Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, 4 [i.e. 5] (cont.) · Psalm 143
PSAL. CXLIII. Being the laſt of the Penitentials.
DAVID being driven from Jeruſalem by his ſon Abſolon, wiſely calls to mind his ſin, as being the cauſe of it; which, in this Pſalm he deplores, and deſires grace and mercy of God.
The parts of this Pſalm are.
1. A Prayer to God for remiſſion of ſin, grounded upon Gods promiſe and goodneſs, ver. 1. not upon his own worthineſs, ver. 2.
2. A Narration of the ſad ſtate of his Affairs, ver. 3, 4.
3. The Comfort he received in his ſad condition, and whence, ver. 5, 6.
4. His Petition, containing divers particulars, to which are annexed particular Reaſons, from ver. 7. to the laſt.
1. The firſt part.In the beginning he petitions for Audience; Hear my prayer, O Lord, give car to my ſupplication; Ver. 1 but expreſſes not the matter he pray'd for, which yet out of the following words may well be collected to be remiſſion of ſin, David begs onfor which he was thus puniſhed; and this he begs of God to grant, both in regard of his promiſe and mercy.
1. 1Gods promiſe.In faithfulneſs anſwer me. Thou art a faithful God, that haſt promiſed pardon to penitents; a penitent I am, make then thy Word good to me, and pardon me.
2. 2And mercy, a pardon.And in thy righteouſneſs, which here ſignifies, mercy and loving-kindneſs. In thy mercy then anſwer me, and ſeal my pardon, juſtifie me, becauſe I confeſs my iniquities, Iſa. 43.26. Men call for confeſſion from the guilty to condemn, God to pardon.
And that this is the ſenſe, appears more clearly by the next verſe.
1. Ver. 2 And enter not into judgment with thy ſervant. Call me not to a ſtrict and rigorous account at thy Bar of Juſtice. And not for his merit.This he deprecates, ſo that juſtitia in the former verſe could not be taken for that juſtice which puniſheth ſin, and rewards righteous deeds; for that he pleads not here, but declines it, yea, and aſſigns the Reaſon.
2. For in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified. Not I, nor any man that ever did, doth, or ſhall live: Let me then have my pardon upon thy promiſe and mercy, and not for my merits. It is not then the moſt commendable work that can juſtifie any man at the Bar of God, but his mercy in Chriſt, which he hath promiſed to accept: Taught he hath us daily to pray, Remitte debita.
2. The ſecond part.And now he enters upon the Narration of his ſad condition, which he urgeth as another Reaſon to perſwade God to remit his offence, Ver. 3 and it is taken from the grievouſneſs of tentation, His ſad condition to which the enemy brought him.and the conſequent of it.
1. For the enemy hath perſecuted my ſoul. I look not ſo much upon my ſon Abſolon, that ſeeks my life, as upon the enemy of Mankind, Satan, who entic'd me to Adultery, and tempted me to Homicide.
2. He hath ſmitten my life down to the ground: He hath humbled me, made me vile and contemptible in thy ſight; made me a lover of the earth, and earthly pleaſures, who before had my Converſation in Heaven.
3. He hath made me dwell in darkneſs, as thoſe that have been long dead: For after that he had intangled my ſoul with earthly pleaſures, he made me dwell in ſpiritual darkneſs, that I ſaw not the way to life, but was indeed dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; I knew no more of what belonged to the life of the Spirit, than thoſe that have been long dead, Eph. 4.18, 19. & 2.5.
And the effect that it wrought upon me, For which he was ready to faint and deſpair.was fear, conſternation, and horrour of mind out of the ſenſe of thy wrath againſt my ſin.
1. Ver. 4 Therefore my ſpirit was overwhelmed within me: I ſuffered a kind of foreign in my ſoul, I was ready to faint, when I conſider'd thy holineſs, and my impurity; thy ſevere juſtice, and my inability to ſatiſfie it.
2. And my heart within me is deſolate, far from all comfort. Troubled I was not lightly, not ſuperficially, but ſeriouſly and inwardly; my ſoul was heavy to the death.
