asks: "O woman, be it unto thee as thou wilt." Continued importunity
is undeniable oratory. And truly, if after all thy pains thou findest
Jesus Christ, will it not make amends for thy long patience? Men that
venture often at a lottery, though they take blanks twenty times, if
afterwards they get a golden bason and ewer, it will make them
abundant satisfaction. Suppose thou shouldst continue knocking
twenty, nay, forty years, yet if at last, though but one hour before
thou diest thy heart be opened to Christ, and he be received into thy
soul, and when thou diest heaven be opened to thee, and thy soul
received into it, will it not infinitely requite thee for all thy
labour? Oh, think of it, and resolve never to be dumb while God is
deaf, never to leave off prayer till God return a gracious answer.
And for thy comfort, know that he who began his Psalm with "How
long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide
thy face from me?" comes to conclude it with, "I will sing
unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
George Swinnock.
Verse 2. "How long?" There are many situations of the
believer in this life in which the words of this Psalm may be a
consolation, and help to revive sinking faith. A certain man lay at
the pool of Bethesda, who had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
John: 5:5. A woman had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, before
she was "loosed." Luke 13:11. Lazarus all his life long laboured
under disease and poverty, till he was released by death and
transferred to Abraham's bosom. Luke 16:20-22. Let every one, then,
who may be tempted to use the complaints of this Psalm, assure his
heart that God does not forget his people, help will come at last,
and, in the meantime, all things shall work together for good to them
that love him. W. Wilson, D.D.
Verse 2. "How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having
sorrow in my heart daily?" There is such a thing as to pore on
our guilt and wretchedness, to the overlooking of our highest
mercies. Though it be proper to know our own hearts, for the purposes
of conviction, yet, if we expect consolation from this quarter, we
shall find ourselves sadly disappointed. Such, for a time, appears to
have been the case of David. He seems to have been in great distress;
and, as is common in such cases, his thoughts turned inward, casting
in his mind what he should do, and what would be the end of things.
While thus exercised, he had sorrow in his heart daily: but,
betaking himself to God for relief, he succeeded, trusting in his
mercy, his heart rejoiced in his salvation. There are many
persons, who, when in trouble, imitate David in the former part of
this experience: I wish we may imitate him in the latter. Andrew
Fuller.
Verse 2, 4. "How long shall my enemy be exalted over
me?" 'Tis a great relief to the miserable and afflicted, to be
pitied by others. It is some relief when others, though they cannot
help us, yet seem to be truly concerned for the sadness of our case;
when by the kindness of their words and of their actions they do a
little smooth the wounds they cannot heal; but 'tis an unspeakable
addition to the cross, when a man is brought low under the sense of
God's displeasure, to have men mock at his calamity, or to revile
him, or to speak roughly; this does inflame and exasperate the wound
that was big enough before; and it is a hard thing when one has a
dreadful sound in his ears to have every friend to become a son of
thunder. It is a small matter for people that are at ease, to deal
severely with such as are afflicted, but they little know how their
severe speeches and their angry words pierce them to the very soul.
'Tis easy to blame others for complaining, but if such had felt but
for a little while what it is to be under the fear of God's anger,
they would find that they could not but complain. It cannot but make
any person restless and uneasy when he apprehends that God is his
enemy. It is no wonder if he makes every one that he sees, and every
place that he is in, a witness of his grief; but now it is a comfort
in our temptations and in our fears, that we have so compassionate a
friend as Christ is to whom we may repair. "For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
Hebrews 4:15. Timothy Rogers.
Verse 3. "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of
death." In time of sickness and grief, the "eyes" are dull and
heavy; and they grow more and more so as death approaches, which
closes them in darkness. On the other hand, health and joy render the
organs of vision bright and sparkling, seeming, as it were, to impart
"light" to them from within. The words, therefore, may be fitly
applied to a recovery of the body natural, and thence, of the body
politic, from their respective maladies. Nor do they less
significantly describe the restoration of the soul to a state of
spiritual health and holy joy, which will manifest themselves in like
manner, by "the eyes of the understanding being enlightened;" and in
this case, the soul is saved from the sleep of sin, as the body is in
the other, from the sleep of death. George Horne.
Verse 3. Why dost thou hide thy face? happily thou wilt
say, None can see thy face and live. Ah, Lord, let me die, that I may
see thee; let me see thee, that I may die: I would not live, but die;
that I may see Christ, I desire death; that I may live with Christ, I
despise life. Augustine.
Verse 3. "How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?"
Oh, excellent hiding, which is become my perfection! My God, thou
hidest thy treasure, to kindle my desire! Thou hidest thy pearl, to
inflame the seeker; thou delayest to give, that thou mayest teach me
to importune; seemest not to hear, to make me persevere. John
Anselm, 1034-1109.
