Psalms 61 commentary

David begins with prayers and tears, but ends with praise. Thus the soul, being lifted up to God, returns to the enjoyment of itself. Wherever we are, we have liberty to draw near to God, and may find a way open to the throne of grace. And that which separates us from other comforts, should drive us nearer to God, the fountain of all comfort. Though the heart is overwhelmed, yet it may be lifted up to God in prayer. Nay, I will cry unto thee, for by that means it will be supported and relieved. Weeping must quicken praying, and not deaden it. God's power and promise are a rock that is higher than we are. This rock is Christ. On the Divine mercy, as on a rock, David desired to rest his soul; but he was like a ship-wrecked sailor, exposed to the billows at the bottom of a rock too high for him to climb without help. David found that he could not be fixed on the Rock of salvation, unless the Lord placed him upon it. As there is safety in Him, and none in ourselves, let us pray to be led to and fixed upon Christ our Rock. The service of God shall be his constant work and business: all must make it so who expect to find God their shelter and strong tower. The grace of God shall be his constant comfort.

There is a people in the world that fear God's name. There is a heritage peculiar to that people; present comforts in the soul, earnests of future bliss. Those that fear God have enough in him, and must not complain. We need desire no better heritage than that of those who fear God. Those abide to good purpose in this world, who abide before God, serve him, and walk in his fear; those who do so, shall abide before him for ever. And these words are to be applied to Him of whom the angel said, the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and of his kingdom there shall be no end, Lu 1:32. God's promises, and our faith in them, are not to do away, but to encourage prayer. We need not desire to be better secured than under the protection of God's mercy and truth. And if we partake of that grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ, we may praise him, whatever be our outward circumstances. But renewed experience of God's mercy and truth towards his people in Christ, is the main matter of our joy in him, and our praise unto him.

PSALM 61

This psalm begins with prayer, or, at any rate, with the brief record of a prayer, which David had preferred to God in a season of deep distress. It is chiefly occupied, however, with the praises of God, expressing his thankfulness for a miraculous deliverance which he had experienced from some imminent danger, and for his establishment upon the throne.

To the chief musician upon Neginoth, A Psalm of David.

Psalm 61:1-4

1. Hear my cry, O God! attend unto my prayer. 2. Prom the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is vexed: thou shalt lead me to the rock which is too high for me. He represents himself as like a man climbing to get up into a place of safety, but who wants strength to get to it. 3. For thou hast been my hope, a tower of strength from the face of the enemy. 4. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will be safe under the covert of thy wings. Selah.

1. Hear my cry, O God! It is not exactly ascertained at what time this psalm was composed; but there seems to be some probability in the conjecture, that David had been for a considerable period in possession of the throne before he fell into the circumstances of distress which are here mentioned. I agree with those who refer it to the time of the conspiracy of Absalom; It is generally agreed that this psalm refers to the history recorded in 2 Samuel 17:22, 24. for, had he not been an exile, he could not speak, as in the second verse, of crying from the ends of the earth. By using the term cry, he would intimate the vehemency of his desire; and it is a word which expresses inward fervency of spirit, without reference to the fact whether he may have prayed aloud, or in a low and subdued tone. The repetition which is employed denotes his diligence and perseverance in prayer, and teaches us that we should not faint and become discouraged in this exercise, because God may not have immediately and openly testified his acceptance of our petitions. There can be no question that, by the ends of the earth, he refers to the place of his banishment, as being cut off from access to the temple and the royal city. By some, indeed, the words have been understood figuratively, as meaning, that he prayed from the lowest deeps of distress; but I can see no foundation for this. In a subsequent part of the psalm, he calls himself King, a title never assumed by him before the death of Saul, and from this circumstance we may at once infer, that the time referred to was that when he fled in trepidation from the fury of his son Absalom, and hid himself in the wilderness of Mahanaim, and places of a similarly solitary description. Mount Zion was the place where the ark of the covenant had been deposited, and it was the seat of royalty; and David, when banished from this, which was the principal and most eligible locality, speaks as if he had been driven to the uttermost parts of the earth. Living, though he did, under the shadows of a legal dispensation, he did not cease to pray, because removed to a distance from the temple; and how inexcusable must our conduct be, privileged as we are of God, and called to draw near by the way which has been opened through the blood of Christ, if we break not through every hinderance which Satan presents to our communications with heaven? Let those who may have been deprived of the hearing of the word, and the dispensation of the sacraments, so as, in a manner, to be banished out of the Church, learn from the example of David to persevere in crying to God, even under these solitary circumstances. He adverts, in what follows, to his grief and anguish. He adds the fact of his being shut up from every method of escape, that the grace of God might be made more apparent in his deliverance. The Hebrew word עטף, ataph, which I have translated vexed, means occasionally to cover, or involve, which has led some to render the clause, while my heart is turned about; that is, tossed hither and thither, or agitated. This is a harsh translation. Others read with more propriety, while my heart is involved in cares and troubles, or overwhelmed. This last translation is omitted in the French version, perhaps through inadvertency. I have adopted a simpler rendering, although I would not be understood as denying the metaphor, to which they suppose that there is an allusion. The clause, there can be no question, is inserted to intimate that he was not prevented by trouble from having recourse to God. Notice was taken already of the outward trial to which he was subjected, in distance from the sanctuary, and of his rising above this, so as to direct his cry to God; and in the words before us, we have his confession that he was far from being stoically insensible, being conscious of a severe inward struggle with grief and perplexity of mind. It is the duty, then, of believers, when oppressed with heaviness and spiritual distress, to make only the more strenuous efforts for breaking through these obstacles in their approaches to God. His prayer is, that God would bring him to that safety from which he seems to be excluded. By a rock or citadel, he means, in general, secure protection, from which he complains of being shut out, as it was impossible to reach it unless he were raised by the hand of God. In looking round him, it seemed as if every place of shelter and safety were lifted up above his head and rendered inaccessible. He was cut off from all help, and yet, hopeless as deliverance appeared, he had no doubt of his safety, should God only extend his hand for interposition. This is the plain meaning of the passage, when divested of figure, that God was able to rescue him from danger, though all other help should be withdrawn, and the whole world should stand between him and deliverance; a truth which we would do well to consider seriously. In looking for deliverance from God, we must beware of yielding to the suggestions of sense; we should remember that he does not always work by apparent means, but delivers us when he chooses by methods inscrutable to reason. If we attempt to prescribe any one particular line of procedure, we do no less than wilfully limit his almighty power.

PSALM 61

Psa 61:1-8. Neginah--or, Neginoth (see on Psa 4:1, title). Separated from his usual spiritual privileges, perhaps by Absalom's rebellion, the Psalmist prays for divine aid, and, in view of past mercies, with great confidence of being heard.

1-3. From the end--that is, places remote from the sanctuary (De 28:64).

4. I will abide--So I desire to do (compare Psa 23:6).

trust in the covert, &c.--make my refuge, in the shadow (compare Psa 17:8; 36:7).

5. the heritage--or, part in the spiritual blessings of Israel (Psa 21:2-4).

vows--implies prayers.

6-7. the king--himself and his royal line ending in Christ. Mercy and truth personified, as in Psa 40:11; 57:3.

8. Thus for new blessings will new vows of praise ever be paid.

Hear my cry, O God - In the midst of a long and painful captivity, oppressed with suffering, encompassed with cruel enemies and isolent masters, I address my humble prayer to Thee, O my God.

From the end of the earth - ארץ arets should be here translated land, not earth, and so it should be in numerous places besides. But here it seems to mean the country beyond the Euphrates; as it is thought to do, Psa 65:5, Psa 65:8, called there also the ends of the earth or land. It may be remarked that the Jews were always more pious and devoted to God in their afflictions and captivities, than when in their own land, in ease and affluence. But who can bear prosperity? How many hearts filled with heavenly ardor in affliction and persecution have grown cold under the beams of the sun of prosperity!

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I - Direct me to a place of refuge and safety. It is a metaphorical expression; and Calmet interprets it of the liberty granted to the Jews by Cyrus to return to their own land. This was a privilege far higher than any thing they could expect. The fathers think Jesus Christ is meant by this high rock.

