of kings" will inflict on all who resist his authority. But to me it
appears doubtful whether the "rod of iron" symbolises the royal sceptre of
the Son of God at his second advent. It is mentioned in connection with "a
sharp sword," which leads me to prefer the opinion that it also ought to be
regarded as a weapon of war; at all events, the "rod of iron" mentioned in
the Psalm we are endeavouring to explain. is evidently not the emblem of
sovereign power, although represented as in the hands of a king, but an
instrument of correction and punishment. In this sense the word "rod" is
often used. . . . .When the correcting rod, which usually was a wand or
cane, is represented as in this second Psalm, to be of "iron," it only
indicates how weighty, how severe, how effectual the threatened chastisement
will be—it will not merely bruise, but it will break. "Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron."
Now it is just such a complete breaking as would not readily be
effected
excepting by an iron rod, that is more fully expressed in the following
clause of the verse, "Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel." The completeness of the destruction, however, depends on two
things. Even an iron rod, if gently used, or used against a hard and firm
substance, might cause little injury; but, in the case before us, it is
supposed to be applied with great force, "Thou shalt dash them;" and it is
applied to what will prove as brittle and frangible as "a potter's vessel"
— "Thou shalt dash them in pieces." . . . . Here, as in other respects,
we must feel that the predictions and promises of this Psalm were but very
partially fulfilled in the history of the literal David. Their real
accomplishment, their awful completion, abides the day when the spiritual
David shall come in glory and in majesty as Zion's King, with a rod of iron
to dash in pieces the great antichristian confederacy of kings and peoples,
and to take possession of his long-promised and dearly-purchased
inheritance. And the signs of the times seem to indicate that the coming of
the Lord draws nigh.
David Pitcairn.
Verse 10. "Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings," etc. As Jesus is King
of kings and Judge of judges, so the gospel is the teacher of the greatest
and wisest. If any are so great as to spurn its admonitions, God will make
little of them; and if they are so wise as to despise its teachings, their
fancied wisdom shall make fools of them. The gospel takes a high tone
before the rulers of the earth, and they who preach it should, like Knox and
Melvill, magnify their office by bold rebukes and manly utterances even in
the royal presence. A clerical sycophant is only fit to be a scullion in
the devil's kitchen.
C. H. S.
Verse 11. "Serve the Lord with fear." This fear of God qualifies our
joy. If you abstract fear from joy, joy will become light and wanton; and
if you abstract joy from fear, fear then will become slavish.
William Bates, D.D., 1625-1699.
Verse 11. "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." There
are two kinds of serving and rejoicing in God. First, a serving in
security, and a rejoicing in the Lord without fear; these are peculiar to
hypocrites, who are secure, who please themselves, and who appear to
themselves to be not unuseful servants, and to have great merit on their
side, concerning whom it is said (Psalm 10:5), "Thy judgments are far above
out of his sight;" and also afterwards (Psalm 36:1), "There is no fear of
God before his eyes." These do righteousness without judgment at all times;
and permit not Christ to be the Judge to be feared by all, in whose sight no
man living is justified. Secondly, a serving with fear and a rejoicing with
trembling; these are peculiar to the righteous who do righteousnesses at all
times, and always rightly attemper both; never being without judgments, on
the one hand, by which they are terrified and brought to despair of
themselves and of all their own works; nor without that righteousness on the
other, on which they rest, and in which they rejoice in the mercy of God.
It is the work of the whole lives of these characters to accuse themselves
in all things, and in all things to justify and praise God. And thus they
fulfil that word of Proverbs 28:14, "Blessed is the man that feareth alway;"
and also that of Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord alway." Thus,
between the upper and nether millstone (Deuteronomy 24:6), they are broken
in pieces and humbled, and the husks being thus bruised off, they come forth
the all-pure wheat of Christ.
Martin Luther.
Verse 11. The fear of God promotes spiritual joy; it is the morning star
which ushers in the sunlight of comfort. "Walking in the fear of God, and
in the comfort of the Holy Ghost." God mingles joy with fear, that fear may
not be slavish.
Thomas Watson, 1660.
Verse 12. "Kiss," a sign of love among equals: Genesis 33:4; 1 Samuel
20:41; Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20. Of subjection in inferiors: 1
Samuel 10:1. Of religious adoration in worshippers: 1 Kings 19:18; Job
31:27.
John Richardson, Bishop of Ardagh, 1655.