3. The third part. But recovers.In this ſadneſs I caſt about what to do: Though I felt thy hand heavy upon me, yet deſpair I durſt not; even from this miſerable ſtate I began to fetch my remedy, I found it was thy grace to bring me to this aſtoniſhment for my ſin; that my heart was not hardned in ſin, but aſtoniſhed for ſin, mollified, when it was thus troubled; and à dolore parturivi ſalutem. That then which came into my head, were thy wayes that thou hadſt taken with penitent ſinners before me.
1. I remember the dayes of old. The dayes of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moſes, &c. who all being thy ſervants, yet ſinning grievouſly, Upon the remembrance of Gods mercies to others.and repenting, Thou admit'ſt to mercy, whoſe examples I applied, and they kept me from deſpair, read Pſal. 77.5, 6, 7, &c. for all theſe were Teſtimonies of thy foreign, of thy love to man.And meditation of them.
2. I meditate on all thy works, I muſe upon the works of thy hands. I did not ſlightly run them over, but I meditate, I muſe upon them; for in this combate betwixt hope and deſpair, comfort is not obtained, but by a long and ſerious meditation of Gods works; his works, in making a ſecond Covenant with us, and purchaſing and applying Redemption.The profit admirable.
3. And the profit that came from this my meditation, was admirable: For, Ver. 6
1. I ſtretch forth my hands unto thee. I began earneſtly to pray, 1Prayer.and to put forth my hand unto thee, as a child doth to his father, from whom he hopes to receive what he asks, and what he wants; ſome help, ſome Boon.
2. My ſoul thirſteth after thee, as a thirſty Land. 2A thirſt after grace.A thirſty ſoul I have that hungers and thirſts after righteouſneſs; and as the earth in a drought chops and gapes till the rain falls, and cloſes it; ſo doth my ſoul open for want of thy dewes of grace, and nothing can cloſe it till this comfortable water deſcend. Farther, as the earth without rain hath no conſiſtence, but is pulverized; neither is it clad with flowers, nor mantled with graſs, nor loaden with fruits, but preſents it ſelf to the eye with a burnt, wither'd, bare face: So the ſoul, not moiſtned with the grace of God, becomes looſe, and falls aſunder on this and that ſide to vice and wickedneſs, toſt it is by tentations, as duſt by the wind; it wants the Robe of Juſtice to cloath it, and the garment of wiſdom to adorn it, it is unprofitable and barren, and brings forth no fruit of good works; all which a penitent by experience finds true in himſelf, and therefore he thirſts the more for grace, the more ſenſible he is of the want of it.
4. The ſad caſe in which David was, upon the ſenſe of Gods indignation, The fourth part.makes him ſeek out ſpeedily for a remedy, as the ſick in haſte ſeeks to the Phyſitian; and he that is thirſty, ſeeks for drink: Quiet he could not be, 3An earneſt deſire of reconciliation.nor his thirſt be ſatisfied, before he had ſome aſſurance that God was reconciled to him, which is an evident Argument of a true contrite ſoul, never to be at reſt, till he have an aſſurance that his peace is made, being impatient of all delayes of reconciliation: And to this purpoſe he puts up a Petition, which conſiſts of many parts, and many reaſons.
1. His firſt petition is for ſpeedy audience, Ver. 7 as being impatient to be deferred, Hear me speedily, O Lord: and his reaſon for this, 1For this he petitions, and gives his reaſon.is the ſad condition in which he was, and was like to be, till he was aſſured, that God was pacified for his ſin. He ſaid it before, but now repeats it. My spirit fails, I am in extremity, I ſcarſe can draw my breath.
2. This petition he enforceth in other words. Hide not thy face from me, 2He inforceth it on another reaſon.thy preſence, thy favour, thy help. But not averſe, inexorable, but look up once more in mercy on me. His reaſon for this is, That if God hide his face ſtill from him, He be like unto a dead man; or which is worſe, like to them that go down into the pit of hell. For thoſe whom God pardons not, not gives the life of grace, they muſt periſh for ever.
2. His next Petition is near the ſame with the former, 3He ſues yet again, and gives his reaſons.but inforced upon another reaſon.
1. Cauſe me to hear thy loving kindneſſe. Thy pardoning mercy, which muſt proceed out of meer clemency and pity. Cauſe me to hear it out of thy Word, or elſe I may hear thy Word, and never hear my pardon. It is thy Spirit that muſt work with it.
