Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 89:47

47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain!

i. e. Our time, the time of our king and kingdom, in whose name the Psalmist puts up this petition, and about whom he was much more solicitous than about himself, as is evident both from the following verses and from the whole body of the Psalm. The sence seems to be this, Our king and all his people, and I among the rest, are short-lived and perishing creatures, that of themselves and according to the course of nature must shortly die. And therefore there is no need that thou shouldest add further afflictions to sweep them away before their time.

Wherefore hast thou made us and our King (and consequently all other men whose condition is in nothing better than ours, and in respect of thy grace and mercy is much worse than ours) in vain or to so little purpose? Didst thou raise us and him, establish us for thy people, settle the crown upon David and his seed for ever by a solemn and unchangeable Covenant, erect a magnificent and glorious Temple, and vouchsafe so many and great promises and priviledges, and all this but for a few years, that our Crown and glory should be taken from us within a little time after it was put upon our heads, that our Kingdom should be broken almost as soon as it was firmly established, that thy worship should be so soon corrupted, and thy Temple quickly robbed, and not long after frequently abused, and polluted and wasted, and now at last utterly demolished? It is not strange that such considerations as these did fill the Psalmists mind with amusement and sad and perplexing thoughts. Nor doth the Psalmist accuse or upbraid God herewith, but onely useth it as an argument to move God to repair and restore their decayed state, that they might live to praise and serve and glorify him, and not be such useless and insignificant Creatures as now they were in this forlorn estate of things, and as they should be if they should go into the place and state of the dead before the restitution of their broken State and Kingdom.