This is a prayer full of the sighings and groanings of an afflicted
heart in the hour of darkness, and almost overwhelmed, under that
darkness, with the extreme of grief and sorrow, and driven to the
greatest strait of mind. Of which sorrow the spirit of sadness
himself, the devil, is the author, who casts the unwary into these
temptations and perturbations in a moment, when he finds them unarmed
with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God; which unarmed state he
himself causes by turning away our eyes from the promises and the word
of God, to look at the incredible ingratitude and iniquity of the
world, at the perplexed variety of offences, and at the greatness of
the perils which must be undergone for the sake of God’s word and of
his holy name. For it cannot be but that even a man of a sound mind
must be thrown into tribulation when he considers with what infernal
arts, with what stratagems of deceit, and with what bitter and Cainish
hatred, Satan and wicked men oppose themselves to the word of God; and
then, what fallings away and what monstrous instances of ingratitude
there are among those who pretend to be with us; all which offences
Satan raises up through the instrumentality of those who are unwilling
to appear not to be followers of godliness.
But the prayer of the church has great power; it breaks through and
victoriously overcomes all hatred, all perils, and all snares, how
craftily soever they may be laid; and faith is more powerful than any
violence or storm of temptation. “This (saith John) is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith.” And this Psalm gives us an
example of that faith which enables us to stand fast in the midst of
death, and not to doubt that God is able, and will deliver us from our
terrible straits, and comfort us after all our fears; and which
teaches to believe that we shall struggle through all our distress
victoriously, though it may appear to be endless, if we do but turn
ourselves away from all dark and dismal appearances of things, lay
hold of that which is true and real, and lift ourselves up against the
weight that lays upon us, by resting in the consolation of the word of
the Lord: as James saith, “Is any afflicted, let him pray.”
This Psalm also refers to the second precept, and to the first and
last petition of the Lord’s Prayer; where we pray “Hallowed be thy
name,” and “Deliver us from evil.”