Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 7
PSAL. VII. The occaſion, A ſlaunder and accuſation laid againſt him by Cuſh the ſon of Jemini, that he ſought to kill Saul; from which he frees himſelf before God.
THree parts there are of this Pſalm.
1. His Appeal to God by way of Petition, ver. 1.2, 6.
2. The Reaſons of it, ſet down through the whole Pſalm.
3. The firſt part. Davids Appeal to God by way of petition; to which he deſires God to be,The Doxology, or his Thankſgiving, ver. 17.
1. He begins his Appeal with a Petition for freedom and deliverance from his Perſecutors, Save me, deliver me, ver. 1. in which he deſires God to be,
1. Attentive to him; firſt, upon the Relation that was betwixt them; for he was his Lord, his God; ſecondly, He truſted in him; O Lord my God I truſt in thee, Ver. 1 ver. 1.
2. 1Attentive.2Benevolous.Benevolous: For he was now in danger of death; he had, 1. Enemies. 2. Many Enemies. 3. Perſecuting Enemies. 4. But one above the reſt, a Lyon, who ſought firſt to catch, then to tear and rend him to pieces; ſo that if God forſook him, he would do it. Save me from thoſe that perſecute me, and deliver me, leaſt he catch my ſoul as a Lyon, and tear it in pieces, while there is none to deliver, ver. 2.The ſecond part. His reaſons of Appeal.
2. And then he gives his Reaſons why he doth appeal to his God, which are, his own Innocency, and Gods Juſtice.
1. He makes before God a proteſtation of his Innocency: Accuſed he was, 1His innocency.that he lay in wait, and plotted for Saul's life and Kingdom; but he purgeth himſelf, ſhews the impoſſibility of it, and that with a fearful imprecation.
1. O Lord my God, if I have done any ſuch thing as they object? Ver. 3. & 4. if ther… be iniquity in my hands? if I have rewarded evil t… him that was at peace with me! ver. 3, 4. (which was indeed an impoſſible matter; And imprecates evil to himſelf, if it were not ſo.for I have deliver'd him, that without any cauſe is my enemy, as Saul in the Cave, 1 Sam. 24.)
2. Upon which he falls to a fearful imprecation to light upon himſelf, if he were any way guilty: Then let my enemy perſecute my ſoul, and take it: Ver. 5 let him tread down my life upon the Earth, and lay mine honour in the duſt. In effect thus; then let my enemy have his will upon me, take both my life, and my honour, dearer than my life from me, lay all in the duſt: Kingdom, Life, Fortunes, whatſoever thou haſt promiſed me, and I expect.
2. And which is the ſecond Reaſon of his Appeal, being thus innocent, 2 Gods juſtice.he call to God for juſtice; Ariſe, O Lord, in thy anger, lift up thy ſelf, Ver. 6 becauſe o… the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
1. The rage of my enemies is great.
2. The judgment was thine, that choſe me from my Brethren to be King of thy people Iſrael: Thou commandeſt Samuel to anoint me; Ariſe thou therefore, lift up thy ſelf, and awake for me.
3. Beſides, this will be for thy Honour, and E…ification of thy Church: 3Gods glory.The Congregation of thy people ſhall compaſs thee, not me about, Ver. 7 they will aſſemble to praiſe thee; for their ſakes therefore return thou on High; Aſcend the Tribunal, and do juſtice.
Now upon this Argument of Gods juſtice, He ſtayes upon Gods juſtice.he dwells and inſiſts till the laſt verſe of the Pſalm; and he implores it upon the ingemination of his own innocency, and the impiety of his enemies.God the Judge.
1. He avows God to be the Judge, not of his cauſe alone, but of the whole world: The Lord ſhall judge the people. Ver. 8
2. Then he importunes him to do juſtice to him, and to wicked men.He implores his juſtice.
1. To him, an innocent and upright perſon. 1To him an innocent.Judge me O Lord according to my righteouſneſs, and according to the integrity that is in me.
2. To the wicked: O let the wickedneſs of the wicked come to an end. Ve. 9
3. And yet again he prayes over the ſame thing, but not only for himſelf, 2Upon the wicked. In God, all the properties of a a good Judge. 1. Knowledge. 2. Prudence. 3. To ſave.but all good men: Eſtabliſh the juſt; and adds his Reaſon, that God is foreign. He knows not only the words and deeds, but the heart alſo: The righteous Lord trieth the very hearts and reins; and therefore fitteſt to be a Judge, in whom is required knowledge and prudence.
4. The other two properties of a Judge, are to ſave, to puniſh; and the triumph of his faith is, that he knows he will do both.
1. He will ſave the just and upright in heart, he will judge the righteous; Ver. 10 and therefore his defence is in God.
2. He will puniſh the wicked; for he is angry with the wicked every day: Ver. 11 And yet even to them he ſhews much clemency and forbearance; 4To puniſh.he ſtayes for their converſion; he whets, bends, ſharpens, prepares his inſtruments of death; he cuts them not down, ſhoots not till-there is no remedy: 5Clemency.Marry, If they will not turn, he will whet his Sword, Ver. 12 he hath bent his Bowe, and made it ready; Ver. 13 he hath prepared for him the instruments of death, and ordains his Arrows againſt the Perſecutors.
