Psalms 141

Psalms 141:1-7

David was in distress when he proudly this place; it is most likely pursued by Saul, that violent man. Is any distressed? Let him pray? David did so, and had the comfort of it. 1. He pray for God’s favourable acceptance, ver. 1. 2. 3. For his prayer for affliction, ver. 3. 4. 3. That others might be instrumental of good to his soul, as he hoped to be to the souls of others, ver. 5. 6. 4. That he and his friends being now brought to the last extremity, God would graciously appear for their relief and refuse, ver. 7—10.

A psalm of David.

LORD, I cry unto thee, make haste unto me; give eat unto my voice, when I cry unto thee: my prayer be: set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 3. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. 4. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

David was a man of fortress, and therefore a man of prayer. We have him here very importunate with God,

1. For speedy help. Make haste unto me, as one ready to be overwhelmed, unless God appeared for his situation. Now, They who have a lively sense of their wants and danger, will be importunate in their supplications.

2. For gracious acceptance. Give ear unto my voice, as willing to grant my petition; let my prayer be set before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice, which being offered on God’s altar, were accepted before him. The incense of prayer must thus be offered on Christ our altar; and when, with our hands lifted up, our heart ascends in a flame of holy love, then is it a sacrifice of a sweet smell, acceptable and well-gleating to God.

3. For direction what and how to speak. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth in prayer, that I may not rashly, unadvisedly, or negligently, utter what my heart doth not feel. In trials, that I may not drop a word of murmuring, complaint, or impatience; among them, that I may neither speak falsely, foolishly, or passionately. Keep the door of my lips, which need continually a divine restraint, and without it can never be effectually bridged.

4. For preservation from all evil. Incline not my heart to any evil thing: not that God ever tempts men to sin, or inclines them to evil; but only leaves them to their own corrupted hearts, naturally inclined to evil; therefore we have need of his preventing and restraining grace to keep us, that we practise not wicked works with men that work iniquity, who make it their business and delight to sin, and draw in others; and unless the Lord preserve us, we are in danger of falling into their future.

5. For a restraint from their luxuries. Let me not eat of their dainties; feasting as an epipure at their tables, or partaking with them in their sins; which, however to the corrupt appetite pleading, and sweet in the mouth, in the belly are bitter as gall, and poisonous as the viper’s fling. Keep me, Lord, from these deadly dainties!

6. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head; for yet my

prayer also shall be in their calamities. 6. When their judges are overthrown in deny places, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet. 7. Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one chiteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. 8. But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the LORD: in thee is my trust, leave not my soul destitute. 9. Keep me from the share which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. 10. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

This psalm is a prayer, the substance of which David offered up to God, when he was forced by Saul to take shelter in a cave, and afterwards penned it in this form. Here is, 1. The complaint he makes to God, ver. 1. 2. of the fidelity, strength, and misery of his enemies, ver. 3—6. and the caldness and indifference of his friends, ver. 4. 2. The comfort he takes in God, that he knows his case, ver. 3. and was his refuge, ver. 5. 3. His expectation from God, that he would hear and deliver him, ver. 6. 7. 4. 4. He’s expectation from the righteous, that they would join with him in praises, ver. 7.

Ma’chil of David; a prayer when he was in the cave.

1. I ‘Cried unto the LORD with my voice: with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. 2. I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble. 3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a share for me. 4. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. 5. I cried unto thee, O LORD, I said, ’thou art my refuge.’

fuge. Pislin CXLIII. 707.

a PC. 1-1. a. fage, and a my portion in the land of the living. 6. Attend unto my cry, for ‘I am brought very low: deliver me from my perfectors, for they are stronger than I. 7. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: “the righteous shall compass me about; for ’thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

No place or time is unfeasurable for prayer. When Engell, or Adulham was his oratory, David shall found (most communion with God, threatening as his danger seemed. We have,

1. His complaints, which out of the fulness of his heart he poured forth before the Lord. I cried unto the Lord with my boun, and shamed him all my trouble, to which from Shall his bloody perlocutor he was exposed. It was enough to spread it before the Lord, whose tender mercies knew how to pity him, and his power to relieve him. Note, They who have a God of all grace to fly to, may safely leave in his hand all their troubles.

