Choice and Practical Expositions on Four Select Psalms, Sermons on Psalm 4 · Sermon 1
SERMON I.
PSALM 4.1.
Hear me when I call, O God of my Righteousness: Thou hast inlarged me when I was in Distress, &c.
There are two Duties especially, which are the proper Work and Imployment of these Times in which we live. The one is of Mourning and Lamentation, and the other is of Prayer and Supplication; To bewail our manifold Miscarriages, and the Guiltiness which lies upon us; and to present our Conditions to God, with desire of his Relief of us in them. And these two they do happily make way one for the other: The former for the latter. The more abundant we are in Repentance, the more confident we may be in Prayer. And the more careful we are in asking of our selves, What have we done? the more chearful may we be in asking of God Himself, to do any thing for us.
The occasion of penning this Psalm which we have now in hand, was all one with that of the Psalm immediately before it, which was the trouble that David was in from the Conspiracy and Rebellion of Absolon, and those that were with him. He was now in great distress, and under great Injury and Persecution; and accordingly does betake himself to the God both of Righteousness and Mercy, for relief and support of him in it: Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness, &c.
IN this present Verse before us we have two general Parts considerable of us: First David's Prayer for mercy desired. Secondly, David's acknowledgment of mercy received. His Prayer for mercy desired, is propounded and delivered to us under a double expression, in the beginning of the Verse, and in the end of it: Hear me when I call, O God of my Righteousness, that's the first. And have mercy upon me, and hear my Prayer, that's the second. His acknowledgment of mercy received, that stands in the middle betwixt them both, that so both may be so much the more effectual: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. These are the parts of the verse.
We begin with the first, where (for method sake) wee'l joyn the two ends of the Text both together, and so handle the whole Prayer and Petition in each expression as one and the same. Hear me when I call, &c. Have mercy upon me, &c. And here there are divers things considerable of us: First, The Title which David here puts upon God; and that is the God of his Righteousness. Secondly, The Request which he puts up to him; and that is, that he would hear him when he call'd, or hear his Prayer. Thirdly, The Terms upon which he deals with God in this Petition; and that is upon the account of mercy, and favour, and grace, and indulgence to him: Have mercy upon me, &c.
The first thing here considerable of us, is the Title which David here puts and fastens upon God, O God of my Righteousness. This God is said to be to those which are his Servants according to a two-fold explication. First, As the Author of it: The God of my Righteousness; that is, the God that makes me to be righteous. Secondly, As the Owner of it: The God of my Righteousness; that is, the God that shews me to be righteous, that maintains my righteous cause. Now although the first be a Truth, that God is the God of our Righteousness, as the Author of it, both inherent and imputed; yet it is not the truth of this place, and therefore I will not now at this time insist upon it: but rather confine my self to the second, which seems to be here principally intended, and that is, the God that owns my Righteousness; which we may here again look upon two manner of wayes: First, Directly in it self. Secondly, Reflexively, as coming from David.
First, Directly in it self: David does here justly call God the God of his Righteousness, as being such a God indeed, a God that does own the righteousness of those which are his Servants; And so does the Scripture also else-where represent him, as Psal. 140.12. I know that the Lord will maintain the Cause of the Afflicted, and the Right of the Poor. So Prov. 22.23. Speaking concerning the innocent Poor: The Lord will plead their Cause, and spoil the Soul of them that spoiled them. And 1 Sam. 25.39. Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from Nabal. It is the speech of David himself.
This is grounded first of all upon his Nature. He is himself, a righteous God; therefore he must needs be a God of Righteousness. The reason why any neglect to maintain righteousness in others, is, because they want righteousness in themselves. Those which want a Principle of Righteousness, they will not own a righteous Cause; but it is otherwise with the Gread God and Lord of Heaven and Earth. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright, Psal. 11.7. He is righteous himself, and therefore he loves righteousness in others; and his countenance beholds the upright; that is, he approves and accepts them. And all because himself has a just and most righteous Nature.
Secondly, There's his Affection and his Relation which carries him to it likewise: It is my God, and therefore the God of my righteousness. Love it will make a man to favour a good cause out of respect to the person: Now this is that which is considerable in God towards his people; He loves them, and therefore he maintains them: He bears a regard to their Persons, and therefore he respects their Cause, and is an Owner of that.
