A treatise of the consecration of the Sonne of God to his everlasting priesthood And the accomplishment of it by his glorious resurrection and ascention. Being the ninth book of commentaries upon the Apostles Creed. Continued by Thomas Iackson Doctor in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, and president of C.C.C. in Oxford.

CHAP. 36. At what time, and upon what occasions th 68 Psalme was composed. What reference it hath (in the gene∣rall) unto our Saviour's Ascension.

ANother Psalme there is appointed by the wisedome of the ancient and continued by the discretion of the English Church even since the first reformation, to be read or sung as a proper hymne to the festivall of our Sa∣viour's Asoension. A Psalme full of mysteries and divine raptures apt to enkindle our hearts with zeal and admiration, could we find out, or rightly seeke after either the historicall occasions which mini∣stred the matter or ditty of this divine song, or the severall parts of Scripture unto which most passa∣ges in it according to the literall or historicall sense doe respectively referre. The occasion of compo∣sing the Psalme, to wit, 68. Some Iewish Rabbins conjecture to have been that glorious victory which Ezekiah, or rather the Lord of hosts in Ezekiah's daies, got over Senacherib and his mighty army. But the most of the more judicious Christian Commen∣tators with greater probability or discretion, referre the occasion of composing this Psalme to that so∣lemne translation of the Arke of God from Kyriath Iearim into Mount Sion at large described 2. Sam. 6. David gathered together all the chosen men of Is∣rael, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baal of Iudah,

to bring up from thence the Arke of God whose name is called by the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth betweene the Cherubbims, or at which the name even the name of the Lord of hosts was called upon.

2 This later opinion is in it selfe perswasible, or rather deserves full credanee from the first words of the Psalme, Let God aris••, let his enemies be scatte∣red, let them also that hate him flee before him. ver. 1. These were verba solemnia the accustomed solemne forme of prayer used so often as the Arke of the Co∣venant (which was to this people the most authen∣tique pledge of God's peculiar presence and prote∣ction, and for this reason called by his name) did re∣move from one place to another during their pil∣grimage in the wildernesse. And they departed from the Mount of the Lord three daies journey: And the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord went before them in the three daies journey to search out a resting place for them: and the Cloud of the Lord was upon them by day when they went out of the Campe. And it came to passe when the Arke set forward that Moses said, rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee? And when it rested hee said Returne O Lord unto the many thousands of Is∣rael. Numb. 10. ver. 33. 34. 35. 36. Moses prayed con∣ceptis verbis that God would arise and take part with his people. David out of the fresh experience of God's mighty protection over him, his subjects, and allies so long as they worshipped him in truth and syncerity, in this symbole of his presence, seemes to utter Moses song rather by way of con∣gratulation for victories already gotten then by way

of instant prayer for present assistance; A great part of this most divine, most sublime ditty, is a recapi∣tulation of the glorious victories which the God of Israel had purchased for his people, and upon their deliverance out of Egypt, and their other peculiar protections, or succours which private men or wo∣men in their distresse had found, when they were helplesse in the sight of men, or oppressed by their neighbours; Sing unto God, sing praises to his name, extoll him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Iah, and reioyce before him. A Father of the fatherlesse and a Iudge of the widowes is God in his holy Habitati∣on. God setteth the solitary in families, he bringeth out those that are bound in chaines, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. ver. 4. 5. 6. The verses following re∣ferre to the publique deliverance out of Egypt, and the majesticke apparitions about Mount Sinai: O God when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wildernesse, the earth shooke, the heavens also dropped before the Lord, even Sinai it selfe was moved at the presence of God the God of Israel &c. 7. 8. Some good Interpreters here observe that the Arke itselfe is called Iehovah, or the Lord God of Israel by the same forme of speech that the sacrament all pledges are called, the one the Body, the other the Blood of Christ.

3 Now the sweet singer of Israel was confident that the God of their Fathers would be as gracious to himselfe, to his people, and their successors, after he came to dwell in Mount Sinai, as he had been to Moses and Ioshun in the wildernesse, ••or unto Samuel while the Taber nacle was in Shiloh or elsewhere,

either in motion or pitched. Hence sprung those en∣comiasticall expressions throughout the Psalme of the glory of Mount Sion not so much for its native situation, (though that were glorious,) as for that it was now become the pedestall to the Arke wherein Iehovah, or Iah kept his residence. The hill of God is as the hill of* 1.1 Bashan, an high hill as the hill of Bashan, Why leape yee, yee high hills? This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in, yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever. ver. 15. 16. Yet all these glorious hopes or hoped promises prophesied of in this Psalme, are to be interpreted according to the rules before obser∣ved upon Psal. 89. Many of the blessings hoped for and fore-prophesied were meant according to the literall sense, of David himselfe and his posterity, yet but conditionally true of them; absolutely, irre∣versibly, and everlastingly true only of David's son or seede 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, of that God and Lord who in the fulnesse of time was to be enclosed in the Virgines wombe, and to have his everlasting habi∣tation in the fruit of her body, after a more admira∣ble and peculiar manner then he resided in the Ark, when David brought it unto the hill of Sion. Hee is often said indeed to dwell in the Arke and in the Temple, but never so did dwell in them in such a sense as our Apostle describes his habitation in the man Christ Iesus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bodily, or as Chemni∣tius renders it, by personall residence.

