John Trapp on Psalms 6:5

Verſ. 5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee] Some Heathens were of opinion that when a man dyed all dyed with him; neither was there any further ſenſe of weal or woe for ever. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Ethic. 1.3. c. 9 Socrates doubted, but Ariſtotle affirmed it to be ſo, for ought he knew. Euſebius and Augustine make mention of certain Arabian Hereticks, who held that the Soul dyed with the Body, and ſo remained dead till the laſt day, and then they revived with the reſurrection of the body. This was long ſince exploded for a foul errour, contrary to that which the Scripture holdeth forth in many places. All that David would ſay here is, that dead men remember not, that is, they mention not Gods worthy Acts; to the quickning of others; their praiſes cannot provoke other men to beleeve in God, or ſerve him, as in their lifetime they might, therefore David would fain live to do more good. A certain Martyr going to ſuffer ſaid, he was ſorry that he was going to a place where hee ſhould do God no more work,Seven Epiſt. 3. but be receiving wages only. Domine ſi adhuc populo tuo ſim neceſſarius non recuſo laborem, ſaid a dying Saint, Lord, if I may be yet uſeful to thy people, I ſhould be very well content it might be ſo. See Iſa. 38.18.19. David and Hezekiah prayed hard that they might not yet dye, leſt Religion, and the true Worſhip of God, which they had begun to vindicate and eſtabliſh, ſhould by their deceaſe fall to the ground, through the wickedneſs of their ſurvivers and ſucceſſors.

In the grave who ſhall give thee thanks?] ſcil. Palani & cum aliis, ſaith Aben-Ezra, openly and exemplarily, in the company of others. Some render it, In Hell who ſhall conſeſs to thee? Hereby is ſhewed the fear of Gods Children (ſaith Diodate) anguiſhed by the feeling of his Wrath, leaſt they ſhould dye out of his grace unreconciled, and by that means be excluded and debarred from their deſired aime, to be everlaſtingly inſtruments of his glory. But it is better to take Sheol here for the place and ſtate of the dead, after their diſſolution; though Dilrio will needs have it to be always in Scripture meant of Hell: which if it be ſo, then why ſhould Job ſo earneſtly deſire to be hid in it, chap. 14.13. That was a ſingular example of Paul the Hermite,Adag. Sacr. in 2 Sam. 22. Digreſſ. 2. Hier. in Vit. Paul. who though dead, ſeemed to be ſerving God, and affected thoſe that beheld him. For he was found (ſaith Hierom) dead kneeling upon his knees, holding up his hands, lifting up his eyes; ſo that the very dead corps ſeemed yet, by a kind of religious geſture, to pray unto God.