2. In the morning. Betime, ſpeedily, quickly. Or in the morning, when the light of grace ſhines. I have been long enough in the darkneſſe, and night of ſin, let the day of grace at laſt riſe upon me.
3. His reaſon. For in thee do I truſt. I let not my hold go in all this my extremity. In the ſpiritual combate then, we muſt not look to the beginnings of it, as to the end. In the beginning is nothing but matter of diſcomfort, horror, deſpair. But the end hath comfort in it, hope, and confidence. He that can ſay, in thee is my truſt, deſpairs not.
3. 4He fears a relapſe, and prayes againſt it.His third Petition.
1. Cauſe thou me to know the way in which I ſhould walk. David being a true penitent, and being now aſſured of pardon, is fearful of a relapſe, and therefore prayes to God to work in his heart ſo powerfully, that he might know his way, and hereafter walk in it, as it becomes a friend and a ſon.
2. His reaſon.His reaſon. For I lift up my ſoul unto thee. My courſe, the intent of my heart is to that purpoſe. I have now bid adiew to all ſecular deſires, and therefore I deſire the Lamp and light of thy Word to direct me in my walk.
4. 5He prayes for deliverance from his enemies.His fourth Petition.
1. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies. From the Devil, and all his inſtruments; from ill concupiſcences, and the effects, which fight againſt the ſoul.
2. His reaſon.His reaſon: For I flie unto thee to hide me; i. e. from them: I lie, Ver. 9 as it were, under the umbrage and ſhadow of thy wings.
5. Ver. 10 His fifth Petition is near the ſame with the third.
1. 6He petitions for inſtruction in Gods Law.Teach me to do thy Will, both by an active and paſſive obedience. Inſtruct me to know thy good, perfect, and acceptable Will; and in adverſity to ſubmit to it, and bear my Croſs with patience; and in proſperity to do it, and not to be proud, arrogant, ſecure, obſtinate, and preſumptuous.
2. His reaſon.His reaſon: For thou art my God, who haſt promiſed me help, and whom I have promiſed and bound my ſelf to ſerve; Thou art the beginning and end of all my good, from whom I have received my being, my ſoul, my body, and from whom I expect beatitude and glory; to do thy Will, is the way to attain it; teach me then to do it, as thou art my God.
6. 7He petitions to be guided by Gods SpiritHis ſixth Petition, Thy Spirit is good: Not mine, not the evil ſpirit; it is thy Spirit which is the Authour of goodneſs, love, obedience, &c. Let this Spirit then lead me in the right, plain way, that I may walk wiſely, knowingly, uprightly, conſtantly.
7. Ver. 11 His ſeventh Petition.
1. 8A ſummary petition for all before.Quicken me, O Lord; comfort, reſtore me to life, remit my ſin, juſtifie me, free me from this fear.
2. For thy Names ſake: Not for my merits, but for thy mercy, and the glory that will thereby accrue to thy Name, in acquitting a penitent, and reſtoring him to thy favour, and as it were, to life. Muſcular well obſerves, That they only can pray this prayer:
1. Who are brought into a ſad condition, and oppreſſed with the ſenſe of death.
2. Who belong to God, and whoſe life and quickning brings honour to his Name.
3. Who ſeek the honour of Gods Name, and not their own honour.
2. He goes on: For thy righteouſneſs ſake bring my ſoul out of trouble: And that upon mercy.Freedom he deſires, but ſtill upon mercy.
8. His laſt Petition, is for the deſtruction of Satans Kingdom.
1. Of thy mercies cut off my enemies, 9He petitions for the deſtruction of Satans Kingdom. His reaſon.and deſtroy all them that afflict my ſoul.
2. His reaſon: For I am thy ſervant; a Client, a Follower, one under thy Protection and Patronage; one of thy Family, honoured with the dignity of thy ſervant; and well contented to do my Duty, and ſerve thee honeſtly, therefore defend me, and deſtroy my enemies; for theſe, in being mine, are thy enemies.
The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty third Pſalm, being penitential.
