Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 40
PSAL. XL. VVhichWhich is foreign.
THERE be two main parts of this Pſalm.
1. A Thankſgiving, from ver. 1. to 11.
2. A Prayer, from ver. 11. to the end.
Thankfulneſs conſiſts in the exerciſe of two vertues, Truth and Juſtice.
1. Truth cauſeth us to acknowledge the benefit, and from it we have received it.
2. Juſtice ties us to be grateful, and to perform ſome duties, as evidences of our thankful mind; and both theſe we meet with in the firſt part.
David begins with the profeſſion of his thankfulneſs, The firſt part. David waits on God.and he premits to it his confidence, I waited patiently for the Lord; then ſhews the ſucceſs, or what God did for him.
1. The ſucceſs of his waiting.He inclined his ear, and heard my cry.
2. He brought me alſo out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay.
3. He ſet my feet upon a Rock; being drawn from danger, he ſet me in a ſafe place.
4. He eſtabliſhed my goings, he confirmed my ſteps, that I ſlip and ſlide no more.
5. And he hath moved me to be thankful; He hath put a new ſong into my mouth, He is thankful.even a thankſgiving unto our God. The deliverance was not common, and therefore the praiſe ſhould not be common, but expreſſed by a new and exquiſite ſong.
Of which he conceived the conſequent would be, And conceives others by his example, would wait, and be thankful alſo. In his thankſgiving, he ſhews the bleſſed man.that his example would be a common document; many ſhall ſee it, my deliverance, my thanks, and ſhall fear God, and acknowledge his providence and protection, and ſhall put their truſt in the Lord.
And ſo he falls upon his form of thankſgiving, and,
First, Pronounceth the man bleſſed that relies on God, affirmatively.
1. Bleſſed is the man that makes the Lord his truſt, repoſeth his hope in him.1He it is that relies on God.
2. Negatively, truſts on no man, reſpects not the proud; men proud of their wealth, 2, Not on man.wit, or power, nor ſuch as turn aſide to lies, truſt on lying vanities, 3Admires Gods works.which will deceive.
Secondly, Then by an exclamation admires Gods mercies and goodneſs to his people.
1. For their multitude and greatneſs: Many, O Lord my God, are thy Works.
2. For the ſtrangeneſs, they are not vulgar, but miraculous: Thy wonderful Works.
3. For the incomparable wiſdom by which they are done and ordered: Many, O Lord my God, are thy wondrous Works which thou haſt done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee; if I would declare them, and ſpeak of them, they are more than can be numbred.
2. And ſo having in words acknowledged his thankfulneſs, 4His real thanks by obedience:he deſcends to ſpeak of the other part of his gratitude, his real thanks, to which in equity he thought himſelf bound: viz. To be obedient to Gods voice, which is the beſt ſacrifice, and indeed far beyond all legal ſacrifices; as is apparent in Chriſt, to whom theſe words, and the obedience contained in them, is principally attributed, and by way of accommodation, belongs to every one of his Members, who means to be thankful for his Redemption.
1. And firſt he acquaints us, that the outward worſhip is to little worſhip, Which was, 1. Sincere inward.if ſincerity and true piety inwardly be wanting: Sacrifice and offerings thou didſt not deſire, burnt-offering and ſin-offering hast thou not required. Not theſe abſolutely, but as ſubſervient to true piety, and the internal obedience of the heart, without which they are of little value; I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice.
2. To this end, Aures perforaſti mihi; Thou haſt opened, boared, 2Outward.and made a window in my ear; made me docible, and thy ſervant.
3. And I will be obſequious, a willing and voluntary ſervant: Then ſaid I, lo I come; this thy whole Law requires, 3Voluntary, ſuch in Chriſt.in the Ʋolume of thy Book it is written.
4. He deſcribes his ſingular obedience.
1. That he performed it chearfully, and with complacency: 1Chearful.I delight to do thy Will, O my God.
2. That he did it heartily: Thy Law is within my heart. 2Hearty.The obedience of eyes, hands and feet may be hypocritical and feigned, that which is done with the heart cannot; that the heart thou requireſt, and that thou ſhalt have; to that purpoſe I have placed thy Law there.