Verse 4.
Ah! can you bear contempt; the venom'd tongue
Of those whom ruin pleases, the keen sneer,
The lewd reproaches of the rascal herd;
Who for the selfsame actions, if successful,
Would be as grossly lavish in your praise?
To sum up all in one— can you support
The scornful glances, the malignant joy,
Or more, detested pity of a rival—
Of a triumphant rival?
James Thomson, 1700-1748.
Verse 4. "And those that trouble me rejoice when I am
moved" — compose comedies out of my tragedies. John
Trapp.
Verse 5. "I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall
rejoice in thy salvation." Faith rejoiceth in tribulation, and
triumpheth before the victory. The patient is glad when he feels his
physic to work, though it make him sick for the time; because he
hopes it will procure health. We rejoice in afflictions, not that
they are joyous for the present, but because they shall work for our
good. As faith rejoiceth, so it triumpheth in assurance of good
success; for it seeth not according to outward appearance, but when
all means fail, it keepeth God in sight, and beholdeth him present
for our succour. John Ball.
Verse 5. "I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall
rejoice in thy salvation." Though passion possess our bodies, let
"patience possess our souls." The law of our profession binds us to a
warfare; patiendo vincimus, our troubles shall end, our
victory is eternal. Here David's triumph (Psalm 18:38-40), "I have
wounded them, that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under
my feet. Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
Thou hast also given me the neck of mine enemies," etc. They have
wounds for their wounds; and the treaders down of the poor are
trodden down by the poor. The Lord will subdue those to us that would
have subdued us to themselves; and though for a short time they rode
over our heads, yet now at last we shall everlastingly tread upon
their necks. Lo, then, the reward of humble patience and confident
hope. Speramus et superamus . Deuteronomy 32:31. "Our God is
not as their God, even our enemies being judges." Psalm 20:7. "Some
put their trust in chariots, and some in horses." But no chariot hath
strength to oppose, nor horse swiftness to escape, when God pursues.
Verse 8. "They are brought down and fallen; we are risen and stand
upright." Their trust hath deceived them; down they fall, and never
to rise. Our God hath helped us; we are risen, not for a breathing
space, but to stand upright for ever. Thomas Adams.
Verse 5. None live so easily, so pleasantly, as those that
live by faith. Matthew Henry.
Verse 5. Wherefore I say again, "Live by faith;" again I say,
always live by it, rejoice through faith in the Lord. I dare boldly
say it is thy fault and neglect of its exercise if thou suffer either
thy own melancholy humour or Satan to interrupt thy mirth and
spiritual alacrity, and to detain thee in dumps and pensiveness at
any time. What if thou beest of a sad constitution? of a dark
complexion? Is not faith able to rectify nature? Is it not stronger
than any hellebore? Doth not an experienced divine and physician
worthily prefer one dram of it before all the drugs in the
apothecary's shop for this effect? Hath it not sovereign virtue in
it, to excerebrate all cares, expectorate all fears and griefs,
evacuate the mind of all ill thoughts and passions, to exhilarate the
whole man? But what good doth it to any to have a cordial by him if
he use it not? To wear a sword, soldier-like, by his side, and not to
draw it forth in an assault? When a dump overtakes thee, if thou
wouldst say to thy soul in a word or two, "Soul, why art thou
disquieted? know and consider in whom thou believest," would it not
presently return to its rest again? Would not the Master rebuke the
winds and storms, and calm thy troubled mind presently? Hath not
every man something or other he useth to put away dumps, to drive
away the evil spirit, as David with his harp? Some with merry
company, some with a cup of sack, most with a pipe of tobacco,
without which they cannot ride or go. If they miss it a day together
they are troubled with rheums, dulness of spirits. They that live in
fens and ill airs dare not stir out without a morning draught of some
strong liquor. Poor, silly, smoky helps, in comparison with the least
taste (but for dishonouring faith I would say whiff) or draught of
faith. Samuel Ward, 1577-1653.
Verse 6. "I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt
bountifully with me." Faith keeps the soul from sinking under
heavy trials, by bringing in former experiences of the power, mercy,
and faithfulness of God to the afflicted soul. Hereby was the
psalmist supported in distress. Oh, saith faith, remember what God
hath done both for thy outward and inward man: he hath not only
delivered thy body when in trouble, but he hath done great things for
thy soul; he hath brought thee out of a state of black nature,
entered into a covenant relation with thee, made his goodness pass
before thee; he hath helped thee to pray, and many times hath heard
thy prayers and thy tears. Hath he not formerly brought thee out of
the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and put a new song in thy