Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 5
PSAL. V. By occaſion of his enemies. It conſiſts of five parts.
1. AN introduction in which he petitions to be heard, and profeſſeth his earneſtneſs about it, verſ. 1, 2, 3. and his confidence of audience.
2. He delivers his Petition, verſ. 8. and the reaſon of it: His enemies, ver. 8.
3. Theſe his enemies he deſcribes to the life, verſ. 9.
4. He prayes againſt them, that God would deſtroy them, verſ. 10.
5. He prayes for the Church, that God would preſerve it, verſ. 11, 12.
1. The firſt part. He prayes for audience.In the entrance he prayes very earneſtly for audience; And the very Congeries ſhews, that he meant to be earneſt and fervent in it. He chooſeth ſuch a Copy and variety of words to expreſs the ſame thing, Vers. 1 which yet have an Auxeſis in them, Vers. 2 and riſeth by degrees, from words he comes to meditation, from thar to a voice, from a voice, to a cry. 2. Then he earneſtly deſires God, 1. To give ear. Very earneſtly.2. Then to conſider. 3. To hearken to him. He gives ear, that would underſtand what the Supplicant means. He conſiders, that weighs the juſtice of the cauſe. He attends and hearkens to, that intends to ſatisfie the Petitioner. This therefore David deſires earneſtly, that his words be underſtood; his cauſe, ſuit and meditation conſider'd; and his voice, and cry heard, granted, ſatisfied.
2. Three reaſons for it.The reaſons he uſeth here to beget audience, are very conſiderable.
1. Verſ. 2 The relation that was betwixt him and his God, Thou art my King, and my God. Vers. 2
2. 1His relation to God.That he would ſue to no other, To thee will I pray. Which he illuſtrates
1. 2To him alone he would ſue.From the time. A morning Petition, which the epikeuxis makes Emphatick.
2. From the compoſure of it, it was a well compoſed and order'd prayer.
3. Vers. 3 He would lift up his eyes with it, My voice ſhalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct, dirigam diſponam, my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
3. 3Who hears good men, not ſinners.The third reaſon taken from the nature of God, to wit, whom he will, and whom he will not hear. Sinners God will not regard, to good men he is ready to look, Vers. 4 and on that ground he deſires alſo audience. The ſinners which God would not hear, Verſ. 5 he deſcribes to the life. 1. Men that delighted in wickedneſs, evil, Vers. 6 fooliſh men, workers of iniquity, lyars, blood-thirſty, and deceitful. Now 'twas not likely that God would hear ſuch. Theſe he deſcribes. And ſhews his own conditionsFor thou art not a God who hath pleaſure in wickedneſs, neither ſhall any evil dwell with thee. Theſe ſhould not ſtand in his ſight. Theſe he hated. Theſe he would deſtroy. Theſe he did abhor. 2. But he on the contrary was a faithful ſoul, that relied on his God; a fearful ſoul, Vers. 7 that alwayes ſtood in awe; a religious ſoul, that was alwayes ready to come into his houſe, Notwithſtanding which, he relies on Gods mercy.In thy fear will I worſhip; And yet not relying ſo much upon himſelf, as in the goodneſs and mercy of God, he profeſſeth verſ. 7. As for me, I will come into thy houſe upon the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worſhip toward thy Holy Temple. In which obſerve
1. A difference betwixt bad and good men. In their wayes and hope. As for me. Vers. 7
2. And ſhews his demeanour in Gods ſervice.That David would come to Gods houſe, the place of prayer.
3. But not preſumptuouſly, or Phariſaically: Upon hope of mercy.
4. There he would worſhip, I will worſhip.
5. But with reverence, In thy fear I will worſhip.
And thus David having petitioned for audience, The ſecond part. Davids Petition.and deliver'd the grounds of his confidence, he brings forth his Petition. That his life be holy and innocent.
1. Lead me forth in thy righteouſneſs.
2. Make thy way ſtrait before me: of which he gives this reaſon, Vers. 8 Becauſe of his enemies, which dayly laid wait to intrap him, and ſubvert him in his goings.
Theſe his enemies he deſcribes to the life. The third part. He farther deſcribes his enemies.By their
Mouth.
Heart.
Throat.
Tongue.
1. There is no faithfulneſs in his mouth.
2. Their inward parts are very wickedneſs. Vers. 9
3. Their throat is an open Sepulchre.
4. They flatter with their tongue.
And then he falls to prayer again. 1. Againſt his enemies. 2. The fourth part. He again prayes againſt them.Then for Gods people or the Church. 1. Againſt his enemies.