3. That he did it charitably, to the benefit of others, 3Charitable for our good.he publiſhed the Goſpel.
1. I have preached righteouſneſs in the great Congregation.
2. I have not refrained my lips, and that thou knowest: Feci ſine fuco.In the publication of the Goſpel.
3. I have not hid thy righteouſneſs within my heart.
4. I have declared thy faithfulneſs, and thy ſalvation.
5. I have not concealed thy loving-kindneſs and truth from the great Congregation.The commendation of the Goſpel:
In which verſe, we have the commendation of the Goſpel, that it is righteouſneſs, for it juſtifies, it ſanctifies; that it is Gods truth and faithfulneſs, for in it his promiſes are performed; that it is our ſalvation, freeing us from ſin, death, To which we muſt be obedient.Gods wrath, hell; which muſt be publiſhed and preached in the great Congregation; and to it obedience muſt be yielded, to which there be four things neceſſary ſet down in this place.
1. The help of Gods Spirit, Thou haſt opened my ears.
2. A ready and willing mind, Then ſaid I, lo I come.
3. A ready performance in the work, I delight to do thy Will.
4. That a reſpect be had to Gods Law, Thy Will is within my heart.
And thus having premiſed his thanks for ſome deliverance already receive, The ſecond part. He petitions for favour.he thought he might be the bolder to petition for continuance of this mercy and favour for the future; upon which he now enters in theſe words, Withhold not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord, let thy loving-kindneſs and truth continually preſerve me.His reaſons for it.
Of which Petition, he adds a neceſſary Reaſon drawn from the greatneſs of his evils and ſins.
1. For innumerable evils have compaſſed me; his miſeries were many.His ſad condition.
2. My iniquities have taken hold upon me, ſo that I am not able to look up; they are more in number than the heirs of my head.
3. Therefore my heart faileth me; my agony is great, my vital ſpirits fail.
And therefore prayes again, Be pleaſed, O Lord, to deliver me, And for the confuſion of his enemies.make haſte to help me.
2. The ſecond part of his prayer, is, for the confuſion of his wicked enemies; Let them be aſhamed, and confounded together, that ſeek after my ſoul to deſtroy it; let them be driven backward, and put to ſhame, that wiſh me evil; let them be deſolate for a reward of their ſhame, that ſay unto me, Aha, Aha!
3. 3He prayes for all good men.The third part of his prayer, is, for all good men: Let all thoſe that ſeek thee, be joyful and glad in thee; let ſuch as love thy ſalvation, ſay continually, The Lord be praiſed, his Name be magnified.
In the Cloſe, And for himſelf.he renews his Petition for himſelf, and to move God the ſooner,
1. He puts himſelf into the number of the poor aflicted people, he boaſts not, I am a juſt man, a King, a Prophet: But I am poor and needy.
2. Shews his hope and confidence: Yet the Lord, I know, thinks upon me.
3. He caſts himſelf ſolely on God: Thou art my Help, and my Deliverer.
4. Therefore make no long tarrying, O my God, delay me not.
The Prayer collected out of the fortieth Pſalm.
O Lord, I am poor, and deſtitute of all humane help, think upon me, Thou art my Helper and Deliverer in all my troubles, do not therefore longer delay me, but ſend me ſome aid and comfort: Withhold not thou thy tender mercies, which thou haſt hitherto ſhewed, from me, and let thy loving-kindneſs and truth, in performing thy promiſes, alwayes preſerve me.
For troubles, more than I can number, are come about me; and my iniquities, which in my proſperity ſéemed to be at reſt, now muſter themſelves againſt me, and arreſt me before thy Tribunal, ſo that I am not able to ſtand in thy preſence, or with confidence look up to thée; they are multiplied, and excéed in number the hairs of my head, upon the view of which, my ſoul is in a bitter agony, and my heart and vital ſpirits fail me.
