John Trapp on Psalms 132

PSAL. CXXXII.

VErſ. 1 Lord, Remember David] Origen holdeth Solomon to have been pen-man of all theſe Songs of degrees, as hath been before noted. But as that is not [illegible: 4 letters]ly (ſee the titles of Pſal. 122. & 124. & 131.) ſo diverſe interpreters conceive this [illegible: 1 word] bee his; becauſe much of it is the ſame with that prayer hee made at the dedication of the Temple, 2 Chron. 6.16, 41, 42. Here then hee prayeth God to remember David, that is (not his merits and ſuffrages, as the Monks would have it, but) the promiſes made unto him (for the which Solomon praiſed God as well as for the performance to himſelf, 2 Chron. 6.10.) and his ſingular ſollicitude about the houſe and worſhip of God,Ita ut do[illegible: 1 letter]mire non potuit. Kimchi. which was ſo great, as that it affected, yea afflicted his ſpirit; whence it followeth here, and all his afflictions; for which it is, 2 Chron. 6.42. the mercies or kindneſs of David.

Verſ. 2. How he ſware unto the Lord] Out of the abundance of his affection, 1 Chron. 29.3. See Pſal. 119.106. he ſolemnly took God to witneſs: and this he did, ſay the Rabbines, at that time when he ſaw the puniſhing Angel, and was terrified.

And vowed to the mighty God of Jacob] Jacob is mentioned, ſay the Hebrews, Quia primò vovit, Kimchi. Aben-Ezra. becauſe he firſt vowed to God, Gen. 28.20. whence he is called, Pater votorum, the Father of vows.

Verſ. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my houſe] i. e. Of my New-built houſe, 1 Chro. 15.1. 2 Sam. 1.2. Thoſe in Malachi were not ſo well-minded, chap. 1.4.

Verſ. 4. I will not give ſleep to mine eyes] viz. With any good content; or, more than needs muſt.

Verſ. 5. Until I finde out a place for the Lord] The Jew-Doctors tell us, that as the earth is in the middle of the world, ſo is Judea in the middle of the earth, Jeruſalem in the middle of Judea, the Temple in the middle of Jeruſalem, and the Ark in the middle of the Temple.

An habitation] Heb. Habitations: haply becauſe the Temple conſiſted of three parts, or partitions.

Verſ. 6. Lo we heard of it at Ephratae] At Bethlehem Ephrata, Davids Birth-place, there we heard of it long ſince by our Progenitours. Of it, that is, or the Ark, ſaith Chryſoſtom; Dicit [illegible: 1 letter]am in famin. i. e. divinam praeſentiam. R. Arama. of Gods reſting-place, ſaith Auſtin; of the place where Chriſt ſhould be born, ſaith Hierom; where the Temple ſhould be ſet, ſaith Aben-Ezra: where the Sbechinah, or divine preſence ſhould reſide, ſay other Rabbines.

We found it in the fields of the wood] At Jeruſalem, ſay ſome; or at Kiriath [illegible: 1 letter]earim, as others will have it. The Chaldee interpreteth it of the wood of Libanus, the place, ſaith he, where the Patriarchs worſhipped.

Verſ. 7. We will go into his Tabernacles] We will cheerfully and unanimouſly frequent his publick worſhips, in the place he hath pitched upon (called, his gates, and his Courts, Pſal. 100.4.) ſaying, as verſ. 8, 9, 10. [non-Latin text not transcribed], follow God, was the old rule among the very Heathens.

We will worſhip at his footſtool] i.e. At his Ark, where hee uttered Oracles, and wrought miracles, &c. which yet was but his footſtool, to lift his people heaven-ward, Chriſt-ward, who was the truth of that type, the Ark, the Mercyſeat.

Verſ. 8. Ariſe O Lord into thy reſt] The place of thy reſt: for the Ark was tranſportative, till ſetled in Solomons Temple: ſo, till we come to Heaven, wee are in continual motion.

Thou and the Ark of thy ſtrength] The Ark in the Temple was the chiefeſt evidence of Gods preſence, and the moſt principal type of Chriſt, in whom the fulneſe of the Godhead dwelleth bodily. The word is Aron, which is put for a Coffin, Coffer, or Chest, Gen. 50.20. 2 King. 12.9. This ſheweth, that all the Counſels of God, all the love and favour of God, all that God accounteth precious, are treaſured up in Chriſt, Col. 2.3. & 1.13 Iſa. 42.1. Heb. 10.12.

Verſ. 9. Let thy Prieſts be cloathed with righteouſneſs] i. e. With Salvation, as verſ. 16. No ſurer ſign of Gods gracious preſence with a people, than a powerful Miniſtery, cloathed with inward purity and holineſs, repreſented by the holy Garments.

And let thy Saints ſhout for joy] i. e. Thoſe that are converted by ſuch a Miniſtery; let thoſe that are juſtified by faith have peace with God, and joy unſpeakable, full of glory.

Verſ. 10. For thy ſervant Davids ſake] For thy Covenants ſake made with him, and for thy Chriſts ſake, who is oft called David, as Hoſ. 3. ult. ſo for the Lords ſake, Dan. 9.17.

Turn not away the face of thine anointed] Of thy Chriſt: defer not his coming, or deny not my requeſt, as 1 King. 2.16, 17, 20.

Verſ. 11. The Lord hath ſworn in truth] The Eternity of Iſrael cannot lye, 1 Sam. 15.29. yet tendring our infirmity, he ſweareth and ſealeth to us.

Of the fruit of thy body] David was excellent at making the utmoſt of a Promiſe, at preſſing, and oppreſſing it, till he had expreſt the ſweetneſs out of it, Iſa. 66.11. See how hee improveth Gods Promiſe, and worketh upon it, 1 Chron. 17.23, 24, 25, 26. Solomon had learned to do the like.

Verſ. 12 If thy Children will keep my Covenant] Although Gods Covenant is free, yet is it delivered under certain conditions on our part to bee obſerved; which are as an Oar in a Boat, or Stern in a Ship, turning it this way or that, &c.

For ever more] For a long ſeaſon and Chriſt, for all eternity.

Verſ. 13 For the Lord hath choſen Zion] Hee choſe it for his love; and loved it for his choice.

Verſ. 14 This is my reſt for ever] It was ſo becauſe God was pleaſed to make it ſo; hee reſted in his love; hee would ſeek no further, Zeph. 3.17.

For I have deſired it] This alone made the difference, as it a ſo did betwixt Aarons rod, and the reſt that were laid with it.

Verſ. 15 I will abundantly bleſs her proviſion] Her ſtock and her ſtore;Vi[illegible: 1 letter]tico ejus affatim benedicam. T[illegible: 1 letter]em. ſo that ſhe ſhall not want neceſſaries, which yet ſhee ſhall hunt for (that is, labour for) as the Hebrew word importeth; and know how ſhee comes by; therefore it is added

I will ſatisfie her poor with bread] Dainties I will not promiſe them; a ſufficiency but not a ſuperfluity: poor they may be, but not deſtitute bread they ſhall have, and of that, Gods plenty, as they ſay; enough to bring them to their Fathers houſe, where is bread enough. Let not therefore the poor Iſraelite fear to bring his offerings, or to disfurniſh himſelf for Gods worſhip, &c.

Verſ. 16 I will alſo cloath her Prieſts, &c.] So that they ſhall ſave themſelves and thoſe that hear them, 1 Tim. 4.16 Thus God anſwereth his peoples prayers both for temporalls and ſpiritualls: See verſ. 9. and that with an overplus of comfort; they ſhall ſhout aloud.

Verſ. 17 There will make the horn of David to bud] A metaphor from thoſe living creatures, quorum ramoſa ſunt cornua which have ſnags in their heads (as Deer have) which are unto them in ſtead of boughs. For horn, ſome read beam of David, confer Luk. 1.78.

I have ordained a Lamp] i. e. A ſucceſſor (— cui lampada tradat) and that a glorious one at length, Chriſt, who is [non-Latin text not transcribed] Light eſſentiall, Joh. 12.46. Of Aſcanius the ſon of Aeneas, and likewiſe of Tullus Hoſtilius, it is ſtoried, that light flames were ſeen about their heads, when they lay in their cradles; and that thereby was foreſignified, that they ſhould bee Kings.

Verſ. 18 His enemies will I cloath with ſhame] Shame ſhall bee the promotion of all ſuch fools as ſet againſt Chriſt and his people: yea they ſhall bee cloathed with it; ſo that it ſhall bee conſpicuous to all men.

But upon himſelf ſhall his Crown flouriſh] His royall Diadem,Nezer. whereby hee is ſeparated and diſtinguiſhed from other men. Alexander dropt his Diadem once into the water, and becauſe hee who fet it out, put it on his own head whiles hee ſwam out with it, hee cut off his head. Our Edward the fourth hanged one for ſaying hee would make his Son owner of the Crown; though hee only meant his own houſe (having a Crown for the ſign) in Cheapſide.