Those hast been a shelter for me - During the whole duration of the captivity God marvellously dealt with the poor Jews; so that, although they were cast down, they were not utterly forsaken.

I will abide in thy tabernacle - The greater portion of those Psalms which were composed during and after the captivity, says Calmet, had Levites and priests for their authors. Hence we find the ardent desire so frequently expressed of seeing the temple; of praising God there; of spending their lives in that place, performing the functions of their sacred office. There I shall sojourn; - there I shall dwell, - be at rest, - be in safety, - be covered with thy wings, as a bird in its nest is covered with the wings of its mother. These simple comparisons, drawn from rural affairs and ordinary occurrences, are more pleasing and consolatory in the circumstances in question, than allegories derived from subjects the most noble and sublime.

Hast heard my vows - Often have I purposed to be wholly thine, - to serve thee alone, - to give up my whole life to thy service: and thou hast heard me, and taken me at my word; and given me that heritage, the privilege of enjoying thee in thy ordinances, which is the lot of them that fear thy name. The Psalm seems to have been composed either after the captivity, or at the time that Cyrus published his decree in their favor, as has been remarked before.

Thou wilt prolong the king's life - The words are very emphatic, and can refer to no ordinary person. Literally, "Days upon days thou wilt add to the king; and his years shall be like the generations of this world, and the generations of the world to come." This is precisely the paraphrase I had given to this text before I had looked into the Chaldee Version; and to which I need add nothing, as I am persuaded no earthly king is intended: and it is Christ, as Mediator, that "shall abide before God for ever," Psa 61:7. Neither to David, nor to any earthly sovereign, can these words be applied.

He shall abide before God for ever - Literally, "He shall sit for ever before the faces of God." He shall ever appear in the presence of God for us. And he ever sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high; for he undertook this office after having, by his sacrificial offering, made atonement for our sins.

Prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him - As Mediator, his attendants will ever be mercy and truth. He will dispense the mercy of God, and thus fulfill the truth of the various promises and predictions which had preceded his incarnation. There is an obscurity in this clause, חסד ואמת מן ינצרהו chesed veemeth man yintseruhu, owing to the particle מן man, which some translate who or what; and others, number thou, from מנה manah, to count. Houbigant, and he is followed by Bishop Lowth, would read מיהוה miyehovah, Mercy and truth from Jehovah shall preserve him. The AngloSaxon has, Mildheartedness, and soothfastness his, who seeketh? which is nearly the rendering of the old Psalter: Mercy and sothfastnes of him, wha sall seke? Dr. Kennicott says, מן man is a Syriasm; and should be translated quaesoutinam, I beseech thee, - I wish, - O that! On this very ground Coverdale appears to have translated, O let thy lovynge mercy and faithfulnes preserve him! The sense I have given above I conceive to be the true one.

So will I sing praise unto thy name for evher - For the benefits which I have received, and hope to receive endlessly from thee, I will to all perpetuity praise thee.

That I may daily perform my vows - While I live, I shall יום יום yom, yom, "day by day," each day as it succeeds, render to thee my vows - act according to what I have often purposed, and as often promised. The Chaldee ends remarkably: "Thus I will praise thy name for ever, when I shall perform my vows in the day of the rederaption of Israel; and in the day in which the King Messiah shall be anointed, that he may reign."

The ancient Jews were full of the expectation of the Messiah; the Jews of the present day have given up their hope.

The end - To which David was driven. Lead me - Convey me into some high and secure fortress.

I will - I shall, I doubt not, be restored to the tabernacle, and worship thee there all my days.

Heritage - Thou hast granted me this singular mercy, to live in God's land, to enjoy his presence, and to worship in his tabernacle; which is the heritage that all that fear thee, prize and desire above all things.

Prolong - The years of my life and reign. Thus he speaks because his kingdom was not like Saul's, but established to him and his heirs; and because Christ, his son and heir, should actually, and in his own person possess the kingdom for ever.

Abide - In the throne. Before God - Living and ruling as in God's presence, serving God and worshipping him in his tabernacle. Truth - Thy truth in giving me those mercies which thou hast promised, and thy mercy in giving me such further blessings as I needs.

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I .

Or rather, of the Land: To which David was driven by the Tyranny of his Enemies.

Convey me into some high and secure Fortress, which I could not reach without thy Succour, and where mine Enemies cannot come at me. He alludes to their Custom of securing themselves in Rocks, 1 Sam. 13. 6. &c.

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever : I will trust in the covert of thy wings , Selah.

I shall, I doubt not, be restored to the Tabernacle; from which I am now banished, and, according to the desire of my Heart, worship and enjoy thee there all my days.

In the mean time, whilst I am in Danger and Trouble, I will cast my self upon thy Protection with full Confidence.

Marginal references: Or, make my Refuge.

5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows : thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name .

My servent Prayers, attended with many Vows and Promises, as was usual, especially in Cases of great Danger or Difficulty. Gen. 28. 20. Iudg. 11. 30, 31.

Thou hast alloted me my Portion, with and amongst them that Fear and Worship thee, who are the Excellent ones, in whom is all my Delight: And upon that Account I must acknowledge it to thy Praise, that the Lines are fallen to me in Pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly Heritage, Psal. 16. 3. 6. Thou hast granted me this singular Mercy, to live in God's Land, and to enjoy his Presence and Favour, and to Worship in his Tabernacle; which is the Heritage that I and all that Fear thee, prize and desire above all things in the World.

6 Thou wilt prolong the kings life : and his years , as many generations .

(i. e.) My Life. He calls himself King; Either, 1. Because he was actually King, though Absalom Usurped the Throne: Or, 2. Because he was designed and anointed to be King; and by calling himself King, he supports himself under his present straits, and declares his Confidence in God's promise of the Kingdom to him. Yet we must not think that David did commonly and publickly Call, or own himself to be King, which had neither been True, nor Covenient for his Affairs: But this Psalm, either was not Composed whilst Saul lived, or, at least, was Penned onely for his private use and Comfort, and not Committed to the chief Musician; which indeed it could not be till David had the Kingdom, and the Inspection of the sacred Musick and service of the Tabernacle.

(i. e.) The years of my Life and Reign.

As long as if I had a Lease of it for many Ages. Thus he speaks; Partly, because his Kingdom was not like Saul's, a matter of one Age, expiring with his Life, but Established to him, and his Heirs for ever: and Partly, because Christ, his Son and Heir, should actually, and in his own Person possess the Kingdom for ever.

Marginal references: Heb. thou shalt add days to the days of the King.; Heb. as Generation and Generation.

7 He shall abide before God l for ever: O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him.

Or, sit, to wit, in the Throne, Ier: 13. 13. Living and Ruling as in God's Presence, and serving God with his Royal Power, and Worshiping him in his Tabernacle.

Or, Order or appoint, as this Word signifies, Ionah 1. 17. and 4. 6.

Either, 1. The graces of Mercy or Compassion, and Truth or Faithfulness; which are the great supporters of Thrones, Prov. 20. 28. and 29. 14. Or rather, 2. Thy Mercy and Truth, (i. e.) The Effects of them. Thy Truth in giving me those Mercies, which thou hast promised to me: and thy Mercy in giving me such further Blessings, as I need, and thou [illegible: 1+ letters]eest fit to give me.

Marginal references: Pro. 20. 28.

8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows .

That so I may pay unto thee those Services and Sacrifices, which I vowed to thee when I was in Trouble.