Thirdly, His Covenant and Interest; God must needs be the God of the righteous cause of his people, because he is retain'd for them. They have ingaged him, and forestall'd him for themselves. The cause of God's people, it is the cause of God himself; there's an involusion of one in the other: And he has bound himself to them, namely, so far forth as they walk in his wayes, and do that which is well pleasing in his sight, and walk answerably to Religion it self.
This (for the Use of it) is matter of great comfort and incouragement. A good Abettor is a good help to a good Cause: Now this is that which God's Servants partake of, whiles they have God himself to plead for them, as they are implyed here to have. And it is comfortable in all the wrongs and injuries, and neglects which they suffer from men. What though men may now and then disregard them, and it may be shamefully abuse them; yet their Redeemer is mighty, and he shall plead their Cause with them, as Solomon speaks of the Fatherless, Prov. 23.11. This is that which will carry them out in the midst of all, and that which they are very much to content and satisfie themselves withall, when they consider upon it.
There are two wayes especially wherein God owns the Righteousness of his Servants: The one is in clearing it, and making it known to those that question it: And the other is in avenging it, and punishing those that oppose it, and set themselves against it. Those that wrong the Innocent, they shall be sure to smart for it; God will sooner or later visit all their wrongfulness and miscarriage upon their heads. And so much for the Title directly, as consider'd in it self.
Now further secondly, We may look upon it reflexively, as coming from David; who having righteousness and equity on his side, does now with a great deal of boldness and confidence betake himself to God for redress: Whence we see what is accordingly to be practis'd by every one else. As we desire to have God to own us, and to stand by us in the evil day, so to be sure to apply our selves to Righteousness, and to do that which is just and equal. Otherwise we cannot with that freedom and liberty repair unto him, as the Psalmist expresses it to us, in Psal. 5.4, 5. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of Iniquity. Look by how much any do allow themselves in that which is wicked, by so much do they consequently discharge themselves of God's Protection: He is the God of our Righteousness, but he is not the God of our Ʋnjustice.
Therefore these words here of David are to be taken by way of appeal, and they have a kind of force and argument with them, why God should hear him, because he desired no more then what was right, and agreeable to justice and equity it self; namely, whiles he had to deal with men, and those which are Adversaries against him. When men plead with God, there Righteousness must be silent, there's no mention to be made of it there: If we once begin to stand upon that, we are utterly lost and undone: Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer, but would make supplication to my Judge, as Job speaks, Job 9.15. The reason of it is this, because our best righteousness it has sinfulness mingled with it. There's a defectiveness and imperfection in it; But when one man pleads with another, here we may well enough stand upon it. My righteousness shall answer for me in time to come, sayes Jacob to Laban, Gen. 30.33. So Samuel, Whose Ox have I taken? or whose Asse have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? &c. 1 Sam. 12.3. And Paul, Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man, &c. 2 Cor. 7.2. We may stand upon our righteousness with man, and with God in reference to man. And so does David here in this Text, whiles he betakes himself to God under this Title and Appellation: The God of his Righteousness, that's the first particular.
The second is the Request it self, which he puts up to him; that we have in a double expression: First, Hear me when I call. And secondly, Hear my Prayer. I make mention of these two as distinct, forasmuch as they have some difference in them, and the one implying more then the other: Hear me when I call, that has respect to David's Complaint in the case of Injury. Hear my Prayer, that has respect to David's Necessity, in the case of distress.
First, Hear me when I call, that has respect (I say) to David's Complaint, in case of injury: This holy man he was wrongfully and unjustly dealt withall, and now he desires an hearing of his Cause, what he had to say for himself, and what he had also to say against those which were Adversaries and Enemies against him. Hear me when I call, that is, when I call for Justice and for Right to be done unto me. It is the advantage of the Servants of God, that they have liberty to do so: when men regard them not, yet that they may put up their Complaint to Him, and be heard in them. As for men, they may go to them often enough and complain, and to little purpose; but it is not so with God, He will hear the Complaints of the Oppressed, and they do with confidence repair to him for that purpose.
Secondly, Hear my Prayer; that is, Grant me that particular Request which I desire of thee: Do not turn away the Prayer of thy Servant, but give ear unto it. This is distinct from the other, and has a distinct ground for it, which we may here take notice of in the Text. The former, that he urges from the Justice of God; this latter he urges from his Mercy, Hear me when I call, O God of my Righteousness. It is but righteous with God (sayes the Apostle) to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you: And to you that are troubled, rest, 2 Thess. 1.6, 7. But have mercy upon me, and hear my Prayer. For God to hear us in our Supplications to him, is an act of his Grace and Favour; as we shall hear more anon, when we come to that particular it self, which in its place is to be handled by us.
