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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Psalms XLI].</TITLE>
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1710)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>P S A L M S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>PSALM XLI.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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God's kindness and truth have often been the support and comfort of the
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saints when they have had most experience of man's unkindness and
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treachery. David here found them so, upon a sick-bed; he found his
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enemies very barbarous, but his God very gracious.
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I. He here comforts himself in his communion with God under his
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sickness, by faith receiving and laying hold of God's promises to him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:1-3">ver. 1-3</A>)
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and lifting up his heart in prayer to God,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:4">ver. 4</A>.
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II. He here represents the malice of his enemies against him, their
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malicious censures of him, their spiteful reflections upon him, and
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their insolent conduct towards him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:5-9">ver. 5-9</A>.
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III. He leaves his case with God, not doubting but that he would own
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and favour him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:10-12">ver. 10-12</A>),
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and so the psalm concludes with a doxology,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:13">ver. 13</A>.
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Is any afflicted with sickness? let him sing the beginning of this
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psalm. Is any persecuted by enemies? let him sing the latter end of it;
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and we may any of us, in singing it, meditate upon both the calamities
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and comforts of good people in this world.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Ps41_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Promises to Those Who Consider the Poor.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1> <! -- Date --> </FONT></TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<CENTER>
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<P>To the chief musician. A psalm of David.</P>
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</CENTER>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 Blessed <I>is</I> he
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that considereth the poor: the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> will deliver him in time of
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trouble.
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2 The L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> will preserve him, and keep him alive; <I>and</I> he
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shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him
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unto the will of his enemies.
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3 The L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing:
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thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
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4 I said, L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have
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sinned against thee.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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In these verses we have,</P>
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<P>
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I. God's promises of succour and comfort to those that consider the
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poor; and,</P>
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<P>
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1. We may suppose that David makes mention of these with application
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either,
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(1.) To his friends, who were kind to him, and very considerate of his
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case, now that he was in affliction: <I>Blessed is he that
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considers</I> poor David. Here and there he met with one that
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sympathized with him, and was concerned for him, and kept up his good
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opinion of him and respect for him, notwithstanding his afflictions,
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while his enemies were so insolent and abusive to him; on these he
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pronounced this blessing, not doubting but that God would recompense to
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them all the kindness they had done him, particularly when they also
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came to be in affliction. The provocations which his enemies gave him
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did but endear his friends so much the more to him. Or,
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(2.) To himself. He had the testimony of his conscience for him that he
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had considered the poor, that when he was in honour and power at court
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he had taken cognizance of the wants and miseries of the poor and had
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provided for their relief, and therefore was sure God would, according
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to his promise, strengthen and comfort him in his sickness.</P>
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<P>
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2. We must regard them more generally with application to ourselves.
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Here is a comment upon that promise, <I>Blessed are the merciful, for
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they shall obtain mercy.</I> Observe,
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(1.) What the mercy is which is required of us. It is to consider the
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poor or afflicted, whether in mind, body, or estate. These we are to
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consider with prudence and tenderness; we must take notice of their
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affliction and enquire into their state, must sympathize with them and
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judge charitably concerning them. We must wisely consider the poor;
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that is, we must ourselves be instructed by the poverty and affliction
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of others; it must be <I>Maschil</I> to us, that is the word here used.
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(2.) What the mercy is that is promised to us if we thus show mercy. He
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that considers the poor (if he cannot relieve them, yet he considers
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them, and has a compassionate concern for them, and in relieving them
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acts considerately and with discretion) shall be considered by his God:
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he shall not only be recompensed in the resurrection of the just, but
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he <I>shall be blessed upon the earth</I> This branch of godliness, as
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much as any, has the promise of the life that now is and is usually
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recompensed with temporal blessings. Liberality to the poor is the
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surest and safest way of thriving; such as practise it may be sure of
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seasonable and effectual relief from God,
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[1.] In all troubles: He <I>will deliver them in the day of evil,</I>
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so that when the times are at the worst it shall go well with them, and
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they shall not fall into the calamities in which others are involved;
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if any be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger, <I>they</I> shall.
