A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 119 · Part ו
VAU
Vers. 41. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD: even thy salvation according to thy Word.
42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
In this section, he prayeth, first, for deliverance out of his hard condition, and giveth reasons for strengthening his hope in this prayer, v. 41, 42. and next, he prayeth for grace to confesse Gods truth openly, till the deliverance come and he strengthens his hope by six or seven reasons, in the rest of the section.
From his first petition, and the reasons of it; Learn. 1. The believer must lay hold on mercies not seen, and must not rest till he draw them forth by prayer; Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord. 2. Whatsoever may remove our sinnes, and evill merits, and make way for performance of promises, is mercy in effect, and must be sought no lesse then inward quickning and consolation: Let thy mercies come also unto me. 3. As perils and hazards of life must be resolved upon by Gods servant, so deliverances one after another, and salvation may be surely expected: Let thy mercies come unto me, even thy salvation. 4. It is not any sort of delivery by any meanes, which the servant of God being in straits doth call for, or desire, but such a deliverance as God will allow, and be pleased to give in a holy way: Let thy salvation come. 5. As the Word of promise is the rule of our petition, so is it a pawn of the thing promised, and must be held fast till the performance come; Let thy salvation come, according to thy word: and this is one reason of the petition. 6. As the Lords delivering of his children from the hand of persecutors, doth stop the mouthes of their enemies, who say of them, that they are in a wrong course, and that God is not their friend: so the believer desireth the Lord to appeare for him, to this very end, that the mouth of the enemy may be stopped: So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: and this is another reason of his petition. 7. Whatsoever be our encouragements in our sufferings, the Word of God received by faith must be the ground of our comfort and confidence, or else the work will not be sound; for I trust in thy Word, is the ground of Davids comfort.
Vers. 43. And take not the Word of truth utterly out of my mouth: for I have hoped in thy judgements.
44. So shall I keep thy law continually: for ever and ever.
45. And I will walke at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
46. I will speake of thy testimonies also before Kings, and will not be ashamed.
47. And I will delight my selfe in thy commandments which I have loved.
48. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved: and I will meditate in thy statutes.
From the next petition, and the seven reasons added thereunto; Learn, 1. It is not sufficient for Gods glory, that we believe the Word of God in our heart, but we must also confesse it with our mouth in the time of trial; Take not thy Word out of my mouth. 2. As God may justly for our sinnes desert us in the time of trial, when his glory and our duty calleth for a testimony: so we must in the sense of our ill deserving, flee to Gods grace by prayer, and say with confidence, Take not thy Word out of my mouth. 3. If it shall please God, for humbling of us, to desert us in some passage of our trial, yet let us believe in him, and deal with him not to forsake us altogether in our trial: Take not the Word of truth utterly out of my mouth. 4. Where the beliefe of Gods executing of his Word of threatening and promise hath place with Gods children, there is hope that neither mens terror nor allurement shall overcome them in their trials: for I have hoped in thy judgements, is set down here for the first reason of his hope to obtaine his petition. 5. The Lords keeping our heart in faith▪ and our mouth and outward man in the course of confession and obedience, is the cause of our perseverance; So shall I keep thy law continually, for ever and ever: and this is the second reason of his petition. 6. As he who departs from confessing of Gods truth▪ doth cast himselfe in straits, in dangers, and bonds: so he that beareth out the confession of the truth, doth walk as a free-man, the truth doth set him free; And I will walke at liberty: which is the third reason of his petition. 7. Even the conscience of honest endeavour to obey the Word, hath the promise of not being utterly deserted in the day of trial: for I have fought thy precepts, is the fourth reason of the petition. 8. The terror of Kings, and of men in power, is an ordinary hindrance of free confession of Gods truth in time of persecution, but faith in the truth sustained in the heart by God, is able to bring forth a confession upon all hazards: I will speak of thy testimonies before Kings. 9. He that is resolved to confesse the questioned truth of God, whosoever do mock at it, shall not be ashamed of his confession, but rather shall have credit by it: I will speak of thy testimonies also before Kings, and will not be ashamed: and this is the fifth reason of the petition. 10. The more men do know the excellency of Gods truth, and do feel the power of Gods hand, sustaining them in the faith and confession of it, the more will they love, delight and take pleasure in the Word of the Lord: I will delight my selfe in thy commandments, which I have loved: which is the sixth reason of his petition. 11. He that findeth himself born out in the confession of the truth in time of triall, should in all time after so much the more as his experience is greater, embrace heartily the Lords commands, as precious gifts, and should give up himselfe absolutely to be governed thereby: for the lifting up of his hands to the Lords commandments, doth import so much. 12. He who out of love to Gods commands, hath endured trial by trouble, and hath overcome tentations, may comfortably approve himself in his former loving of the Lords commands, and thereby renew, and increase his love to the obedience of them: for after he hath said, I will lift up my hands to thy commandments, he sheweth that he will do so, with a ratification, and approbation of his love to them, by adding, thy commandments which I have loved. 13. The experience of the worth of divine truth, which is able to bear out it selfe, and the man also who doth confesse it, should set a believer on a more and more earnest study, to know the minde of God revealed therein, as the Prophet resolveth to do, And I will meditate in thy statutes: and this engagement is the last reason of the petition.