A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 56
PSAL. LVI. To the …, …im, … of David, when the … him in G…
DAvid flying from Saul to the countrey of the Philistines, (as w… …, 1 S…. …. 13.) is apprehended, he praveth to God, and is delivered. There are two parts of the Psalm… In the … part the… are three conflicts of Davids saith with his trouble and …ation, and three victories. The first conflict is in prayer, laying forth his enemies carriage against him, ver. 1, 2. And his …st victory by saith, ver. 3, 4. The second conslict is in his complaint he maketh against his enemies, ver. 5, 6. And his second victory by faith, ver. 7. His third conflict is by laying forth his mournful condition before God, with hope to be regarded, ver. 8. And his third and greatest victory by faith, ver. 9, 10, 11. In the latter part of the Psalm is Davids obligation, thankfully to acknowledge his merciful delivery, with a petition for grace to persevere in the course of obedience, under Gods protection, ver. 12, 13.
From the Inscription; Learn, 1. When once Gods children are entered on their trials, they meet with new and unexpected difficulties, as David here flying from one enemy, falls in the hands of another enemy. 2. These means of safety which Gods children do devise themselves, readily prove snares; David flying out of the holy land, doth fall in the hands of his adversaries: The Philistines take him in Gath.
Ver. 1. BE merciful unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up, he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up; for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
His first wrastling in prayer is with the check of his conscience, whether for his daily …ns, or in particular for casting himself in so apparent danger, as to have ventured without probable security had, to seek shelter among the enemies of the people of God, whose blood he himself had shed abundantly; for this … or other sins he beggeth mercy, and layeth out before God, the pressing tentation from Saul and his Countrey mens cruelty, which d…ave him to this p…or shift. Whence learn, 1. There is no fence for challenges of conscience for by-gone sins meeting with trouble drawn on by ou… folly, but flying to the mercy and rich grace and pity of God, as David doth here: Be merciful to m…, O God. 2. When all men and means do fail us, and we see none but w…lves and lions re…dy to devour us, there is hope of help in Gods mercy; Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow … up. 3. Continued tentations and renewed dangers, do over-set the strength of a f…ail man, till he go to God to have relief from the tentation, or new strength; He fighting daily oppresseth me. 4. Whatsoever inconveniences the godly do fall into by flying from persecution, they are all charged justly upon the Persecutor, and the chief Authors of their …ouble: He fighting daily oppresseth m…; …aith David of Saul, who d…ave him to these straits. 5. Bloody persecutors follow hard after the chase of Gods servants, without intermission, as dogs o… lions do their prey, with as great desire to have their blood, as hungry beasts have after their food; Mine enemies would daily swallow m… up. 6. One ringleader in the persecution of the godly, will …inde a multitude to run with him; Many are they th… fight against me. 7. There is one above all, who can and will take order with all the enemies of his people, who only can ca… their hearts, when they do complain of their foes: Many are they that fight against me, O thou most High.
Ver. 3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust, I will not feare what flesh can do unto me.
Here faith gets the victory, by setting Gods Word against all difficulties, within or without him, whereupon he desi…th what man can do unto him. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the godly be not so stout in their trials, as not to feel their own infirmity, or not to be afraid, yet they are kept from fainting in their fear, by faith in God; What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 2. Albeit faith doth not alwayes put forth it self, yet when feare doth assault most, then faith in God doth most evidently manifest its force; for then especially by directing of t…e mans eye towards God, it setleth a troubled minde, strengtheneth weak courage, and …elieveth the …ppressed he…rt; What time I am afraid, I will trust in the…. 3. The experience of the sweet fruit of faith endeareth th… Lord …o a soul, and strengtheneth a man to the employing of faith come what can come, as Da…ids affectionate resolution here teacheth us: What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4. …aith groweth valian… in fight; albeit it begin like a coward, and stagger in the first conflict, yet it groweth stout, incontinent, and pulls its adversa…ies under …oot; In God I have put my trust, I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 5. When fai…h prevaileth, fear ceaseth, and all opposition of enemies is de…pised; I will not …ear what fl…sh can do unto me. 6. The best hold that faith can have of God, is to take him by his Word, however his dispensation seem to be, this will give satisfaction at length, for, In God I will praise his Word, is as much as, albeit he withhold comfort and deliverance from me, that I cannot finde what I would, yet let me have his Word, and I will give him the glory of all his attributes.
