A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 120
PSALME CXX.
THe scope of this Psalme is, by the experience of the Psalmist, to teach and comfort such as shall be traduced, and falsely slandered. His exercise and deliverance is set down summarily, v. 1. And his prayer in his distresse, more largely in the rest of the Psalme.
Ver. 1. IN my distresse I cried unto the LORD; and he heard me.
From his exercise in general, and deliverance; Learn, 1. The godly oft-times are put to straits and perplexities, tha… they know not what to do till they go to God by prayer: In my distresse I called unto the Lord. 2. Distresse is a means to make prayer fervent, and fervent prayer wanteth not a good answer: I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
Ver. 2. Deliver my soule, O LORD, from lying lips: and from a deceitful tongue.
In the rest of the Psalm he first puts up his petition to be saved from the bloody tongue of the calumniator, v. 2. and then denounceth Gods judgement against him, v. 3, 4. and closeth with a lamentation, v. 5, 6, 7.
From his particular petition; Learn, 1. How innocently soever the godly shall behave themselves, yet are they subject to the bitter back-biting of bloody calumniators, traduc…ng them, and forging lies against them, to make their Governours and Judges fall upon them, as the Psalmists experience sheweth: Deliver my soule, or my life, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. 2. Albeit the innocent beleever can finde no meanes to refute the calumnie, nor be able to eschew the danger wherein to he is cast thereby, yet God can finde a way for clearing of his name, and saving his person, as the prayer teacheth: Deliver my soule, O LORD, from lying lips.
Ver. 3. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4. Sharp arrowes of the mighty? with coales of Iuniper,
He denounceth Gods judgement against the calumniator, however the matter shall go. Whence learn, 1. The calumniator hath as little advantage by his sin, as any sort of sinner, but for the judgement of God he is sure of it: For what shall be given unto thee▪ thou false tongue? 2. The traducer of the godly hath exquisite vengeance waiting for him, which he never dreamed of, and which no tongue can sufficiently expresse: What shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? 3. As calumnies do hurt the name of the godly suddenly, before he can be aware, and the wound remaineth long, as arrowes shot against them: and as the coales of Juniper have the greatest heat, and burne long ere they be quenched: so shall the judgement of the calumniator be: Sharp arrowes of the mighty, or shot by a strong man, and coales of Iuniper.
Ver. 5. Wo is me, that I sojourne in Mesech; that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.
6. My soule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for warre.
In his lamentation; Learn, 1. False brethren counterfeit professors of Religion, rotten members of the visible Church, are no better neighbours then savage and wilde Barbarians, robbers, Muscovites, and Arabians, Men of Mesech, and Kedar, without the verge of the visible Church. 2. It is a wofull condition to dwell among the wicked, and yet the godly cannot eschew it, they may well lament it: Wo is me that I sojourne in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar. 3. So long as the godly live among wicked calumniators, they reckon themselves as banished men living in a forreigne Countrey, and are made oft-times to lament their condition: Wo is me that I sojourn in Mes…ch, and dwell in the tents of Kedar. 4. A man should have a great cause of lamenting before he give … to his wo: his patience should do its part for a sufficient … time, in hope to have the evil remedied: for the Psalmist … not break forth at first, but saith, My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. 5. It is not sufficient to live innocently with the wicked, but duty requireth that we should labour … mitigate the fury of adversaries, as the Psalmist did: I am for peace. 6. If peace be studied with those among whom we do live, and we obtain it not▪ yet shall the ditty of the wicked be so much the more augmented thereby: When I speake, they ar… for warre.