the glory due to his name.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p5">1. The invitation is very pressing:
<i>praise you the Lord,</i> and again and again, <i>Praise him,
praise him; blessed be his name,</i> for it is to be praised,
<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.1-Ps.113.3" parsed="|Ps|113|1|113|3" passage="Ps 113:1-3"><i>v.</i> 1-3</scripRef>. This
intimates, (1.) That it is a necessary and most excellent duty,
greatly pleasing to God, and has a large room in religion. (2.)
That it is a duty we should much abound in, in which we should be
frequently employed and greatly enlarged. (3.) That it is work
which we are very backward to, and which we need to be engaged and
excited to by precept upon precept and line upon line. (4.) That
those who are much in praising God themselves will court others to
it, both because they find the weight of the work, and that there
is need of all the help they can fetch in (there is employment for
all hearts, all hands, and all little enough), and because they
find the pleasure of it, which they wish all their friends may
share in.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p6">2. The invitation is very extensive.
Observe, (1.) From whom God has praise—from his own people; they
are here called upon to praise God, as those that will answer the
call: <i>Praise, O you servants of the Lord!</i> They have most
reason to praise him; for those that attend him as his servants
know him best and receive most of his favours. And it is their
business to praise him; that is the work required of them as his
servants: it is easy pleasant work to speak well of their Master,
and do him what honour they can; if they do not, who should? Some
understand it of the Levites; but, if so, all Christians are a
royal priesthood, <i>to show forth the praises of him that has
called them,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:1Pet.2.9" parsed="|1Pet|2|9|0|0" passage="1Pe 2:9">1 Pet. ii.
9</scripRef>. The angels are the servants of the Lord; they need
not be called upon by us to praise God, yet it is a comfort to us
that they do praise him, and that they praise him better than we
can. (2.) From whom he ought to have praise. [1.] From all ages
(<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.2" parsed="|Ps|113|2|0|0" passage="Ps 113:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>)—<i>from
this time forth for evermore.</i> Let not this work die with us,
but let us be doing it in a better world, and let those that come
after us be doing it in this. Let not our seed degenerate, but let
God be praised through all the generations of time, and not in this
only. We must bless the Lord in our day, by saying, with the
psalmist, <i>Blessed be his name now and always.</i> [2.] From all
places—<i>from the rising of the sun to the going down of the
same,</i> that is, throughout the habitable world. Let all that
enjoy the benefit of the sun rising (and those that do so must
count upon it that the sun will set) give thanks for that light to
the Father of lights. God's <i>name is to be praised;</i> it ought
to be praised by all nations; for in every place, from east to
west, there appear the manifest proofs and products of his wisdom,
power, and goodness; and it is to be lamented that so great a part
of mankind are ignorant of him, and give that praise to others
which is due to him alone. But perhaps there is more in it; as the
<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.2" parsed="|Ps|113|2|0|0" passage="Ps 113:2">former verse</scripRef> gave us a
glimpse of the kingdom of glory, intimating that God's name shall
be <i>blessed for ever</i> (when time shall be no more that praise
shall be the work of heaven), so this verse gives us a glimpse of
the kingdom of grace in the gospel-dispensation of it. When the
church shall no longer be confined to the Jewish nation, but shall
spread itself all the world over, when in <i>every place</i>
spiritual <i>incense shall be offered to our God</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p6.4" osisRef="Bible:Mal.1.11" parsed="|Mal|1|11|0|0" passage="Mal 1:11">Mal. i. 11</scripRef>), then from <i>the rising
to the setting of the sun the Lord's name shall be praised</i> by
some in all countries.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p7">II. We are here directed what to give him
the glory of.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p8">1. Let us look up with an eye of faith, and
see how high his glory is in the upper world, and mention that to
his praise, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.4-Ps.113.5" parsed="|Ps|113|4|113|5" passage="Ps 113:4,5"><i>v.</i> 4,
5</scripRef>. We are, in our praises, to exalt his name, for he is
high, his glory is high. (1.) <i>High above all nations,</i> their
kings though ever so pompous, their people though ever so numerous.
