Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 118
Overview:
The general scope and design of this psalm is to magnify the
Divine
Law, and make it honourable. There are ten words
By which
Divine
Revelation is called in this psalm, and each expresses
what
God expects from us, and what we may expect from him.
1.
God's
Law; this is enacted
By him as our Sovereign.
2. His way; this is the rule of his
Providence.
3. His testimonies; they are solemnly declared to the world.
4. His
Commandments; given with authority.
5. His precepts; not left as indifferent matters to us.
6. His
Word, or saying; it is the declaration of his mind.
7. His judgments; framed in infinite
Wisdom.
8. His
Righteousness; it is the rule and standard of what is
right.
9. His statutes; they are always binding.
10. His
Truth or faithfulness; it is eternal
Truth, it shall
endure for ever.
1-8 This psalm may be considered as the statement of a
believer's experience. As far as our views, desires, and
affections agree with what is here expressed, they come from the
influences of the Holy
Spirit, and
No further. The pardoning
Mercy of
God in
Christ, is the only source of a sinner's
happiness. And those are most happy, who are preserved most free
from the defilement of
Sin, who simply believe
God's
testimonies, and depend
On his promises. If the
Heart be divided
between him and the world, it is evil. But the saints carefully
avoid all
Sin; they are conscious of much evil that clogs them
in the ways of
God, but not of that wickedness which draws them
out of those ways. The tempter would make men think they
are at liberty to follow the
Word of God or not, as they please.
But the desire and
Prayer of a good
Man agree with the will and
command of
God. If a
Man expects
By obedience in one thing to
purchase indulgence for disobedience in others, his hypocrisy
will be detected; if he is not ashamed in this world,
Everlasting shame will be his portion. The psalmist coveted to
learn the laws of
God, to give
God the
Glory. And believers see
that if
God forsakes them, the temper will be too hard for them.
9-16 To original corruption all have added actual
Sin. The ruin
of the young is either living
By No rule at all, or choosing
false rules: let them walk
By Scripture rules. To doubt of our
own
Wisdom and strength, and to depend upon
God, proves the
purpose of
Holiness is sincere.
God's
Word is treasure worth
laying up, and there is
No laying it up safe but in our hearts,
that we may oppose
God's precepts to the dominion of
Sin, his
promises to its allurements, and his threatenings to its
violence. Let this be our plea with Him to teach us his
statutes, that, being partakers of his
Holiness, we may also
partake of his blessedness. And those whose hearts are fed with
the
Bread of
Life, should with their lips feed many. In the way
of
God's
Commandments there is the unsearchable riches of
Christ. But we do not meditate
On God's precepts to good
purpose, unless our good thoughts produce good
Works. I will not
only think of thy statutes, but do them with delight. And it
will be
Well to try the sincerity of our obedience
By tracing
the
Spring of it; the reality of our
Love By cheerfulness in
appointed duties.
17-24 If
God deals in strict
Justice with us, we all perish. We
ought to spend our lives in his service; we shall find true
Life
in keeping his
Word. Those that would see the wondrous things of
God's
Law and
Gospel, must
Beg him to give them understanding,
By the
Light of his
Spirit. Believers feel themselves strangers
On Earth; they fear missing their way, and losing comfort
By
erring from
God's
Commandments. Every sanctified soul hungers
after the
Word of God, as
Food which there is
No living without.
There is something of pride at the bottom of every wilful
Sin.
God can silence lying lips; reproach and contempt may humble and
do us good, and then they shall be removed. Do we find the
weight of the
Cross is above that we are able to
Bear? He that
bore it for us will enable us to
Bear it; upheld
By him we
cannot sink. It is sad when those who should protect the
innocent, are their betrayers. The psalmist went
On in duty, and
he found comfort in the
Word of God. The comforts of the
Word of
God are most pleasant to a gracious soul, when other comforts
are made
Bitter; and those that would have
God's testimonies to
be their delight, must be advised
By them. May the
Lord direct
us in exercising
Repentance of
Sin, and
Faith in
Christ.
25-32 While the souls of the children of this world cleave to
the
Earth as their portion, the children of
Light are greatly
burdened, because of the remains of
Carnal affections in their
hearts. It is unspeakable comfort to a gracious soul, to think
with what tenderness all its complaints are received
By a
gracious
God. We can talk of the wonders of redeeming
Love, when
we understand the way of
God's precepts, and walk in that way.
