mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 52.xml

<div2 id="Ps.liii" n="liii" next="Ps.liv" prev="Ps.lii" progress="39.93%" title="Chapter LII">
<h2 id="Ps.liii-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.liii-p0.2">PSALM LII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.liii-p1">David, no doubt, was in very great grief when he
said to Abiathar (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.22.22" parsed="|1Sam|22|22|0|0" passage="1Sa 22:22">1 Sam. xxii.
22</scripRef>), "I have occasioned the death of all the persons of
thy father's house," who were put to death upon Doeg's malicious
information; to give some vent to that grief, and to gain some
relief to his mind under it, he penned this psalm, wherein, as a
prophet, and therefore with as good an authority as if he had been
now a prince upon the throne, I. He arraigns Doeg for what he had
done, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.1" parsed="|Ps|52|1|0|0" passage="Ps 52:1">ver. 1</scripRef>. II. He accuses
him, convicts him, and aggravates his crimes, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.2-Ps.52.4" parsed="|Ps|52|2|52|4" passage="Ps 52:2-4">ver. 2-4</scripRef>. III. He passes sentence upon him,
<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.5" parsed="|Ps|52|5|0|0" passage="Ps 52:5">ver. 5</scripRef>. IV. He foretels the
triumphs of the righteous in the execution of the sentence,
<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.6-Ps.52.7" parsed="|Ps|52|6|52|7" passage="Ps 52:6,7">ver. 6, 7</scripRef>. V. He comforts
himself in the mercy of God and the assurance he had that he should
yet praise him, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.8-Ps.52.9" parsed="|Ps|52|8|52|9" passage="Ps 52:8,9">ver. 8, 9</scripRef>.
In singing this psalm we should conceive a detestation of the sin
of lying, foresee the ruin of those that persist in it, and please
ourselves with the assurance of the preservation of God's church
and people, in spite of all the malicious designs of the children
of Satan, that father of lies.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.liii-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52" parsed="|Ps|52|0|0|0" passage="Ps 52" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.liii-p1.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.1-Ps.52.5" parsed="|Ps|52|1|52|5" passage="Ps 52:1-5" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.52.1-Ps.52.5">
<h4 id="Ps.liii-p1.9">The Wickedness of Doeg.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.liii-p1.10">
<p id="Ps.liii-p2">To the chief musician, Maschil. <i>A psalm</i> of David, when
Doeg the Edomite<br/>
came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house
of Ahimelech.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.liii-p3">1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O
mighty man? the goodness of God <i>endureth</i> continually.  
2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working
deceitfully.   3 Thou lovest evil more than good; <i>and</i>
lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.   4 Thou
lovest all devouring words, O <i>thou</i> deceitful tongue.  
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee
away, and pluck thee out of <i>thy</i> dwelling place, and root
thee out of the land of the living. Selah.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p4">The title is a brief account of the story
which the psalm refers to. David now, at length, saw it necessary
to quit the court, and shift for his own safety, for fear of Saul,
who had once and again attempted to murder him. Being unprovided
with arms and victuals, he, by a wile, got Ahimelech the priest to
furnish him with both. Doeg an Edomite happened to be there, and he
went and informed Saul against Ahimelech, representing him as
confederate with a traitor, upon which accusation Saul grounded a
very bloody warrant, to kill all the priests; and Doeg, the
prosecutor, was the executioner, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.22.9" parsed="|1Sam|22|9|0|0" passage="1Sa 22:9">1
Sam. xxii. 9</scripRef>, &amp;c. In these verses,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p5">I. David argues the case fairly with this
proud and mighty man, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.1" parsed="|Ps|52|1|0|0" passage="Ps 52:1"><i>v.</i>
1</scripRef>. Doeg, it is probably, was mighty in respect of bodily
strength; but, if he was, he gained no reputation to it by his easy
victory over the unarmed priests of the Lord; it is no honour for
those that wear a sword to hector those that wear an ephod.
