A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 109
PSALM CIX. To the chief Musician. A Psalme of David.
DAvid, as a type of Christ, hath here to do with his and the Lords desperate enemies. The Psalme hath three parts. In the first part, he complaineth against them unto God, v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. In the second, he pronounceth the fearful vengeance of God against them, by way of imprecation in the Spirit of prophecie, unto v. 21. In the third part, he putteth up a prayer to God for himself, and is comforted. In all which he is a type of Christ, and hath an eye unto Christs Kingdome, and to the desperate enemies thereof, as the Apostle Peter doth teach us in his application of what is here spoken, as a Prophecie to be in part compleated in Iudas, Acts 1.20. And so David here, is not satisfying his own private revenge against Achitophel, or any other such like traitor, but as a Prophet foretelling what judgement was to fall on the desperate enemies of God, and as a Saint subscribing to Gods righteous judgements, for the terrour of all opposers of Christs Kingdom.
Vers 1. HOld not thy peace, O God of my praise:
2. For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3. They compassed me about also with words of hatred: and fought against me without a cause.
4. For my love they are mine adversaries: but I give my self unto prayer.
5. And they have rewarded me evil for good: and hatred for my love.
In his complaint, he prayeth the Lord to shew himself in justice against his desperate enemies, and chargeth them for false and malicious calumnies, and wicked ingratitude against him. Whence learn, 1. As the most innocent and holy servants of God are subject to heavy slanders, and false calumnies raised against them, so the best remedy and relief in this case▪ is to go to God with the matter, as here the Psalmist doth. 2. The Lord will bear witnesse in due time unto the innocency of his oppressed and unjustly defamed servants, …s here the Prophet prayeth for in his prayer, and doth expect it: Hold not thy peace, O God. 3. A good conscience may be sure to be cleared from false imputations, and should comfort it self with Gods approbation in the meane time, because whatsoever infamie the believer doth lie under, the Lord will bring forth his innocency and commendation: for this reason among others, the Prophet doth call the Lord, O God of my praise. 4. Impudent back-biters will put such a face upon the most wicked calumny and slander of an innocent servant of God, and will avow it openly in his face, as if it were of truth, as here we see: For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me, they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 5 An innocent man may be so circumvented with calumnies and lies forged of him, as he shall be unable to finde out any way to clear himself, as here we see; They compassed me about also with words of hatred, 6. Albeit, when an innocent man hath to do with a wicked and impudent slanderer, he may be put to no lesse hard exercise, then if he were yoked in a combat to fight for his life, yet it is comfort when God and his own conscience know that he suffereth unjustly: They fought against me without a cause. 7. Innocency, kindnesse and good deeds, done by the godly, unto the wicked instruments of Satan, will not exempt them from their malicious calumniating of them, yea, no man is more subject to this requital then they who do deserve best of the wicked world, even Christ and his servants are of all men most traduced: For my love they are my adversaries, saith the type of Christ, and Christ in him. 8. It is not the way to overcome the calumnies of the wicked, to render reviling for reviling, or to loose the tongue unto evil words; but the only way to overcome all, is to go to God as Supplicants, as here the Psalmist did; But I gave my self to prayer. 9. When malicious lips against a man are joyned with the ingratitude of the Calumniator, it maketh up a fearful ditty against the slanderer; as here, And they have rewarded me evil for good▪ and hatred for my love.
Ver. 6. Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand:
7. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8. Let his dayes be few: and let another take his office:
9. Let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widow.
10. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath: and let the stranger spoile his labour.
12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherlesse children.
13. Let his posterity be cut off: and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15. Let them be before the LORD continually; that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16. Because that he remembred not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poore and needy man: that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be farre from him.
18. As he clothed himself with cursing, like as with his garment: so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oile into his bones.
19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD: and of them that speak evil against my soul.
