Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 80
Overview:
The psalmist complains of the miseries of the
Church.
(1-7)
Its former prosperity and present
Desolation.
(8-16) A
Prayer
for
Mercy.
(17-19)
1-7 He that dwelleth upon the
Mercy-seat, is the good
Shepherd
of his people. But we can neither expect the comfort of his
Love, nor the protection of his
Arm, unless we partake of his
converting
Grace. If he is really angry at the prayers of his
people, it is because, although they pray, their ends are not
right, or there is some secret
Sin indulged in them, or he will
try their patience and perseverance in
Prayer. When
God is
displeased with his people, we must expect to see them in tears,
and their enemies in triumph. There is
No Salvation but from
God's favour; there is
No Conversion to
God but
By his own
Grace.
8-16 The
Church is represented as a
Vine and a vineyard. The
root of this
Vine is
Christ, the branches are believers. The
Church is like a
Vine, needing support, but spreading and
fruitful. If a
Vine do not bring forth
Fruit,
No tree is
So
worthless. And are not we planted as in a
Well-cultivated
garden, with every means of being fruitful in
Works of
Righteousness? But the useless leaves of profession, and the
empty boughs of notions and forms, abound far more than real
Piety. It was wasted and ruined. There was a good reason for
this change in
God's way toward them. And it is
Well or ill with
us, according as we are under
God's smiles or frowns. When we
consider the state of the purest part of the visible
Church, we
cannot wonder that it is visited with sharp corrections. They
request that
God would help the
Vine.
Lord, it is formed
By
thyself, and for thyself, therefore it may, with humble
confidence, be committed to thyself.
17-19 The
Messiah, the Protector and
Saviour of the
Church, is
the
Man of
God's right
Hand; he is the
Arm of the
Lord, for all
power is given to him. In him is our strength,
By which we are
enabled to persevere to the
End. The
Vine, therefore, cannot be
ruined, nor can any fruitful
Branch perish; but the unfruitful
will be cut off and cast into the
Fire. The
End of our
Redemption is, that we should serve Him who hath redeemed us,
and not go back to our old sins.