Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 1 · Psalm 9
PSAL. IX. This is a Pſalm of thankſgiving for a victory over his Enemies.
IT conſiſts of five chief parts.
1. Davids thankſgiving, or profeſſion of praiſe, verſ. 1, 2. which is amplified, and illuſtrated, and continued till the tenth verſe.
2. An exhortation to others to do the like, verſ. 11. and a reaſon given for it, verſ. 12.
3. A Petition for himſelf, verſ. 13. and the reaſon for it, verſ. 14.
4. A remembrance of Gods goodneſs in the overthrow of his enemies, for which he exults, and ſings a Song of Triumph, from verſ. 15. to verſ. 19.
5. The concluſion, which is petitory, verſ. 19, 20.
1. The firſt part. Davids profeſſion of praiſe.His profeſſion of praiſe is ſet down in the two firſt verſes, in which we may obſerve
1. The matter of it, with the extent, All the marvellous works of God.
2. As if he could never expreſs theſe enough, how he varies the Synonima's, I will praiſe thee, I will ſhew forth, I will be glad and rejoice in thee, I will ſing praiſe to thy name, Vers. 1 I will ſhew forth, I will be glad and rejoice in thee, I will ſing praiſe to thy name, O thou moſt high. In which words there is an Incrementum or Climax.
3. The principle whence this praiſe flow'd. Not from the lips, but from the heart. 2. From the whole heart, I will praiſe thee with my whole heart.
This he amplifies from the cauſe, Which he firſt amplifies from the cauſes.which is double.
1. The foreign, that which outwardly moved him, and gave him a juſt occaſion to do ſo, 1The overthrow of his enemies.The overthrow of his enemies; when my enemies are turned back, which were not overcome by my ſtrength and valour, but by the preſence of thy power.
2. Vers. 3 They ſhall fall and periſh at thy preſence. Thou wert the chief and principal cauſe of this victory, 2That God alone did it.…d therefore deſerv'ſt the thanks. Of this the Prophet makes a full Narrative in the two next verſes, ſetting God, as it were, upon the Bench, and doing the Office of a Judge.
1. Vers. 4 Thou maintaineſt my right and my cauſe.
2. Vers. 5 Thou ſatest in the Throne judging right.
3. Thou haſt rebuked the Heathen.
4. Thou haſt destroy'd the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. In a word, thou art a juſt Judge, that defend'ſt the innocent, and puniſheſt their oppreſſours, and therefore I will praiſe thee.
3. Vers. 6 And then upon the confidence of Gods juſtice and power, he inſults over his enemies with this Sarcaſm, For this he inſults over his enemies.O thou enemy, deſtructions are come to a perpetual end. Thy power of hurting and deſtroying is taken away, and the fortified Cities in which thou dwell'ſt, are overthrown, And ſhews the ſuper-eminency of Gods power.and their and thy memory is periſh'd.
4. Next to make his aſſertion clearer, to the Enemies power he oppoſeth Gods, his Kingdom to their Kingdom. But the Lord. Vers. 7 The adminiſtration of his Kingdom, is
1. Eternal, The Lord ſhall endure for ever. Vers. 8
2. His Office to be Judge, He hath prepared his Throne for judgement.
3. He is an univerſal Judge, He ſhall judge the whole world.
4. He is a juſt Judge, He ſhall judge in righteouſneſs, Which begets a confidence in his people.he ſhall miniſter judgement to the people in uprightneſs.
5. He is a merciful Judge to his people, Vers. 9 For the Lord will be a refuge for the oppreſſed, a refuge in time of trouble.
5. The effect or conſequent upon this his execution of juſtice: which is the confidence thence ariſing in the hearts of his people, which are here deſcrib'd by their knowledge of God. 2. Seeking him. Vers. 10 They that know thy name, will put their truſt in thee, for thou, Lord, haſt not forſaken them that ſeek thee.
2. An Exhortation to others to praiſe God, 2 He exhorts others to praiſe God.Sing praiſes to the Lord that dwells in Zion, that is in the midſt of his people and Church to defend them. Declare among the people his doings.The ſecond part.
Of which he aſſigns the reaſon, that he is a juſt God, and will require their blood at the hands of thoſe that oppreſſed and ſlew them. Vers. 11 An inquiſition for blood he will make. And when he makes inquiſition for blood, For his juſtice.he remembreth them, the innocent unjuſtly oppreſſed and ſlain, Vers. 12 and forgets not the cry of the humble; The cry of their blood ſhall be heard.
3. A Petition for himſelf, that God would ſhew him mercy, 3He Petitions for favour.and look upon his affliction, Have mercy upon me, O Lord; The third part.conſider the trouble of them that hate me, thou that lifts me up from the gates, that is, the power of death. Vers. 13 As if he had ſaid, Do by me now, as thou haſt done heretofore.
And the Reaſon or Argument by which he perſwades God to hear him, and ſhew mercy, is drawn from the final cauſe, Vers. 14 he looks not ſo much upon himſelf as Gods honour; it is,That he may have juſt cauſe to praiſe God; which he vows.
That I may ſhew thy praiſe. 2. All thy praiſe. 3. In thy Church, in the gates of the daughter of Zion. 4. That I may do it with joyful lips. 5. Which I will do, I will rejoice in thy ſalvation.
