A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 41
PSAL. XLI. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
David as a Type of Christ, and one of his afflicted followers, after prayer comforteth himself against the uncharitable judgment, which the wicked had of him in his affliction, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4. In the second place, he complaineth of his enemies cursed disposition against him, and prayeth to be delivered out of his trouble, ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 In the third place, he is answered comfortably, and praiseth God for it, ver. 11, 12, 13.
Ver. 1. BLessed is he that considereth the poore: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2. The Lord wil preserve him, and keep him alive, and he shal be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the wil of his enemies.
3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
4. I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
THat he may comfort the godly in their afflictions, and correct the common judgment of the world concerning afflicted people, he giveth a reason for which it is safe to judg charitably of every man who humbleth himself before God in his affliction. Whence learn, 1. Albeit it be usual for the world to judg all them that are afflicted, to be plagued of God in wrath, yet it is a blessed course to study to frame our hearts to a wise and discreet judging of other mens estates, by looking to a mans behaviour in his trouble, and to judg charitably of the man who is contrite, and humbleth himself before God in his afflictions, Blessed is he that considereth the poor, or giveth comfort and instruction to the weak. 2. It is a blessed thing for a man afflicted and humbling himself before God to judg charitably of his own condition, as wel as of anothers condition in the like case; for, Blessed is he that considereth the poor, is so set down as it is applicable to the patient in affliction judging of himself, no less then to the beholder of another in affliction: and for confirmation of this, he giveth six reasons of comforting the afflicted and humbled man, and confirming the charitable beholder and judger of him as a fellow-sufferer with him. 3. The afflicted and humble man shal be delivered out of his trouble, be what it may be, The Lord wil deliver him in time of trouble. This is the first reason of the comfort, and withal a reason of confirmation and encouragement of him that doth judg wisely of the afflicted. 4. The Lord hath a way of delivery, not only from trouble, that a man fal not in it, and not only of delivering from trouble, by removing of the trouble, but also a way of delivery, when the trouble is yet remaining; to wit, by sustaining the man, comforting of him, saving of him from any harm by the trouble, giving him good by the trouble, quieting his mind by patient submission unto God under the trouble, &c. The Lord wil deliver him in time of trouble: and this is branched out in particulars in the verses following, as so many reasons of comfort, and charitable judging of his own condition and others. 5. Albeit the godly be brought very low, yet shal he not perish, The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive; and this is the second reason of comfort; albeit he faint, and have soul-swarses now and then, yet shal spiritual life be kept in him. 6. None of the godly mans afflictions shal hinder or take away his begun blessedness, even in this world; He shal be blessed on the earth: and this is the third reason of comfort; if it may be for Gods glory and the mans good, this temporal life shall be preserved, and evidences of Gods blessing shal be seen upon him. 7. No persecuter shal drive the godly man from his point, and make him forsake God, or the way of godliness; if he slip in a step, God shal raise him up again; Thou wilt not deliver him to the wil of his enemies: and this is the fourth reason of his comfort. 8. The Lord wil strengthen the godly to bear whatsoever trouble he putteth on him; The Lord wil strengthen him on the bed of languishing: and this is the fifth reason of his comfort. 9. The Lord shal mitigate and moderate all the afflictions of the godly, and ease him under his trouble, as tenderly as when a sick persons bed is made the best way that can be for his ease; Thou shalt make all his bed in his sickness: and this is the sixth reason of his comfort. 10. The man who may look for all these consolations, and may be judged of charitably, whether it be himself or another, is the man who in the sense of his sins humbleth himself before the Lord, especially when he is afflicted, and flieth to Gods mercy: first, to have sins pardoned; and next, to have his trouble removed, as God seeth it fit for his salvation. This is pointed out in Davids behaviour under his trouble, of set purpose that he may give the character of the Lords poor man, to whom the foresaid comforts do belong, and of whose estate a good construction is to be made; I said, Lord, be merciful to me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
Ver. 5. Mine enemies speake evil of me: When shal he die, and his name perish?
6. And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to it self, when hee goeth abroad, he telleth it.
7. All that hate me whisper together against me: gainst me do they devise my hurt.
8. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that hee lieth, he shal rise up no more.
9. Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me.
