A logicall analysis of twentie select Psalmes, performed by W. Temple

PSALM. 2.

WHy doe the nations rage, and the people plot vaine things?

2 Why doe the Kings of the earth band themselues, and the Princes consult together against the Lord, and against his Christ?

3 Saying: Let vs breake their bands, and cast their cords from vs.

4 He that sitteth in the heauens shall laugh: the Lord shall

haue them in derision.

5 Then shall he speake vnto them in his wrath, and confound them in the heate of his displeasure.

6 He shall say: Euen I haue annoynted, and set my King vpon Sion mine holy mountaine.

7 I will declare the decree thereof. The Lord said vnto me, Thou art my Sonne: this day haue I begotten thee.

8 Aske of me, and I shall giue thee the nations for thine in∣heritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of iron, and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell.

10 Be wise therefore now ye Kings: be learned ye Iudges of the earth.

11 Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce with trembling.

12 Kisse the Sonne, least he be angrie, and ye perish in the way, when his wrath shall burne neuer so little. Blessed are all that trust in him.

ANALYS. PSALM. 2.

THis Psalme containes an exhortation to all estates and degrees of men both Prince and people, to forbeare plotting and attempting against the kingdome of Christ, and consequently to doe worship and homage vnto him. For what Dauid speakes here of himselfe, wee must take it spoken of him as he is a type and figure of Christ. And it is true that the tenne tribes of Israel with their Princes and Gouernours, that the Philistims also, the Ammonites and others warred against Dauid with intention to depriue him of the imperiall crowne and scepter, which he had receiued from the Lord: so is it true likewise that the Princes and people of the Iewes, the high Priests, Scribes and Pharisies together with Herod, Pilate, and their associates, conspired the ruine of Christ and his kingdome. Which conspiracie of theirs was vnder a type shadowed foorth and signified by the combination entred against Dauid and his temporall soueraigntie.

The Question then deduced in this Psalme is this:

• That both Prince and people should renounce their former proceedings against Christ, and so, as becommeth loyall subiects, do worship and homage vnto him, vers. 10.11.12.

AS I take this to be the question handled here by the Prophet: so I apprehend the sense of those three ver∣ses, wherein the said question is contained, to be such as I haue set downe. First, in the tenth verse the Prophet doth vnder generall termes of being wise and learned, aduise both Prince and people to be informed of the Lords pleasure in this particular of forbearing all deseignes and practises against Christ. Then verse 11. he exhorts them to doe worship vnto him, setting downe the manner and forme how this wor∣ship is to be performed, namely, with all reuerence and with a full ioy of heart, accompanied with a speciall humbling and trembling at the consideration of Christs Maiestie and their former rebellions. Thirdly, in the 12. verse he moues them to the doing of homage vnto Christ: where by kissing the Son, (namely, the eternall Sonne of God mentioned in the se∣uenth verse) is noted the publike acknowledgement and profession which both Prince and people are to make of their subiection vnto Christ. Amongst the ancients a kisse tendered by an inferiour to a superiour, was a signe and te∣stimonie that the inferiour publikely acknowledged and professed the other to be his Lord. So as it is required at the hands of all Potentates and their subiects, that they should not onely present in priuate a spirituall worship vnto Christ, but also publikely professe their alleageance vnto him, and obe∣dience to the royall authoritie and lawes of his kingdome.

Now to perswade both Prince and people to this dutie and conformitie, the Prophet vseth three seuerall argu∣ments: the first whereof is this:

Arg. 1.

