--- title: "John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible" author: "John Wesley" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 139 of 398 url: https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/139/ cite: "John Wesley, John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible, section 139. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/139/" --- # John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible *John Wesley* Wesley's short, plain notes on the Old and New Testaments, verse by verse. ## 139. Psalms · 6 of 29 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/139/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/139/#p-N [¶0] Soul - My life. [¶1] Israel - If thou wilt not help me, yet spare thy people who suffer for my sake, and in my sufferings. [¶2] Trusted - I have committed my cause and affairs to thee. [¶3] For - I dare appeal to thee, because thou knowest I have a deep sense of thy loving - kindness, by which I have been led to love and obey thee. [¶4] Sat - Continued with them. I have been so far from an imitation of their wicked courses, that I have avoided their company. Vain - With false and deceitful persons. Go in - Into their company. [¶5] Compass - Approach to thine altar with my sacrifices: which I could not do with any comfort, if I were conscious of those crimes, whereof mine enemies accuse me. [¶6] House - Thy sanctuary and worship. Honour - Thy glorious and gracious presence. [¶7] Gather not - Do not bind me up in the same bundle, or put me into the same accursed condition with them. [¶8] Standeth - I stand upon a sure and solid foundation, being under the protection of God's promise, and his almighty and watchful providence. Congregations - I will not only privately, but in the assemblies of thy people celebrate thy praise. [¶9] Light - My counsellor in all my difficulties, and my comforter and deliverer in all my distresses. Strength - The supporter and preserver of my life. [¶10] In this - That God is my light. [¶11] Dwell. &c. - Have opportunity of constant attendance upon God. To behold - That there I may delight myself, in the contemplation of thy amiable and glorious majesty, and of thy infinite wisdom, holiness, justice, truth, and mercy. [¶12] The secret - In his tabernacle, into which mine enemies cannot come. He alludes to the ancient custom of offenders, who used to flee to the tabernacle or altar. Rock - A place high and inaccessible. [¶13] Away - From thy face or presence, or from the place of thy worship. [¶14] Because of - That I may neither fall into their hands by my folly, nor give them any occasion of triumphing over me. [¶15] The living - David was thus earnestly desirous of this mercy in this life, not because he placed his portion in these things; but because the truth and glory of God, were highly concerned in making good the promise of the kingdom to him. [¶16] Towards - Towards the holy of holies, because there the ark was; from whence God gave oracular answers to his people. [¶17] Draw not - Do not drag me; as thou dost these, to execution and destruction. [¶18] Regard not - The providential works of God towards his people. [¶19] I am helped - He speaks of it as past, because God assured him by his spirit, that he had heard and accepted his prayers. [¶20] Ye - Ye potentates and rulers of the earth. Glory - By an humble and thankful acknowledgment of it. [¶21] Give, &c. - The honour which he deserves: own him as the Almighty, and the only true God. Holiness - Or, in his holy and beautiful house. [¶22] The waters - Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen 1:7 Psal 18:11. The Divine power displays itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates. Many - Upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, Psal 18:10,11 104:3. [¶23] Lebanon - A place famous for strong and lofty cedars. [¶24] Them - The cedars; which being broken by the thunder, the parts of them are suddenly and violently hurled hither and thither. Sirion - An high mountain beyond Jordan joining to Lebanon. Lebanon and Sirion are said to skip or leap, both here, and Psal 114:4, by a poetical hyperbole. [¶25] The flames - The lightnings. [¶26] Kadesh - An eminent wilderness, vast and terrible, and well known to the Israelites, and wherein possibly they had seen, and observed some such effects of thunder. [¶27] To calve - Through the terror it causes, which hastens the birth. He names the hinds, because they bring forth their young with difficulty, Job 39:1,2. Discovereth - Heb. maketh bare, of its trees, which it breaks or strips of their leaves. Glory - Having shewed the terrible effects of God's power in other places, he now shews the blessed privilege of God's people, that are praising God in his temple, when the rest of the world are trembling under the tokens of his displeasure. [¶28] The flood - The most violent waters, which sometimes fall from the clouds upon the earth. These are fitly mentioned, as being many times the companions of great thunders. And this may be alleged as another reason, why God's people praised him in his temple, because as he sends terrible tempests and thunders, so he also restrains and over - rules them. Sitteth - He doth sit, and will sit as king for ever, sending such tempests when it pleaseth him. [¶29] Cometh - Speedily and in due season. [¶30] Mountain - My kingdom: kingdoms are usually called mountains in prophetical writings. [¶31] Profit - What wilt thou gain by it? The dust - Shall they that are dead celebrate thy goodness in the land of the living? Or, shall my dust praise thee? [¶32] Sackcloth - Given me occasion to put off that sackcloth, which they used to wear in times of mourning, Esth 4:1 Psal 35:13 Isa 32:11 Joel 1:13. Girded - With joy, as with a garment, surrounding me on every side. [¶33] My glory - My tongue. [¶34] Ashamed - Of my confidence in thy promise. Deliver me - According to thy faithfulness and goodness. [¶35] My spirit - My soul or life; to preserve it from the malice of mine enemies. For - Thou hast delivered me formerly, and therefore I commit myself to thee for the future. O Lord, &c. - Who hast shewed thyself so, in making good thy promise. [¶36] Vanities - Idols, which are often called Vanities, as Deut 32:21. Or, curious arts, and all sorts of divinations. [¶37] Known - Loved me, and cared for me. [¶38] Room - Made way for me to escape, when I was encompassed by them. [¶39] Grief - With continual weeping. [¶40] Iniquity - For the punishment of mine iniquity. Consumed - The juice and marrow of them bring almost dried up with grief. [¶41] A fear - They were afraid to give me any countenance or assistance. Fled - To prevent their own danger and ruin. [¶42] A broken vessel - Which is irreparable, and useless, and therefore despised by all. [¶43] Fear - Just cause of fear. [¶44] My times - All the affairs and events of my life, are wholly in thy power.