Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 20
The xx. PSALM.
David as a prophet instructs his people in a pattern and form of prayer to pray for him their King, and to seek their own welfare in him, as the Churches in Christ, whereof he and they were respective types. And to look at God for all the good they expected by his means, and withal to be confident of it by saith, grounded upon pregnant experiences of his grace and favour to him. And how ever God might make them strong in outward things, yet not to change their trust, but to keep it firm in God, by example both of their enemies miscarriages through their misgrounded confidence, and of their own experienced success by trusting in the Lord. Closing up the prayer with a brief of all. Praying God to preserve both them and their King, and to make him able to govern and defend them in equitie and tranquillitie, as Christ his Church.
To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire, Psalm xx. To the chief musician A Psalm of David.do I David that made this Psalm, recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung.
1 WE the people of God,1THe Lord bear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee. and thee, whom God hath set over us, pray for thee. That the Lord would hear thy prayers against thine enemies in time of need: the grace and providence of God which he shewed to our father Jacob, and promised to us his seed, who are his peculiar people, evermore accompany and preserve thee our King.
2 Yea,2Send thee help from the sanctuarie: and strengthen thee out of Sion. the good Lord answer thee succesfully from that place which he hath specially appointed to hear, and for us to offer prayers in, even his holy Tabernacle. And grant thee his Almighty aid according to the daily prayers of his priests and people which they put up unto him in his holy mountain in thy behalf.
3 The Lord keep in mind thy pious offerings of praise and thanksgivings for mercies past,3Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Selah. to give thee further cause to do the like, and the Lord accept the propitiation for thy sins to pardon them, and shew forth the gratious fruits and effects of his reconciled favour to thee. All this we humbly and heartily pray for.
4Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.4 God grant thee answers and issues according to thine own desire, and bless all thy advice and undertakings for God and his people with sutable success.
5We will rejoyce: in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.5 We are confident that God is and ever will be with thee, and therefore rejoyce before hand in that happines and preservation we promise our selves under thee, as the Church shall have under the Messiah, and with much assurance and boldnes in our God and thine, will we triumphantly and in confidence of victorie march against thine and our enemies. And to that purpose the Lord hear, and effectually answer all thy petitions.
6Now know I, that the Lord saveth his annointed: he will hear him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his …ight hand.6 We have had good experience and sufficient proof of Gods great good will towards thee, and that ever since thy first anointing by Samuel; the Lord hath so preserved and kept thee, and spite of all thine enemies placed thee in the throne, as that we doubt not, but that still God will be the same in grace and good will to thee, hearing thy further requests which thou shalt put up against thine and our enemies, and answering thee from heaven with preservation and victorie.
7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.7 Our enemies according to their national accommodations and militarie provisions, so is their confidence, some in one thing, some in another. But we will strengthen our selves in the Lord, and repose our trust in him alone, by virtue of his many gracious promises made to us, and his former mightie works wrought for us.
8They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen and stand up …ight.8 And cause we have to do so, if we consider. How helpless they have found them, whose trust was in other things, and how notwithstanding their pride and power, it hath brought them to ruin. Whilest we by trusting in the Lord, are through his power and goodness attained to great felicitie and superioritie above them, from a low and despicable condition.
9 Good Lord,9Save Lord, let the King hear us when we call. be still our preserver and our Kings, and so strengthen him with power, and endow him with clemency and justice. That he may be both able to keep us in peace from our enemies that seek to annoy us, and in righteousness preserve us from civil oppression amongst our selves. As Christ can and will his Church and people, when they crie to him.