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Those who thus distinguish themselves from those that have hard hearts
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God will distinguish from those that have hard usage. Are they in
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danger? he will preserve and keep them alive; and those who have a
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thousand times forfeited their lives, as the best have, must
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acknowledge it as a great favour if they have their <I>lives given them
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for a prey.</I> He does not say, "They shall be preferred," but,
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"<I>They shall be preserved and kept alive,</I> when the arrows of
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death fly thickly round about them." Do their enemies threaten them?
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God will not <I>deliver them into the will of their enemies;</I> and
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the most potent enemy we have can have no power against us but what is
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given him from above. The good-will of a God that loves us is
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sufficient to secure us from the ill-will of all that hate us, men and
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devils; and that good-will we may promise ourselves an interest in if
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we have considered the poor and helped to relieve and rescue them.
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[2.] Particularly in sickness
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>):
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<I>The Lord will strengthen him,</I> both in body and mind, <I>upon the
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bed of languishing,</I> on which he had long lain sick, and <I>he will
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make all his bed</I>--a very condescending expression, alluding to the
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care of those that nurse and tend sick people, especially of mothers
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for their children when they are sick, which is to make their beds easy
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for them; and that bed must needs be well made which God himself has
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the making of. He will make all his bed from head to foot, so that no
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part shall be uneasy; he will <I>turn</I> his bed (so the word is), to
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shake it up and make it very easy; or he will turn it into a bed of
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health. Note, God has promised his people that he will strengthen
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them, and make them easy, under their bodily pains and sicknesses. He
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has not promised that they shall never be sick, nor that they shall not
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lie long languishing, nor that their sickness shall not be unto death;
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but he has promised to enable them to bear their affliction with
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patience, and cheerfully to wait the issue. The soul shall by his grace
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be made to dwell at ease when the body lies in pain.</P>
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<P>
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II. David's prayer, directed and encouraged by these promises
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>):
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<I>I said, Heal my soul.</I> It is good for us to keep some account of
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our prayers, that we may not unsay, in our practices, any thing that we
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said in our prayers. Here is,
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1. His humble petition: <I>Lord be merciful to me.</I> He appeals to
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mercy, as one that knew he could not stand the test of strict justice.
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The best saints, even those that have been merciful to the poor, have
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not made God their debtor, but must throw themselves on his mercy. When
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we are under the rod we must thus recommend ourselves to the tender
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mercy of our God: <I>Lord, heal my soul.</I> Sin is the sickness of the
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soul; pardoning mercy heals it; renewing grace heals it; and this
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spiritual healing we should be more earnest for than for bodily health.
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2. His penitent confession: "<I>I have sinned against thee,</I> and
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therefore my soul needs healing. I am a sinner, a miserable sinner;
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therefore, <I>God be merciful to me,</I>"
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Lu+18:13">Luke xviii. 13</A>.
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It does not appear that this has reference to any particular gross act
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of sin, but, in general, to his many sins of infirmity, which his
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sickness set in order before him, and the dread of the consequences of
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which made him pray, <I>Heal my soul.</I></P>
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<A NAME="Ps41_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps41_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>David Complains of His Enemies; David's Comfort in God.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1> <! -- Date --> </FONT></TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his
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name perish?
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6 And if he come to see <I>me,</I> he speaketh vanity: his heart
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gathereth iniquity to itself; <I>when</I> he goeth abroad, he telleth
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<I>it.</I>
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7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do
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they devise my hurt.
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8 An evil disease, <I>say they,</I> cleaveth fast unto him: and
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<I>now</I> that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
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9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did
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eat of my bread, hath lifted up <I>his</I> heel against me.
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10 But thou, O L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that
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I may requite them.
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11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy
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doth not triumph over me.
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12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and
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settest me before thy face for ever.
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13 Blessed <I>be</I> the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> God of Israel from everlasting, and to
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everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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David often complains of the insolent conduct of his enemies towards
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him when he was sick, which, as it was very barbarous in them, so it
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could not but be very grievous to him. They had not indeed arrived at
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that modern pitch of wickedness of poisoning his meat and drink, or
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giving him something to make him sick; but, when he was sick, they
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insulted over him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>):
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<I>My enemies speak evil of me,</I> designing thereby to grieve his
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spirit, to ruin his reputation, and so to sink his interest. Let us
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enquire,</P>
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<P>
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I. What was the conduct of his enemies towards him.