Psa 61:1-4

Hurled out of the land of the Lord in the more limited senseJust as in Num 32:29. the country east of Jordan is excluded from the name “the land of Canaan” in the stricter sense, so by the Jewish mind it was regarded from the earliest time to a certain extent as a foreign country (חוצה לארץ), although inhabited by the two tribes and a half; so that not only is it said of Moses that he died in a foreign land, but even of Saul that he is buried in a foreign land (Numeri Rabba, ch. viii. and elsewhere). into the country on the other side of the Jordan, David felt only as though he were banished to the extreme corner of the earth (not: of the land, cf. Psa 46:10; Deu 28:49, and frequently), far from the presence of God (Hengstenberg). It is the feeling of homelessness and of separation from the abode of God by reason of which the distance, in itself so insignificant (just as was the case with the exiles later on), became to him immeasurably great. For he still continually needed God’s helpful intervention; the enveloping, the veiling, the faintness of his heart still continues (עטף, Arab. ‛tf, according to its radical signification: to bend and lay anything round so that it lies or draws over something else and covers it, here of a self-enveloping); a rock of difficulties still ever lies before him which is too high for his natural strength, for his human ability, therefore insurmountable. But he is of good courage: God will lead him up with a sure step, so that, removed from all danger, he will have rocky ground under his feet. He is of good courage, for God has already proved Himself to be a place of refuge to him, to be a strong tower, defying all attack, which enclosed him, the persecuted one, so that the enemy can gain no advantage over him (cf. Pro 18:10). He is already on the way towards his own country, and in fact his most dearly loved and proper home: he will or he has to (in accordance with the will of God) dwell (cf. the cohortative in Isa 38:10; Jer 4:21) in God’s tabernacle (vid., on Psa 15:1) throughout aeons (an utterance which reminds one of the synchronous Psa 23:6). With גּוּר is combined the idea of the divine protection (cf. Arabic ǵâr ollah , the charge or protegé of God, and Beduinic ǵaur, the protecting hearth; ǵawir, according to its form = גּר, one who flees for refuge to the hearth). A bold figure of this protection follows: he has to, or will trust, i.e., find refuge, beneath the protection of God’s wings. During the time the tabernacle was still being moved from place to place we hear no such mention of dwelling in God’s tabernacle or house. It was David who coined this expression for loving fellowship with the God of revelation, simultaneously with his preparation of a settled dwelling-place for the sacred Ark. In the Psalms that belong to the time of his persecution by Saul such an expression is not yet to be found; for in Psa 52:7, when it is desired that Doeg may have the opposite of an eternal dwelling-place, it is not the sacred tent that is meant. We see also from its second part that this Psa 61:1-8 does not belong to the time of Saul; for David does not speak here as one who has drawn very near to his kingly office (cf. Psa 40:8), but as one who is entering upon a new stage in it.

Psa 61:5-8

The second part begins with a confirmation of the gracious purpose of God expressed in Psa 61:5. David believes that he shall experience what he gives expression to in Psa 61:5; for God has already practically shown him that neither his life nor his kingship shall come to an end yet; He has answered the prayers of His chosen one, that, blended with vows, resulted from the lowly, God-resigned spirit which finds expression in 2Sa 15:25., and He has given or delivered up to him the land which is his by inheritance, when threatened by the rebels as robbers, - the land to which those who fear the covenant God have a just claim. It is clear enough that the receivers are “those who fear the name of Jahve;” the genitive relation describes the ירשּׁה as belonging to them in opposition to those who had usurped it. Or does ירשּׁה here perhaps mean the same as ארשׁת in Psa 21:3? Certainly not. נתן ירשּׁה ל is a customary phrase, the meaning of which, “to give anything to any one as his inheritance or as his own property,” is to be retained (e.g., Deu 2:19). God has acknowledged David’s cause; the land of Israel is again wrested from those to whom it does not belong; and now begins a new era in the reign of its rightful king. In view of this the king prays, in Psa 61:7, Psa 61:8, that God would add another goodly portion to the duration of his life. The words sound like intercession, but the praying one is the same person as in Psa 61:2-5. The expression מלכּא משׁיחא (the King Messiah) of the Targum shows to whom the church referred the word “king” after the extinction of the Davidic dynasty. The exalted tone of the wish expressed in Psa 61:7 (cf. Joe 2:2) favours this without absolutely requiring it (cf. עולמים, Psa 61:5, Psa 21:5, and the royal salutation, 1Ki 1:31; Dan 2:4, and frequently). There ought (as also e.g., in Psa 9:8) not to be any question whether ישׁב in Psa 61:8 signifies “to sit enthroned,” or “to sit” = “to abide;” when the person spoken of is a king it means “to remain enthroned,” for with him a being settled down and continuous enthronement are coincident. מן in Psa 61:8 is imperat. apoc. for מגּה (after the form הס, נס, צו). The poet prays God to appoint mercy and truth as guardian angels to the king (Psa 40:12, Pro 20:28, where out of pause it is צּרוּ; cf. on the other hand Psa 78:7; Pro 2:11; Pro 5:2). Since the poet himself is the king for whom he prays, the transition to the first person in v. 9 is perfectly natural. כּן signifies, as it always does, so or thus = in accordance therewith, corresponding to the fulfilment of these my petitions, thankfully responding to it. לשׁלּמי is the infinitive of the aim or purpose. Singing praise and accompanying it with music, he will make his whole life one continuous paying of vows.

Crying to God in Distress.

1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

In these verses we may observe,

I. David's close adherence and application to God by prayer in the day of his distress and trouble: "Whatever comes, I will cry unto thee (v. 2),—not cry unto other gods, but to thee only,—not fall out with thee because thou afflictest me, but still look unto thee, and wait upon thee,—not speak to thee in a cold and careless manner, but cry to thee with the greatest importunity and fervency of spirit, as one that will not let thee go except thou bless me." This he will do, 1. Notwithstanding his distance from the sanctuary, the house of prayer, where he used to attend as in the court of requests: "From the end of the earth, or of the land, from the most remote and obscure corner of the country, will I cry unto thee." Note, Wherever we are we may have liberty of access to God, and may find a way open to the throne of grace. Undique ad cœlos tantundem est viæ—Heaven is equally accessible from all places. "Nay, because I am here in the end of the earth, in sorrow and solitude, therefore I will cry unto thee." Note, That which separates us from our other comforts should drive us so much the nearer to God, the fountain of all comfort. 2. Notwithstanding the dejection and despondency of his spirit: "Though my heart is overwhelmed, it is not so sunk, so burdened, but that it may be lifted up to God in prayer; if it is not capable of being thus raised, it is certainly too much cast down. Nay, because my heart is ready to be overwhelmed, therefore I will cry unto thee, for by that means it will be supported and relived." Note, Weeping must quicken praying, and not deaden it. Is any afflicted? Let him pray, Jam. v. 13; Ps. cii., title.

II. The particular petition he put up to God when his heart was overwhelmed and he was ready to sink: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; that is, 1. "To the rock which is too high for me to get up to unless thou help me to it. Lord, give me such an assurance and satisfaction of my own safety as I can never attain to but by thy special grace working such a faith in me." 2. "To the rock on the top of which I shall be set further out of the reach of my troubles, and nearer the serene and quiet region, than I can be by any power or wisdom of my own." God's power and promise are a rock that is higher than we. This rock is Christ; those are safe that are in him. We cannot get upon this rock unless God by his power lead us. I will put thee in the cleft of the rock, Exod. xxxiii. 22. We should therefore by faith and prayer put ourselves under the divine management, that we may be taken under the divine protection.

III. His desire and expectation of an answer of peace. He begs in faith (v. 1): "Hear my cry, O God! attend unto my prayer; that is, let me have the present comfort of knowing that I am heard (Ps. xx. 6), and in due time let me have that which I pray for."

IV. The ground of this expectation, and the plea he uses to enforce his petition (v. 3): "Thou hast been a shelter for me; I have found in thee a rock higher than I: therefore I trust thou wilt still lead me to that rock." Note, Past experiences of the benefit of trusting in God, as they should engage us still to keep close to him, so they should encourage us to hope that it will not be in vain. "Thou hast been my strong tower from the enemy, and thou art as strong a ever, and thy name is as much a refuge to the righteous as ever it was." Prov. xviii. 10.