O God, Thou God of mercy and compaſſion, Ver. 1 hear the prayer of an afflicted penitent ſoul, and give ear to my humble ſupplications; anſwer me, O Lord, in thy faithfulneſs, and remit my ſin in thy righteouſneſs; many promiſes I find thou haſt made to a grieved ſpirit, and to blot out the tranſgreſſion of a returning ſinner, to which now in anguiſh of my ſpirit I lay claim: Ver. 2 I believe thy promiſes, I rely upon thy equity in performance of them, as thou art then both faithful and juſt, remit my ſin. Merits, good God, before thée I have none to plead, I could produce a Bill loaden with a Maſs of corruptions and rebellions; theſe make me unworthy to approach thy preſence, and appear in thy ſight; O my God, pity me for thy Names ſake … thy own goodneſs ſake, and enter not into a ſevere account and reckoning with thy ſervant; be not my adverſary, contend not in judgment with me; for if thou ſhouldſt call me to the Bar, Ver. 3 I have nothing to put in againſt the dreadful ſentence, nothing of my own that can appeaſe thy anger, or abate the fury of one ſtroak of thy ſevere arm. My caſe is the ſame with other men, with all men, when thou ſhalt call us to an account of our ſtewards place, ſilent we muſt be, as having nothing to ſay for our ſelves, becauſe in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified.
That enemy of Mankind hath perſecuted my ſoul, purſued me he hath with a whole ſtorm of tentations, and by theſe he hath ſmitten and wounded me, and made me vile and contemptible in thy ſight: He hath ſo far prevailed, Ver. 4 that I have faſtned my affections on earth and earthly things. Walked I have in the vanity of my mind; my underſtanding hath béen darkned, I have béen alienated from the life of God; by ignorance and blindneſs of heart I became paſt ſéeling, and gave my ſelf over unto all laſciviouſneſs, working uncleanneſs with greedineſs; and this hath brought me to the ſad condition in which I am: Therefore is my ſpirit overwhelmed within me, and my heart within me is deſolate; ſhame and ſorrow is upon me, for ſo offending ſo gracious a God; a ſtoniſhment and amazement poſſeſs my ſoul, becauſe I am deſtitute of thy comfort: I put my mouth in the duſt, and my face in darkneſs, and hate my ſelf, becauſe I have yielded to that ſin which I am ſure that thou hateſt; juſt cauſe I have, but yet I will not deſpair; methinks, as in thy ſervants, from the beginning of the World, Thou haſt ſet me a pattern of repentance, ſo thou haſt preſcribed me a remedy againſt deſperation.
I remember then the dayes of old, that Adam tranſgreſſed, Ver. 5 and that thou graciouſly madeſt a promiſe unto him, for the womans Seed to break the Serpents head; that Noah was dronken and inceſtuous, Moſes refractery and diſobedient, Aaron …olatrous, and perverted by the people to ſin, to all which, with infinite others, when they turned unto thée by hearty repentance, Thou gaveſt a pardon; upon theſe monuments of thy mercy, I will meditate upon theſe examples, of thy grace I will muſe; and when I ſée thy works of goodneſs in them, and upon them, encouraged I am to ſtretch forth my hands unto thée, as hoping to receive the like ſavour; and as a thirſly Land doth gape for the latter rain, Ver. 6 ſo doth my ſoul hunger and thirſt after thy righteouſneſs, as knowing well, that without it, my ſoul can neither be beautiful in thy eye, nor yet fruitful in the works of piety or charity.
Hear me then, gracious God, ſpéedily, and without delay; for till thy grace deſcend, Ver. 7 my ſpirit faints and fails; hide not thy loving countenance from me any longer, leſt my heart become as cold as a ſtone within me, and I be wholly comfortleſs, and like them that go down into the pit; cauſe me to hear of thy loving kindneſs, and let the morning of thy grace comfortably ſhine upon me, who have too long ſate in the darkneſs of ſorrow; Ver. 8 for in thée alone is my confidence, in thée my truſt.
Cauſe me to know the way wherein I ſhould walk; Ver. 10 and teach me to do thy Will, and let thy good Spirit lead me into the Land of righteouſneſs; Ver. 11 quicken me, O Lord, for thy Names ſake, and for thy righteouſneſs ſake bring my ſoul out of this agony and trouble.
Thou art my God, and I lift up my ſoul unto thee; deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies, for I flie unto thee to hide me; and of thy mercies cut off mine enemies, and deſtroy all them that afflict my ſoul: For thou art my Lord, my Patron, and I am thy Client and ſervant.
The ſeven following Pſalms are Euchariſts, or Thankſgivings: Hymns properly they are.