our good; "In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me, pursuant to the great design of my salvation." It is easier to own, in general, that God's judgments are right, than to own it when it comes to be our own case; but David subscribes to it with application, "Even my afflictions are just and kind."
76. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. 77. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.
Here is, 1. An earnest petition to God for his favour. They that own the justice of God in their afflictions, (as David had done, v. 75.) may, in faith, and with humble boldness, be earnest for the mercy of God, and the tokens and fruits of that mercy, in their affliction. He prays for God's merciful kindness, (v. 76.) his tender mercies, v. 77. He can claim nothing as his due, but all his supports under his affliction must come from mere mercy and compassion to one in misery, one in want. "Let these come to me," that is, "the evidence of them; clear it up to me, that thou hast a kindness for me, and mercy in store; and let the effects of them come; let them work my relief and deliverance."
2. The benefit he promised himself from God's loving-kindness; "Let it come to me for my comfort; (v. 76.) that will comfort me, when nothing else will; that will comfort me, whatever grieves me." Gracious souls fetch all their comfort from a gracious God, as the Fountain of all happiness and joy; "Let it come to me, that I may live, that I may be revived, and my life may be made sweet to me, for I have no joy of it while I am under God's displeasure. In his favour is life, in his frowns are death." A good man cannot live, with any satisfaction, any longer than he has some tokens of God's favour to him.
3. His pleas for the benefits of God's favour. He pleads, (1.) God's promise; "Let me have thy kindness, according to thy word unto thy servant; the kindness which thou hast promised, and because thou hast promised it." Our Master has passed his word to all his servants, that he will be kind to them, and they may plead it with him. (2.) His own confidence and complacency in that promise; "Thy law is my delight; I hope in thy word, and rejoice in that hope." Note, Those that delight in the law of God, may depend upon the favour of God, for it shall certainly make them happy.
78. Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts. 79. Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.
Here David shows,
1. How little he valued the ill-will of sinners. There were those that dealt perversely with him, that were peevish and ill-conditioned toward him, that sought advantages against him, and misconstrued all he said and did. Even those that deal most fairly may meet with those that deal perversely. But David mattered it not, for, (1.) He knew it was without cause, and that for his love they were his adversaries. The causeless reproach, like the curse causeless, may be easily slighted; it does not hurt us, and therefore should not move us. (2.) He could pray, in faith, that they might be ashamed of it, God's dealing favourably with him might make them ashamed to think that they had dealt perversely with him. "Let them be ashamed; let them be brought either to repentance or to ruin." (3.) He could go on in the way of his duty, and find comfort in that. "However they deal with me, I will meditate in thy precepts, and entertain myself with them."
2. How much he valued the good-will of saints, and how desirous he was to stand right in their opinion, and keep up his interest in them, and communion with them: Let those that fear thee, turn to me. He does not mean so much that they might side with him, and take up arms in his cause, as that they might love him, and pray for him, and associate with him. Good men desire the friendship and society of those that are good. Some think it intimates, that, when David had been guilty of that foul sin in the murder of Uriah, though he was a king, they that feared God grew strange to him, and turned from him, for they were ashamed of him; this troubled him, and therefore he prays, Lord, let them turn to me again. He desires especially the company of those that were not only honest, but intelligent, that have known thy testimonies, have good heads as well as good hearts, and whose conversation will be edifying. It is desirable to have an intimacy with such.
80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed.
Here is, 1. David's prayer for sincerity, that his heart might be brought to God's statutes, and that it might be sound in them, not rotten and deceitful; that he might not rest in the form of godliness, but be acquainted with, and subject to, the power of it; that he might be hearty and constant in religion, and that his soul might be in health.
2. His dread of the consequences of hypocrisy; that I be not ashamed. Shame is the portion of hypocrites, either here, if it be repented of, or hereafter, if it be not; "Let my heart be sound, that I fall not into scandalous sin, that I fall not quite off from the ways of God, and so shame myself. Let my heart be sound, that I may come boldly to the throne of grace, and may lift up my face without spot at the great day."
11. CAPH.
81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation; but I hope in thy word. 82. Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
Here we have the psalmist,
1. Longing for help from heaven; My soul faints, mine eyes fail. He longs for the salvation of the Lord, and for his word, that is, salvation according to the word. He is not thus eager for the creatures of fancy, but for the objects of faith; salvation from the present calamities under which he was groaning, and the doubts and fears which he was oppressed with. It may be understood of the coming of the Messiah, and so he speaks in the name of the Old Testament church; the souls of the faithful even fainted to see that salvation of which the prophets testified; (1 Pet. i. 10.) their eyes failed for it. Abraham saw it at a distance, and so did others, but at such a distance that it put their eyes to the stretch, and they could not steadfastly see it. David was now under prevailing dejections, and, having been long so, his eyes cried out, When wilt thou comfort me? Comfort me with thy salvation, comfort me with thy word. Observe, (1.) The salvation and consolation of God's people are secured to them by the word, which will certainly be fulfilled in its season. (2.) The promised salvation and comfort may be, and often are, long-deferred, so that they are ready to faint and fall in the expectation of them. (3.) Though we think the time long, ere the promised salvation and comfort come, yet we must still keep our eye upon it, and resolve to
