Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 2 · Psalm 64
PSAL. LXIV. foreign.
THE Subject of this Pſalm is the ſame with many that went before; for in this Pſalm:
1. David being in danger by Saul, and his Courtiers, commends his cauſe to God, ver. 1, 2.
2. Complains of his enemies, of whoſe qualities he gives a a very lively deſcription, from ver. 3. to 7.
3. He foretels their ruine, from ver. 7. and the event, to 10.
1. He prayes in general, Hear my voyce, O God, in my prayer.The firſt part. He prayes.
2. Then in ſpecial, That his life may be ſafe: Preſerve my life from fear of the enemy. Ver. 1
3. As alſo to be hid from their counſels and practiſes: Hide me from the ſecret counſel of the wicked, and from the inſurrection of the workers of iniquity.
Thus in general he ſpeaks of them:
1. That they were a ſort of wicked men.
2. That they were workers of iniquity.
3. That they took ſecret counſel againſt him.
4. That their counſels broke out into act, and therefore he deſires to be hid, as it were, in ſome ſecret place, where he might decline the danger, and their attempts.
2. And ſo having ſet a general character of iniquity upon them, The ſecond part. The qualities of his enemies.as a Reaſon to perſwade God to hear him, he deſcends in particular to deſcribe their villany.
1. They were great Calumniators, and falſe Accuſers of him; Ver. 3 no Sword ſharper than their tongue, no Arrow ſwifter than their falſe aſperſions; 1Calumniators.with this they were nimble to wound his credit and reputation, which he aggravates by two circumſtances.
1. That it was in ſecret.
2. That it was againſt him who was innocent and upright.
They whet their tongue like a Sword, and bend their Bowes to ſhoot their arrows, bitter words.
That they may ſhoot in the ſecret at the perfect,2Obſtinate. ſuddenly do they ſhoot at him, and fear not.
2. They were obſtinate, and confirmed in miſchief, no counſel, no perſwaſion could call them from it, ſo obdurate and hardned in it, That they incourage themſelves in an evil matter: 2. They commune, and lay their heads together, of laying of ſnares privily; where the Lyons Paw will not reach, they take the Foxes Tail.
3. Atheiſtical and impudent they are, ſecure and proud, contemners of divine juſtice: 3Atheiſtical.They ſay, Who ſhall ſee them?
4. Indefatigable they were, and carried on with an earneſt deſire to do miſchief: 4Crafty and indefatigable.They ſearch out iniquities, they accompliſh a diligent ſearch; They invent all crafty wayes to circumvent me.
5. And all this is done ſubtilly, craftily, heartily, both the inward thought, and the heart of every one of them is deep; 'tis no eaſie thing to find their intent.
3. The third part. Their puniſhment.And now he foretels their puniſhment: 2. And the event.
1. Their puniſhment was like to be haſty, ſharp, deadly, and very juſt.
1. 1Speedy.God ſhall ſhoot at them with an arrow, ſuddenly they ſhall be wounded.
2. Moſt juſt: For they ſhall make their own tongue to fall upon themſelves, verifying our Saviours words, 2Juſt.With what meaſure you mete, with the ſame it ſhall be meaſured: By their tongues they did the miſchief, by their tongues they ſhould fall.The conſequence.
2. 1On them. deſertion.The event ſhould be double: 1. In general to all: 2. In particular to the righteous.
1. Univerſally, All that ſee them, ſhould flee away; fear, deſert, forſake them.
2. 2On all, fear,And all men ſhall fear, and ſhall declare the work of God, for they ſhall then wiſely conſider it is his doing: Digitus hic Dei.
But the effect that this their puniſhment ſhall have on the righteous, will be other; viz. not only conſider it, and fear, and acknowledge his juſtice; but,
1. The righteous ſhall be glad in the Lord; rejoyce for the revenge God hath taken.3On the righteous,
2. 1Joy in God.And ſhall trust in him; that he will alwayes protect, and deliver the innocent.2Confidence.
3. 3Exultation.And all the upright in heart ſhall glory, make their boaſt of God, and tell it abroad what their God hath, what he will do for them.
The Prayer collected out of the ſixty fourth Pſalm.
THOU, O Lord, beholdeſt the miſchievous practiſes of our enemies againſt us, from thée it is not hid, how they whet their tongues as a Sword, and ſhoot out their arrows, even bitter words, ſecretly they wound us that are of a true heart, and ſuddenly they aim, and hurt us, that have not deſerved it from their hands: They are obſtinate, and confirmed in miſchief, They take counſel together, and encourage themſelves, privily they lay ſnares for us, being deſtitute of any fear of thée our God, or careleſs of the law of man; indefatigable they are in their wayes, and every day ſearching new deviſes to ruine us; the inward thought of every one of them, and their heart, are deep and unſearchable.
But O God, thou art our God, to thée we flie for help, hear our prayers, O God, preſerve our life from fear of the enemy; hide as from the ſecret counſel of the wicked, and from the inſurrections of the workers of iniquity; make their own tongue to fall upon themſelves, ſhoot at them with a ſwift arrow, that ſuddenly they may be wounded.
Then ſhall all thoſe that lay to heart their puniſhment, be amazed, and flie from them; all men ſhall fear, and declare the work of God, and wiſely conſider, and lay to heart, thy power and juſtice, in the ſtrange puniſhment of wicked men.
But as for the righteous, having had experience of thy goodneſs in the fréeing of the innocent, he ſhall be glad in the Lord, and truſt in thee his God; and being ſecure in thy Providence and Protection, and conſcious to the uprightneſs of his own ſoul, he ſhall glory, and make his boaſt of thee all day long. Amen.