EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Whole Psalm.—Bonar entitles this Psalm, “The awful utterance of the Righteous One regarding those that hate him without cause;” and he makes the following remarks thereupon:—“Throughout the endless day of eternity the Lord Jesus shall himself speak the Father’s ‘praise,’ and shall put marked emphasis on his ‘righteousness’—that righteousness which shall have been exhibited, both in the doom of those who hated the offered Redeemer, and in the salvation of those who received him. There is nothing in all this wherein his own may not fully join, especially on that day when their views of justice shall be far clearer and fuller than now. On that day we shall be able to understand how Samuel could hew Agag in pieces, and the godly hosts of Israel slay utterly in Canaan man and woman and child, at God’s command. We shall be able, not only fully to agree in the doom, ‘Let them be confounded,’ etc., but even to sing, ‘Amen, Hallelujah,’ over the smoke of torment. Rev. xix. 1, 2. We should in some measure now be able to use every verse of this Psalm in the spirit in which the Judge speaks it, we feeling ourselves his assessors in judging the world. 1 Cor. vi. 2. We shall, at all events, be able to use it on that day when what is written here shall be all accomplished.”—Andrew A. Bonar.

Verse 1.—“Plead my cause, O God, with them that strive with me.” 1. Doth the world condemn thee for thy zeal in the service of God? Reproachfully scorn thee for thy care to maintain good works? not blush to traduce thee with imputations of preciseness, conceited singularity, pharisaical hypocrisy? Oh but if thy conscience condemn thee not all this while, if that be rectified by the sacred word of God, if thou aim at his glory in pursuing thine own salvation, and side not with the disturbers of the church, go on, good Christian, in the practice of piety, discourage not thyself in thy laudable endeavours, but recount with comfort that the Lord is thy judge (1 Cor. iv. 4), with a scio cui crediderim, “I know whom I have believed.” 2 Tim. i. 12. 2. Art thou wrongfully adjudged in the erroneous courts of men? are truth and righteousness gone aside from their proper places? Is equity neglected, and poverty overlaid? Well, have patience awhile, cheer up thy fainting spirits, there is a God that beholdeth the innocency of thy cause, unto whom thou hast liberty to make thy last appeal: “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.” Or, 3. Art thou otherwise injured by the hands of malicious men? and doth a penurious estate disable thee to sue for amends? Doth a Nimrod oppress thee? A Laban defraud thee? A covetous landlord gripe thee? Well, yet take not the matter into thine own hands by attempting unlawful courses; presume not to be judge in thine own cause, for default of a present redress; but often remember what the apostle taught his Thessalonians: “It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.”—Isaac Craven’s Sermon at Paul’s Cross, 1630.

Verse 1.—“Plead,” etc. More literally, litigate, O Lord, with them that litigate against me, contend against them that contend with me; i.e., avenge me of mine adversaries.—Daniel Cresswell, D.D., F.R.S., in “The Psalms of David according to the Book of Common Prayer: with Critical and Explanatory Notes,” 1843.

Verse 2.—“Shield and buckler.” The word rendered “shield” is in the Hebrew text מָגְן, magen, which was a short buckler intended merely for defence. The word rendered “buckler” is צִנָּה tsinnah; it was double the weight of the magen, and was carried by the infantry; the magen, being lighter and more manageable, was used by the cavalry. The tsinnah answered to the scutum, and the magento the clypeus, among the Romans. The word tsinnah, means that kind of shield from the middle of which there arose a large boss, surmounted by a dagger, and which was highly useful both as a defensive and an offensive weapon in ancient warfare.—James Anderson, note to Calvin in loc.

Verse 3.—“Draw out the spear, and stop the way.” The spear in the days of Saul and David was a favourite weapon. (See 1 Chron. xi.). A valiant man bravely defending a narrow pass might simply with his lance keep back a pursuing host, and give time for his friends to escape. Very remarkable were the feats of valour of this sort performed in Oriental warfare. David would have his God become his heroic defender, making his enemies pause.—C. H. S.

Verse 3.—“Draw out;” or, as the Hebrew phrase is, empty, that is unsheath the like is of the sword. Exod. xv. 9; Levit. xxvi. 33.—Henry Ainsworth.

Verse 3.—“Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” Observe, 1. That salvation may be made sure to a man. David would never pray for that which could not be. Nor would Peter charge us with a duty which stood not in possibility to be performed. 2 Peter i. 10. “Make your election sure.” And to stop the bawling throats of all cavilling adversaries, Paul directly proves it: “Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Cor. xiii. 5. We may then know that Christ is in us. If Christ be in us, we are in Christ; if we be in Christ, we cannot be condemned, for (Rom. viii. 1) “There is no damnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” But I leave this point that it may be sure, as granted; and come to ourselves that we may make it sure. The Papists deny this, and teach the contrary, that salvation cannot be made sure; much good do it them, with their sorry and heartless doctrine! If they make that impossible to any which God hath made easy for many, “into their secret let not my soul come.” Gen. xlix. 6. Observe, 2. That the best saints have desired to make their salvation sure. David that knew it, yet entreats to know it more. “I know thou favourest me” (Psalm xli. 11); yet here still, dic animæ, “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” A man can never be too sure of his going to heaven.—Thomas Adams.