But yet if we please, we may (for brevities sake) contract them, and joyn these two Expressions both together in one and the same sense; Hear me when I call, and hear my Prayer; as signifying David's great desire of being heard in those several Requests and Petitions which he did upon any occasion put up unto the Lord; and the doubling of the expression does signifie the ardency of his affection, and vehemency and earnestness in it. Thus I find them to be taken by most Interpreters, although (as I said before) they seem to carry some distinct sense in them. But wee'l take them as they are usually taken, and so handle them; namely, as a different and various expression of one and the same Petition; David desires of God, that he would hear him when he should pray unto him. And there are two things which we may conceive as here hinted unto us: The one, as referring to the thing prayed for; Hear my Prayer, i. e. Grant my Request; Do that for me which I desire of thee. The other, as referring to the performance or time of praying; Hear me when I call, that is, hear me in my very putting up of my Request unto thee. For each of these are such things as are regarded by the Servants of God in their approaches to him: They look not onelyonly to the hearing of their Prayers, that is, to the obtaining of those things which they pray for; but likewise to their acceptance in praying, and the answering of their prayers in the heart, before the answering of them in the thing it self; according to that in Psal. 6.9. The Lord hath heard my Supplication, the Lord will receive my Prayer.
Wee'l begin with that first which stands in order, which I named last unto you: His desire of being heard in his performance; Hear me when I call: Where we may take notice that such a thing there is, and such also as is desirable of us; to be heard in our very Prayers themselves, and the presenting of our Supplications to the Lord. It is that which we find mention made of in other places of Scripture, as Esay 58.9. Then thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer thee; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. And Esay 65.24. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and whiles they are yet speaking, I will hear. This is done, when God (as sometimes he is pleas'd to do) does signifie to the heart of a Believer his acceptance of him in Prayer, and his readiness to grant him that which he desires of him. This is to hear him when he calls, or in calling, as the words properly import, In clamando me ausculta, &c. There is a secret whisper which God does vouchsafe to the Soul of a Christian, whereby he manifests his good will to him in this behalf; As who should say, Thy Request is granted, trouble thy self no more about it, I will be sure to do it for thee. It is that which we cannot express and make known what it is, as being a part of that hidden Manna which no man knows, saving he that receives it; and is made good to spiritual sense, rather than demonstrated by common and natural reason: But where-ever it is, it is very comfortable and satisfactory to the minds of those which are made partakers of it.
We may take it with these qualifications briefly considerable in it: First, It is a matter of very great Grace and Favour; It is an high piece of Dignity which God is pleas'd to put upon his Servants, when he deals thus with them; so as to signifie his acceptance of them in Prayer, and his readiness to grant their Requests. It argues a special familiarity, wherein he condescends unto them, and so it has been still reckon'd and accounted of: It was that which God vouchsafed to Daniel, whiles he was yet speaking in prayer, O Daniel, thou art greatly beloved, &c. Dan. 9.23. It was that which God vouchsaf'd to Cornelius, Acts 10.4. Thy prayers are come up for a Memorial before God. And it was that also which he vouchsafed to Paul, when he pray'd so often as he did to him; My Grace is sufficient for thee, &c. 2 Cor. 12.9.
Secondly, As it is matter of very great Favour and Priviledge, so it is also of some uncertainty likewise: It is that which God does not alwayes think himself ingaged to do for them. God does alwayes hear the prayers of his Servants, but he does not alwayes manifest or signifie his hearing of them, but does oftentimes hear them in the dark in this particular, that so he may the more exercise Faith, and draw them out in more dependance upon himself. And now and then likewise correct them for some neglect which they are guilty of before him, and miscarriage towards him: Therefore they have sometimes also complain'd of his strangeness to them in this respect, and of his hiding of his face from them.
Thirdly, It is very comfortable, and such as has a great deal of heartening and encouraging in it, making the Servants of God to go on with a great deal of chearfulness in their Christian course; to which end accordingly it should be improv'd. It is not to make any the more secure, or careless, or presumptuous, or neglectful of endeavour; but to wait upon God in the use of means with so much the more alacrity, as not sollicitous concerning success. That's the first thing here imply'd, Hear me when I call, as it refers to the very performance or time of praying.