• If your proceedings against Christ will prooue vaine and succeslesse, forbeare them, doing worship and homage vnto Christ.
• But your proceedings against Christ will proue vaine and succeslesse, vers. 1. & 2. Both these verses car∣rie this sense, that their mutining, their plots and endeuours against Christ will not take effect.
• Therefore forbeare your proceedings against Christ, doing worship & homage vnto him. ver. 10.11.12

Touching the Assumption: the Prophet, before he ac∣quaint vs with the demonstration thereof, describeth the nature of the said proceedings mentioned in the Assump∣tion, by noting vnto vs,

• 1. The authors and contriuers of them, vers. 1. & 2. which were in the time of Dauid, the Princes, and people of the tenne tribes: the Philistims, Ammonites and Moa∣bites: but in the time of Christ, the Princes and people of the Iewes, with Herod and Pilate.
• 2. The seuerall degrees of them, which are:
  • 1. Their tumultuous mutining and raging, vers. 1. in the beginning.
  • 2. Their plotting and contriuing of the courses they are to hold for the accomplishment of their de∣seignes, vers. 1. in the end.
  • 3. Their presenting of themselues in open field and in actions of publike hostilitie, vers. 2. in the begin∣ning.
  • 4. Their consulting vpon all occurrences and deui∣sing of stratagems, that may any way aduance the execution of their proiects, vers. 2. in the midst.
• 3. The persons against whom the said proceedings are: they being intended not onely against Christ, but in the per∣son of Christ against God the Father, the author and erector of Christs kingdome, vers. 2.
• 4. The maine scope and end of them: which is the subuer∣sion of Christs kingdome, vers. 3. Where vnder these

• termes of breaking their bands and cords, we are to vnderstand the endeuours and attempts of the said Princes and people to supplant the gouernment and lawes, whereby the kingdome of Christ is or∣dered and managed. Now this end, which these mu∣tinous leaguers propound vnto themselues, is am∣plified by imparting with vs the action of their mu∣tuall incouraging themselues to a resolute and spee∣die compassing thereof. For the Prophet produceth them, speaking by way of instigation and incou∣ragement thus: Let vs breake their bands, &c.

Now the demonstration of the said Assumption is this:

• ...If the Lord hold no accompt of your deseignes and at∣tempts, but will proceede to the confounding of them: then can you not preuaile by them against his Christ.
• But the Lord holdeth no accompt of your deseignes and at∣tempts, but will proceede to the confounding of them, vers. 4. and 5. In the fourth verse it is said, that the Lord will laugh and mocke at them, that is, make no reckoning of them, in regard of any possibilitie in them to preuaile. In the fift verse is set downe the Lords purpose to frustrate and disappoint them: which purpose is implied vnder the termes of spea∣king vnto them in his wrath: and more cleerely sig∣nified in the words following, of confounding them in the heate of his displeasure.
• Therfore can you not preuaile against his Christ, ver. 1. & 2.

Here least any of these rebellious leaguers might appre∣hend in the Lord either a defect of power to disappoint their enterprises against his Christ, or a purpose to tēporise with them in this cause: the Prophet amplifieth the Assump∣tion of the said Demonstration by noting vnto them:

• 1. The Lords power, whereby he is able to defeate them, vers. 4. in the beginning. Where vnder that descrip∣tion of the Lord by the place where he sitteth, is im∣plied the Lords Maiestie and power.
• ...

• 2. The circumstance of time when he will doe it, vers. 5. in the beginning. Where by the particle (then) is no∣ted that point of time, which the Lord hath appoin∣ted and determined for the execution of his wrath vpon them.

Hitherto the frustration of the plots and conspiracies against Christ hath been handled and prooued. Now the Pro∣phet proceedes to a further inforcement of his generall exhortation to all Princes and people, by an argument concluded thus:

Arg. 2.

• ...Whom the Lord hath annoynted King ouer his Church, against him you must not combine, but doe worship and homage vnto him.
• But it is his Sonne Christ prefigured by Dauid, whom the Lord hath annoynted King ouer his Church, vers. 6. What is said in this verse, may be vnder∣stood both of Dauid and Christ. By Sion, which is the siege of the temporall kingdome, wee must vnderstand the whole tract of Iudea in regard of Dauid: and the whole Church of God, in regard of Christ.
• Therefore against Christ you must not combine, but doe worship and homage vnto him, vers. 10.11.12.

