Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 3 · Psalm 79
PSAL. LXXIX. foreign.
THIS Pſalm was compoſed, when the Church was oppreſſed, as ſome conceive by Antiochus; certain it is, it was in a very diſtreſſed condition. And it hath
Theſe parts, Ʋiz.
1. A Complaint for the deſolation of Jeruſalem, from verſ. 1. to 5.
2. A Deprecation of Gods anger, verſ. 5.
3. A twofold Petition.
1. Againſt the enemies of the Church, verſ. 6, 7, 10, 11, 12.
2. For the Church, verſ. 8, 9.
4. A Doxology, verſ. 13.
1. The Complaint is very bitter, and riſeth by many degrees.The firſt part. The Complaint bitter, and amplified by a foreign.
1. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance. The Antitheſis is elegant: The heathen, thoſe Wolves, impure beaſts, are come into thy Land, thy peculiar.
2. Thy Holy Temple have they defiled. Vers. 1 Prophaned the place conſecrated to thy ſervice.
3. They have laid Jeruſalem on heaps. Funditus deleverunt. Vers. 2
4. Their cruelty they have exerciſed upon the Dead. The dead bodies of thy Servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the aire, the fleſh of thy Saints to the beaſts of the Land. Vers. 3
5. A ſecond part of their cruelty, was, that they made no more reckoning to let out the life-blood of a man, than of ſo much water. Their blood have they ſhed like water round about Jeruſalem.
6. They wanted a grave. And there was none to bury them.
7. Vers. 4 And to make up the full meaſure of their calamities, their enemies looked on, and ſcoffed at it. We are become a reproach to our Neighbours, a ſcorn and deriſion to them that are round about us.
2. The ſecond part.The miſery being fully decipher'd in this pathetical Complaint, next the Pſalmist acknowledgeth the cauſe of their calamity, and expoſtulates with God.The cauſe, Gods anger.
1. The cauſe was, Gods anger and jealouſie.
2. Vers. 5 He expoſtulates with God about it, and deprecates it. How long, O Lord, About which he expoſtulates with God.wilt thou be angry for ever? ſhall thy jealouſie burn like fire? i.e. Ceſsairaſci.
3. The third part. And prayes,And now he begins his Prayer, which is two-fold. Firſt, Againſt the enemy.
1. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the Kingdoms that have not call'd on thy name. 1For vengeance to fall on the enemy, for their cruelty.Not upon us, but on them.
2. And he adds the reaſon, and 'tis a reaſon of weight, in which he reſpects not himſelf, but Gods people. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waſte his dwelling place.
The other part of his Prayer, 2For the Church.is for pardon and help for the Church.
1. He ſaid, verſ. 5. that God was angry, and anger ariſeth from ſin. Firſt then he begs remiſſion.1Remiſſion.
1. O remember not againſt us our former iniquities.
2. Let thy tender mercies ſpeedily prevent us. Ratio. For we are brought very low.
2. 2Help.And then he prayes for help. Help us, O God, of our Salvation: uſing the moſt powerful Argument, Gods glory, Help us for the glory of thy name.
3. Which both he conjoins. His Arguments to prevail with God.Then joins both together. Deliver us, and purge away our ſins for thy Names ſake.
And now he adds to his firſt reaſon, viz. Gods glory; two more, why he deſires ſudden help, which are, The Blaſphemy of the heathen. 2. The Miſery of his people at this time.That if not delivered, the enemy would Blaſpheme.
1. If they were not delivered, the enemy was like to blaſpheme, and ſay; Now wherefore ſhould the heathen ſay, Where is their God? Therefore, Let him be known among the heathen in our ſight, by the revenge of the blood of thy Servants which is ſhed.
2. That their condition was miſerable.Our caſe is miſerable, we are an object of pity. Let then the ſighing of the priſoners come before thee according to the greatneſs of thy power; preſerve thou thoſe that are appointed to dye.
3. And, thirdly, render unto our neighbours ſeven-fold into their boſomes, i.e. largely; even the reproach with which they have reproached thee, O Lord.
4. The fourth part.The Vote or Obligation to be thankful for the deliverance.
1. So we that be thy people, and ſheep of thy paſture, ſhall give thee thanks for ever.The Doxology for their deliverance.
2. We will ſhew forth thy praiſe to all generations We thy people, thy ſheep, will do it. For praiſe is not comely nor acceptable out of the mouth of a ſinner.
The Prayer collected out of the ſeventy ninth Pſalm.
