David was never so provoked as when the king of Ammon abused his kindness,
in his ambassadors, after his father's death. And God is highly provoked
when his greatest mercies, bestowed in the greatest love, are rejected and
cast away. What could God give more and better than himself?. . . . . Ask
David what he thinks of God; he was well acquainted with him, he dwelt in
his house, and by his good will would never be out of his more immediate
presence and company; enquire, I pray, what he found amiss in him. That you
may know his mind the better, he hath left it upon record in more than one
or two places, what a friend he hath had of God. "The lines are fallen
unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." Why, what is
that you boast of so much, O David? Have not others had kingdoms as well as
you? No, that's not the thing; a crown is one of the least jewels in my
cabinet: "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup." — James Janeway.
Verses 5, 6. Take notice not only of the mercies of God, but of God in
the mercies. Mercies are never so savoury as when they savour of a Saviour.— Ralph Venning, 1620-1673.
Verse 6. "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a
goodly heritage." Bitter herbs will go down very well, when a man has such
delicious "meats which the world knows not of." The sense of our Father's
love is like honey at the end of every rod; it turns stones into bread, and
water into wine, and the valley of trouble into a door of hope; it makes the
biggest evils seem as if they were none, or better than none; for it makes
our deserts like the garden of the Lord, and when we are upon the cross for
Christ, as if we were in paradise with Christ. Who would quit his duty for
the sake of suffering, that hath such a relief under it? Who would not
rather walk in truth, when he hath such a cordial to support him, than by
the conduct of fleshly wisdom, to take any indirect or irregular method for
his own deliverance?— Timothy Cruso.
Verse 6. "The lines." Probably alluding to the division of the land by
lot, and the measuring of it off by ropes and lines. David believed in an
overruling destiny which fixed the bounds of his abode, and his possessions;
he did more, he was satisfied with all the appointment of the predestinating
God.— C. H. S.
Verse 7. "I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel." The Holy
Ghost is a spirit of counsel, powerfully instructing and convincingly
teaching how to act and walk, for he directs us to set right steps, and to
walk with a right foot, and thereby prevents us of many a sin, by seasonable
instruction set on upon our hearts with a strong hand; as Isaiah 8:11. For,
as the same prophet says (Isaiah 11:2), he is the spirit of counsel and of
might. Of counsel to direct; of might, to strengthen the inner man. Such
he was to Christ the Head, of whom it is there spoken. For instance, in the
agony (on the determination of which our salvation depended), and conflict
in the garden, when he prayed, "Let this cup pass," it was this good Spirit
that counselled him to die; and he blessed God for it: "I bless the Lord
that hath given me counsel." It was that counsel that in that case caused
his heart to say, "Not my will, but thine."— Thomas Goodwin.
Verse 7. "My reins." Common experience shows that the workings of the
mind, particularly the passions of joy, grief, and fear, have a very
remarkable effect of the reins or kidneys, and from their retired situation
in the body, and their being hid in fat, they are often used in Scripture to
denote the most secret working of the soul and affections.— John Parkhurst.
Verse 7. "My reins also instruct me in the night seasons." This shows
that God, who, he says, was always present to him, had given him some
admonition in his dreams, or at least his waking thoughts by night, from
whence he gathered a certain assurance of his recovery; possibly he might be
directed to some remedy. Antonine thanks the gods for directing him in his
sleep to remedies.— Z. Mudge, in loc, 1744.
Verse 7. "My reins also instruct me in the night seasons." We have a
saying among ourselves, that "the pillow is the best counsellor;" and there
is much truth in the saying, especially if we have first committed ourselves
in prayer to God, and taken a prayerful spirit with us to our bed. In the
quiet of its silent hours, undisturbed by the passions, and unharassed by
the conflicts of the world, we can commune with our own heart, and be
instructed and guarded as to our future course even "in the night season."
David especially seems to have made these seasons sources of great profit as
well as delight. Sometimes he loved to meditate upon God, as he lay upon
his bed; and it was no doubt as he meditated on the Lord's goodness, and on
the way by which he had led him, that he was, as it were, constrained, even
at midnight, to arise and pray. While, therefore, we acknowledge the pillow
to be a good counsellor, let us with David here acknowledge also that it is
the Lord who gives the counsel, and sends the instruction in the night
season.— Burton Bouchier.
Verse 8. "I have set the Lord always before me." David did not by fits
and starts set the Lord before him; but he "always" set the Lord before
him in his course; he had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word
imports: I have equally set the Lord before me; that is the force of the
original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well
as another, without any irregular affections or passions, etc. In every
place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in
every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me; and this raised him,
and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of
holiness.— Thomas Brooks.
Verse 8. "I have set the Lord always before me." Hebrew, I have
equally set, or proposed. The apostle translateth it, "I foresaw the Lord
always before my face." Acts 2:25. I set the eye of my faith full upon
him, and suffer it not to take to other things; I look him in the face,
oculo irretorto, as the eagle looketh upon the sun; and oculo
adamantino, with an eye of adamant, which turns only to one point: so here,
I have equally set the Lord before me, without irregular affections and
passions. And this was one of those lessons that his reins had taught
him, that the Holy Spirit had dictated unto him.— John Trapp.