V. His resolution to continue in the way of duty to God and dependence on him, v. 4. 1. The service of God shall be his constant work and business. All those must make it so who expect to find God their shelter and strong tower: none but his menial servants have the benefit of his protection. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever. David was now banished from the tabernacle, which was his greatest grievance, but he is assured that God by his providence would bring him back to his tabernacle, because he had by his grace wrought in him such a kindness for the tabernacle as that he was resolved to make it his perpetual residence, Ps. xxvii. 4. He speaks of abiding in it for ever because that tabernacle was a type and figure of heaven, Heb. ix. 8, 9, 24. Those that dwell in God's tabernacle, as it is a house of duty, during their short ever on earth, shall dwell in that tabernacle which is the house of glory during an endless ever. 2. The grace of God and the covenant of grace shall be his constant comfort: I will make my refuge in the covert of his wings, as the chickens seek both warmth and safety under the wings of the hen. Those that have found God a shelter to them ought still to have recourse to him in all their straits. This advantage those have that abide in God's tabernacle, that in the time of trouble he shall there hide them.

Mercies Recollected.

5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. 6 Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations. 7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. 8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

In these verses we may observe,

I. With what pleasure David looks back upon what God had done for him formerly (v. 5): Thou, O God! hast heard my vows, that is, 1. "The vows themselves which I made, and with which I bound my soul: thou hast taken notice of them; thou hast accepted them, because made in sincerity, and been well pleased with them; thou hast been mindful of them, and put me in mind of them." God put Jacob in mind of his vows, Gen. xxxi. 13; xxxv. 1. Note, God is a witness to all our vows, all our good purposes, and all our solemn promises of new obedience. He keeps an account of them, which should be a good reason with us, as it was with David here, why we should perform our vows, v. 8. For he that hears the vows we made will make us hear respecting them if they be not made good. 2. "The prayers that went along with those vows; those thou hast graciously heard and answered," which encouraged him now to pray, O God! hear my cry. He that never did say to the seed of Jacob, Seek you me in vain, will not now begin to say so. "Thou hast heard my vows, and given a real answer to them; for thou hast given me a heritage of those that fear thy name." Note, (1.) There is a peculiar people in the world that fear God's name, that with a holy awe and reverence accept of and accommodate themselves to all the discoveries he is pleased to make of himself to the children of men. (2.) There is a heritage peculiar to that peculiar people, present comforts, earnests of their future bliss. God himself is their inheritance, their portion for ever. The Levites that had God for their inheritance must take up with him, and not expect a lot like their brethren; so those that fear God have enough in him, and therefore must not complain if they have but little of the world. (3.) We need desire no better heritage than that of those who fear God. If God deal with us as he uses to deal with those that love his name we need not desire to be any better dealt with.

II. With what assurance he looks forward to the continuance of his life (v. 6): Thou shalt prolong the king's life. This may be understood either, 1. Of himself. If it was penned before he came to the crown, yet, being anointed by Samuel, and knowing what God had spoken in his holiness, he could in faith call himself the king, though now persecuted as an out-law; or perhaps it was penned when Absalom sought to dethrone him, and force him into exile. There were those that aimed to shorten his life, but he trusted to God to prolong his life, which he did to the age of man set by Moses (namely, seventy years), which, being spent in serving his generation according to the will of God (Acts xiii. 36), might be reckoned as many generations, because many generations would be the better for him. His resolution was to abide in God's tabernacle for ever (v. 4), in a way of duty; and now his hope is that he shall abide before God for ever, in a way of comfort. Those abide to good purpose in this world that abide before God, that serve him and walk in his fear; and those that do so shall abide before him for ever. He speaks of himself in the third person, because the psalm was delivered to the chief musician for the use of the church, and he would have the people, in singing it, to be encouraged with an assurance that, notwithstanding the malice of his enemies, their king, as they wished, should live for ever. Or, 2. Of the Messiah, the King of whom he was a type. It was a comfort to David to think, whatever became of him, that the years of the Lord's Anointed would be as many generations, and that of the increase of his government and peace there should be no end. The Mediator shall abide before God for ever, for he always appears in the presence of God for us, and ever lives, making intercession; and, because he lives, we shall live also.

III. With what importunity he begs of God to take him and keep him always under his protection: O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him! God's promises and our faith in them are not to supersede, but to quicken and encourage prayer. David is sure that God will prolong his life, and therefore prays that he would preserve it, not that he would prepare him a strong lifeguard, or a well-fortified castle, but that he would prepare mercy and truth for his preservation; that is, that God's goodness would provide for his safety according to the promise. We need not desire to be better secured than under the protection of God's mercy and truth. This may be applied to the Messiah: "Let him be sent in the fulness of time, in performance of the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham." Micah vii. 20; Luke i. 72, 73.

IV. With what cheerfulness he vows the grateful returns of duty to God (v. 8): So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever. Note, God's preservation of us calls upon us to praise him; and therefore we should desire to live, that we may praise him: Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee. We must make praising God the work of our time, even to the last (as long as our lives are prolonged we must continue praising God), and then it shall be made the work of our eternity, and we shall be praising him for ever. That I may daily perform my vows. His praising God was itself the performance of his vows, and it disposed his heart to the performance of his vows in other instances. Note, 1. The vows we have made we must conscientiously perform. 2. Praising God and paying our vows to him must be our constant daily work; every day we must be doing something towards it, because it is all but little in comparison with what is due, because we daily receive fresh mercies, and because, if we think much to do it daily, we cannot expect to be doing it eternally.

PSAL. LXI.

To the Master of the Musicke, upon Neginath, a Psalme of David.

HEare thou, O God, my shouting, attend to my prayer. From the end of the land unto thee do I call when my heart is overwhelmed: lead thou me unto the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast beene a safe hope to me, a tower of strength from the face of the enemie. I will so journe in thy tent for ever, I will hope for safetie in the secret of thy wings Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vowes, hast given inheritance to them that feare thy name. Thou wilt adde daies unto the daies of the King, his yeares shall be as generation and generation.

He shall sit for ever before God; prepare thou mercy & truth, which may keep him. So will I sing Psalme to thy name, unto perpetuity, that I may pay my vowes day by day.

Annotations. VPon Neginath] or with neginath, that is, the playing on the strings of the instrument: meaning that this Psalme was to be sung with musick of stringed instruments. See Psal. 4. 1. Vers. 3. end of the land] the utmost border of the land of Canaan, where David sometime was driven to abide, 2 Sam. 17. 24. or, end of the earth. is overwhelmed] or covered over, to wit, with griefe, (as the Greeke explaineth it,) whereby it fainteth; opprest with sorrow. So Psal. 102. 1. and 77. 4. and 107. 5. and 142. 4. lead thou] or, thou wilt lead: a speech of faith, from former deliverances, as the next verse sheweth. higher than I] which I cannot get up on, unlesse thou lead me. Vers. 4. a safe hope] or, shrowding place, where he hoped for, and had found safe shelter. Vers. 5. I will sojourne] or shall abide. See Psal. 15. 1. in the secret] or, the hiding place, called else-where the shadow of his wings, Psal. 36. 8. and 63. 8. See Psal. 91. 1,—4. Vers. 6. my vowes] that is, my prayers made with vowes, as the Saints used, Gen. 28. 20. Iudg. 11. 30, 31. Hereupon, prayer is called in Greeke Proseuche, of powring out vowes to God. inheritance to them] so the Greeke also hath it; or, given me the inheritance of them; that is, such a blessing as usually thou bestowest on such as feare thee. The Chaldee paraphraseth, thou hast given an inheritance in the world to come to them that feare thy name. Vers. 7. Thou wilt adde] or prayer-wise, adde thou &c. so the rest. daies unto daies] or, upon daies, that is, a long life. of the King] meaning himselfe, and specially Christ, who was to be his Sonne after the flesh. So the Chaldee saith, of the King Christ. See Psalm. 72. and 89. 21, 30, 37, 38. Vers. 8. He shall sit] to wit, on the throne, that is, reigne, or sit, that is, dwell, or abide, as Psalm. 140. 14. prepare] or, appoint, as his due and readie portion. The Heb[illegible: 1 letter]. is Man, a name whereby that prepared meat was called, which God gave his people from heaven, Psal. 78. 24. Vers. 9. day by day] or day and day, that is, daily. The Hebrew usuall phrase is, day day, so Psal. 68 20. Gen. 39. 10. Isa. 58. 2. Exod. 16. 5. sometime day and day, as Hest. 3. 4. 2 Cor. 4. 16. So two two, Mark. 6. 7. for, two and two. The Chaldee maketh this paraphrase, when I pay my vowes in the day of the redemption of Israel, and in the day when the King Christ shall be anointed to reigne.

