Psalms 32

A Psalm of David. Maschil. A Psalm composed by David, when the calamities into which he fell by his son’s rebellion taught him how evil and bitter a thing it was to offend God; and how infinitely he w r as beholden to him, that he was so merciful as not to take such a vengeance on him as his sins deserved. There are those who think it was intended for public use, upon the great day of expiation, when the whole nation made a general confession of their sins: and called Maschil, either because it contains an excellent instruction (as that word signifies), concerning the means to obtain true blessedness; or because it was set to the tune of a song, in vulgar use in those, days, which began with the word Maschil. This is the more probable of the two, because there are twelve Psalms besides this that have the same title, to all of which the former reason cannot be applied.

Psalms 32:1

JlSlESSED is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose si?iis covered. Happy is that man, thrice happy, to whom God will be pleased, out of his own free grace and mercy (for no man can merit such a favour by any services that he can do him), to remit not only his common errors and weaknesses, but also his grosser sins, whether committed against the Divine Majesty, or against his neighbour.

Psalms 32:2

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. It is impossible to express the happiness of that man, to whom the Lord will be so gracious, as not to exact the punishment due to his former offences, for which he is most heartily afflicted (for to none else this happiness belongs): and doth not only seem, by his sorrowful confessions, to hate and abhor them, but is unfeignedly resolved to forsake them. Ver.4J. When I kept silencemy bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long.] He that hath felt the smart of them, as I have done, will be sensible what a pleasure it is to be eased of such a sting. For when I seriously reflected upon the grievous sin I had committed, but not bewailed it as I ought, it filled me with such anguish and horror, that I lost all appetite to my meat, and pined away till I was not able to go or stand; but lay roaring perpetually (like a lion that hath received a deadly wound), under the miserable torture of my mind.

Psalms 32:4

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. So heavy was the sense of thy displeasure, wherewith I was struck, that I could find no means to throw it off, either by business or diversions in the day: nor would it suffer me to take my rest in the night, but still pressed down my spirit, and scorched me so vehemently with its raging heat, that my body (which heretofore was fat and fresh) was consumed and parched like the grass of the earth in the midst of the driest summer.

Psalms 32:5

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions’ unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. But at last I bethought myself of that remedy which I had too long neglected; and humbled myself before “thee in a sorrowful confession of all my sins, bothgreat and small: 1 laid open all those wounds which were so full of anguish, and acknowledged I deserved to be still far more miserable: I resolved I would never hereafter palliate or excuse my sins; but ingenuously charge myself home with them, and condemn myself before thee for them. And straightway thou (who sawestthe sincerity of my repentance) was pleased to grant me a gracious pardon, and to release me from all my pain: though my guilt, which was the cause of it, was exceeding great.

Psalms 32:6

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Which should encourage every one that hath any sense of God, and of the blessedness of being in his favour, and the misery of lying under his displeasure, to apply himself speedily to him, by unfeigned repentance, as soon as ever ( he hath offended him: for that is tho surest time of finding mercy with him; and the way of preventing those great calamities, which otherwise may overtake him, when the

Tliou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. They are forced to hide themselves sometimes in caves and dens of the earth, (1 Sam. xxiii. 14. 19. 23. xxiv. 2. 3. 8.) but there thou art present with them; and it is thy gracious providence that preserves them from him that furiously persecutes them: thou dost keep them as safe as if “they were in thy dwelling-place, from the mischiefs which contentious men, by their false accusations, seek to bring upon them.

Blessed be the Lord; for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. Of which I myself (for ever praised fee the Lord) am a remarkable instance: for he. hath magnified his mercy to me in assisting my escape, when I was shut up in a fortified city that had gates and bars, (1 Sam. xxiii. 7. 13.)

For I said in my haste, I am cut offfrombefore thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. And presently after that, when I fell into such a strait, that I had no hope of evading it, but (so vehement was my fear) said in my precipitous flight, (1 Sam. xxiii. 26.) I am lost; I shall never be able to save myself, though I make never so much haste: yet even then, upon my humble supplication to thee, thou didst ^stantly send a most seasonable and wonderful deliverance to me, (ver. 27.)

O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth tlie faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. What an encouragement is this to all truly pious souls! Let them love the Lord, and steadfastly cleave unto him: for the Lord taketh care of their safety, who continue faithful to him in all their troubles: and plagueth those who proudly insult over them, till he hath left none of their race remaining.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hbpe in the Lord. Be not dejected, therefore, much less disheartened in the course of piety, all ye that place your hope and confidence in the Lord: but let that fill you with courage; and make you firmly resolved’ to adhere tohim, and never to shrink from your duty under the sorest afflictions.