A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 130
PSALME CXXX.
THis Psalme containeth the exercise of the Psalmist, wrastling under the sense of sin with fearful tentations, which were like to overcome him, wherein he prayeth for relief, v. 1, 2. opposeth Gods mercy to his justice, v. 3, 4. and waiteth for comfort, v. 5, 6. then he bringeth forth the use which he maketh of the relief and comfort which God gave unto him, by encouraging the Church to trust in Gods mercy, because he will deliver his people from all trouble and sin, v. 7, 8.
Ver. 1. OVt of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2. Lord, heare my voice, let thine eares be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
In the first two verses we have his distresse, and prayer for relief in general termes. Whence learn, 1. The dearest Saints of God have been hardly exercised by trouble in their spirits, and brought into danger of desperation sometime, while they seemed to themselves to be in a lost condition, like a man ready to drown in deep waters: Out of the depths did I cry unto thee, O Lord. 2. How desperate soever our condition, or case of our soul seem unto us to be, yet should we not cease from prayer unto God: Out of the depths have I cried vntounto thee, O Lord. 3 Albeit our prayers seem to us sometime to be misregarded of God, and neglected, yet should we not give way to such thoughts as those, but should double our petitions so much the more, as tentations do disswade us to pray, as the Psalmist did: Lord, hear my voice, let thine eares be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
Ver. 3. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities: O LORD, who shall st…an?
4. But there is forgivenesse with thee: that thou mayest be feared.
In these two verses, we have the objection made against his prayer, from the conscience of his sins, according to the law, and his answer unto the objection from the mercy of God, according to the grounds of the Gospel; Whence learn, 1. Sin furnisheth ground to all our vexations, and tentations, and objections made against our prayers, our comfort and our faith: as the experience of the Psalmist doth teach us, against whom his iniquities here stood up; to hinder his answer from God. 2. In the case of conscience wherein sin is justly charged upon us, there is no shift for us to deny or excuse sin: it must be confessed and laid open before God, as the Psalmist doth here. 3. If the Lord should deal with Supplicants in the way of strict justice, according to the tenour of the Law or Covenant of works, no man could escape condemnation and the curse; If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? that is, no man should stand. 4. He who is fled for refuge unto Gods mercy, according to the Covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, may decline judgement according to the Covenant of works, and betake him unto the way of Justification by faith, according to the Covenant of grace, whereby remission of sin is promised to the beleever; If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? but there is forgiveness with thee. 5. The belief of Gods mercifulnesse doth open our mouth in prayer, and encourageth us unto the hearty worship, service and obedience of God, whereunto otherwise we could never have heart nor hand: But forgivenesse is with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 6. Then is grace and mercy in God rightly made use of, when we feare to offend God, so much the more as we believe him to be gracious, to forgive the penitent Supplicant; Forgivenesse is with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
Ver. 5. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait: and in his Word do I hope.
6. My soule waiteth for the LORD, more then they that watch for the morning; I say, more then they that watch for the morning.
Having prayed and wrastled by faith against the terrour of Gods justice, he waiteth for a good answer, and for consolation. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the Lord doth not at first heal the conscience of sin, and the smart of it, yet the believer may surely expect comfort from him: I wait for the Lord. 2. Then doth faith its own part, when it frameth the heart to patient waiting on God, and hope in him; My soule doth wait. 3. He that waiteth for a good answer from the Lord, must have the Word of Promise, made in the Gospel to such as seek mercy from God, for the warrant of his hope; My soul doth wait, and in his Word do I hope. 4. He that waiteth on God for comfort, should perswade himself of his speeding, and must not slack his hope for a delay, but grow in desire after the Lord, more then the Watchman waiteth for the morning; My soule waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning, I say, more then they that watch for the morning.
Ver. 7. Let Israel hope in the LORD, for with the LORD there is mercy: and with him is plenteous redemption.
8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
In the latter part of the Psalme, it is presupposed he hath go…ten comfort, and here he exhorteth all the Lords people to follow his example, in the day of their outward trouble and perplexity of conscience, assuring them of grace to be found in God to their full satisfaction. Whence learn, 1. When God hath delivered us out of straits, it is our duty to extend the fruit of that mercy as far as we may, and to exhort others according to our place, to follow the way of faith in God; Let Israel hope in the Lord. 2. Mercy according to the Covenant of grace, giveth the same ground of hope unto every one within the Church, which it giveth to the Psalmist, or to a Writer of the Scripture; Let Israel hop… in …e Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, saith the Psalmist from his own experience. 3. So many straits as the Lords people can fall into, so many escapes and deliveries hath the Lord in store for them: With him is plenteous▪ Redemption. 4. As sin is the root of all trouble, and the chief evil of Gods people: so the remission of sin is the chief cure of all their trouble, and this the believer may be sure of; He shall redeem Israel from iniquities. 5. When the Lord forgiveth sin to his own, he forgiveth all sin lesse and more, whereof his believing childe is guilty; He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 6. The delivery of Gods people from sin and trouble, flowe…h all from the Covenant of Redemption, and every delivery of them is a part of the execution of that Covenant: With him is plenteous Redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.