Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 119 · Stanza 9
9. TETH.
IN this Octonary, The Contents.David being delivered from ſome Affliction:
1. Shewes how graciouſly God dealt with him, both in bringing him into it, and out of it.
2. Then he prayes to God for a right judgment and knowledge.
3. And expreſſeth his love to Gods Law.
1. Ver. 1 In this verſe David gives thanks for a mercy received, and acknowledgeth it.
1. David acknowledgeth Gods favour in performance of his Word to him.Thou haſt dealt graciouſly with thy ſervant: Graciouſly in afflicting him, and graciouſly in delivering him.
2. According to thy Word. Natural men will not believe, that what God hath ſaid ſhall come to paſs, with them, the Viſion is but wind; but godly men find, and confeſs every ſyllable true, and that it ſhall take effect; of which David had experience.
2. Ver. 2 In the next he prayes, and adds the Reaſon, Teach me good judgment and knowledge, Prayes to be taught by God.for I have believed thy Commandments.
1. Teach me a good judgment: For there is a judgment that is not good, eſpecially in this point that David now ſpeaks of, viz. why Gods ſervants ſhould be under the Croſs; for the World judges them for this miſerable, and ſo any man would think, till he goes into the Sanctuary of God; for then he ſhall judge aright, and know the end why God ſuffers them to be afflicted; David then deſires that God would teach him a good judgment in this caſe.
2. He asks for ſcience and knowledge, that he may underſtand the myſteries of Gods Law; he began to underſtand ſomewhat, but he deſires to know more; he would have Tob Tagnam, the goodneſs of taſte, a true ſenſe and feeling of what he knew, as much as was alotted to this life; for here at moſt we know but in part.
3. Proteſteth his faith in God.His Reaſon is; For I have believed thy Commandments. David brings the Reaſon of his Petitions ſometimes from the Attributes in God, his Mercy, Power, Goodneſs, &c. Sometime from himſelf, as from his own love, his fear, his faith in God, as here, I believe in thee. It is not ſufficient to ask of God in conſideration what he is, but we muſt enquire what we are: For though he be good and gracious, &c. yet what is that to us, if we believe not in him, love him not, fear him not.
4. Obſerve how David asks here, firſt for a good judgment, then for knowledge; for knowledge, without a good judgment, doth much miſchief; knowledge puffs up: 'Tis the ſame that St. Paul asks for the Philippians, cap. 1.9.
3. And having obtained by prayer a good judgment, Ver. 3 he judgeth rightly of his afflictions, acknowledging that Gods chaſtiſements had made him more godly and humble; for,He judgeth rightly of his afflictions.
1. Before I was afflicted, I went wrong: Proſperity is the mother of Errour.
2. But now I have kept thy Word. Schola Crucis, Schola Lucis: The Rod on his back made him wiſer; God then had graciouſly dealt with him, to afflict him; bad men are the worſe for afflictions, the good better; and this ſanctifies afflictions to them.
3. Upon which he acknowledgeth again what he ſaid in the firſt verſe, Thou haſt dealt graciouſly; in this thou art good and gracious, Ver. 4 and repeats in effect his Petition, Teach me thy ſtatutes; which is all one, Which proceeded from wicked men. Theſe,with teach me knowledge.
4. Now, a great part of his affliction proceeded from wicked men that were his enemies, and oppugned him in his wayes and ſervice of God, in which yet he was conſtant; theſe he deſcribes in the two next verſes.
1. That they were proud men, the proud. It is not without cauſe, Ver. 5 that they are called proud; 1Proud.for pride is the mother of all Rebellion againſt God and man; Grace ever works Humility; Pride, Contempt, Treaſon, &c.
2. How they warr'd againſt David, it was with a lye. 2Lyars.Satans two Arms by which he wreſtles againſt the godly, are violence and lies; where he cannot, or dare not uſe violence, there he will be ſure not to fail to fight with lyes.
3. How they trimmed up their lyes: Concinnarunt mendacia, Tremell. 3Hypocrites.Their lyes were trimmed up with the coverings of Truth to make them more plauſible; their unrighteous dealings were covered over with appearances of righteouſneſs.