However, he was, by his office, a <i>mighty man,</i> for he was set
over the servants of Saul, chamberlain of the household. This was
he that boasted himself, not only in the power he had to do
mischief, but in the mischief he did. Note, It is bad to do ill,
but it is worse to boast of it and glory in it when we have done,
not only not to be ashamed of a wicked action, but to justify it,
not only to justify it, but to magnify it and value ourselves upon
it. Those that glory in their sin glory in their shame, and then it
becomes yet more shameful; mighty men are often mischievous men, and
<i>boast of their heart's desire,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.10.3" parsed="|Ps|10|3|0|0" passage="Ps 10:3">Ps. x. 3</scripRef>. It is uncertain how the following
words come in: <i>The goodness of God endures continually.</i> Some
make it the wicked man's answer to this question. The patience and
forbearance of God (those great proofs of his goodness) are abused
by sinners to the hardening of their hearts in their wicked ways;
because sentence against their evil works is not executed speedily,
nay, because God is continually doing them good, therefore they
boast in mischief; as if their prosperity in their wickedness were
an evidence that there is no harm in it. But it is rather to be
taken as an argument against him, to show, 1. The sinfulness of his
sin: "God is continually doing good, and those that therein are
like him have reason to glory in their being so; but thou art
continually doing mischief, and therein art utterly unlike him, and
contrary to him, and yet gloriest in being so." 2. The folly of it:
"Thou thinkest, with the mischief which thou boastest of (so
artfully contrived and so successfully carried on), to run down and
ruin the people of God; but thou wilt find thyself mistaken: <i>the
goodness of God endures continually</i> for their preservation, and
then they need <i>not fear what man can do unto them.</i>" The
enemies in vain boast in their mischief while we have God's mercy
to boast in.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p6">II. He draws up a high charge against him
in the court of heaven, as he had drawn up a high charge against
Ahimelech in Saul's court, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.2-Ps.52.4" parsed="|Ps|52|2|52|4" passage="Ps 52:2-4"><i>v.</i>
2-4</scripRef>. He accuses him of the wickedness of his tongue
(that unruly evil, full of deadly poison) and the wickedness of his
heart, which that was an evidence of. Four things he charges him
with:—1. Malice. His tongue does <i>mischief,</i> not only
pricking like a needle, but cutting <i>like a sharp razor.</i>
Scornful bantering words would not content him; he loved devouring
words, words that would ruin the priests of the Lord, whom he
hated. 2. Falsehood. It was a <i>deceitful tongue</i> that he did
this mischief with (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.4" parsed="|Ps|52|4|0|0" passage="Ps 52:4"><i>v.</i>
4</scripRef>); he loved lying (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.3" parsed="|Ps|52|3|0|0" passage="Ps 52:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>), and this sharp razor did <i>work
deceitfully</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p6.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.2" parsed="|Ps|52|2|0|0" passage="Ps 52:2"><i>v.</i>
2</scripRef>), that is, before he had this occasion given him to
discover his malice against the priests, he had acted very
plausibly towards them; though he was an Edomite, he attended the
altars, and brought his offerings, and paid his respects to the
priests, as decently as any Israelite; therein he put a force upon
himself (for he was <i>detained before the Lord</i>), but thus he
gained an opportunity of doing them so much the greater mischief.
Or it may refer to the information itself which he gave in against
Ahimelech; for the matter of fact was, in substance, true, yet it
was misrepresented, and false colours were put upon it, and
therefore he might well be said to love lying, and to have a
deceitful tongue. He told the truth, but not all the truth, as a
witness ought to do; had he told that David made Ahimelech believe
he was then going upon Saul's errand, the kindness he showed him
would have appeared to be not only not traitorous against Saul, but
respectful to him. It will not save us from the guilt of lying to
be able to say, "There was some truth in what we said," if we
pervert it, and make it to appear otherwise than it was. 3.
Subtlety in sin: "<i>Thy tongue devises mischiefs;</i> that is, it
speaks the mischief which thy heart devises." The more there is of
craft and contrivance in any wickedness the more there is of the
devil in it. 4. Affection to sin: "<i>Thou lovest evil more than
good;</i> that is, thou lovest evil, and hast no love at all to
that which is good; thou takest delight in lying, and makest no
conscience of doing right. Thou wouldst rather please Saul by
telling a lie than please God by speaking truth." Those are of
Doeg's spirit who, instead of being pleased (as we ought all to be)
with an opportunity of doing a man a kindness in his body, estate,
or good name, are glad when they have a fair occasion to do a man a
mischief, and readily close with an opportunity of that kind; that
is loving evil more than good. It is bad to speak devouring words,
but it is worse to love them either in others or in ourselves.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p7">III. He reads his doom and denounces the
judgments of God against him for his wickedness (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.5" parsed="|Ps|52|5|0|0" passage="Ps 52:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>): "Thou hast destroyed the priests
of the Lord and cut them off, and therefore <i>God shall likewise
destroy thee for ever.</i>" Sons of perdition actively shall be
sons of perdition passively, as Judas and the man of sin.
