Exposition on the Seven Psalms of Repentance, Exposition 51 · Verse 14
Verſe 14. Deliuer me from blood, O God, which art the God of my ſaluation: and my tongue ſhall ſing ioyfully of thy righteouſneſſe.
HAuing before ſo often begged pardon for all his ſinnes in generall; he now particularly confeſſeth which of all his ſins grieued him moſt,The ſhedding of innocēt blud Dauids greateſt ſin which he ſetteth downe to be innocent blood, and therefore he craueth to be deliuered from the burden of it, from the terrors of an accuſing conſcience, the cries which it ſendeth vp to God.
This verſe hath a petition and a promiſe. In the petition two things: 1. of whom he beggeth this petition: 2. what he ſeeketh to be deliuered, from blood.
O God, the God of my ſaluation. His doubling and repeating the name of God, ſheweth vntounto vsus, that he taketh hold on God with both his hands; and it declareth his vehemencie and earneſtneſſe in his ſuite at God, that he might be deliuered from that blood. And all his ſuites he directeth onelyonly to God. Fooliſh Papiſts, God helpe you.
When he calleth him the God of his ſaluation, he cleerly ſheweth to vsus, that he hath no ſaluation either of his body or ſoule, but onelyonly of God, who will not giuegive his glory either to man or Angell.
When he ſaith, My ſaluation, he applieth ſaluation to himſelf, and doth not imply and infold his ſaluation in generalitie, thinking it preſumption to certifie himſelfe of his ſaluation, (as the Papiſts ſay.) For what comfort can we hauehave in life or death,We can hauehave no comfort vnles we be perſwaded of Gods merciemercy. Dauids petition. if we be not perſwaded of Gods merciemercy and fauour: not that we preſume of our merit, but perſwading vsus of his maieſties conſtancie and truth.
Deliuer me from blood. His petition is to be deliuered from blood…, both from the guiltineſſe which he had contracted by his murder, as from the terrors of his conſcience, as alſo from the puniſhment threatned by Nathan, that blood ſhould neuer depart from his houſe;2. Sa. 12.10 and finally from future blood, yt he neuer fell into it again: as God deliuered him from the blood of Nabal by Abigail. And this is a great deliuery,1. Sa. 25.33 that we do not euil; as we ate commanded to pray, Deliuer vsus from euil, Mat. 6.11.that we commit no ſin; and when we hauehave done euill, it is a great deliuerance when God freeth vsus of the guilt of it, the condigne puniſhment. But our greateſt comfort is, when we are kept from doing of it, as Ioſeph and Suſanna; and it is Gods greateſt honour when we are deliuered from the puniſhment which we hauehave deſerued for committing ſuch euils.
From blood. He both committed adultery and murder; but he is more touched for the one then for the other. Adultery is euil becauſe it defileth and defaceth Gods image in man;Murder worſe then adultery. but murder deſtroyeth his image. And there is no ſinne more odious in the ſight of God then blood: for which cauſe he baniſhed Cain from his preſence;Gen. 4.14. Gen. 6.5. he deſtroyed the firſt world, which was full of crueltie; he remoued Saul from his kingdome,2. Sa. 21.1. who ſlue the Prieſts and the Gibeonites; he remoued the Crowne from the houſe of Ahab and dogs licked his blood.1. Iſ…. 22.38
Kings ſhould pray with Dauid, to keepe them frō the blood of innocents; for blood ſhall be in their houſe.Nota. And often thoſe who liue in blood, die in blood, and make a bloodie teſtament; according to that of the Poet:
Ad generum Cereris fine caedet & ſanguine,
Diſcedunt reges & ſicea morte tyranni.
The word in the originall is bloods, in the plurall number.Why called bloods in the plurall number. For ſuch is the atrocitie of that ſin, that one is weightier then a thouſand weights of Lead. So ſoon as it is ſhed, ſo ſoone doth it defile the ſhedder, as the purple dieth the cloth. It ſeemeth well coloured when it is ſhed, but within a litle time it becometh ſo thicke and black, that a man would abhorre to behold it; therefore it is called bloods. Leu. 7.27.The Lord in the Leuiticall law forbad his people to eare any fleſh with the blood; Nota.that the deteſtation of beaſts blood might make them ſo much the more to abhorre the blood of man, wherein his life ſtandeth. Blood hath a crie:Gen. 4.10. Gen. 4 10. The voice of thy brothers blood crieth. Who ſo ſhedeth mans blood, his blood ſhall be ſhed, which is either by the iuſtice, or by reuenge and repaiment. The auengers of blood are admitted by the law.