O Merciful God, and loving Father, thou haſt choſen us from among all people to be thine inheritance, and haſt omitted nothing either for our inſtruction, or future happineſs; Thou haſt written unto us the wonderful things of thy Law, thou haſt open'd to us the Myſteries of thy Goſpel, thou haſt waſhed us with water, and fed us with the fleſh and blood of thy Son. But with ſhame and confuſion of face we confeſs before thee, that we have walkt unworthy of ſo great mercies; and unthankful wretches as we are, have been diſobedient to thy holy Will.
For this thy wrath and jealouſie is juſtly kindled againſt us, and it hath brought in a cruel and barbarous enemy upon us. Vers. 1 Theſe infidels and miſcreants, O Lord, by thy permiſſion, have invaded that people, whom thou haſt choſen for thy inheritance. They have prophaned, with their imaginations, and waſted, without any reverence, thy holy Temples, and they have laid upon heaps Jeruſalem, Vers. 2 thoſe houſes which were dedicated and conſecrated to thy honour. Neither hath their fury only extended to theſe material buildings, but they have ſhew'd their rage againſt the dead bodies of thy Saints, ſometimes the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt. Theſe they have not ſuffered to be brought with honour to the grave, and to be gathered to their fathers in peace, but have given them to be meat to the fowls of the air, and the beaſts of the Land. While they liv'd, they made no more account of their blood, than of ſo much water, that being ſpilt upon the ground, cannot be gather'd up again, and therefore, without any commiſeration, they have poured it but round about Jeruſalem.
Which affliction falling thus heavy upon us, and ſuffered by us, when our Neighbours, that are enemies to thy truth, behold, they deride and mock us, to them we are become a Proverb of reproach, a ſcorn and a deriſion to them that are round about us, not without the ignominy of thy Name, in which they boaſt that we have bellev'd in vain.
But, O Lord, how long? how long wilt thou be angry with us? for ever? ſhall thy jealouſie and hot indignation be continually kindled, and burn againſt us like a mighty fire that waſtes and devoures all before it. O let thy wrath ceaſe from the ſhéep of thy paſture! And if thou wilt be angry ſtill, pour out thy indignation upon the barbarous, bloody, and blaſphemous people that have not known thée, or if known, diſhonour'd thée, and empty thy vials upon their heads, who have not call'd upon thy name, or if called, yet hypocritically, and ſo lyed unto thée. Theſe are the people, that have devoured Jacob thy ſervant, theſe have laid waſte his dwelling place. Let them not eſcape thy fury, and force them to drink up the dregs of that Cup, which is in thy hand, and wring put the lées of it.
We beſéech thée therefore for thy mercies ſake, and at the interceſſion of thy beloved Son our Lord, that thou would'ſt not remember our former iniquities, which we and our fathers have committed againſt thée, but that paſſing by our demerits, thy tender mercies would ſpéedily prevent us, (now that we are brought very low) before we are utterly conſumed. Help us therefore now, O God of our ſalvation, to thée we fly, to thée we cry, help us, and deliver us, and that not for our ſelves (for we have juſtly deſerv'd thy wrath) but for the glory of thy name. For it will much redound to the honour of thy name, that ſuch ſinners, ſuch men, ſo low, ſo diſconſolate and helpleſs, ſhould be ſaved. Come therefore, O Lord, and deliver us, and purge away our ſins for thy Names ſake.
If we now periſh under our enemies hands, they will not inſult only over us, but thée; ask they will in ſcorn and deriſion, Where now is their God? He is either ſo impotent, that he cannot, or ſo cruel, that he will not deliver thoſe whom he calls his people, out of our hands. Oh why ſhould the heathen ſay this? or blaſpheme thus? Be therefore, O Lord, known among the heathen in our ſight, by the revenge thou takeſt for the blood of thy ſervants which is ſhed. O let the ſighs and groans of thoſe who are led Captive, and now in priſon, come before thee, and by the greatneſs of thy power, preſerve us, the remainder and ſons of thoſe who have béen ſlain, from death; And to our malicious Neighbours, Vers. 12 who have adjoyn'd themſelves to our enemies, and glory at our calamity, render ſeven-fold unto them; as they have reproached us, ſo let them be a reproach.
So we, that thou haſt honour'd to be thy people, and choſen to be the ſheep of thy paſture, ſhall give thee thanks for ever; So ſhall we be encouraged, to ſhew forth thy praiſe from generation to generation.