A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 138
PSALME CXXXVIII.
THis Psalme is Davids thanksgiving unto God, and praising of him for the experience he had of his love and faithfulnesse. The promise of praise or thanksgiving, is set down, v. 1. and six reasons are to be subjoyned in the verses following, which are closed with a prayer in the end of the Psalme.
Vers. 1. I Will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.
In the promise of praising God; Learn, 1. It is a part of our thankfulnesse, to engage our heart to praise God for after-time, when we finde that all the thanks we can give for the present, are short of our duty or desire to praise him; I will praise thee, saith David. 2. As sometimes the believer will finde his heart set at liberty in Gods worship, which at another time he will finde to be in bands, so should he take the opportunity of an enlarged heart, to runne in the way of Gods service, as David doth here: I will praise thee with my whole heart. 3. Albeit the faces of Princes, Rulers, and Magistrates, use to lay some restraint upon the liberty of speech, which men use to take before mean persons, and albeit Princes ordinarily love rather to hear themselves praised by flatterers, then to hear either God or man magnified in their audience, yet a heart enlarged with the sense of Gods Majesty, greatnesse, and goodnesse, will not stand to confesse, and proclaim Gods truth, greatnesse and goodnesse, and other points of his praise, in the audience of the greatest men on the earth, pu… case they should think themselves cried down, and more lightly esteemed of, by this meanes: Before the Lord will I sing praise to thee.
Ver. 2. I will worship toward thy holy Temple, and praise thy Name, for thy loving kindnesse, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name.
He engageth himselfe also unto the publick ordinary worship of God, according to Gods command, and then giveth the reasons of his engagement. Whence learn, 1. Worshipping of God in secret is indeed necessary, but it is not sufficient for the man who mindeth thankfulnesse to God, except he follow the publick meanes also, and that after the way which is prescribed by God, directing all his service to be offered to God through Christ: for this is imported in Davids worshipping toward the Arke, which was placed in the tabernacle or Temple: I will worship toward the holy Temple, and praise thy Name. 2. The experience of the Lords kindnesse and faithfulnesse in his promises made to his people, is a lively motive unto believers to praise him: I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindnesse, and thy truth. 3. There is more to be seen and felt in the experience of Gods children, then they could promise to themselves out of Gods Word: for they finde that God in effect is better in his payment then in his promises, for thus much doth this commendation import; Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name, that is, I have found more effect in the performance of thy promise, then the promise seemed unto me to hold forth in thy Name, and this is the first reason of Davids engagement unto thankfulnesse.
Vers. 3. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me: and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
The second reason of his thanksgiving is more speciall, because God had upholden him by his inward comfort in the time of his trouble, and had answered his prayer graciously. Whence learn, 1. The Lord useth to put his children unto straits before he deliver them, that he may be seen the more clearly to be their deliverer: for David cried unto the Lord, before the answer of his ordinary and daily prayer was given unto him; In the day when I cried, saith he. 2. To be supported in trouble, and to have strength to bear out in trouble till the full delivery come, is a reall and remarkable answer from God to his peoples prayers: In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 3. Albeit before the outward and compleat delivery come, the passages of Gods secret sustaining of a man be not well marked, yet when they are looked back upon in the clear light of accomplished deliverance, the least degrees of delivery and secret supporting of the man under trouble; will appear clearly to be answerers of prayer, and begun delivery: as David here observeth, and giveth account thereof. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
Ver. 4. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD: when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5. Yea, they shall sing in the wayes of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
The third reason of his thanksgiving is, because he foreseeth in the Spirit of prophecy, how great glory and praise, and thanks the Lord shall have, when he shall convert the Gentiles, and reveal his Word and works unto them. Whence learn, 1. The foresight of the glory which God shall have in the world before its end, by the promised propagation of his Gospell, should stirre up all who believe the approaching glory of God, to magnifie and praise him in their own time: for the foresight of the glory of God to be manifested among the Gentiles▪ is here the matter of the song of David, and of the Church of the Jewes All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord. 2. When the glory of the Lord is seen it doth overshine all the glory in the world: for Kings when they see Gods glory, shall fall down and praise God: All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord. 3. It is the Word of God mainly which sheweth forth the glory of the Lord, and maketh his works to be wonderfull▪ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, when they hear the words of thy mouth. 4. Albeit the knowledge of God which cometh onelyonly by his works, be able to convince even the Heathen, of the Lords care over his people, and to astonish them, yet not the knowledge of the Lord which cometh by his works, but that which cometh by the hearing of the Word of the Lord, is able to convert a man, and to make him walk in the obedience of faith, and to rejoyce in God, and to sing his praises cheerfully: When they hear the words of thy mouth, they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord, 5. The glory of the Lord which is manifested in his Word, is the highest glory which is manifested to the world; for after all the glory of his works of Creation and Providence, which the Word holdeth forth, it sheweth forth the glory of Gods grace and mercy to the self-condemned sinner, which merciemercy to the penitent soul in some re…pect, is above all Gods works, for in this respect it is here said: Great is the glory of the Lord.
