Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 2
2. BETH.
IN the firſt Octonary, The Contents.the Prophet having commended Gods Law from the Authour, and the end, which was happineſs, in theſe eight verſes following, ſets out to us the efficacy and utility of it, to a holy life, without which, that bleſſedneſs cannot be obtained.
Secondly, And alſo the means and way that every one ought to take, The profit and efficacy of Gods Word.who intends that the Law of God ſhall have that effect upon him.
1. The profit and efficacy of Gods Law, he ſets down in the firſt verſe, attributing to it a cleanſing power, and for it, he chooſeth the moſt unlikely Subject, a young man; he asks:
1. Wherewithall ſhall a young man cleanſe his way? Ver. 1 In a young man the Law of the members is moſt ſtrong; he wants experience, and cannot be ſo wiſe as an old man; he knowes not the way yet, for he is but newly ſet out, and may be miſtaken. Wherewithall then, by what art or remedy, ſhall this Novice amend the corruptions of his depraved nature, become a ſanctified perſon, refrain his paſſions, and cleanſe his way of life?
2. To which the Prophet anſwers, That the way to amend young men, and indeed all men, is, by taking heed thereto, by a careful watch over his wayes, that they be conformed according to thy Word; Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth. It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth; Gods Word is this yoke, and being born from our tender age, it will be operative, and produce a holy life.
2. It being granted, The means to attain to holineſs.that the Word of God is of this efficacy to cleanſe our way, and cauſe us to live a holy life; next, by his own example, he ſhewes the means how this holineſs may be obtained, which are many.
1. The firſt is by a diligent ſearch, and by prayer.
1. With my whole heart, earneſtly have I ſought thee. Ver. 2 It ſeems he was ſenſible of his wants; for we ſeek for that we want, 1D…ligent ſearch and prayer.and would fain have.
2. And then petitions, O let me not wander from thy Commandments. As our firſt calling, ſo our continuance in the ſtate of grace is from the Lord; David therefore prayes that God would not deſert him; for without his grace he muſt needs wander.
2. The ſecond means of Sanctification is, Ver. 3 to keep and remember what God commands, ſo did David.2Delight in Gods Word.
1. Thy words have I hid within my heart: Remembred, approved, delighted in them.
2. Yea, and reduced them to practice: The end was, that I might not ſin againſt thee.
3. The third means of Sanctification is, to bleſs God for his grace, Ver. 4 and deſire a further information, ſo doth David here.3To bleſs God for his grace, and deſire more.
1. He bleſſeth God for what he had given: Bleſſed art thou, O Lord.
2. He asks more grace: Teach me thy ſtatutes. He had Nathan, he had Prieſts to inſtruct him, himſelf was a Prophet; but all their teaching was nothing without Gods bleſſing, and therefore he prayes, Teach me; Paul may plant, &c.
4. The fourth means of Sanctification, 4Ardent love to Gods Law declared.the ardent love which men ought to bear to the Law of God, which is expreſſed in the four laſt verſes, both outwardly and inwardly.
1. Ver. 5 His love outwardly, teſtified by his mouth, to the edification of others. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 1Outwardly.He was no mute about Gods Law.
2. Ver. 6 2Inwardly, by 1. Affection.And inwardly his love was teſtified theſe wayes.
1. In his affection: I have rejoyced in the way of thy teſtimonies, as much as in all riches. They are of great eſteem with men, thy Commandments with me. Ver. 7
2. 2Meditation.In his meditation of them, which brings the Word to the mind: I will meditate in thy precepts.
3. 3Conſideration.In his conſideration; that which comes into the mind being never ſo good, if it be not conſider'd, goes as it came, whence he ſaith, I will have reſpect to thy wayes; look back upon them, and conſider them.
4. Ver. 8 In his Delectation, which ariſeth out of the other two: I will delight my ſelf in thy ſtatutes, 4Delectation.I will not forget thy Word. Having meditated, conſidered Gods ſtatutes, he will delight in them, he will never forget them.
The Prayer.
O Lord, Ver. 1 thou expecteſt from us, that we be holy as thou art holy, and that we cleanſe our polluted wayes, and take héed to order them according to thy Word: But all humane endeavour is utterly vain and unprofitable to this end, Ver. 2 except thou be preſent, and aſſiſt us by thy holy Spirit; wherefore with our whole heart we ſéek unto thée, Ver. 4 that thou wouldſt beſtow upon us grace, Ver. 3 that we may not wander from thy Commandments. Teach us, O Lord, thy ſtatutes; Ver. 5 and let us hide and remember thy words in our hearts, that we may never ſin againſt thée; make it our daily exerciſe, to declare with our lips the judgments of thy mouth; cauſe us more to rejoyce in the way of thy teſtimonies, than in all manner of riches: Never ſuffer us to forget thy Word, but let thy precepts be lodged in our mind by a daily meditation, and thy wayes whetted upon our hearts by a continual conſideration, that we may be delighted with them; ſo let us meditate, that we may conſider, and by conſidering, take delight, and out of delight, perform thy Will in righteouſneſs and holineſs all the dayes of our life, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.