A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 140
PSALME CXL.
DAvid, being pursued for his life, and loaded with false calumnies of wicked men, prayeth, First, for deliverance from them, v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Secondly, prayeth against them, v. 8, 9, 10, 11. Thirdly, declareth the Lords gracious answer, v. 12, 13.
Ver. 1. DEliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man.
2. Which imagine mischiefes in their heart: continually are they gathered together for warre.
3. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: adders poison is under their lips. Selah.
In his prayer for deliverance; First, he requesteth for preservation from their cruel devices and slanders, v. 1, 2, 3. Then repeateth his prayer for preservation from the present danger… wherein he was, by reason of the snares laid for him, v. 4, 5. Thirdly, he repeateth his petition, with some special grounds of confidence and hope to be relieved, v. 6.
From the first request; Learn, That most innocent and godly men, by the calumnies of the wicked, are sometimes cast in great dangers, whence they see no appearance of deliverance, for clearing their name, or saving of their life, except God finde it out: and in this case God is and should be their refuge; Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man. 2. How wicked soever, how violent soever the enemies of Gods children be, God can rescue his servants out of their hands: Preserve me from the violent man. 3. Such as not only in fit of passion, but also in cold blood, resolve to do mischief to the godly, may justly be esteemed evil men, violent men, for so are they here described; Which imagine mischief in their hearts. 4. When wicked men have devised what they can by themselves against the righteous, they cannot trust their own wits, as able to make the plot fast, except they consult one with another frequently, that they may joyne their counsels and their forces together, to make the snare sure; Continually they are gathered together for warre. 5. That wicked men may the better carry on their designe against the godly, they possesse the simple people with prejudices of them, devising and spreading false lies, and bloody calumnies of them, contrived with great cunning, and made very probable in appearance, lest any should pity them, when they are cut off; They have sharpenyd their tongue like a serpent. 6. When the wicked have vented deadly lies of the godly, they have in readinesse new slanders and capital crimes to charge them with falsely: Adders poison is under their lips.
Ver. 4. Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked: preserve me from the violent man, who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
5. The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords, they have spread a net by the way-side: they have se… grinnes for me. Selah.
In his repeated petition for pr…servation; Learn, 1. It wil not suffice the wicked to defame the godly, and murther them in heart and tongue, but also they seek to have them in their grips, except God interpose himself for their safety: Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked. 2. The desperate resolution of the wicked to overcome the godly, must not discourage the godly, but sharpen their prayer: Preserve me from the violent man, who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 3. Hunters and Fowlers did never go more cunningly to work, by snares, nets and traps to catch their prey, then the wicked go about to have the advantage of the godly, to bring their life under their power: The proud have laid a snare for me and cords, they have spread a net by the way-side, they have set grinnes for me.
Ver. 6. I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: heare the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7. O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation: thou hast covered my head in the day of battel.
In the repeating of his petition the third time, with reasons of hope to be helped; Learn, 1. The malice of men should move the believer to make use of Gods favour and friendship, and of the Covenant with him, I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God. 2. The claim which faith layeth unto God, should proceed from a fixed purpose, to stand to its right and interest it hath in God: I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God. 3. When faith findeth the Covenant fixed, then prayer findeth vent, and the man poureth forth his desire with hope, as here: Hear the voice of my supplication, O Lord. 4. When misbelief doth present to the godly the greatnesse of the danger, the mans own weaknesse, and the power of the adversarie, faith should present, in opposition to these, the strength of God and his power for salvation, as engaged by Covenant to the behoof of the believer: O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation. 5. As present straits should bring to minde by-gone dangers and deliverances, so by-gone experience of delivery should strengthen faith for the present: for this use David maketh of his present and by-gone exercise. 6. In time of danger God useth to interpose himself, for the preservation of his own servant, more nearly and closely, then a helme… cleaveth to a mans head in the day of battel, and doth ward off a blow better, then any piece of armour can do, as Davids experience teacheth; Thou hast covered my head in the day of battel.
Ver. 8. Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9. As for the head of those that compasse me about: let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10. Let burning coales fall upon them, let them be cast into the fire: into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11. Let not an evil Speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
In the second part of the Psalme, wherein he prayeth against his enemies; Learn, 1. God can overthrow all the devices of the wicked, and the wicked can effect nothing against the godly, except God grant them their desire; for so much doth this prayer import: Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked. 2. The prayer of the godly against the plots of the wicked, hath more power to overturn them, then the wicked have wit or strength to promote them; Further not his wicked device. 3. When one of the wicked findeth successe in his wicked devices, all of them grow proud, and do misken God for that cause: Furrher not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. 4. God will not give alwayes successe unto the wicked oppressors of his people, were there no other reason for it but this one, to crush the pride of his enemies▪ and to make it cease; Further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. 5. What mischief the wicked have threatened to bring upon the godly, shall fall upon themselves, and bitter as gall shall their part be, (as the Word will suffer in the Original,) who are chief Ring-leaders of the pe…ution of the godly: As for the head of them that compasse me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 6. The overthrow of the wicked shall come upon them, as the ruine of a wall covering them and smothering them: Let mischief cover them; their torment shall be piercing and intolerable, like the perdition of Sodom; Let burning coals fall upon them; no escaping for them, Let them be cast into the fire; no getting out of the torment, no recovery for them: Let them be cast into deep pits, that they rise not again. 7. Backbiters and Calumniators shall not only be debarred from heaven, but also Gods curse shall follow them on earth, and not suffer them nor their posterity to enjoy quiet prosperity in the world: Let not an evil Speaker be eshablished in the earth. 8. When oppression hath cried to God against the oppressor, it is sent forth as a Serjeant to follow him at the heels whereever he go, till it overtake him, and throw him headlong into destruction: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
Vers. 12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted: and the right of the poore.
13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy Name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
In the third part of the Psalme, is the answer of the Psalmists prayer, in a comfortable perswasion of Gods maintaining of his persecuted children, & delivering of his own afflicted servants out of all their troubles. Whence learn, 1. Whosoever shal persecute and oppresse the righteous, shall finde God their Party, joyned in the cause with the afflicted: The Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted. 2. The faith of Gods assistance is a sufficient comfort to the godly, to uphold them till the deliverance come, and this perswasion God useth to give to his persecuted servants for their upholding; I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted. 3. The main thing which the Lords servants do care for, is their cause and their right, that whatsoever they shall suffer, their cause may go free and be justified: and this the Lord doth secure here: The Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poore. 4. Whatsoever hardship the godly do meet with in their exercise, joy and deliverance shall close their troubles, and whatsoever prayer and mourning they shall be driven unto by persecution, praise and thanksgiving shall be the last part of their trial; and this the Lord will have his people perswaded of: Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy Name. 5. Whatsoever imperfections the beleever shall finde in himself, yet his upright and sincere dealing with God, by the daily acknowledgement of what is amisse in him, and by his making use of the remedy held forth in the Gospel, shall prove him to be a righteous man; for the righteous and the upright man here is one. 6. Beside all the comfortable blinks of Gods kindnesse in this world, granted to the believer, he hath assurance of perseverance, and of everlasting fellowship with God: The upright shall dwell in thy presen…e.