perfect his work, yet he was not negligent, but continued in prayer, The promises of God are designed to encourage, not to supersede our prayers. Let us then continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; since he who hath begun the good work will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. PSALM CXXXIX. To the chief musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm is by the Jewish writers esteemed the most excellent; and indeed it deserves our most serious attention for the grand ideas it gives us of God, and the useful instructions it contains. It was composed by David when he was reproached for having ill designs against Saul. LORD, thou hast searched me, and known (me,) my actions, and the workings of my mind. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, at home and abroad, thou understandest my thoughts afar off, which are the most contingent 3 things, yea, even my future thoughts. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways. 4 For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but,] lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether, that is, before there is a word uttered 5 by my tongue. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me; I cannot outrun thee, nor retire without thy leave; thou directest and controlest my motions as thou 6 pleasest. [Such] knowledge as this [is] too wonderful for me : it is high, I cannot [attain] unto it; I cannot say how thou knowest all I have mentioned, but I am well satisfied that thou dost. 7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from 8 thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, in the deepest caverns of the earth,” be9 hold, [thou art there. If] I take the wings of the morning, f I could fly with the swiftness of a sun beam, [and] dwell in the 10 uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, 11 and thy right hand shall hold me in my flight. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light 12 about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both 13 alike [to thee.] For thou hast possessed my reins; observed the secret recesses of my body: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb; cherished, preserved, and taken care of me there, 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well; I have frequently considered and acknowledged thy won Heaven may signify the place where God manifests his brightest glory, and hell the abode of the damned. 15 derful wisdom in my formation. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the 16 lowest parts of the earth.* Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when (as yet there was] none of them; or, and there was none of them left out, or unfinished; but all completed according to thy perfect 17 model. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! I think of thy mercies with pleasure 18 and thankfulness. [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand when I awake, I am still with thee; when I lie down I think of thy goodness and mercy; and these thoughts possess me in the morning; or, if I begin the enumeration of them in the morning, and continue it all day and all night, yet I find myself the next morning as far from the end as ever. 19 Surely thou, who art omniscient and seest all they do, wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20 For they speak against thee wickedly, [and] thine enemies take [thy name] in vain; they are thy enemies as well as mine, for they prostitute the sacred name of religion to countenance their villany, and call upon thee as a witness for what they know to be 21 false. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am I 22 not grieved with those that rise up and rebel against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred it I count them mine enemies: yet, lest any personal malice should lurk in my breast, and I should 23 err through self love, do thou Search me, O God, and know my 24 heart try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting, by unchangeable rules of sincerity and truth. 1. REFLECTIONS. LET Untiscece of God at all times; that he is perfectly ET us charge it upon our consciences that we remember acquainted with every one of our actions, words, and thoughts, though we cannot comprehend it. It is impiety not to believe the omniscience of God, and folly and madness not to act accordingly. The recollection of this would be a powerful restraint from every sin, an incentive to every duty. Let us then set the Lord always before us; act and endure as seeing him that is invisible; and never consent to sin, for God sees us. Let us remember that his eyes are upon us, by day and by night, in darkness as well as in the light; and that he particularly observes our behaviour and our thoughts in his house, and in what manner we worship him. This, some suppose, alludes to the manner in which the creatures were first produced cut of the earth, and if so, ir intimates, that when he was formed in his mother's womb, it was as much a work of divine power, as if he had been crested out of the earth. I think it rather siguities, he was formed in the womb, as remote from mortal eyes, as if it had beca in the deepest caverns of the earth. + This evidently refers to their character, and not their persons; for it appears from other psalms, and David's history, that he prayed for them, and often refused to take vengeance upon them, when it was in his power. 2. Let us acknowledge and adore him as the former and preserver of our frame. There are innumerable beauties in it every limb, organ, and sense, every bone, vessel, and, nerve, displays exquisite wisdom and skill. His mercies to us are innumerable, more than the sand. Let our bodies then be devoted to his service, and all our members be employed as instruments of righteousness. We should keep alive a sense of God and his goodness upon our minds; lie down every evening with a serious, grateful impression of it, and direct our first waking thoughts to him, that we may be in his fear all the day long. 3. Let us set ourselves in his presence to search and try us. A man may mistake his own character, and have sin prevailing in him, without being sensible of it. Let us therefore be careful that we be not deceived by an external profession, transient affections, or any gifts or privileges. Though we may not be conscious to ourselves of hypocrisy, or self deceit; yet in a matter of such moment we ought to make diligent search, and beg the guidance of God; that he would show us the worst of ourselves, and preserve us from fatal delusions. Be not deceived; God is not mocked. 