Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 18
The xviii. PSALM.
David having upon the consideration, and view of his great and many benefits, first kindled the love of God in his heart, then falls to praising him for them, which he performs with much divine Art and elegancy, in musical Identities, poetical strains, and Hyperbolical allusions, similitudes, and comparisons of his deliverances, for substance with the most wonderful ones that ever God wrought for his Church or servants, by any his notoriousest miracles. Then he sh…ws the ground hereof, to wit, the innocency of his cause, the uprightness of his wayes, and the grace and righteousness of his good God. And thence raises conclusions of future mercies both to himself and others in like case that walk with and depend on the Lord, as he had done, to whom he thankfully ascribes all his preservation, deliverance, victories, advancement; and promises himself victory for time to come, and enlargement of his dominions (as a type of Christs Kingdom) over as well Heathens as Israelites. And resuming his acknowledgements, above all, he records his deliverance from Saul, as most remarkable and thank-worthy. By all which he gives to understand the ratification of the Kingdom to him by God, and his appointment; to signifie, for the comfort of the faithful, Christs conquests by the power of his father in the Church…s behalf, in and over which he shall r…ign fo… ever.Psalm xviii. To the chief musician a Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul▪ And he said;
To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire is recommended (for the care and ordering of it to be sung) by David whose greatest honour in this his high advancement is, that he is the designed and dedicated servant of the Lord; this Psalm, which he composed at the end of his troubles, when the Lord had delivered him from the power and violence of all his home-bred enemies, but principally from Saul who was his greatest persecutor, and potent adversary, and made him King in his stead. And upon this occasion he gave thanks and praised God as followeth;
1 AS I have cause so I ever will bear in mind thy mercies,1I Will love the… ▪ O Lord, my strength. and love thee for them, O Lord; in whom I repose all my trust and stay, and so have ever done.
2 I have bottomed my self on the Lord onelyonly,2The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the born of my salvation, and my high tower. and made him my defendor, and trusted in him for deliverance, which he hath sent me. I own him and no other God but him for my God, I will never think my self weak while I have him for my strength, whom I will choose to trust in as mine all in all, my defendor, and mine enemies strong offendor in my behalf, my safeguard from them, and advancer above them.
3 I have often called on the Lord in prayer in mine adversity,3I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be prai…ed: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. and now I will change my note and sing a Psalm of praise to him, who is right worthy to be praised by me, for what he hath done for me; and so I shall still be sure of him for my God and Saviour, as well against those that shall be mine enemies, as those that have been.
4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the flouds of ungodly men made me afraid.4 I have been many times brought into inextricable dangers of death, so that I have even given my self for lost, and have thought it impossible to escape the hands of such a wicked multitude as sought my bloud.
5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.5 Yea, I have made full account of my grave, so near have I been to mine end, in mine own apprehension; I judged it utterly impossible ever to escape the deadly dangers I have been in.
6In my distresse I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God, he heard my prayer out of his Temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.6 But ever in my distress I made my repair to God, I called to him who I knew was of power to help me, and made my earnest supplication to him, that I believed loved me, and would be good unto me, and accordingly I found it so, for he failed me not, but heard my prayer and answered it from Heaven the place of his presence, as shall be the Temple, and was moved by my pitiful case and earnest supplication, which he took special notice of, and ever lent me relief according to it.
7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.7 For thereupon he miraculously delivered me, and wrought wonderfully for me, and against mine enemies; in effect as much, and as marvellously as he did of old either in the punishment or for the terrour of his own people when they rebelled against him and his servant Moses, or at any time for the deliverance of Israel, whether in Egypt, the red sea, wilderness, or since, yea, as conspicuously did he appear for me in the acts of providence and power, as if he had really and in letter created all those revolutions and transmutations in the aire and elements hereafter mentioned, as to instance, when at any time in his wrath he did (or as if he had) sent terrible earth-quakes, that as it were shook the whole earth, and the most unmoveable mountains from top to bottom.
8 And like as when supernaturally he sent forth fire and smoak,8There went up a smoak out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. which consumed the ungodly and rebellious with all they had to ashes, and strangely kindled and set on fire combustible materials, as natural fire naturally uses to do coals and such like.
9 Or manifested his presence in thick and darksome clouds,9He bowed the heavens also & came down: and darkness was under his feet. descending as it were down to the earth.
10 Or when at any time he used the powerful ministration of Angels and winds,10And he rode upon a cherub, and did flie: yea, he did flie upon the wings of the wind. wherewith himself also was present.
11 Or terribly appeared by overcasting the aire with an unwonted darkness,11He made darkness his secret place: his pavilion …round about him, were dark watters, and thick clouds of the skies. occasioned by an extraordinarie concourse of dark watery clouds all over the skie, benighting the day, and obscuring the sun by their blackness and greatness.
12 And then suddainly changing the face of the heavens from that immensity of darkness,12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail-stones and coals of fire. to such an extraordinary and supernatural brightness which ushered in his presence, as instantly dispelled those foresaid clouds, wherein before he terribly appeared, and then again as terribly in the contrary temperament of the sky, being all of a light fire, by flashes of lightening (which even consumed and burnt up what was combustible) accompanied with showers of hail issuing from those clouds so broken with the brightness of his appearing.
