Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 13
13. MEM.
DAƲID in this Section ſhewes his great affection to the Law of God. The Contents. Davids affection to Gods Word.2. And the many benefits and fruits he reaped from it.
1. His affection is declared in the firſt verſe, which he pathetically expreſſeth.
1. Ver. 1 O how I love thy Law; wherein he calls God himſelf to be Judge of his love, witneſſing thereby, that it was no counterfeit love, but compleat and ſincere.
2. And he proves that which he ſayes. The nature of true love is, to converſe with, and think on the thing beloved, and it uſeth all means to obtain it: So David here proves his love to God, by the love he bears to his Law, and his love to his Word, by the thoughts he had on it: All the day long is my meditation in it. I think, ſpeak, or do little elſe all the day.
2. 2The Encomium of it firſt.And now he enters upon his Encomium, or praiſe of Gods Word, from the admirable effects that it might have in them who will meditate in it, of which he makes himſelf the inſtance. This he amplifies, by comparing himſelf with three kinds of men, his Enemies, his Teachers, the Ancients, than all which he grew wiſer by this meditation.
1. Ver. 2 Thou through thy Commandments haſt made me wiſer than mine enemies. The Law of God being well thought on, 1It made him wiſer than his enemies.teacheth a man what, how, where, and when to ſpeak, or to be ſilent, to act, or deſiſt; which wiſdom Davids enemies wanted; he was then wiſer than they. A great controverſie there is, who is the wiſe man, the godly man, or the Machivilian; Gods Word will eaſily decide it.
2. His Reaſon, why he was wiſer, is: For they are ever with me, thy Commandments alwayes by me, and at hand to be my Counſellors.
Again, Ver. 3 ſecondly, I have more underſtanding than all my Teachers; for thy Teſtimonies are my meditation: 2Than his Teachers.Which though it may ſeem to be arrogantly ſpoken, yet it is not; for it is no new thing for him that was ſometimes a Scholar, to outgo and excel his Maſter; yea, and there be many that will take upon them to be Maſters to teach others, that which they never learned themſelves. It is of practical knowledge David ſpeaks, and in this it was no hard thing to exceed his Teachers.
And yet again thirdly, I understand more than the Ancients. Ver. 4 He means not Adam, Noah, Abraham, &c. or any of thoſe Ancient Worthies; 3Than the Ancients.but thoſe old men with whom he lived, who were but grandaevi pueri, being grown in years, but not in knowledge and piety: He was wiſer than their gray hairs, becauſe he kept Gods precepts, meditated in them, and daily practiſed them.
3. Another Encomium he gives to Gods Word, is, 2The ſecond Encomium of Gods Word.That it is of power to keep from ſin, and for that he gives an inſtance in himſelf alſo.
1. I have refrained my feet. Ver. 5 Davids wiſdom conſiſted not in a bare ſpeculation, but in practice, he refrained from evil; It keeps from ſin.he took no delight in walking in wicked wayes.
2. I have refrained from every evil way. He knowes not what it is to reſiſt ſin, that reſiſts not every ſin; that is, fights not againſt, and do his utmoſt endeavour to refrain it, and take heed of it, and ſubdue it, if poſſible.
3. And this reſiſtance makes us ſtronger, and more able to keep Gods Word; whereas tranſgreſſion diminiſheth our ſpiritual light and ſtrength, whence David ſaith, I have refrained from every evil way, that I might keep thy Word.Which he aſcribes to Gods grace.
Now leſt that any man ſhould think that David aſcribed this praiſe of godlineſs to himſelf, or that it came from any goodneſs in him, that he did refrain, he gives all the glory to God in the next verſe; proteſting, becauſe God did teach and enable him, therefore he declined not.
I have not declined, or departed from thy judgments, Ver. 6 for thou hast taught me.
4. A third Encomium of Gods Law is, 3The third Encomium of Gods Word.That it brings great pleaſure to thoſe that keep it, of which David having experience, cries out, O how ſweet are thy words unto my taſte, yea, ſweeter than honey unto my mouth. Ver. 9 I have a feeling of them, I deſire to ſpeak of them to others. From the pleaſure it brings to theThe words of God written in the heart, are more taſteful and pleaſant to the conſcience, becauſe they quiet it, than honey can be to the palate.
And in the laſt verſe, he proves what he ſaid, 1Conſcience.by two excellent benefits he reaped by it; the one was underſtanding in his mind, 2Underſtanding.the other ſanctification of his affections.
1. Through thy precepts I get underſtanding; I am by them become learned, Ver. 8 wiſe, prudent; he was of good underſtanding of himſelf, 3Sanctification of the affections.but he prefers this light.
2. Therefore; becauſe I love thy Law, I hate every falſe way; whether it be a falſe Religion, or evil manners; his affections were ſanctified by it, which begot in him a ſtrong confidence, from which did ariſe in his ſoul joy, peace, and tranquility, which is to be preferr'd before all treaſures and pleaſures.
The Prayer.
O Gracious God, Ver. 1 I want words to expreſs that love which I bear unto thy Law, O how ſweet are thy words unto my taſte, yea, Ver. 7 they are ſweeter than honey unto my mouth; Ver. 1 and this is the reaſon that thoſe houres of the day which others miſpend upon banities and pleaſures, Ver. 3 I ſpend in the meditation of thy Commandments. Ver. 2
Through thy precepts it is, that I get underſtanding; Ver. 8 by thy Commandments, I am become wiſer than my enemies, of more underſtanding than my Teachers, more prudent than the Ancients, who are full of years, but not of wiſdom, becauſe they know not what to practiſe, or will not practiſe what they know.
Be thou, O Lord, my Maſter, and perfect thy work, give me more knowledge, Ver. 6 and teach me ſtill, ſo I ſhall not depart from thy judgments. Let thy Commandments be ever with me, alwayes in my memory, alwayes in my heart, Ver. 2 and ſo I ſhall not only refrain my féet, which I deſire, from any one, but from every evil way; Ver. 5 ſo ſhall I carry a perfect hatred to every falſe way. Grant, O Lord, that I may beſtow that little remainder of my time I have, to live in vertuous and religious actions to the glory of thy Name, Ver. 8 and the ſalvation of my own ſoul by thy mercy, and the merits of my Lord and Saviour, Ieſus Chriſt.