PSAL. LXI.

TO the chief Muſician upon Neginah, &c.] Vincenti in melodiis Davidis. Vatab. It is probable that he made this Pſalm, when driven out of his Kingdom by his Son Abſolom, he took up at Mahanaim beyond Jordan, 2 Sam. 17.24. and therehence prayed from the ends of the earth, or rather of the land, verſ. 2. Howbeit R. Obadiah ſaith, that this Pſalm is De pugna cum Aram in confinibus Iſrael, concerning the battle with the Syrians in the borders of the Land. See 2 Sam. 10.14. &c. and 1 Chron. 19.16, amp;c.

Verſ. 1. Hear my cry, O God] Heb. My ſhouting, my ſad out-cry; for he was in great extremity, verſ. 2. and ſeeks eaſe by prayer. This is the way, Job 22.21. Philip. 4.6, 7. walk in it. Prayer hath Virtutem pacativam; it doth ſweetly ſettle the Soul, and lodge a bleſſed ſecurity in it.

Verſ. 2. From the end of the earth] Or, of the Land. In all places men may lift up holy hands,Sic dicit reſ pectu arae à quiexulabat longe in bello contra hoſtes. R. Sol. 1 Tim. 2.8. Job. 4.21. and ſpeed. A deſert may be a goodly Oratory.

When my heart is overwhelmed] Or, covered over, Vt fit in deliquiit & lipothimiis, as is uſual in ſwoones. See a like expreſſion, Pſal. 102. title, & Lam. 3.65. where the word rendred ſorrow of heart, ſignifieth ſuch a covering like a ſhield, ſuch a lid put over the heart, that is ſuffocated, as in the Cardica paſſio. Davids Harp was not more out of tune, than his heart ſometimes: He prayeth, and is helped.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I] i.e. Do for me that I cannot do for my ſelf; ſet me in ſafety.

Verſ. 3. For thou haſt been a ſhelter for me] Thou haſt, and therefore thou wilt, is an ordinary Scripture-medium, and well it may: for God is unchangeable, and his Decree for preſerving his people is (as the Poet ſaith well) [non-Latin text not transcribed] irrevocable.

Verſ. 4. I will abide in thy tabernacle] Et ſcribam mirabilia tua in memoriale, ſaith R. Obadiah by way of gloſs; And I will there regiſter up thy wonderful works. Or, I ſhall there worſhip thee, and do thee acceptable ſervice again, though for preſent I am baniſhed, or buſied abroad. He ſaith not, I ſhall abide in my Palace, but in thy tabernacle, which he more highly eſteemed. Some render it, I ſhall dwell in thy Tent, or Pavilion Royal, making it a metaphor from warfare, where thoſe that are in the Kings own Tent muſt needs be in greateſt ſafety. And this ſenſe ſuiteth well with the following words, I will truſt in the covert of thy wings.

Verſ. 5.Hinc Graeci precationem dicunt [non-Latin text not transcribed] For thou O God haſt heard my vows] i.e. My prayers, which had vows of thankfulneſs annexed unto them.

Thou haſt given me the heritage] Even the ſure mercies of David, grace and glory; and inheritance in the World to come, as the Chaldee hath it; beſides what we have here.

Verſ. 6. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life] The King Chriſt, ſaith the Chaldee, who ſhall ſee his ſeed, he ſhall prolong his days, and the pleaſure of the Lordſhall proſper in his hand. Iſa. 53.10. David himſelf alſo lived, and reigned longer than moſt Kings do, being old and full of days.

And his years as many generations] ſc. In his ſons and ſucceſſors. So Pſa. 72.17. Filiabitus nomine ejus. The name of Chriſt ſhall indure for ever, it ſhall be begotten as one generation is begotten of another, there ſhall bee a ſucceſſion of Chriſts name.

Verſ. 7. He ſhall abide before God for ever] Or, He ſhall ſit, viz. upon the Throne a long while in his perſon; but for ever in his Son Chriſt, Luke 1.32. and this affordeth ſweet and ſingular comfort to the whole Church, and each Member thereof; for as much as the dignity of a King cannot ſtand, unleſs his Subjects bee in ſafety.

O prepare mercy and truth which may preſerve him] Hos duos cuſtodes adhibe quibus unis innitatur. Let theſe two (thy Mercy and thy Truth) be the ſupporters of his Throne, let them be of his Life-guard, let them be his due, and prepared portion, as the Hebrew word Man here uſed ſignifieth. Some underſtand the words thus,Junius Furniſh the King with theſe two Vertues, Clemency and Truth, that thereby his Throne may be eſtabliſhed. See Prov. 20.28. & 29.14.

Verſ. 8. So will I ſing praiſe unto thy name for ever] Concluſio votiva. Praiſe is ſo pleaſing a ſervice to God, that he indenteth with his people for it, Pſal. 50.15. and they knowing his minde therein, do uſually reſtipulate that they will perform it; as holding it the leaſt that they in conſcience can do, and knowing it the moſt that they are able to do. They preſent it therefore to God, as that Grecian did his ſmall gift to Auguſtus, ſaying, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. If I had a better thing I could well beteem it thee.

That I may daily perform my vows] Which till they be paid, a true-hearted Votary is in pain: for he accounteth them due debts to God.

Hear my cry, O God. He was in terrible earnest; he shouted, he lifted up his voice on high. He is not however content with the expression of his need: to give his sorrows vent is not enough for him, he wants actual audience of heaven, and manifold succour as the result. Pharisees may rest in their prayers; true believers are eager for an answer to them: ritualists may be satisfied when they have, "said or sung" their litanies and collects, but living children of God will never rest till their supplications have entered the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth. Attend unto my prayer. Give it thy consideration, and such an answer as thy wisdom sees fit. When it comes to crying with us, we need not doubt but that it will come to attending with God. Our heavenly Father is not hardened against the cries of his own children. What a consoling thought it is that the Lord at all times hears his people's cries, and is never forgetful of their prayers; whatever else fails to move him, praying breath is never spent in vain!

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee. He was banished from the spot which was the centre of his delight, and at the same time his mind was in a depressed and melancholy condition; both actually and figuratively he was an outcast, yet he does not therefore restrain prayer, but rather finds therein a reason for the louder and more importunate cries. To be absent from the place of divine worship was a sore sorrow to saints in the olden times; they looked upon the tabernacle as the centre of the world, and they counted themselves to be at the fag end of the universe when they could no longer resort to the sacred shrine; their heart was heavy as in a strange land when they were banished from its solemnities. Yet even they knew right well that no place is unsuitable for prayer. There may be an end of the earth, but there must not be an end to devotion. On creation's verge we may call upon God, for even there he is within call. No spot is too dreary, no condition too deplorable; whether it be the world's end or life's end, prayer is equally available. To pray in some circumstances needs resolve, and the psalmist here expresses it,

