PSAL. LXI.
UPon Neginnoth; that is, a stringed Instrument, as hath been shewed, Psal. 4.
From the end of the Earth I will call upon thee. It is most probable by the * 1.1 Contents of this Psalme, that it was made by David, when he fled for feare of Absalom, and was by this meanes kept from coming to the Tabernacle; therefore he saith, that he called from the end of the Earth or Land. That, is, From a far off: Basill, who understands Psalme 60. as propheticall, * 1.2 touching the miseries of the people of Israell in their Babylonish captivity although now after so great Victories by him attained, they had an happy time, makes the beginning of this to cohere with the latter end of that, as a continued prayer of those Exiles; in intimating which it is said, From the end of the Earth, because Babylon was so far off from Jerusalem: Jerom * 1.3 will have it to be the voice of the Church, crying to Christ by prayer from all parts of the Earth, when as the Gospell being propagated every where, Beleivers prayed, which is indeed the language of Faith; as is noted out unto us, where the Apostle saith, We have received the spirit of adoption, * 1.4 whereby we cry Abba Father. Lead me to the Rock that is higher then I. That is, To thy selfe (O CHRIST) Of whom it is said, The Rock was * 1.5 Christ: And upon this Rock I will build my Church. And this way of Ex∣position is very pious, if we first understand it literally, of David praying in his exile, as one overwhelmed in his heart with cares and perplexities, and making God his Rock to flee unto; where a man being set, is higher and safer then the greatest Monarch, which he meaneth by saying, Higher then I: For when God takes one to his protection, he is upon a Rock as it were, so high that no danger can reach unto him: Then mystically let it be taken [Note.] as the voice of the faithfull Soule, desiring to make Christ her Rock, by being firmly founded upon him by faith: and then we are hereby taught. wherein all out safety lyeth against the Devil and our sinnes, and not to build upon any other Foundation, but to place all our confidence for sal∣vation * 1.6 upon him alone.
For thou (O God) hast heard my Vowes, and given me the heritage of * 1.7 them that feare thy name. Having declared his confidence to be restored again to the Tabernacle, as he desired, to continue and dwell there, Verse 4. and not to be driven from thence any more; in this Verse he sheweth his ground, Thou O God hast heard my Vowes: That is, My prayers wherein I have bound my selfe, if they be heard to be so devoted to Gods worship, that I will alwayes be a diligent Resorter to thy Tabernacle, and I shall account it my chiefe heritage so to do, as do all that feare thee; for he that makes account of the liberty of coming at all times in duties of Piety before God, as of a goodly heritage, hath God and his future reward in Heaven, for his Inheritance for ever: wherefore he addeth, Thou wilt * 1.8 prolong the Kings life, and he shall abide before thee for ever: Thou shalt add dayes upon dayes of the King, Generation and Generation. Hebrew, Calvin saith, That this is not meant of the person of David, but of his Kingdome, continuing in his royall Issue, because he lived not many Generations, but one, but his Kingdome stood long, and being again renewed in Christ for ever: But understanding it of any that feare God, and the Heritage before