The second is, as it refers to the thing prayed for; Hear my Prayer, i. e. Grant my Request. David desires of God that he would yield to him that which he askt and desired at his hands. For the matter of his Petition; it is a phrase which we often meet withall in the Psalms, and a Point which we have also often occasion to speak unto, the Doctrine of Prayer; for which cause I will not now at this time insist upon it, only somewhat must be said of it, because it lies in our way; which I shall dispatch in a word or two, and so proceed to that which is behind.
That which is here principally to be observ'd and taken notice of by us, is the holy confidence, and boldness, and freedom which a true Believer hath with God in his accesses to him. He may come to him as both desiring and expecting to be heard by him: He may pray, and when he has done praying, he may say, Lord hear my prayer, as David does here in this Text. This he may be able to do especially upon these considerations: First, According to his ordering of his Prayers and Petitions themselves; Hearing, or being heard in prayer, does much depend upon prayer it self for the managing of it. Now this is that which the Servants of God are for the most part very careful of, in order hereunto: As,
First, For the matter of their prayer, that it be such as is according to God's will. Those that pray for those things which are unlawful, they cannot say to God, Hear my prayer; unless they should think they might perswade him to deny Himself, which he will never do. This therefore is that which good Christians do in the first place look after: Thus, 1 John 5.14, 15. This is the confidence that we have of him, that if we ask any thing according to his Will, he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him.
Secondly, For the manner of their prayer, that it be with zeal, and fervency, and intention. It was a good Question of Cyprians, How canst thou think that God should hear thee, when thou dost not hear thy self? Quomodo te audiri a Deo, postulas cum teipsum in audit? Those that pray carelesly and slightly, without attending to that which comes from them, they cannot expect that God should hear them: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James 5.16.
Thirdly, For the principle of their prayer, that it be done in Faith; that's another thing requisite hereunto. Let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering, &c. Jam. 1.6. And that's the first ground of God's Servants confidence in their audience, which is taken from the ordering of their Prayers and Petitions themselves, for the Matter, Manner, and Principle.
The second is the ordering of themselves in other things suitable hereunto: As first, Their hearing of God Himself; Then may we with confidence say to God, Hear my prayer; When God may with confidence say to us, Hear my Word. But if we will not hearken to his Injunctions, neither will he hearken to our Petitions. He that turneth away his Ear from hearing of the Law, even his prayer shall be abominable, sayes Solomon, Prov. 28.9. And 1 John 3.22. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him; because we keep his Commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
Secondly, Hearing of others in their necessities: Whoso stoppeth his Ears at the cry of the Poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard, Prov. 21.13. And Esay 1.15. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers I will not hear, your hands are full of blood. We are no surer of audience with God, then our Brethren have audience with us: Judgment shall be without mercy to him that shewes no mercy, &c. James 2.13.
And finally, The abstaining from all kind of sin whatsoever, as to the allowance of it in our selves: If I regard iniquity (sayes David) in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer, Psal. 66.18. And John 9.31. We know that God heareth not Sinners, &c. As therefore we desire to partake in this confidence of the Faithful, let us be careful thus to order our selves. And so I have done with the second Particular in this first General; which is the Request it self which David puts up to God, Hear my prayer.
The third is, the Termes whereupon he deals with him in it: And that is upon the account of Mercy, and Grace, and Favour; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer: Where we see, That the best that are, they have need to stand upon this Plea in their dealings with God, to have recourse still to his Mercy, and to urge him upon this consideration above any thing else, to be gracious to them. This we gather, not onelyonly from this place, but also from divers others besides, as Psal. 5.7. I will come to thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: Psal. 6.2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak. And verse 4. O save me for thy mercies sake. And Psal. 25.6, 7. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies. According to thy mercy remember me.
The ground hereof is two-fold; First, Because the best that are, they do merit nothing at the hands of God, for which he should be perswaded to do any thing for them: Those which cannot plead Merit, they must plead Mercy; now for the former, there is none which can do it whosoever they be. The best that are, they can challenge nothing from God upon any desert in themselves; Luke 17.10. When we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable servants; we have done no more then what was our duty to do. Those which do no more then what they ought to do, they are far enough from merit or desert; and thus is it with the best men that are, even with the Apostles and Disciples of Christ: Much more with other men.
