An Exposition Upon Some Select Psalms of David

A Psalme of Prayer. Now the maker thereof, and the occasion of the writing of it, is evident out of the Inscription. A Psalme of David (saith he) when bee fledde through feare of his sonne Abschalom. Looke the occasion in the 2. booke of Sam. 15. Chapter, to the twenty Chap. at length opened vp. Then to returne to the matter, the Psalme is composed of three partes. The first is ane heauie complaint, from the 2. verse to the 4. Then is a glorying of Faith, through a feeling of the mercie and deliverance of God, which he appeareth to haue felt and tasted, while he made his complaint vnto the 8. verse. Thirdly, there is a two-sold petition, The first for him selfe: The other for the whole people, vnto the end of the Psalme.

p. 11 A Psalme of DAVID when he fledde through feare of his sonne Abschalom.

2 O Iehova, how many are mine adversaries, many they are that rise vp against me!

3 Many there are that say of my soule, there is no salvation for this man in God! Selah.

p. 2The first part of the Psalme.

O Iehova, how many] The first part of the Psalme, is the complaint which aryseth, as it appeareth clearely, from a heart, partely oppressed by the grieuousnesse of afflictions; partly astonished through the multitude of enemies. For hee cannot sufficiently wonder at such a multitude so suddenly seduced by his sonne Abschalom: And therefore wondring and astonished at once, he repeateth this thrise, How many are they! [The grievousnes of the affliction.] Now the heauines of the affliction appeareth fullie of the degrees of the complaint: for he complaineth not only of many enemies, but of many enemies rising vp against him: And not that onely, but of many enemies, both blasphemous against God, and spiteful against himselfe; [The commō church] of whome they spake, as of one forsaken of God. Of this third and highest degree, this thing is to be perceived in Davids example, that God, even after such a maner vses to p. 3exercise his owne, and those that are beloved of him, that they appeare to the world to be among the number of the reprobat, and of those that are forsaken of God. And this is not done without a cause, for the defections, yea, [Cau •] of every one that is most good, are many, and sinne appeareth many times to be sweete vnto the Electe. Therefore, God suffers them againe to taste how bitter the fruit of sinne is: Yet notwithstanding in the mean time, hee so mitigateth this sense of the fruit of sinne, that he suffereth them not to feele at one time, and together, the whole sharpnes thereof: And he changeth so that part of that sense and bitternes, which he giveth to them to be tasted, that out of bitternes, he maketh sweetnes to come; out of that which is, by the owne nature the fruit and punishment of sin, he maketh a way as it were, of amendment of life, yea, vnto the very heauens themselues. This way to some p. 4man may appeare backward, that any by the Helles, should passe vnto the heauens: Notwithstanding God bringeth it to passe, which brought light out of darknes.

p. 4Then mark next in this complaint, and in this example of DAVID, that every one of the godly vses in their afflictiones to turne them selues at length vnto God. And that is a plaine proofe, if there were no more onely, that this punishment which is otherwise inflicted vpon sinne, changeth the own nature: For at no time, the turning vnto GOD followeth the punishment, in so far as it is the punishment of sin, whatsoever the Papists prattle of temporall punishments and satisfactions (as they speake:) But after what maner now at last doth DAVID convert himselfe vnto God? For the godly man afflicted many waies vseth to turne himselfe vnto God; for either by confession of his sinnes, or by seeking deliverance from the present p. 5affliction, or finally, by complayning and quarrelling with God, he turneth himselfe vnto him. Now DAVID in this Psalme turneth himselfe vnto God by complayning and lamenting, not indeede that he acknowledgeth not his sinne together with his deserving, to wit, that he is justlie through his owne procurement afflicted after that maner. For we reade not that DAVID thus complaineth in any other place, that hee vndeservedly suffered any thing of his God. In some other place I grant he complaineth, that he suffered many things of men and of his enemies, but in no place he maketh moane that hee suffered any thing vndeservedly at Gods hands. Moreover, it is manifest ynough by his own wordes in this place, of what thing he complayneth: For he complayneth not only of the multitude of his enemies but also of the over grieuousnesse of the affliction: [David • complayne what on it is.] As if any childe chastened p. 6of the father complaining that he is over rigourously handled: Albeit in the meane time that is true, that GOD never tempteth his owne aboue that they are able to susteine: For hee will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you bee able, but will even giue the issue with the temptation, that yee may bee able to bear it. 1. Cor. 10. 13. I grant he burdeneth the reprobat aboue, that they are able to beare:

p. 6and therefore CAINE. Genes. 4. 13. complayneth: That his punishment is greater, hen that he is of strength to beare. But God tempteth not his owne so; albeit sometimes it appeareth so vnto them, because of the infirmitie of our nature. …