A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 5
PSAL. V. To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth. A Psalm of David.
David as a type of Christ, and one of the number of his afflicted followers, set forth in his affliction, as an example of exercise to others in after ages, doth pray for himselfe, and against his Enemies, using sundry arguments to strengthen himself in his hope to be heard: First, from the grace of God bestowed on himselfe to use the means, ver. 1.2, 3. Secondly, From the justice of God against his wicked enemies, ver. 4, 5, 6. Thirdly, From his own stedfast purpose and desire to continue in Gods service, and to walk so uprightly, as the enemie shall not have advantage of him by his miscarriage, ver. 7▪ 8. Fourthly, From the ripenesse of sin in his adversaries, which did prepare them for sudden destruction, ver. 9, 10. Fifthly, From the certain hope of joy, and defence, and spirituall Blessing to be bestowed on himself and all believers, out of the free love and favour of God toward them, ver. 11, 12.
Ver. 1. GIve eare to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.
2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3▪ My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and wil look up.
In his strengthening of his hope to be heard, from the grace of God bestowed on him, to use the means for obtaining a good answer, Learn, 1. When the Lord giveth us a mouth to speak to him, there is ground of hope hee will grant an eare to us; for so reasoneth David, Give ear to my words, O Lord. 2. In time of trouble, the heart hath more to say to God, then words can utter; and what a man cannot expresse, the Lord wil take knowledge of it, no lesse then of his words; This the prophet hopeth for, saying, Consider my meditation. 3. When extremity of danger forceth a way to the Lord, the believers necessity hath a voice, lowder then his expressed words, and whereunto the Lord will give eare; hearken to the voice of my cry. 4. It is a point of spirituall wisedome for the helpe of our faith, to take hold of those relations we have to God, whereby we may expect what we pray for, as David doth here, when we would have protection and delivery, saying; My King, & my God. 5. Faith knoweth no other to pray unto for helpe, save God alone, nor any other way to be helped, save by perseverance in prayer; For unto thee will I pray, saith he. 6. Resolved Importunity in prayer must bee joyned with taking hold of the first and fittest opportunity offered for prayer: My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, saith hee. 7. Calling on God in trouble, with dependance on him, doth give hope of audience, and deliverie by him, by way of a convincing Syllogisme, whereof the promise of deliverie made to such as call on the name of the Lord in the day of trouble, is the first proposition; the conscience of resolved calling on him maketh the assumption or second proposition; and faith concludeth the expection of deliverance; for the prophets reasoning is this in effect, whosoever they be, that pray to the Lord in their trouble, thou wilt hear them: But I doe pray to thee, and do resolve to continue praying: Therefore thou O Lord wilt hear me.
V. 4. For thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickednesse: neither shall evil dwel with thee.
5. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhorre the bloody and deceitful man.
In the second place, he reasoneth from the justice of God against his enemies: Whence learn, 1. The worst qualities in the adversaries of the Godly, doth furnish good matter of Faith and Hope to the beleever to be rid of them: for this use doth David make of the wickednesse of his enemies in these three verses. 2. Such as take pleasure in sin, God cannot take pleasure in them: Thou art not a God, saith he, that hast pleasure in wickednesse: And such as wil not part with sin, God shal separate them from his companie; for it is said, Neither shall evil dwell with thee. 3. Let wicked men seem never so wise Polititians among men, yet shal they be found mad fools before God, selling heaven for trifles of the earth, holding war with the Almighty, and running upon their own destruction in their self-pleasing dreams, to the losse of their life and state, temporal and eternal. For the foolish (saith he) shall not stand in thy sight. 4. Such as make iniquitie their worke, shal have the effects of Gods hatred for their wages: for Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity. 5. The enemies of Gods people, whiles by slanders and lies they murther the innocent, do draw upon themselves swift damnation from God: Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing, saith he. 6. Falshood and crueltie which are the characters of the foes of the godly, are abomination to the Lord, which he cannot endure: Thou wilt abhor the bloudie and deceitful man.
Vers. 7. But as for me, I will come into thy house, in the multitude of thy mercies: and in thy feare will I worship toward thy holy Temple.
8. Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousnes, because of mine enemeis, make thy way straight before my face.