I will cry. It was a wise resolution, for had he ceased to pray he would have become the victim of despair; there is an end to a man when he makes an end to prayer. Observe that David never dreamed of seeking any other God; he did not imagine the dominion of Jehovah to be local: he was at the end of the promised land, but he knew himself to be still in the territory of the Great King; to him only does he address his petitions. When my heart is overwhelmed: —when the huge waves of trouble wash over me, and I am completely submerged, not only as to my head, but also my heart. It is hard to pray when the very heart is drowning, yet gracious men plead best at such times. Tribulation brings us to God, and brings God to us. Faith's greatest triumphs are achieved in her heaviest trials. It is all over with me, affliction is all over me; it encompasses me as a cloud, it swallows me up like a sea, it shuts me in with thick darkness, yet God is near, near enough to hear my voice, and I will call him. Is not this brave talk? Mark how our psalmist tells the Lord, as if he knew he were hearing him, that he intended to call upon him: our prayer by reason of our distress may be like to a call upon a far off friend, but our inmost faith has its quiet heart whispers to the Lord as to one who is assuredly our very present help. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. I see thee to be my refuge, sure and strong; but alas! I am confused, and cannot find thee; I am weak, and cannot climb thee. Thou art so steadfast, guide me; thou art so high, uplift me. There is a mint of meaning in this brief prayer. Along the iron bound coast of our northern shores, lives are lost because the rocks are inaccessible to the shipwrecked mariner. A clergyman of one of the coast villages has with immense labour cut steps up from the beach to a large chamber, which he has excavated in the chalk cliffs; here many mariners have been saved; they have climbed the rock, which had else been too high for them, and they have escaped. We have heard of late, however, that the steps have been worn away by the storms, and that poor sailors have perished miserably within sight of the refuge which they could not reach, for it was too high for them: it is therefore proposed to drive in iron stanchions, and to hang up chain ladders that shipwrecked mariners may reach the chambers in the rock. The illustration is self interpreting. Our experience leads us to understand this verse right well, for the time was with us when we were in such amazement of soul be reason of sin, that although we knew the Lord Jesus to be a sure salvation for sinners, yet we could not come at him, by reason of our many doubts and forebodings. A Saviour would have been of no use to us if the Holy Spirit had not gently led us to him, and enabled us to rest upon him. To this day we often feel that we not only want a rock, but to be led to it. With this in view we treat very leniently the half unbelieving prayers of awakened souls; for in their bewildered state we cannot expect from them all at once a fully believing cry. A seeking soul should at once believe in Jesus, but it is legitimate for a man to ask to be led to Jesus; the Holy Spirit is able to effect such a leading, and he can do it even though the heart be on the borders of despair. How infinitely higher that we are is the salvation of God. We are low and grovelling, but it towers like some tall cliff far above us. This is its glory, and is our delight when we have once climbed into the rock, and claimed an interest in it; but while we are as yet trembling seekers, the glory and sublimity of salvation appal us, and we feel that we are too unworthy ever to be partakers of it; hence we are led to cry for grace upon grace, and to see how dependent we are for everything, not only for the Saviour, but for the power to believe on him.

For thou hast been a shelter for me. Observe how the psalmist rings the changes on, Thou hast, and I will, —Ps 61:3-6. Experience is the nurse of faith. From the past we gather arguments for present confidence. Many and many a time had the persecutions of Saul and the perils of battle imperilled David's life, and only by miracle had he escaped, yet was he still alive and unhurt; this he remembers, and he is full of hope. And a strong tower from the enemy. As in a fort impregnable, David had dwelt, because surrounded by omnipotence. Sweet is it beyond expression to remember the lovingkindnesses of the Lord in our former days, for he is unchangeable, and therefore will continue to guard us from all evil.

I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever. Let me once get back to thy courts, and nothing shall again expel me from them: even now in my banishment my heart is there; and ever will I continue to worship thee in spirit wherever my lot may be cast. Perhaps by the word tabernacle is here meant the dwelling place of God; and if so, the sense is, I will dwell with the Lord, enjoying his sacred hospitality, and sure protection.

"There would I find a settled rest,

While others go and come;

No more a stranger or a guest,

But like a child at home."

He who communes with God is always at home. The divine omnipresence surrounds such a one consciously; his faith sees all around him the palace of the King, in which he walks with exulting security and overflowing delight. Happy are the indoor servants who go not out from his presence. Hewers of wood and drawers of water in the tents of Jehovah are more to be envied than the princes who riot in the pavilions of kings. The best of all is that our residence with God is not for a limited period of time, but for ages; yea, for ages of ages, for time and for eternity: this is our highest and most heavenly privilege, I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever. I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Often does our sweet singer use this figure; and far better is it to repeat one apt and instructive image, than for the sake of novelty to ransack creation for poor, strained metaphors. The chicks beneath the hen how safe, how comfortable, how happy! How warm the parent's bosom! How soft the cherishing feathers! Divine condescension allows us to appropriate the picture to ourselves, and how blessedly instructive and consoling it is! O for more trust; it cannot be too implicit: such a covert invites us to the most unbroken repose. SELAH. Rest we well may when we reach this point. Even the harp may be eloquently silent when deep, profound calm completely fills the bosom, and sorrow has sobbed itself into a peaceful slumber.

For thou, O God, hast heard my vows. Proofs of divine faithfulness are to be had in remembrance, and to be mentioned to the Lord's honour. The prayer of Ps 61:1 is certain of an answer because of the experience of Ps 61:5, since we deal with an immutable God. Vows may rightly be joined with prayers when they are lawful, well considered, and truly for God's glory. It is great mercy on God's part to take any notice of the vows and promises of such faithless and deceitful creatures as we are. What we promise him is his due already, and yet he deigns to accept our vows as if we were not so much his servants as his free suitors who could give or withhold at pleasure. Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. We are made heirs, joint heirs with all the saints, partakers of the same portion. With this we ought to be delighted. If we suffer, it is the heritage of the saints; if we are persecuted, are in poverty, or in temptation, all this is contained in the title deeds of the heritage of the chosen. Those we are to sup with we may well be content to dine with. We have the same inheritance as the Firstborn himself; what better is conceivable? Saints are described as fearing the name of God; they are reverent worshippers; they stand in awe of the Lord's authority; they are afraid of offending him, they feel their own nothingness in the sight of the Infinite One. To share with such men, to be treated by God with the same favour as he metes out to them, is matter for endless thanksgiving. All the privileges of all the saints are also the privileges of each one.

Thou wilt prolong the king's life; or, better, "days to the days of the King thou wilt add." Death threatened, but God preserved his beloved. David, considering his many perils, enjoyed a long and prosperous reign. And his years as many generations. He lived to see generation after generation personally; in his descendants he lived as king through a very long period; his dynasty continued for many generations; and in Christ Jesus, his seed and son, spiritually David reigns on evermore. Thus he who began at the foot of the rock, half drowned, and almost dead, is here led to the summit, and sings as a priest abiding in the tabernacle, a king ruling with God for ever, and a prophet foretelling good things to come. (Ps 61:7.) See the uplifting power of faith and prayer. None so low but they may yet be set on high.

He shall abide before God for ever. Though this is true of David in a modified sense, we prefer to view the Lord Jesus as here intended as the lineal descendant of David, and the representative of his royal race. Jesus is enthroned before God to eternity; here is our safety, dignity, and delight. We reign in him; in him we are made to sit together in the heavens. David's personal claim to sit enthroned for ever is but a foreshadowing of the revealed privilege of all true believers. O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. As men cry, "Long live the king, "so we hail with acclamation our enthroned Immanuel, and cry, "Let mercy and truth preserve him." Eternal love and immutable faithfulness are the bodyguards of Jesus' throne, and they are both the providers and the preservers of all those who in him are made kings and priests unto God. We cannot keep ourselves, and nothing short of divine mercy and truth can do it; but these both can and will, nor shall the least of the people of God be suffered to perish.

So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever. Because my prayer is answered, my song shall be perpetual; because Jesus for ever sits at thy right hand, it shall be acceptable; because I am preserved in him, it shall be grateful. David had given vocal utterance to his prayer by a cry; he will now give expression to his praise by a song: there should be a parallel between our supplications and our thanksgivings. We ought not to leap in prayer, and limp in praise. The vow to celebrate the divine name for ever is no hyperbolical piece of extravagance, but such as grace and glory shall enable us to carry out to the letter. That I may daily perform my vows. To God who adds days to our days we will devote all our days. We vowed perpetual praise, and we desire to render it without intermission. We would worship God de die in diem, going right on as the days roll on. We ask no vacation from this heavenly vocation; we would make no pause in this sacred service. God daily performs his promises, let us daily perform our vows: he keeps his covenant, let us not forget ours. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth, even for evermore.

TITLE. The word Neginah (the singular of Neginoth) may be understood to be synonymous with the kinnor or harp: that is to say, the instrument of eight strings, probably played with a bow or plectrum. John Jess.

