Psalms 118

Psalms 118:1-18

Though David’s peaceable possession of the kingdom, after all his successes, might give immediate occasion to this psalm, we are brought by him, who is truth itself, Matth. 221. 42. As for the more glorious accomplishment of it in Jesus our exalted Lord. In it, a David calls upon all about him to give to God the glory of his goodness, ver. 1—4. 2. He encourages himself and others to trust in God from the experience he had had of God’s power and pity in the great and kind things he had done for him, ver. 5—18. 3. He gives thanks for his advancement to the throne, as it was a figure of the exaltation of Christ, ver. 19—23. 4. The people, the priests, and the psalmists himself, triumph in the prospect of the Redeemer’s kingdom, ver. 24—29. In singing this psalm we must glorify God for his goodness, his goodness to us, and especially his goodness to us in Jesus Christ.

1. Give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Let Israel how say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 3. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 4. Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 5. I called upon the LORD + in distress: the LORD answered me, and let me in a large place. 6. The LORD is to my side, I will not fear: what can man do unto me? 7. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 8. If it better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in man. 9. It is better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes. 10. All nations compelled me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them. 11. They compelled me about, yea, they compelled me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 12. They compelled me about: like bees, they are quenched as the size of thorns: for in the name of the LORD, I will I destroy them. 13. Thou hast, thrusts for at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. 14. The LORD is my strength and long, and is become my salvation. 15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the other-nacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doth valiantly. 16. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doth valiantly. 17. I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the LORD. 18. The LORD hath chastised me for: but he hath not given me over unto death.

How great is the goodness of our God? 1. The psalmist calls on all to give thanks unto him, Israel,

in general, the ministers of the sanctuary in particular, and those that fear the Lord in every place, Jew or Gentile, must adore him the fountain of all good, and own his mercy everlasting, v. 1—4.

2. He gives instances of this mercy in his own case. I called upon the Lord in distress, or not of their strain, when compelled by Saul, or at the court of Achish, or Ziklag: and the Lord answered me, and set me to a large place, enabled me to rise superior to my foes, and brought me to the throne of Israel in spite of all opposition. Thus did Jesus in the garden, and on the cross cry out, and was answered in his reformation and ascension to the right hand of God, to reign till his foes should be made his foothold.

3. He encourages his heart still to trust, and fear not; God espoused his righteous cause, and therefore, though princes and people concerned with bitter hatred to persecute him, he could confidently lean on his almighty arm, and doubted not but to see his desire accomplished in their defeat and disappointment: so much better is it to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man, even the greatest, v. 5—9. The Son of David in faith thus met the combined hatred of earth and hell, and more than conqueror triumphed over them; and every believer, dependent on his almighty strength, must never fear what the world without, or corruption within, can do against him; he may boldly say, Heb. xiii. 6. The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what is in the do unto me.

4. The number, violence, and investancy of his foes but served to magnify the glory of the victory, which by Divina power he had obtained. All nations around him, Philistines, Ammunition, Messieurs, Edomines, Syrians, feverally or confederate, attacked him, but fell before his conquering arm, as the fire among thorns, which, though for a moment furiously blazing, is partially extinguished; yea, though one domestic enemy, more impacable and dangerous than the rest, even Saul sure thrusts at him, or Abidam the son of his bottom; yet the Lord helped him, and he was strengthened. The faithful soul is thus compelled with legions of temptations, from sin, the world, and his own heart; and in a more dangerous manner thrust at by the sin that doth most easily befit him; but almighty grace supports him, and then he can never faint nor fail.

5. He rejoices in this salvation of God. The Lord is my strength, to uphold me, on him alone my soul restless, and to holpen, and my song; for ever am I bound to praise him for the power he hath bestowed, and the comforts I have received; and assured I am now of never-failing support, for he is become my salvation, undertakes for me, and then, temporarily, spiritually, and eternally, all my interests are secure: therefore the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tuberculosis of the righteous, in mine for the merceness I have received, which others rejoice in these mercies conferred upon me, and by their own experience also have the same cause of joy; for every righteous soul, accepted in Jesus, justified by his righteousness, and renewed by his grace, hath salvation begun, and may rest assured it shall be compleated; for which, therefore, he is called upon to rejoice with joy unpleasable, and full of glory.

6. He assumes the glory of all to God; it was not his own power or policy, but the right hand of the Lord which saved him, and was exalted in the victory wrought on his behalf. Note, Whatever, compels we with ever corruption, or success extends our abounds, we must remember that it is not I, but the grace of God that was with me; to him therefore be given the everlasting praise.

