m They hate and perſecute me, not only without any injury or pro- vocation on my part, but as it were in requittal of the good which I have done to them. # Becauſe | loye and diligently praQiſe Ju: ſticeand Godlineſs, which they hate, and which they take to be a reproach tothem, and which I did exerciſe, as I had oppor(uoity in the puniſhment of ſuch as they arc. Compare John 15: 19: 1 John 3: 12,
21 Forſake me not, OLORD : O my God, be not farfroin me. :
22 Make haſte + to help me, O LORD, my ſalvati- On,
PSAL. XXXIX. The ARGUMENT.
His Pſalm was written by David, when his Mind was much dil- $ þ compoſed and diſquieted with the Contemplation of the prol- perity of ſinners, and the afflitionsof the Godly '; which being ex- emplificd in himſelfand in his Enemies, he ſpeaks of the Caſe not in genera); but as in his own perſon:
To the chief muſician,evento * Jeduthun a, A P/alm
David.
_ of the three chief Maſters of the Sacred Muſick : Of whom ſee x Chron: 162 41: 42, 2 Chron: 53 12: .
David tabeth care of his thoughts, words and Works, I 3: He conſidereth the brevity and vanity of Mans Liſe, 4=—==6; Puts his hope in God, 9; Prayeth for the forgiune|s of his ſins, 8 === 11: and for favour in his pilgrimage, 12: 13: | Ro b, I will take heed to my waysc, that I fn
not with my tongue 4 : I will keep F my mouth as with a bridle e, while the wicked is before mef.
b I fully reſolved. c ( i.e.) To order all my Afftions aright, and
particularly to govern my Tongue, which is very hard todo, and
eſpecially under theſe provocations. d That if any evil Thoughts or
Paſſions do ariſe in me. I wiil indeavour to ſupprels'and mortifie them
and netſ-ffer them to boyl and break forth into finfull and ſcanda-
lous Reflections upon God and his Providence, as they uſually d,
upon ſuch occaſions. e (i. e. ) Withall poiſible c:re anddiligence
The Phraſe implies the great difficulty of ruling the Tongue, f Ei
ther, z.I8 my Preſence. Or rather, 2. In my Thoughts, as the ſame
Phraſe is underſtood, Pſa! 51: 3.(8.c. ) whillt I confider the flaucitt «
ing Eſtate of wicked Men.
2 I was dumb with ſilence g ; 1 held my peace, ewe
from good b, and my ſorrow was T ſtirred 5.
2 1 was ſo long, and ſo obſtinately filent, that I ſeemed to my el: and to others to be durib. Two words put together, expreffing the ſame thing, to aggravate or increale it" Or. I was dumb withquietneſs, (i. e: Not out of ſullenneſs, but with ſubmiſfiveneſs to Gods Diſpen. ſations, which is oft noted by filence: b I forbare to ſpeak what 1 juſtly might uponthat occaſion, left the Flood-gates of Speech being once opened, and Speech ſtirring up my Paſſions, 1 ſhould by degrees break forth into ſome indecent and finiull Z«preffions, to the diſho- nour of God, the wounding of mine own Conſcience, and the «fence of others: Or, this may be a.Proverbial Speech ſignifying ſtrict filenc-; like thatGen 31: 29: ſreak, to him neirher good nor bad, (3. e. ) No- thing atall, to wit, about that matter to perſwade him to return, Z My ſilence did not afſwage my Grief but increaſe it, as it naturally and commonly doth. :
2 My heart was hot within me; while I was muſing &,
the fire burned | : then ſpake I with my tongue 2x.
k (4. e, ) Conſidering in my own Thoughts, the great wickedneſs and ſuccesfulneſs of mine Enemies, and other wicked men ; and withal mine own and other good Mens Integrity, attended with great troubles and miſeries in this Life. 1 My Thoughts kindled my Paf.- fions. ' m To wit, ſuch wordsasI had purpoſed not to ſpeak, v_ 1, Raſh and impatient words : Either, 1. Some words not here ex- preſſed ; which having wttered to men, he turneth his ſpeech to God, v. 4. Or, 2, Thoſe which here follow.
4 LORD ”, * make me to know » my end p, and the meaſure of my days, what itis q, tbat.l may know
+ how fraill amr.
n This Verſe contaips either, r, A correqion of himſelf for his impatient motions or ſpeeches, and his retirement to God for re. liet, under theſe perplexing and ſadding Thoughts. Or.2: A declarg. tion of the words which he tpake o Either, 1, PraQtically ſo as to prepare for it.Or, 2. Fxperimentaily, as words of Knowledge are oft uſed. And ſo thisis a ſceret defice of Death, that he might be free
P $ 4A L M 5;
—_—
Pla).
from ſuch Torments, as made his Life a burd«n fo him, Or By Revelation ; that ] may fhave ſome proſpett or fore-knowicd " when my Calamities will be ended : which argued 1ypatience,arnd = unwillipgacſs to wait long for Deliverance. p (4, e ) The end of m Life, as 15 evident from the following words, q Huw long or ſhort it is, or the utmoſt extent or period of the days of my Life. Or, wow long ( Or How little, for the word may be, and is by divers Inter re« ters taken both ways : ) Time 1 have, or ſha'l continue here. F
5 Behold, thou haſt made my days as an haid- breadth s and mine age 3s nothing # before thee »: verily every man *f at his beſt ſtate y js altogethes * va- futy z. Selah. |
s Which 1s one of the leaſt meaſures, (3. e.') very ſhor and the following words arc either, 1. A pony of hls nx plaict that although his days were of themſelves very ſhort, yet God ſeemed to grudge him their natural length, and threa:ned to make them ſhorter, and to cut him off before his time, Or rather, 2, A Conſolation and CorreRion ofhis laſt words, as if he ſaid ; Why am I fo greedy to know the end of my Life, ſeing Ido already know this that ry Life cannot laſt yery long, and therefore if my Troubies be {tarp, they will be but ſhort.#Next to nothing for ſubſtance and for continuance. u(7e _) In thy Judgment, and therefore in Truth and Reality 3 Cr, if compared with thee, and with thy everlaſting duration. Comp. Pſal. go. 4. 2 Pet.3: 8. x Prince or Peaſant, Wiſe or Fools, good or bad; y Heb. though ſettled or eſtabliſhed : When he ſtands faſteſt, and likely to continue longeſt, in regard of his Health and Streagth, and all poſſible mean: whereby Life may be ſecured, ſupported or prolonged. 4 All that he is or hath.is as light and yain, and unſtable as vanity it ſelf, there is nothing but vanity and uncertainty in all his outward enjoyments, in the Conſtitution of bis Body ; yea, in the very Temper and Endowments of his Mir.d By wh'ch general condition of all mankind, he and coupoic his Mind to bear the common Lot,
6 ourely every man walketh & in f a vain fhew þ # Heb; ſurely they are diſquieted c in vain 4, * he heapeth up 2" ae e riches, and knoweth not who {hall gather them fo {732