mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 101.xml

<div2 id="Ps.cii" n="cii" next="Ps.ciii" prev="Ps.ci" progress="56.29%" title="Chapter CI">
<h2 id="Ps.cii-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.cii-p0.2">PSALM CI.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.cii-p1">David was certainly the penman of this psalm, and
it has in it the genuine spirit of the man after God's own heart;
it is a solemn vow which he made to God when he took upon him the
charge of a family and of the kingdom. Whether it was penned when
he entered upon the government, immediately after the death of Saul
(as some think), or when he began to reign over all Israel, and
brought up the ark to the city of David (as others think), is not
material; it is an excellent plan or model for the good government
of a court, or the keeping up of virtue and piety, and, by that
means, good order, in it: but it is applicable to private families;
it is the householder's psalm. It instructs all that are in any
sphere of power, whether larger or narrower, to use their power so
as to make it a terror to evil-doers, but a praise to those that do
well. Here is, I. The general scope of David's vow, <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.1-Ps.101.2" parsed="|Ps|101|1|101|2" passage="Ps 101:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. The particulars of
it, that he would detest and discountenance all manner of
wickedness (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.3-Ps.101.5 Bible:Ps.101.7 Bible:Ps.101.8" parsed="|Ps|101|3|101|5;|Ps|101|7|0|0;|Ps|101|8|0|0" passage="Ps 101:3-5,7,8">ver. 3-5, 7,
8</scripRef>) and that he would favour and encourage such as were
virtuous, <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.6" parsed="|Ps|101|6|0|0" passage="Ps 101:6">ver. 6</scripRef>. Some
think this may fitly be accommodated to Christ, the Son of David,
who governs his church, the city of the Lord, by these rules, and
who loves righteousness and hates wickedness. In singing this psalm
families, both governors and governed, should teach, and admonish,
and engage themselves and one another to walk by the rule of it,
that peace may be upon them and God's presence with them.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.cii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101" parsed="|Ps|101|0|0|0" passage="Ps 101" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.cii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.1-Ps.101.8" parsed="|Ps|101|1|101|8" passage="Ps 101:1-8" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.101.1-Ps.101.8">
<h4 id="Ps.cii-p1.6">Mercy and Judgment; David's Pious
Resolution.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.cii-p1.7">
<p id="Ps.cii-p2">A psalm of David.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.cii-p3">1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee,
<span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cii-p3.1">O Lord</span>, will I sing.   2 I will
behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto
me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.   3 I
will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them
that turn aside; <i>it</i> shall not cleave to me.   4 A
froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked
<i>person.</i>   5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him
will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will
not I suffer.   6 Mine eyes <i>shall be</i> upon the faithful
of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a
perfect way, he shall serve me.   7 He that worketh deceit
shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not
tarry in my sight.   8 I will early destroy all the wicked of
the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the
<span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cii-p3.2">Lord</span>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p4">David here cuts out to himself and others a
pattern both of a good magistrate and a good master of a family;
and, if these were careful to discharge the duty of their place, it
would contribute very much to a universal reformation. Observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p5">I. The chosen subject of the psalm
(<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.1" parsed="|Ps|101|1|0|0" passage="Ps 101:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>): <i>I will
sing of mercy and judgment,</i> that is,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p6">1. Of God's mercy and judgment, and then it
looks back upon the dispensations of Providence concerning David
since he was first anointed to be king, during which time he had
met with many a rebuke and much hardship on the one hand, and yet,
on the other hand, had had many wonderful deliverances wrought for
him and favours bestowed upon him; of these he will sing unto God.
Note, (1.) God's providences concerning his people are commonly
mixed—<i>mercy and judgment;</i> God has set the one over-against
the other, and appointed them April-days, showers and sunshine. It
was so with David and his family; when there was mercy in the
return of the ark there was judgment in the death of Uzza. (2.)
When God in his providence exercises us with a mixture of mercy and
judgment it is our duty to sing, and sing unto him, both of the one
and of the other; we must be suitably affected with both, and make
suitable acknowledgments to God for both. The Chaldee-paraphrase of
this is observable: <i>If thou bestowest mercy upon me,</i> or
<i>If thou bring any judgment upon me, before thee, O Lord! will I
sing my hymns for all.</i> Whatever our outward condition is,
whether joyful or sorrowful, still we must give glory to God, and
sing praises to him; neither the laughter of a prosperous condition
nor the tears of an afflicted condition must put us out of tune for
sacred songs. Or,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p7">2. It may be understood of David's mercy
and judgment; he would, in this psalm, promise to be merciful, and
just, or wise, for judgment is often put for discretion. To do
justly and love mercy is the sum of our duty; these he would
covenant to make conscience of in that place and relation to which
God had called him and this in consideration of the various
providences of God that had occurred to him. Family-mercies and
family-afflictions are both of them calls to family-religion. David
put his vow into a song or psalm, that he might the better keep it
in his own mind and frequently repeat it, and that it might the
better be communicated to others and preserved in his family, for a
pattern to his sons and successors.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p8">II. The general resolution David took up to
conduct himself carefully and conscientiously in his court,
<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.2" parsed="|Ps|101|2|0|0" passage="Ps 101:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>. We have
here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p9">1. A good purpose concerning his
conversation—concerning his conversation in general (how he would
behave himself in every thing; he would live by rule, and not at
large, not walk at all adventures; he would, though a king, by a
solemn covenant bind himself to his good behaviour), and concerning
his conversation in his family particularly, not only how he would
walk when he appeared in public, when he sat in the throne, but how
he would <i>walk within his house,</i> where he was more out of the
eye of the world, but where he still saw himself under the eye of
God. It is not enough to put on our religion when we go abroad and
appear before men; but we must govern ourselves by it in our
families. Those that are in public stations are not thereby excused
from care in governing their families; nay, rather, they are more
concerned to set a good example of <i>ruling their own houses
well,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:1Tim.3.4" parsed="|1Tim|3|4|0|0" passage="1Ti 3:4">1 Tim. iii. 4</scripRef>.
