Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 30
Overview:
Praise to
God for deliverance.
(1-5) Others encouraged
By his
Example.
(6-12)
1-5. The great things the
Lord has done for us, both
By his
Providence and
By his
Grace, bind us in gratitude to do all we
can to advance his kingdom among men, though the most we can do
is but little.
God's saints in
Heaven sing to him; why should
not those
On Earth do the same? Not one of all
God's perfections
carries in it more terror to the wicked, or more comfort to the
godly, than his
Holiness. It is a good sign that we are in some
Measure partakers of his
Holiness, if we can heartily rejoice at
the remembrance of it. Our happiness is bound up in the Divine
favour; if we have that, we have enough, whatever else we want;
but as long as
God's
Anger continues,
So long the saints'
weeping continues.
6-12 When things are
Well with us, we are very apt to think
that they will always be
So. When we see our mistake, it becomes
us to think with shame upon our
Carnal security as our folly. If
God hide his
Face, a good
Man is troubled, though
No other
calamity befall him. But if
God, in
Wisdom and
Justice, turn from
us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from him.
No; let
us learn to pray in the dark. The sanctified
Spirit, which
returns to
God, shall praise him, shall be still praising him;
but the services of
God's
House cannot be performed
By the
Dust;
it cannot praise him; there is none of that device or working in
the
Grave, for it is the land of silence. We ask aright for
Life, when we do
So that we may live to praise him. In due time
God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is
our
Glory, and never more
So than when employed in praising
God.
He would persevere to the
End in praise, hoping that he should
shortly be where this would be the
Everlasting work. But let all
beware of
Carnal security. Neither outward prosperity, nor
inward peace, here, are sure and lasting. The
Lord, in his
favour, has fixed the believer's safety firm as the
Deep-rooted
mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and
Afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into
Sin, the
Lord
hides his
Face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us.