Ver. 5. Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6. They gather themselves together: they hide themselves, they mark my steps when they waite for my soule.
His second conflict is with the malice of his crafty and cruel enemies: of whom he complaineth that they misconstrued his actions, words and deeds, as smelling only of t…eason and rebellion, whether he stayed in the countrey, or …led out of it, and whatsoever expressions …ell from him at any time for his own clearing, all was wrested to another meaning. 2. They devised each of them how to b…ing mischief upon him. 3. What they could not make out severally, they sought to ripen by consulting one with another. 4. They covered all their plots with faire pretences, and dissembled their intentio…s. 5. They observed narrowly every one of his steps, to make out something against him by their observations, for which it might seem justice to kill him. 6. They thought to double out their course, by more and more iniquity against him, for which he prayeth the Lord to execute justice against them Whence lea…n, 1. Le… the godly say or do whatsoever they can, how justly, how innocently soever they carry themselves, yet their adversari…s will pu… another …ace upon their words and deeds, then what is right; E…ry day they wrest my words. 2. The … of Gods people do spend their wits in devising some h…me or other against them; All their thoughts are against me for …il. 3. What the wicked cannot make out against the godly by themselves severally, they labour to make out by mutual counsel and concurrence; They gather themsel…s together. 4 Though the wicked …veal themselves one to another in their pl…ts and designes against the godly, yet before others they use to put … v…ile over their malice, and some fai…e pretence what they minde to do; They hide themsel…es. 5. …he wicked take occasion of forging their … from observation of some passage of the carriage of the godly, that they may make them odious, and cut them off▪ They mark my steps, they wait for my soul.
Ver. 7. Shall they escape by iniqui…y? in thine anger cast down the people, O God?
The second victory of faith, is in his f…ht of the punishment of his enemies …, … they f…ared no such thing. When… learn, …. Sinn…s see no way to hide the mischief of their actions, save by …ing more mischief, …nd in special by colou…ing their … with calumni… against the persons whom th…y inju…e, and by p…etending law for what they do; They think …o es…pe by iniquity. 2. Howsoever the wicked may by their … p…etences deceive their own eyes, & others like themselves, and so escape mans punishment, yet shall they not eschew the vengea…e of God, but rather be so much the more liable unto it, as they d… multiply iniquity, to hide i…iquity; Shall th… es…ape b… their iniquity▪ cast them down. 3 Nei…her high place, nor in … o… people following wicked men in an evil course against Gods se…vants, shall save them f…om the wrath of God▪ I… t…ine ang…r cast d…wn the peopl…, O …od.
Ver. 8. Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my teares into thy …ottle: are they not in thy book?
The third Conflict, wh… … lay…th ou… his … condition before … hope to … p…y … l…rn, 1. When saith h…th g…tten victo…y▪ … will finde n…w assaults: though … ove…om a ten…ation, the I … will make he…d a gain; though faith overcame one … another wi… ente… the lists, & set …n, as conflict … conflict her… m…keth evident. 2. Many a tear may the g…ly sh…d before their trial be ended, when once it is begun, and many un…uth pathes may they …, who are forced to flie the cruelty of …, befo…e they sin…e r…st; multitude of wandering… had David, and large measure of teares shed he, before he was delive…ed. 3. The looking back upon many and long continued troubles, being lai… together in a heap, or put in order one after another, do muster terribly, and make a great assault against … mans faith and patience, as he…e the multitude of Davids wande…ings and … did sh…w th…mselves together before him. 4. God hath so great comp…ssion on his servants in trouble, that he doth … …ven the st…ps of … wande…ing and pilgrim … ▪ …d do… number all their teare…, and keep the count thereof, as it were in a registe…, and the…fore every … of G…, when they l…k upon their sufferings, should look up …n God al…o, taking as particular notice of their …, a… … themselve… …n do: Thou t…llest my wanderings, put th…u … …to …y …ottle, are … no… in thy book▪
Ver. 9. Wh… I …ry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know, for God is for me
