Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 5
5. H E.
THIS Octoſtich is wholly precatory.The Contents.
1. In which, he prayes firſt for illumination in Gods Law, and deſires it may be practical.
2. That God would remove the impediments which may hinder him in doing his duty.He prayes for illumination, and deſires it be practical.
1. His firſt Petition is, Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy Statutes, and I ſhall keep it to the end.
2. Ver. 1 Give me understanding, and I ſhall keep thy Law; yea, I ſhall keep it with my whole heart.
In theſe two verſes, the Prophet asks,
1. Inſtitution and illumination in the Word: Teach me, give me understanding.
2. Shewes us to what end he asks it, That he may keep the Law; he deſires that his knowledge may be not only ſpeculative, but practical.
3. Promiſeth perſeverance, ſincerity.And for it, he promiſeth perſeverance and ſincerity, he would be not Temporizer, nor Hypocrite.
1. No Temporizer; For I ſhall keep it to the end.
2. No Hypocrite; For I ſhall keep it with my whole heart. He would avoid thoſe two Vices, which are the bane of all true obedience, Hypocriſie and Inconſtancy.
2. 2He prayes for a good will.As before he craves light to his mind, ſo in this verſe he craves grace for his heart; it is Gods Spirit that works the will and the deed: And therefore he deſires the governance and direction of his Spirit, without which he ſhould be nor ſincere, nor conſtant; for he would ever and anon be too apt, redere ad ingenium, and therefore he begs.
1. Ver. 3 Make me to go, lead me, direct me. Naturally man is ignorant of the way to eternal life, and if he have any light of knowledge, he is too apt to be mſicarried, and wander from it; whence David prayes, that God would be his Guide, and that he be not left to himſelf; for it was a narrow, ſtrait way, a path he was to go in.
2. That he may go in Gods way, which is a path, or ſtrait way.Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments.
1. A path is foreign, vita trita, the old way, and not any new track, he would go in that way the ſervants of God walked before him.
2. A path is a way out of the common Road, nor Beaſts, nor Horſe, nor Cart go in it, 'tis a way for men; he would then go the way of reaſonable men, not the beſtial way of the world and fleſh.
3. A path is narrow, ſhort, right, clean way; the High-way is a broad, longer, crooked, foul way; this way he declines, becauſe it leads to Hell, and deſires to go that one, clean, ſtrait, ſhort way of Gods Commandments.
3. His affection to it.Which Petition, that it may be the eaſilier granted, he ſhewes his affection and delight that he took to walk in it: For therein do I delight. Ver. 4
3. 3He prayes to God to remove all impediments.And now he prayes to God to remove all impediments that might hinder him in his walk.
1. Incline my heart unto thy Teſtimonies. No doubt David found his heart evil inclined, and tempted to a wrong way, averſe and backward to obey; and that therefore God would remove this averſeneſs, and bend and incline his heart the right way.
2. But eſpecially that he would avert his heart from covetouſneſs; 1Covetouſnesfor that's the root of all evil. The Word in the Original may ſignifie profit, Gen. 37.26. Pſal. 30.9. Theſe profitable ſins do take away the inclination of the heart to Gods Law, David prayes againſt them.
4. The next impediment, is the luſt of the eyes: By the eyes, Ver. 5 as by the windowes, death too often enters into the heart. Eve ſaw the apple fair to the eye; 2Luſt of the eyes.Achan the wedge of gold; David himſelf Bathſheba from the top of his Palace. Ʋt vidi, ut perit; and therefore Job. makes a Covenant with his eyes not to look upon a Maid; and David here prayes:
1. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. The objects of which are vainThe objects are but vain and empty things, they have no ſolidity in them, O turn my eyes from them. He that will keep his heart with diligence, muſt have a care of his ſenſes, eſpecially his eyes; for, Qui exteriori oculo negligenter utitur, interiori non injuſte caecetur. Gregory in Job.
2. Quicken me in thy Law. Man is quick enough to walk in his own way, 4He prayes for quickning.he can do it without a Teacher; but except God put life, and keep it in his ſoul, he hath nor knowledge, nor life, nor ſtrength, nor pleaſure to walk in the wayes of God, and therefore David prayes, Quicken me, raiſe, enliven, refreſh, conſerve me in life.
5. And here he inſerts a Petition for perſeverance, Ver. 6 he vowed and promiſed it in the two firſt verſes; but being conſcious to himſelf, 5And for perſeverance.how unable he was to perform it without Gods help, he prayes:
1. Stabliſh thy Word unto thy ſervant: Make good thy Word, give me grace to ſtand.
2. And his Reaſon to perſwade God to this, is, becauſe he was his ſervant, and ſuch a ſervant that was devoted to his fear, wholly dedicated to ſerve and fear thee. I obſerve the condition that thou requireſt in any ſervant, Lord then make good thy Word, and ſtabliſh me.
6. It will be a great reproach in the ſight of God at the laſt day, For not to have perſevered, a reproachand is now in the fight of Angels, not to have perſevered in the keeping that Law, which is ſo good, and therefore David having prayed for perſeverance, adds,
1. Turn away the reproach which I fear at the laſt day; Ver. 7 let me not be then ſhamed.
2. For thy judgments are good. This Reaſon ſhewes he fear'd Gods rebuke; Mans reproach comes from a corrupt judgment, he condemns where God will abſolve, I paſs not for it; but I know thy rebuke is alway deſerved: For thy judgments are good.
7. He concludes, deſiring God to look upon his Petitions, Ver. 8 as proceeding from an honeſt heart.6He again prayes for grace.
1. Behold I have longed after thy precepts. It appears by theſe ejaculations, that I deſire them ſeriouſly.
2. Therefore quicken me in thy righteouſneſs. Encreaſe, conſerve me in this ſpiritual life; falſe conceptions vaniſh, and come not to the birth; ſo the deſires of man not quickned, nor conſerved by the grace of God: This whole Octonary being a prayer, there needs no other.