In the third place, he resolveth that what ever the enemy shal do, he will walk as God hath commanded him: with resolution to serve God in sincerity, as also a profession of hope to enjoy the society of his Saints in Gods publicst… Worship: and to this end he prayeth he may be kept straight in his walking, that the enemy might have nothing wherewith to reproach him. Hence Learn, 1. Though the Godly want not the conscience of their own sins, when they speak of the sins of their enemies, yet there is a difference between them and the wicked, in respect the Godly are humbled in the sense of their sins, are brought to the acknowledgment of their need of mercy, and do … to God for having mercy, and to the multitudes of mercies, as they see the multitude of their sins: and therefore saith hee of himself, in opposition to the wicked, But as for me, I wil come into thy house, in the multude of thy mercies. 2. The faith which the godly have in the mercies of God, doth encourage them to follow the service of God; and in some cases doth give them hope to be loosed from the restraints which doe hinder them from enjoying the publick Ordinances: I will come into thy house, in the multitude of thy mercies. 3. The right temper of the heart of a true Worshipper, is feare before God: In thy feare will I worship. 4. Under the sense of sinfulnesse and unworthinesse, faith must be supported by looking toward Jesus Christ, prefigured by the Tabernacle and Temple▪ In thy feare, saith hee, I wil worship toward thy holy Temple. 5. When the Godly are under trouble from their enemies, and under tryal by other sorts of exercise, they are no lesse feared for their miscarriage and offending the Lord, then they are feared for what their enemies can doe against them; Therefore, Lead mee O Lord, in thy righteousnesse, saith hee. 6. So much the more as the godly are sensible of their own blindnesse, and weakenesse, and readinesse to go out of the right way; so much the more doe they call for, and depend upon Gods directing of them. Lead me, saith hee; As one that seeth not, or as one who is not able to hold a right course, without a guide. 7. If the godly man take a sinful course, to be relieved from his trouble, the enemie is hardned in his wicked course, by this means to blaspheme the profession of Piety, as meere hypocrisie, and so God is provoked to let the enemie prevaile, because the miscarriage of the godly hath made way to him; for avoiding of which inconvenience, he prayeth: Lead mee, in thy righteousness because of my enemies. 8. The deceitfulnesse of sin, the ignorance of what is expedient and lawful in a particular case, the mist of private affections, and the example of ill counsel of the World, are ready to make a man mistake the right way, except the Lord make clear what is his duty: Therefore saith he, Make thy way straight before my face.
Ver. 9. For there is no faithfulnesse in their mouth, their inward part is very wickedness: their throat is an open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue.
10. Destroy thou them, O God, let them fal by their own counsels: cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against thee.
In the fourth place he strengtheneth his hope to be helped, because his enemies sins were ripe for judgment. Whence learn, 1. Among other motives to make the godly take heede of their carriage in time of trial, this is one, they have to doe with a false world, and hollow hearted men, who will make false pretences of what is not their intentions, and will make promise of what they mind not to performe, and wil give none but rotten and poisonable advice, fairded with false flattery, and all to deceive the godly, and draw them in a snare. This is it, he saith, For there is no faithfulnesse in their mouth, their inward part is very wickednesse, their throat is an open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue: and this is the nature of all carnal men, when it cometh to the point of defending Gods cause in time of trial. 2. Though this prayer bee not to be drawne in imitation against particular persons, by us who have not so infallible revelation of mens state before God, yet is it a prophesie against all the irreconcilable enemies of God, and of his people, against whom the Spirit of God maketh imprecation here, saying, Destroy thou them O God. 3. There is no need of any other means to destroy the Lords enemies, then their own devices: The very course they take to establish themselves, will serve for their owne ruine. Let them fal, saith he, by their own counsel. 4. The certain cause of the ruine of the persecuters of Gods people, is the ripenesse and ful measure of their sinnes. Cast them out (saith he) in the multitude of their transgressions. 5. The opppsing of truth, and of the Ordinances of God, in the person of his servants who stand for the same, is not simply the opposing of mortal men, but the opposing of God, whose quarrel it is; Therefore, saith hee, They have rebelled against thee.
Ver. 11. But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy Name, be joyful in thee.
12. For thou LORD, wilt blesse the righteous, with favor wilt thou compasse him, as with a shield.
In the last place, he maketh prayer for all the godly, mi…itant in this warfare with himselfe, that they may share together in the Lords favour. Hence learne, 1. Persecution for righteousnesse is a cause common to all believers, wherein they should all joyn, and pray one of them for another, and seeke for a joyful out-gate each to other in their owne time. for this cause, after prayer against enemies, he saith, But let all that trust in thee rejoyce. 2. The manifested care of God for his people, in protecting and delivering them from their enemies, is matter of exceeding joy to his people, because hee is glorified herein, and his Church is preserved: Let them ever shout f…r joy, because thou defendest them. 3. Such believers as have gotten grace to love Gods name, (albeit it be not yet given unto them to suffer for his Name) are allowed to share in the joy of victorious sufferers. Let them also that love thy Name, saith he, be joyfull in thee. 4. The person who is justified by faith, and studieth unto holinesse, is an heir of Gods blessing, whether he be lesse or more taken notice of by the world, whether entred in the conflict with persecuters or nor: For thou, O Lord, wilt blesse the righteous. 5. The favour and good wi… of God toward his own, is a strong and glorious defence to them; it is a crowning shield, a shield compassing a man round about like a glorious Diadem, a shield very handsome and strong, which the believer ought to gripe wel, and hold fas… and manage warily, and oppose it to every assault of the adversary: a crowning shield, which cirkleth the man round about, and keepeth off the dint of the adversaries weapon, even when the pursued believer is not aware: With favour wilt thou compass hi… as with a shield.