Destroyers shall be destroyed; those especially that hate, and
persecute, and destroy the priests of the Lord, his ministers and
people, who are made to our God priests, a royal priesthood, shall
be taken away with a swift and everlasting destruction. Doeg is
here condemned, 1. To be driven out of the church: <i>He shall
pluck thee out of the tabernacle,</i> not thy dwelling-place, but
God's (so it is most probably understood); "thou shalt be cut off
from the favour of God, and his presence, and all communion with
him, and shalt have no benefit either by oracle or offering."
Justly was he deprived of all the privileges of God's house who had
been so mischievous to his servants; he had come sometimes to God's
tabernacle, and attended in his courts, but he was detained there;
he was weary of his service, and sought an opportunity to defame
his family; it was very fit therefore that he should be taken away,
and plucked out thence; we should forbid any one our house that
should serve us so. Note, We forfeit the benefit of ordinances if
we make an ill use of them. 2. To be driven out of the world;
"<i>He shall root thee out of the land of the living,</i> in which
thou thoughtest thyself so deeply rooted." When good men die they
are transplanted from the land of the living on earth, the nursery
of the plants of righteousness, to that in heaven, the garden of
the Lord, where they shall take root for ever; but, when wicked men
die, they are rooted out of the land of the living, to perish for
ever, as fuel to the fire of divine wrath. This will be the portion
of those that contend with God.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ps.liii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.6-Ps.52.9" parsed="|Ps|52|6|52|9" passage="Ps 52:6-9" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.52.6-Ps.52.9">
<h4 id="Ps.liii-p7.3">The Ruin of Doeg Predicted.</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.liii-p8">6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and
shall laugh at him:   7 Lo, <i>this is</i> the man <i>that</i>
made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his
riches, <i>and</i> strengthened himself in his wickedness.   8
But I <i>am</i> like a green olive tree in the house of God: I
trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.   9 I will praise
thee for ever, because thou hast done <i>it:</i> and I will wait on
thy name; for <i>it is</i> good before thy saints.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p9">David was at this time in great distress;
the mischief Doeg had done him was but the beginning of his
sorrows; and yet here we have him triumphing, and that is more than
rejoicing, in tribulation. Blessed Paul, in the midst of his
troubles, is in the midst of his triumphs, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:2Cor.2.14" parsed="|2Cor|2|14|0|0" passage="2Co 2:14">2 Cor. ii. 14</scripRef>. David here triumphs,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p10">I. In the fall of Doeg. Yet, lest this
should look like personal revenge, he does not speak of it as his
own act, but the language of other righteous persons. They shall
observe God's judgments on Doeg, and speak of them, 1. To the glory
of God: <i>They shall see and fear</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.6" parsed="|Ps|52|6|0|0" passage="Ps 52:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>); that is, they shall reverence
the justice of God, and stand in awe of him, as a God of almighty
power, before whom the proudest sinner cannot stand and before whom
therefore we ought every one of us to humble ourselves. Note, God's
judgments on the wicked should strike an awe upon the righteous and
make them afraid of offending God and incurring his displeasure,
<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.119.120 Bible:Rev.15.3-Rev.15.4" parsed="|Ps|119|120|0|0;|Rev|15|3|15|4" passage="Ps 119:120,Re 15:3,4">Ps. cxix. 120; Rev. xv. 3,
4</scripRef>. 2. To the shame of Doeg. They shall laugh at him, not
with a ludicrous, but a rational serious laughter, as <i>he that
sits in heaven shall laugh at him,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p10.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.2.4" parsed="|Ps|2|4|0|0" passage="Ps 2:4">Ps. ii. 4</scripRef>. He shall appear ridiculous, and
worthy to be laughed at. We are told how they shall triumph in
God's just judgments on him (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p10.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.7" parsed="|Ps|52|7|0|0" passage="Ps 52:7"><i>v.</i>
7</scripRef>): <i>Lo, this is the man that made not God his
strength.</i> The fall and ruin of a wealthy mighty man cannot but
be generally taken notice of, and every one is apt to make his
remarks upon it; now this is the remark which the righteous should
make upon Doeg's fall, that no better could come of it, since he
took the wrong method of establishing himself in his wealth and
power. If a newly-erected fabric tumbles down, every one
immediately enquires where was the fault in the building of it. Now
that which ruined Doeg's prosperity was, (1.) That he did not build
it upon a rock: <i>He made not God his strength,</i> that is, he
did not think that the continuance of his prosperity depended upon
the favour of God, and therefore took no care to make sure that
favour nor to keep himself in God's love, made no conscience of his
duty to him nor sought him in the least. Those wretchedly deceive
themselves that think to support themselves in their power and
wealth without God and religion. (2.) That he did build it upon the
sand. He thought his wealth would support itself: <i>He trusted in
the abundance of his riches,</i> which, he imagined, were <i>laid
up for many years;</i> nay, he thought his wickedness would help to
support it. He was resolved to stick at nothing for the securing
and advancing of his honour and power. Right or wrong, he would get
what he could and keep what he had, and be the ruin of any one that
stood in his way; and this, he thought, would strengthen him. Those
may have any thing that will make conscience of nothing. But now
see what it comes to; see what untempered mortar he built his house
with, now that it has fallen and he is himself buried in the ruins
of it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.liii-p11">II. In his own stability, <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.8-Ps.52.9" parsed="|Ps|52|8|52|9" passage="Ps 52:8,9"><i>v.</i> 8, 9</scripRef>. "This mighty man is
plucked up by the roots; <i>but I am like a green olive-tree,</i>
planted and rooted, fixed and flourishing; he is turned out of
God's dwelling-place, but I am established in it, not detained, as
Doeg, by any thing but the abundant satisfaction I meet with
there." Note, Those that by faith and love dwell in the house of
God shall be like green olive-trees there; the wicked are said to
flourish like a green bay-tree (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.37.35" parsed="|Ps|37|35|0|0" passage="Ps 37:35">Ps.
