Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 18
18. TSADDI.
IN this Octonary David again commends the Law of God from the Author, The Contents.from the equity contain'd in it, from the purity, and perpetuity of it. 2. The conſideration of which wrought in him zeal and love to it, a care to remember it, and a joy and delight in it. 3. Notwithſtanding all oppoſition.
1. Ver. 1 David being rempted to impatience and diſtruſt at the proſperity of the wicked, David in trouble comforts himſelf with Gods juſtice.comforts himſelf with the conſideration of Gods righteous Nature, Righteous art thou, O Lord; Thou altereſt not with times, thou changeſt not with perſons, thou art alwayes unto all the one and the ſame Righteous God.
2. 2He commends Gods Law as juſt.And juſt are thy Judgements, in giving rewards, and diſtributing puniſhments; righteouſneſs is ſo eſſential to thee, that thou canſt no more defraud the godly of their promiſed comforts, Ver. 2 nor let the wicked go unpuniſhed in their ſins, than deny thy ſelf to be God, which is impoſſible.
2. And from a righteous God hath proceeded a righteous Law. For God forbid that the Judge of all the world ſhould do unjuſtice.
The Teſtimonies which thou haſt commanded, are exceeding righteous, and very faithful. So that God is not only juſt in himſelf, and juſt in his retributions, but that very Law which he hath commanded us to keep, contains in it exact juſtice. The Laws of men may be unequal, but Gods Law hath in it nothing but equity and Truth; it gives liberty to no injuſtice or iniquity.
3. Shews his zeal to it.Now the firſt affection that this conſideration wrought in David, was an ardent zeal; it anger'd and griev'd him, that ſo juſt a God ſhould be diſhonored, and ſo juſt a Law forgotten. Ver. 3
1. My zeal hath even conſumed me. My zeal to thy Law, and he expreſſes the cauſe.
2. Becauſe mine enemies have forgotten thy words. I did even pine away for grief and anger that men ſhould be ſo prophane to forget ſo juſt and uſeful Laws.
4. 3Commends it as pure, like tryed gold.And now he returns to a nother commendation of Gods Law, and ſhewes another affection that from thence aroſe in him, to wit, love.
1. Ver. 4 Thy Word is very pure, or proved moſt pure. 'Tis like gold that is tried in the fire, from which all droſſe is by melting purged, Pſal. 12.6. Upon trial Gods law will be found to be far from all injuſtice. Unjuſt he is not, when he chaſtiſeth his children, for there is ſin in them; nor unjuſt he is not, when he ſuffers the wicked to flouriſh, for it is their portion. Luke 16.25. Righteous are thy judgments.
2. And ſhews his love to it.And this raiſed in David another affection, viz. Love. Therefore thy ſervant loveth it. Love in God is the fountain of all his benefits beſtowed on us, and love in man is the fountain of all our ſervice and obedience to our God. Love is ſuch a duty, that it cannot be excuſed in any, without which, all that we can do in his ſervice, is nothing. He muſt love Gods Law, becauſe it is his Law, and a juſt Law, that means to keep it: for Love is the fulfilling of the Law.
3. A third effect that this wrought in David, was, a careful remembrance of it, yea albeit he was in a mean eſtate, and for it deſpiſed by his enemies.
1. Ver. 5 I am ſmall, the youngeſt and leaſt among my brethren.
2. And his care not to forget it no not in ſad times.And deſpiſed, and little ſet by, by my brethren, Saul, &c.
3. Yet do not I forget thy precepts, nor my poverty, nor contempt can bring me to that paſſe, that I forget my duty to thee. Many there are who will profeſſe Religion as long as they ſee peace and honour followit, but rather than they will endure trouble and contempt, will utterly forſake it. Thus did not David, he kept in memory Gods Law. And indeed the firſt ſtep of defection is to forget what God hath commanded, for upon this the tranſgreſſion eaſily follows.
5. 3He commends it from the perpetuity of it.And here he interſerts a fourth commendation of Gods Law, viz. The immutability, perpetulty, and eternity of it. It is immutable, and may never be diſpenſed with, it is a righteouſneſſe, and it is everlaſting.
1. Ver. 6 Thy righteouſneſſe is an everlaſting righteouſneſſe. No man may change it, no man may diſpenſe with it, ſo long as the world ſtands, ſo long it muſt be rul'd by it.
2. Thy Law is the Truth. The Truth foreign, it hath the priority of all Lawes in this; it contains no falſhood, the promiſes and threats in it ſhall certainly be fulfilled.
6. Upon which he makes mention of a fourth effect that it produced in him, Therefore he joyes and delights in it, in his tribulation.viz. joy and delight, yea, non obſtante, all his troubles and ſorrows.
1. Trouble and anguiſh hath taken hold upon me. The righteous are often under the croſſe, that ſin may be ſubdued, Ver. 7 patience and the graces of the Spirit increaſed, the pleaſures of the world contemned, and the joyes of heaven deſired.
2. Yet thy Commandments are my delights: Yet, even in this great tribulation, the meditation of thy truth contained in thy Law doth delight me; it is the remedy againſt all my afflictions to call to mind what thou haſt promiſed, This is it that ſanctifies all afflictions to me, and makes me rejoyce in them.
7. Ver. 8 That Gods Word and Truth was everlaſting that gave him ſo much comfort and joy, that he repeats it again. 1. He repeats both. And deſires underſtanding in it.The righteouſneſſe of thy teſtimonies is everlaſting, and adds only his accuſtomed Petition unto it. 2. Give me underſtanding and I ſhall live. Live and revive in all my troubles. It is no life that men have, who are deſtitute of this knowledge, they live uncomfortably, and therefore the Word of God is contemned by none, but ſuch as know not the excellency thereof, and the comfort it brings.
The Prayer.
O Lord thou art a righteous Iudge, and thy juſtice is ſo eſſential to thée, Ver. 1 that thou canſt no more defrand thy ſervants of thy promiſed comforts, nor let the wicked eſcape unpuniſhed in their ſins, than deny thy ſelf to be God. Thou art upright in thy judgments, even in thoſe ſtripes thy children receive, and in all thoſe plagues the wicked receive at thy hands. O Lord we confeſſe that for our ſins we juſtly have deſerved to receive thoſe blowes, and yet we comfort our ſelves in this, that theſe chaſtiſements are to be but temporal, whereas the ſtripes of the wicked are like to be eternal. They may eſcape thy anger and flouriſh here, but they ſhall never flye from the wrath to come.
Now from this eternal juſtice which is in thée, hath procéeded thy Law, which is a Law of equity, for the teſtimonies which thou haſt commanded, Ver. 2 are exceeding righteous, a Law of truth having no admi…tion of vanity or falſhood, a law of purity, the fineſt gold purged from the droſſe is not purer, a perpetual and eternal law, that to all men, and at all times preſcribes their duty. Put then, O Lord, into my heart a zeal, a love to this Law, let me never forget it, but take my delight in it, even then when trouble and heavineſſe have taken hold on me.
It is not unknown unto thée, how I have béen conſumed with grief, and inflamed with anger, becauſe ungodly men have forgotten thy words, Ver. 3 this they laugh at, for this they deſpiſe me, but their milice doth but increaſe my love to thy Law, and their contempt quicken me in the memory of thy promiſes. O give me an underſtanding heart, and an inflamed ſoul to thy truth, and ſo I ſhall live quietly in the midſt of my calamities, and chearfully end my dayes in thy ſear, and by thy favour be brought at laſt to a ſafe harbour in heaven by Ieſus Chriſt my only Lord and Saviour. Amen.