Whether it be true of an earthly king or no that though he is
<i>major singulis—greater than individuals,</i> he is <i>minor
universis—less than the whole,</i> we will not dispute; but we are
sure it is not true of the King of kings. Put all the nations
together, and he is above them all; they are before him as the
<i>drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance,</i>
<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Isa.60.15 Bible:Isa.60.17" parsed="|Isa|60|15|0|0;|Isa|60|17|0|0" passage="Isa 60:15,17">Isa. lx. 15, 17</scripRef>. Let
all nations think and speak highly of God, for he is high above
them all. (2.) High <i>above the heavens;</i> the throne of his
glory is in the highest heavens, which should raise our hearts in
praising him, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Lam.3.41" parsed="|Lam|3|41|0|0" passage="La 3:41">Lam. iii. 41</scripRef>.
<i>His glory is above the heavens,</i> that is, above the angels;
he is above what they are, for their brightness is nothing to
his,—above what they do, for they are under his command and do his
pleasure,—and above what even they can speak him to be. He is
exalted above <i>all blessing and praise,</i> not only all ours,
but all theirs. We must therefore say, with holy admiration, <i>Who
is like unto the Lord our God?</i> who of all the princes and
potentates of the earth? who of all the bright and blessed spirits
above? None can equal him, none dare compare with him. God is to be
praised as transcendently, incomparably, and infinitely great; for
he <i>dwells on high,</i> and from on high sees all, and rules all,
and justly attracts all praise to himself.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p9">2. Let us look around with an eye of
observation, and see how extensive his goodness is in the lower
world, and mention that to his praise. He is a God <i>who exalts
himself to dwell, who humbles himself in heaven, and in earth.</i>
Some think there is a transposition, <i>He exalts himself to dwell
in heaven,</i> he <i>humbles himself to behold on earth;</i> but
the sense is plain enough as we take it, only observe, God is said
to <i>exalt himself</i> and to <i>humble himself,</i> both are his
own act and deed; as he is self-existent, so he is both the
fountain of his own honour and the spring of his own grace; God's
condescending goodness appears,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p10">(1.) In the cognizance he takes of the
world below him. His glory is <i>above the nations</i> and <i>above
the heavens,</i> and yet neither is neglected by him. <i>God is
great,</i> yet <i>he despises not any,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Job.36.5" parsed="|Job|36|5|0|0" passage="Job 36:5">Job xxxvi. 5</scripRef>. <i>He humbles himself to
behold</i> all his creatures, all his subjects, though he is
infinitely above them. Considering the infinite perfection,
sufficiency, and felicity of the divine nature, it must be
acknowledged as an act of wonderful condescension that God is
pleased to take into the thoughts of his eternal counsel, and into
the hand of his universal Providence, both the armies of heaven and
the inhabitants of the earth (<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Dan.4.35" parsed="|Dan|4|35|0|0" passage="Da 4:35">Dan. iv.
35</scripRef>); even in this dominion he humbles himself. [1.] It
is condescension in him to behold the things in heaven, to support
the beings, direct the motions, and accept the praises and
services, of the angels themselves; for he needs them not, nor is
benefited by them. [2.] Much more is it condescension in him to
<i>behold the things that are in the earth,</i> to visit the sons
of men, and regard them, to order and overrule their affairs, and
to take notice of what they say and do, that he may fill the earth
with his goodness, and so set us an example of stooping to do good,
of taking notice of, and concerning ourselves about, our inferiors.
If it be such condescension for God to behold things in heaven and
earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to
come from heaven to earth and take our nature upon him, that he
might <i>seek and save those that were lost!</i> Herein indeed he
humbled himself.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxiv-p11">(2.) In the particular favour he sometimes
shows to the least and lowest of the inhabitants of this meaner
lower world. He not only beholds the great things in the earth, but
the meanest, and those things which great men commonly overlook.