xxxvii. 35</scripRef>), which bears no useful fruit, though it has
abundance of large leaves; but the righteous flourish like a green
olive-tree, which is fat as well as flourishing (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.92.14" parsed="|Ps|92|14|0|0" passage="Ps 92:14">Ps. xcii. 14</scripRef>) and with <i>its fatness honours
God and man</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.4" osisRef="Bible:Judg.9.9" parsed="|Judg|9|9|0|0" passage="Jdg 9:9">Judg. ix.
9</scripRef>), deriving its root and fatness from the good olive,
<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.5" osisRef="Bible:Rom.11.17" parsed="|Rom|11|17|0|0" passage="Ro 11:17">Rom. xi. 17</scripRef>. Now what must
we do that we may be as green olive-trees? 1. We must live a life
of faith and holy confidence in God and his grace? "I see what
comes of men's trusting in the abundance of their riches, and
therefore <i>I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever</i>—not
in the world, but in God, not in my own merit, but in God's mercy,
which dispenses its gifts freely, even to the unworthy, and has in
it an all-sufficiency to be our portion and happiness." This mercy
is for ever; it is constant and unchangeable, and its gifts will
continue to all eternity. We must therefore for ever trust in it,
and never come off from that foundation. 2. We must live a life of
thankfulness and holy joy in God (<scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.52.9" parsed="|Ps|52|9|0|0" passage="Ps 52:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>): "<i>I will praise thee for ever,
because thou hast done it,</i> has avenged the blood of thy priests
upon their bloody enemy, and given him blood to drink, and hast
performed thy promise to me," which he was as sure would be done in
due time as if it were done already. It contributes very much to
the beauty of our profession, and to our fruitfulness in every
grace, to be much in praising God; and it is certain that we never
want matter for praise. 3. We must live a life of expectation and
humble dependence upon God: "<i>I will wait on thy name;</i> I will
attend upon thee in all those ways wherein thou hast made thyself
known, hoping for the discoveries of thy favour to me and willing
to tarry till the time appointed for them; <i>for it is good before
thy saints,</i>" or <i>in the opinion and judgment of thy
saints,</i> with whom David heartily concurs. <i>Communis sensus
fidelium—All the saints are of this mind,</i> (1.) That God's name
is good in itself, that God's manifestations of himself to his
people are gracious and very kind; there is no other name given
than his that can be our refuge and strong tower. (2.) That it is
very good for us to wait on that name, that there is nothing better
to calm and quiet our spirits when they are ruffled and disturbed,
and to keep us in the way of duty when we are tempted to use any
indirect courses for our own relief, than to <i>hope and quietly
wait for the salvation of the Lord,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.7" osisRef="Bible:Lam.3.26" parsed="|Lam|3|26|0|0" passage="La 3:26">Lam. iii. 26</scripRef>. All the saints have experienced
the benefit of it, who never attended him in vain, never followed
his guidance but it ended well, nor were ever made ashamed of their
believing expectations from him. What is good before all the saints
let us therefore abide and abound in, and in this particularly:
<i>Turn thou to thy God; keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy
God continually,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.liii-p11.8" osisRef="Bible:Hos.12.6" parsed="|Hos|12|6|0|0" passage="Ho 12:6">Hos. xii.
6</scripRef>.</p>
</div></div2>