Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 143
PSAL. CXLIII.
VErſ. 1 Hear my prayer, O Lord] Hee prayeth once and again for audience: De …ug… ab Abſolom. R. O. ….and would have God to hear him with both ears. Thus hee prayed (ſaith the Greek title of this Pſalm) when his ſon Abſolo… was up in arms againſt him; and it may ſeem ſo, by the next words.
Verſ. 2 And enter not into Judgement with thy Servant] This is, …, ſiqua uſqua… in ſacris literis extat (ſaith Beza) an excellent ſentence as any is in all the Bible, ſaying the ſame that St. Paul doth, Rom. 3.24. that Juſtification is by faith alone, and not by works. David would not bee dealt with in ſtrictneſs of juſtice. Lord go not to law with mee, ſo ſome render it: Go not into the Judgement-hall, ſo the Chaldee. All St. Pauls care was, that when hee was ſought for by Gods Juſtice, hee might bee found in Chriſt, not having his own righteouſneſs which is of the law, &c. Phil. 3.9. The beſt Lamb ſhould bee ſlaughtered, except the Ram had been ſacrificed, that Iſaac might bee ſaved. Woe to the life of man, ſaith an Ancient, though never ſo commendable, if it ſhould have Judgement without mercy; if there bee not an foreign to moderate that foreign, the ſeverity of utmoſt right. We read of a certain Dutch Divine, who being to dye was full of fears and doubts. And when ſome ſaid to him, you have been ſo active and faithfull, why ſhould you fear? Oh ſaid he, the Judgement of man and the Judgement of God are different. Sorde… in conſpect… Judicis, &c.
Verſ. 3 For the enemy hath perſecuted my ſoul] Quaſi rabiferali percitus, hee hath raged unreaſonably. The utmoſt of a danger is to bee related before the Lord in prayer, and to bee acknowledged after wee are delivered out of it, by way of thankfulneſs.
Verſ. 4 Therefore is my ſpirit over-whelmed] Gods deareſt Children have their paſſions: againſt that ſtoicall apathie. A ſheep bitten by a Dog is no leſſe ſenſible of the pain thereof than a Swine is; though hee make not ſuch an out-cry.
Verſ. 5 I remember the dayes of old] Wherein I was delivered from the Lion and the bear; yea from the hand of all mine enemies, and from the hand of Saul, Pſal. 18. title. More than this, Sacula antiquitus praeterita recolo, I run over, and ruminate all the ancient monuments of thy mercy to the Patriarches and others: ſith all that is written was written for our inſtruction, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, Rom. 15.4. See Pſal. 77.4, 6.
Verſ. 6 I ſtretch forth my hands unto thee] As a poor beggar for an alms. Beggery here is not the eaſieſt and pooreſt trade, but the hardeſt and richeſt of all other.
My ſoul thirſteth after thee] And is therefore a fit ſubject for thy Spirit of Grace and comfort to bee poured upon, Iſa. 44.3. & 55.1.
Verſ. 7 Hear mee ſpeedily] A very patheticall prayer uttered in many words to like purpoſe; as the manner is, in extreme danger.
My ſpirit faileth] I am ready to ſink and to ſwoon. This David knew; God hath a great care that the Spirit fail not before him, and the ſouls which he hath mad…, Iſa. 57.16. When Bezoard-ſtone is beaten, wee ſee that none of it bee loſt; not ſo when ordinary ſpices: ſo here, for ordinary ſpirits God cares not much what becometh of them, as hee doth of the choice ſpirits of his people.
Verſ. 8 Cauſe mee to hear — in the morning] Man…, id eſt nature, aſſoon as may be, or (at leaſt) as is meet, make mee to hear of joy and gladneſs, ſpeak comfort to my conſcience, and help to my afflicted condition.
Verſ. 9 Deliver mee, O Lord, from mine enemies] Deliverance from enemie… is a fruit of our friendſhip with God.
Verſ. 10 Teach mee to do thy will] Orat nunc pro ſalute …, ſaith Kimchi. Now hee prayeth for his ſouls health; and wold bee as well a clivered from his corruptions within, as from his enemies without. Lord ſave mee from that noughty man my ſelf, ſaid an Ancient.
Thy Spirit is good] The fruit of it is in all goodneſs, and righteouſneſs, and truth, Epheſ. 5.9. and it is the Spirit only that quickeneth, Job. 6.…3. by purging out the droſs that is in us, 1 Pet. 1.22. ſetting us to work, Ezek. 36.27. helping our infirmities, Rom. 8.26. ſtirring us up to holy duties, partly by immediate motions, and partly by the miniſtry of the word made effectuall, 1 Pet. 1.2. & 2 Theſ. 2.13. And laſtly ſanctifying the offering up both of our ſelves and of our ſervices to God, as the Altar ſanctifieth the gift, Rom. 15.16. Cyrill gathereth from this Text, that the good Spirit is God, Per viam planam & aequam.becauſe none is good but God,
Into the land of uprightneſs] Or, On …even ground, as Iſa. 26.7, 10. Pſal. 26.12. … the right land, i. e. Heaven.
Verſ. 11 Quicken mee O Lord] Who am no better than a living carcaſs, a walking ſepulcher of my ſelf.
Bring my ſoul out of trouble] I can bring it in, but thou only canſt bring it out.
Verſ. 12 Cut off mine enemies] Becauſe not ſo much mine as thine; and thoſe alſo implacable and irrecoverable. Elſewhere hee ſaith, Slay them not, leſt my people forget. See the Note there.
For I am thy Servant] See Pſal. 116.16. with the Note.