4 For the encomiasticall part of the 68. Psal. sofarre as it concernes mount Sion, Ierusalem, or Iudah, the Reader may find a paraphrasticall exposi∣tion to it Psal. 48. which was composed after this,

and as it is most probable in the dayes of Iehosaphat. For any paraphrase or Comment upon that Psalme, I leave the learned Reader to his owne choice: I would only commend one passage of * 1.2 Calvin's Comments upon it, which an ingenuous censurer of this great D ^r when hee treads awry or speakes harshly, but a more friendly encomiast of him when he goes aright, hath commended to me, upon the close of that Psalme: Walke about Sionand go•• round about her, tell the towers thereof. ver. 12. &c. Argu∣tum simul & solidū est, & diligenter not••ndum, quod hic ••alvinus auguratur & interpretatur de excidio urbis & Templi, ut splendorē Templi narrent posteri∣tati. Non opus erat auditu & narratione ••i visibus hu∣manis semper p••tuisset. Narrantur posteritati qu•• non exhibentur, veluti, quotidi•••••• ••••••cula & spectacula. ••op. in v. 14. This commendable observation upon the 48. Ps. makes a speech of this same Calvi•• upon the principall passages of the 68. Psalm. more harsh and distastful to this inge••••o••s censurer, and to

others which have their senses exercised in the in∣terpretation of prophecies, especialy such as are al∣leaged by the Apostles or Evangelists. So was the * 1.3 19 v. of this Psalme urged by S. Paul to prove our Saviours Ascension. Ephes. 4. Calvinus ait: Pau∣lus locum hunc subtilius ad Christum deflectit; mal∣lem dicere, divinius ad Christum transfert & accom∣modat.

5 But this ingenious Writer, and accurate Lati∣nist useth this word accommodat in another sense then Iansenius, Suarez, or Maldonat, or other lite∣ralists doe, which oftentimes though not alwaies, op∣pose the word accommodation, or allusion, to conclu∣dent proofe: for of all the prophesies which point directly to the Article of Christ's Ascension, this 19. ver. alleaged by S. Paul to this purpose, is most concludent, if we could rightly parallel the literall or historicall passages which are well deciphered by Calvin with the mysticall or principally intended sense or actuall accomplishment of David's words. The historicall occasion from which the spirit of prophecy in David tooke its rise to proclaime this grand mystery of the Gospell, was the often men∣tioned triumphant introduction of the Arke of God (or in equivalent sense, the God of Israel which dwelt in the Arke) into the hill of Sion; which from this time and occasion was instiled the place of God's rest; because the Arke of God (as was presumed) was there to reside (without wandring) as in the place which God had chosen for it. To this purpose Psal. 78. He smote his enemies in the hinder parts, hee put them to a perpetuall repreach. Moreover he refused

the Tabernacle of Ioseph; and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim, but chose the Tribe of Iudah, the Mount Si∣an which he loved. And he built his Sanctuary like high pallaces; like the earth which he hath est ablished for ever. ver. 66. 67. 68. 69. From this designation of the Arke to reside in Ierusalem, David (haply) who knew best the tenour of God's promise concer∣ning this businesse, would not suffer it to goe along with him when he fled from Ierusalem, as being in danger of suprisall by his son Absolon.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bashan was a goody hill-Country, and graced with glorious vi∣ctories over Og the King of that regi∣on, unto which and the delive∣rance from Pharaoh and his host, these passa∣ges in this Psalme doe literally al∣lude.
• * 1.2

  Haec sunt ipsa Calvini verba: Pro∣pheta fitum & pulchritu∣dinem Ieroso∣lymae com∣mendat, acsi diceret, 〈…〉〈…〉 esse optimè munitam & inexpug••abi∣lem: quia ali∣qua ex parte in his exter∣nis not is ful∣gebat Dei be∣nedictio. Qu••••quam memoria re∣nendum est, quod pri•••• di∣xit, Deum in eius palatiis concpici in ar∣cem: Ne•• e∣nim turre•• vel murū nunc commemorans, vult pio••ū mentes in i••••is 〈…〉〈…〉, sed pot•••••• speculum proponit quod Dei faciem representet: Circundate ergo Sion inquit, hoc est, attentè circumspicite▪ Numerate turres, & studium vestrum applicate ad considerandum murum eius: aestimate pro dig∣nitate palatia eius. Ita facilè constabit urbem esse 〈…〉〈…〉 electam; quia longe supra a∣lias omnes emine at Nam in hec totos ist ut appareat qualitas illa & persons qud Domi∣nus Ierosolymam induerat, eam ••••••i in sacrarium & in domicilium popula suo 〈…〉〈…〉 Cae∣terùm Propheta finem notando, ut narretur poster is forma & splendor urbis 〈…〉〈…〉, tacitè innuere videtur venturum aliquando tempus quo non ampliu•• peter it conspici. Quor sum e••im narratio in re manifesta & ante ••••••sos posita? Quanquam e••go 〈…〉〈…〉 dixit, ur∣hem illam perpetuo stabilitam esse, nune per modum correction •••• admenet qualis futura sit perpetuitas, nempe quae ad renovationem duntaxat E••clesi•• ••••tet. Nos enim sumus illa posteritas ad quam pertinet ac dirigitur narratio: Quia quac•••••• 〈…〉〈…〉 Deas be∣neficia contulit, nobis communia sunt: Non quod splendor ille externus, quo admirabilis fuit Ierosolyma, hodie inter nos emineat, sed quia spiritualibus donis non minus splendidè ornata fuit Ecclesia post exhibitum Christum, quam oli•• 〈…〉〈…〉 & 〈…〉〈…〉 instructa le∣rusalem sub legis 〈…〉〈…〉 is, Calvinus in 13. ver, Psal. 48.
• * 1.3

  Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led cap∣tivity captive. Coppen, in v. 19.