Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 38
PSAL. XXXVIII. VVhichWhich is the third of the Penitentials; in which he doth implore Gods mercy, being grievouſly afflicted.
THE parts of it are, two in general.
1. A Deprecation begun in the firſt verſe, and continued in the two laſt.
2. A grievous complaint of his ſin, diſeaſe, miſery, Gods anger, his friends, and his enemies, through the whole Pſalm; all which he uſeth, as Arguments to move God to pity him, and ſhew him mercy.
In the firſt verſe, The firſt part. He deprecates Gods anger.that the fears of his heart proceeding from the ſenſe of Gods anger againſt his ſin, might be mitigated at leaſt, though rebuked, yet not in wrath; though corrected, Ver. 1 yet not in rigour: O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, nor chaſten me in thy hot diſpleaſure.
And ſo he falls inſtantly upon his complaint, The ſecond part. His complaint amplified.which he amplifieth divers wayes.
1. From the prime cauſe, God: For thine arrows stick faſt in me, thy hand preſſeth me ſore, Ver. 2 becauſe of thy anger.
2. Ver. 3 From the impulſive cauſe, his ſin, his iniquities, ver. 4. his fooliſhneſs, ver. 1From within.5.
3. From the weight and gravity of his afflictions; which in general were, The arrows of God that ſtuck in his fleſh, the hand of God with which he was preſſed; which was ſo grievous, That there was no ſoundneſs in his fleſh, no reſt in his bones.
4. By an induction of particulars, where he declares many effects of his diſeaſe.
1. Putrefaction and ſtink: My wounds ſtink, and are corrupt.
2. A ſad poſture of body: I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long.
3. A torment of his bowels: My loins are filled with a ſore diſeaſe.
4. A general diſaffection of parts: There is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh.
5. A debility and grievous plague: I am feeble, and ſore ſmitten.
6. A pain that forced from him an out-cry: I have roared.
7. The diſquietneſs of his heart: I have roared for the diſquietneſs of my heart. In the midſt of which, that he might not be thought to have let go his hold, his hope, his confidence in his God, he turns his ſpeech to him; Lord, all my deſire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee; he hopes, he prayes ſtill.
8. The palpitation and trembling of the heart: My heart pants.
9. The decay of his ſtrength: My ſtrength fails.
10. The defect of his ſight: As for the light of my eyes, it is gone from me.
All theſe preſſures and calamities were upon David from within, 2From without.thus he ſuffer'd in body and in mind. But what, had he now a…omfort from without? Not any.
1. None from his friends. 1By friends.My lovers and my friends ſtand aloof from my ſore, and my kinſmen ſtand afar off. Amici non amici.
2. As for his enemies, they even then added to his affliction. 2Enemies.They alſo that ſeek after my life, lay ſnares for me, and they that ſeek my hurt ſpeak miſchievous things, and imagine deceit all day long. In action, How he carried himſelf in this extremity.tongue, and thought, they ſeek to undo me.
He next deſcends to ſhew his behaviour in theſe grievous ſufferings both from within and without. He murmur'd not at them, but was ſilent and patient, as a Lamb he opened not his mouth. But I was as a deaf man that heard not, and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 1Patient he was.Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whoſe mouth are no reproofs. He ſeem'd not to hear what they objected, and made no ſharp reply to their bitterneſs. In patience and ſilence he poſſeſſed his ſoul, that was his ſtrength, Iſa. 30.15. Which is another chief Argument he uſeth to mitigate Gods wrath, and hot diſpleaſure. Of which patience he gives theſe reaſons.
1. His reliance on God for audience and redreſs. For in thee, O Lord, For he relied on God.do I hope: Thou wilt hear me.
2. For this he petitions: For to God he was not ſilent, And prayed.though deaf and dumb to man; for I ſaid, Hear me. And this alſo made him patient, being aſſured, that being heard, Gods honour would be vindicated in him. For if not heard, his enemies would triumph. Hear me then, leſt otherwiſe they ſhould rejoice over me, as accompting me a patient fool: When my foot ſlippeth, they magnifie themſelves againſt me.
3. That in the greatneſs of his grief he was thus patient, 2Under a bitter Croſs.for I am ready to halt, and my ſorrow is continually before me. I am under a bitter croſs, and I know if I be thy Servant I muſt be under the croſs, and therefore I take it up, and bear it patiently.
4. And this croſs I know I have deſerv'd alſo: 'tis for my iniquity, and I will not conceal it. For I will declare mine iniquity, Which he had deſerved.I will be ſorry for my ſin. I ſuffer juſtly, and therefore have reaſon to be patient.