Vers. 6. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
A fourth reason of Davids thanksgiving and praising of God, is for his different dealing with the humble and proud. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the Lord be so highly exalted above all the creatures, as it is a sort of humbling himself to behold his creatures, even in the heavens, yet he is so good and gracious, that his superlative grandour, doth not hinder his taking notice of the meanest lost sinner, who humbleth himself before him: Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. 2. The greatness of the Majestie of God commendeth his humility, and the Lords looking low for the good of the poore Supplicant, commendeth his greatnesse, and maketh it more lovely: for it is here put for a point of his praise: That though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. 3. The Lord observeth the disposition of men, who are proud and who are humble before him▪ for this doth the text point at. 4. The humble do lose nothing by their humility, nor do the proud gain any thing by their pride, but by the contrary the humble finde grace, and the proud are resisted of God; He hath respect to the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off. 5. Pride excludeth a man from accesse to God, and a proud man cannot have communion with God: He knoweth the proud afar off.
Ver. 7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me, thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
The sixth reason of his giving thanks & praise unto God, is his confidence, that whatsoever trouble he shall fal into hereafter by his enemies, the Lord will sustain him under it, and deliver him out of it Whence learn, 1. It is a good use of by-past experience, to conceive hope to be helped of God in time to come: as the example of David here teacheth us. 2. Whatsoever trouble a man hath been in, he may fall in as great or greater afterward: yea, he may possibly be in a comfortlesse condition, and helplesse and hopelesse for any thing can be seen, yea, and be compassed about with trouble on all hands, yea he may faint under the burden, and be as a dead man: for thus much David presupposeth may be his condition afterward: Though I walk in the midst of trouble. 3. How great soever, and how many soever straits and difficulties the believer can forecast and foresee, he may promise to himself as great and a… many supplies of strength, and deliveries from God: Though I walk in the midst of troubles, thou wilt revive me, that is, thou wilt put new life and comfort in me. 4. Against the power and wrath of adversaries, Gods power and good-will is a sufficient guard, succour and relief: Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
Vers. 8. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
The sixth reason of his giving thanks and praise, is his confidence of the Lords constant continuing with him, and making him to persevere in Gods obedience unto the end, which he closeth with a prayer that he may persevere. Whence learn, 1. The believers heart cannot be quiet, till it be sure of perseverance, and of this he may be made assured: for the same Spirit of grace which hath made him see the Lords engagement for him in time past, can give certainty of the continuing of Gods grace in time to come; The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: He findeth a work of Gods love to him already begun, and then gathers hence that the Lord wil perf…ct that work of grace which he hath begun 2 The believer doth not build his hope of perseverance upon any strength or constancy in himself, but upon the unchangeablenesse of Gods eve…lasting mercy, as here David sheweth unto us: The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me, why? and upon what ground is he so confident? Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. 3. True assurance of perseverance must be joyned with the sense of a mans own weaknesse and unworthinesse, and ill deserving, (if God should deal wi…h him in justice) yea, it must be joyned with dependance upon God in faith and prayer, and use of the meanes; for such was the assurance which David had, who after that he hath said, The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me, subjoyneth, forsake not the work of thine own hands, which importeth so much. 4. Faith hath alwayes for its own strengthening to make use of all bonds betwixt God and it self as a creature, and in special as a new creature, that seeing his calling and gifts are without repentance, he would make out the work of grace and salvation, where he hath begun it, as David teacheth us: Forsake not the work of thy own hands.