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. Aquinas saith that some read the words thus, Intende ad cantica mea, attend unto my songs —and so the words may be safely read, from the Hebrew word hgr ranah, which signifies to shout or shrill out for joy —to note that the prayers of the saints are like pleasant songs and delightful ditties in the ears of God. No mirth, no music, can be so pleasing to us as the prayers of the saints are pleasing to God. So 2:14 Ps 141:2. Thomas Brooks.

My cry. There is a text in Job where the "hypocrites in heart" are spoken of condemningly, because "they cry not when he bindeth them." I like to feel that no hard fortitude is required of the chastened child of God, but that it ought to feel, and may cry, under the rod, without a single rebellious thought. Mary B. M. Duncan.

Verses 1-2. One ejaculation begetteth another. Hear my cry; attend unto my prayer (yet no words thereof mentioned); and Ps 61:2. From the end of the earth will I cry: he had thus cried, and he will therefore cry again and again. As billows of temptation ever and anon stop his mouth and interrupt him, so as he now and then doth but peep above water, and get breathing space, he will thus cry, Lead me, or "guide me, "or carry me to yonder rock which is higher than I. Thomas Cobbet (1608-1686), on Prayer.

From the end of the earth. This may be taken two ways: either naturally, and then it is an allusion to men that are far distant and remote from help, relief and comfort: or, as I may say, ecclesiastically, with reference to the temple of God, which was "in medio terrae, ""in the midst and heart of the land, "where God manifested and gave tokens of his gracious presence and favour: as if he had said, "I am at the end of the earth; far from any tokens, pledges, or manifestations of the love and favour of God, as well as from outward help and assistance." John Owen.

The end of the earth. What place was this, the end of the earth, referring the expression to the writer of the Psalm? We know that the centre of the affections and devotions of the pious Israelite was the "holy city, Jerusalem; whither the tribes went up, even the tribes of the Lord, to testify unto Israel, and to give thanks unto the name of the Lord." The country of which this city was the capital, was to the Jew the world; it was the world within the world; the earth within the earth; the whole globe besides was to him a waste, a place out of the world; an extraterrestrial territory, beyond the limits set up by the Lord Almighty. Thus in Holy Writ what is called the world, or the earth, frequently signifieth only that part thereof which was the heritage of the chosen people... The end of the earth, then, as referred to the psalmist, would signify any place of bodily absence from the temple where the Deity had taken up his special abode, or any place whence his spiritual affections were unable to reach that temple. As referred to us, the expression signifies any sensible distance from God: for as God is the centre of life, hope, love, and joy, distance from him, of whatsoever degree, is the antipodes of the soul, a region of sterility and darkness; the Iceland of man's spirit. Alfred Bowen Evans, 1852.

I will cry unto thee. There is in this expression an endeavour to approach unto God; as you do when you cry after one whom you see at a distance, and are afraid he will go farther from you. It is the great work of faith to cry out after God, at a distance, when you are afraid lest at the next turn he should be quite out of sight. Crying to the Lord supposes him to be withdrawing or departing. John Owen.

Cry. No matter how abrupt the prayer be, so it be the representation of our hearts. Thus did David. Where doth he pray? In banishment. When? When his spirit is overwhelmed. How does he pray? He cried. Thus Hannah prayed herself into a composed state of mind. Remember, resignation is the work of the Spirit of God; and therefore you must plead for it before you have it. John Singleton (1706), in "The Morning Exercises."

Cry. Crying is a substitute for speech; and also the expression of earnestness. William Jay.

When my heart is overwhelmed. Troubles are of various kinds; some are provoking, some are gnawing, some are perplexing, and some are overwhelming; but whatever form they assume, they are troubles, and are part of the wear and tear of life. ...Overwhelming troubles are such as sweep over a man, just as the mighty billows of the ocean sweep over and submerge the sands. These are troubles which struggle with us, as it were, for life and death; troubles which would leave us helpless wrecks; troubles which enter into conflict with us in our prime, which grapple with us in our health and strength, and threaten to conquer us by sheer force, no matter how bravely we may contend. Such trouble the psalmist knew. Philip Bennett Power, in "The I wills of the Psalms, "1861.

Heart. The heart is here represented to us as being overwhelmed, or, as it is otherwise translated, "covered over; "it is smothered in, unable to perform its functions with proper action, unable to throw out the blood to the extremities, to give them needed vitality and power for necessary effort. When the action of the heart is paralysed, even temporarily, it will tell upon all the members, a chill there send its cold vibration through every limb; Satan knows this well, and so all his dealings are heart dealings, efforts to paralyse the very spring of life itself. This is precisely what we ourselves have experienced; we have partially felt death within us, we have felt a gradual numbing of our heart; a gradual diminution in the quickness of its beat; a gradual closing in, and pressure of a weight upon it, and this was the overwhelming process. Philip Bennett Power.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. The tower, in Ps 18:2, is "an high tower, "and the rock is here an high rock, the rock higher than I; and yet there is a way to get into the highest towers; by scaling ladders a man may get over the high walls of towers. This tower and rock were too high for David himself to get into, and therefore he sets to the scaling ladder. "Lead me to the rock, and into the tower that is higher than I. Hear my cry, attend unto my prayer." So he makes prayer the scaling ladder to get upon that rock and into that tower that otherwise had been too high for him; he gets that safety and deliverance which otherwise but by prayer unto God had been impossible to have been obtained. Jeremiah Dyke.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. The language is very remarkable. It gives us the idea of a man suffering shipwreck. The vessel in which he has been sailing has sunk. He has been plunged into the mighty ocean; and there he is buffeting the waves, struggling for life, panting for breath, and just about to give up all for lost. Suddenly he discovers a rock towering above him. If he can but climb up to the top of it, and get sure footing upon it, the billows will not be able to reach him, and he will be safe. Now, the prayer in our text is the cry of that poor wretch for help. He is so spent and exhausted, that he cannot reach the rock himself. He shouts aloud for the friendly hand of some one stronger than himself, or for a rope that may be flung to him by those who are already safe on the rock, if by these helps he may gain it. Lead me to the rock, cries the poor perishing wretch. "O, lead me, guide me, direct me to it; for I am so worn and spent, that I cannot reach it otherwise. I am at the point to die; and I must sink, and be no more seen for ever, if there is none to help me." Thus he calls for some one to rescue him from the deep, and to place him on the rock. But what rock? He knows that unless the rock be a high one, he will not be in safety, though he should be on it. The rock, he says, "must be higher than I, or the waves will reach me, and wash me off again." It is not a rock, the top of which just shows itself above the sea, no higher than a man's own body, that will save the life of a shipwrecked mariner. Such a rock may occasion the wreck, but it will not afford any help to the sufferers afterwards; it is a rock to split upon for destruction, not to stand upon for safety. Lead me to the rock, or as it is in the Prayer book version, "Set me upon the rock that is higher than I!" ...The text having shown us the danger of sin, does not leave us comfortless; it shows us the security of the refuge. We have before remarked, that the prayer of David, as a shipwrecked man, is, to be "led to, "and set upon a rock, that is higher than himself. The expression seems to imply much. The rock that is higher than he, must be higher than any man; for David was a mighty monarch. He implies, therefore, that the refuge he seeks must be more than any "arm of flesh" can afford him; it must be therefore divine. Condensed from a Sermon by Fountain Elwin, 1842.

It is more the image of one overtaken by the tide, as he is hastening onwards to get beyond its reach, and yet with every step he sees it rolling nearer and nearer to him; he hears its angry roar, the loosening sand sinks beneath his tread —a few minutes more, and the waves will be around him; despair hath "overwhelmed his heart; "when in the very depths of his agony he sees a point of rock high above the waves. "O that I could reach it and be safe!" And then comes the cry, the agonizing cry, to him that is mighty to save, Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. It is the sinner's cry to the sinner's Saviour! Barton Bouchier, A.M., in "Manna in the Heart; or, Daily Comments on the Book of Psalms," 1855.

