Ver. 1. Preserve me, O God] Keep me safe unto the kingdom, both temporal and eternal, which thou hast promised me; and now that I am fleeing to the Philistines for shelter, 1 Samuel 27:1 (for that is held to be the time when he composed this golden psalm), guard me, guide me, keep me by thy power through faith unto salvation. This prayer of his David was well assured should be granted; and, therefore, he giveth thanks, Psalms 16:7. For in thee do I put my trust] This was a most powerful plea, for to trust God is the highest honour we can do him, it is to set the crown upon his head. See Judges 9:15. And if such shall be forsaken God will be a great loser in his glory, whereof he is very tender.
Ver. 2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord] Or, I have said unto the Lord; and so I had rather read it, with Jerome and the Septuagint; because the letter Jod may be wanting in Amarti. See the like, Job 42:2 Eze 16:59. David was here extra se abreptus, carried beyond himself, and so might easily speak short, and say Amart for Amarti; like as Moses, in a passion, said to God, At for Atta, Numbers 11:15, as not able to speak out. Amor Dei est ecstaticus, &c. Thou art my Lord] Heb. Thou my Lord, so the next words, My good not unto thee; all concise and abrupt, out of deepest affection; broken language from a broken spirit, spending and exhaling itself into God’s blessed bosom. My goodness extendeth not to thee] But if it did I could with all my heart beteem it thee; even the very best of my best; but what can I give thee save only τα σο εκ των σων, since all is thine own? 1 Chronicles 29:14,16 Ps 24:1; thou needest no sacrifices, Psalms 50:8, neither art thou delighted therein, Psalms 51:18 Isa 1:11. All that thou requirest is mercy, Hosea 6:5 Mic 6:8 Mt 12:7. Therefore I will seek out those thy receivers, the saints, that are in the earth, &c. [See Trapp on “Job 35:6”] [See Trapp on “Job 35:7”] [See Trapp on “Job 35:8”]
Ver. 3. But to the saints] The family of faith were, by a specialty, the object of David’s bounty. Socrates, seeing a certain man giving alms to all he met, whether they were good or bad, said, male pereas qui ex gratiis cure sint virgines, facias scorta. David, the better to persuade with God to preserve him safe to the kingdom, promiseth two things: first, that he will cherish and countenance the godly party; secondly, that he will cashier and cast out all kinds of idolatry, and maintain to his utmost the sincere service of God, Psalms 16:4. And to the excellent] Or, noble, glorious, wonderful, magnificent. The saints are princes in all lands, Psalms 45:16; of an excellent spirit, Proverbs 17:27; more excellent than their neighbours, dwell they wheresover, Proverbs 12:26. They are styled the glory, Isaiah 4:5, a crown of glory, Isaiah 62:3, a royal diadem, ibid., a kingdom of priests, Exodus 19:6, higher than the kings of the earth, Psalms 89:27, greater than the four famous monarchies, Daniel 7:18, worthies of whom the world is not worthy, Hebrews 11:38, fitter to be set as stars in heaven. And surely as stars, though seen sometimes in a puddle or stinking ditch, though they reflect there, yet have they their situation in heaven; so the saints, though here in a low condition, yet are they fixed in the region of happiness. In whom is all my delight] Heb. Cheptsibam. So the Church is called God’s Hephzibah, Isaiah 62:4. Next to communion with God the communion of saints is most delectable. It is the very being bound up in the bundle of life, which was the blessing of Abigail upon David. Ipse aspectus viri boni delectat, saith Seneca, the very sight of a good man (morally good) delighted; what, then, of a saint? Ezra 10:3. This the heathen persecutors knew, and, therefore, banished and confined the Christians to isles and mines, where they could not one come at another, as Cyprian observeth.
Ver. 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied] Many sorrows shall be to those wicked idolaters, Psalms 32:10, some of their own creating by their superstition s and will worships (vide Plutarch, περι δεισιδαιμονιας); others from a jealous and just God; others from the devil, who acteth and agitateth them, beateth and whippeth them (as at this day he doth the poor Indians, who worship devils in most terrible figure; believing that they are permitted of God to punish or spare them at their pleasure); and some they shall be sure of from me whenever I come to the kingdom. Some, after the Chaldee, read it, their idols are multiplied. The old heathens had thirty thousand in Hesiod’s days. In China there are said to be at this day no fewer than a hundred thousand idols, which they use to whip if they come not at a call to help them. Before a sick man they put the devil’s picture, that he may learn to know him in another world, and take him for his friend. That hasten after another god] Or, that endow another god. Superstition is not only painful but chargeable. The story is told of one king of England, that he bestowed as much upon a cross as the revenues of his kingdom came to in a year. Idolaters lavish out of the bag, and spare for no cost; witness the Papists’ vowed presents and memories, as they call them, hung up in honour to their male and female saints, the Lady of Loretto especially. But it was the serpent’s grammar that first taught men to decline God in the plural number, Eritis sicut Dii, you will be as gods, as Damianus observeth from Genesis 3:5, and hence that innumerable rabble. The Jesuits boast of their Ignatii Apotheosis; and Cardinal Bembus is not ashamed to say of his St Francis, quod in deorum numerum ab Ecclesia Romana sit relatus (Hist. Venet.). Is not this abominable idolatry? 1 Peter 4:3. Their drink offerings of blood] Many heathens sacrificed to their idols (that is, to devils) with man’s blood, against all laws of humanity and piety. Thus they sacrificed to Bellona, the sister of Mars; as also with blood let out of their own arms (Euseb. de Praep. Evangel.). The priests of Baal (who perhaps was Mars) cut and lanced themselves, 1 Kings 18:28 So do the Mahometan priests of today; as the Papists whip themselves, &c. The old idolaters offered their children in sacrifice to Moloch, or Saturn. David abhorreth the thought of such inhumanities, Neque deos illegitimos, nec illegitime colam, saith he, I will have no such doings. Nor take up their names into my lips] But spit them out of my mouth with utmost detestation, according to the law, Exodus 23:13. It repented Austin that ever he had used the word Fortune, that heathen goddess (Epist. ad Damas.). And Absit ut de ore Christiano sonet Iupiter omnipotens, &c., saith Jerome, Let no Christian mouth say, Jupiter omnipotent, or swear Mehercule, Mecastor. The primitive Christians would not call their days of the week dies Martis, Mercurii, &c., as Trismegist had named them; but the first, second, third, &c., day of the week. All occasions or semblances of idolatry should be shunned; it is not safe being at Satan’s mess though our spoon be never so long, saith one. See Hosea 2:16,17 Zec 13:2 De 12:2.