In this second part of the Psalme, he pronounceth the most fearful vengeance of God upon malicious calumniators, and that as a Prophet and the Messenger of God, to shew the wrath of God against such wicked persons in general, and especially against the enemies of the Gospel; for he speaketh here as the type of Christ, as Peter sheweth, applying this prophecie to Iudas by name, Acts 1.20. Whence learn, 1. Albeit it be not lawful for any man to use such imprecations, out of private revenge, or against any man in particular, as David doth, who was led as a Prophet by the Spirit of God, yet this doth shew unto us, that fearful and heavie are those judgements which attend ingrateful calumniators of honest men, and in special all such as are enemies to Christ and to his Gospel, and to his faithful Ministers, or to those in whom the work of Gods grace doth appear, and that in special for their devising and fostering lies and slanders of them that professe Gods truth, of purpose to make them, and the truth which they maintaine, and all of their kinde, to be the more hated and despised among men: for this which is written here, shall be their judgment, according as they draw deeper in this sort of transgression, and do approach to Iudas his treacherie. 2. More specially, these are the wages and reward of the desperate enemies of Christ, and the Gospel, and Christs servants; First, all sort of mischief shall come upon such a mans own person from men, and from devils, and from Judicatories, and from Heaven, Wrath shall be on him, in relation to his liberty, to his enterprises, to his suits of law, and his exercise of Religion, till he be cut off from the world, and rooted from his place, v. 6, 7, 8. Secondly, mischief shall be on his family, wife and children, goods and estate, whereof his children shall have no benefit, but be exposed to all misery without pity, v. 9, 10, 11, 12. Thirdly, mischief shall be upon his posterity till they be rooted out, with infamie to him of whom they came, being pursued in wrath to the third and fourth generation, as the children of him that hated God, till his fame and memory perish, v. 13, 14, 15. and that for his mercilesse persecuting of the Lords poor children, v. 16. Fourthly, the curse of God, without hope of Gods blessing, shall pursue his gracelesse and cursed disposition, to the vexation of his soul and body, and it shall be fastened on him on all hands perpetually, v. 17, 18, 19. as the just reward of the deadly enemies of the Lord, and of the salvation of his people, v. 20▪ And this is set down as a part of a Psalme of David, to be sung unto Gods praise, and allowed and said Amen unto, by all the people of God, against the desperate and unreconcileable enemies of Christ, and of his true servants, whereby the Church of God may be edified and kept fast in the faith and profession of Christ, and free from persecution of his faithful servants.
Ver. 21. But do thou for me, O GOD, the Lord, for thy Names sake: because thy mercy is good: deliver thou me.
22. For I am poore and needy: and my heart is wounded within me.
23. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24. My knees are weak through fasting: and my flesh faileth of fatnesse.
25. I became also a reproach unto them; when they looked upon me, they shaked their heads.
The third part of the Psalme, wherein the persecuted Saint putteth up prayer unto God for comfort to himself, and for delivery, using sundry reasons for strengthening of his faith, to v. 26. where he repeateth his prayer, with other reasons to inforce it, to v. …9. and having found comfort and victory, he closeth the Psalme with thanksgiving, v. 30, 31.