The penitent melts in sorrow for
Sin: even the patient
Spirit
may melt in the sense of affliction, it is then its interest to
pour out its soul before
God. The way of lying means all false
ways
By which men deceive themselves and others, or are deceived
By Satan and his instruments. Those who know and
Love the
Law of
the
Lord, desire to know it more, and
Love it better. The way of
serious
Godliness is the way of
Truth; the only true way to
happiness: we must always have actual regard to it. Those who
stick to the
Word of God, may in
Faith expect and pray for
acceptance with
God.
Lord, never leave me to do that
By which I
shall shame myself, and do not thou reject my services. Those
that are going to
Heaven, should still press forward.
God,
By
his
Spirit, enlarges the hearts of his people when he gives them
Wisdom. The believer prays to be set free from
Sin.
33-40 Teach me thy statutes, not the mere words, but the way of
applying them to myself.
God,
By his
Spirit, gives a right
understanding. But the
Spirit of
Revelation in the
Word will not
suffice, unless we have the
Spirit of
Wisdom in the
Heart.
God
puts his
Spirit within us, causing us to walk in his statutes.
The
Sin here prayed against is
Covetousness. Those that would
have the
Love of
God rooted in them, must get the
Love of the
world rooted out; for the friendship of the world is
Enmity with
God. Quicken me in thy way; to redeem time, and to do every duty
with liveliness of
Spirit. Beholding vanity deadens us, and
slackens our pace; a traveller must not stand gazing upon every
object that presents itself to his view. The promises of
God's
Word greatly relate to the preservation of the true believer.
When
Satan has drawn a
Child of
God into worldly compliances, he
will reproach him with the falls into which he led him. Victory
must come from the
Cross of
Christ. When we enjoy the sweetness
of
God's precepts, it will make us long for more acquaintance
with them. And where
God has wrought to will, he will work to
do.
41-48 Lord, I have
By Faith thy mercies in view; let me
By
Prayer prevail to obtain them. And when the
Salvation of the
saints is completed, it will plainly appear that it was not in
vain to trust in
God's
Word. We need to pray that we may never
be afraid or ashamed to own
God's truths and ways before men.
And the psalmist resolves to keep
God's
Law, in a constant
course of obedience, without backsliding. The service of
Sin is
slavery; the service of
God is liberty. There is
No full
happiness, or perfect liberty, but in keeping
God's
Law. We must
never be ashamed or afraid to own our religion. The more delight
we take in the service of
God, the nearer we come to
Perfection.
Not only consent to his
Law as good, but take pleasure in it as
good for us. Let me
Put forth all the strength I have, to do it.
Something of this mind of
Christ is in every true
Disciple.
49-56 Those that make
God's promises their portion, may with
humble boldness make them their plea. He that
By his
Spirit
Works Faith in us, will work for us. The
Word of God speaks
comfort in affliction. If, through
Grace, it makes us holy,
there is enough in it to make us easy, in all conditions. Let us
be certain we have the Divine
Law for what we believe, and then
let not scoffers prevail upon us to decline from it.
God's
judgments of old comfort and encourage us, for he is still the
same.
Sin is horrible in the eyes of all that are sanctified.
Ere long the believer will be absent from the body, and present
with the
Lord. In the mean time, the statutes of the
Lord supply
subjects for grateful praise. In the season of affliction, and
in the silent hours of the night, he remembers the name of the
Lord, and is stirred up to keep the
Law. All who have made
religion the first thing, will own that they have been
unspeakable gainers
By it.
57-64 True believers take the
Lord for the portion of their
inheritance, and nothing less will satisfy them. The psalmist
prayed with his whole
Heart, knowing how to value the blessing
he prayed for: he desired the
Mercy promised, and depended
On
the promise for it. He turned from
By-paths, and returned to
God's testimonies. He delayed not. It behooves sinners to hasten
to escape; and the believer will be equally in haste to
Glorify
God.
No care or grief should take away
God's
Word out of our
minds, or hinder the comfort it bestows. There is
No situation
On Earth in which a believer has not cause to be thankful. Let
us feel ashamed that others are more willing to keep from sleep
to spend the time in sinful pleasures, than we are to praise
God. And we should be more
Earnest in
Prayer, that our hearts
may be filled with his
Mercy,
Grace, and peace.
65-72 However
God has dealt with us, he has dealt with us
better than we deserve; and all in
Love, and for our good. Many
have knowledge, but little
Judgment; those who have both, are
fortified against the snares of
Satan, and furnished for the
service of
God. We are most apt to wander from
God, when we are
easy in the world. We should leave our concerns to the disposal
of
God, seeing we know not what is good for us.
Lord, thou art
our bountiful Benefactor; incline our hearts to
Faith and
obedience. The psalmist will go
On in his duty with constancy
and resolution. The proud are full of the world, and its wealth
and pleasures; these make them senseless, secure, and stupid.