1. Deſtroy thou them, O God.
2. Let them fall by their own counſels.
3. Caſt them out in the multitude of their tranſgreſſions: Vers. 10 Of which Imprecation he gives this reaſon, For they be Rebels. For they have rebell'd againſt thee. Rebels, not againſt David, but againſt God; for he that reſiſts the power, reſiſts the Ordinance of God. They have not rejected thee, but they have rejectect me.The fifth part. And for Gods people.
The Concluſion contains his Prayer for Gods people, whom he here deſcribes, and calls, The righteous. 2. They that put their trust in God. 3. They that love his Name. And he prayes for them, that Vers. 11
1. They may rejoyce, that they may ſhout for joy.
2. They may be joyful in God. And he adds this reaſon, Whom he knows God will favour.Becauſe thou defend'ſt them, thou wilt bleſs them, and with thy favour thou wilt compaſs them, as with a ſhield.
The Prayer collected out of the fifth Pſalm.
O Moſt Gracious and Holy God, who haſt ſaught us, that thou art not a God, Vers. 4 who hath pleaſure in wickedneſs, neither ſhall any evil dwell with thee, Vers. 5 in whoſe ſight the fooliſh ſhall not ſtand, Vers. 6 and by whom thoſe who ſpeak leaſing ſhall be deſtroy'd: Thou that hateſt all the workers of iniquity, and abhorreſt both the blood-thirſty and deceitful man: We a ſinful Nation preſs'd with the weight of theſe grievous ſins, and ſenſible of thy heavy judgements: Vers. 7 yet are bold to come into thy houſe upon the multitude of thy mercies, and in thy fear to worſhip toward thy holy Temple.
We beſéech thée to give us a true ſight and ſenſe of theſe our heinous tranſgreſſions, that ſo our true repentance and amendment may move thée to repent of all the evil thou haſt brought upon us. Vers. 8 And hereafter lead us in thy righteouſneſs i… an innocent and harmleſs courſe of life, and make thy way ſtrait before us, that we erre not in it, and fall not from it, and from thée. Thou who waſt pleaſed to pay that dear ranſome upon the Croſs for us, on purpoſe, that thou might'ſt redéem us from all iniquity, and puriſle unto thy ſelf a peculiar people zealovs of good works: We beſéech thée write thy law, which is our way, in our hearts, that moſt excellent divine law of thine, that we may know it and do it, and turn every one from our iniquities.
Enemies, O good God, we have too many, Vers. 9 beſides the devil and the fleſh to turn us out of this good way. Enemies in the way of truth: Enemies in the way of life: Enemies, in whoſe mouth there is no faithfulneſs: Enemies, Vers. 10 whoſe inward parts are very wickedneſs: Roaring enemies, whoſe throat is an open Sepulchre to devour us: Lying crafty enemies, who flatter with their lips for to deceive us. Fruſtrate, Gracious God, their counſels, deſtroy their power and forces, caſt all thoſe out in the multitude of their tranſgreſſions, who have rebell'd againſt thee.
Give ear, Ver. 1 O Lord, to our words, and conſider our Meditations; hearken to the voice of our cry, Ver. 2 our King, and our God: For unto thee do we pray: To thee alone we fly. Ver. 3 Our voice ſhalt thou hear in the morning: In the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee, and will look up, expecting thy comfort and help from heaven to deſcend upon us.
O let us then hear the voice of joy and deliverance be…ime in the morning, Vers. 11 that thoſe who love thy name, may rejoyce at thy juſtice done upon the wicked, and at thy goodneſs and mercy ſhew'd toward the righteous; let them glory and make their boaſt, that thou art a juſt and a merciful God; juſt to deliver thy people from evil, and merciful to reward them with the chiefeſt good.
Ariſe, O Lord, to bleſs us, and compaſs us with thy loving-kindneſs as with a ſhield. Confirm us in faith and hope, that we may rejoice; make us love thy name, that we may once more ſhout for joy. Impute unto us thy righteouſneſs, that may make us juſt; and give us the graces of thy holy Spirit, that may make us righteous in our generation, ſo that thou may'ſt be moved to bleſs us in this valley of tears, and to crown us with bleſſings in the life to come; where we may live an everlaſting bleſſed life of love and holineſs with thée, O Father of mercies, and with thy Son, and holy Spirit for ever.