Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 28
The xxviii. PSALM.
David prayes to have his prayers heard, and difference made between him and his wicked enemies, whom he accurses as the wilful withstanders of the will of God touching him a type of Christ; And therefore promises and prophesies their destruction, and his own assured establishment over Israel, whom he prayes for, that they may be blessed under him, as the Church shall be under the Messiah.
A Psalm made by David.Psalm xxviii. A Psalm of David.
1 UNto thee will I as I have ever done make my moan in my misery,1UNto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rock, be not silent to me: lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. and cry for help, for on thee, O Lord, depends all my trust and hope of safety therefore deny not to hear and help me, who have no other helper; for if thou doest, I am utterly helpless and must unavoidably perish.
2 Stop not thine ears nor with-hold not thy favour from me,2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee; when I lift up mine hands toward thy holy oracle. for it is as bitter as death to have my prayers unheard, when in anguish of my spirit I pour them forth before thee, and when according to thine ordinance, I lift up mine eyes and hands in supplication towards the sanctuary, which thou hast appointed as a type of heaven to vouchsafe thy presence, and to hear and answer prayer in.
3 Let me not perish as an evil doer by evil doers,3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity: which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. nor be untimely taken away in thy wrath as a male-factour, and wicked worker amongst those that are so, who with hipocritical dissembling make shew of peace and friendship, to them that really mean no ill, but intend nothing but mischievous deceit against them.
4Give them according to their deeds, & according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the works of their hands, render to them their desert.4 Such as are so, and do so (which are mine enemies) let them feel and find thy just displeasure according to their demerits, and answerable to their sinful practises against the innocent, let them have the wages they have wrought for, and in thy justice pay them their just deserved punishment.
5Because they regard not the works of the lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, & not build them up.5 And because they regard so little, and slight so much the Lord in his remarkable judgements upon themselves, and his no less remarkable grace and favour unto me, so clearly manifested by extraordinary testimonies, and singular providences, confirming mine election to the Kingdom as a type of Christ, he will and shall therefore at last I am sure do himself and me right upon them, and make them understand it by their utter extirpation and overthrow, and my establishment in their steads, as he shall do by Christ and his enemies.
6Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.6 Now blessed be the Lord, who enables me in full assurance of faith, and by an infallible spirit of of prophecy, to foresee the issue of my prayers to be according to my desires, and his gracious promise and decree touching me.
7The Lord is my strength, & my shield, my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth, and with my song will I praise him.7 So that I can say in the assurance of the event; that the Lord is and shall be to the end my all-sufficient preserver and defendor against mine enemies. Yea in full perswasion of faith I can say, as if I had already taken a farewel of all my troubles; That I am (for so I shall be be) fully delivered and gratiously established in a good estate according to the trust I have put in him, therefore my heart at present rejoyceth, as if all were done and past, and with a Psalm of thanksgiving do I now promise publickly to praise the Lord, when it shall be so.
8 The Lord is a faithful and powerful deliverer,8The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his annointed. and rescuer of his people from out their oppressions, and from under their enemies, and for their sakes he is and will be the undoubted Saviour and preserver of me, whom he hath annointed and decreed to set over them, for their good and welfare, as a type of Christ over his Church.
9 Therefore remember thy people to bring them out of the tyrannie of their enemies,9Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever. and the present distempers they lie under, and bless them whom thou hast peculiarly chosen out of all the world to be thine, by setting me over them as a type of Christ, and feed them under me, as Christ the shepheard shall feed his flock with plenty of grace and peace, and bring them to a lasting and settled condition of tranquillity, giving them the victory and dominion over all their enemies by and under me, as the Church shall have by and under him.