God visits his people with affliction, that they may learn his
statutes. Not only
God's promises, but even his
Law, his
percepts, though hard to ungodly men, are desirable, and
profitable, because they lead us with safety and delight unto
eternal
Life.
73-80 God made us to serve him, and enjoy him; but
By Sin we
have made ourselves unfit to serve him, and to enjoy him. We
ought, therefore, continually to beseech him,
By his Holy
Spirit, to give us understanding. The comforts some have in
God,
should be matter of joy to others. But it is easy to own, that
God's judgments are right, until it comes to be our own case.
All supports under affliction must come from
Mercy and
compassion. The mercies of
God are tender mercies; the mercies
of a
Father, the compassion of a mother to her son. They come to
us when we are not able to go to them. Causeless reproach does
not hurt, and should not move us. The psalmist could go
On in
the way of his duty, and find comfort in it. He valued the good
will of saints, and was desirous to keep up his
Communion with
them. Soundness of
Heart signifies sincerity in dependence
On
God, and devotedness to him.
81-88 The psalmist sought deliverance from his sins, his foes,
and his fears.
Hope deferred made him faint; his eyes failed
By
looking out for this expected
Salvation. But when the eyes fail,
yet
Faith must not. His affliction was great. He was become like
a leathern
Bottle, which, if hung up in the smoke, is dried and
shrivelled up. We must ever be mindful of
God's statutes. The
days of the believer's mourning shall be ended; they are but for
a moment, compared with eternal happiness. His enemies used
craft as
Well as power for his ruin, in contempt of the
Law of
God. The
Commandments of
God are true and
Faithful guides in the
path of peace and safety. We may best expect help from
God when,
like our Master, we do
Well and suffer for it. Wicked men may
almost consume the believer upon
Earth, but he would sooner
forsake all than forsake the
Word of the
Lord. We should depend
upon the
Grace of
God for strength to do every good work. The
surest token of
God's good-will toward us, is his good work in
us.
89-96 The settling of
God's
Word in
Heaven, is opposed to the
changes and revolutions of the
Earth. And the engagements of
God's
Covenant are established more firmly than the
Earth
itself. All the creatures answer the ends of their
Creation:
shall
Man, who alone is endued with reason, be the only
unprofitable
Burden of the
Earth? We may make the
Bible a
pleasant companion at any time. But the
Word, without the
Grace
of
God, would not quicken us. See the best help for bad
memories, namely, good affections; and though the exact words be
lost, if the meaning remain, that is
Well. I am thine, not my
own, not the world's; save me from
Sin, save me from ruin. The
Lord will keep the
Man in peace, whose mind is stayed
On him. It
is
Poor Perfection which one sees an
End of. Such are all
things in this world, which pass for perfections. The
Glory of
Man is but as the flower of the
Grass. The psalmist had seen the
Fulness of the
Word of God, and its sufficiency. The
Word of the
Lord reaches to all cases, to all times. It will take us from
all confidence in
Man, or in our own
Wisdom, strength, and
Righteousness. Thus shall we seek comfort and happiness from
Christ alone.
97-104 What we
Love, we
Love to think of. All true
Wisdom is
from
God. A good
Man carries his
Bible with him, if not in his
hands, yet in his head and in his
Heart.
By meditation
On God's
testimonies we understand more than our teachers, when we
understand our own hearts. The written
Word is a more sure guide
to
Heaven, than all the fathers, the teachers, and ancients of
the
Church. We cannot, with any comfort or boldness, attend
God
in holy duties, while under guilt, or in any
By-way. It was
Divine
Grace in his
Heart, that enabled the psalmist to receive
these instructions. The soul has its tastes as
Well as the body.
Our relish for the
Word of God will be greatest, when that for
the world and the
Flesh is least. The way of
Sin is a wrong way;
and the more understanding we get
By the precepts of
God, the
more rooted will be our
Hatred of
Sin; and the more ready we are
in the Scriptures, the better furnished we are with answers to
Temptation.
105-112 The
Word of God directs us in our work and way, and a
dark place indeed the world would be without it. The commandment
is a
Lamp kept burning with the
Oil of the
Spirit, as a
Light to
direct us in the choice of our way, and the steps we take in
that way. The keeping of
God's commands here meant, was that of
a sinner under a
Dispensation of
Mercy, of a believer having
part in the
Covenant of
Grace. The psalmist is often afflicted;
but with longing desires to become more holy, offers up daily
prayers for quickening
Grace. We cannot offer any thing to
God,
that he will accept but what he is pleased to teach us to do. To
have our soul or
Life continually in our hands, implies constant
danger of
Life; yet he did not forget
God's promises nor his
precepts. Numberless are the snares laid
By the wicked; and
happy is that servant of
God, whom they have not caused to err
from his Master's precepts. Heavenly treasures are a heritage
for ever; all the saints accept them as such, therefore they can
be content with little of this world. We must look for comfort
only in the way of duty, and that duty must be done. A good
Man,
By the
Grace of
God, brings his
Heart to his work, then it is
done
Well.