2. He appeals to God for his own simplicity. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou shavest my path: when reduced to the deepest distress, I shall fled to me wrong methods to extricate myself. In the way wherein I walked back thy privy had a favor for me, seeking to entrap me every day I take. Note, When our consciences condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.

3. He was without help from man, v. 4. His friends grew shy, were ashamed to own him, none opened their hospitable door; and, abandoned as it were to ruin, refuge failed me; as now cared for my soul. Thus was Jesus forsaken, rejected, denied, when alone he trod the wine-ports of the wrath of God.

4. When human help failed him, still God was his refuge, and portion in the land of the living, and to him he directed his prayer, v. 5. and if God be our refuge, we need fear no danger; if he be our portion, we need with for nothing more in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low, under affliction and distress: deliver me from my perfectors, for they are stronger than I, and without divine help must be swallowed up by them utterly. Bring my soul out of prison, out of my strains and difficulties; that I may praise thy name. The righteous shall compass me about, admitting the mercy shown in his deliverance, and joining with him in his praise; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me; saving him from his enemies, saving him on the throne, and fulfilling all the desires of his heart. Note, (1.) We cannot be brought so low, but God can help us; and, though fettered in the bonds of corruption or amputation, he can open our prison-doors. Let us never despair. (2.) The mercies our brethren enjoy should excite our praise, as members of the same body.

Psalms 141:5-10

Though David heavily prays against the malignity of his enemies, yet,

1. He earnestly desires the rebukes of the faithful. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; I shall esteem in the best proof of real friendship; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head, but serve to heal the wounds of sin; and, for from refouling the correlation, it would engage his affections and prayers in their behalf: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities; that God, in return for their kindness to him, may deliver them from their troubles. Note, (1.) Reproof is the most successful and kindest office of real friendship. (2.) To love reproof, and to be thankful for it, as among the sound symptoms of a gracious spirit. (3.) That reproof will be most effectual, which comes from those whose unsuspected piety gives weight to their words, and which tender manner of applying it, soft as oil, makes it more penetrating. (4.) They who pray to be right, and yet are displeased to be rebuked for what is wrong, prove their hypocrisy.

2. He hopes, when his wicked enemies are destroyed, the people will receive him, and hear him with pleasure. When their judges are overthrown in deny places; as when Saul fell on the mountains of Gilboa, which he might foresee; or the destruction of all his other foes, who would be punished; as men cast down by the false of a rock, as was sometimes done by criminals; then they shall hear my words, for they are sweet; either the words of his pathetic song, 2 Sam. 1. 17—27. or those divine compositions which would be published on his return from his exile, and which contained in them such a sweet favour of Christ.

3. He complains of his present wretched state. Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth: either literally so, such as David’s friends as fell into Saul’s hand might be lost: and half unburied, or their bones dug up as traitors; or, figuratively they formed as at the brink of the grave, and their condition hopeless as that of dry bones. As when we catch and cleaneth wood upon the earth, like chips that fly off from the blow of the axe, so were they driven to and fro, and persecuted by their enemies.

4. He in prayer commits his soul to God. But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord, the mighty Saviour and hope of my soul; in thee is my trust, in thee alone: leave not my soul destitute; forsaken of thee I must needy pride; but may we from the future which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity: though never so craftily concealed, preserve me from the danger. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, the righteous recollection for their iniquity; whilst that I withal escape, unhurt by their mischievous designs. Note, (1.) Which our eye is to God, our feet shall not slip. (2.) The destruction of the wicked is determined, and their devices to hurt others shall only hasten their own destruction.