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1. They longed for his death: <I>When shall he die, and his name
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perish</I> with him? He had but an uncomfortable life, and yet they
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grudged him that. But it was a useful life; he was, upon all accounts,
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the greatest ornament and blessing of his country; and yet, it seems,
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there were some who were sick of him, as the Jews were of Paul, crying
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out, <I>Away with such a fellow from the earth.</I> We ought not to
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desire the death of any; but to desire the death of useful men, for
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their usefulness, has much in it of the venom of the old serpent. They
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envied him his name, and the honour he had won, and doubted not but, if
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he were dead, that would be laid in the dust with him; yet see how they
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were mistaken: when he had served his generation he did die
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ac+13:36">Acts xiii. 36</A>),
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but did his name perish? No; it lives and flourishes to this day in
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the sacred writings, and will to the end of time; for <I>the memory of
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the just is,</I> and shall be, <I>blessed.</I>
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2. They picked up every thing they could to reproach him with
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>):
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"<I>If he come to see me</I>" (as it has always been reckoned a piece
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of neighbourly kindness to visit the sick) "<I>he speaks vanity;</I>
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that is, he pretends friendship, and that his errand is to mourn with
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me and to comfort me; he tells me he is very sorry to see me so much
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indisposed, and wishes me my health; but it is all flattery and
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falsehood." We complain, and justly, of the want of sincerity in our
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days, and that there is scarcely any true friendship to be found among
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men; but it seems, by this, that the former days were no better than
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these. David's friends were all compliment, and had nothing of that
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affection for him in their hearts which they made profession of. Nor
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was that the worst of it; it was upon a mischievous design that they
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came to see him, that they might make invidious remarks upon every
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thing he said or did, and might represent it as they pleased to others,
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with their own comments upon it, so as to render him odious or
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ridiculous: <I>His heart gathereth iniquity to itself,</I> puts ill
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constructions upon every thing; and the, when he goes among his
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companions, he tells it to them, that they may tell it to others.
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<I>Report, say they, and we will report it,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+20:10">Jer. xx. 10</A>.
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If he complained much of his illness, they would reproach him for his
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pusillanimity; if he scarcely complained at all, they would reproach
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him for his stupidity. If he prayed, or gave them good counsel, they
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would banter it, and call it <I>canting;</I> if he kept silence from
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good, when the wicked were before him, they would say that he had
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forgotten his religion now that he was sick. There is no fence against
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those whose malice thus gathers iniquity.
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3. They promised themselves that he would never recover from this
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sickness, nor ever wipe off the odium with which they had loaded him.
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They <I>whispered together against him</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>),
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speaking that secretly in one another's ears which they could not for
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shame speak out, and which, if they did, they knew would be confuted.
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Whisperers and backbiters are put together among the worst of sinners,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ro+1:29,30">Rom. i. 29, 30</A>.
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They whispered, that their plot against him might not be discovered and
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so defeated; there is seldom whispering (we say) but there is lying, or
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some mischief on foot. Those whisperers devised evil to David.
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Concluding he would die quickly, they contrived how to break all the
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measures he had concerted for the public good, to prevent the
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prosecution of them, and to undo all that he had hitherto been doing.
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This he calls <I>devising hurt against him;</I> and they doubted not
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but to gain their point: <I>An evil disease (a thing of Belial</I>),
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say they, <I>cleaves fast to him.</I> The reproach with which they had
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loaded his name, they hoped, would cleave so fast to it that it would
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perish with him, and then they should gain their point. They went by a
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modern maxim, <I>Fortiter calumniari, aliquid adhærebit--Fling an
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abundance of calumny, and some will be sure to stick.</I> "The disease
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he is now under will certainly make an end of him; for it is the
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punishment of some great enormous crime, which he will not be brought
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to repent of, and proves him, however he has appeared, a son of
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Belial." Or, "It is inflicted by Satan, who is called <I>Belial," the
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wicked one,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Co+6:15">2 Cor. vi. 15</A>.