113-120 Here is a dread of the risings of
Sin, and the first
beginnings of it. The more we
Love the
Law of
God, the more
watchful we shall be, lest vain thoughts draw us from what we
Love. Would we make progress in keeping
God's commands, we must
be separate from evil-doers. The believer could not live without
the
Grace of
God; but, supported
By his
Hand, his spiritual
Life
shall be maintained. Our holy security is grounded
On Divine
supports. All departure from
God's statutes is error, and will
prove fatal. Their cunning is falsehood. There is a
Day coming
which will
Put the wicked into
Everlasting Fire, the fit place
for the
Dross. See what comes of
Sin. Surely we who fall
So low
in devout affections, should fear, lest a promise being left us
of entering into heavenly
Rest, any of us should be found to
come short of it, Heb 4:1.
121-128 Happy is the
Man, who, acting upon
Gospel principles,
does
Justice to all around.
Christ our
Surety, having paid our
Debt and
Ransom, secures all the blessings of
Salvation to every
true believer. The psalmist expects the
Word of God's
Righteousness, and
No other
Salvation than what is secured
By
that
Word, which cannot fall to the ground. We deserve
No favour
form
God; we are most easy when we cast ourselves upon
God's
Mercy, and refer ourselves to it. If any
Man resolve to do
God's
will as his servant, he shall be made to know his testimonies.
We must do what we can for the support of religion, and, after
all, must
Beg of
God to take the work into his own hands. It is
hypocrisy to say we
Love God's
Commandments more than our
worldly interests. The way of
Sin is a false way, being directly
contrary to
God's precepts, which are right: those that
Love and
esteem
God's
Law, hate
Sin, and will not be reconciled to it.
129-136 The wonders of redeeming
Love will fix the
Heart in
adoration of them. The Scriptures show us what we were, what we
are, and what we shall be. They show us the
Mercy and the
Justice of the
Lord, the joys of
Heaven, and the pains of
Hell.
Thus they give to the simple, in a few days, understanding of
those matters, which philosophers for ages sought in vain. The
believer, wearied with the cares of
Life and his conflicts with
Sin, pants for the consolations conveyed to him
By means of the
sacred
Word. And every one may pray, Look thou upon me, and be
merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that
Love thy
name. We must
Beg that the Holy
Spirit would order our steps.
The dominion of
Sin is to be dreaded and prayed against
By every
one. The oppression of men is often more than
Flesh and
Blood
can
Bear; and He who knoweth our frame, will not refuse to
remove it in answer to the prayers of his people. Whatever
obscurity may appear as to the
Faith of the Old
Testament
believers, their confidence at the
Throne of
Grace can only be
explained
By their having obtained more distinct views of
Gospel
privileges, through the sacrifices and services of their
Law,
than is generally imagined. Go to the same place, plead the name
and merits of
Jesus, and you will not, you cannot plead in vain.
Commonly, where there is a gracious
Heart, there is a weeping
Eye. Accept, O
Lord, the tears our blessed
Redeemer shed in the
days of his
Flesh, for us who should weep for our brethren or
ourselves.
137-144 God never did, and never can do wrong to any. The
promises are faithfully performed
By Him that made them. Zeal
against
Sin should constrain us to do what we can against it, at
least to do more in religion ourselves. Our
Love to the
Word of
God is evidence of our
Love to
God, because it is designed to
make us partake his
Holiness. Men's real excellency always makes
them low in their own eyes. When we are small and despised, we
have the more need to remember
God's precepts, that we may have
them to support us. The
Law of
God is the
Truth, the standard of
Holiness, the rule of happiness; but the obedience of
Christ
alone justifies the believer. Sorrows are often the
Lot of
saints in this vale of tears; they are in heaviness through
manifold temptations. There are delights in the
Word of God,
which the saints often most sweetly enjoy when in trouble and
anguish. This is
Life eternal, to know
God and
Jesus Christ whom
he has sent, Joh 17:3. May we live the
Life of
Faith and
Grace
here, and be removed to the
Life of
Glory hereafter.
