A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 39
PSAL. XXXIX. To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
Another such like hard exercise as in the former Psalme, wherein David acknowledgeth his infirmity in a passionate expression, when he was in trouble, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4. Secondly he recovered and comforted himself, ver. 5, 6, 7. Thirdly, what was his prayer in this exercise, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Ver. 1. I Said, I wil take heed to my wayes, that I sinne not with my tongue; I wil keep my mouth with a bridle▪ while the wicked is before me.
2. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then spake I with my tongue.
4 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my dayes, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
THe Prophet for fear of impatient expression in his trouble, resolved to keep silence in the audience of the wicked, but was not able to keep in his passionate wishing for death. Whence learn, 1. As it is the Lords wil that we should have the infirmities of the Saints registred unto us for our edification, as wel as their vertues: So it is his wil, that when the confession of our infirmity may profit others, we should not spare to let it be known, as this passage teacheth us. 2. Conscience of our weakness, and of the unruliness of our tongues, ready to break forth in the time of tentation, should make us take better heed to our selves, and to watch over our speeches: I said, I wil take heed to my wayes, that I sinne not with my tongue. 3. Because the wicked may take advantage of the godlies miscarrying in time of their trouble, it is needful to watch the more over our behaviour and words in their presence: I wil keep my mouth with a bridle, while they are before me. 4. When we are about to keep in our corruptions, and amend our own faults by our own way of it, by our wisdom, our strength, our resolutions, we do not eschew the evil we would eschew, and we also fal in a fault we were not aware of, as here in stead of praying to God to direct one part of his speech after another, that he might speak prudently in the audience of the wicked, he did not speak at all, he did not speak that which he might, and should have spoken: I was dumb with silence, I held my peace even from good. 5. When grief is not rightly vented but suppressed, it is not therby asswaged but encreased rather: I held my peace, and my sorrow was stirred. 6. The power of sinful nature, and inraged passions is such, that even when they are opposed by reason of strength of grace in us, they may easily over-power us, except God put to his hand to help us in the conflict; My heart was hot within me: while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue. 7. It is a natural evil in man when he is overcome by trouble in this life, to wish for death, looking to be in a better condition by the change; As the sick man looketh for ease by changing of his bed, and here ver. 4. we have the example of it. 8. The shortness of this life is a mitigation of the troubles thereof unto the godly, and the fear that life should continue longer then the afflicted man would, augmenteth the trouble; and this is the fountain of this passionate and curious wish: Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my dayes what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
Ver. 5. Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand-breadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee; verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
6 Surely every man walketh in a vaine shew: surely they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shal gather them.
7. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
In the second place, not being answered in this curious question, but secretly checked for his impatient wish, he contents himself with the known truth, That this present life is but short how long soever it shal last, and resolveth to wait on Gods time patiently. Whence learn, 1. For tempering our condition whatsoever it be, it should suffice us to know, that whether we be in prosperity or adversity, our time in this life is but short: Thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee. 2. Not in prosperity, but in adversity, is the uncertainty, weakness, emptiness, and vanity of prosperity, and things temporal wel seen; for in troubles sayes David, Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. 3. Whatsoever seemeth excellent in the eyes of natural men in this world is but the shadow of what it seemeth; health, strength, prosperity, riches, pleasure, honour, dominion, power, authority are but the shadowes of things so named; Every man walketh in a vain shew. 4. Too much care and anxiety about things of this life, is a sickness and folly, Surely, they are disquieted in vaine. 5. Experience putteth a deep stamp of the truth upon a mans mind, and causes him to set his subscription unto it without hesitation, Verily, surely, surely, is the seal of this truth here delivered after his experience. 6. The too much care which men take to gather riches, this toyling and travelling, this spending of body, of wit and time, this frowning on some, and fawning on others, this pleading and fighting with some, and flattering of others, with the rest of other shifts by which men use to gather riches, (which they must leave behind them, and do not know to whom) is a point of great folly and vanity in men; He heapes up riches, and knoweth not who shal gather them. 7. The right use of the perceived vanity of all things under the Sun, is, that we should be sent by that consideration unto God to rest on him; And now, Lord, what wait I for? 8. That which God hath promised in the life to come, is only satisfactory and able to quiet a mans mind, and make him patiently wait on God in all his trouble; What wait I for? my hope is in thee.
Ver. 8. Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9. I was dumbe, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
10. Remove thy stroke away from me, I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.
11 When thou with rebukes doest correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a mothe: surely, every man is vanity. Selah.
12. Heare my prayer, O LORD, and give eare unto my cry: hold not thy peace at my teares: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13. O spare me, that I may recover strength; before I go hence, and be no more.
In the third place, he prayeth to be freed from his sins▪ and the sense of Gods wrath, using sundry reasons to help his faith. Whence learn, 1. Seeing sin doth plunge us in all perplexities, and bringeth trouble after trouble upon us; the best cure of our trouble, is to seek pardon for our sins; Deliver me from all my transgressions. 2. The ungodly are fools, let them seem to themselves and others what they please; for all their way and work is to make themselves miserable; therefore doth the Scripture call them foolish. 3. That the wicked get no advantage of us so as by troubling of us to drive us from the profession of righteousnesse, for which they do persecute us, should be the main care of every Believer under persecution: For this is Davids prayer, Make me not the reproach of the foolish. 4. It is usuall to us to see our duty after we have sinned, better then before; for, after experience of his falling, he resolveth it is his duty not to speak an impatient word, but to be silent, and not open his mouth, to wit, impatiently. 5. The consideration of God for our party, with whom we have to do in trouble, should humble us, and make us quiet; David saith, he should not have opened his mouth, Because thou Lord didst it. 6. Prayer for removing the tokens of Gods displeasure, especially after prayer for remission of sins, is not contrary to patience and silen… submission under Gods hand; for he prayeth also, Remove away thy stroak from me. 7. When we feel the Lords hand heavy upon us, we may bemoan our selves to him with submission to his will, for he pitieth us, and will lay no more on us then we are able to bear, I am consumed by the blow of thy hand. 8. The stoutest and strongest courage will soon be brought down by trouble of conscience; when God entreth in judgement with him, man falls down: When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a mothe: surely, every man is vanity. 9. When God seemeth to refuse to hear prayer, true faith will follow God with more fervent prayer, and crying, and tears, and not leave God without a good answer: Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear unto my cry, hold not thy peace at my tears. 10. The more our hearts be alienated from this world, and conversant with God by faith; the more we misse our countrey, our parents, our kinsmen on earth, and have our conversation in heaven, the more we may be assured that God shall avow himself to be our God: I am a stranger and a sojourner with thee. 11. Entring our selves heirs unto the godly, who lived before us in their estrangements from the world, and seeking after heaven, intitleth us unto their comforts also; I am a sojourner, as all my fathers. 12. It is an usuall tentation unto the godly in their trouble, that they shall never be relieved out of it in this life; O spare me before I go hence. 13. The godly may pray for a little breathing before death with submission, that they may the more quietly render up their spitits to God: Spare me, that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more. 14. If the Lord do not hearken to us when we would, let us leave our petition beside him till he answer it, as here the Prophet doth.