4. And then, as if he were ſhewing forth this praiſe in the Congregation, The fourth part.he ſings forth his Song of Triumph, his foreign over his enemies: in Metaphors.And performs in a Song of Triumph.
1. The heathen are ſunk down into the pit that they made.
2. In the net which they hid, is their own foot taken.
3. This is the Lords doing. Vers. 15 Therefore though wicked men did doubt before of his providence and juſtice, yet, Vers. 16 now the Lord is known by the judgement he executes: For,
4. The wicked is ſnared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. Which is a thing exceedingly to be meditated on, and not forgotten.
5. The wicked ſhall be turn'd to hell, and all the people that forget God; Vers. 17 their breath is in their noſtrils, and dye they muſt, which is ſome comfort to thoſe they oppreſs, and if they repent not, Vers. 18 ſuffer eternal puniſhment. 2. But the chief comfort is, The fifth part is, A Petition.and proceeds from Gods juſtice, and his goodneſs toward the innocent unjuſtly oppreſſed, For the needy ſhall not alway be forgotten, the expectation of the poor ſhall not periſh for ever. Their hope ſhall not be fruſtrate. Verſ. 19
5. The Concluſion is Petitory. Ariſe, O Lord.Againſt the enemies of the Church.
1. Let not man prevail over thy people.
2. Let the heathen be judg'd in thy ſight. Vers. 20
3. Put them in fear, O Lord; now they fear nothing, That they may fear.being in their height and proſperity; they are inſolent and proud; manifeſt thy divine preſence to their terrour: For then
4. And know themſelves to be but men.They will know themſelves to be but men: infirm and mortal creatures, and not inſult over thy people, and glory upon their own ſtrength and proſperity.
The Prayer and Hymn out of the ninth Pſalm for the Church in affliction, perſecuted and oppreſſed by enemies.
I Will praiſe thee, Vers. 1 O Lord, with my whole heart, and I will make known to others, as much as in me lies, thoſe wonderful works which thou haſt done for thy people in all ages. Vers. 2 I will not be glad and rejoice ſo much in the vain and empty things of this life, as in thée the giver of them, and for that I will ſing praiſe to thy name, O thou moſt high, higher than all things in this world, and far beyond all praiſe that I can give.
For thou, Vers. 7 Lord, who art from all eternity, and ſhall continue the ſame for ever, Vers. 8 haſt prepared thy ſeat to judge the world, on which being aſcended, thou wilt judge the world in righteouſneſs, rewarding every man according to his deſerts, repaying good things to thoſe who know thy name, and ſéek thée, but heavy judgements to thoſe who diſhonour thée, and oppreſs thy people.
Have mercy upon me, Vers. 13 O Lord, conſider my trouble which I ſuffer of them that hate me; Vers. 4 O thou that ſitteſt in the Throne and judgeſt right, maintain my right and my cauſe, Vers. 16 and lift me up from the power of death. Make thy ſelf known by executing judgement for me; Vers. 3 O let my enemies be turn'd back and periſh at thy preſence. Vers. 18 Forget not the cry of the needy, and let not the expectation of the poor periſh for ever. Vers. 12 Make inquiſition for that innocent blood of thy ſervants, which they have poured out like water, that cannot be gathered up again, and forget not the voice of Abels blood that yet from the earth cryes unto thée.
O God, we have heard with our ears, and our Fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didſt in their dayes, and in the old time before them, Vers. 5 how, thou haſt deſtroy'd the wicked, and rebuked the heathen, and put out their name for ever and ever. Vers. 9 Ariſe therefore, O Lord, be a refuge to the oppreſſed, Vers. 19 a refuge in this needful time of trouble; let not man prevail, and let thy enemies be judged in thy ſight; Put them in fear, O Lord, that they may know themſelves, that they are not God, but weak, infirm and mortal men. Now they are proud of their victories, and puff'd up with their ſucceſſes, O break the hardneſs of their heart with ſome calamities, and fearful diſaſters, that being brought to conſider their own frail condition, and intolerable inſolence, they may ceaſe to pride it againſt thée and thy Church.
O thou enemy, Vers. 6 thou breatheſt nothing but deſtruction and blood, overturning of Cities, and polluting of holy Temples, but thy deſtructions ſhall come to a perpetual end, Vers. 17.18. and thy memorial ſhall periſh. Thou ſhalt fall into the pit that thou haſt made, and in the ſnare that thou haſt ſet, thy own foot ſhall be taken. Thou ſhalt be brought to the ſides of the pit, thou, without repentance, ſhalt be turn'd into hell, with all the people that forget God.
And therefore all ye ſervants of God, Vers. 11 which truſt in him, ſing praiſes unto God which dwelleth among his people, and walks in the midſt of the Candleſticks, declare in the Congregation his marvellous works, ſhew forth all his praiſe in the gates of the daughter of Zion, and rejoice in his ſalvation.
So they, Vers. 10 O Lord, who know thy name, thy eternal power, juſtice, and goodneſs toward them that truſt in thee, ſhall fall down and relie upon thee, becauſe thou haſt never forſaken them, who in their tribulations have ſought thy help in the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.