Touching the Assumption: because the Princes and people of the world may take exception thereto, as being not perswaded of the truth thereof: the Prophet vndertaketh to prooue and cleere the same by a double vncontrol∣lable testimonie: the one from the Lords owne mouth, vers. 6: the other from an authenticall euidence vnder the great seale of heauen, namely, the Lords decree made in that behalfe, ver. 7. He concludeth and reasoneth thus:

• If the Lord himselfe affirme that he annoynted Christ for King ouer his people, and if he hath made a so∣lemne decree in that behalfe: then is it true that the Lord hath annoynted Christ king ouer his people.
• But the Lord himselfe affirmeth that he hath annoynted Christ for King ouer his people, vers. 6. and he hath

• made a solemne decree in that behalfe, ver. 7. Where it is said, I will declare vnto you the decree: that is, I, who am the eternal Sonne of God, will for your satisfaction herein make knowne vnto you the decree made by the Lord touching the choise & ordaining of me his Sonne Christ to be King o∣uer his Church.
• Therfore it is true that the Lord hath annoynted Christ for king ouer his people. vers. 6.

The decree mentioned in the Assumption the Prophet set∣teth foorth vnto vs,

• 1. By the instrument, who publisheth the same.
• 2. By the parts thereof.

The instrument vsed in the publication of the said decree, is Christ Iesus. For vnto him, who is to publish the same, the Lord saith, Thou art my Sonne, &c. Now the Lord cannot properly speak this to any but to Christ: as it is expoun∣ded by the Apostle, Heb. 1.5.

The parts of the said Decree are three:

• The first is, the designing of the person of the King, and the notifying of the choise and consecration made of him, vers. 7.
  • ...The person of the King is designed and noted in these words: Thou art my Sonne: and so conse∣quently King of heauen and earth.
  • The notifying of the choise and consecration made of this person, is in these words: This day haue I begotten thee. As by the generation heere mentioned, wee must conceiue and vnder∣stand the manifesting to the world that Christ was consecrated the Sauiour and King of his people from all eternitie: so these words (this day) are to be vnderstood of the time when the said manifestation was reallie performed: the first degree of that time be∣ing at the Natiuitie of Christ: the second, at his baptizing.
• ...

• The second part of the said decree concernes the kingdome giuen vnto Christ, vers. 8. Where this kingdome is de∣scribed vnto vs:
  • 1. By the meanes whereby it is obtained, namely, the intercession of Christ, in these words: Aske of me.
  • 2. By the kinde and nature of it: it being not an e∣state determinable at a certaine time, but an inheritance to be possessed for euer.
  • 3. By the largenes thereof: it being not closed vp within the limits and precincts of Iudea, but extendable to all the Nations of the earth.
• The third part of the said decree, is touching the admini∣stration of this kingdome of Christ, vers. 9. Where vn∣der one part of Christs administration, the whole is implied and meant. For as Christ doth crush the wicked with an iron rod, that is, with the execution of his iustice vpon them, and that with as great faci∣litie as one may breake an earthen vessell: so doth he gouerne and guide his children with the scepter of his word in the way of happines, rendring vnto them in the end, the reward of eternall glorie.

It being now apparant that the Lord hath annoynted Christ King ouer his people: the Prophet returnes to the pres∣sing of his generall exhortation by a third argument, thus:

Arg. 3.

• By opposing against Christ you shall suddenly perish, vers. 12. Where by perishing in the way, is meant the suddennes of this euent, they being to miscarrie euen in the middest of their course, before they can arriue to the compassing of their designes.
• Therefore see that you doe worship and homage vnto him, vers. 10.11.12.

The first part of this reason is amplified:

• 1. By the efficient cause of their ruine, namely, the iustice of God whereby he punisheth the wicked, signified vnder the name of Gods wrath, which being kindled consumes the vngodly.
• 2. By an argument taken from the contraries, thus:
  • Who subiect themselues vnto Christ shall be blessed, vers. 12. in the end. Where by one part and du∣tie, namely, confidence and dependance on the Lord, our whole subiection and obedience vnto him is signified.
  • Therefore who oppose themselues against Christ shall perish. vers. 12.