A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 119 · Part כ
CAPH.
In this section is shewen how deep the persecuted servant of God may draw in his affliction before God give him comfort, in the first foure verses thereof, and how he should behave himself in that sad condition, in the last foure.
Vers. 81. My soule fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
82. Mine eyes faile for thy word: saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
83. For I am become like a bottle in the smoak: yet do I not forget thy statutes.
84. How many are the dayes of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgement on them that persecute me?
As for the first, there are foure degrees of his deepnesse in distresse, to wit, fainting of faith, almost failing of hope, failing of the body, and longing for death; Whence learn, 1. It is not strange to see God breaking the heart of his own childe with affliction, even when he is suffering persecution, that so his faith may be tried and trained unto more strength: My soule fainteth. 2. A beleever in God, how afflicted soever he be, seeketh not to be delivered, but in a way allowed of God; My soul fainteth for thy salvation: or, till thou deliver me in thy good way. 3. The strength of the faith of the strongest of Gods servants will prove but small, when affliction is great, and Gods help is delayed: My soule fainteth for thy salvation. 4. Albeit the faith of the Lords children seem to faint, yet it cannot die, it cannot faile altogether: for it looketh to the Word, and thereby gathereth strength and hope; My soule fainteth, but I hope in thy Word. 5. Albeit hope keepeth the eye of the minde so fixed upon the promise, as it is ever looking for deliverance, yet long delay of help maketh hope weak, and ready to faint; Mine eyes faile for thy word. 6. Hope, and patience, and complaining unto God may stand altogether, but they must never be severed from prayer; Mine eyes faile for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? 7. Longer exercise by trouble may affect the bodie of Gods dearest children, so as wasting leanness may be seen on it: I am become as a skin-bottle dried in the smoak. 8. No trouble should drive us to sin, but we should choose rather to pine away in affliction, then to be freed from it with sin; I am become like a bottle in the smoke, yet I do not forget thy statutes. 9. It is good in time of persecution or affliction whatsoever, to have an eye both on the Promises, and on the Precepts: for the looking to the Promise doth encourage to hope, and the eyeing of the Precepts doth prove the hope to be sound: The Psalmist hoped in the word, v. 81. and v. 83. He forgate not the statutes. 10. Albeit long affliction be able to make the believer weary of life, and to desire to die, yet must he yield unto God, to live so long as he pleaseth: How many are the dayes of thy servant? 11. The delivery of the persecuted is ordinarily joyned with the punishment of the persecutors, and the afflicted must wait till their cup be full; When wilt thou execute judgement on them that persecute me?
Ver. 85. The proud have digged pits for me: which are not after thy law.
86. All thy Commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.
87. They had almost consumed me upon earth: but I forsook not thy Precepts.
88. Quicken me after thy loving kindnesse: so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.
He sheweth yet further how he carried himself in this condition: he layeth out his enemies carriage before God, v. 85, 86. and his owne stedfastnesse in extream danger, v. 87. and prayeth for comfort, that he may in his trial beare out, v. 88. Whence learn, 1. The course of persecutors, is full of traps and snares, whereby they studie to overtake the godly, without fear of sinning in so doing; The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. 2. As the common quarrel of the wicked against the godly, is for keeping of Gods commands: so the common comfort of the godly is, that they have a good cause to defend; All thy Commandments are faithful, they persecute me wrongfully. 3. The worse the cause and course is, which our adversaries do follow, the more hopeful may we be to be helped of God: They persecute me wrongfully, help thou me. 4. It is a good meanes of courage, and comfort, and strength in persecution, to lay the carriage, and cause of us, and of our adversaries before our eyes, and compare them together by the Word, and then lay them forth before God, as the Psalmist doth here. 5. Albeit the godly may run the hazard of losing all things they have in the earth, yet that is the height of their hazard in defence of Gods truth, for what they have in Heaven cannot be taken from them: They had almost consumed me upon earth. 6. No hazard of whatsoever we have in the world, life, lands, goods, friends, liberty, or what else, can warrant a man to depart from the obedience of Gods command, controverted between the persecutor and him: They had almost consumed me upon earth, but I forsook not thy Precepts. 7. Through the infirmity of the flesh, the feeling of the comforts of Religion, and the freedome of following Gods service chearfully, may be interrupted, as quicken me, here doth import. 8. Whatsoever measure of spiritual life, strength or comfort can be abated and diminished by affliction, the renewed sense of Gods love and friendship to us, (which we should seek after always,) can easily restore and recompense it: Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth.