pray, and are heard. And it is sayd, He hath inclined his eares unto me, or bowed them down, because we are low, he the most high, so that he must graciously stoop to our lowness to hear us; and therefore he is said to hum∣ble himself to behold things here below▪ and this was in his Son, humbled to take upon him our Nature, that he might be our Mediatour, and through him our prayers might come up acceptably before him.
Then taking this to be the prayer of a Soule in trouble, he proceedeth up∣on these words, The sorrowes of death compassed me, the dangers of Hell found me: He saith, These sorrowes, are evill cogitations, and the dangers of Hell these evill thoughts, breaking out into act; Lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin perfecteth death: And I found trouble and sorrow: Here he altereth his speech, not saying touble and sorrow found me, or laid hold upon me, as before, but I found, that is, besides spirituall Evills before spoken of, indangering me, I willingly suffered Tribulation and affliction here, that I might rest hereafter: for he that will follow Christ, must take up his Cross, and follow him. Afflictions here are for our sins; we are judged, that we may not be condemned, and therefore joyfully to be born.
Gracious is the Lord and just, our God is mercifull. Gracious and mercifull he is said to be, that we might not despaire by reason of our sins, and just, that we may not dare to go on in sin.
I was brought low, and he saved me: That is, Either I was brought low by sin, and obtained mercy to be pardoned; or I was high minded, and hum∣bled by his Grace, and so saved. Calvin, and others that follow the litterall sence, apply all things here spoken, to David. that he was brought low, and lay long in great danger, but was again saved.
Return unto thy rest O my Soule. As if he had sayd, thou wert well and at rest, till sin entred into the World, return now therefore to Christ, who is thy rest, by Faith and Repentance.
For thou hast delivered my Soule from death: By suffering death for me, and so from the place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth; for which it is added, Mine eyes from tears: and of them that are blessed with everlasting life, it is said Revel. 7. He shall wipe all tears from their eyes. A forcible motive to turn to Christ, and not to live in sin any longer, because [Note.] this is to turn to rest; whereas to go on still impenitently in sin is to be in a restlest condition, and the way to weeping and wailing for ever.
I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living, Hebr. in the Lands: Vulg. Lat. Placebo coram domino, I will please before the Lord: Where upon Jerom inferreth, that no man can perfectly please God living upon Earth here, for all men, the best have their imperfections; but the time shall come when they shall in all their doings be pleasing before him, that is, In the land of the living: and what is that land, but that where Abraham, Isa∣ack, and Iacob live; of whom when our Lord had said, God is the God of A∣braham, Isaack, and Jacob for ever, he added, he is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
And the same inference may be made upon our reading, I cannot walk before him altogether, as I thould here; but in the life to come I shall. From hence forth to the End of Psalme 117. the Vulgar Latine makes ano∣ther Psalm in number there 115. and so, saith Jerom, doth Symachus; but Heb. Verse 10. 11. &c. to the end, hang together with the Vetses before going, as one and the same Psalme.
I did beleeve, therefore I spake, I was greatly afflicted, vulg. I was very much humbled; whereupon Jerom, I beleived, as I said before Verse 9. that I shall live in heaven in angelicall perfection, and therefore I spake so; but I consider withall, that I am dust and ashes, and this humbleth me very low, even when my Faith lifteth me up so high as hath been sayd: see this allead∣ged, 2 Cor 4. 23. to the same purpose.