10. But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and …aise me up that I may requite them.
From his complaint against his enemies, set down in the second place; Learn, 1. Evil speeches against the godly wil be taken notice of by God, and made a part of the wickeds ditty, Mine enemies speak evil of me. 2. The malice of the enemies of godliness is such against the godly, as nothing but their utter overthrow and root…ng out from the earth of such a sort of people can satisfie them, When shal he die, and his name perish? say they, 3. The godly have to do not only with open enemies, but with secret false dissemblers also, who wil profess friendship with fair words, when they are following the way of malice, from whose falshood there is no refuge more then from the force of the open enemy, save to fly▪ to God, the Judg of all oppressed people: If he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; many fair words, but none of them true. 4. The end of the wicked mans pretended kindness to the godly, and of his insinuating of himself in their fellowship is, that he may make observation of somthing in their behaviour, or condition or speeches, wherof he may make advantage against them▪ If he cometh to see me, his heart gathereth iniquity to it self; when he goeth abroad he telleth it. 5. Albeit the wicked can do no more against the godly then God wil permit to be done for the godly mans exercise and good, yet many are the consultations which the wicked have, that they may hurt and destroy the godly, All that hate me whisper together against me, against me do they devise my hurt. 6. When the godly fal in straits, the wicked judg that the godly shal never get out of their trouble, and in this hope do refresh themselves, An evil disease cleaveth fast unto him, and now that he lieth, he shal rise no more. 7. The lot appointed to Christ, and to all the true members of his mystical body as wel as to David, is to find in the time of their trials a hard meeting in the world from the wicked, how many bonds soever of nature, friendship, familiarity, or obligations of the wicked unto the godly intervene, which otherwayes might require better offices; Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me. 8. We must not dwel upon our miseries in time of trouble, as if we had nothing to do, save to weep and mourn, but we should turn our selves to God, and pray to him for mercy, and expect a delivery, as the Psalmist doth here, But thou, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up. 9. Albeit it be not fit for every believer, to resolve requiting of their persecuters and enemies, as it was sit to David as a Magistrate, and to Christ who is King of Kings, here represented by him; to resolve vengeance, and to execute the same also against their enemies; yet every believer may be assured of this, that what injuries are done to Christ in their person, Christ shal requite their persecuters; for he in his mystical members shal never be so born down, but he shal be raised up again (as he was raised up personally after his personal suffering) Raise me up, that I may requite them.
Ver. 11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mime integrity: and settest me before thy face for ever.
13. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting, Amen and Amen.
In the last part of the Psalm in his thanksgiving, presupposing that the Psalm was drawn up after the delivery from the trouble which is set forth in the former part. Whence learne, 1. Albeit external deliveries from enemies, and success eternal do not alwaies serve for marks of Gods favour (for an ill man in an ill cause may have success for a time) yet when the man is reconciled to God, and the cause which the reconciled man defendeth against his persecuters, is the Lords cause; in this case if God shal give to his servant either spiritual victory, that the enemy do not so prevail over him, as to drive him from his righteous cause; or external victory, and deliverance also from the power of the adversary, together with the spiritual victory; in this case (I say) the word of God, and the work of God concurring, do give evidence not only of Gods favouring the mans person, but also of his favouring the mans cause and carriage in the cause, so as he may say, By this I know that thou favorest me, because mine enemie doth not triumph over me. 2. Uprightness is a special means to bring a man through difficulties, and whatsoever infirmities the believer be subject unto, he shal not want comfort, if he keep the conscience of integrity, uprightness, and sincerity; for this is the Psalmists rejoycing, when he looks back upon his former exercise under trouble, As for me, thou upholdest me in my integrity. 3. The wise wrastler with tentations, is made at length to see and acknowledge by the experience he hath of himself and of Gods help in time of tentation, that all the glory of his standing and bearing out in trouble for righteousness, doth belong to the Lord, Thou upholdest me in mine integritie. 4. Experience of Gods gracious bearing out of a believer in time of trial, serveth for a good argument to make him confident of the continuance of Gods favour to him for ever; yea after experiences and victory, God useth to give some measure of perswasion of his everlasting love toward them that have overcome; as here, Thou settest me before thy face for ever. 5. He that gets a sight of Gods love to him, may knit Gods felt favour in effect with Gods everlasting love decreeing to shew favour, and his everlasting love communicating it self to him, and performing the decrees of love touching him, and may behold the course of everlasting blessings running from eternity before the world, to everlasting after the world; and the believer having seen it, should acknowledge this with praise and thanksgiving; as here, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. 6. He that seeth the course of Gods love to himself, seeth Gods love in conjunction with the rest of the Lords people also, who are joyned in the same Covenant with him unto God in Christ. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, says the Psalmist, now when he will bless God for his own particular mercy. 7. Fresh experiences of Gods love in a particular trial, especially when the soul is lifted up to the eternal original, and everlasting endurance of it, will make a soul heartily with all his strength give everlasting praise to God, and seal it affectionately again and again, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, Amen, and Amen.