Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 3
PSAL. III. The occaſion of this Pſalm, was Abſalons rebellion.
DAƲID being deſerted by his ſubjects, rail'd upon by Shimei, purſued for his Crown and life by his ungracious ſon, and not finding to whom to make his moan, betakes himſelf to his God, and before him he expoſtulates his wrong, confeſſeth his faith, and makes his prayer.
There be then three ſtrains of this accurate Pſalm.
1. His complaint. 2. The confeſſion of his confidence. 3. His Petition.The firſt part. Davids complaint of his enemies.
1. He begins with a ſad and bitter complaint, amplified
1. By the Number and Multitude of his enemies. That they were Multi, Many; Multi valde, very many; that they were multiplicati, Vers. 1 That many.multiplied and increaſed. So many they were, that he could not on a ſudden number them. Vers. 2 For all Iſrael was gathered from Dan to Beerſheba, as the ſand of the Sea for multitude, 2 Sam. 17.11.
2. From their malice. They came together to do him a miſchief. 2That malicious.They roſe up not for him, but againſt him; not to honour him, but to trouble him; not to defend him, as they ought, but to take away his Crown and life, 2 Sam. 17.2.
3. From their inſultation and Sarcaſm. It was not Shimei only, 3That inſulters & ſcoffers.but many that ſaid it. Many there be that ſay unto my ſoul, Vers. 2 There is no help for him in his God.
2. The ſecond part of the Pſalm ſets forth Davids confidence.The ſecond part. Davids confidence in God.
1. To their maltitude, he oppoſeth one God. But thou, O Lord.
2. To their malicious inſurrection, Jehovah; who, he believ'd
1. Would be a Buckler to receive all the arrows they ſhot againſt him. Vers. 3
2. His glory, to honour, though they went about to diſhonour him.
3. The lifter up of his head, which they would lay low enough.
3. To their vain boaſt of deſertion; There is no help for him in his God; Vers. 4 he oppoſeth his own experience, I cryed unto the Lord, and he heard me out of his holly hill.
4. By whoſe protection being ſuſtained and ſecured, he depoſeth all care, Which quiets his ſoul, and gives him reſt.and fear, all anxiety, and diſtraction.
1. He ſleeps with a quiet mind, I laid me down and ſlept, I awoke. Vers. 5
2. He ſings a Requiem, I will not fear, Vers. 6 I will not be afraid for ten thouſands of people, that have ſet themſelves againſt me round about.The third part. He prayes that God would deliver him as hitherto he had.
3. In the cloſe or third part he Petitions and prayes, notwithſtanding his ſecurity, Ariſe, O Lord; Save me, O my God. To move God to grant his requeſt, he thankfully remembers him of what he had done before.
1. Ariſe and ſave me, Vers. 7 for thou haſt ſmitten all my enemies on the cheek bone, For to him alone Salvation belongs.thou haſt broken the teeth of the ungodly. Thou art the ſame God, do then the ſame work, be as good to thy ſervant, as ever thou haſt been.
2. Vers. 8 He interſets an excellent foreign or Maxime, Salvation belongeth to the Lord. Which he deſires may be extended to his people alſo.As if he had ſaid, 'Tis thy property and peculiar, O Lord, to ſave. If thou ſave not, I expect it from no other.
3. Laſtly, as a good King ſhould, in his prayers he remembers his Subjects, Thy bleſſing be upon the people.
The Prayer collected out of the third Pſalm.
O Omnipotent and wiſe Jehovah, without whoſe providence nothing falls out in this world, that broughtſt thy own people through the red Sea and Wilderneſs before thou gaveſt them reſt in the land of Canaan: We acknowledge, that thy wrath is juſt, and that all the puniſhments brought upon thy people, procéeds from thy righteous hand, and that we have deſerv'd for our diſobedience, and rebellion, to be caſt out of thy ſight, and to have thy Candleſtick removed from us. But gracious God, caſt us not off as a people in whom thou haſt no delight, once more make trial of us, whether we will not ſerve théé with more fear, rejoyce before thée with more reverence, and give kiſſes of love and obedience unto thy Son. So ſanctifie all afflictions unto us, that they may be a means to bring us to reſt.
Behold, Vers. 1 Lord, how they are increaſed that trouble thy poor Church, how many they are that riſe up againſt us, Vers. 2 how many that ſay, There is no help for us in our God. Will the Lord abſent himſelf forever? and will he be no more intreated? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? and is his promiſe come utterly to an end for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious, and will he ſhut up his loving-kindneſs in diſpleaſure? And I ſaid, It is mine own infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the moſt high. I will remember the works of the Lord, and call to mind thy wonders of old time. Our fathers, O God, our fathers truſted in thée, and thou didſt deliver them.
With their voice they cryed unto thée, Vers. 4 and thou heardſt them out of thy holy hill. They laid them down with a quiet mind, and ſlept without anxiety, and thou ſuſtainedſt and upheldſt them. Vers. 5 We are the children of the ſame fathers, ſons of the ſame hope, heirs of the ſame promiſes. Be then, O Lord, a buckler to us to deſend us, Vers. 3 our glory, who are deſpiſed, and lift up the heads of thy people that are brought very low. Secure us, and we will not fear; ſave us, Vers. 6 and ſuffer us not to be afraid of the ten thouſands of enemies, that have ſet themſelves againſt us round about. Put them in fear, that they may know themſelves to be but men. Vers. 7 Ariſe, and help us, and ſave us, O our God, and ſmite all our enemies on the cheek-bone, and break thou the teeth of the ungodly. Repreſs their Serceneſs, and break their ſtrength, who, more cruel than brute beaſts, ſéek to devour us.
Whom have we in heaven but thée? Vers. 8 and there is none we deſire on earth in compariſon of thée. Salvation belongs only to thée, O Lord; Let therefore thy bleſſing be upon the people that fears thée, and wait for deliverance from thée. Thy people of Iſrael many times by their ſins provoked thine anger, and thou puniſhedſt them by thy juſt judgment: yet though their ſinnes were never ſo grievous, if they once return'd from their iniquity, thou receivedſt them to mercy: We therefore wretched ſinners bewail our manifold ſins, and earneſtly repent us of our former wickedneſs, and ungodly behaviour toward thée; and whereas we cannot of our ſelves purchaſe thy pardon and bleſſing, yet we humbly beſéech thée for Ieſus Chriſts ſake, to ſhew thy mercy upon us, and to receive us again to thy favour. Let the ſmell of his garment aſcend into thy noſtrils, and through him let thy bleſſing be upon the people.
Let our ſons be as the young plants, and our daughters as the poliſh'… corners of the Temple, let our garners be plenteous with all manner of ſtore, let our ſhéep bring forth thouſands and ten thouſands in our ſtréets, let our oxen be ſtrong to labour, that there be no decay, no leading into captavity, no complaining in our ſtréets.
O good Father, impart to us ſo great a ſhare of thy bleſſing, that we may be fully perſwaded, that our help and ſalvation depends upon thée alone. Vngracious children we are, and deſerve it not, yet out of thy méer mercy we humbly beſéech thée to beſtow thy benediction upon us, for his ſake, whom thou haſt ſent to bleſs us, Ieſus Chriſt our only Lord and Saviour. Amen.