Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 4
PSAL. IV. Which is the firſt of the Penitentials, and is fit for a Penitent afflicted under Gods hand.
THE ſtreins of this Pſalm are two in general.
1. A Petition to God for himſelf contain'd in the ſeven firſt verſes.
…. An inſultation over his enemies contain'd in the three laſt.
The Petition ſtands upon two leggs,
1. A deprecation of evil.
2. A petition of good.
Firſt he prayes to God to avert his wrath, The firſt part. He prayes that God avert his wrath.O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, nor chaſten me in thy heavy displeaſure.
Secondly, he intreats to be partaker of Gods favour, Have mercy upon me.
1. Vers. 1 To his body, Heal me, O Lord. 2. Then to his ſoul, Return, O Lord, deliver my ſoul: oh ſave me.2Shew mercy.
And this his Petition he inforceth upon divers and weighty reaſons. Vers. 2
1. Vers. 4 This he inforceth 1. From the greatneſs of his calamity.From the quantity and degrees of his calamity, which he ſhews to be very great from the effects.
1. In general: he was in a languiſhing diſeaſe, I am weak.
2. In particular, a ſharp pain in his bones, My bones are vexed.
3. Vers. 2 Trouble in his ſoul, My ſoul alſo is ſore troubled.
2. Vers. 3 From the continuance of it. It was a long diſeaſe, a lingring fickneſs, and no eaſe he found, Vers. 4 no not from his God. The pain, though great, I could the better bear, 2From the continuance of it.if I had any comfort from heaven. But thou, O Lord, how long? This makes me a man of ſorrows, that thou, my Lord, ſeems to have withdrawn thy countenance long, long from thy ſervant, Vers. 3 Lord, how long?
3. Vers. 3 3From the conſequence, viz. Death.From the conſequence that was like to follow, death, and the event upon it. 'Tis my intention to celebrate thee, and praiſe thy name. This the living only can do, therefore let me live: For in death no man remembers thee, and who will give thee thanks in the pit? Vers. 5
4. And that to Deaths-door he was now brought, he ſhews by three apparent ſymptomes.
1. Sighs and groans, which had almoſt broke his heart, The ſymptoms of it.being the companions of a perpetual grief; with theſe he was oppreſſed, even to wearineſs: I am weary of my groaning. Ver. 6
2. The abundance of tears which fell from him, had even dried and waſhed his body; theſe fell in ſuch ſhowres, and ſo continual, Ver. 6 That he made his bed to …wim, and watered his couch with his tears.
3. His eyes alſo melted away, and grew dim; ſo that he ſeemed old before his time; for grief preys upon the vital ſpirits, and dries up the bones: Ver. 7 Thus he complains, My eye is conſumed becauſe of grief, it waxeth old.
5. And that which increaſed his grief, and added to his ſorrow, was, 4From the joy his enemies took at it.that he had many ill-willers, who did laugh and boaſt, and inſult over him in this his extremity; My eye is waxen old becauſe of mine enemies. Ver. 7
Secondly, But at laſt receiving comfort and joy from his penitential tears, The ſecond part. His inſultation over his enemies. Theſe he rejects with ſcorns.he begins to look up, and from his complaint he turns upon his enemies, who gaped after his death, and over them he inſults in the three laſt verſes.
1. He rejects theſe Reprobates from him with ſcorn and indignation; you looked for my end, and expected my ruine, but all in vain, and therefore now deluded of your hopes. Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.
2. He aſſings the cauſe in effect, Ver. 8 becauſe God hath been moved by his prayer to reject them; upon which ground he was ſo confirmed and pleaſed, Becauſe God had heard his prayer.that he comes over it again and again, thrice for failing.
1. For the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping. Ver. 8
2. The Lord hath heard my ſupplication. Ver. 8
3. The Lord will receive my prayer. Ver. 9
3. Then in the cloſe there follows his imprecation, His imprecation; that,which is made up of theſe three ingredients, which he prayes may light upon them.
1. Shame and confuſion: Let them be confounded, to ſee their hope fruſtrate.1Shame.
2. Vexation: Let them be vexed, that they ſuffer by the hand of juſtice. Ver. 10
3. Everſion. Let them return with ſhame enough, 2Vexation.that their plots come to nothing.3Everſion, may befall them.
And theſe two laſt he aggravates by the weight and ſpeed; for he deſires that their puniſhment might begreat and ſpeedy.1Grievouſly.
