Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 20
PSAL. XX. Is a Form of Prayer delivered by David to the People, to be uſed by them for the King, when he went out to Battle againſt his Enemies.
THERE be three parts of it.
1. A Vote, or Benediction of the People for their King, from ver. 1. to 5.
2. A Congratulation, or Triumph of the People after the victory ſuppoſed to be obtained, from ver. 5. to 9.
3. A Petition, ver. 9.
1. The Vote and Congratulation is directed to Davids perſon, The firſt part.by form of Acclamation; the particulars are, that he may have, Ver. 1
1. Audience in his neceſſity: The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble.The vote of the people for the King.
2. Protection: The Name of the God of Jacob defend thee.
3. Help and Strength in the Battle: Send thee help, ſtrengthen thee; which is amplified by the place; Out of the Sanctuary, out of Zion; either from the Sanctuary where prayers were made for him, ſo that they deſire their prayers may be heard for him; or, E Coelo.
4. Acceptance of his perſon, teſtified by the acceptance of his offerings and ſacrifices, as that of Abel, Oderetur omnia munera tua, & holocauſtum tuum in cinerem redigat.
5. Anſwer, conceſſion and grant of his Petitions: Grant thee according to thy own heart, and fulfil all thy counſel; which is plainly ſet down in the next verſe, The Lord fulfil all thy Petitions.Which granted, they vow thanks.
The Vote being ended, they perſwade that it may be granted, becauſe it will redound to Gods glory; for then they would ſhew themſelves thankful, and honour him for the victory.
1. We will rejoyce in thy ſalvation; or as ſome read it, Do this O Lord, ut exultemus, That we may rejoyce. In tua ſalute, referring it to God, as the Authour; or to the King, as ſaved.
2. And in the Name of our God will we ſet up our Banners: Joyfully will we enter into the City, with diſplayed Enſigns, and erect them triumphantly, as Trophies of the victory, to the honour of our God.
2. Now follows the Congratulation and Triumph of their faith; The ſecond part.for they give thanks, as for a victory already obtain'd, for to their faith it was certain. Before they pray'd for Audience and Protection, Ver. 6 here they teſtifie they were certain and ſecure of both: They comfort themſelves by faith, that God will grant what they ask of him,Now know I.
1. Of Protection: Now know I that the Lord will ſave his Anointed.
2. Of Audience: He will hear him from his holy Heaven.
3. Of Help: Helping him with the ſaving ſtrength of his right hand.
And the certainty of their victory proceeded ſolely from their confidence in God; to him they impute it wholly in the former verſe, ſuch was their gratitude; which that it might be the clearer, they illuſtrate it by an Argument drawn, à diſſimili; they were not as the common ſort of Souldiers, that truſt more to their Arms, than to their Prayers.
1. Amd the rather, becauſe they truſt not in their Ammunition: As moſt men do.Hi in curru & in equis. Some put their truſt in Chariots, and ſome in Horſes, as the Ammonites, 2 Sam. 10.6. 2. But we do not ſo, We will remember the Name of the Lord our God. The uſe of Arms is common and lawful to good and bad men, but the difference lies in the confidence: Here is an elegant Antitheſis.
2. And therefore the ſucceſs was according, their confidence in their Armour and Ammunition deſtroyed, our truſt in God hath ſaved us. They are brought down and fallen, The third part. A ſhort ejaculation.but we are riſen, and ſtand upright.
The whole ſum of the Pſalm, is repeated in this Epiphonema.
1. Save Lord.
2. Let the King, that is, Chriſt, bear us when we call.
The Prayer collected from the twentieth Pſalm.
O Lord, which art King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and yet haſt commanded us to make interceſſion for Kings, and all that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlineſs and honeſty: Hear the prayers of thy Church which we ſend up unto thée for our King now in the day of his trouble; Ver. 2 let the power of that God, who defended Jacob from the fury of his brother Eſau, protect him, and ſet him on high in a ſafe place: Send him help from thy Sanctuary, thy Throne in Heaven; ſtrengthen and ſupport him by thoſe prayers that are offered out of Zion for him: Remember, O Lord, thoſe fervent ſupplications and interceſſions that are daily offered at thy Throne of grace in his behalf, and accept the vowes and ſighs, and groans ſent up unto thée by thy afflicted people for his reſtitution. Grant unto him according to his own hearts deſire, and fulfil and give good ſucceſs to all his counſel; and whatſoever he, for the advance of thy glory, piety, juſtice, and the good of his people, ſhall requeſt, that be pleaſed to hear, and deny him not the requeſt of his lips.
Our enemies put their truſt in their Arms and Ammunition, and ſuppoſe that their ſtrength of Horſe, and arm of fleſh ſhall hold them up, and kéep them ſafe, in that power which they have got by violence, blood, perjury, and hypocriſie: But we will remember the Name of the Lord our God, being aſſured, that a Horſe is but a vain thing to ſave a man, neither ſhall he deliver any man by his great ſtrength; it is not theſe humane helps we put our truſt in, but in thy Name alone: Truly when thou ſhalt perform this for us, as we truſt thou wilt, then will we rejoyce in thy ſalvation, and in the Name of our God will we ſet up our Trophies of victory.
O let his enemies be brought down, Ver. 8 and fall flat before him, and let all thoſe who with a ſincere heart ſéek to advance his cauſe and right, thy Church, and thy ſincere worſhip, Ver. 6 riſe and ſtand upright. Make it known, That the Lord will ſave his Anointed, that he hath heard him, and the prayers that have béen offered for him from his holy heaven, and that he hath reſtored him by the ſaving ſtrength of his right hand.
Save Lord, ſave the King, the Church, and thy People: Let the King of Heaven, thy Chriſt, our Ieſus, whom thou haſt exalted to be Lord and King, hear us when we call. Amen.