4. But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. Davids armour againſt them.He would not fight againſt the wicked with their own Weapon, rendring a lye for a lye, or rebuke for rebuke; but he takes himſelf to the Truth of Gods Word, and obedience to him. Ver. 6
5. Their he art is as fat as greaſe: Either,
1. Becauſe they abounded in worldly wealth, 4Obdurate in proſperity.which is well ſignified by greaſe.
2. Becauſe they were ſenſleſs of their condition: For the fat of all Creatures is the leaſt ſenſitive; Needles thruſt into it will not be felt.
3. But I delight in thy Law.
5. But the condition of godly men is other; the godly are not proud, Good men are tender-heartedthey are humble; afflictions make the ungodly rage, ſtorm, and blaſpheme; good men kiſs the Rod, and are ready to ſay with David; for their heart is not ſenſleſs, as fat as greaſe; but they are tender-hearted, they melt at every blow God gives them, and ſay,
1. It is good for me that I have been afflicted: Before I was proud, Make a right uſe of afflictions.now humble; before ſtubborn and diſobedient, but now ſoft-hearted and obedient.
2. That I might learn thy ſtatutes: Learn them not by Rote, but by experience; learn to keep them better, leſt I be whip'd again; learn to be more wiſe, godly, religious, when the trouble is gone; and this is a ſanctified Croſs.
3. And by this alſo I might learn to put an higher price and value upon Gods Commands, than hitherto I have done, to which no earthly treaſure is comparable: The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, than thouſands of gold and ſilver: For by keeping of thy Law I ſhall obtain eternal life, His eſtimate of Gods Law.which gold and ſilver cannot purchaſe.
The Prayer.
O Moſt gracious God, though thou haſt brought upon us many troubles, and afflicted us with heavy judgments, Ver. 1 yet in this thou haſt dealt graciouſly with thy ſervants, and even according to thy Word, that we have béen better'd by thy judgments, and found comfort in the midſt of our ſorrowes. O Lord, Thou art good in thy ſelf, and doſt good to thy ſervants in all that thou bringeſt upon them; and we muſt néeds confeſs, that even thoſe things we ſuffer, have béen good unto us by thy mercy; for before we were afflicted, we went aſtray: But now being put in mind of our ſins, the cauſes of our afflictions, we have béen more attent and diligent to kéep thy Law. It is good for us then that we have been afflicted, that we might learn thy ſtatutes.
Go on then gracious God, not to afflict, but ſtill to teach us, and by thy chaſtiſèments to make us wiſer, teach us good judgment and knowledge, let us judge aright of thy judgments, and our own deſerts; and let this thy Diſcipline make us know our duty, and perform our duty better ever hereafter, both to thée, and our Neighbour; make us by theſe to love thée, to fear thée, and to believe thy Word, That thou art a jealous God, that will viſit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate thee, and ſhew mercy unto thouſands in them that love thee, and keep thy Commandments.
And yet in theſe we cannot but complain unto thée of thoſe injuries we ſuffer from the hands of proud and rebellious men. Ver. 5 Thou, Lord, art juſt, in letting them in upon us; but they moſt unjuſt and malicious, in the execution of thy wrath. Pride hath béen the cauſe of their rebellion, and a continued pack of lies, the means they have uſed to bring their Treaſon to paſs; theſe they forged againſt us, and ſpun with ſo fine a thread, and dreſſed up in ſo handſom a way, that they have béen taken for Truth, and by that colour deceived the ſimple to our ruine, under a pretence of Piety, Iuſtice, Liberty, and Reformation, they have brought upon us this horrid confuſion: And in this they ſtill go on, in this they procéed; for their heart is ſwollen with pride, and fatned with ſucceſs and riches, they are not ſenſible of thy judgments, nor fear thy wrath; Their heart is as fat as greaſe; and there is nothing, but ſome heavy judgment from thy hand that can melt it: O Lord, abate their pride, aſſwage their malice, and confound them in their lies.
And confirm thy people in the Truth, that being no way withdrawn by their deluſions, nor affrighted with their malice, they may be conſtant, and live in thy fear, Ver. 8 and delight in thy Law, and keep thy Commandments with their whole heart. O let the Law of thy mouth be more dear and better unto them, than thouſands of gold and ſilver. Theſe cannot redéem a ſoul from hell, or from the grave; but the obſervation of thy Law will deliver from eternal death, and bring a man to that life which is everlaſting, through the merits of Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.