mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 64.xml

<div2 id="Ps.lxv" n="lxv" next="Ps.lxvi" prev="Ps.lxiv" progress="43.21%" title="Chapter LXIV">
<h2 id="Ps.lxv-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.lxv-p0.2">PSALM LXIV.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.lxv-p1">This whole psalm has reference to David's enemies,
persecutors, and slanderers; many such there were, and a great deal
of trouble they gave him, almost all his days, so that we need not
guess at any particular occasion of penning this psalm. I. He prays
to God to preserve him from their malicious designs against him,
<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.1-Ps.64.2" parsed="|Ps|64|1|64|2" passage="Ps 64:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. He gives a
very bad character of them, as men marked for ruin by their own
wickedness, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.3-Ps.64.6" parsed="|Ps|64|3|64|6" passage="Ps 64:3-6">ver. 3-6</scripRef>. III.
By the spirit of prophecy he foretels their destruction, which
would redound to the glory of God and the encouragement of his
people, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.7-Ps.64.10" parsed="|Ps|64|7|64|10" passage="Ps 64:7-10">ver. 7-10</scripRef>. In
singing this psalm we must observe the effect of the old enmity
that is in the seed of the woman against the seed of the serpent,
and assure ourselves that the serpent's head will be broken, at
last, to the honour and joy of the holy seed.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.lxv-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64" parsed="|Ps|64|0|0|0" passage="Ps 64" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.lxv-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.1-Ps.64.6" parsed="|Ps|64|1|64|6" passage="Ps 64:1-6" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.64.1-Ps.64.6">
<h4 id="Ps.lxv-p1.6">Malice of David's Enemies.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.lxv-p1.7">
<p id="Ps.lxv-p2">To the chief musician. A psalm of David.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.lxv-p3">1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve
my life from fear of the enemy.   2 Hide me from the secret
counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of
iniquity:   3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, <i>and</i>
bend <i>their bows to shoot</i> their arrows, <i>even</i> bitter
words:   4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect:
suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.   5 They
encourage themselves <i>in</i> an evil matter: they commune of
laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?   6 They
search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the
inward <i>thought</i> of every one <i>of them,</i> and the heart,
<i>is</i> deep.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p4">David, in these verses, puts in before God
a representation of his own danger and of his enemies' character,
to enforce his petition that God would protect him and punish
them.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p5">I. He earnestly begs of God to preserve him
(<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.1-Ps.64.2" parsed="|Ps|64|1|64|2" passage="Ps 64:1,2"><i>v.</i> 1, 2</scripRef>): <i>Hear
my voice, O God! in my prayer;</i> that is, grant me the thing I
pray for, and this is it, <i>Lord, preserve my life from fear of
the enemy,</i> from the enemy that I am in fear of. He
makes request for his life, which is, in a particular manner, dear
to him, because he knows it is designed to be very serviceable to
God and his generation. When his life is struck at it cannot be
thought he should altogether hold his peace, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Esth.7.2 Bible:Esth.7.4" parsed="|Esth|7|2|0|0;|Esth|7|4|0|0" passage="Es 7:2,4">Esth. vii. 2, 4</scripRef>. And, if he plead his fear of
the enemy, it is no disparagement to his courage; his father Jacob,
that prince with God, did so before him. <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Gen.32.11" parsed="|Gen|32|11|0|0" passage="Ge 32:11">Gen. xxii. 11</scripRef>, <i>Deliver me from the hand of
Esau, for I fear him. Preserve my life from fear,</i> not only from
the thing itself which I fear, but from the disquieting fear of it;
this is, in effect, the preservation of the life, for fear has
torment, particularly the fear of death, by reason of which some
are all their life-time subject to bondage. He prays, "<i>Hide me
from the secret counsel of the wicked,</i> from the mischief which
they secretly consult among themselves to do against me, and
<i>from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity,</i> who join
forces, as they join counsels, to do me a mischief." Observe, The
secret counsel ends in an insurrection; treasonable practices begin
in treasonable confederacies and conspiracies. "Hide me from them,
that they may not find me, that they may not reach me. Let me be
safe under thy protection."</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p6">II. He complains of the great malice and
wickedness of his enemies: "Lord, hide me from them, for they are
the worst of men, not fit to be connived at; they are dangerous
men, that will stick at nothing; so that I am undone if thou do not
take my part."</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p7">1. They are very spiteful in their
calumnies and reproaches, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.3-Ps.64.4" parsed="|Ps|64|3|64|4" passage="Ps 64:3,4"><i>v.</i>
3, 4</scripRef>. They are described as military men, with their
sword and bow, archers that take aim exactly, secretly, and
suddenly, and shoot at the harmless bird that apprehends not
herself in any danger. But, (1.) Their tongues are their swords,
flaming swords, two-edged swords, drawn swords, drawn in anger,
with which they cut, and wound, and kill, the good name of their
neighbours. The tongue is a little member, but, like the sword, it
<i>boasts great things,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Jas.3.5" parsed="|Jas|3|5|0|0" passage="Jam 3:5">Jam. iii.
