Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 57
Overview:
David begins with
Prayer and complaint.
(1-6) He concludes
with joy and praise.
(7-11)
1-6 All
David's dependence is upon
God. The most eminent
believers need often repeat the
Publican's
Prayer, "
God be
merciful to me a sinner." But if our souls trust in the
Lord,
this may assure us, in our utmost dangers, that our calamities
will at length be overpast, and in the mean time,
By Faith and
Prayer, we must make him our
Refuge. Though
God be most high,
yet he condescends
So low, as to take care that all things are
made to work for good to his people. This is a good reason why
we should pray earnestly. Look which way we will
On this
Earth,
Refuge fails,
No help appears; but we may look for it from
Heaven. If we have fled from the wrath to come, unto
Jesus
Christ, he that performed all things needful to purchase the
Salvation of his people, will do for us and in us all things
needful for our enjoyment of it. It made
David droop to think
there should be those that bore him
So much ill-will. But the
mischief they designed against him, returned
On themselves. And
when
David was in the greatest distress and disgrace, he did not
pray,
Lord, exalt me, but,
Lord, exalt thine own name. Our best
encouragement in
Prayer, is taken from the
Glory of
God, and to
that, more than to our own comfort, we should have regard in all
our petitions for
Mercy.
7-11 By lively
Faith,
David's prayers and complaints are at
once turned into praises. His
Heart is fixed; it is prepared for
every event, being stayed upon
God. If
By the
Grace of
God we
are brought into this even, composed frame of mind, we have
great reason to be thankful. Nothing is done to purpose, in
religion, unless it is done with the
Heart. The
Heart must be
fixed for the duty,
Put in frame for it; fixed in the duty
By
close attention. Our tongue is our
Glory, and never more
So than
when praising
God; dull and sleepy devotions will never be
acceptable to
God. Let us awake early in the morning, to begin
the
Day with
God; early in the beginning of a
Mercy. When
God
comes toward us with his favours, let us go forth to meet him
with our praises.
David desired to bring others to join in
praising
God; and in his
Psalms, he is still praising
God among
the people, singing to Him among the nations. Let us seek to
have our hearts fixed to praise his boundless
Mercy and
unfailing faithfulness; and to
Glorify him with body, soul, and
Spirit, which are his. Let us earnestly pray that the blessings
of the
Gospel may be sent through every land.