Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 2 · Psalm 55
PSAL. LV. foreign.
WHETHER David compoſed this Pſalm upon the hard uſage of Saul, or the rebellion of his ſon Abſolon, is uncertain, ſure it is, he was in ſome great diſtreſs, and upon it he makes his addreſs to his God.
There are in genetal four parts of this Pſalm.
1. He prayes to God to hear his prayer, verſ. 1, 2.
2. He complains of his trouble, from verſ. 3. to 8.
3. He prayes againſt his enemies, and ſhews the cauſes, from verſ. 8. to 15.
4. He takes heart upon aſſurance of Gods help: and his enemies overthrow, from verſ. 15. to the end.
1. He firſt beggs audience.
1. Give ear, hide not thy ſelf, attend, hear me.The firſt part. He prayes for audience of his complaint. The ſecond part.
2. My prayer, ſupplication: that I mourn, complain, make a noiſe. Affected he was with the ſenſe of that he pray'd for, and therefore earneſt he was in it.
2. This in General, but next in particular he mentions the cauſes of his complaint and earneſtneſs to God, that he might be hea…d, The cauſes of it two.both in regard of his enemies. 2. And the condition that he now was in.
1. The danger he was in was very great; Vers. 3 eſcape he could not without Gods help, for his enemies proſecuted him very ſore.1The malice of his enemies.
1. They ſlander'd and calumniated him, and threatned him. Becauſe of the voice, &c.
2. They vexed, preſſed upon him, and oppreſſed him. Becauſe of the oppreſſion of the wicked.
3. They plotting his ruine, devol'd and caſt iniquity upon him. Charg'd him home.
4. They were implacable, angry, and hated him. In wrath they hate me.
2. Then for his own perſon, he was in a ſad, heavy, doleful condition.2His ſad condition.
1. My heart is ſore pained within me. His grief was inward.
2. The terrors of death are fallen upon me. Vers. 4 He ſaw nothing but death before him.
3. Fearfulneſs and trembling are come upon me. Which are the outward effects of fear.
4. And an horrible dread within hath overwhelmed me. Amazement follow'd his fear.
And he illuſtrates this his condition by the counſel he took with his own heart: His reſult upon it to fly.upon the deliberation, the reſult was, that he would ſpeedily fly away, fly into the Wilderneſs, as if he might be ſafer among bruit beaſts, than ſuch men.
1. And I ſaid. That was his reſult upon the debate with himſelf.
2. O that I had the wings of a Dove. It is a fearful creature, of a ſwift wing; in fear he was, and he would fly as faſt, as far as the Dove from the Eagle.
3. As far, even to ſome remote land, where I ſhould have reſt from theſe wicked men.
4. And by an foreign, he amplifies and explains himſelf again.
1. That he would fly far away, even to ſome deſolate place out of their reach. Lo, then, would I wander far off, and remain in the Wilderneſs.
2. That he would do it with ſpeed. I would haſten my eſcape, from the windy storm and tempeſt. Such turbulent and impetuous creatures his enemies were, that threw down all before them, as a wind, ſtorm, tempeſt.
3. The third part. His Imprecation.To his Prayer he adds an Imprecation.
1. Deſtroy them, O Lord. Deſtroy them in their own counſels.
2. Or elſe, Divide their tongue. Let them not agree in their counſels. Vers. 9
Of this he gives the reaſons in the following words, The reaſon.viz. that they were a ſort of violent, contentious, ungodly, troubleſome, crafty and fraudulent people.
1. Violent they were, and litigious. I have ſeen violence and ſtrife in the City.
2. Ungodly, and workers of iniquity they were, and unceſſant in it. Day and night they go about the walls thereof, miſchief and ſorrow are in the midſt of it.
3. Crafty and fraudulent alſo. Deceit and guile depart not from their ſtreets. It was then a City, a Corporation, a Society of evil doers.
And of this he produceth an inſtance, His inſtance, a friend, that became his enemy.which whether it were ſome boſome friend of David, that ſtole out of the City of Keilah and betray'd his counſels to Saul; or elſe Achitophel, that being formerly his great Favourite and Counſellour, fell to Abſolon, it is uncertain, whoever it was, ſuch a treacherous perſon there was, and of him he complains, and well he might, for foreign.
This treachery he exaggerates moſt eloquently by an Incrementum, Which he Aggravates by circumſtances.and Apoſtrophe, drawing his aggravation from the Laws of friendſhip which he had broke; Had it been an enemy, he could have borne it, but that it was a friend, was intolerable and alſo unexcuſable. Thus the Climax ſtands.
1. For it was not my enemy that reproached me: Then I could have borne it.
2. Neither was it he that hated me: that did magnifie himſelf, that is, ariſe and inſult againſt me: Then I would have hid my ſelf from him; Never admitted him to my boſome.