When David had his hands full of public affairs, yet he returned to
bless his house, <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:2Sam.6.20" parsed="|2Sam|6|20|0|0" passage="2Sa 6:20">2 Sam. vi.
20</scripRef>. He resolves, (1.) To act conscientiously and with
integrity, to <i>walk in a perfect way,</i> in the way of God's
commandments; that is <i>a perfect way,</i> for <i>the law of the
Lord is perfect.</i> This he will walk in <i>with a perfect
heart,</i> with all sincerity, not dissembling either with God or
men. When we make the word of God our rule, and are ruled by it,
the glory of God our end, and aim at it, then we walk <i>in a
perfect way with a perfect heart.</i> (2.) To act considerately and
with discretion: <i>I will behave myself wisely; I will
understand</i> or <i>instruct myself</i> in a perfect way, so some.
I will walk circumspectly. Note, We must all resolve to walk by the
rules of Christian prudence in the ways of Christian piety. We must
never turn aside out of the perfect way, under pretence of
<i>behaving ourselves wisely;</i> but, while we keep to the good
way, we must be <i>wise as serpents.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p10">2. A good prayer: <i>O when wilt thou come
unto me?</i> Note, It is a desirable thing, when a man has a house
of his own, to have God come to him and dwell with him in it; and
those may expect God's presence that walk with <i>a perfect
heart</i> in <i>a perfect way.</i> If we compare the account which
the historian gives of David (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.18.14" parsed="|1Sam|18|14|0|0" passage="1Sa 18:14">1 Sam.
xviii. 14</scripRef>), we shall find how exactly it answers his
purpose and prayer, and that neither was in vain. David, as he
purposed, <i>behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and,</i> as he
prayed, <i>the Lord was with him.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p11">III. His particular resolution to practise
no evil himself (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.3" parsed="|Ps|101|3|0|0" passage="Ps 101:3"><i>v.</i>
3</scripRef>): "<i>I will set no wicked thing before my eyes;</i> I
will not design nor aim at any thing but what is for the glory of
God and the public welfare." He will never have it in his eye to
enrich himself by impoverishing his subjects, or enlarge his own
prerogative by encroaching on their property. In all our worldly
business we must see that what we set our eyes upon be right and
good and not any forbidden fruit, and that we never seek that which
we cannot have without sin. It is the character of a good man that
he shuts his eyes from seeing evil, <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p11.2" osisRef="Bible:Isa.33.15" parsed="|Isa|33|15|0|0" passage="Isa 33:15">Isa. xxxiii. 15</scripRef>. "Nay, I <i>hate the work of
those that turn aside</i> from the paths of equity (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p11.3" osisRef="Bible:Job.31.7" parsed="|Job|31|7|0|0" passage="Job 31:7">Job xxxi. 7</scripRef>), not only I avoid it,
but I abhor it; <i>it shall not cleave to me.</i> If any blot of
injustice should come on my hands, it shall be washed off
quickly."</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p12">IV. His further resolution not to keep bad
servants, nor to employ those about him that were vicious. He will
not countenance them, nor show them any favour, lest thereby he
should harden them in their wickedness, and encourage others to do
like them. He will not converse with them himself, nor admit them
into the company of his other servants, lest they should spread the
infection of sin in his family. He will not confide in them, nor
put them in power under him; for those who hated to be reformed
would certainly hinder every thing that is good. When he comes to
mention particulars he does not mention drunkards, adulterers,
murderers or blasphemers; such gross sinners as these he was in no
danger of admitting into his house, nor did he need to covenant
particularly against having fellowship with them; but he mentions
those whose sins were less scandalous, but no less dangerous, and
in reference to whom he needed to stand upon his guard with caution
and to behave himself wisely. He will have nothing to do, 1. With
spiteful malicious people, who are ill-natured, and will bear a
grudge a great while, and care not what mischief they do to those
they have a pique against (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.4" parsed="|Ps|101|4|0|0" passage="Ps 101:4"><i>v.</i>
4</scripRef>): "<i>A froward heart</i> (one that delights to be
cross and perverse) <i>shall depart from me,</i> as not fit for
society, the bond of which is love. <i>I will not know,</i>" that
is, "I will have no acquaintance or conversation, if I can help it,
with such <i>a wicked person;</i> for a little of the leaven of
malice and wickedness will leaven the whole lump." 2. With
slanderers, and those who take a pleasure in wounding their
neighbour's reputation secretly (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.5" parsed="|Ps|101|5|0|0" passage="Ps 101:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>): "<i>Whoso privily slanders his
neighbour,</i> either raises or spreads false stories, to the
prejudice of his good name, <i>him will I cut off</i> from my
family and court." Many endeavour to raise themselves into the
favour of princes by unjust representations of persons and things,
which they think will please their prince. <i>If a ruler hearken to
