Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, 4 [i.e. 5] (cont.) · Psalm 142
PSAL. CXLII. The Title, a Maſchil of David.
A Prayer when he was in the Cave.
THE Cave was that of Engaddi, or more probably, that of Odullam, when he was more deſtitute. The occaſion, the perſecution of Saul, and his danger by Achiſh king of Gath. The matter of it, an earneſt Prayer to God, in which he begs deliverance from danger.
The parts are
1. An Exordium, in which he
1. Firſt ſhews what he did in his trouble, took himſelf to prayer, ver. 1, 2.
2. Then his conſternation and anxiety of heart, which aroſe from the malice and craft of his enemies, and the defect of help from his friends, ver. 3, 4.
2. His addreſſe to God, and Petition, ver. 5, 6, 7.
1. The two firſt verſes ſhew Davids intention in this Pſalm, viz. David in trouble flyes to prayer.by Prayer in his trouble to make his Addreſſe to God. 1. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord did I make my ſupplication. 2. I poured out my ſupplication before him, and ſhewed him all my trouble. The firſt part:This is amplified
1. From the vehemence, inſtance, fervour. I cryed, I ſupplicated, Ver. 1 I poured out, I ſhewed.
2. From the Object, unto the Lord, him and no other I invocated. The conditions of his prayer.I poured out before him. Ver. 1
3. From the Inſtrument. With my voice. Which doth not exclude vocem cordis. For no queſtion he underſtood, and attended what he ſaid.
4. From the humility in Prayer. It was a ſupplication. Ver. 2 I made my ſupplication.
5. From his free and full expreſſion, fully and at large he opened his griefs and deſires, he left nothing behind, unſaid, that ſhould be. I poured out my complaint, vented all from my heart as water poured out of a veſſel. Shew'd and declared my trouble.
6. From his ſincerity and confidence in God. That he durſt do this before him, in his eye, in his ſight, argues an honeſt heart.The cauſe anxiety of minde.
That which cauſed him to do this: was,
1. The conſternation and anxiety of mind in which he was. This I did, Ver. 3 when my ſpirit was overwhelmed within me. When my breath was as it were gone, and my life, for ought I ſaw, almoſt at an end, and I in the confines of death. There being then no ſufficiency in me, I betook my ſelf unto thee, who art All-ſufficient.
2. Then I addreſſed my ſelf to thee. For thou kneweſt my path, my actions, my intentions, the ſecret of my wayes, my path, 2The flie dealing of his enemies.and that without any juſt cauſe I ſuffer theſe things, being forced and hunted into this Cave.
3. The craft and ſly dealing of his enemies. Eſpecially Saul.
2. In the way wherein I walked: In my Vocation, in that way wherein thou ſetteſt me.
2. Have they privily laid a ſnare for me. Saul gave him his caughter Mical to be a ſnare to him; and a Dowry he muſt have of an hundred fore-skins of the Philiſtines, that he might fall by their hands.
4. Ver. 4 His deſtitution at this time of trouble, all forſook him, deſerted him; even his friends.3The deſertion of his friends.
1. I looked on my right hand for the help of my friends, and behold, if any man would be an aſſiſtant to me, and take my part, ſtand by me, as Souldiers in War to their Captain; but there was no man that would know me; they were as ſtrange to me, as if they had never ſeen me: Not a man durſt own me; the miſerable have few friends.
2. Refuge failed me: With Achiſh at Ziglag, I have no place to flie for ſafety.
3. No man cared for my ſoul, regarded my life, cared whither I periſhed or not.
2. The ſecond part. He makes his addreſs to Goddavid being excluded of all humane help, now makes his Addreſs to God: I cryed unto thee, O Lord, and ſaid,
1. Thou art my refuge, my ſtay, my hope, my Tower of defence to flie to, my Sanctuary.
2. Thou art my portion, my inheritance in the land of the living, while I live in this world.
And upon it he ſends up his prayer to God, And prayes as before.fortified from a double Argument.
1. 1Becauſe depreſſed.From the lamentable condition to which he was brought.