Verse 3.—“Say unto my soul.” God may speak with his own voice; and thus he gave assurance to Abraham, “Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Gen. xv. 1. If God speak comfort, let hell roar horror. 2. He may speak by his works: actual mercies to us demonstrate that we are in his favour, and shall not be condemned. “By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.” 3. He may speak by his Son. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. xi. 28. 4. He may speak by his Scripture; this is God’s epistle to us, and his letters patent, wherein are granted to us all the privileges of salvation. A universal si quis; “Whosoever believes, and is baptised, shall be saved.” 5. He may speak by his ministers, to whom he hath given “the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Cor. v. 19. 6. He doth speak this by his Spirit: he “sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Gal. iv. 6. By all these voices God says to his elect, “I am your salvation.”... “My.” There is no vexation to the vexation of the soul; so no consolation to the consolation of the soul.... Let this teach us to make much of this “My.” Luther says there is great divinity in pronouns. The assurance that God will save some is a faith incident to devils. The very reprobates may believe that there is a book of election; but God never told them that their names were written there. The hungry beggar at the feast-house gate smells good cheer, but the master doth not say, “This is provided for thee.” It is small comfort to the harbourless wretch to pass through a goodly city, and see many glorious buildings, when he cannot say, Hæc mea domus, I have a place here. The beauty of that excellent city Jerusalem, built with sapphires, emeralds, chrysolites, and such precious stones, the foundation and walls whereof are perfect gold (Rev. xxi.), affords a soul no comfort, unless he can say, Mea civitas, I have a mansion in it. The all-sufficient merits of Christ do thee no good, unless, tua pars et portio, he be thy Saviour. Happy soul that can say with the Psalmist, “O Lord, thou art my portion!” Let us all have oil in our lamps, lest if we be then to buy, beg, or borrow, we be shut out of doors like the fools, not worthy of entrance. Pray, “Lord, say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” ... Who? What? To whom? When? Who? The Lord! To the Lord David prays. He hath made a good choice, for there is salvation in none other. “Thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help.” Hosea xiii. 9. The world fails, the flesh fails, the devil kills. Only the Lord saves. What? Salvation. A special good thing; every man’s desire. I will give thee a lordship, saith God to Esau. I will give thee a kingdom, saith God to Saul. I will give thee an apostleship, saith God to Judas. But, I will be thy salvation, he says to David, and to none but saints. To WHOM? “My salvation.” Not others only, but “thine.” A man and a Christian are two creatures. He may be a man that hath reason and outward blessings; he is only a Christian that hath faith, and part in the salvation of Christ. God is plentiful salvation, but it is not ordinary to find a cui—to whom. Much of heaven is lost for lack of a hand to apprehend it. When? In the present, “I am.” Sum, non sufficit quod ero. It is comfort to Israel in captivity that God says, Ero tua redemptio, I will redeem thee; but the assurance that quiets the conscience is this, “I am thy salvation.” As God said to Abraham, “Fear not, I am with thee.” Deferred hope faints the heart. Whatsoever God forbears to assure us of, oh, pray we him not to delay this, “Lord, say to our souls, I am your salvation.”—Condensed from Thomas Adams.

Verse 4.—“Let them be confounded and put to shame.” Here David beginneth his imprecations, which yet, saith Theodoret, he doth not utter as cursing, but as prophesying rather. If we shall at any time take upon us thus to imprecate (as we may in some cases), we must see to it, first, that our cause be good; secondly, that we do it not out of private revenge, but merely for the glory of God; thirdly, that we utter not a syllable this way, but by the guidance of God’s good Spirit.—John Trapp.

Verses 4-8, 26.—How are we to account for such prayers for vengeance? We find them chiefly in four Psalms, the seventh, thirty-fifth, sixty-ninth, and one hundred and ninth, and the imprecations in these form a terrible climax. In the last no less than thirty anathemas have been counted. Are these the mere outbursts of passionate and unsanctified feeling, or are they the legitimate expression of a righteous indignation? Are they to be excused as being animated by the “spirit of Elias?” a spirit not unholy indeed, but far removed from the meekness and gentleness of Christ; or are they the stereotyped forms in which the spirit of devotion may utter itself? Are they Jewish only, or may they be Christian also? An uninstructed fastidiousness, it is well known, has made many persons recoil from reading these Psalms at all. Many have found their lips falter when they have been called to join in using them in the congregation, and have either uttered them with bated breath and doubting heart, or have interpreted them in a sense widely at variance with the letter. Some have tried to reconcile them with a more enlightened conscience, by regarding such words not as the expression of a wish, but as the utterance of a prediction; the Hebrew optative, which is distinct enough from the simple future, absolutely forbids this expedient. Others again would see in them expressions which may lawfully be used in the soul’s wrestling against spiritual enemies. And finally, some would defend them as utterances of righteous zeal for God’s honour, and remind us that if we do not sympathise with such zeal, it may be not because our religion is more pure, but because our hearts are colder.

Now the real source of the difficulty lies in our not observing and bearing in mind the essential difference between the Old Testament and the New. The older dispensation was in every sense a sterner one than the new. The spirit of Elias, though not an evil spirit, was not the spirit of Christ. “The Son of Man came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke ix. 56. And through him his disciples are made partakers of the same spirit. But this was not the spirit of the older economy. The Jewish nation had been trained in a sterner school. It had been steeled and hardened by the discipline which had pledged it to a war of extermination with idolaters; and however necessary such a discipline might be, it would not tend to foster the gentler virtues; it is conceivable how even a righteous man, under it, feeling it to be his bounden duty to root out evil wherever he saw it, and identifying, as he did, his own enemies with the enemies of Jehovah, might use language which to us appears unnecessarily vindictive. To men so trained and taught, what we call “religious toleration,” was a thing not only wrong, but absolutely inconceivable.