13 Or when as the Lord raised terrible thunderclaps in the heavens,13The Lord also thundred in the heavens, and the highest gave his voice; hailstones & coals of fire. and sent forth that dreadful voice of his to the amazement of his peoples enemies the Egyptians and others, and therewith powred down upon them hailstones mingled with fire, which beat them, and burnt them up like straw or stubble.
14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and be shot out lightnings, & discomfited them.14 Yea, when he shot his mortal thunderbolts amongst them, and put them to flight, frighting them out of all order and array, and discharged his swift and penetrating lightnings upon them, and utterly routed and discomfited them.
15Then the chanels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered: at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.15 And when his people being in danger, upon their prayer God made the very sea it self dry and fordable for their safe retreat and their enemies ruine. And the bottom of that deep concave and Abisse whereinto the earth received the water at the creation, was disclosed by the seas dividing it self at the Lords command, and by the winds that he raised to interrupt its course, and force it to a stand.
16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.16 As much as all this hath he done for me, though by a more occult way of providence, he hath wrought and fought from heaven for me many a time, and after diverse manners, he ever had a special eye to me and care of my safety, and from manifold and great dangers hath he powerfully, maugre the force and malice of mine enemies, delivered me.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them whi…h hated me: for they were too strong for me.17 Yea from Saul who was my mightiest and cruelest enemy, and from all that sided with him against me in hatred to me, hath he most miraculously delivered me, whom else I could never have escaped nor prevailed against, considering their strength above mine.
18They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.18 For in humane power and policy they were ever too hard for me in the time of mine adversity and persecution. But I firmly trusted in the Lord, who was alwayes on my side, and still sustained and delivered me, notwithstanding all they could do.
19 Yea he hath not onelyonly brought me out of my troubles,19He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. but moreover hath advanced me highly, and stated me in a most happy condition from out those straits I was in. And the reason why he thus wrought for me, and had such care over me, to deliver me, was his good grace and free favour to me.
20 And to the honest cause which I maintained,20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hand; hath he recomp…nced me. and which he sustained in my behalf, prospering me in it and for it; and mine innocent and just behaviour against mine enemies injustice and cruelty, hath he recompenced with their downfal and mine advancement.
21 For in all my troubles I was careful to keep a good conscience towards God in doing justly,21For I have kept the wayes of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. and walking uprightly, and did not (saving the slips of humane frailty and infirmity) at any time perversly step aside or fail in my duty to God, whom I ever found so gratious.
22 For I was sincere,22For all his judgements were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. and had alwayes his righteous precepts in mind and memory to order my self and my wayes impartially thereafter, and did not refuse upon any reason or occasion to yield obedience to them.
23 Nor was mine inward man wanting,23I was also upright before him: and I kept my self from mine iniquity. but he that sees all things knows my obedience was performed from my heart, in faith and affection to the commander, as well as to the commandment, and that in love to him I bridled and refrained my self from the sin, that either by nature or occasion I was most prone and tempted to.
24Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.24 And now I find I am no loser by it, for the Lord in mercy hath had consideration of the justice of my cause, and of mine innocent and holy demeanour, and hath rewarded me accordingly with the ruine of mine enemies, and mine own preservation and advancement.
25With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful, with an upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright.25 I and mine enemies are a pattern of thy truth and justice, and that thou wilt reward all manner of men according to their works, they that shew mercy shall find mercy at thine hands, as I have done in my deliverance, and they that exercise their faith and love towards thee, shall find both love and faithfulness from thee again.
26With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure: and with the froward, thou wilt shew thy self froward.26 And such as are undefiled in the way, careful to walk uprightly and do justly according to thy commandments, shall in the end find thee just in thy promises, and gracious in thy providences; and on the contrary, so shall they find thee cross in providence, and just in judgements, that proudly and perversly erre from thy precepts.
27For thou wilt save the afflicted people: but wilt bring down high looks.27 For thou wilt not fail to save and deliver the innocent and oppressed that trust in thee, and call upon thee, but on the other hand wilt be sure to bring to ruine those that set light by thee and thine.
28For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.28 I may say it, for so I have and shall find it more and more to be true, for thou both hast and wilt make my condition prosperous and happy, the Lord in whom I trust, and whom I have ever found trusty to me, as he hath out of love and faithfulness begun, so I know and believe he will go on until he have estated me in perfect peace and prosperity, and made me as happy as ever I was miserable.
29 For by what thou hast done I know what thou wilt do,29For by thee, I have run through a troup…: and by my God have I leaped over a wall. in that by thy power I have been wonderfully preserved in battel and defeated mine enemies, and by thy assistance have escaped many perils and skaled their fortresses, even so shall I do still.