3. But, mark this Emphatical Adverſative, for now he turns his ſpeeth to the Man.
1. It was Thou. foreign. Thou, precipuè & per aliis. None but Thou.
2. A man according to my own rank, mine equal. My guide, or counſellour; my acquaintance, or own familiar friend.
3. We took ſweet counſel together; One to whom I communicated my ſecrets.
4. And walked in the houſe of God in company. Profeſſors we were of the ſame Religion.
Now all theſe Circumſtances much aggravate and heighten the treachery, that thou, my equal, my director, my familiar friend, one whom I made the Maſter of all my ſecrets, one who was a great Profeſſor of the ſame Religion with me, Upon which he redoubles his Imprecation on the Faction.that thou ſhouldſt betray me, even breaks my heart; foreign, Judas, betrayeſt Thou?
Being thus much wrong'd and moved, as he had juſt reaſon, he falls again upon an imprecation, not only on him, but all that did believe him, even upon the whole faction. Let death ſeize upon them, let them go down quick into hell, have Corah, Dathan, and Abiram's wages. And he adds the reaſon. They are ſignally and incorrigibly wicked. For wickedneſs is in their dwelings, and among them.
4. The fourth part.Hitherto hath David pray'd, complain'd, imprecated, but now he ſhews how he recovered heart again, being certain of Gods help, and a revenge to be taken on his enemies.
1. As for me, I will call upon God, fervently, His affiance in God, that 1. He ſhall be ſafe.and the L…rd ſhall ſave me.
2. Evening, and morning, and at noon-day, unceſſantly will I pray, and cry aloud, and he ſhall hear.
3. And I pray in faith, experience I have of his deliverance; He hath done it, and he will do it again: He hath redeem'd my ſoul in peace from the battle that was againſt me. Even in the midſt of the battel, I was as ſafe, as in a time of peace. Miraculouſly deliver'd, as if there had been no danger.
4. For there were many with me. Many enemies, ſay ſome; other, many Angels. Thoſe referre it to the danger, the other to the protection. Many enemies round about me, and then 'tis a wonder I ſhould be deliver'd. Many Angels preſs'd to help me, and then 'twas no wonder that my life was ſaved.
But as for the ungodly, it is not ſo with them, 2That his enemies ſhall periſh.for this Verſe is oppoſed to the former.
1. God ſhall hear, viz. Me and my prayers, and the wrongs they do me.
2. And ſhall afflict them, i. e. my enemies.
3. Even he that abideth of old. Selah. Mark that, for he is immutable, his power and ſtrength is the ſame, and his care and love to his people. Therefore he will afflict them.
And beſides, there is in them, that which will provoke him to it.
1. Becauſe they have no changes. Obſtinate they are, impenitent, The reaſons, For they are,and change not their wayes: Or elſe they proſper, Vers. 19 they have perpetual ſucceſs, and meet with no alterations, 1Impenitent, ſecure.and this makes them ſecure and proud.
2. They fear not God. They ask, Who is the Lord, 2They fear not God.that we ſhould let Iſrael go?
3. They are truce-breakers, violators of Oaths, Leagues, Covenants, Articles of War. He, that is, 3Truce breakers.ſome chief Commander among them, hath put forth his hands, made war, and brued his hands with blood, againſt ſuch as are at peace with him. He hath broken and profaned his Covenant. His Oath.
4. He is a groſs Hypocrite, his deeds anſwer not his words. The words of his mouth were ſmoother than butter, 4Diſſemblers.but Warre was in his heart: His words were ſofter than oyle, and yet they are drawn ſwords.
In the Epilogue of the Pſalm he exhorts good men to relie upon God.He exhorts good men to relie on God.
Caſt thy burden, the cares, troubles, &c. with which thou art loaded, on the Lord; and he fits it to his preſent purpoſe, both as it concerns the godly, and the ungodly.
1. To the Godly he gives this comfort.
1. He, that is, God, ſhall ſuſtain thee; He will uphold thee, and give thee ſtrength under the heavieſt burden. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden.
2. He ſhall never ſuffer the righteous to be moved. With the tentation he will give the iſſue, preſs'd they may be, but not oppreſs'd to fall finally.
2. To the Ungodly.
1. Overthrown they ſhall be, and utterly deſtroy'd. Thou, O God, ſhalt bring them down into the pit of deſtruction. The Grave. Tertifies the ungodly.Hell.
2. Bloody and deceitful men ſhall not live out half their dayes. They come commonly to ſome untimely death. As Abſolon, Achitophel, Saul, of whom the Pſalm was compoſed.
He concludes with the uſe he would make of it. As if he had ſaid, His affiance in God.Let theſe bloody and deceitful men, repoſe their confidence in their Armies, in their violence, in the crafty and ſubtile wayes, I will take another courſe. But I will truſt in thee.
The Prayer collected out of the fifty fifth Pſalm.
