Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 1
PSAL. CXIX. ALEPH.
IN this firſt Octonary, The Contents.the Prophet commends to us the Law of God, and perſwades to the practice of it, by two Arguments. The firſt is happineſs, ver. 1, 2. The ſecond is, the excellency of the Law-giver, ver. 4.
2. He ſhewes his affection to this Law, deſiring grace to keep it, ver. 5. upon which he knew there would follow a double effect.
1. Peace in Conſcience: He ſhould not be aſhamed and confounded, ver. 6.David perſwades to obedience.
2. Thankfulneſs to God for his teaching, ver. 7.
3. He acquaints us with his Reſolution, if God ſhould aſſiſt him, ver. 8.
Bleſſed are they who are undefiled in the way, Ver. 1 who walk in the Law of the Lord.
Bleſſed are they that keep his Teſtimonies, Ver. 2 and ſeek him with their whole heart.
They alſo do no iniquity, they walk in his wayes.
1. The firſt argument, Bleſſedneſs.The firſt Argument the Prophet uſeth to perſwade men to obedience, is Bleſſedneſs; which is ſo true, that godlineſs hath the promiſe of this life, and that which is to come; eternal and temporal felicity depend upon it. He then that would be happy, muſt be obedient; and his obedience, if true, may be thus diſcerned.
1. Ver. 1 He muſt be undefiled in the way: Ʋia is vita; and he muſt keep himſelf as much as may be from the dirt and filth of ſin.To whom it belongs, viz. the obedient.
2. He muſt walk in the Law of the Lord, not after the Law of the fleſh. The Law of God is the Rule of our Faith, Life, Worſhip, and he muſt not decline to the right hand, nor to the left, neither be Heretick, vitious man, ſuperſtitious, idolatrous.
3. He must keep his Testimonies: Search out what God in his Word teſtifies to him, and keep it.
4. Ver. 2 He must ſeek him with a whole heart: Not ſuperficially, not hypocritically; ſearch his Law to the utmoſt, both what it bids, and what it forbids. Enquire out the ſenſe of the whole Law, and the mind of the Law-giver, and then obſerve it in ſincerity and integrity, which hypocrites do not.
5. Ver. 3 The alſo do no iniquity; i. e. They are no workers of iniquity with purpoſe of heart. 2. Delight. 3. With perſeverance and continuance.
6. They walk in his way. They that work iniquity, walk a contrary way. They that through infirmity and ignorance offend, walk beſides the way: But holy men walk in the wayes of God, becauſe their will is to keep Gods Law, habitually they remain in it; and when they erre and wander, by repentance and confeſſion they quickly return again to it.Secunda Ratio, The Authority of the Lawgiver.
2. The Prophets ſecond Argument to perſwade obedience, is from the Authority of the Law-giver. All mans diſobedience to Gods Law, proceeds either out of Rebellion, or Oblivion; they either forget, or contemn the Law-giver: That then our obedience may be the better fixed, David brings to our mind who is the Authour of this Law, and from whom the Command came; they are not the Commands of men, but of God; and that God, who may lay what Commands he pleaſeth, and exact obedience from his ſervants.
Thou haſt commanded that we keep thy Commandments diligently.
1. Thou, who knoweſt when we erre, and wilt revenge when we do amiſs. Ver. 4
2. Hast commanded: Not only counſelled, but abſolutely commanded.
3. That we keep thy Commandments: They may not be diſpenſed with, or broken at our pleaſure.
4. Diligently: Not negligently, lazily; for curſed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently; but with great care and zeal: For Satan is diligent in tempting, we are weak and infirm; and if there be not diligence uſed, we are like to fall; and being fallen, 'tis not ſo eaſie to riſe: A wound is ſooner made, than healed.
3. The bleſſedneſs promiſed to the keepers of Gods Law, Davids prayer for grace to obey.and the Authority of the Law-giver commanding ſo ſtrictly that his Law be obſerved, moved the Prophet to ſend forth this ardent prayer: Ver. 5
O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ſtatutes.
1. David was a Prince, a great King, and yet he deſires to be obedient; much more others.
2. He anſwers Gods Command with a prayer; what he commands, he ſeeks grace to do it. Domine da quod jubes, & jube quod vis.
3. Oh that my wayes were directed; my counſels, my actions, ſpeeches conformable to the regularity and ſtraitneſs of thy Law.
