Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 2 · Psalm 42
PSAL. XLII. foreign.
DAƲID, whether by Saul or Abſolon, Arg. forced from the Aſſembly of Gods people, complains; and as men overwhelmed with troubles, are alſo oppreſſed with grief, ſo is he; and as they ſurprized with paſſion abruptly, expreſs their thoughts, ſo doth he; for ſometimes he expoſtulates, ſometimes he complains, ſometimes he corrects and checks himſelf for his weakneſs and paſſion; one while he opens his doubts and diffidence, and preſently again ſets forth his affiance and confidence in his God. It will not then be more eaſie to ſet this Pſalm in order, than the ſpeeches of a paſſionate man; yet I ſhall endeavour it, by reducing the whole to theſe four heads.
1. The zeal of David to ſerve God in Gods houſe, ver. 1, 2, 4, 6.
2. His complaints, and expreſſions of grief for his abſence, for his affliction, and his enemies inſultation upon that ground, ver. 3, 4, 7, 10.
3. His expoſtulation with his ſoul for his diſſidence, ver. 5, 6. And again, with God for his deſertion, ver. 9.
4. His faith and confidence in Gods promiſes, ver. 5, 8, 11.
More particularly,Davids zeal to Gods Houſe and Worſhip.
1. He begins with an expreſſion of his grief, for his ejection from the Aſſembly, and then ſets forth his zeal and deſire he had to be preſent with Gods people, by an elegant ſimilitude of a chaſed, Ver. 1 and hunted, and thirſty Stag: As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, ſo panteth my ſoul after thee, O God; my ſoul is athirst for God, for the living God; When ſhall I come and appear before the preſence of God? ver. 1, 2.
2. His ſorrow, and the cauſes.Then he ſhewes what caſe he was in in the mean time, in a very heavy condition.
1. Ver. 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, ver. 3.
2. 1The inſultation of enemies.And the cauſe was, not only his abſence, but this bitter Sarcaſm of his enemies; namely, while they inſult, and continually ſay in ſcorn unto me, Where is now thy God? Ver. 4 where is thy Protector? where he in whom thou truſteſt.
3. 2His baniſhment from Gods preſence.Now that which added to his grief, was that which gave occaſion to this Sarcaſm, his Baniſhment from Gods Sanctuary, and conſequently, as they thought, from his favour and preſence: This overwhelmed his ſoul with ſorrow, this cauſed a flood of tears.
1. 3The remembrance of his former happineſs.When I remember theſe things, my abſence, their inſultation, I poure o…t my heart by my ſelf; Effundo; unda que impellitur uno; Tear follows upon tear; complaint, and that from the heart, upon complaint.
2. And good Reaſon, when I lay together my former happineſs with my preſent condition; for the compariſon aggravates my miſery: Thus it was with me, but now it is not ſo. I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the Houſe of God, with the voyce of joy and praiſe, with a multitude that kept Holy-day, ver. 4. I had gone, now I cannot, I muſt not go.
2. At which being ſomewhat dejected.Hitherto he hath expreſſed his zeal, his ſorrow, his complaints, with the cauſes of them, theſe put his ſoul into a ſad condition; to which, by an Apoſtrophe, Ver. 5 turning his ſpeech, he thus expoſtulates.
1. He blames himſelf for it.Blaming himſelf for his weakneſs and diffidence: Why art thou ſo vexed; O my ſoul? why art thou caſt down? and why art thou ſo diſquieted within me?
2. Hnd revives by faith.Then preſently fortifies himſelf in Gods promiſes, aſſuring himſelf of the performance; Hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him for the help of his countenance.
In all which, is lively deſcribed unto us the combate and tentation that a good man undergoes in a ſpiritual deſertion, who finds a great difficulty to ſtruggle at the ſame time with deſpair and hope; who yet at laſt conquers through faith, and kiſſes the promiſes.
3. His conflict renews.But as yet Davids combate is not over; for he renews his complaint, Lucta recurſat & trahitur ad novas pugnas; Ver. 6 he exclaims again, and ingenuouſly confeſſeth, how he is affected, O my God, my ſoul is cast down within me; of which he aſſigns two cauſes.The cauſes.
1. That though he was ready to ſerve and remember his God, yet that he was forced to do it in an improper place, at Jordan, at Hermon; 'twas his grief, that there, and not at Zion, he muſt remember it: Therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the Hill Mizar.
2. Then the greatneſs and continual ſucceſſion of his troubles: Deep calls upon deep; Ver. 7 calamity calls upon calamity, and one temptation treads upon the heels of another, ſo that I have juſt cauſe to think, All thy waves and billows, all kind of afflictions, are gone over me.
4. His Faith in it.And yet he deſpairs not, he caſts not away his hope and confidence for all that, but again cloſeth with his God, and encourageth himſelf in his mercy: Yet, I know, the Lord will command his loving-kindneſs in the day-time: Ver. 8 A day of deliverance there will be, when there ſhall be a Mandat from his mercy for my good, and therefore even now, in the night-ſeaſon, even in this night of trouble:
1. His ſong ſhall be with me.
2. And my prayer unto the God of my life.Upon which he takes heart.
5. Upon which he grows more bold, couragious, confident, and fuller of life and ſpirit, and again expoſtulates, not now with his ſoul, as before, but with his God; I will ſay unto God, my Rock. Ver. 9
1. Why haſt thou forgotten me? for ſo much my carnal part preſents to me.
2. Why go I thus mourning, becauſe of the oppreſſion of the enemy?
3. Why am I thus wounded with grief? For, as with a Sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they ſay daily unto me, Where is thy God? Ver. 10 No Sword cuts ſo deep as this taunt: Omnes dolores leves, preterquam tum carendum quod erat.
6. But in the cloſe, after all his complaints and expoſtulations, And quiets his ſoul.he quiets his ſoul (as every good man ought in the like viciſſitudes of trial and combate) by a full aſſurance, faith, confidence of Gods favour and protection.
1. Chiding himſelf for his diſcontent and diffidence: Why art thou caſt down O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me?
2. Then encourageth and revives his heart upon Gods goodneſs and faithfulneſs: Hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.