The Throne of David, Treatise · Section 21
II. SAM. Chap. 7. from the 18. Verſe to the end.
FOllowes the ſecond part of the Chapter, wherein is ſet down Davids thankſgiving: both for the promiſe made to himſelfe, as alſo to his poſterity, and for the benefits paſt, preſent and promiſed, which he concludes with a petition for the continuance of the Lords favour, and performance of his gracious promiſes.
Which Euchariſticall oration has, 1. Its Exordium, or beginning. 2. A narration. And 3. A concluſion.
1. The Exordium has the place, where David makes it, and his geſture. The place is the ſanctuary now eſtabliſhed in Sion, into which now he comes, and where the Ark was, and to which the Lord had promiſed his preſence. Next his geſture was ſitting, which was to denote the ſettledneſs of his mind, in uttering his oration. Uſed therefore by Judges in hearing of parties, and pronouncing ſentences, no wiſe to be taken exception againſt in David, as unreverent: more then in us in hearing of Gods Word; and ſinging of Pſalmes: and ſometimes in prayer, as at meate and elſwhere. For the ſpeciall thing that the Lord looks unto, is the ſincerity of the heart, and truth in the inward parts: as Pſal. 51. 6, …s declared.
2. The narration it ſelfe, has … A depreſſing, and lying low of David himſelfe, as he ſaies elſwhere, What is man that thou ſhould'ſt ſo reſpect him? &c. And here, What was he that the Lord, not only ſhould have brought him to ſuch preferment, but alſo promiſed the eſtabliſhment of the Kingdome to his poſterity? which is not the manner of men to look ſo low to their inferiours, and without their deſerving: from a low eſtate (having no motive on their part) to advance them, and theirs to a high condition. 2. Next, to depreſſing of himſelfe, Verſ. 22. He advances God, his greatneſs, and goodneſs: both towards himſelfe, and his people; and thereafter from Verſ. 25. He petitions the Lord to eſtabliſh his promiſes to him, and his poſterity which he acknowledges to be true; and that he would of his good pleaſure bleſs his houſe, and to continue it before him. And …is he makes to be the concluſion of this forenamed thankſgiving.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. WE ſee that David is not only thankfull in heart, but alſo for the Lords benefits, he expreſſes the ſame by Word: that ſo by the whole man God may be worſhipped, as it is ſaid, we believe with the heart unto righteouſneſs▪ and confeſs with our mouth's unto ſalvation.
2. Verſ. 18. Where he ſaies, Who am I? &c. We ſee that the Lords benefits move David to humility, and dejection, with Jacob, the Godly ever acknowledging themſelves unworthy of the leaſt of all his mercies, Gen. 32. 10. Whereas on the contrary the wicked are puft up with them, as we ſee in Nebuchadnezzar, and Pharaoh, who ſaid who is God, that I ſhould obey him? And therefore the benefits of God to the Godly are bleſſings indeed, whereas to the wicked they are turned into curſes: through their abuſe of them unto pride, exceſs, tyrannie, and the like.
3. Verſ. 19. Where the Lord not only promiſes to eſtabliſh the kingdome to David himſelfe, but alſo to his poſterity after him: we ſee the large bounty, and goodneſs of God to his ſervants, and that he does more to them, then they could expect: as we ſee in Jacobs profeſſion, Gen. 48. 11. In Joſephs, Davids, Mordecai's, Daniels and others their preferment. And here in the promiſe to David concerning his poſterity.
4. Verſ. 20. Where David ſaies, thou Lord knoweſt thy ſervant. We ſee that the Lord is an omniſcient God, and who knowes particularly all his ſervants, and ſubjects: and the very ſecrets of their hearts. The truth whereof in the hidden and inward parts he doth deſire, Pſal. 51. 6. And therefore David having this ſincerity of heart can ſay, what an hypocrite dare not, thou Lord knoweſt thy ….
5. Verſ. 21. All the Lords promiſes, and goodneſs to him, … it aſcribes to free love only: as the Lord himſelfe ſpeaks, Hoſ. 14. 4. Which we alſo ſhould do, and to no ….
6. Verſ. 22. In Davids abaſing of himſelfe. Verſ. 18. And extolling of God: both his greatneſs, and goodneſs here. We ſee the diſpoſition of the truly Godly, they can never enough extoll, acknowledge, and praiſe the Lord: as the ſpouſe doth in the Canticles; and David in the Pſalmes. Nor can they ſufficiently lye low enough before him in the duſt: as we ſee, Gen. 18. 27. 32. 10. In the Publican, and parable of the Prodigall, and others.
7. This matchleſs and incomparable greatneſs, and goodneſs of God: David ſaies, is, according to that which he had heard with his eares: ſhewing thereby unto us (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) that Faith comes by hearing, and hearing is of the Word of God whereunto we ſhould therefore hearken, if we would be truly inſtructed, and believe to ſalvation.
8. Verſ. 23. If Gods goodneſs to his people be ſo extolled by David here, for a corporall redemption from Egypt, and from the Nations and their gods: how much more ſhould he be extolled by us Chriſtians, for that great and ſpirituall redemption of our ſoules from the tyrannie and bondage of Satan, ſinne and damnation: and for our liberation (who profeſs the Goſpell) from the tyrannie of Antichriſt, and his groſs Idolatry.
9. Verſ. 25. and 26. In ſpeaking of Gods promiſes he ever makes mention, that they are made to his ſervant. Where we ſee, who have right to the promiſes of God, or may juſtly lay hold upon them: towit, only they who are Gods ſervants, and who apply themſelves to obey his precepts; theſe only may apply to themſelves his promiſes: What God therefore has joyned together, let us man ſeparate.
10. Verſ. 28. Where David ſaies to the Lord, That he is that God whoſe Word is true; we ſee that the Word of God is th… prop of the Godlies faith, one jot whereof ſhall never fail, no has ever failed towards his own.
11. Verſ. 29. David cloſes up all, with an earneſt and reiterated petition for a bleſſing to himſelfe, and his houſe forever; ſo that herein he is like Jacob, who wreſtled for the bleſſing: and it ſhould be likewiſe our earneſt ſuit to the Lord, that he would in like manner beſtow his bleſſing upon us and ours, and if we ge… this Fatherly bleſſing of his, all will be well, and we may ſay, I is ſufficient.