Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 141
The cxli. PSALM.
David and his men being in great danger by Sauls surprise, probably either in the wilderness of Engeddi or of Ziph, and having opportunity and temptation of revenge, prayes that God would deliver him both from death and sinne in that strait. Is greatly troubled that so many innocents should so prosecute him through misunderstanding, wishes they would take another course more agreeable to charity, for whom yet his charity shall move him to pray, that they may not perish with their malicious misl…aders, in hope, that when they are removed out of the way by Gods just judg…ments, these will then be reduced and hear reason, though now their ears are charmed. And lastly represents his, and his partizans perillous case to God, but withall, his faith in God, praying for his own deliverance and his enemies subversion.
A Psalm made by David.Psalm cxli. A Psalm of David.
1 LOrd,1LOrd, I cry unto thee, make hast unto me, give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee. no danger is so great nor eminent as to stifle my faith or stop my mouth, but be it what it will be, I make my moan unto thee, even now in this mine extremity, wherein I am not a little concerned, nor thee, to make hast to my rescue, being sore laid to; be not therefore a stranger to me, nor deaf to hear me, but graciously compassionate my misery, and hear me effectually now and alwayes, when in such straits I supplicate thy Majesty.
2 Let my prayer,2Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands, as the evening sacrifice. which I dayly put up unto thee in the virtue of Christs mediation, ascend and be accepted of thee, as the Type thereof that perpetuall fragrant incense-offering, burnt each morning in the sanctuary, …nd let my supplication the spirituall sacrifice of a faithfull heart be as pleasing, as the appointed meat-offering every evening.
3 Lord,3Set a watch O Lord before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. my temptations are great and provocations many, suffering so unjustly and ungratefully as I do, under a tedious and trying persecution that exerciseth all the faith and patience I have, and were it not for thy supporting auxiliary grace, would be too hard for me, notwithstanding mine, which can of it self ill grapple with such adversaries and adversities, without out-breaches of corruptions, whereto my mind and mouth in thoughts and words are over prone, therefore good Lord, carefully keep and restrain me, that through sinfull impatience or incogitancy, I sometime or other forget not my self, and imprudently let fall either words or rash discontent towards thee, or of sinfull revenge towards mine adversaries, unworthy the Mediatour and Lamb-like patience of him, whom I prefigure in these my durances, but may patiently wait, and bear what is thy pleasure to the utmost time and measure, as he shall, not sinning so much as in word or thought.
4Encline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.4 I well know mine own naturall inclination what it is, how prone to evil mine heart and affections are, specially upon temptation, yea, to any or to every evil of words or actions how vild soever, and that unavoidably, if thou decline it not; thou must bend it the contrary way by thine over-powering efficacious grace grace-ward, or else it will warp sin-ward, with the weight or attraction of temptation; I have no confidence in it but onelyonly in thee, in whose hands are all hearts, and mine more especially; dispose thou … therefore to good and not to evil, to right and not to wrong-doing of no kind, less, nor more, let no temptation, in no condition, upon no occasion, prevail with me to sinne, but so establish my heart, and strengthen my graces, that I may make constant resistance without envying their happiness, that prosper by undue courses, whilest I in the practise of piety find nothing but misery; keep me from being taken with their golden baits of earthly felicity to the loss of heavenly, for that shall be their reward that live in sinne, how sweet soever it is at present to their corrupt tasts, and so shall it to be mine, if I leave the way I am in of serving thee to serve sinne, whence, Lord, deliver me.
5 O that I might be free from the temptations of these wicked malicious persecutours,5Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oyl, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. Saul and his chieftaines, that so impiously against their own consciences traduce me to the people, and unworthily seek my life by all sinister courses, tempting me to the like wicked wayes of revenge and retaliation, which I find I can hardly forbear, so injurious are my sufferings, and hazardous my condition, it being humanely impossible to shift them by lawfull and conscionable courses, without taking all advantages as they do. And that the well-meaning innocent people that perpetrate nothing of malice, but through credulity and misprision are misled to do that they do against me: O that they would not so erre, but would question and blame me to my face in a fair and friendly manner, as becomes one towards another, touching what they hear and too easily take upon trust. I should take such dealing exceeding kindly, and interpret those reproofs no acts of enmity and hostility, but friendly and good offices. Who though they do not so, but suffer themselves thus to be misled to the wronging me in this sort, yet wish I no ill to them, but pity them for their unhappy ingagement in so bad a cause, and shall be heartily sorry when any hurt befalls them for it, as I know there will, which when it doth, I will pray for them as for my self.
6 When the time comes for God to execute vengeance on their Rulers and Commanders,6When their Judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet. who now so bewitch the people, and that they fall by the sword in mount Gilboa, and the Kingdom so unexpectedly be translated to me, then will the people be brought to a right understanding of me, when I shall declare to them that I never sought the Kingdom, as they had been made believe, but it was the purpose and good will of God to cast it upon me for their good, and the happiness of all Israel which shall follow thereupon, they shall then be won to believe and hope so to their comfort, when they see it so wonderfully brought about merely by providence, and Gods just judgement, maugre the malice and power of mine enemies (their seducers) to the contrary.
7Our bones are scatter…d the graves mouth, as wh…n one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.7 The danger of me and all that take part with me in regard of its eminency and mine enemies rage, is as great as great can be; sure we are all of us to be slain if taken, and that in a barbarous cruell manner too; hewen in pieces and piece-meal exposed above ground, no mercy alive nor dead can such Traitours, as we are counted to be, expect, but the uttermost rigour and exemplary severity that can be inflicted, are we sure of.
8But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust, leave not my soul destitute.8 But, Lord, in this strait of me and mine, I am not so dejected as to let fall my faith, nor to cease prayer, but to thee a gracious and omnipotent Lord God, to whom belong the issues from death, do I in the vehement ardency of my spirit make mine address for relief in this mine extremity; my confidence is more because of thee, thy power and goodness, in which I trust, then is my fear by reason of my dangers greatness, therefore be not wanting to save my life, which I give for lost if thou save it not, for other help or helper I have none.
9 I know nothing is impossible to God,9Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and the grins of the workers of iniquitie. the snares and grins that mine enemies lay privily for me are known to thee, though by mine ignorance I may be hazarded, yet by thy providence I hope to be prevented. Keep me from being caught which else I shall be, and from being made a prey to malicious bloud-thirsty men, that are void both of piety and humanity.
10 Let my wicked enemies be overtaken in their own projects by thy just judgements,10Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilest that I withall escape. who art able to ensnare them in, and by their own craft, and to make it appear that simple honesty is the best policy, and wicked policy the greatest simplicity and most self-destructive, make them manifest examples of it, by thine out-witting and mine escaping them, but their not escaping thee.