1. That their vexation ſhould be nor eaſie, nor mild, but very ſore; Ver. 10 let them be ſorely vexed.
2. That their ſhame and overthrow linger not, but be preſent, haſty, 2Suddenly.and ſudden: Let them be turned back, and put to ſhame in a moment, or ſuddenly.
The Prayer collected out of the ſixth Pſalm.
O Omnipotent, holy, and juſt Lord, to whoſe commands we owe obedience, and whoſe will ought to be our Law. I wretched ſinner and diſobedient Caitiff, do confeſs that for my diſobedience I have deſerved thy juſt diſpleaſure. I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thée: O Lord I have ſinned, and multiplied my iniquities. Now therefore I vow the knées of my heart, and humbly beléech thée to forgive, and not to deſtroy me with my iniquities. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, Ver. 1 neither chaſten me in thy hot diſpleaſure. I tremble O dear Father, and am even out of heart, when I remember my great offences, and féel thy ſevere juſtice.
My ſoul is ſore vexed, and the pains of Hell have overtaken me: But thou, Ver. 3 O Lord, how long? how long wilt thou turn away thy face from me, and ſet me up as a mark to ſhoot at? how long Lord wilt thou be abſent, for ever? and ſhall thy jealouſie burn like fire? how long ſhall I take counſel in my ſoul, and be thus vexed in my heart? wherefore hideſt thou thy face, and holdeſt me for thy enemy? wilt thou break a leaf driven too and fro with the wind, and wilt thou purſue the dry ſtubble? For thou writeſt bitter things againſt me, and makeſt me poſſeſs the ſins of my youth. Ver. 6 I am weary and worn out with ſighs and groans, and every night when ſolitude and darkneſs brings to me the memory of my ſins, Ver. 7 I make my Bed to ſwim, and water my Couch with my tears. The eye of my mind is darkned at the ſenſe of thy revenge, and the eye of my body grown dim, and conſumed with grief.
Have mercy upon me, Ver. 2 have mercy upon me, O my God, and for thine own ſake remit my ſin, and heal the running ulcers of my ſoul with thy grace; for I am weak, and unable to any good; heal me from this my infirmity, and the wounds of my tranſgreſſions, Ver. 4 for which my bones are now juſtly vered. Return O Lord, who art now juſtly turned away from me for my ſin, and be propitious to me, deliver my ſoul from the fear of thy judgment, and eternal death, and ſave him, who hath deſerved to be caſt away, for thy mercy ſake.
I ſaid in the cutting off my dayes, Ver. 5 I ſhall go to the gates of the grave, I am deprived of the reſidue of my years: I ſaid I ſhall not ſée the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living; I ſhall behold man no more with the Inhabitants of the world: For in death no man remembreth thee, and in the grave who ſhall give thee thanks? Wilt thou ſhew wonders among the dead? or ſhall the dead ariſe, and praiſe thée? ſhall thy wonders be known in the dark? or thy righteouſneſs in the land where all things are forgotten? But unto thée have I cryed, O Lord, and in the morning ſhall my prayer prevent thée. Lord, why caſteſt thou out my ſoul, why hideſt thou thy face from me? I am afflicted, and ready to dye, yea, from my youth up, thy terrours have I ſuffered with a troubled mind; thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy diſpleaſure hath cut me off.
This is the deſire of my enemies, Ver. 7 among whom I daily live, who inſult over me for my ſins, and labour to draw me to deſpair of thy mercies; theſe come daily about me like water, and compaſs me about together; Oh let not their miſchievous imagination proſper, left they be too proud; never let them cry there, there, ſo would we have it.
But I will praiſe the Lord for that he hath done, I will wait on thy name, for thy Saints like it well; Ver. 8 therefore all ye workers of iniquity, who have temptted me to ſin, and preſſed me to deſpair, Depart from me, for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping; Ver. 9 the Lord (which I repeat with joy and comfort) hath heard the voyce of my ſupplication; the Lord hath received, and graciouſly anſwered my prayer.
So let thine enemies periſh, Ver. 10 O Lord; ſo let them be aſhamed, and ſuddenly confounded, and ſore vexed; even as many as are adverſaries to thy Church and thy Glory. Amen.