Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 10
10. JOD.
IN this Section, The Contents. 1. He prayes for underſtanding. And perſwades it, becauſe his creature.David prayes for underſtanding, comfort, mercy. 2. And uſeth many Arguments to perſwade God unto it.
1. In the firſt verſe, he petitions for underſtanding, and labours to perſwade God unto it, becauſe he was his Creature, made and faſhioned by him.
1. Thy hands have made me, and faſhioned me; I am thy workmanſhip. Ver. 1 Thy Power, thy Wiſdom (which are as it were Gods two hands) made me, when I was not; made me a living ſoul, and faſhioned all my joynts, bones, ligatures, ſinewes, tendons, muſcles, &c. in my mothers womb.
2. Therefore give me underſtanding: He means not the intellectual faculty, for that every man hath; but an underſtanding heart, a divine light, that my mind may perfectly know, learn, approve, love thy Will.
3. Give me understanding, that I may learn thy Commandments; learn the ſenſe, and love the meaning, and practice what he learned.
2. His next Argument to perſwade God to this, is, Becauſe others better for it.the benefit that thereby would redound to others, that he ordering his life according to that underſtanding that God ſhould give him, others would thereby be edified, and better'd in their lives by his example; for there is ſuch a communion and fellowſhip betwixt the members of Chriſts Body, that they mourn, and rejoyce together; the grace given to one, is a joy to the reſt.
They that fear thee, will be glad when they ſee me, Ver. 2 becauſe I have hoped in thy Word.
3. His third Argument is, his ingenous confeſſion, Becauſe his own fault, if deſerted.that he himſelf was in the fault, and not God; if he were at any time deſerted and deſtitute of this divine light.
1. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, Ver. 3 if at any time I be void of grace.
2. And that thou, in faithfulneſs, in thy juſtice, haſt afflicted me, becauſe I have ſo deſerved, and therefore I complain not of thy juſtice, but flie to thy mercy, and ſay.
2. And this is his ſecond Petition, Let, I pray thee, Ver. 4 thy merciful kindneſs be for my comfort, according to thy Word. 2He prayes for mercy to comfort him. Upon Gods promiſe.He had had experiment of Gods juſtice and equity in afflicting him for not keeping his Law, and therefore to comfort him, he begs mercy; being deſtitute of grace, he broke the Law, this diſheartned him; but if again God would beſtow him ſo much grace, that he might keep it, this would comfort him; which, that God might be moved more readily to beſtow, he puts him in mind of his promiſe, let it be according to thy Word.
2. And for this mercy he was ſo earneſt and fervent, that he prayes for it again, Ver. 5 Let thy tender mercies come unto me: But if we mark it, in this verſe he ſeeks for another kind of mercy than he ſought before; then he ſought for mercy to comfort him in his troubles, now he ſeeks for mercy to live, and ſin no more.
1. Let thy tender mercies come to me, that I may live, To live the life of grace.that I may live the life of grace, which is the ready way to the life of glory, Matth. 19.17.
2. For thy Law is my delight: To live according to thy Will, is that I delight in.
3. A third Petition he puts up, not againſt, but for his enemies; 3He prayes for his enemies.for ſhame is often the Corrector of ſin; he that is aſhamed of what he hath done, will not do it again; and therefore he prayes in this Form.
1. Let the proud be aſhamed; adding a Reaſon, Ver. 6 that ſhewes their malice.
2. For they have dealt perverſly with me, without cauſe, no cauſe at all I gave them; but they have dealt perverſly, wittingly, and willingly; not by chance, nor out of ignorance, nor upon inanimadvertence, but on full purpoſe of heart, they have wrong'd me, and ſought to withdraw me from the right way.
3. But I will meditate in thy precepts. I will be conſtant in thy Truth ſtill, and perſevere in my integrity. Ver. 7
4. 4And that he may find comfort from the godly.A fourth Petition he yet offers, that however he found trouble and diſcomfort from the wicked, yet he might comfort from the godly: Let ſuch as fear thee, turn unto me, and thoſe that have known thy Teſtimonies. Gods Church is a Communion of Saints, and to them God hath ſo diſtributed his graces, that one ſtands in need of another; where one doubts, anothers light may reſolve him; one grieves, another may comfort him; one tempted, another may uphold or reſtore him. Ver. 8 This company then David would have joyned to him, and he to them, for theſe ends.
5. 5He prayes for grace and ſincerity.Laſtly, he petitions for that which he had often ſought, grace and ſincerity, that he may nor in this, nor another life be aſhamed to appear before his God. Let my heart be ſound in thy statutes, that I be not ſhamed. Hypocriſie and rottenneſs of heart, will be the mother of ſhame; Sincerity and uprightneſs will make a man bold before God and man. The righteous is as bold as a Lyon.
This Section is a continued prayer, and therefore there needs no other.