A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 64
PSAL. LXIV. To the chief Musician. A Psalme of David.
THis Psalme hath two parts: In the former is Davids heavy complaint unto God against his deadly enemies, laid forth before God in sundry particular evidences of their malice, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And in the latter part is the Lords comfortable answer unto him, by giving him assurance of Gods judgement coming on them, to their own and others astonishment, and to the comfort of the godly, ver 7. 8, 9, 10.
Ver. 1. Heare my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from feare of the enemy.
2. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked: from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.
In his prayer he requesteth first in general, for delivery of his life from the secret plotting and oftenpractising of his enemies against him Whence learn, 1. Present danger is able to force out cryes to God, and such earnest prayers poured out in extreme necessity, shall not want an answer; …eare my voice, O God, in my prayer. 2. The danger cannot be so great, wherein help may not be had from God; he is so near to a supplicant, so powerful, and so ready to save the man who hath made God …is e…ge; Preserve my life from feare of the enemy. 3 God can so overrule and outwit the devices of our enemies, that they sh…ll either not light upon the meane whereby they might overtake us, or shall make them misse of their intent in case thei… device be probable; Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked. 4. What the wicked cannot do against the righteous by craft, they will pursue with open violence, but God, as he is wiser in counsel and able to be fool them, so is he st…onger in power, and able to break them: Hide me from their insurrection. 5. That we may have the greater confidence to be delivered from our enemies, we had need to be sure we are in a good cause, and that our adversaries have a wrong cause: Hide me from the workers of iniquity.
Ver. 3. Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bowes to shoot their arrowes, even bitter words:
4. That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5. They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily, they say, Who shall see them?
6. They search out iniquities, they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart is deep.
Here he complaineth of his enemies, and layeth forth several degrees of their desperate wickednesse before God, as so many arguments to strengthen his saith, and hope for delivery from them. Whence learne, 1. The benefit of a good cause, and of a good conscience appea…eth b…st in a strait, when nothing can help a man against his enemies, save God alone, as here appeareth in Davids case. 2. Calumnies and slanders against the godly are very cruel weapons: for not only hurt they the estimation of their good cau…e, and personal good behaviour, but also do stirre up all men to take their lives. They whet their tongue as a sword, and bend bend their bows to shoot their arrows, bitter words. 3. There is no fear against a privy slander, a man is wounded ere he is aware, and no mans innocency or integrity of life can be a guard against the shot of a calumniators tongue, they shoot in secret at the perfect, suddenly do they shoot at him. 4. Because only God can heal the wound of a slander, and sustaine the man in the conscience of his good cause and carriage, till he clear him, the righteous must content himself to referre the matter to God, as David doth here. 5. G…dlesse men are dangerous enemies, for they fear not God, and so have no powerful restraint within them from doing any mischief, and the more they sinne, they take the greater boldnesse to sinne more; they encourage themselves in an evil atter 6. The wit and wickednesse which is wi…hin themselves, will not suffice their devillish intention, therefore they seek all help they can finde from without; They commune of laying snares privily 7. They seek how they may overtake the mans person, after they have killed his good name and cause with calumnies and bitter aspersions. Yea Satan so blindeth them, that they neither look to God the avenger of such plots and practises, nor do they consider that God seeth them, and they think their pretences before men are so thick … covering, that no man can see through them; They say, Who shall see them? 8. If there hath been any slander of the upright mans misdemeanour in any former time, which for the falshood of it is evanished, they make search after it, to waken it up again: and if there be any possibility to devise new inventions, with any probability, they go about it busily, yea they search hell it self▪ to finde out how to bring a mischief upon the upright; They search out iniquities, they accomplish a diligent search. 9. Last of all, their wickednesse is unsearchable, the uncontrolled bent of their wicked wit and will assisted with what Satan can suggest, furnish and stirre up, all is imployed, and it is hard to say whether their wit or will be most wicked, and do draw nearest to hell; but it is sure to say of both, Both the thoughts of every one of them, and the heart is deep.
Ver. 7. But God shall shoot at them: with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded.
8. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them, shall flee away.
9. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
In the latter part of the Psalm is set down his prayer and confidence of justice to be executed against his enemies, and mercy to be shewn to him, and to all the godly. Whence learn, 1. The godly want not a friend to avenge their quarrel: God will shoot against wicked archers, and not misse the mark, …ut God shall shoot at them; with an arrow shall they …e wounded. 2. Where desperate malice is seen, there sudden mischief may be foreseen, that it shall light upon the malicious: sudde…ly shall they be wounded. 3. The wicked adversaries of Gods people are destroyers of themselves, by their opposition unto them; for as they thought to do unto Gods children, God doth to them; So they shall make their own tongue fall upon themselves. 4. Sometimes God will make the wicked spectacles of his judgement to the affrightment of all that knew them, and do see their plague; All that see them shall flee away. 5. The judgement of the wicked should be all mens lesson, and all sorts of people shall learn by their plagues to know Gods justice and terrour; And all men shal… feare and declare the works of God. 6. Not every spectator of Gods work giveth glory to God, but they only, who compare his Word with his works, and through the vaile of means and instruments do look to God the righteous Judge of the world; They shall declare the work of God, for they shall consider wisely of his doing. 7. When wo and wrack doth come upon the wicked, then doth joy and comfort come to the godly, not so much for the dammage of the wicked, as for the manifestation of the glory of God: The righteous shall be glad in the Lord. 8 As the Lords mercies do confirm the faith of the righteous, so also do the works of his justice; They shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust i… him. 9. The delivery of one of the godly, is a pledge of the like delivery to …ll in the like case: and as one so all and every one of the righteous and upright in heart shall triumph at length over all enemies, and make their boast of God: All the upright in heart shall glory.