2. From the fury, malice, and power of his enemies.
1. His condition at this time was very pitiful: Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low, afflicted, depreſſed, have none to help me. Ver. 6
2. 2And that by too ſtrong enemies.The power and malice of his enemies was very great: Deliver me from my perſecutors, for they are too ſtrong for me.
He renews his prayer, and preſſeth it from the final cauſe: Bring my ſoul out of Priſon; But if ſaved.upon which follow two effects:
1. Ver. 7 The firſt in my ſelf, Gratitude: That I may praiſe thy Name.1He thankful.
2. 2Others would fall to him.The ſecond in others, Aſſiſtance and incouragement to defend me, and my Cauſe: The righteous ſhall compaſs me about, come and flow from all parts unto me.
3. The Reaſon: For thou ſhalt deal bountifully with me. Beſtow favours upon me, after thou haſt freed me from my former miſeries; which men ſeeing, who are commonly the friends of proſperity, will magnifie me, and reſort unto me.
The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty ſecond Pſalm.
WHEN, O Omnipotent and Merciful God, we are in this life beſieged with continual dangers, and impetuous enemies, to whom ſhould we flie, Ver. 1 or to whom we ſhould make our moan, but to thee, O Lord, who art able and ready, becauſe thou art merciful, to deliver us? In my preſent diſtreſs therefore I file to thée, and I cry unto thee with my voyce, with my voyce unto thee, O Lord, I make my ſupplication; I open at large, and pour out before thée my juſt complaint, Ver. 2 the ſadneſs and anxiety of my ſoul; to thée I ſhew my trouble, who alone knoweſt the way to deliver thine in their extreameſt afflictions.
My Spirit is overwhelmed within me, when I behold the preſent ſtate of things, my life, for ought I ſée, was in the confines of death; Ver. 3 but how undeſervedly, Thou knoweſt, to whom all my acts, and ſecret'ſt path of my wayes is beſt known: Even in the very way wherein thou ſetteſt me, and in which I walked with an honeſt and an upright heart, have they my enemies cloſely and privily laid a ſnare to take me: And in the midſt of theſe dangers and treacheries, to the greater diſcomfort of my ſoul, I found nor friend to help me, Ver. 4 nor any Sanctuary to which I might retire. I looked on my right hand, to ſée who would take my part, and ſtand up for me, and with me, but behold, there was no man that would own me, or know me; I became as a ſtranger to my brethren, and as an alien to my own mothers ſons: I thought with my ſelf to take Sanctuary, but a place of refuge failed me; not a man there was that cared, or regarded what became of me, or of my life.
In this diſtreſs and dereliction whither ſhould I go, to whom ſhould I flie? Ver. 5 from whom ſhould I look for help, but from thée, O Lord? Men will not, but thou art ready; men cannot, or dare not, but thou art able, and ready preſt to ſuccour thy poor afflicted people. To thee therefore, O Lord, I cry, and profeſs before the whole World, Thou art my refuge, my ſtay, my hope, Ver. 6 my ſtrong Tower of defence; Thou alone, while I remain in this land of the living, art my portion and heritage. I have choſen thée for my ſhield and buckler, my affections are to thée, and I will rely only on thée.
Therefore, good God, attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low, weakned and humbled, and depreſſed, and brought to a forlorn condition: Ver. 7 Deliver me from thoſe that perſecute me, and thirſt after my blood, for they are grown far too ſtrong for me. Bring my ſoul out of this affliction, with which I am ſtraitned, as in a Priſon, and I will praiſe and magnifie thy Name: Nay, the righteous and ſincere-hearted Iſraelites, that expect the performance of thy promiſes, and long for it, upon this mercy extended to me, ſhall then compaſs me about, adhere unto me, and congratulate my deliverance and reſtitution: Sing they will in the houſe of the Lord, that thou haſt dealt bountifully with me. Get thy ſelf honour then upon Pharaoh and all his Army, deliver out of this Aegyptian bondage, thy poor afflicted Iſrael, bring them into the promiſed Land; expel the Canaanites before them, and exalt the Kingdom of thy Son, Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: To whom with thée, and the Holy Ghoſt, be all Glory, Dominion and Power, now and for ever. Amen.