7. Past experience emboldens his hope, that he shall not die, but lose, notwithstanding the persevering malice of his hope, and declare the words of the Lord, standing a living monument of his power, grace, and faithfulness: yea, though the Lord hath chastised me for a, with the rod of parental correction; yet he hath not given me ever unto death, but I live, and reign triumphant over all my foes. The Son of David lives, and death hath no more dominion over him; though for a moment, under the chairmen of our peace, his soul was put to grief, and the humanity bruised to the dust for our iniquities; yet he is now alive for evermore, to declare the great salvation of God accomplished; and in him every believer may say, I shall not die eternally; because he liveth, I shall live also.

8. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20. This is the gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 21. I will praise thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22. The stone which the builders refuish, is become the head stone of the corner. 23. That is the LORD’s doing, it is marvellous in our eyes. 24. This is the one which the LORD hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26. Blessed me, he that cometh in the name of the LORD: she have

blessed Psalm CXIX:

blethed you out of the house of the LORD. 27. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us ’light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto ’the horns of the altar. 28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee; thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 29. O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalms 118:12-29

That the psalmist here is speaking out of himself, but of his more glorious Son, is evident, Mark xxii. 42. All. iv. 11, 12.

1. The gates of righteousness are required to be thrown open. The gate of heaven, now, through the Redeemer’s blood and righteousness, is opened for himself and all believers: he is entered into it to praise the Lord for his great salvation, and all his righteous ones must follow him; of which David’s return to the temporal sanctuary, in answer to his prayer, after he had been so long an exile, was a type and figure.

2. His humiliation and exaltation are foretold; The flame which the builders refused, is become the head flame of the corner; David the outcast, is exalted to Israel’s throne; and what is better for, Jesus, though rejected by the Jewish rulers and people, as the Messiah, and crucified on a tree, is become the head-flame of the corner; angels, principalities, and powers, are made subject unto him, and he is made head over all things to his church, uniting both Jew and Gentile in one glorious temple, and the everlasting object of his people’s praise. This is the Lord’s doing, the contrivance of his infinite wisdom and love, and executed by his Divine power, in order for the salvation of his people, and it is marvellous in our own angels with admiration behold the undertaking of an incarnate Saviour; and men, for whom this great salvation is wrought, are more peculiarly called upon to wonder and adore. This is the day the Lord has made, the glorious day of gospel grace, wherein the Son of righteousness, rising from the grave, thorns with brightest beams of light and love on his chores, and all his redeemed cannot but say, We will rejoice and be glad to it.

3. Our praises must now be directed to him exalted at the right hand of God, and become the Prince and Saviour of his people. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord, Hofanna! let the King of glory live for ever, cry all his loyal subjects: O Lord, I beseech thee, send new prosperity: let our exalted Jesus have the hearts of his people, and the necks of his enemies; be the conqueror of death, hell, and sin, and his kingdom be extended from pole to pole. Or this may also be the prayer of the faithful, in virtue of the exaltation of their King Jesus; who, having all power in heaven and earth, is able to save them to the uttermoth, to pardon, strengthen, comfort, sanctify, and glorify them eternally. Blessed to be that cometh in the name of the Lord, ordained of God to be the Mediator, appointed and enabled to execute the glorious work of redemption, and coming in the fulness of time to accomplish it. Thus, Luke xix. 38. the people met him with praises; and thus with delights doth the sinner welcome him to his soul, in all the riches of his love and grace, and cry with a transport of affection. 40. Come in, dear Lord, to me: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord; we, the ministers of the gospel of Jesus, declare to you, who believe in and praise him, that ye are blessed with him; we congratulate your happy Son, and ceaselessly add our prayers to yours, that every day ye may abound yet more and more, and receive increasingly, out of his fulness, all blessings in time and in eternity: in answer to this prayer and sacred benediction, the people, acknowledging their infinite obligations, reply, God is the Lord, the faithful, gracious, ever-living, and ever-loving God, which hath shewed us light, and hath shined on the face of his anointed Jesus, and on us through him, with beams of mercy and grace; therefore are we bound to render the returns of gratitude: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar; the bodies of their beasts indeed are no more needful, now the body of Jesus hath been once offered, but the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise are the well-pleading oblation God now accepts; and the devoted heart, offered up a living sacrifice, shall please him better than the bullock that hath barred and healed.

4. David closes with his own professions of his confidence in God, and his thankfulness for such an interest in his favour, exhorting every faithful soul to join his grateful praises. Thus art my God, my covenant God, and therefore, in heart, lip, and life, I will praise and exalt thee: and most bestuiles are we to follow his example. O give thanks unto the Lord, so worthy to be praised, for he is good beyond all we can conceive, for he is mercy endureth for ever, from eternity it was, and to eternity will endure; therefore praise the Lord, O my soul!