5</scripRef>. It is a dangerous weapon. (2.) <i>Bitter words</i>
are <i>their arrows</i>—scurrilous reflections, opprobrious
nicknames, false representations, slanders, and calumnies, the
fiery darts of the wicked one, set on fire to hell. For these their
malice <i>bends their bows,</i> to send out these arrows with so
much the more force. (3.) The upright man is their mark; against
him their spleen is, and they cannot speak peaceably either of him
or to him. The better any man is the more he is envied by those
that are themselves bad, and the more ill is said of him. (4.) They
manage it with a great deal of art and subtlety. They <i>shoot in
secret,</i> that those they shoot at may not discover them and
avoid the danger, for <i>in vain is the net spread in the sight of
any bird.</i> And <i>suddenly do they shoot,</i> without giving a
man lawful warning or any opportunity to defend himself. <i>Cursed
be he that thus smites his neighbour secretly</i> in his
reputation, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Deut.27.24" parsed="|Deut|27|24|0|0" passage="De 27:24">Deut. xxvii.
24</scripRef>. There is no guard against a pass made by a false
tongue. (5.) Herein <i>they fear not,</i> that is, they are
confident of their success, and doubt not but by these methods they
shall gain the point which their malice aims at. Or, rather, they
fear not the wrath of God, which they will be the portion of a
false tongue. They are impudent and daring in the mischief they do
to good people, as if they must never be called to an account for
it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p8">2. They are very close and very resolute in
their malicious projects, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.5" parsed="|Ps|64|5|0|0" passage="Ps 64:5"><i>v.</i>
5</scripRef>. (1.) They strengthen and corroborate themselves and
one another in this evil matter, and by joining together in it they
make one another the more bitter and the more bold. <i>Fortiter
calumniari, aliquid adhærebit—Lay on an abundance of reproach;
part will be sure to stick.</i> It is bad to do a wrong thing, but
worse to encourage ourselves and one another in doing it; this is
doing the devil's work for him. It is a sign that the heart is
hardened to the highest degree when it is thus fully set to do evil
and fears no colours. It is the office of conscience to discourage
men in an evil matter, but, when that is baffled, the case is
desperate. (2.) They consult with themselves and one another how to
do the most mischief and most effectually: <i>They commune of
laying snares privily.</i> All their communion is in sin and all
their communication is how to sin securely. They hold councils of
war for finding out the most effectual expedients to do mischief;
every snare they lay was talked of before, and was laid with all
the contrivance of their wicked wits combined. (3.) They please
themselves with an atheistical conceit that God himself takes no
notice of their wicked practices: <i>They say, Who shall see
them?</i> A practical disbelief of God's omniscience is at the
bottom of all the wickedness of the wicked.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p9">3. They are very industrious in putting
their projects in execution (<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.6" parsed="|Ps|64|6|0|0" passage="Ps 64:6"><i>v.</i>
6</scripRef>): "<i>They search out iniquity;</i> they take a great
deal of pains to find out some iniquity or other to lay to my
charge; they dig deep, and look far back, and put things to the
utmost stretch, that they may have something to accuse me of;" or,
"They are industrious to find out new arts of doing mischief to me;
in this they accomplish a diligent search; they go through with it,
and spare neither cost nor labour." <i>Evil men dig up
mischief.</i> Half the pains that many take to damn their souls
would serve to save them. They are masters of all the arts of
mischief and destruction, for <i>the inward thought of every one of
them, and the heart, are deep</i>; deep as hell, desperately
wicked, who can know it? By the unaccountable wickedness of their
wit and of their will, they show themselves to be, both in subtlety
and malignity, the genuine offspring of the old serpent.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ps.lxv-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.7-Ps.64.10" parsed="|Ps|64|7|64|10" passage="Ps 64:7-10" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.64.7-Ps.64.10">
<h4 id="Ps.lxv-p9.3">God's Judgments on
Persecutors.</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.lxv-p10">7 But God shall shoot at them <i>with</i> an
arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.   8 So they shall make
their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall
flee away.   9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the
work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.   10
The righteous shall be glad in the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.lxv-p10.1">Lord</span>, and shall trust in him; and all the
upright in heart shall glory.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p11">We may observe here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p12">I. The judgments of God which should
certainly come upon these malicious persecutors of David. Though
they encouraged themselves in their wickedness, here is that which,
if they would believe and consider it, was enough to discourage
them. And it is observable how the punishment answers the sin. 1.
They shot at David secretly and suddenly, to wound him; but God
shall shoot at them, for he <i>ordains his arrows against the
persecutors</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.7.13" parsed="|Ps|7|13|0|0" passage="Ps 7:13">Ps. vii.