Now mens hands are full and foule with blood. The earth is drunken with blood. In her wings there is found blood. Polluted with blood. Lam. 4.14. Bull of blood, Ezek. 9.9.22.2.23.27. Blood hath touched blood. Hoſ. 4.2. Ioel complaineth of them,Ioel 3.19. Mica 7.2. Nah. 3.1. Hab. 2.12. Mat. 23.35 that they ſhed innocent blood. Micah, Nahum, and Habakuk, pronounce a woe to them that ſhed innocent blood. And Chriſt bringeth together all the blood ſhed from Abel to Zechariah. Mat. 27.8.The Iewes bought Aceldema, a field of blood.Reu. 8.8. Their feete are ſwift to ſhed blood The third part of the ſea ſhal be blood. God will reuenge the blood of the Saints.Innocent blood is, hath bin, & ſhal be ſhed So I ſee from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, innocent blood hath euer bin, is, and ſhall be ſhed, but namely the blood of Gods deareſt children.
Sanguine fundata eſt Eccleſia ſanguine creuit.
leftblank;—ſanguine finis crit.
Let vsus then thinke it no vncouth thing, when we ſee innocent blood ſhed ſo abundantly, that the ſtreets of Ieruſalem are filled, and like to be more filled with the blood of Gods Saints.
And my tongue ſhall ſing ioyfully of thy righteouſneſſe. He promiſeth to be thankful vntounto God: for it becometh righteous men to be thankfull. Pſal. 33.1.Sinne tooke away the vſe of his tongue, now grace reſtoreth it.
The tongue is a noble inſtrument, and as it were a bell hanging in a high place. It is a ſhame it ſhould not be occup…ed in ſounding; and much more ſhame that it ſhould be ill occupied in ſounding euill things. It is beſt vſed when it ſoundeth Gods praiſes, who formed it.Nota. The tong is beſt vſed when it praiſeth God. Simil. As the golden bell of Aarons garment ſounded, ſo ſhould our tongues ſound Gods praiſes, if we be his Prieſts.
This condemneth two ſorts of perſons; one,Thoſe are to be condemned who do not ſpeake for God. who neuer ſpeake any thing to Gods honor, thinking they are well diſcharged when they do not openly blaſpheme, or ſpeak vilde ſpeeches out of the filthy groues of a polluted heart, although they heare others, and cannot open their mouthes to rebuke them, being aſhamed to ſpeake for the Lord, and glorifie him by maintenance of his truth.
Thoſe are to be condemned who ſpeake againſt God. Mat. 12.36The other ſort is more to be condemned, who open their mouth daily to lies, blaſphemies ſlanders. But be aſſured, that if for eueryevery idle word we are to be countable, much more for eueryevery wicked ſpeech we ſhall be anſwerable to God at the laſt day.
Shall ſing ioyfully. He is not content to ſay, ſhall ſpeake. For the more vehement intention of the minde kindled vp with ioy, maketh the tongue to burſt out in Pſalmes, hymnes and ſpiritual ſongs, to ſtirre vp thy ſelfe, and prouoke others with greater delight and pleaſure to praiſe God.
This ſweete ſinger of Iſrael anſwereth to his name, when he ſingeth ſweete ſongs and ballads to the praiſe of our ſweet God.Againſt thoſe that ſing profane balads So much in this are thoſe to be condemned, who ſing profane baudie ſongs, to the diſhonour of God, and offence of his Church.
Of thy righteouſneſſe, that is, not of his iuſtice in puniſhing him, but of his righteouſnes in couering his iniquitie. For which Chriſt is called, God our righteouſneſſe. So he would be vnrighteous and denie himſelfe, if he ſhould denie vsus merciemercy: ſo ſure is our ſaluation, which is our great comfort. We muſt praiſe God for all his benefits, whereof we are leſſe then the leaſt; and if for the ſmalleſt, much more for the greateſt, euen that worke of our redemption by Chriſt, that he is made our righteouſneſſe to ſaue vsus, when we had nothing of our ſelues, and knew not our danger, he prepared a ſalue for vsus before we were wounded, and the remedie before our danger. If we were ſicke, and had receiued health; poore, and were relieued, would we not thanke God, and thinke our ſelues obliged to him, as we are:Nota. The greateſt benefits deſerue the greateſt praiſes. but ſeeing he hath deliuered vsus …rom our ſins, and from hell, hauehave we not …he greater cauſe to be thankfull; for the greateſt beneſits deſerue the greateſt praiſes.