Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 140
Overview:
David prays for
God's acceptance and assistance.
(1-4) That
God would appear for his rescue.
(5-10)
1-4 Make haste unto me. Those that know how to value
God's
gracious presence, will be the more fervent in their prayers.
When presented through the
Sacrifice and intercession of the
Saviour, they will be as acceptable to
God as the daily
sacrifices and burnings of
Incense were of old.
Prayer is a
spiritual
Sacrifice, it is the
Offering up the soul and its best
affections. Good men know the evil of tongue sins. When enemies
are provoking, we are in danger of speaking unadvisedly. While
we live in an evil world, and have such evil hearts, we have
need to pray that we may neither be drawn nor driven to do any
thing sinful. Sinners pretend to find dainties in
Sin; but those
that consider how soon
Sin will turn into bitterness, will dread
such dainties, and pray to
God to take them out of their sight,
and
By his
Grace to turn their hearts against them. Good men
pray against the sweets of
Sin.
5-10 We should be ready to welcome the rebuke of our heavenly
Father, and also the reproof of our brethren. It shall not break
my head, if it may but help to break my
Heart: we must show that
we take it kindly. Those who slighted the
Word of God before,
will be glad of it when in affliction, for that opens the
Ear to
instruction. When the world is
Bitter, the
Word is sweet. Let us
lift our
Prayer unto
God. Let us entreat him to rescue us from
the snares of
Satan, and of all the workers of iniquity. In
language like this psalm, O
Lord, would we entreat that our
Poor
prayers should set forth our only
Hope, our only dependence
On
thee. Grant us thy
Grace, that we may be prepared for this
employment, being clothed with thy
Righteousness, and having all
the
Gifts of thy
Spirit planted in our hearts.