O Merciful God, Vers. 1 who art the refuge of thoſe that in their trouble flie unto thee, give now ear to our prayer, and hide not thy ſelf from our ſupplication, Vers. 2 attend to our requeſts, who have now juſt reaſon to mourn and complain unto thee. For when we hear the voice of the enemy, when we feel the oppreſſion of the wicked, Vers. 3 when we ſuffer under the calumnies and ſlanders of thoſe that hate us, to whom ſhould we make our addreſſes, but to thee our God, who haſt commanded us to call on thee in trouble, and haſt promiſed to hear us.
Of a quiet mind we cannot be, ſo long as we ſée and féel, that thoſe that are enemies to thy Truth, ſéek our ſubverſion, hence it is, that our heart is ſore pained, that fearfulneſs and trembling are come upon us: hence it is, that the fear and ſorrows of death hath overtaken us, and a horrible darkdeſs hath ſo ſurpriz'd our underſtandings, that we know not what to do, what counſel to lay hold on.
Happy is the ſilly and innocent Dove, wings ſhe hath, ſwift wings to fly from the talents of the bloody hawlk: Oh that we had thoſe advantages, thoſe ſwift wings, for then would we fly away, that we might be at reſt, then would we wander into ſome Wilderneſs, and live among beaſts, from whom we might expect more mercy, than from theſe bloody men. Haſt we would to eſcape from the preſent ſtorm, and furious tempeſt.
But ſince it is ſo, that we muſt live among them, O Lord, bring the counſel of Achitophel to naught, precipitate and deſtroy their conſpiracies, divide their tongues, and raiſe diſcords among them, that ſpeaking and plotting contrary things, they may, as at Babel, come to confuſion.
Such is their impiety, that they deſerve no other, for they are a Nation of evil doers. In their City there is nothing but violence, uncharitableneſs, and contention, all ſéek their own, not the things of Chriſt. Day and night even upon the walls, iniquity walks the round, miſchief and injuſtice have taken up their quarters in the midſt of it: wickedneſs and unlawful gain poſſeſſeth the ſtreets, and deceit, and guile, and oppreſſion of the poor for gain, walk abroad publickly with a whores forehead that cannot bluſh. And wilt not thou, O Lord, viſit for theſe things? wilt thou not be aveng'd on ſuch a Nation as this?
Worthy ſuch men are to ſuffer under thy hand, let then Death come haſtily upon them, when they expect it not, and let them go down quick into Hell, as Corah, Dathan and Abiram, with their rebellions company, for wickedneſs is in their dwellings, for they are aſſembled for no other purpoſe, but to do miſchief.
And one there is among the reſt, whoſe unkindneſs breaks my heart: Had it been a profeſſed enemy, that had ſpoke evil of me, and reproached me, I could more patiently have borne it: or had it béen one that openly hated me, or proudly threatned my ruine, that had done me this harm, I would have withdrawn my ſelf, declined his company, and avoided his attempts.
But that which makes the miſchief unſufferable, and my danger inevitable, It is thou, that haſt ſpoken ill of me: Thou, that haſt betray'd me, who waſt my intimate and boſome friend; Thou, who waſt my familiar. Thou, to whom I intruſted my ſecrets: Thou, who wenteſt with me to the Houſe of God; one, who ſéem'd to be of the ſame mind with me in all prophans and divine things.
His words were ſmoother than butter, and ſofter than oyle, when, Vers. 21 as it appears ſince, he had war in his heart, and a ſword to be drawn to deſtroy me: For this is the man, that hath now put forth his hand againſt me, and not me alone, but all ſuch with whom he had made peace, nor Oaths, nor Covenant, nor Articles of agréement can hold him, he hath broken them all.
And his followers and favourites are no better than himſelf, bloody and deceitful men they are. They have ſeen no changes, therefore they fear not God. O Lord, hear my prayer, and afflict them. Bring them down to the pit of deſtruction; let them periſh by ſome violent, and immature death, and never live out half their dayes.
But as for me, I will, in the midſt of theſe troubles, call upon my God, I will hope and truſt in thee, and the Lord ſhall ſave my life. Earneſtly will I cry, unceſſantly at morning, evening, and at noon-day will I pray and cry aloud, and he ſhall hear my voice.
Experience I have of his merciful hand, he hath redeem'd my life miraculouſly in the battail that was ſet againſt me, even then he hath ſecured me as in a time of peace. Then he hath ſent and ſet an Army of Angels for my guard, ſo that there were many with me.
O Lord, thou art immutable, thou abideſt of old, thou art the ſame, and changeſt not. I will therefore caſt my burden of cares and ſorrows upon thee, ſo for I am aſſured that thou wilt ſuſtain me, that I ſhall not ſink under it. Thou wilt not ſuffer thy righteous ſervant to be toſt and tumbled by the perſecution of wicked men for ever. Amen.