Not does he merely behold them, but does wonders for them, and
things that are very surprising, out of the common road of
providence and chain of causes, which shows that the world is
governed, not by a course of nature, for that would always run in
the same channel, but by a God of nature, who delights in doing
things we looked not for. [1.] Those that have been long despicable
are sometimes, on a sudden, made honourable (<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.78" parsed="|Ps|113|78|0|0" passage="Ps 113:78"><i>v.</i> 7, 8</scripRef>): <i>He raises up the poor
out of the dust, that he may set him with princes. First,</i> Thus
God does sometimes magnify himself, and his own wisdom, power, and
sovereignty. When he has some great work to do he chooses to employ
those in it that were least likely, and least thought of for it by
themselves or others, to the highest post of honour: Gideon is
fetched from threshing, Saul from seeking the asses, and David from
keeping the sheep; the apostles are sent from fishing to be
<i>fishers of men.</i> The treasure of the gospel is put into
earthen vessels, and the weak and foolish ones of the world are
pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the <i>wise and
mighty</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.2" 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>), that the excellency of the power may be of God, and
all may see that promotion comes from him. <i>Secondly,</i> Thus
God does sometimes reward the eminent piety and patience of his
people who have long groaned under the burden of poverty and
disgrace. When Joseph's virtue was tried and manifested he was
raised from the prison-dust and <i>set with princes.</i> Those that
are wise will observe such returns of Providence, and will
understand by them <i>the loving-kindness of the Lord.</i> Some
have applied this to the work of redemption by Jesus Christ, and
not unfitly; for through him poor fallen men are raised out of the
dust (one of the Jewish rabbies applies it to the resurrection of
the dead), nay, out of the dunghill of sin, and <i>set among
princes,</i> among angels, those princes of his people. Hannah had
sung to this purport, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.3" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.2.6-1Sam.2.8" parsed="|1Sam|2|6|2|8" passage="1Sa 2:6-8">1 Sam. ii.
6-8</scripRef>. [2.] Those that have been long barren are
sometimes, on a sudden, made fruitful, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.113.9" parsed="|Ps|113|9|0|0" passage="Ps 113:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>. This may look back to Sarah and
Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson's mother, or forward to
Elizabeth; and many such instances there have been, in which God
has looked on the affliction of his handmaids and taken away their
reproach. <i>He makes the barren woman to keep house,</i> not only
builds up the family, but thereby finds the heads of the family
something to do. Note, Those that have the comfort of a family must
take the care of it; <i>bearing children</i> and <i>guiding the
house</i> are put together, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.5" osisRef="Bible:1Tim.5.14" parsed="|1Tim|5|14|0|0" passage="1Ti 5:14">1 Tim. v.
14</scripRef>. When God <i>sets the barren in a family</i> he
expects that she should <i>look well to the ways of her
household,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.6" osisRef="Bible:Prov.31.27" parsed="|Prov|31|27|0|0" passage="Pr 31:27">Prov. xxxi.
27</scripRef>. She is said to <i>be a joyful mother of
children,</i> not only because, even in common cases, the pain is
forgotten, <i>for joy that a man-child is born into the world,</i>
but there is particular joy when a child is born to those that have
been long childless (as <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.7" osisRef="Bible:Luke.1.14" parsed="|Luke|1|14|0|0" passage="Lu 1:14">Luke i.
14</scripRef>) and therefore there ought to be particular
thanksgiving. <i>Praise you the Lord.</i> Yet, in this case,
<i>rejoice with trembling;</i> for, though the sorrowful mother be
made joyful, the joyful mother may be made sorrowful again, if the
children be either removed from her or embittered to her. This,
therefore, may be applied to the gospel-church among the Gentiles
(the building of which is illustrated by this similitude, <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.8" osisRef="Bible:Isa.54.1" parsed="|Isa|54|1|0|0" passage="Isa 54:1">Isa. liv. 1</scripRef>, <i>Sing, O barren! thou
that didst not bear,</i> and <scripRef id="Ps.cxiv-p11.9" osisRef="Bible:Gal.4.27" parsed="|Gal|4|27|0|0" passage="Ga 4:27">Gal. iv.
27</scripRef>), for which we, who, being sinners of the Gentiles,
are children of the desolate, have reason to say, <i>Praise you the
Lord.</i></p>
</div></div2>