Only, O Lord, I hope this ſhall not be imputed to my impatience, 3He yet complains of his enemies.if I complain again of my enemies, and put thee in mind of their proſperity, that they live quietly, ſecurely, plentifully, that they are ſtrong and powerful, that they hate me, and are ungrateful perſons.
But mine enemies are lively, and they are ſtrong, and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They alſo that render evil for good, are my adverſaries: becauſe I follow the thing that good is.
And ſo he concludes with a petition to God, in which he beggs three things.He concludes with a Petition; for,
1. Gods preſence. Forſake me not, O Lord; O my God, be not farre from me.
2. Ayd and help.1Gods favour.
3. And then that it be ſpeedily afforded: Make haſte to help me, O Lord my ſalvation.2Speedy help.
The Prayer collected out of the thirty eighth Pſalm.
O Lord, when I conſider the multitude of my ſins, and grievouſneſs of my tranſgreſſions, I muſt confeſs, though I ſuffer heavy things under thy hand, yet they are far inferiour to my deſerts; for my iniquities, as ſome great floods of waters, are gone over my head, and threaten to drown me in deſpair, and my ſins are a heavy burden that load my memory and conſcience, ſo heavy they lie upon my ſo… …hat I am not able to bear them, but am ready to ſink under them: And for theſe the ſharpeſt arrows of thy wrath ſtick faſt in me, and thy ſevere hand ſorely whippeth me, and preſſeth ſtripe after ſtripe; there is no part ſound, no part whole in my whole body, becauſe of thy anger and revenge; neither is there any reſt in my bones, much leſs any peace in my ſoul, for the multitude and greatneſs of my ſin: Through great folly I have committed ſin, and through greater folly I have diſſembled them, and hid them, being committed; I ſkinned them, not ſearch't, not healed them; and therefore this ulcer remained in my ſoul, and putrified; which therefore makes me to ſtink in thy Noſtrils, with which filthy ſavour thou art ſo offended; that my loins are juſtly fill'd with a loathſom diſeaſe, that there is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh.
I am troubled righteouſly for the evils I have committed, I am depreſſed for them, and bowed down greatly, I go mourning, and that deſervedly, all the day long: I am féeble, ſorely afflicted and humbled, I have roared for the diſquietneſs and anxiety of my heart. My heart, through the greatneſs of my affliction, the conſcience of my ſin, and conſideration of thy wrath, pants, beats, and is troubled; the ſtrength both of my body and ſoul, faileſh me, and a flood of tears, and a night of adverſity together, hath dimmed that clear light of my eyes.
And in the extremity of this my ſorrow, I find no comfort either from friends or enemies; for thoſe who were of old, my friends and familiars, and pretended much friendſhip and love, theſe now ſtand aloof off from my ſore; nay, my very kinſmen ſtand afar off, affording me no comfort, no ſhew of help.
As for my enemies, they ſeek after my life, they lay ſnares for me, they wiſh me evil, they ſpeak lies, and utter calumnies againſt me; miſchievous things they invent, and imagine deceits all the day long; yea, and theſe my enemies live in proſperity, they are potent, and able to miſchieve me, they are in number many, in hatred implacable, daily they multiply, and ſo ungrateful, that for the good I have done them, they ſéek to render me evil; O Lord, Thou knoweſt that wrongfully, and that without any juſt cauſe at all given by me, they are my adverſaries; no reaſon at all I am able to think of; no cauſe I am able to aſſign, why they ſhould thus hate me, why they ſhould thus perſecute me, except it be that I am conſtant in defence of thy Truth, and follow the thing that good is.
Thy hand, Lord, is juſtly upon me, and I am content to bear thy reproach; I have ſpoken once, nay, twice, but I will not anſwer again; in ſilence and hope, I will poſſeſs my ſoul; at all their reproaches, I will be as a deaf man, that hears not; at their ſcorns, as a dumb man, that openeth not his mouth, and commit my cauſe wholly to thée; nevertheleſs before thée I will not be ſilent, confeſſing with an humble and true penitent heart, that all this great grief and ſcorn is fallen upon me juſtly for my ſin: To them, Lord, I have done no hurt, but thée I have offended, and to thée I will declare my iniquity, and be ſorry for my ſin.
I beſéech thée therefore, O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, nor chaſten me in thy hot diſpleaſure: Forſake me not, O Lord my God, be not far from me; for I ſéem to be deſtined and appointed to bear ſtripes and affliction, and my ſorrow is continually before my eyes: But in thee, O Lord, is my hope, anſwer for me, O Lord my God; in my prayer I have, and will alwayes ſay, Lord hear me, leſt otherwiſe my enemies ſhould rejoyce over me; for when my foot at any time ſlippeth, they proudly inſult, and magnifie themſelves againſt me; make haſte to help me, O Lord my ſalvation. Amen.