Secondly, As the best that are, are void of any merit; so they be under much de-merit, and contrary guilt which is upon them. Malefactors had need still stand upon mercy, and have recourse unto that. And thus is it with the best of us all, we are liable to God's Judgment and Tribunal, if he should call us to a strict reckoning and account: And therefore, Have mercy upon me. Thus Psal. 130.3. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand. And Psal. 143.2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, &c. Esay 64.6.
Let us therefore from hence learn to make much of this Attribute in God, and to improve it to our own comfort and advantage, the mercy of God, as being that which is our best security and refuge which we can fly unto. It is that which all the Saints and Servants of God have made use of upon all occasions; and we should imitate them, and conform unto them in this particular: And the rather also, because it is that which God himself is so much pleas'd withall. He delights in mercy, Micah 7.18. He delights in shewing of it, and he delights in hearing of it, and in being urg'd and prest with it. We cannot use any argument to him, which is more likely to prevail with him, then an argument taken from his mercy. Therefore does the Prophet David here make it to be an ushering in of all his prayers, and the hearing of them; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. Take away God's mercy, and our very prayers themselves are odious and abominable, and harsh and unpleasing to him. There's a double need of Gods mercy in reference to our prayers: The one is for the accepting of them, and the other is for the granting of them; for the accepting of the performance, and for the granting of the thing it self.
First, For the accepting of the performance, Have mercy upon me, and hear me; that is, and suffer me to speak unto thee. It's mercy that must give us entrance and admission into the presence of God, without which such Wretches as we are could not dare to come before him: As Queen Esther, she could not offer her Petition to King Ahashuerus, till he held out to her his Golden Scepter, as a Testimony of his grace and favour; no more can we our Petitions to God, till he makes way for us, by his mercy towards us: This he has done in the Son of his Love, Jesus Christ; God's mercy in him incourages us to come before him, and to present our suits unto him; as we have it in Heb. 10.19, 20, 21, 22. Having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the Vail, that is to say, his Flesh: And having an High Priest over the house of God: Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of Faith, &c. So again, Heb. 4.15, 16. Seeing then that we have not an High Priest which cannot be toucht with the feeling of our Infirmities, &c. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace, &c. Through God's mercy in Christ we may come boldly to the throne of Grace. Now this is that which we have need of, mercy to admit us to praying; yea, and so also (which is pertinent thereunto) to accept of us in praying, and to pardon and pass by our many failings and defects in it: Mercy for the accepting of the performance, that's the first.
Secondly, Mercy, for the granting of the thing it self; Have mercy upon me, and hear me; that is, and give my desires to me. It's mercy that must make God to do any thing for us, which we wish he should do. It is not the dignity of our Persons; It is not the excellency of our Prayers; It is not any thing without Himself which we can imagine, as moving him hereunto, but only his mercy. And therefore have the Servants of God still stood much hereupon in their addresses to him: Not only David here, but also else-where, Jer. 14.7. O Lord, though our Iniquities testifie against us, yet do it for thy Names sake, &c. They have urged him with his mercy, and they have then especially urged him with it, when there has been the least likelihood and probability from any thing else. In the greatest misery, there is the most opportunity for mercy to work, and to discover it self; which has therefore made the Servants of God upon this account to be so urgent with him. And so now I have done with the first general part of the Text, which is David's prayer for mercy desired, Hear me, &c.
The second is, his acknowledgment of mercy receiv'd; Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress. Where there are some things considerable in general, besides that particular Doctrine which is deducible from the words themselves: As first, we see, That when we beg new mercies, we must thankfully remember old. When we would obtain more from God, we must acknowledge what we have obtain'd already. Thus does David here; And for the more eminent Observation of it, he puts it in the middle of his Petition; Hear me when I call, thou hast enlarged; and thou hast inlarged, Hear my Prayer.
Secondly, There is this also considerable, That the Lord is easier perswaded to the shewing of mercy again, where he has shew'd it already; This we gather from David's manner of dealing with God, and the ordering of his Petitions to him: These words, Thou hast inlarged, &c. They have not only the force of an acknowledgment, but also of an argument; not only as declaring what God had done for him already, but likewise as pleading, why he should still do more for him: Thou hast done it formerly, therefore do it still likewise.
But to come more closely to the words themselves, Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress. There are two things in this passage pertinently observable: First, David's condition, and that was distress. Secondly, God's relief and supply of him in this his condition, and that was Inlargement; Thou hast inlarged me.