4. If we can really approve ourselves in the sight of God, let us take comfort in his omniscience, and the thought of his being a witness of our integrity. It is a small matier to be judged of man's judgment; our judge is the Lord. There are excellent marks in this psalm to judge of our characters by. Do we maintain a sense of the omnipresence and omniscience of God? Do we cherish a grateful remembrance of his mercies? Do we hate wicked practices? Do we feel a just indignation against those who continue in them? Do we give no countenance to sinners? Do we oppose the progress of iniquity, and count the enemies of God our enemies, so as to have no fellowship with them, however wealthy, polite, or honourable they may be? These will be considerable proofs of our integrity; and this will be our rejoicing when men abuse and misrepresent us. But lest we should draw back, let us earnestly pray that God would strengthen these dispositions in our hearts, and lead us in the way everlasting; the way of eternal truth and rectitude; the way that leads to everlasting life. 2 PSALM CXL. To the chief musician, A Psalm of David. Composed on occasion of his trouble from Saul and Doeg. DELIVER me, O LORD, from the evil man : preserve tha from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs in [their] heart; continually are they gathered together [for] 3 war, repeating their attempts to injure and destroy me. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison, which is not only painful but deadly, [is] under their lips. Selah. 7 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my go5 ings. The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have 6 spread a net by the way side; they have set gins for me. Selah. I said unto the LORD, Thou [art] my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. O God the LORD, the strength of my salvation, that is, my strong saviour, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle; probably alluding to his combat with Goliath, when 8 he went out without shield or helmet. Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; [lest] they exalt themselves; lest they consider it as an evidence that God favours them, and so be led on to wicked attempts against other 9 innocent persons. [As for] the head of those that compass me 10 about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. Let burn ing coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep 11 pits, that they rise not up again. Let not an evil speaker be es tablished in the earth, though he may thrive for a while by his artifices: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow and destroy 12 [him.] I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, [and] the right of the poor, though he may seem for a while 13 to forget it, and suffer it to be borne down. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence; in a state of security and comfort, when their enemies are destroyed. WICKED REFLECTION. ICKED men are miserable notwithstanding all their art or power, and good men are happy though most violently assaulted and ill used. Who would not wish rather to be David than any of his enemies? Though such wicked men sharpen their tongues, yet the mischief of their own lips shall cover their heads, and burning coals fall upon them whose mouths are set on fire of hell. Let those that delight in malice and mischief, that carry tales to sow discord among brethren, that spread ill natured characters and stories of their neighbours, remember, that there is a day of retribution coming, when their own tongues shall fall upon them, and they will be cast into that deep and bottomless pit from whence they will never rise again. But God is the strong saviour of good men, he can preserve them from secret fraud and open vi olence; he will maintain their cause, and make it appear to all the world that he favours them, and they shall dwell for ever in his presence. PSALM CXLI. A Psalm of David. Written on the same account as the last, when he was persecuted by Saul; probably a little after the slaughter of the priests who were his friends. 1 2 L unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice; though I cannot go to thy house, as thy people do, at the times of morning and evening sacrifice, let my prayer nevertheless be as acceptable to thee as if offered in the 3 holy place, and with incense and sacrifices. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips ;* guard me by thy 4 grace, that I do not break out into intemperate speeches. Incline not my heart to [any] evil thing, to practise wicked works, with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties, or partake of any of those feasts, at which they contrive mischief, and 5 encourage one another to pursue it. Let the righteous smite me; [it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; [it shall be] an excellent oil, [which] shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also [shall be] in their calamities; let the righteous reprove me severely, even though so keenly as almost to wound me, I would excuse it on account of the good effects it is likely to produce, and consider their reproofs as an engagement to pray for them and 6 do them all the service I can, when they are in trouble. When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my 7 words; for they are sweet. Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon 8 the earth. But mine eyes [are] unto thee, O GOD the LORD: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute, nor suffer them 9 to take away my life. Keep me from the snares [which] they 10 have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape. His passsions might be stirred up to an high degree, and ready to break out in reviling words against Saul, on account of this tragical scene, many having been put to death for the act of one, and that an act of kindness. These words are capable of another translation, which some learned critics prefer, Let the righteous teach me kindly, and reprove me. The oil of the wicked shall not anoine my head; that is, I will not go to visit him and keep him company (it being usual to anoint the heads of their guests); yet will I pray for them when I see them in distress.' This is an obscure expression, and seems to prophesy that God would bring some signal punishment upon the leading men among his enemies. It is an allusion to a case that might often happen, viz. when men run from an enemy to rocks and mountains, they may be taken and slin there, where they thought to shelter themselves, so should the people hear his words of praise to God. Thus Saul was destroyed. Some understand it of the comfort which the pious Israelites would have in David's preservation, and the encouragement he gave them when the prieste were slain. It is not unlikely but Saul might leave the priests whom he had slain, unburied; if so, the hand of God was remarkably upon him, in his body being hung up, and denied the hou ours of a burial. |