10. In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.
11. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
The third and compleat victory of faith. Now he is confident to …ut all his enemies by prayer, and t… … all … by faith in Gods W…d. Wh…nce learn, 1. … fo…th our c…s and … G…d in p…ye, is a way t… g… … satisfactory delivery by faith, before the bo…ly … d… …me; When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemi… turn back. 2. …aith g…eth upon solid grounds▪ and is not a fallible …: but a sure knowledge; This I know▪ saith he. 3 A …ciled m…n praying to God in a goo… cause, fo… victo…y ov… his …, may be a slu… that God will own his quarrel… and give him the victory; This I know, because God is for me. 4. The special att…ibute of God, wherewith faith doth meet, and whereby it attaineth un…o rest and contentment in God, is his truth and fid…lity in his promi…s: In God I will praise his W…d; albeit there be no appearance of pe…ormance, Gods Word is sure enough to …ix upon. 5. The grounds of … a…e the more sweet and satisfactory, the more they be examined and looked upon, and compared with their effect…; for David is not content once to say, In God I will praise his Word; but with comfort and confiden…e reneweth the … of Gods Word, and the benefit he hath by it; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 6. As it is necessary for our justifi…tion to beleeve in God; so is it necessary fo… our … to …bserve that we have beleeved; for then may we promi…e to ou… selvs all the blessednesse whi…h b…longs to the beleever: In God I ha…e put my trust, I will not be af…aid; f…r when we thus r…solutely do set to ou… …eal to G…ds t…uth, … ▪ and … our beleeving: then he … his seal… to …, in com…ting and relieving us.
Ver. 12. Thy vowes are upon me, O God: I will render praise unto thee.
13. For th… hast delivered m… soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my f…t …om …lling? that I may walk before God in the light of the li…ing.
In the latter part of the Psalme, having now obtained delivery in his spirit by faith, he obliges himself to thankfulnesse, wishing to be preserved and enabled of God for that end. Whence learn, 1. As God pu… the duty of glorifying him upon the supplicant, when he promiseth delivery to him: so may the supplicant put the obligation of glorifying God upon himself, when he is praying for delivery out of his trouble, as David giveth us to understand he did, while he saith, Thy vowes are upon me. 2. An honest heart is no l…e de…rous to perform the duty of praise to God alter delivery, then he was ready to make his vow and promise before his delivery, yea the conscience of the twofold obligation, is a burden upon his spirit, till he go about the payment of his twi… due d…bt; Thy … are upon me, O God I will render praise… to thee. 3. As deep dangers do serve to discover our weaknesse, and our need of Gods help: so a well-seen danger maketh clear the greatnesse of the delivery; and the greatnesse of the delivery deciphers the wisdom, power and goodnesse of God to us, and of our obligation unto him; I will render praises unto thee, for thou hast delivered my soul from death. 4. The right use of by-past dangers and deliveries, is to prepare for new dangers and difficulties, (for when one danger is past, all perils are n… past,) and to …enounce our own wisdom and strength as insufficient to preserve us from ruine either of soul or body, and to give up our selves to Gods guiding and presrvation, and to depend upon God, and stedfastly to hope to be directed and preserved by him, all this is imported in Davids words; Thou hast delivered my soul from death, wilt thou not preserve my feet from falling? 5. The end of our desires to have deliveries and ben…its from God, should be, that we may spend our life, and the gifts bestowed upon us sincerely in the service of God, for the edification of his people; Wilt thou not preserve my feet from falling? that I may walk before God in the light of the living.