Great evils I have formerly ſuffered under thy hand, but in thoſe depths, I ardently, continually and patiently expected thee my Lord, and thou didſt incline thy ear to me, and heard'ſt my cry; be pleaſed then now, O Lord, to deliver me, O Lord, make haſte to help me; bring me out of this miſery and calamity in which I am plunged, as in ſome déep Pit, or in ſome miry and thick Clay; and being delivered, ſet me upon a Rock and ſafe place, and ſettle and confirm my goings, that I may walk with a ſhady and inoffenſive foot.
I know by experience, That the man is bleſſed that makes the Lord his truſt, and relies not upon his wit, his wealth, his power; theſe are all lying vanities, and proud men that truſt to them, will be deceived: I beſéech thée therefore inſtruct me in thy Truth, and kéep me from putting any confidence in ſuch lyes, and alwayes give me an humble ſoul to rely upon thy mercies, and not upon my own counſels: Didſt thou take pleaſure in Sacrifices and burnt-offerings, then would I give them thée; but theſe Ceremonies thou doſt not now require, nor ever didſt eſtéem, without the ſacrifice of a contrite heart; but thou haſt boared my ear, and made me thy ſervant, teach me then my Duty, and make me obedient to thy Will, as was thy only Son, of whom it is written in the Volume of thy Book, Lo I come, I delight to do thy Will, O my God; yea, thy Law is within my heart.
Many, O Lord my God, and wonderful are the Works which thou haſt done; not to me alone, but to all thoſe that truſt in thée; and thy thoughts, which are for good to Mankind, who can number? They cannot be declared, they cannot be ſpoken, they cannot be ſet in order before thee: But of all thy works of wonder, that is moſt admirable, that thou ſhouldeſt ſend thy only Son into the World, fit him with a body, and cloath him with our fleſh, bring him down, and humble him to the ſtate of a ſervant, that he might do thy Will, redéem loſt man, by making his ſoul a ſacrifice for ſin: 'Tis the wonder of wonders, that upon the Croſs he ſhould ſhed his blood to ſave us weak men, and without ſtrength; ungodly, and without worth; enemies, and without love; for ſcarcely for a righteous man will one dye: But in this thou haſt commended thy love to us, in that while we were yet ſinners, Chriſt dyed for us. O wonderful love, O unexpreſſible mercy! We that were ungodly ſinners, are juſtified by his blood; we, who were ſons of wrath, are through him ſaved from thy wrath; we, who were enemies, are reconciled unto thée by his death; we, in him, have received that perfect righteouſneſs and juſtice; which alone we dare plead before thy Tribunal; his obedience being a full ſatisfaction for our diſobedience; his voluntary ſacrifice the ſole oblation with which thou art well-pleaſed.
And this mercy and faithfulneſs thou haſt declared and publiſhed to the ſons of men, and ſent thy ſervants into the World, that they ſhould proclaim theſe glad tidings, of which thou haſt called me, the unworthieſt of all thy ſervants, to be an Embaſſadour: And this thy righteouſneſs have I preached in the great Congregation, lo, my lips have not refrained to ſpeak of thy goodneſs; I have not hid thy righteouſneſs within my heart; I have not concealed thy faithfulneſs in performing thy promiſes, and thy ſalvation, which thou fréely offereſt to all penitent Believers: This I have declared in the frequenteſt and fulleſt Aſſemblies.
For this I now ſuffer, and bitter enemies I have, That ſeek after my ſoul to deſtroy it; O let them be aſhamed and confounded together, let them be driven backward, and put to ſhame, that wiſh me evil; let them receive confuſion, for the reward which is due to their iniquity; let them be forſaken, and deſtitute of help in the day of trouble, as many as inſult over me, glory in their wickedneſs, and ſay, ſo would we have it.
Frée me, O Lord, from their hands, That thoſe who with an honeſt heart ſeek thee, may ſee it, and rejoyce, and be glad in thee, and thoſe who love thy ſalvation, expecting defence and deliverance from thée alone, may have juſt reaſon continually to ſay, The Lord be magnified, who is ſo merciful and juſt toward his ſervants. Amen.