Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 21
21. SCHIN.
DAVID in this Section ſhewes his love to the Law of God. 2. The Contents? David ſhewes his love to Gods Law.And the perfection of his love.
1. The firſt ſign of his love was, that notwithſtanding he was perſecuted for Gods ſake, yet he ſtill was conſtant in his obedience to God. Ver. 1
1. Princes have perſecuted me. Saul, Iſhboſheth, Abner his ſon, The ſigns of it 1. His conſtancy to it.Abſolon ſought his life. It is a great tentation to ſuſtain injuries from any man, but if from Princes, a greater; to perſiſt and be conſtant then, a notable Argument of love and fortitude.
2. Without a cauſe. Cauſes indeed were pretended, but none found: He ſpared Sauls life, when he might have ſlain; wept over Abner, mourned for Abſolon.
3. But my heart ſtands in awe of thy Word. This was the ſign of his love, this cauſed him to ſpare Gods Anointed, revenge Iſhboſheths death, &c. Though Princes degenerate, and become Tyrants, Touch them not, let Gods Word awe thee.
2. The ſecond ſign of his love, is his joy and delight he took in Gods Law. 2His joy and delight in it.He tells us, that his joy in it, exceeded that of men, victorious in battel, that returned loaden with ſpoiles, Iſa. 9. David a Souldier and Conqueror, could well tell, what joy that was, and yet he prefers this, becauſe it brings better tydings: Ver. 2 I rejoyce at thy Word, as one that findeth great spoiles.
3. A third ſign of love to it, was his hatred of all iniquity, Ver. 3 and his abhorrence of falſhood.3His hatred of falſe wayes.
I hate and abhor lying, but thy Law do I love.
It was no lite diſliking of ſin; for a cold hatred of evil in time will be turned to liking, no ſimple refuſing of evil, but an indignation againſt it, a hatred, an abhorrence. Ye that love the Lord, hate that which is evil; for no man can ſerve two Maſters. Ver. 4
4. A fourth ſign of his love, was his fervour, earneſtneſs, 4His frequency to praiſe God.and frequency of praiſing God.
Seven times a day do I praiſe thee, Ver. 5 becauſe of thy righteous judgments.5The joy he took in Gods Saints, and their peace and proſperity
5. A fifth ſign of his love, is the content he took, that not only himſelf, but others alſo were the better for loving of it: He loved Gods Saints, as well as his Law; to theſe was,
1. Great peace have they that love thy Law, joy, proſperity; no peace to the wicked.
2. And nothing ſhall offend them, or they ſhall have no ſtumbling block. Scandalize they will not actively, nor be ſcandalized paſſively; for that is offence taken by weak Chriſtians, who upon ignorance think that unlawful, which is lawful; or of Phariſees, who interpret that to the worſe part, which they ought to interpret to the better: But they which love the Law of God, know why they love it; they are perfect in charity, nor weakling, nor Phariſees, and therefore they ſhall have no ſtumbling block.
2. He ſhewes the perfection of his love.And now he ſhewes the perfection of his love in the three laſt verſes.
1. Ver. 6 By his hope and confidence: Lord, I have hoped for thy ſalvation.1By his hope.
2. 2His obedience.By his obedience, and done thy Commandments, 2 Tim. 4.7. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, henceforth is laid up for me, &c.
3. And this he repeats in the next verſe, My ſoul hath kept thy Teſtimonies, and I loved them exceedingly. He that loves me, ſaith Chriſt, keeps my Commandments. Si amor operari renuit, amor non eſt.
4. And yet again.
1. I have kept thy Precepts and Teſtimonies.
2. But this is upon another Motive, which is proper to perfect men, viz. Gods eye; for all my wayes are before thee, coram te. Gods preſence over-aw'd him; whatever he did, he did as in Gods ſight, well knowing, that he ſaw all. Walk before me, ſaith God to Abraham, and be thou perfect, Gen. 17.
The Prayer.
O Omnipotent God, Ver. 1 Thou haſt choſen unto thée a little flock, and this flock lives among wolves, the Devil, and in his inſtruments, ſéek to devoure it; Antichriſts and Tyrannical Princes daily, without any cauſe, perſecute it; their labour is to withdraw thy people from thy fear, and to violate thy command; be then preſent with theſe little ones, aſſiſt theſe innocents, that they fall not, that they faint not, ever kéep their heart upright, and make it ſtand in awe of thy Word. Among theſe I have had my portion, leſs I confeſs than I deſerve, but ſufficient to try my love; and yet by thy mercy, that hath held me up, I have béen awed by thy Law, and have not declined from thy fear.
Go on gracious God, and aſſiſt me with thy Spirit, that I may ever rejoyce in thy Word; Ver. 2 eſtéem myſelf richer in the enjoyment of it, than they that have enriched themſelves by the gathering together of great ſpoiles. Make me to hate this their iniquity, Ver. 3 and mine own; cauſe me to abhor all falſhood and lying: And out of a love I bear to juſtice, and a diſlike of all injuſtice, to love the equity of thy Law. Seven times a day, as often as I think of it, move my heart to praiſe thée for all thy righteous judgments. In theſe thou haſt ſhewed thy ſelf a juſt God, Ver. 4 that gives peace, joy, proſperity to thoſe that love thy Law, and purſueſt the Tranſgreſſors of it with a perpetual infelicity; for there is no peace to the wicked; who, though they lay ſnares for me, and caſt ſtumbling blocks in my way, yet, good Lord, let me be ſo confirmed by thy grace, that I be not offended at it; Ver. 5 let neither their flatteries and example, draw me to tranſgreſs, nor their threats remove me from the love of thy Truth, or a conſtant practice of piety and charity.
O Lord, I have looked for thy ſalvation, and I know that I cannot be ſaved, except I do my duty both to thée and my neighbour, Ver. 6 which is exactly preſcribed in thy Law; make me then to love excéedingly thy Word, and to do what in it thou commandeſt, and to kéep it, becauſe it is thy Precept, Ver. 7 a juſt Rule, an equal Law; and work my heart to this love and obedience, out of the conſideration of thy eye and preſence. I am alwayes before thée, Thou beholdeſt all the ſecret receſſes of my heart, much more my actions; make me then ſo ſincerely to walk before thee, and be ſo ſtudious to pleaſe thée in all thy Commandments, that I may glorifie thy Name even before men, and be glorified by thée in the preſence of Saints and Angels at the laſt day. Amen.