A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms, Psalm 6
PSALM VI. To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.
Another experience of David, useful to be known by all the children of God, who are subject to the like exercise; wherein David being under the sense of the Lords heavie hand, upon his body and spirit, prayeth for the removal of felt wrath, ver. 1, 2, 3 Next prayeth for the renewed feeling and experience of Gods mercy towards him, laying forth his lamentable condition before the pitiful eye of God, ver. 4, 5, 6, 7. After which, being heard and comforted, in the third place, he defieth, and triumpheth over all his enemies, ver. 8▪ 9.
Ver. 1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten mee in thy hot displeasure.
2. Have mercy upon mee, O Lord, for I am weak, O Lord heal me, for my bones are vexed.
3. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou▪ O Lord, how long?
From his prayer for removal of wrath, Learne, 1. It is possible, that a true believer, who hath been oft times refreshed with the sense of Gods favour, may by some sad exercise have his conscience so wakened in the sense of sinne, as hee can feele nothing but wrath, and fear of cutting off; as this experience of David maketh manifest. 2. There is no relief in such case, save to set faith on work, whatsoever bee felt or feared, and to seek mitigation and deliverance of God, as the Prophet doth here. 3. Even the fatherly wrath of God, and far more the apprehension of hot displeasure of an angry Judge, is unsupportable to a soule that knoweth God, and hath ever tasted of his favour before: Rebuke me not in thy wrath, saith he. 4. There is as much ground of faith holden forth in the Lords Name Iehovah, (importing his unchangeable being, and his constancy in his promises) as to ground a prayer upon it, for obtaining the change of a mans case to the better, in the hardest condition imaginable; O Lord, or O Iehovah, (saith hee) Rebuke me not in thy wrath ▪ 5. Though sense feel wrath, and see nothing but hot displeasure, yet faith can pierce through cl…uds, and bespeake mercy: Have mercy on me, O Lord, saith David, in the midst of this sad condition. 6. Though sinne doth provoke anger, yet the misery and inability to subsist, presented unto God, is the object of mercy, and a motive to faith to expect compassion: Have mercy on me, saith he, for I am weak. 7. When sinne hath drawne on sicknesse, or any other danger, let pardon of sin be first sought, and after that, the removing of the stroke; for first, hee saith, have mercy on mee, and then, heale mee. 8. The Lord can make the strongest and most insensible part of a mans body, sensible of his wrath, when he pleaseth to touch him; for here Davids bones are vexed. 9. Anguish of Spirit and torment of conscience, is heavier then any torture of body, as, my soul is also vexed, doth import. 10. The Lords apprehended absence in t…ouble, and delaying to answer the supplicant, putteth a load above a burthen, and surpasseth all expression of words; for here his speech is cutted, But thou O Lord, how long?
Ver. 4. Returne, O Lord, deliver my soule: O save me for thy mercies sake.
5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee, in the grave who shal give thee thanks?
6. I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swimme, I water my couch with my tears.
7. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old, because of all mine enemies.
In the next place he prayeth for a renewed sensible experience of Gods mercy to him, because of his pitifull condition. Wherein learn, 1. A renewed blenk of the Lords countenance wil satisfie a soule in greatest distresse: Therefore David craveth this for a remedie of all his sorrow, Returne, O Lord. 2. If desertion continue, feare of perishing utterly doth present it selfe; as this prayer insinuateth, O Lord, deliver my soul. 3. The only time to spread the praise of God, by making mention of him before them that know him not, is the time of this life: For in death there is no remembrance of thee. 4. The Christians love of life, should proceed from the love of honouring of God in this life, (where it may inlarge Gods glory, before them who may be profited by preaching of his praise) and should be preferred to our own contentment for a time in heaven, so long as God pleaseth to take service of us here. For this is the force of the Prophets reasoning, In the grave who shal give thee thanks? Our place waiteth for us, and no man can take it over our head, while wee on earth are induring toyling and trouble, to bring more to heaven with us. 5. A true desire and purpose to glorifie God in this life, to the edifying of others, may give hope of some prolonging of life, and assurance of not perishing for ever: for Davids hope to be heard doth run here upon this ground. 7. The most lasting, pressing, and piercing sorrow that ever soul felt, is from the sense of sinne, and of Gods displeasure for it, as the Prophets expression here doth give evidence. 8. The exercise of the godly under the sense of Gods displeasure, may be very heavy, and of long continuance; The prophet is weary with his groaning, & his eyes consumed with grief. 9. No delay of comfort, no sense of sinne, no fear of Gods utter displeasure can be a reason to the believer to cease from prayer, and dealing with God for grace; for the Prophet is weary, but giveth not over; only his condition is the matter of fresh mourning to him night and day, and powring out of tears in the Lords bosome: All the night maketh hee his bed to swim, and watereth his couch with his tears. 10. The insulting of enemies over the godly when the Lords hand is heavy upon them, because it reflecteth upon Religion and upon Gods glory, is a main ingredient in the sorrow of the godly: Davids eye had waxen old and dim with griefe, because of all his enemies.
V. 8. Depart from mee all yee workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9. The Lord hath heard my supplication, the Lord wil receive my prayer.
10. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
In the third place David defyeth all his enemies, being comforted by the light of Gods countenance, and lifted up in his spirit. Whence Learne, 1. The Lord can shortly change the chear of an humble supplicant, and raise a soule trembling for feare of wrath, to a triumphing over all sort of adversaries, and over all tentations to sinne arising from them, for the return of the Prophets prayer maketh him say, now, Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. 2. The Sacrifice of a contrite Spirit, offered by a believer, the Lord will no… despise; For the Lord heard the voice of the Prophets weeping. 3. The hearing of our prayer should be thankfully observed and made use of, for strengthening our faith in prayer afterward: For after the Prophet hath said, [The Lord hath heard my supplication; he addeth, The Lord will receive my prayer. 4. The enemies of the godly shal all of them be disappointed of their hopes, and ashamed for their attempts against them, and filled with vexation for their pains; for this prayer furnished by the Spirit (vers. 10) to one of the godly against his wicked enemies, is a prophecie against all the rest of the enemies of the godly, in all ages.