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"<I>It is</I>" (according to a loose way of speaking some have) "a
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devilish disease, and therefore it will <I>cleave fast to him;</I> and
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<I>now that he lieth,</I> now that his distemper prevails so far as to
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oblige him to keep his bed, <I>he shall rise up no more;</I> we shall
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get rid of him, and divide the spoil of his preferments." We are not to
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think it strange if, when good men are sick, there be those that fear
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it, which makes the world not worthy of them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+11:10">Rev. xi. 10</A>.
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4. There was one particularly, in whom he had reposed a great deal of
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confidence, that took part with his enemies and was as abusive to him
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as any of them
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>):
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<I>My own familiar friend;</I> probably he means Ahithophel, who had
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been his bosom-friend and prime-minister of state, in whom he trusted
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as one inviolably firm to him, whose advice he relied much upon in
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dealing with his enemies, and who <I>did eat of his bread,</I> that is,
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with whom he had been very intimate and whom he had taken to sit at the
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table with hi, nay, whom he had maintained and given a livelihood to,
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and so obliged, both in gratitude and interest, to adhere to him.
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Those that had their <I>maintenance from the king's palace</I> did not
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think it <I>meet for them to see the king's dishonour</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eze+4:14">Ezra iv. 14</A>),
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much less to do him dishonour. Yet this base and treacherous confidant
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of David's forgot all the eaten bread, and <I>lifted up his heel
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against him</I> that had lifted up his head; not only deserted him, but
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insulted him, kicked at him, endeavoured to supplant him. Those are
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wicked indeed whom no courtesy done them, nor confidence reposed in
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them, will oblige; and let us not think it strange if we receive abuses
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from such: David did, and the Son of David; for of Judas the traitor
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David here, in the Spirit, spoke; our Saviour himself so expounds this,
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and <I>therefore</I> gave Judas the sop, that the scripture might be
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fulfilled, <I>He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against
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me,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Joh+13:18,26">John xiii. 18, 26</A>.
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Nay, have not we ourselves behaved thus perfidiously and disingenuously
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towards God? We <I>eat of his bread</I> daily, and yet <I>lift up the
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heel against him,</I> as Jeshurun, that <I>waxed fat and kicked,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=De+32:15">Deut. xxxii. 15</A>.</P>
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<P>
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|
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II. How did David bear this insolent ill-natured conduct of his enemies
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towards him?</P>
|
|
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<P>
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|
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1. He prayed to God that they might be disappointed. He said nothing to
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them, but turned himself to God: <I>O Lord! be thou merciful to me,</I>
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|
for they are unmerciful,
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|
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
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He had prayed in reference to the insults of his enemies, <I>Lord, be
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merciful to me,</I> for this is a prayer which will suit every case.
|
|
God's mercy has in it a redress for every grievance, "They endeavour to
|
|
run me down, but, Lord, do thou raise me up from this bed of
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|
languishing, from which they think I shall never arise. Raise me up
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|
<I>that I may requite them,</I> that I may render them good for evil"
|
|
(so some), for that was David's practice,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+7:4,35:13">Ps. vii. 4; xxxv. 13</A>.
|
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|
A good man will even wish for an opportunity of making it to appear
|
|
that he bears no malice to those that have been injurious to him, but,
|
|
on the contrary, that he is ready to do them any good office. Or,
|
|
"That, as a king, I may put them under the marks of my just
|
|
displeasure, banish them the court, and forbid them my table for the
|
|
future," which would be a necessary piece of justice, for warning to
|
|
others. Perhaps in this prayer is couched a prophecy of the exaltation
|
|
of Christ, whom God raised up, that he might be a just avenger of all
|
|
the wrongs done to him and to his people, particularly by the Jews,
|
|
whose utter destruction followed not long after.</P>
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|
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<P>
|
|
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|
2. He assured himself that they would be disappointed
|
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|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:11"><I>v.</I> 11</A>):
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"<I>By this I know that thou favourest me</I> and my interest,
|
|
<I>because my enemy doth not triumph over me.</I>" They hoped for his
|
|
death, but he found himself, through mercy, recovering, and this would
|
|
add to the comfort of his recovery,
|
|
|
|
(1.) That it would be a disappointment to his adversaries; they would
|
|
be crest-fallen and wretchedly ashamed, and there would be no occasion
|
|
to upbraid them with their disappointment; they would fret at it
|
|
themselves. Note. Though we may not take a pleasure in the fall of our
|
|
enemies, we may take a pleasure in the frustrating of their designs
|
|
against us.