5. But mercy ſhewed unto the wicked, it ſeems will not mend and better him; nor Davids innocency, But forbearance mends not the wicked; of which he complains.nor Gods forbearance, would not better Saul: He grew worſe and worſe; Behold he travelleth with miſchief, as a woman with child, and hath conceived iniquity, and brought forth falſhood and ungodlineſs; he hath made and digg'd a pit, and is fallen into the ditch which he hath made, Ver. 14 that lurking there, he may take me: His ſtrength, his counſels, Ver. 15 his crafts, the Militia, the conceptions of his heart, his pit and ſnares are all laid for my deſtruction; and therefore David prayes, that the juſt God would revenge his cauſe, and retaliate the injury; and he is fully perſwaded it would ſo fall out. His miſchief ſhall-return upon his own head, Ver. 16 and his wickedneſs and violent dealing ſhall come down upon his own pate.And in faith propheſies his ruine. The third part. A Doxology.
3. The cloſe of the Pſalm is a Doxology, thanks, that a true, juſt, and merciful God, would judge for the righteous, ſave thoſe who are true of heart, eſtabliſh the juſt, and take revenge upon the wicked; for this, ſaith David:
Ver. 17 I will praiſe the Lord according to his righteouſneſs; and I will ſing praiſe to the name of the Lord the moſt High.
The Prayer collected out of the ſeventh Pſalm.
O Lord God, by whoſe power all things do ſubſiſt, and before whoſe Majeſty all creatures tremble, I at this time beſet with cruel enemies, do flie ſo thée for ſuccour and deliverance. O Lord, thou art my God and Saviour, Ver. 1 in thee alone I put my truſt, be not then abſent from me in this néedful time of trouble, Ver. 2 but ſave me, that hopes in thée alone, from all thoſe that perſecute me, and deliver me. My enemy is of a brutiſh cruel nature, ready to rend my ſoul as a Lyon, that is gréedy of his prey, bent to tear me in pieces, if there he none to redéem, and deliver me out of his paw; ſo great is his rage and fierceneſs againſt me an innocent.
Againſt thée only have I ſinned, Ver. 3 and done this evil in thy ſight, and for that I beſéech thée, enter not into judgment with thy ſervant, but againſt them I have done no harm. Ver. 9 Thou, O God, trieſt the hearts and reins; Thou art a righteous Judge, Judge me therefore O Lord, Ver. 8 according to my righteouſneſs, and according to the integrity, Ver. 3 that is in me: O Lord God, if I have done this iniquity, that they lay to my charge, Ver. 4 or if there be any wickedneſs in my hands? if I have rewarded them evil, that dealt friendly with me; nay, if I have not ſaved his life, that now purſues me to take away mine; and done him good, that now without any cauſe is mine enemy: Ver. 5 Can any ſuch thing be produced againſt me, then I am content to ſuffer? Then let my enemy perſecute me, take me, whom he perſecutes, and being taken, tread down my life ignominiouſly upon the earth, and lay my honour, and the honeſt memory of my name, my Crown, and glory in the duſt.
But thou, O Lord, beholdeſt their craft and fury againſt me a poor innocent; Thou ſéeſt how they, Ver. 14 as a woman, travelleth with iniquity; how they conceive in their hearts falſe and miſchievous wayes to deſtroy me; and that the miſchief that they have conceived, they bring forth, and bring to effect, ſo much as lies in their power. Ver. 15 Thou ſeeſt how they lay ſnares and dig pits, that I an innocent perſon may fall into them, and be taken by them, and periſh in them.
Be not therefore O Lord, Ver. 6 like one that ſléeps, defer not thy juſtice, nor withhold thy power; but being conſcious of my innocency, ariſe in thy anger, lift up thy ſelf above mine enemies, by the declaration of thy juſtice and power make them know, that thou art higher than they: Awake for me in that judgment that thou haſt commanded; commanded thou didſt, Samuel to make choice of me, and to anoint me King of Iſrael; his judgment was thy judgment; that judgment which thou haſt decréed and given, Ver. 15 thou knoweſt the fitteſt time to perform; if that time be now come, then awake for me, and let my enemies fall into the ditch that they have made; Ver. 16 then let their miſchief fall on their own head, and their violent dealing come upon their own pate.
O Lord, let not the impiety of wicked men longer continue. Vers. 11 Make it appear that thou art a juſt God, angry with the wicked every day; Vers. 12 and though thou art a God of much patience and longanimity, Vers. 13 yet if the wicked man will not turn from his wicked way, make them know that thou haſt whet thy ſword, and art ready to ſtrike them; that thou haſt bent thy bow, and art prepar'd to ſhoot them; haſt ſet thy arrow to the ſtring, and art aiming to pieres them; In a word, that thou haſt prepared the inſtruments of death, weapons inflamed with wrath, hatred, and fury againſt the perſecutours of thy Church and people.
O let the wickedneſs of the wicked come to an end, but eſtabliſh the juſt. Vers. 9 Reſtore thy Church to its preſtine condition, Vers. 7 ſo ſhall the Congregation of thy people compaſs thee about, Religion, which is now almoſt extinct, ſhall again flouriſh and thy worſhip which is now diſhonour'd with ſcandals and prophaneneſs, ſhall again recover its ancient luſtre, by the méeting of thy people in thy houſe, and joyful praiſes ſent up to thée in the great Congregation. For thy own Name-ſake therefore, and for thy honour exa…t thy power, and ſhew thy ſtrength, and come amongſt us.
Our ſole defence is in thée, O God, Vers. 10 which ſaveſt and delivereſt the upright in heart. I will therefore praiſe the Lord according to his righteouſneſs, Vers. 17 and I will ſing praiſe to the name of the Lord moſt high. He hath kept, defended, protected me in ſo great dangers. He will take a juſt reve…ge upon my enemies. To his name therefore I give all honour, glory, laud, and praiſe, through Ieſue Chriſt my only Lord and Saviour. Amen.