A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 11
PSAL. XI. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
David, as an example of a Christian under the trial of his faith in time of trouble, and tempted to desperation, resisted the temptation, how desperate soever his condition seemed: ver. 1, 2. and disputeth for the confirmation of his own faith. ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Ver. 1. IN the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
2 For lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
BEfore the Prophet dispute, and produce his reasons against the tentations unto unbeliefe, he asserteth and avoweth his faith, and presenteth the danger he is in, before God. Whence learn, 1. Its the surest method in our spiritual combate against Sathan, and his fiery darts, to hold up the shield of faith, and to fix our self in resolution never to loose our gripes off the Lord; As David doth here, In the Lord put I my trust. 2. Having once fixed our foot on the rock, wee may the more effectually rebuke our adversaries, for mocking of our confidence: As David doth here, saying, How say you to my soule, Flee? 3. God is a strong refuge to his owne, whereunto they should flie like birds, chased to their strength, in all necessities, for he is our rock or mountaine. 4. The wicked world doe scorne the godly mans confidence, and the avowing of his faith in God, when they see no visible helpe for him on earth. Take up your faith now (say they) when they see the man beset by apparently inextricable troubles, as here they say to David, flee now as a bird to thy mountaine. 5. The believer is not stupid in time of danger, nor senseless of difficulties, when hee asserteth his faith: For lo (saith hee) the wicked bend their bow, they have me as it were under the visie of their shot. 6. The Lord for the exercise of the faith of his owne, and for discovery of the plots of the wicked against them, and for shewing of his own glory in protecting them more cleerly, doth suffer the wicked to make all ready, even unto present execution of their cruelty, as here, they make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot, &c.
Ver. 3. If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
4. The Lord is in his holy Temple, the Lords throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eye lids try the children of men.
5. The Lord tryeth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth.
6. VponUpon the wicked he shal raine snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shal be the portion of their cup.
7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse: his countenance doth behold the upright.
In the next place, he disputeth for the confirmation of his own faith by sundry reasons or severall considerations. The first reason to confirme his faith, is from the absurdity of the tentation, tending to the overturning of the very foundation of religion, whereunto, if the believer should yield, he is lost and gone. Whence learn, 1. Faith in God, and flying to him in all straits for relief, is the foundation of all religious and righteous persons, whereupon they build their hope and happinesse solidly; for David had laid it for a foundation, that God was a Rock, or mountaine of refuge for men to flee unto in straits. 2. A tentation to mistrust God, and not to flee to him in all hazards, is most dangerous, and destructive of all true Religion, for it is the destroying of the very foundations of righteousnesse and happinesse; and the resisting of this tentation is so necessary, as in what measure it is yielded unto, in that measure the righteous man is put to a stand, and to a comfortlesse perplexity, and should despair certainly if he went from it. For if the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous man do? If it be in vaine to flie to God, righteous men are lost men, which is absurd.
The next reason to confirme his faith is the establishment of a Mediatour, set forth in the Word of God, and other holy ordinances, concerning the covenant of grace, and the benefits of it, and duties required in it, all to be found in the Lords holy temple, or Tabernacle, representing Christ Jesus and his Church, and the mutual relations betweene God and his people. Whence learne, 3. The way to refresh and strengthen faith, is to looke to God in Christ the Mediator, reconciling the World to himself, according as he was shadowed forth in the Temple of Jerusalem, and as he is stil holden forth in the Church, in his word and other ordinances. First and last Christ is the trysting place, where God is constantly to be found on his mercy seat; for the Lord in his holy Temple, did speake so much to the Church in typical terms.
4. The third reason is, because God is a perfect judg to take order in due time, both with them who oppose his worke and people, and with those who wil not make use of his mercy. The Lords throne is in heaven. 5. The Lords knowledge of all mens carriage is perfect: His eyes behold. 6. When the Lord doth not make manifest by his work that he seeth mens carriage, but seemeth, as it were, to wink and close his eyes, he is then about to try the hearts of men, and to bring their thoughts to light. His eye-lids (when eyes seem closed) do try the children of men. 7. The troubles whereunto the Lord doth put his children in times of tentation, are not to be exponed as acts of displeasure, or meer justice, but as acts of wisdome and love, to try, exercise, and frame them to obedience. The Lord tryeth the righteous; at such times as he sendeth trouble specially. 8. However he giveth the wicked and violent persecuter to have a seeming prosperity, while the godly are in trouble, yet that is no act of love to them: for the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. 9. All the seeming advantages which the wicked have in their owne prosperity, are but meanes of hardening of them in their ill course, and holding them fast in the bonds of their own iniquities, till God execute judgement on them. Upon the wicked he shall raine snares. 10. Whatsoever be the condition of the wicked for a time, yet at length suddaine, terrible, irresistible, and remedilesse destruction they shal not escape: fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest is the portion of their cup.
The 4. reason for confirmation of his faith is from the Lords love, setled upon his upright servants, in the midst of their troubles, while they suffer for righteousnesse sake. Whence learne, 11. The respect that the Lord hath to the cause for which his servants do suffer, …hasteneth on, and fastneth wrath upon their adversaries. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse, is given as a reason of the sentence in the preceeding verse. 12. Though clouds do sometime hide the expressions of the Lords respect and love towards his people, yet stil his love is set upon them; for continually his countenance doth behold the upright.