Verse 8. "I have set the Lord ALWAYS before me." Like as the gnomon
doth ever behold the north star, whether it be closed and shut up in a
coffer of gold, silver, or wood, never losing its nature; so a faithful
Christian man, whether he abound in wealth or be pinched with poverty,
whether he be of high or low degree in this world, ought continually to have
his faith and hope surely built and grounded upon Christ, and to have his
heart and mind fast fixed and settled in him, and to follow him through
thick and thin, through fire and water, through wars and peace, through
hunger and cold, through friends and foes, through a thousand perils and
dangers, through the surges and waves of envy, malice, hatred, evil
speeches, railing sentences, contempt of the world, flesh, and devil, and
even in death itself, be it never so bitter, cruel, and tyrannical, yet
never to lose sight and view of Christ, never to give over faith, hope, and
trust in him.— Robert Cawdray.
Verse 8. "I have set the Lord always before me." By often thinking of
God, the heart will be enticed into desires after him. Isaiah 26:8. "The
desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee;" and see
what follows, verse 9: "With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea,
with my spirit within me will I seek thee early." Love sets the soul on
musing, and from musing to praying. Meditation is prayer in bullion, prayer
in the ore—soon melted and run into holy desires. The laden cloud soon
drops into rain; the piece charged soon goes off when fire is put to it. A
meditating soul is in proxima potentia to prayer.— William Gurnall.
Verse 8. "I have set the Lord always before me," etc. He that by faith
eyes God continually as his protector in trouble "shall not be moved" with
any evil that he suffers, and he that eyes God by faith as his pattern in
holiness, shall not be moved from doing that which is good. This thought— the Lord is at our right hand —keeps us from turning either to the
right hand or to the left. It is said of Enoch, that "he walked with God"
(Genesis 5:22), and though the history of his life be very short, yet 'tis
said of him a second time (verse 24), that "he walked with God." He walked
so much with God that he walked as God: he did not "walk" (which kind of
walking the apostle reproves, 1 Corinthians 3:3), "as men." He walked so
little like the world, that his stay was little in the world. "He was not,"
saith the text, "for God took him." He took him from the world to himself,
or, as the author to the Hebrews reports it, "he was translated that he
should not see death, for he had this testimony, that he pleased God."— Joseph Caryl.
Verse 8. "Because he is at my right hand," etc. Of ourselves we stand
not at any time, by his power we may overcome at all times. And when we are
sorest assaulted he is ever ready at our right hand to support and stay us
that we shall not fall. He hath well begun, and shall happily go forward in
his work, who hath in truth begun. For true grace well planted in the
heart, how weak soever, shall hold out for ever. All total decays come from
this—that the heart was never truly mollified, nor grace deeply and
kindly rooted therein.— John Ball.
Verse 8. "He is at my right hand." This phrase of speech is borrowed
from those who, when they take upon them the patronage, defence, or tuition
of any, will set them on their right hand, as in place of most safeguard.
Experience confirmeth this in children, who in any imminent danger shroud
and shelter themselves under their father's arms or hands, as under a
sufficient buckler. Such was the estate of the man of God, as here
appeareth, who was hemmed and hedged in with the power of God, both against
present evils, and dangers to come.— Richard Greenham.
Verse 8. Even as a column or pillar is sometimes on thy right hand, and
sometimes on thy left hand, because thou dost change thy standing, sitting
or walking, for it is unmovable and keepeth one place; so God is sometimes
favourable and bountiful unto thee, and sometimes seemeth to be wroth and
angry with thee, because thou dost fall from virtue to vice, from obedience
and humility to pride and presumption; for in the Lord there is no change,
no, not so much as any shadow of change. He is immutable, always one and
everlasting. If thou wilt bend thyself to obedience, and to a virtuous and
godly life, thou shalt ever have him a strong rock, whereupon thou mayst
boldly build a castle and tower of defence. He will be unto thee a mighty
pillar, bearing up heaven and earth, whereto thou mayst lean and not be
deceived, wherein thou mayst trust and not be disappointed. He will ever be
at thy right hand, that thou shalt not fall. He will take thy part, and
will mightily defend thee against all enemies of thy body and of thy soul;
but if thou wilt shake hands with virtue, and bid it adieu and farewell,
and, forsaking the ways of God, wilt live as thou list, and follow thy own
corruption, and make no conscience of aught thou doest, defiling and
blemishing thyself with all manner of sin and iniquity, then be sure the
Lord will appear unto thee in his fury and indignation. From his justice
and judgments none shall ever be able to deliver thee.— Robert Cawdray.
Verse 9. "My heart is glad." Men may for a time be hearers of the
gospel, men may for order's sake pray, sing, receive the sacraments; but if
it be without joy, will not that hypocrisy in time break out? Will they not
begin to be weary? Nay, will they not be as ready to hear any other
doctrine? Good things cannot long find entertainment in our corruptions,
unless the Holy Ghost hath changed us from our old delights to conceive
pleasure in these things.— Richard Greenham.
Verse 9. "My heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth." His inward joy
was not able to contain itself. We testify our pleasure on lower occasions,
even at the gratification of our senses; when our ear is filled with
harmonious melody, when our eye is fixed upon admirable and beauteous
objects, when our smell is recreated with agreeable odours, and our taste
also by the delicacy and rareness of provisions; and much more will our soul
show its delight, when its faculties, that are of a more exquisite
constitution, meet with things that are in all respects agreeable and
pleasant to them; and in God they meet with all those: with his light our
understanding is refreshed, and so is our will with his goodness and his
love.— Timothy Rogers.