Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 2 · Psalm 54
PSAL. LIV. foreign
DAƲID, in danger in the Wilderneſs of Ziph, compoſed this Pſalm.
There be 2 parts of the Pſalm.
1. His Prayer for help and ſalvation, from verſ. 1. to 4.
2. His Confidence, that he ſhould have help, and upon it his gratitude, to verſ. 7.
David preferres his Petition in the two firſt verſes.
1. Save me, plead my cauſe. Hear my prayer. The firſt part. Davids Petition.Give ear to the words of my mouth. Earneſt he is, and he ingeminates his deſire, and yet he deſires not to ſpeed, except his cauſe be juſt. Vers. 1 If ſo it appear, then he deſires God to plead it. Plead thou my cauſe.
2. He produceth two grounds upon which he petitions. The name, The ground of it.the strength of God.
1. He that calls on the Name of the Lord, ſhall be ſaved. I call, Save me in thy Name.
2. Thou art a powerful God, able to do it. Save me in thy ſtrength.
And this his Petition he quickens by the greatneſs of his danger. His enemies,The greatneſs of his danger.
1. Were ſtrangers: from them he could expect very little favour.
2. They were violent oppreſſors, formidable, cruel tyrants, and from ſuch I muſt expect no mercy.
3. Nothing can ſatisfie but my blood. They ariſe, not for me, but againſt me, and ſeek after my life.
4. They are a ſort of impious people. They have not ſet God before their eyes.
Well yet, be they Aliens, The ſecond part. In which he expreſſes his confidence.and by their works unworthy of the name of Iſraelites, formidable and cruel men, who will ſhew me no mercy; bloody-minded, whom nothing can ſatisfie, but my life. Impious and ungodly people, that remember not that God hath a revengeful eye. Yet I will not fear. For behold God openly favours me. 2. And is againſt them. Me he favours, and thoſe who are with me.
1. God is my helper. As he hath promiſed, ſo he hath done, and will do to me.
2. God is with them alſo, that ſtand for me, and uphold my ſoul. Ecce, Behold both theſe.
But he oppoſeth them, that oppoſe me. Is an enemy to them, who are mine enemies.
He ſhall reward evil to ſuch enemies that obſerve me, Vers. 5 and lay wait for my ſoul. Of which being aſſured in the Spirit of Prophecy, he imprecates.
Deſtroy thou them, And imprecates.cut them off in thy truth. Promiſed thou haſt, that it ſhall go well with the righteous, but on the ungodly thou wilt rain ſnares, fire, and brimſtone. Let God be true. Fiat juſtitia, pereat mundus. As thou haſt ſaid, Cut them off.
Now for ſo great a mercy, Vows to be thankful.David vows not to be unthankful. For this
1. He would Sacrifice, I will praiſe thy Name.
2. Vers. 6 He would do it with a cheerful ready heart, which is the fat of the Sacrifice, I will Sacrifice freely.
For which he gives two reaſons.
1. The foreign, that which internally moved him unto it. For it is good.The reaſons.
6. The foreign, occaſional, or outwardly impulſive. His deliverance.
1. For he hath deliver'd me out of all my trouble.
2. And mine eye hath ſeen, to my great admiration and content, his deſire upon my enemies. Delivered I am, they confounded.
The Prayer collected out of the fifty fourth Pſalm.
O Almighty Lord, who heardſt the cryes of thy people Iſrael, when they were oppreſſed in Egypt, Vers. 1 look upon the afflictions of us thy people, who have juſt reaſon to groan under our hard Task-Maſters, and heavy burdens. By experience we find, that all the help of man is in vain, we therefore invoke thy name, and implore thy power. Hear our prayer, O God, and give eat to the words of our mouth. Now we ſtand in néed of thy ſtrength, now we have uſe of thy powerful arm, ſince our enemies become ſtrangers to their own blood, and ſhew us no favour, are violent oppreſſors, and load us with heavy burdens, are cruel tyrants, from whom we muſt expect no mercy, are bloody men, whom nothing can ſatisfie but our lives: are a ſort of impious people, that have not ſet thee before their eyes.
O God, be thou our helper, and Saviour, and be preſent with all thoſe that fight for thée, and uphold our cauſe. Judge us, O Lord, in thy ſtrength. Thou which art terrible to the oppreſſor, and a refuge to thoſe who are injuriouſly oppreſſed, Vers. 1 ariſe in thy juſt judgement, and puniſh the wicked, and deliver the innocent. Reward evil to thoſe our enemies that obſerve our wayes, and lay wait for our ſoul. Cut them off, Lord, and deſtroy them according to the Truth of thy promiſes made to thy people. Deliver us, O Lord, out of all our troubles, and let our eyes ſee that ſevere revenge which thou wilt take upon our and thy enemies:
So will we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiving fréely and chéerfully in the midſt of the Congregation, for this is good before thy Saints; It is a pleaſant thing to them to hear and ſée, that thou art a faithful, merciful, and juſt God, true in thy promiſes, juſt in thy judgements, and merciful in the Delivery of thy people from the hand of the violent and bloody man. O my God, I will ſing of thy Name and Power for ever.