Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 12
PSAL. XII. The Summe is, A prayer of David to God to ſave and help him, and keep him from the deceits and contagion of the wicked, of which the world is too full.
THERE be four parts of this Pſalm.
1. A Prayer, and the reaſons of it, verſ. 1, 2.
2. A Prophecy of the fall of the wicked, or an Imprecation, verſ. 3. whoſe arrogance he deſcribes, verſ. 4.
3. Gods anſwer to Davids Petition, with a promiſe full of comfort, verſ. 5. for it is tatified, verſ. 6.
4. A Petitory Concluſion, Keep them, thy people; or a confident affirmation, That God will keep them from the contagion of the wicked, verſ. 7. Of which there are too many, verſ. 8.
1. The firſt part. He calls for help.His Petition is brief and jaculatory, for he breaks upon God with one word, Help, or Save Lord, verſ. 1. Of which he gives two reaſons,
1. Vers. 1 1Becauſe good men are few.The penury and ſcarſity of good men: For the godly man ceaſeth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men. There is neither piety nor fidelity among men.
2. 2The bad many.The great abundance of the wicked, the licentious times, the perfidiouſneſs, hypocriſie, and diſſimulation of the men with whom he liv'd: They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: Verſ. 2 with flattering lips and a double heart do they speak. And thoſe double hearted.They mind not to perform what they ſay.
2. The ſecond part.The Prophecy ſhews what ſhall be the end of their diſſembling: The Lord ſhall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that ſpeaketh proud things: Or if it be the Imperative Mood, Vers. 3 And Atheiſts, whom God will cut off.'tis an Imprecation, Let the Lord cut off, &c.
And in the fourth verſe he depaints their pride, and ſets out this tongue, ſpeaking Magnifica. Who have ſaid, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own, Vers. 4 we are in power, who is Lord over us? we acknowledge no Superiour.
3. The third part. For God anſwers, thatGods anſwer to Davids Prayer, Help Lord, Save Lord. Is it ſo, that the wicked are thus numerous, thus tyrannous, ſo proud, ſo arrogant?
1. I will ariſe, ſaith the Lord.
2. Vers. 5 I will not delay. Now I will ariſe.
3. And I will ſet him, my ſervant, in ſafety from him that puffeth at him.He will help the oppreſſed.
4. And that which moveth me to it, is, the pitiful condition he is in, his ſighs, his groans. For the oppreſſion of the poor, and for the ſighing of the needy now I will ariſe, &c.
5. Vers. 6 And of this let no man doubt. For in Gods words there is no fallacy, experience will ſhew the contrary, And of this no doubt to be made. For his word is paſſed for it, in which no fallacy.Hath he ſaid it, and will he not do it? There's a Probatum upon all he hath ſpoken. The words of the Lord are pure words, as ſilver tryed in a furnace of earth, purified ſeven times. There can be no more fallacy in what he hath ſpoken, than there is droſs in the pureſt ſilver. I am confident then the anſwer he hath given in the former verſe, he will perform.
4. The fourth part. David Prayes, or is confidentThe Concluſion is Petitory, as ſome read it, Keep them, O Lord, preſerve them. Others read it in the future tenſe, Thou ſhalt keep them; and then intimates Davids confidence of Gods care and protection over his people, that in the overflowings of wickedneſs they ſhall be kept from contagion. Vers. 7
1. That God will keep his.Keep them. For, without God keep them, they will be infected.
2. Keep them from this generation. For there be a generation of Vipers. Vers. 8
3. For ever make them perſevere. For without thy aid they will fall.From the wicked that then bore ſway.
4. And keep them. For the power, and pride, and tentation of impious men is great.
1. The wicked walk on every ſide. As Wolves, they ſeek whom they may devour.
2. And wickedneſs is the way to preferment. The vilest men are exalted.
The Prayer collected out of the twelfth Pſalm.
O Heavenly Father, ſince we muſt have our converſation in this world where there is a penury and want of good and pious men, but great multitudes and plenty of wicked and ungodly wretches, ſuffer us not, as we deſerve, to be corrupted by their vices and manners, to be drawn into any ſinful and baſe action by their examples, or oppreſſed by their malice and fury. Vers. 1 The godly man ceaſech, and is rare to be found; the faithful man, that makes conſcience of his vow and covenant, fail: Truth and fidelity are very rare among the children of men. But theſe vile, light, abject and vain perſons of no worth, vertue, or piety, are now advanc'd to great honour and dignity, Vers. 8 exalted they are unto high places, and ſtere all in the Church and Common-wealth: They ſpeak vain words every one to his Neighbour, Vers. 2 whom he is bound to love as himſelf, and not deceive, they flatter men to ſin, and to caſt in their lot with them, with their lips are deceitful, and they diſſemble with their double heart, ſpeaking one thing, and intending clean another. This they do to gain a party, and to kéep up their power; But having compaſſed their deſires, then they ſwell with pride, and do what they liſt; they ſay, With our tongues, Vers. 4 our Decrées, our Ordinances, will we prevail. Our lips are our own, power we have to decrée and command what we pleaſe, who is Lord or Superiour over us? We are accomptable to none, ſubject to none, and therefore, what we Will ſhall be a Law.
Now, O Lord, for the oppreſſion of the poor, Vers. 5 for the déep ſighs and groans which they preſs from the néedy, ariſe, declare thy power and juſtice, ſend him a Saviour, and ſet him in ſafety from him that thus proudly and tyrannically puffs at him, and ſo confidently ſcorns, and ſpeaks ſo fréely againſt him. Vers. 3 Cut off the flattering lips, and cut out the tongue that ſpeaks ſuch proud and arrogant things. Vers. 6
The promiſes of men are like themſelves, fallacious and vain, but thou canſt not lye. Haſt thou ſaid, and wilt thou not do it? Thy words are pure words, farther from deceit, than ſilver is from droſs, which is tryed in a furnace of earth, and purified ſeven times in the fire. Make good then thy Word, and ratifie thy promiſe.
Help us then now, O Lord, and ſave us; kéep thy people, Vers. 1 as thou wouldſt do the apple of thine eye, preſerve them from this generation of wicked men, Vers. 7 and from the rage of theſe flattering and malicious Tyrants for ever, even for thy Son Ieſus Chriſts ſake, our only Lord and Saviour. Amen.