John Trapp on Psalms 131

PSAL. CXXXI.

VErſ. 1 Lord, my heart is not haughty] Though anointed and appointed by thee to the Kingdome; yet I have not ambitiouſly aſpired unto it, by ſeeking Souls death, as his pick thanks perſwaded him; nor do I now being poſſeſſed of it, proudly domineer (as is the manner of moſt Potentates) and tyrannize over my poor ſubjects; but with all modeſty and humility (not minding high things) I do condeſcend to them of low eſtate, Rom. 12.16. Now,Bucholc. in alto poſitum non altum ſapere, difficile eſt, & omnino inuſitatum; ſed quanto inuſitatius, tanto glorioſius. It is both hard and happy not to bee puffed up with proſperity and preferment, Veſpaſian is ſaid to have been the only one that was made better by being made Emperour.

Nor mine eyes lofty] Pride ſitteth and ſheweth it ſelf in the eyes as ſoon as in any part. Ut ſpeculum oculus eſt artis, ita oculus eſt naturae ſpeculum.

Neither do I exerciſe my ſelf in great matters] Heb. I walk not; manes intra metas, I keep within my circle, within the compaſs of my calling; not troubling my ſelf and others by my ambitious projects and practices, as Cle[illegible: 1 letter]n did, Alchibiades, Ceſar Borgia, and others Ambitioniſts.

Or in things too high for mee] Heb. Wonderfull; high and hidden things, that paſs nay apprehenſion, and which it behoveth mee, mirari p[illegible: 1 letter]tius quam rimari, to admire rather than to pry into, Arcana Dei ſunt Arca Dei. The Bethſhemites payed dear for peeping into the Ark. Phaeton is feigned by the Poets to have periſhed by taking upon him to rule the chariot of the Sun and Bellerophon, by ſeeking to flye up to Heaven upon his Pegaſus, to ſee what Jupiter did there. Terret ambuſtus Phaeton avaras Spes: & exemplum grave praebet ales Pegaſus, terrenum equitem grava[illegible: 1 letter]us Belleroph[illegible: 1 letter]ntem.Horat. lib. 4. Od. 11.

Verſ. 2 Surely I have behaved] Heb. If I have not, &c. a deep aſſeveration,Si non comp[illegible: 1 letter] ſui & ſedavi. ſuch as hath the force of an oath.

And quieted my ſelf] Heb. Stilled or made ſilent my ſoul; chiding it when diſtempered or noiſefull, as the Mother doth her weanling.

As a child that is weaned of his Mother] Who neither thinketh great things of himſelf, nor ſeeketh great things for himſelf but is lowly and fellowly, Mat. 18.1. innocent, and ignoſcent, taking what his Mother giveth him, and reſting in her love.

My ſoul is even as a weaned child] Who will not bee drawn to ſuch again, though never ſo fair and full-ſtrutting a breaſt: So nor David, the worlds dugs.

Verſ. 3 Let Iſrael hope] See Pſal. 130.7.