From his first prayer, and the reason thereof; Learn, 1. Whatsoever mischief be appointed for the enemies of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, it shall not prejudice the godly persecuted, nor hinder their accesse unto God, or Gods befriending of them, for so teacheth the Psalmist; But do thou for me. O God, the Lord. 2. It concerneth God in his glory, as to punish his foes, so to defend his friends and children: Do thou for me for thy Names sake. 3. The plea of the believer is not his own goodness, but the readiness of Gods mercy unto Supplicants; Because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me 4. Because God is good and merciful▪ therefore he will not suffer his own to perish in their affliction; Because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 5. Before the Lord do comfort his children in their affliction, he bringeth them to the sense of their own insufficiency, and of their need of his help, and when this poverty of spirit is given, it is a fore runner of delivery; Deliver thou me, for I am poor and needy. 6. As the Lord by affliction doth waken the sense of sin, and wound the mans spirit, so is he a ready Physician to the contrite: Deliver thou me, for my heart is wounded within me. 7. This mortal life is like a shadow, and when affliction is superadded to mortality, mans life is like the shadow of the evening, which is speedily stretched forth til it vanish, and when a Saint is in this condition, he may expect the fruit of Gods compassion, as here, Deliver me, for I am gone like a shadow when it declineth. 8. The children of God must not look for any certain dwelling place, but to be driven to and fro by persecution, as the winde maketh the locust to leap from place to place; I am tossed up and down as the locust. 9. The grief of the godly under persecutio… may overcome the natural comfort of meat and drink, and bring their body to wasting leannesse; My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatnesse. 10. As it is usual for the wicked to mock the godly, being brought low by persecution: so there is no part of the crosse more heavie to the godly then derision; I became also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me. 11. That which God doth threaten for a curse on the wicked, may for the point of outward calamity fall upon the dearest children of God; as what is threatened, Deut▪ 28. in sundry things, is here found on the persecuted childe of God; I became a reproach unto them, they shaked their heads.
Vers. 26▪ Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy.
27. That they may know that this is thy hand: that thou, LORD, hast done it.
28. Let them curse, but blesse thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let thy servant rejoyce.
29. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame: and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle.
He prayeth again for help, and addeth more reasons, especially this reason, that so the difference of Gods dealing with his servants, and with his foes may the better appear; Whence learn, 1. As trouble is lengthened and lyeth on, so must prayer be repeated and insisted upon, as here: Help me, O Lord my God, and save me according to thy mercy. 2. When the Lords children do perceive that Gods honour is obscured by their suffering, they become no lesse desirous to have God restored to his honour, then to have themselves delivered from trouble; Save me, that they may know that this is thy hand, that thou, Lord, hast done it. 3. Albeit the Lord be the inflicter of the troubles of the godly for their trial, and for manifestation of his truth toward them, and grace in them, yet the world cannot perceive this, till God lift up the hand of his own out of trouble; Save me, that they may know that this is thy hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it. 4. When God sheweth himself reconciled to a soul, light ariseth in trouble, to let them see both their own relief, and the overthrow of their adversaries, as here is shewen in the proposition of the condition of the godly and their enemies. 5. It matters not what the enemie speak against the godly, so long as God approveth them: yea, the more the enemie be despiteful, the more will the Lord be kinde to his servants: Let them curse, but blesse thou. 6. When the controversie between the godly, and their persecutors cometh before the Lord to be judged, shame shall cover the face of the persecutor, and Gods childe shall rejoyce; When they arise, (to wit, for pleading of their cause) let them be ashamed, but let thy servant rejoyce. 7. The pretences whereby the wicked deceive their own consciences in persecuting the Saints, shall be their sin, and their shame and confusion; Let mine adversaries be cloathed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
Ver. 30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poore: to save him from those that condemne his soule.
He closeth his prayer and the Psalme comfortably. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the persecuted children of God be put to mourning and prayer for a time, yet the issue of their exercise shall be joy and praise; For I will greatly praise, saith the Supplicant here. 2. It is not unusual to God to make the delivery of his children manifest before the people, who were witnesses of their hard usage by the wicked, and to make his servants to proclaim his praise with their own mouth; I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth, yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 3. As Satan, v. 6. shal stand at the right hand of the Persecutor, both to drive him on to perdition in his sin, and then to accuse him & torment him for it, so shall the Lord stand at the right hand of his persecuted servants in their lowest condition, to strengthen them under their trouble, and to deliver them out of it; For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor▪ to save him from them that condemn his soul. 4. Albeit the experience of the promised delivery be not yet come, yet the foresight of it by faith in Gods Word, and gracious nature, is sufficient cause of joy to the persecuted Saint, and matter of praise unto God; I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth, for he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him.