13</scripRef>), <i>against the face of them,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.21.12" parsed="|Ps|21|12|0|0" passage="Ps 21:12">Ps. xxi. 12</scripRef>. And God's arrows will hit surer,
and fly swifter, and pierce deeper, than theirs do or can. They
have many arrows, but they are only bitter words, and words are but
wind: the curse causeless shall not come. But God has one arrow
that will be their death, his curse which is never causeless, and
therefore shall come; with it they shall be suddenly wounded, that
is, their wound by it will be a surprise upon them, because they
were secure and not apprehensive of any danger. 2. Their tongues
fell upon him, but God shall <i>make their tongues to fall upon
themselves.</i> They do it by the desert of their sin; God does it
by the justice of his wrath, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.8" parsed="|Ps|64|8|0|0" passage="Ps 64:8"><i>v.</i>
8</scripRef>. When God deals with men according to the desert of
their tongue-sins, and brings those mischiefs upon them which they
have passionately and maliciously imprecated upon others, then he
makes their own tongues to fall upon them; and it is weight enough
to sink a man to the lowest hell, like a talent of lead. Many have
cut their own throats, and many more have damned their own souls,
with their tongues, and it will be an aggravation of their
condemnation. <i>O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself,</i> art
<i>snared in the words of thy mouth. If thou scornest, thou alone
shalt bear it.</i> Those that love cursing, it shall come unto
them. Sometimes men's secret wickedness is brought to light by
their own confession, and then their own tongue falls upon
them.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p13">II. The influence which these judgments
should have upon others; for it is done <i>in the open sight of
all,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Job.34.26" parsed="|Job|34|26|0|0" passage="Job 34:26">Job xxxiv.
26</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p14">1. Their neighbours shall shun them and
shift for their own safety. They <i>shall flee away,</i> as the men
of Israel did from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram,
<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p14.1" osisRef="Bible:Num.16.27" parsed="|Num|16|27|0|0" passage="Nu 16:27">Num. xvi. 27</scripRef>. Some think
this was fulfilled in the death of Saul, when not only his army was
dispersed, but the inhabitants of the neighbouring country were so
terrified with the fall, not only of their king but of his three
sons, that they quitted their cities and fled, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p14.2" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.31.7" parsed="|1Sam|31|7|0|0" passage="1Sa 31:7">1 Sam. xxxi. 7</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p15">2. Spectators shall reverence the
providence of God therein, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.9" parsed="|Ps|64|9|0|0" passage="Ps 64:9"><i>v.</i>
9</scripRef>. (1.) They shall understand and observe God's hand in
all (and, unless we do so, we are not likely to profit by the
dispensations of Providence, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p15.2" osisRef="Bible:Hos.14.9" parsed="|Hos|14|9|0|0" passage="Ho 14:9">Hos. xiv.
9</scripRef>): <i>They shall wisely consider his doing.</i> There
is need of consideration and serious thought rightly to apprehend
the matter of fact, and need of wisdom to put a true interpretation
upon it. God's doing is well worth our considering (<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p15.3" osisRef="Bible:Eccl.7.13" parsed="|Eccl|7|13|0|0" passage="Ec 7:13">Eccl. vii. 13</scripRef>), but it must be
considered wisely, that we put not a corrupt gloss upon a pure
text. (2.) They shall be affected with a holy awe of God upon the
consideration of it. All men (all that have any thing of the reason
of a man in them) shall fear and tremble because of God's
judgments, <scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p15.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.119.120" parsed="|Ps|119|120|0|0" passage="Ps 119:120">Ps. cxix. 120</scripRef>.
They shall fear to do the like, fear being found persecutors of
God's people. <i>Smite the scorner and the simple shall beware.</i>
(3.) They shall declare the work of God. They shall speak to one
another and to all about them of the justice of God in punishing
persecutors. What we wisely consider ourselves we should wisely
declare to others, for their edification and the glory of God.
<i>This is the finger of God.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxv-p16">3. Good people shall in a special manner
take notice of it, and it shall affect them with a holy pleasure,
<scripRef id="Ps.lxv-p16.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.64.10" parsed="|Ps|64|10|0|0" passage="Ps 64:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>. (1.) It shall
increase their joy: <i>The righteous shall be glad in the Lord,</i>
not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad
that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of
injured innocency pleaded effectually. (2.) It shall encourage
their faith. They shall commit themselves to him in the way of duty
and be willing to venture for him with an entire confidence in him.
(3.) Their joy and faith shall both express themselves in a holy
boasting: <i>All the upright in heart,</i> that keep a good
conscience and approve themselves to God, <i>shall glory,</i> not
in themselves, but in the favour of God, in his righteousness and
goodness, their relation to him and interest in him. <i>Let him
that glories glory in the Lord.</i></p>
</div></div2>