Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/571

Rh to them, and consulted theirs. He not only took such to be his companions as did fear God, but he vouchsafed himself to be a companion with all, with any, that did so, wherever he met with them. Though he was a king, he would associate with the poorest of his subjects that feared God, Ps. xv. 4. Jam. ii. 1.

64. The earth,, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

Here, 1. David pleads that God is good to all the creatures, according to their necessities and capacities; as the heaven is full of God's glory, so the earth is full of his mercy, full of the instances of his pity and bounty. Not only the land of Canaan, where God is known and worshipped, but the whole earth, in many parts of which he has no homage paid him, is full of his mercy: not only the children of men upon the earth, but even the inferior creatures, taste of God's goodness; his tender mercies are over all his works.

2. He therefore prays that God would be good to him according to his necessity and capacity; "Teach me thy statutes. Thou feedest the young ravens that cry, with food proper for them; and wilt thou not feed me with spiritual food, the bread of life, which my soul needs and craves, and cannot subsist without? The earth is full of thy mercy; and is not heaven too? Wilt thou not then give me spiritual blessings in heavenly places?" A gracious heart will fetch an argument from any thing, to enforce a petition for divine teaching. Surely he that will not let his birds be unfed, will not let his children be untaught.

9. TETH. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant,, according unto thy word. 66. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

Here, 1. David makes a thankful acknowledgment of God's gracious dealings with him all along; Thou hast dealt well with thy servant. However God has dealt with us, we must own he has dealt well with us, better than we deserve; and all in love, and with design to work for our good. In many instances, God has done well for us, beyond our expectations; he has done well for all his servants; never any of them complained that he had used them hardly. Thou hast dealt well with me, not only according to thy mercy, but according to thy word. God's favours look best when they are compared with the promise, and are seen flowing from that fountain.

2. Upon these experiences he grounds a petition for divine instruction; "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, that, by thy grace, I may render again, in some measure, according to the benefit done unto me." Teach me a good taste, (so the word signifies,) a good relish, to discern things that differ, to distinguish between truth and falsehood, good and evil; for the ear tries words, as the mouth tastes meat. We should pray to God for a sound mind, that we may have spiritual senses exercised, Heb. v. 14. Many have knowledge, who have little judgment; they who have both, are well fortified against the snares of Satan, and well furnished for the service of God, and their generation.

3. This petition is backed with a plea; "For I have believed thy commandments; received them, and consented to them that they are good, and submitted to their government; therefore, Lord, teach me." Where God has given a good heart, a good head too may in faith be prayed for.

67. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word.

David here tells us what he has experienced,

1. Of the temptations of a prosperous condition; "Before I was afflicted, while I lived in peace and plenty, and knew no sorrow, I went astray from God and my duty." Sin is going astray; and then we are most apt to wander from God, when we are easy and think ourselves at home in the world. Prosperity is the unhappy occasion of much iniquity; it makes people conceited of themselves, indulgent of the flesh, forgetful of God, in love with the world, and deaf to the reproofs of the word. See xxx. 6. It is good for us, when we are afflicted, to remember how, and wherein, we went astray, before we were afflicted, that we may answer the end of the affliction.

2. Of the benefit of an afflicted state; "Now have I kept thy word, and so have been recovered from my wanderings." God often makes use of afflictions as a means to reduce those to himself who have wandered from him. Sanctified afflictions humble us for sin, and show us the vanity of the world; they soften the heart, and open the ear to discipline. The prodigal's distress brought him to himself first, and then to his father.

68. Thou art good, and doest good: teach me thy statutes.

Here, 1. David praises God's goodness, and gives him the glory of it; Thou art good, and doest good. All who have any knowledge of God, and dealings with him, will own that he does good, and therefore will conclude that he is good. The streams of God's goodness are so numerous, and run so full, so strong, to all the creatures, that we must conclude the fountain that is in himself to be inexhaustible. We cannot conceive how much good our God does every day, much less can we conceive how good he is. Let us acknowledge it with admiration, and with holy love and thankfulness.

2. He prays for God's grace, and begs to be under the guidance and influence of it; Teach me thy statutes. "Lord, thou doest good to all, art the bountiful Benefactor of all the creatures; this is the good I beg thou wilt do to me,—Instruct me in my duty, incline me to it, and enable me to do it. Thou art good, and doest good; Lord, teach me thy statutes, that I may be good, and do good, may have a good heart, and live a good life. It is an encouragement to poor sinners to hope that God will teach them his way, because he is good and upright, xxv. 8.

69. The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. 70. Their heart is as fat as grease: but I delight in thy law.

David here tells us how he was affected as to the proud and wicked people that were about him.

1. He did not fear their malice, nor was he by it deterred from his duty; They have forged a lie against me; thus they aimed to take away his good name: nay, all we have in the world, even life itself, may be brought into danger by those who make no conscience of forging a lie. They that were proud, envied David's reputation, because it eclipsed them; and therefore did all they could to blemish him: they took a pride in trampling upon him: they therefore persuaded themselves it was no sin to tell a deliberate lie, if it might but expose him to contempt. Their wicked wit forged lies, invented stories, which there was not the least colour for, to serve their wicked designs. And what did David do, when he was thus belied? He will bear it patiently; he will keep that precept which forbids