4. He knew of himſelf he cannot be ſo cloſely united to God, as he ought; that his God and he have but one way, and therefore he prayes to be directed. Ver. 6
Which prayer of his, if it pleaſed God to hear, Three effects.then he knew well that two excellent effects, or three rather, would follow upon it, with which he was much affected.
1. Such a quietneſs in ſoul, 1Peace of conſcience.and boldneſs to appear at the Throne of Grace.
1. Then ſhall I not be confounded, nor aſhamed to appear before thee. Whereas if his wayes were diſtorted and crooked, and not conformable to the Will of the Law-giver, and equity of his Law, he ſhould be ſtrangely amazed to appear in his ſight, flie from his preſence, as did Adam; for that's the fruit of diſobedience.
2. Whereas if God granted him his wiſh, and directed his wayes to keep his ſtatutes, he ſhould not find any amazement in his conſcience, while he had a care, that his obedience were univerſal and total, not to one Commandment, but to all. I ſhall not be confounded, Ver. 7 while I have reſpect to all thy Commandments: An eye to them, a care to keep them in all my actions, even when I weakly break them.
2. And this effect will produce another fruit yet, viz. a joyful and a thankful heart.
1. I will praiſe thee: Give thee thanks and praiſe for thy grace and aſſiſtance.
2. 2Thankfulneſs.With uprightneſs of heart. His tongue only ſhould not praiſe God, but his heart alſo, and it ſhould be well-tuned, no diſcord in it; for it ſhould be upright and honeſt.
3. But this could not be done, till God had taught him, and therefore he adds, I will praiſe thee when I ſhall have learned thy righteous judgments. Learned; not to know them only in my underſtanding, but learned to love them, and approve them as the moſt perfect rule of life; which love cannot be had, but by the infuſion of thy Spirit of Grace.
3. Ver. 8 And that which follows upon this, will be a reſolution, a firm purpoſe of heart to be obedient.3A Reſolution to be obedient.
1. I will keep thy ſtatutes: So I am fully reſolved, ſo I have decreed with my ſelf; and it is a great help to godlineſs, to reſolve to live a godly life; for how ſhall that be performed, which is not firſt concluded.
2. And yet this concluſion he makes not without God, it had been over-much boldneſs to reſolve without Gods aſſiſtance, and therefore he reſolves conditionally, and prayes, O for ſake me not utterly. This I am reſolved on, but then thou O God again muſt not leave me utterly deſtitute of thy grace and help; for without it, I can do nothing. And if at any time in thy juſt judgment thou ſhalt deſert me, that I may know mine own weakneſs, and learn the better to flie to thee, and rely on thee, yet let it not be an utter deſertion, For ſake me not, uſque minis, uſque-quaque, over-long.
The Prayer.
THOU, Ver. 4 O Lord, who ſolely haſt over us a Legiſlative power, haſt given us a Law in Mount Sinai, and interpreted it upon the Mountain to thy Diſciples, and not counſelled, but commanded us to kéep thy precepts with all care and diligence. Of our ſelves, how unable are we to perform it, it is thy aſſiſtance and thy grace that muſt make us obedient, give therefore what thou commandeſt, Ver. 5 and then command what thou wilt. O that our wayes, our actions, ſpéeches, and counſels, were ſo directed by thy Spirit, that we might keep thy ſtatutes.
Lord, Ver. 6 I am reſolv'd to keep thy ſtatutes, I have decréed with my ſelf to have reſpect unto all thy Commandments; but then thou muſt be my Maſter to teach me; for it is from thy Spirit alone that I muſt learn to love and approve thy righteous judgments; for want of which love, if thou at any time doſt deſert me, ſo that acknowledging mine own weakneſs and inability, I may flie to thée for grace, O forſake me not over-long; becauſe being deſtitute of thy grace and help, I am able to do nothing. Ʋpon every ſlip and fall, then reſtore unto me the light of thy countenance, ſo ſhall I not be amazed and confounded in my conſcience, while I have reſpect to all thy Commandments; ſo ſhall I praiſe thée for thy grace and aſſiſtance with an upright, and an honeſt heart, becauſe thou haſt taught me to love and approve thy righteous judgments.
Make me, Ver. 1 O Lord, undefiled in thy way, and to walk in thy Law, teach me to kéep thy Teſtimonies, Ver. 2 and to ſéek thée with my whole heart; never ſuffer me with purpoſe of heart to adhere to, or with content to delight, or with conſtancy to continue in the works of iniquity; but let my will be bent to kéep thy Law, and walk in thy wayes, that I may be bleſſed; bleſſed in this life, and in that which is to come. Amen.