Verse 12. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry." From the Person, the
Son , we shall pass to the act ( Osculamini, kiss the Son ); in which we
shall see, that since this is an act which licentious men have depraved
(carnal men do it, and treacherous men do it— Judas betrayed his Master
by a kiss), and yet God commands this, and expresses love in this;
everything that hath, or may be abused, must not therefore be abandoned; the
turning of a thing out of the way, is not a taking of that thing away, but
good things deflected to ill uses by some, may be by others reduced to their
first goodness. Then let us consider and magnify the goodness of God, that
hath brought us into this distance, that we may kiss the Son , that the
expressing of this love lies in our hands, and that, whereas the love of the
church, in the Old Testament, even in the Canticle, went no farther but to
the Osculator me (O that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
Canticles 1:1), now, in the Christian church, and in the visitation of a
Christian soul, he hath invited us, enables us to kiss him, for he is
presentially amongst us. This leads us to give an earnest persuasion and
exhortation to kiss the Son , with all those affections, which we shall
there find to be expressed in the Scriptures, in that testimony of true
love, a holy kiss. But then, lest that persuasion by love should not be
effectual and powerful enough to us, we shall descend from that duty, to the
danger, from love, to fear, "lest he be angry;" and therein see first,
that God, who is love, can be angry; and then, that this God who is angry
here, is the Son of God, he that hath done so much for us, and therefore in
justice may be angry; he that is our Judge, and therefore in reason we are
to fear his anger: and then, in a third branch, we shall see how easily this
anger departs—a kiss removes it.
Verse 12. "Kiss the Son." That is, embrace him, depend upon him all
these ways: as thy kinsman, as thy sovereign; at thy going, at thy coming;
at thy reconciliation, in the truth of religion in thyself, in a peaceable
unity with the church, in a reverent estimation of those men, and those
means, whom he sends. Kiss him, and be not ashamed of kissing him; it is
that which the spouse desired, "I would kiss thee, and not be despised."
Canticles 7:1. If thou be despised for loving Christ in his Gospel,
remember that when David was thought base, for dancing before the ark, his
way was to be more base. If thou be thought frivolous for thrusting in at
service, in the forenoon, be more frivolous, and come again in the
afternoon: "Tanto major requies, quanto ab amore Jesu nulla requies;"
(Gregory) "The more thou troublest thyself, or art troubled by others for
Christ, the more peace thou hast in Christ." . . . . "Lest he be angry."
Anger, as it is a passion that troubles, and disorders, and discomposes a
man, so it is not in God; but anger, as it is a sensible discerning of foes
from friends, and of things that conduce, or disconduce to his glory, so it
is in God. In a word, Hilary hath expressed it well: "Poena patientis, ira
decernentis;" "Man's suffering is God's anger." When God inflicts such
punishments as a king justly incensed would do, then God is thus angry. Now
here, our case is heavier; it is not this great, and almighty, and
majestical God, that may be angry—that is like enough; but even the
Son , whom we must kiss , may be angry; it is not a person whom we
consider merely as God, but as man; may not as man neither, but a a worm,
and no man, and he may be angry, and angry to our ruin. . . . "Kiss the
Son," and he will not be angry; if he be, kiss the rod, and he will be
angry no longer—love him lest he be: fear him when he is angry: the
preservative is easy, and so is the restorative too: the balsamum of this
kiss is all, to suck spiritual milk out of the left breast, as well as out
of the right, to find mercy in his judgments, reparation in his ruins,
feasts in his lents, joy in his anger.
From Sermons of John Donne, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's, 1621-1631.
Verse 12. "Kiss the Son." To make peace with the Father, kiss the Son.
"Let him kiss me," was the church's prayer. Canticles 1:2. Let us kiss him
— that be our endeavour. Indeed, the Son must first kiss us by his mercy,
before we can kiss him by our piety. Lord, grant in these mutual kisses and
interchangeable embraces now, that we may come to the plenary wedding supper
hereafter; when the choir of heaven, even the voices of angels, shall sing
epithalamiums, nupital songs, at the bridal of the spouse of the Lamb.
Thomas Adams.
Verse 12. "If his wrath be kindled but a little;" the Hebrew is, if
his nose or nostril be kindled but a little; the nostril, being an organ of
the body in which wrath shows itself, is put for wrath itself. Paleness and
snuffling of the nose are symptoms of anger. In our proverbials, to take a
thing in snuff, is to take it in anger.
Joseph Caryl.
Verse 12. "His wrath." Unspeakable must the wrath of God be when it is
kindled fully, since perdition may come upon the kindling of it but a
little.
John Newton.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Whole Psalm. Shows us the nature of sin, and the terrible results of it
if it could reign.
Verse 1. Nothing is more irrational than irreligion. A weighty theme.
The reasons why sinners rebel against God, stated, refuted,
lamented,
and repented of.
The crowning display of human sin in man's hatred of the
Mediator.
Verses 1 and 2. Opposition to the gospel, unreasonable and ineffectual.
Two sermons by John Newton.
Verses 1 and 2. These verses show that all trust in man in the service
of God is vain. Inasmuch as men oppose Christ, it is not good to hang our
trust upon the multitude for their number, the earnest for their zeal,
the mighty for their countenance, or the wise for their counsel, since
all these are far oftener against Christ than for him.
Verse 2. "Spurgeon's Sermons," No. 495, "The Greatest Trial on Record."
Verse 3. The true reason of the opposition of sinners to Christ's truth,
viz.: their hatred of the restraints of godliness.
Verse 4. God's derision of the rebellious, both now and hereafter.
Verse 5. The voice of wrath. One of a series of sermons upon the
voices of the divine attributes.
Verse 6. Christ's Sovereignty.
1. The opposition to it: "yet."
2. The certainty of its existence: "Yet have I set."
3. The power which maintains it: "have I set."