Lead me to the rock. If we would find ourselves upon the rock, and enjoy the realisation of being so, we must be dependent upon another's hand. And that hand can do everything for us, even in our worst of times. When we are so blinded by the salt waves that dash in our eyes, so reeling in brain that we perhaps cannot think, much less make continuous efforts, there is a hand which can lead us, which can draw us out of the waters, which can set our feet upon the rock. Surely we have already experienced the power and tenderness of that hand? and it may be that in the reader's case, the waves, as they made sure of their prey, found it supernaturally drawn forth from them, that it might be set upon a rock, immoveable amid all the waters, and sufficient amid all storms! Philip Bennett Power.

The rock that is higher than I. The rock of our salvation, then, is "higher than we." Here we have the Deity of Christ, the Rock, set forth; in this he is "higher than we." And except as he is thus higher, as he is God, he could not be a Saviour; for "He is a just God, as well as a Saviour." A being no higher than we, or but a little higher, as the angels (for we are but "a little lower than they"), though he might teach us, or warn us, or console us, could never save us. The prey is in the hands of the mighty, and the Almighty alone is mightier. But a rock is not only high, but deep; it not only erects its front above the waves, but its base is fixed in the ocean's bed. "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find our the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." Job 11:7. Here we have the humanity of him who is the rock; that humanity by which he was able to go down to the deeps, as well as ride triumphantly on the bosom of the waters —those deeps, whereof David speaking experimentally of himself, spake prophetically of him; the depths of our fall and degradation —that humanity in which he went down into the grave, into the recesses of the intermediate state, and "preached to the spirits in prison." This is our rock, both deep and high; the rock of our salvation; to which those whose sons have set them at "the end of the earth, "desire to be brought, that they may find a place of safe standing. Let not those fear who feel the bitterness of distance from God, for they shall be brought nigh; desolate may be the coast to which they are driven, but over against it is the Paradise of God; clouds and darkness may gather at the base of this rock of safety, but "eternal sunshine settles in its head." Alfred Bowen Evans.

Higher. A hiding place must be locus exelsissimus. Your low houses are soon scaled. Jesus Christ is a high place; he is as high as heaven. He is the Jacob's ladder that reacheth from earth to heaven. Ge 28:12. He is too high for men, too high for devils; no creature can scale these high walls. Ralph Robinson (1614-1655), in "Christ All and in All."

I will abide in thy tabernacle. Some render it, I shall dwell in thy tent or pavilion royal, making it a metaphor from warfare, where those that are in the king's own tent must needs be in greatest safety. And this sense suits well with the following words: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. John Trapp.

Covert of thy wings. To a person who should penetrate the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, the most conspicuous object would be the outspread wings above the mercyseat: under their shelter and upon the mercyseat David would abide in quiet confidence. C. H. S.

(first clause). About this time I began to know that there is a God who hears and answers prayer. John Newton, in his Journal.

Thou, O God, hast heard my vows: that is, his prayers, which are always to be put up with vows. Indeed, that prayer is a blank which hath not a vow in it. Is it a mercy thou prayest him to give? If sincere, thou wilt vow to praise him for it, and serve him with it. Is it a sin thou prayest against? Except you juggle with God, thou wilt vow as well as pray against it. William Gurnall.

The heritage. Eternal life is called an inheritance. Theodoret remarks: "The true inheritance is eternal life, concerning which Christ saith to the sheep on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world. This inheritance the Lord giveth to them that fear him." In Eph 1:14, the Spirit is called "the earnest of our inheritance." In Col 1:12, the apostle exhorts them "to give thanks unto the Father, who hath made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." On this verse we have the golden comment of Chrysostom, reiterated by Theophylact. He calls it an inheritance, to show that no man obtaineth the kingdom by his own good works; for no man hath so lived as to render himself worthy of the kingdom, but all is of the grace of God. Wherefore he saith, "When ye have done all, say that we are unprofitable servants, for we have only done that which we ought to have done." John Caspar Suicer's "Thesaurus," 1728.

Thou wilt prolong the king's life, etc. David cannot be considered as using these words of gratulation with an exclusive reference to himself. It is true that he lived to an extreme old age, and died full of days, leaving the kingdom in a settled condition, and in the hands of his son, who succeeded him; but he did not exceed the period of one man's life, and the greater part of it was spent in continued dangers and anxieties. There can be no doubt, therefore, that the series of years, and even ages, of which he speaks, extends prospectively to the coming of Christ, it being the very condition of the kingdom, as I have often remarked, that God maintained them as one people under on head, or when scattered, united them again. The same succession still subsists in reference to ourselves. Christ must be viewed as living in his members to the end of the world. To this Isaiah alludes when he says, "Who shall declare his generation or age?" —words in which he predicts that the church would survive through all ages, notwithstanding the incessant danger of destruction to which it is exposed through the attacks of its enemies, and the many storms assailing it. So here David foretells the uninterrupted succession of the kingdom down to the time of Christ. John Calvin.

The king's life: and his years. David speaks designedly of the days of the king instead of his own days, as might have been expected from what had been said, for the purpose of showing that he considered the promise of eternal dominion as relating not to himself personally, but to his family —the royal family of David. E. W. Hengstenberg.

O prepare mercy. David having declared in his own behalf the purpose of God towards him for everlasting salvation, he, speaking of himself, shall abide before God for ever: he withal considering what he was to run through in this life, and what it might require to keep him unto the end, and so for ever, doth presently thereupon, in way of prayer, subjoin prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve me. As if he had said, I have yet a long journey to go, and through many hazards, and thy promise is, I shall abide before thee for ever. Lord, thou hast need lay up and aforehand prepare an abundance of mercy and truth to preserve me for time to come. Thomas Goodwin.

They that are godly are oppressed and vexed in the church or congregation for this purpose: that when they are pressed, they should cry; and when they cry, that they should be heard; and when they are heard, that they should laud and praise God. Augustine.

Whole Psalm. The progressive I wills.

1. I will cry.

2. I will abide in thy tabernacle.

3. I will trust.

4. I will sing praise.

Answers to prayer to be earnestly sought.

1. What hinders the answer of prayer?

2. What is our duty when answers are denied?

3. What encouragements we have to believe that the delay is only temporary.

Lead me.

1. Show me the way: reveal Jesus.

2. Enable me to tread it: work faith in me.

3. Uplift me when I cannot tread: do for me what is beyond me.

Higher than I. Jesus greater than our highest efforts, attainments, desires, expectations, conceptions.

God, the saint's rock. John Owen's Two Sermons. Works. Vol. 9, pp. 237-256.

The heart's cry and desire.

1. A recognition of a place of safety; then,

2. We have this place brought before us, as abundantly sufficient, when personal weakness has been realised.

3. This place cannot be attained without the help of another's hand.

4. The character of this refuge, and the position of a believer when availing himself of it: the place of refuge is "a rock, "and the position of the believer is "upon a rock." P. B. Power.

Verses 2-3.

1. How would he pray? I will cry unto thee.

2. Where would he pray? From the ends of the earth.

3. When would he pray? When my heart is overwhelmed.

4. For what would he pray? Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

5. Whence does he derive his encouragement to pray? For thou hast been, etc. (Ps 61:3). William Jay.

A shelter from the rain of trouble, the storm of persecution, the floods of Satanic temptation, the heat of divine wrath, the blast of death. The ark, Lot's mountain, the blood stained door in Egypt, the city of refuge, the cave Adullam. A strong tower: lasting in itself, impregnable against foes, secure for the occupant.

(second clause). Enquire whether or no it fares with us as with the saints.

1. Vows heard in heaven.

2. Vows to be carefully fulfilled on earth.

1. Vows heard in heaven.

2. Vows to be carefully fulfilled on earth.

(second clause).

1. They that fear God have a "heritage."

2. This heritage is "given."

3. We may know that we possess it. William Jay.

Our King, his eternal existence, our personal joy in this, and our joy for our descendants.

1. My privilege, I will abide (Ps 61:4).

2. The ground of it, He shall abide, etc. (Ps 61:7).

1. My privilege, I will abide (Ps 61:4).

2. The ground of it, He shall abide, etc. (Ps 61:7).

1. Vows heard in heaven.

2. Vows to be carefully fulfilled on earth.

1. Vows heard in heaven.

2. Vows to be carefully fulfilled on earth.