30 As for God you need not doubt him,30As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. for his way of proceeding towards his people is a most absolute and perfect way, full of wisdome, justice, and truth, his promises have alwayes been found true and never deceived them that trusted to them; for according to them, he ever was, and ever will be a preserver and defender of all them that faithfully depend upon him.
31 And the contrary is very foolishness,31For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock, save our God? for who is a God to be trusted in and depended on, save the Lord Almighty onelyonly, and who can defend and protect, but that God who hath shewed such wonderful strength and power in our preservation that relied on him.
32 It is God,32It is God that girde…h me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. and God alone, that hath made me of mean and impotent, to become thus considerable and potent above mine enemies, and that maketh all my proceedings prosperous and successefull.
33 He enables me to over-run & conquer all mine enemies with ease and expedition,33He maketh my feet like hindes feet, & setteth me upon my high pla…es. and subdues them under me, making me Lord of them, and all their strength.
34 He puts power and skill into me,34He teacheth my hands to warre, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. and makes me both too cunning and too strong for mine enemies.
35 Thou hast not onelyonly thus given me power over mine enemies,35Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, & thy gentleness hath made me great. but hast also evermore preserved me from theirs, and by thine omnipotency hast upheld me from being overthrown in the dayes of my weakness and persecution, and as thy tender care hath thus preserved me, so thy loving kindness hath advanced me to this top of honour and felicity I am now seated in.
36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; that my feet did not slip.36 Thou many a time set me at liberty out of my straights and difficulties, so that I miscarried not in my hazardous condition.
37I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: n…ither did I turn again till they were consumed.37 I have defeated mine enemies so that they have fled from me, and I have chased, overtaken, and utterly destroied them, returning victorious.
38I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.38 I have so spoiled and disabled their power, that they have not been able to stirre against me, they are subdued under me, and are at my mercy.
39For thou hast girded me with strength unto battel: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.39 For thou, Lord, didst furnish me with courage and puissance to encounter mine enemies in plain field and set battel. And thou it is that gavest me victory, and enablest me to vanquish them, that have waged warre against me.
40Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies: that I might destroy them that hate me.40 Yea thou hast subjugated them under mine obeisance and command, and given me absolute and supream power to execute my pleasure on them that dare to malign or oppose me, as Christ shall have.
41They cried, but there was none to save them; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.41 In their necessities they importuned help on all hands, but there were none that durst appear in their behalfs against me; yea, they tried how they could speed by prayer to God, because they saw others had done so, and found themselves void of all other succour, but they lost their labour and had no answer.
42Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.42 But in stead thereof were wholly put into my hands, whom I made examples of my just displeasure, by taking deserved punishment upon them; executing martial law: I destroied them by multitudes without mercy or compassion, as Christ shall his enemies when he takes vengeance on them, and breaks them to pieces with a rod of iron.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the oppositions and gain sayings that I found at mine entrance to the Crown by mine own people Israel,43Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people: and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. and hast both set me over them, and extended my dominions over many heathen nations also; yea, thou wilt yet make more and strange nations subject to me, as well as they, even as Jews and Gentils shall be to Christ.
44 So soon as they hear of my prowesse and victories, they shall be willing to become my tributaries.44As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. The heathen shall be glad to strike sail, and offer me their allegiance, as in like manner they shall do to the Messiah, who shall conquer by his word as I by my sword.
45 The courages of the heathen shall abate,45The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. and they shall flie away at the renown of my power, nor shall they think themselves safe in their strong holds, but shall abandon them for fear of me.
46 It is the Almighty and everliving God,46The Lord liveth, & blessed be my rock: and let the God of my salvation be exalted. to whom I ascribe the surviving of all my miseries, and the enjoyment of all my happiness, and him will I ever blesse who hath been a sure rock of defence and safety to me in all storms, and I will never forget to magnifie God as my sole and onelyonly Saviour out of all my troubles.
47 It is God that taketh vengeance of my potent and malicious enemies,47It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. and suppresseth the mutinous and rebellious spirits of the popularity, and keeps them in subjection and Allegiance to me.
48He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.48 He delivers me from all mine enemies great and small, less and more; yea, and subdues them that take up arms against me under my dominion: yea, thou hast done many favours for me, but one above all the rest, which I must principally record, that is, my great preservation from Saul my …orest enemy, and most malicious persecutor.
49Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, (O Lord) among the heathen: and sing p…ai… unto thy name.49 Therefore will I give thee thanks, O Lord, even amongst the heathen will I publish the renown of thy saving power and goodness, as Christ shall thy saving grace and righteousness, that they may also know thee and believe in thee, and will sing the praises of all thou hast wrought for me, and give the glory thereof to thy grace and might.
50Great deliverance giveth he to his King: and sheweth mercy to his annointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.50 Great deliverance he both hath given, and still continues to give to me, whom he hath made King over Israel, and ratified it after an extraordinary manner. And hath and will shew mercy to his appointed and Annointed servant and Soveraign of his people in testimony of his favour and good will to him, even to David, the selected type of Christ and his victorious Kingdom, who shall come of him, and reign over his Church everlastingly; as he and his posterity shall over Judah from generation to generation.