For the first, David's condition; we see here what is likewise the lot of other of the Servants of God, namely, to be in distress; to be in such a case as that they know not almost what to do. Thus was it here with this holy man. Indeed if we speak of it strictly, so they are not: We are troubled on every side (sayes the Apostle) yet not distressed, 2 Cor. 4.8. foreign. It's never so with God's Servants, but that if we speak of them in reference to Himself; so there is alwayes some way which is made open unto them. But if we speak of them in reference to the World, and the carriage of outward things here below, so they are in distress. It was thus with David at Ziklag, 1 Sam. 30.6. It is said, That he was greatly distressed. And it was so with him likewise at another time, when he had numbred the people; David said unto God, I am in a great strait, 2 Sam. 24.14. The Lord sometimes is pleas'd in his Providence to suffer his people to fall into very great straits and distress.
And, we cannot wonder at it, if we consider all: For first of all, they do all they can to straiten him, and to bring him into distress with himself, by their trespasses and provocations of him; they offer injury to his Bowels, and make him so to be, as if he knew not what he should do with them. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee, &c? Hos. 6.4. And those which put God to his straits, they cannot marvail that He should put them to theirs: It is no more then sutes unto them. Thus did David sometimes himself; and therefore this condition of distress was such as might very well befal him.
Secondly, God loves to manifest his Power in the deliverance of them; He therefore brings them into distress, that so from thence he may take occasion to inlarge them; as follows afterwards in the next particular, Thou hast inlarg'd me when I was in distress. God's Mercy is manifested in our Misery; his Power in Weakness, his Inlargement in Distress.
Therefore such passages as these should be no strange thing to us; neither should we think strangely of them, when either the Church of God in general, or else our own Persons in particular are at any time brought into such conditions as these are, we should not be offended with it, as though some strange thing had happened unto us, as the Apostle speaks of the fiery trial, (1 Pet. 4.12.) No, 'tis usual for God's people to be in distress, that's the first thing, Davids condition.
The second is, God's relieving and supplying of him in this distress'd condition; Thou hast inlarged me. For the better opening of this unto us, we must know that there is a double Inlargement: The one is of state and condition, and the other is of heart and affection; Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress, that is, when I was in straits thou didst expedite and free me from them; Or, thou hast inlarg'd me when I was in distress; that is, when I was in straits thou didst support and uphold me in them, and thereby draw me nearer to thy self.
First, For the Inlargement of Condition; Thou hast inlarg'd me when I was in distress, that is, when I was in straits thou didst expedite and free me from them: This is one thing which the Servants of God can, many, yea most, yea all of them declare and profess concerning God upon their own experience, how he hath done thus much for them. There's none, but some time or other, they have had this truth and proof of God's goodness sealed unto them.
It's true both in Spirituals and Temporals: First, Take it for Spirituals, and ye shall see it most evidently there cleared unto you, how God has there inlarg'd us in distress, when we were all of us in bondage to Satan, and to our own lusts, and so straiten'd with the chains of our own sins. God was then pleased to break the bonds of our distress for us, to open the prison doors for us to let us loose, and to set us free in a most eminent and conspicuous manner, as we have it signified to us in Col. 2.15. He hath redeemed us from sin and wrath.
This is a great ingagement to us on our part, as to thankfulness to Him who hath done so much for us; so to an answerable walking hereunto. Seeing God through Christ hath inlarg'd us, let not us now from hence forth any more straiten our selves, and bring our selves into distress again: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not intangled again with the yoke of bondage, as it is in Gal. 5.1. To be intangled in bondage after freedom and delivery from it, carries a great disparagement with it, and makes the Person which is so to be more intangled then ever before. There's none which are so much in distress, as those which are so after Inlargement. This the Apostle Peter tells us, and assures us of expresly, 2 Pet. 2.20. If after they have escaped the pollutions of the World, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again intangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. And our Saviour, Matth. 12.44. The last state of that man is worse then the first.
But, secondly, Take it in Temporals, and it has a truth likewise here, that God does inlarge his people in distress, and that as to their state and condition, by freeing them, and delivering them from it. It is that which the Saints have frequently acknowledg'd in Scripture; we shall not need to instance in examples, experience does also daily confirm it.
This is founded in God's bowels and affection; the pitifulness and tenderness of his Nature. Suppose that any of us should see a poor man chain'd and fetter'd, would we not do all we could to inlarge him, and set him free as were fitting for us: What do I speak of a Man? nay, a Beast? It is the argument of our blessed Saviour himself to the Ruler of the Synagogue, for the healing of the Woman that had a Spirit of Infirmity for eighteen years, and was bowed together; Doth not each of you loose his Ox and his Asse? how much more this Daughter of Abraham? The Lord pitieth his Servants in distresse: and his Compassions towards them provoke him to the inlargement of them.