145-152 Supplications with the whole
Heart are presented only
By those who desire
God's
Salvation, and who
Love his
Commandments. Whither should the
Child go but to his
Father?
Save me from my sins, my corruptions, my temptations, all the
hindrances in my way, that I may keep thy testimonies.
Christians who enjoy health, should not suffer the early hours
of the morning to glide away unimproved.
Hope in
God's
Word
encourages us to continue in
Prayer. It is better to take time
from sleep, than not to find time for
Prayer. We have access to
God at all hours; and if our first thoughts in the morning are
of
God, they will help to keep us in his fear all the
Day long.
Make me lively and cheerful.
God knows what we need and what is
good for us, and will quicken us. If we are employed in
God's
service, we need not fear those who try to set themselves as far
as they can out of the reach of the convictions and commands of
his
Law. When trouble is near,
God is near. He is never far to
seek. All his
Commandments are
Truth. And
God's promises will be
performed. All that ever trusted in
God have found him
Faithful.
153-160 The closer we cleave to the
Word of God, both as our
rule and as our stay, the more
Assurance we have of deliverance.
Christ is the
Advocate of his people, their
Redeemer. Those who
were quickened
By his
Spirit and
Grace, when they were dead in
trespasses and sins, often need to have the work of
Grace
revived in them, according to the
Word of promise. The wicked
not only do not
God's statutes, but they do not even seek them.
They flatter themselves that they are going to
Heaven; but the
longer they persist in
Sin, the further it is from them.
God's
mercies are tender; they are a
Fountain that can never be
exhausted. The psalmist begs for
God's reviving, quickening
Grace. A
Man, steady in the way of his duty, though he may have
many enemies, needs to fear none. Those that hate
Sin truly,
hate it as
Sin, as a transgression of the
Law of
God, and a
breaking of his
Word. Our obedience is only pleasing to
God, and
pleasant to ourselves, when it comes from a principle of
Love.
All, in every
Age, who receive
God's
Word in
Faith and
Love,
find every saying in it
Faithful.
161-168 Those whose hearts stand in awe of
God's
Word, will
rather endure the wrath of
Man, than break the
Law of
God.
By
the
Word of God we are unspeakable gainers. Every
Man hates to
have a
Lie told him, but we should more hate telling a
Lie;
By
the latter we give an affront to
God. The more we see the beauty
of
Truth, the more we shall see the hateful deformity of a
Lie.
We are to praise
God even for
Afflictions; through
Grace we get
good from them. Those that
Love the world have great vexation,
for it does not answer what they expect; those that
Love God's
Word have great peace, for it outdoes what they expect. Those in
whom this holy
Love reigns, will not perplex themselves with
needless scruples, or take
Offence at their brethren. A good
Hope of
Salvation will engage the
Heart in doing the
Commandments. And our
Love to the
Word of God must subdue our
lusts, and root out
Carnal affections: we must make
Heart work
of it, or we make nothing of it. We must keep the
Commandments
of
God By obedience to them, and his promises
By reliance
On
them.
God's
Eye is
On us at all times; this should make us very
careful to keep his
Commandments.
169-176 The psalmist desired
Grace and strength to lift up his
prayers, and that the
Lord would receive and notice them. He
desired to know more of
God in
Christ; to know more of the
doctrines of the
Word, and the duties of religion. He had a
Deep
sense of unworthiness, and holy fear that his
Prayer should not
come before
God;
Lord, what I pray for is, what thou hast
promised. We have learned nothing to purpose, if we have not
learned to praise
God. We should always make the
Word of God the
rule of our discourse,
So as never to transgress it
By sinful
speaking, or sinful silence. His own hands are not sufficient,
nor can any
Creature lend him help; therefore he looks up to
God, that the
Hand that had made him may help him. He had made
religion his deliberate choice. There is an eternal
Salvation
all the saints long for, and therefore they pray that
God would
help their way to it. Let thy judgments help me; let all
ordinances and all providences,
(both are God's judgments,)
further me in glorifying
God; let them help me for that work. He
often looks back with shame and gratitude to his lost estate. He
still prays for the tender care of Him who purchased his flock
with his own
Blood, that he may receive from him the
Gift of
eternal
Life. Seek me, that is, Find me; for
God never seeks in
vain. Turn me, and I shall be turned. Let this psalm be a
touchstone
By which to try our hearts, and our lives. Do our
hearts, cleansed in
Christ's
Blood, make these prayers,
resolutions and confessions our own? Is
God's
Word the standard
of our
Faith, and the
Law of our practice? Do we use it as pleas
with
Christ for what we need? Happy those who live in such
delightful exercises.