Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 15
15. SAMECH.
IN this Section, The Contents.David,
1. Declares his hatred to wickedneſs, his deteſtation of wicked men.
2. Expreſſes his love to Gods Law.
3. And prayes for the grace of God to ſuſtain him in it, that be may be quickned according to Gods promiſe, nor fruſtrated of his hope, but perſevere unto the end.
Laſtly, He inſults over his enemies, and foretells their deſtruction.
1. 1David ſhews his hatred of wickedneſs.David ſhewes his diſlike to all things contrary to Gods Law.
1. I hate vain inventions: Not only execution of evil, but the invention, even the very beginnings of it. New inventions in his Worſhip, new gloſſes and interpretations contrary to the Text, Ver. 1 David hates; not diſlikes only, 1His Reaſons.1His love to Gods Law.but hates.
2. But thy Law do I love: And becauſe I love thy Law, I hate vain inventions.2God a ſhield to him.
3. And there is great reaſon I ſhould do ſo: For thou art my hiding place, and my ſhield.
1. Ver. 2 My hiding place, That publick evils do not reach me.
2. My ſhield, to keep off blowes that are nearly made at me; in both my hope is in thy Word.
2. To God then and his Law he would adhere in all extremities; 2And to ill men, whom he avoids.but as for all wicked men, he would be ſure to ſunder from them, he knew he ſhould get no good by their company, and therefore he turns to them, and bids them avaunt.
1. D part from me ye evil doers; for ye are the peſts of piety.
2. And your courſe and mine are contrary; you go one way, and I another; you follow your own inventions, Ver. 3 but I will keep the Commandments of my God.
3. Now David being fully perſwaded that he had a peculiar intereſt in God, He prayes that God uphold him in this reſolution.turns himſelf to prayer, and not without reaſon; for our intentions and reſolutions are nothing, except God bleſs them; and therefore David prayes.
1. Uphold me according to thy Word, that I may live, Ver. 4 and let me not be aſhamed of my hope. Ver. 5
2. Hold thou me up, and I ſhall be ſafe, and I will have reſpect to thy statutes continually. There is in Gods children an inſtability of love and obedience, apt they are to cool and fall; neceſſary then it is, that they pray with David, that God uphold them in life, He did well in hating them, by Gods example.that they being conjoyned to him in love, to hold them up when they ſlip and ſtumble, that they fall not.
4. And that he did well in hating wicked men, he now proves it, Ver. 6 in that therein he followed the example of God, in which he could not chooſe but do well.
1. Thou, ſaith he, haſt trodden down, trampled under thy feet, as vile creatures, all that erre from thy statutes.
2. For their deceit is falſhood: They deceive themſelves in their wickedneſs; for either they conceive, that they need nor be ſubject to the Law of God, or that they look for a good in ſin, which ſin promiſeth, but they ſhall never find; or elſe they flatter themſelves with a vain hope to eſcape Gods judgment, which yet at laſt ſhall certainly overtake them.
3. This laſt is certain, and David in the next verſe expreſſeth ſo much: Ver. 7 Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth, as droſs; for no better they are in Gods account; they eſteem Gods children for foreign, but they are ſo, and for ſuch ſhall be dealt with, and ſcowred away.
4. Therefore I love thy Teſtimonies; therefore, that I may avoid this judgment.
5. How by the judgments of God, he profited in the love of his Teſtimonies, he ſhew'd in the end of the former verſe; in this he ſhewes how he profited in his fear.
My fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments. Ver. 8
Happy is he, that by other mens harms, learns to be wiſe and godly. A …on, Whom he fearswhen he ſees a Slave whip't, may learn not to offend his father. The beginning of wiſdom, is the fear of the Lord; and we are to work out our ſalvation with fear and trembling. Our love in this life is imperfect, and therefore it may, nay, muſt conſiſt with fear; nay, which is more, the love of God will never be kept in our hearts, but by the fear of God; and therefore this verſe is read, Confige timore tuo carnes meas. Faſten, as with Nails, my luſtful affections to the Croſs of Chriſt, that they have no liberty to move, to go looſe, and wander where they pleaſe, Gal. 5.24. 'Tis then, as if David had ſaid, becauſe I have begun to be afraid of thy judgments that bring heavy puniſhments on wicked men, therefore I deſire to be eſtabliſhed in this holy and filial fear, and never to be ſevered from it. Over-much familiarity breeds contempt; a true conception of Gods Juſtice and Majeſty begets Reverence.
The Prayer.
O moſt holy God, Ver. 1 and merciful Father, it is not unknown to thée, how I love thy Law; thy eyes that ſéeſt the very ſecrets of the heart, are conſcious, that my fleſh trembleth for fear of thée, and that I am afraid of thy judgments. When I behold, how thou haſt trodden down all that erre from thy ſtatutes; how thou putteſt away all the wicked of the earth like droſs; my heart in …he midſt of my body is become like melting wax, which every moment preſents unto me my ſin, and what I have deſerved. Let their ſufferings be my inſtructions, and thy wrath executed on them, be an admonition to me ever hereafter, to love, to keep thy Teſtimonies. Lord, I deſire to be eſtabliſhed in this holy and filial fear, and to work out my ſalvation with fear and trembling.
Which, that I may bring to good effect, Lord, up…old me according to thy Word, that I may live the life of grace. I hope in thy Word, let me not be aſhamed of my hope. Thou art my God, and I will keep thy Commandments; hold thou me up, and I ſhall be ſafe; ſtay me in all tentations, that I fall not; hide me under the ſhadow of thy wings, and be my ſhield, to kéep off thoſe blowes which Satan makes at me, either by himſelf, or his inſtruments; theſe preſs …ard upon me, to invegle me to a falſe Worſhip, and to joyn with them in their new coined inventions; Ver. 1 but I hate all vain thoughts: Depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the Commandments of my God. By thy grace I ſtand, and by thy grace I am what I am; O let thy grace continue with me, and accompany me through all the changes and chances of this mortal life, till it hath brought me to reſt in the boſom of my Lord and Saviour, Ieſus Chriſt. Amen.