This must be lookt upon by us not only as a story, and a Narration of what was done to David, and happen'd to him for his particular; but we must carefully improve it to our selves for our own encouragement: Whatever is written aforehand, it is written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, as the Apostle Paul has told us, Rom. 15.4. And accordingly we should make use of it: And of this instance and example amongst the rest; He that inlarged David in his distress, will be ready to inlarge us also in ours, if we betake our selves to him.
And he that hath inlarg'd one person will also inlarge an whole Church or Nation, if they be careful accordingly to improve him, to humble themselves before him, and in sincerity to seek unto him. We have need of such points as these are at this time amongst our selves, considering the condition we are in. We see how the case is with us, in what distress we are fallen into (which we may thank our selves for.) Now we see also who it is must expedite us, and inlarge us, and bring us out; Thou hast inlarg'd me, when I was in distress: Our destruction is of our selves, but our help is of Him. And it is well for us that it is so, that we have such a mighty one as this is, for the rescue and delivery of us, if we make use of him so as we should do. Let us but do that which concerns us, and let not the straitness of our condition discourage us, forasmuch as the Lord is able abundantly to inlarge us in it. And this now for the first explication, the inlargement of condition.
The second is, the inlargement of Affection, and Heart, and Mind: Thou hast inlarg'd me when I was in distress, that is, thou hast inlarg'd my soul. A straitned Condition has for the most part a straitned Spirit attending upon it. But this is that which God here qualified to David in that distress which at present he was in, to give breathing and inlargement thereunto.
There's a double inlargement of Spirit which is considerable in the Servants of God in case of distress. The one is in order to duty, and the other is in order to comfort; and each of these (if we please) we may understand as vouchsafed here to David.
First, In order to Duty, Thou hast inlarg'd me when I was in distress: So this signifies to us that holy boldness, and freedom, and familiarity which he had with God in Prayer and Supplication to him in this distressed condition; which is that also which others of the Servants of God do partake of. The Lord does oftentimes occasionally from the straits and troubles in which they are, stir up gracious desires in them, whereby they come to close so much the more earnestly and willingly with himself.
Secondly, In order to Comfort, so thou hast inlarged me, &c. It signifies that abundance of satisfaction, and chearfulness, and lightness of spirit, which God is pleas'd to impart to his Servants in such conditions. This is a Point which we have occasion to speak of more particularly upon another Scripture, and therefore I will not herein prevent mine own meditations.
Upon the whole matter, Here is that which may very much satisfie the Saints and Children of God in what ever condition befals them, That he inlarges them when they are in distress. Sometimes in the thing it self, with an inlargement of state and condition: Finds a way to escape, that they may be able to bear it, as it is, 1 Cor. 10.13. If not so, yet at least with an inlargement of heart and affection. Inlarging their Spirits, even when he straitens their outward man, which is more then all the world besides. He is freest indeed, who is freest here: All others are no better then Prisoners in their greatest freedom.
This was the priviledge of many of the Martyrs, who were many of them bound and in Prison, till they were in Prison, their Spirits being straiten'd in themselves; when they were once shut up and inclos'd, they were in this respect more inlarg'd and set free then ever before: which signifies thus much to us, that our Comfort depends not simply upon our state and condition it self, but rather upon God's gracious impartment and communication of himself unto us. When he will be pleas'd to inlarge us, we shall be inlarg'd, though it be in distress it self.
Nay further, so much the more from it: There is this also imply'd in it, Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress, that is, my distress did in some respects confer to my inlargement: As the Palm-tree, the more it is deprest, the more it grows. Thus it is noted of the Israelites in Egpyt, that the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplyed and grew, Exod. 1.12. And we know what is usually taken notice of, That the blood of the Martyrs, it proves the seed of the Church; more being drawn on to Religion occasionally from the distresses of those which suffer for it, as St. Paul observes it of himself, Phil. 1.14.
All comes to this, to make us our selves so much the more fitted and provided for such conditions, and not to faint, if by the Providence of God, we should ever at any time fall into them.
And so much also of the second general in the Text, which is the acknowledgment of mercy received, Thou hast inlarg'd; And so also of the whole verse it self.