|
|
|
|
(2.) That is would be a token of God's favour to him, and a certain
|
|
evidence that he did favour him, and would continue to do so. Note,
|
|
When we can discern the favour of God to us in any mercy, personal or
|
|
public, that doubles it and sweetens it.</P>
|
|
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|
<P>
|
|
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|
3. He depended upon God, who had thus delivered him from many an evil
|
|
work, to <I>preserve him to his heavenly kingdom,</I> as blessed Paul,
|
|
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|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ti+4:18">2 Tim. iv. 18</A>.
|
|
|
|
"As for me, forasmuch as thou favourest me, as a fruit of that favour,
|
|
and to qualify me for the continuance of it, <I>thou upholdest me in my
|
|
integrity, and,</I> in order to that, <I>settest me before thy
|
|
face,</I> hast thy eye always upon me for good;" or, "Because thou
|
|
dost, by thy grace, uphold me in my integrity, I know that thou wilt,
|
|
in thy glory, set me for ever before thy face." Note,
|
|
|
|
(1.) When at any time we suffer in our reputation our chief concern
|
|
should be about our integrity, and then we may cheerfully leave it to
|
|
God to secure our reputation. David knows that, if he can but persevere
|
|
in his integrity, he needs not fear his enemies' triumphs over him.
|
|
|
|
(2.) The best man in the world holds his integrity no longer then God
|
|
upholds him in it; for by his grace we are what we are; if we be left
|
|
to ourselves, we shall not only fall, but fall away.
|
|
|
|
(3.) It is a great comfort to us that, however weak we are, God is able
|
|
to uphold us in our integrity, and will do it if we commit the keeping
|
|
of it to him.
|
|
|
|
(4.) If the grace of God did not take a constant care of us, we should
|
|
not be upheld in our integrity; his eye is always upon us, else we
|
|
should soon start aside from him.
|
|
|
|
(5.) Those whom God now upholds in their integrity he will set before
|
|
his face for ever, and make happy in the vision and fruition of
|
|
himself. <I>He that endures to the end shall be saved.</I></P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
4. The psalm concludes with a solemn doxology, or adoration of God as
|
|
<I>the Lord God of Israel,</I>
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+41:13"><I>v.</I> 13</A>.
|
|
|
|
It is not certain whether this verse pertains to this particular psalm
|
|
(if so, it teaches us this, That a believing hope of our preservation
|
|
through grace to glory is enough to fill our hearts with joy and our
|
|
mouths with everlasting praise, even in our greatest straits) or
|
|
whether it was added as the conclusion of the first book of
|
|
<I>Psalms,</I> which is reckoned to end here (the like being subjoined
|
|
to
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+42:13,72:19,89:52,106:48">lxxii., lxxxix, cvi.</A>),
|
|
|
|
and then it teaches us to make God the Omega who is the Alpha, to make
|
|
him the end who is the beginning of every good work. We are taught,
|
|
|
|
(1.) To give glory to God as the <I>Lord God of Israel,</I> a God in
|
|
covenant with his people, who has done great and kind things for them
|
|
and has more and better in reserve.
|
|
|
|
(2.) To give him glory as an eternal God, that has both his being and
|
|
his blessedness <I>from everlasting and to everlasting.</I>
|
|
|
|
(3.) To do this with great affection and fervour of spirit, intimated
|
|
in the double seal set to it--<I>Amen, and Amen.</I> Be it so now, be
|
|
it so to all eternity. We say <I>Amen</I> to it, and let all others say
|
|
<I>Amen</I> too.</P>
|
|
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