lies, all his servants are wicked,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Prov.29.12" parsed="|Prov|29|12|0|0" passage="Pr 29:12">Prov. xxix. 12</scripRef>. But David will not only not
hearken to them, but will prevent the preferment of those that hope
thus to curry favour with him: he will punish not only him that
falsely accuses another in open court, but him that privily
slanders another. I wish David had remembered this vow in the case
of Mephibosheth and Ziba. 3. With haughty, conceited, ambitious
people; none do more mischief in a family, in a court, in a church,
for <i>only by pride comes contention:</i> "Therefore him <i>that
has a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer;</i> I will
have no patience with those that are still grasping at all
preferments, for it is certain that they do not aim at doing good,
but only at aggrandizing themselves and their families." God
resists the proud, and so will David. 4. With false deceitful
people, that scruple not to tell lies, or commit frauds (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p12.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.7" parsed="|Ps|101|7|0|0" passage="Ps 101:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>): "<i>He that worketh
deceit,</i> though he may insinuate himself into my family, yet, as
soon as he is discovered, <i>shall not dwell within my house.</i>"
Some great men know how to serve their own purposes by such as are
skilful to deceive, and they are fit tools for them to work by; but
David will make use of no such persons as agents for him: <i>He
that tells lies shall not tarry in my sight,</i> but shall be
expelled the house with indignation. Herein David was <i>a man
after God's own heart,</i> for a proud look and a lying tongue are
things which God hates; and he was also a type of Christ, who will,
in the great day, banish from his presence <i>all that love and
make a lie,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cii-p12.5" osisRef="Bible:Rev.22.15" parsed="|Rev|22|15|0|0" passage="Re 22:15">Rev. xxii.
15</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p13">V. His resolution to put those in trust
under him that were honest and good (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.6" parsed="|Ps|101|6|0|0" passage="Ps 101:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>): <i>My eyes shall be upon the
faithful in the land.</i> In choosing his servants and ministers of
state he kept to the land of Israel and would not employ
foreigners; none shall be preferred but true-born Israelites, and
those such as were Israelites indeed, the <i>faithful in the
land;</i> for even in that land there were those that were
unfaithful. These faithful ones his eyes shall be upon, to discover
them and find them out; for they were modest, did not crowd into
the city to court preferment, but lived retired in the land, in the
country, out of the way of it. Those are commonly most fit for
places of honour and trust that are least fond of them; and
therefore wise princes will spy out such in their recesses and
privacies, and take them to dwell with them and act under them.
<i>He that walks in a perfect way,</i> that makes conscience of
what he says and does, <i>shall serve me.</i> The kingdom must be
searched for honest men to make courtiers of; and, if any man is
better than another, he must be preferred. This was a good
resolution of David's; but either he did not keep to it or else his
judgment was imposed upon when he made Ahithophel his right hand.
It should be the care and endeavour of all masters of families, for
their own sakes and their children's, to take such servants into
their families as they have reason to hope fear God. The Son of
David has his eyes upon <i>the faithful in the land;</i> his secret
is with them, and they <i>shall dwell with him.</i> Saul chose
servants for their goodliness (<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.8.16" parsed="|1Sam|8|16|0|0" passage="1Sa 8:16">1 Sam.
viii. 16</scripRef>), but David for their goodness.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cii-p14">VI. His resolution to extend his zeal to
the reformation of the city and country, as well as of the court
(<scripRef id="Ps.cii-p14.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.101.8" parsed="|Ps|101|8|0|0" passage="Ps 101:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>): "<i>I will
early destroy all the wicked of the land,</i> all that are
discovered and convicted; the law shall have its course against
them." He would do his utmost to <i>destroy all the wicked,</i> so
that there might be none left that were notoriously wicked. He
would do it early; he would lose no time and spare no pains; he
would be forward and zealous in promoting the reformation of
manners and suppression of vice; and those must rise betimes that
will do anything to purpose in the work. That which he aimed at was
not only the securing of his own government and the peace of the
country, but the honour of God in the purity of his church, <i>That
I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.</i> Not
Jerusalem only, but the whole land, was the <i>city of the
Lord;</i> so is the gospel-church. It is the interest of the
<i>city of the Lord</i> to be purged from <i>wicked doers,</i> who
both blemish it and weaken it; and it is therefore the duty of all
to do what they can, in their places, towards so good a work, and
to be zealously affected in it. The day is coming when the Son of
David shall cut off all wicked doers from the new Jerusalem, for
there shall not enter into it any that do iniquity.</p>
</div></div2>