Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 4:8

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 4:8. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep — Most men lie down, and most sleep, daily, for without rest and sleep life could not be preserved; but alas! how few lie down in peace! peace with their own consciences, and peace with God! David had then two great blessings, rest by sleep, and peace in his soul. He had a happy soul; and when he lay down on his bed, his body soon enjoyed its repose, as the conscience was in peace. And he had a third blessing, a confidence that he should sleep in safety. And it was so. No fearful dreams disturbed his repose, for he had a mind tranquillized by the peace of God. As to his body, that enjoyed its due rest, for he had not overloaded nature either with dainties or superfluities. Reader, are not many of thy sleepless hours to be attributed to thy disordered soul-to a sense of guilt on thy conscience, or to a fear of death and hell?

Pray incessantly till thou get the light of God's countenance, till his Spirit bear witness with thine that thou art a child of God. Then thy repose will do thee good: and even in thy sleep thy happy soul will be getting forward to heaven.

ANALYSIS OF THE FOURTH PSALM

There are THREE parts in this Psalm: -

I. An entrance, or petition for audience, Psalms 4:1.

II. An apostrophe to his enemies, which is, 1. Reprehensive, Psalms 4:2-3. 2. Admonitory, Psalms 4:4-5.

III. A petition for himself and God's people, Psalms 4:6-8.

I. He proposes his request and suit for audience. "Hear me when I call;" and this he founds on four arguments:

1. God has promised to hear me when I call: "Call upon me in trouble, and I will hear thee." I call; hear me, therefore, when I call.

2. His own innocence: "Hear me, O God of my righteousness."

3. He requests no more than what God had done for him at other times: Thou hast enlarged me in trouble, and why not now?

4. It was mercy and favour to answer him then; it will be the same to do it again: "Have mercy on me, and hear."

II. His petition being thus proposed and ended, he proceeds to the doctrinal part; and, turning himself to his enemies, 1. He sharply reproves them; 2. Then warns them, and gives them good counsel.

1. He turns his speech from God to men; the chief but the worst of men. beney ish, "ye eminent men." Not plebeians, but nobles. The charge he lays to them, 1. They "turned his glory into shame." They endeavoured to dishonour him whom God had called and anointed to the kingdom. 2. "They loved vanity." A vain attempt they were in love with. 3. "They sought after falsity." They pursued that which would deceive them; they would find at last that treachery and iniquity lied to itself. 4. That this charge might have the more weight, he figures it with a stinging interrogation, How long? Their sin had malice and pertinacity in it; and he asks them how long they intended to act thus.

And that they might, if possible, be drawn from their attempts, he sends them a noverint, know ye, which has two clauses: 1. Let them know that God hath set apart him that is godly for himself. 2. That God will hear, when either he or any good man calls upon him.

2. The reproof being ended, he gives them good counsel: -

1. That though they be angry, they ought not to let the sun go down upon their wrath.

2. That they commune with their own hearts - their conscience. That they do this on their beds, when secluded from all company, when passion and self-interest did not rule; and then they would be the better able to judge whether they were not in an error, whether their anger were not causeless, and their persecution unjust?

3. That they offer the sacrifice of righteousness-that they serve and worship God with an honest, sincere, and contrite heart.

4. That they put their trust in the Lord; trusting no more to their lies, nor loving their vanities, but relying on God's promises.

III. The third part begins with this question, Who will show us any good? 1. Who will show us that good which will make us happy? To which David, in effect, returns this answer, that it is not bona animi, intellectual gifts; nor bona fortunae, earthly blessings; nor bona corporis, corporeal endowments: but the light of God's countenance. 2. Therefore he prefers his petition: "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us." God's countenance is his grace, his favour, his love, and the light of his countenance, the exhibition and expression of this grace, favour, and love; in which alone lies all the happiness of man. Of this David expresses two effects, gladness and security: -

1. Gladness and joy far beyond that which may be had from any temporal blessings: "Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn, and wine, and oil increased; gladness beyond the joy in harvest; and this joy is from the light of God's countenance. Thou puttest. THOU, by way of eminence.

2. Security, expressed under the metaphor of sleep: "I will lay me down in peace, and sleep;" just as in a time of peace, as if there were no war nor preparation for battle.

3. To which he adds the reason: "For thou Lord, alone makest me to dwell in safety." I am safe, because I enjoy the light of thy countenance.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 3 -4 Morning and evening psalms

The title that introduces Psalms 3:0 indicates that David wrote the psalm after his son Absalom rose up in rebellion against him and seized the throne of Israel (2 Samuel 15:1-29). In much distress David fled Jerusalem, but he still trusted in God.

Absalom’s rebellion appears to be so successful that many people think David has no chance of escape. He seems to have little hope of saving his life (3:1-2). But David’s faith in God is unshakable. He lies down at night knowing that God hears his prayers and protects him; he wakes in the morning with renewed confidence (3-6). The dangers that face him only increase his trust in God; he expects nothing less than total victory (7-8).

Psalms 4:0 also possibly belongs to the time of David’s flight from Absalom. In this psalm David begins by praying to God (4:1), and then turns to speak to his enemies and to his supporters. He accuses his enemies of disloyalty, self-seeking and too easily believing Absalom’s lies in joining the rebellion. He assures them they will be defeated, for God is on the side of David (2-3). To his supporters David gives the calm advice that they must not have thoughts of hatred and revenge. Their thoughts must be centred on God and their actions must reflect their devotion to him (4-5).

Many people look to God for prosperity, in the belief that this will bring them contentment; but David, in spite of his distressing circumstances, finds greater contentment simply through trusting in God (6-7). With these thoughts he can lie down to sleep in peace and confidence (8).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than they have when their grain and their new wine are increased. In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; For thou Jehovah, alone makest me dwell in safety."

The dramatic contrast in these verses is between the pessimism, dissatisfaction, and unhappiness of the vast majority of mankind with the joyful gladness and satisfaction of the soul truly in harmony with God's will.

It is truly pitiful how little there is to cheer the human heart other than what is promised for those who seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

What can the unbeliever expect? At best, his life cannot extend very far into the future; the world's riches shall never be received except by a tragically small fraction of mankind; and those who do receive earthly affluence can never maintain their status except for a few fleeting tragic years. For every mortal life promises only a few days and much trouble. Sickness, disease, incompetence and death itself await every man.

But how wonderful are the precious promises to the children of God! The abundant life, the joyful heart, the happy souls are limited absolutely to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the pure in heart, the meek and lowly. Jesus came and suffered and died for the benefit of all men that indeed they might have "life and have it more abundantly"! How amazing it is that so few are willing to accept upon the terms under which God has made it available!

We like the concise way that Kyle M. Yates described the joyful gladness of Christian service, "God's help in time of need causes more gladness than bumper crops."Kyle M. Yates, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 497.

"In peace… I will lay me down and sleep." As Spurgeon said, "They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to sleep."Charles H. Spurgeon, Ibid., p. 24.

These are days when environmentalists are very loud and demanding in their postulations about how to save our earth; but they are totally wrong. Our earth is unequivocally doomed to destruction. God's Word has definitely projected "the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20); and we can be very certain of its ultimate termination; and those who have anchored their hopes in this world alone will also be terminated with it.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep - The word “both” here means “at the same time;” that is, I will alike be in peace, and I will lie down and will sleep; I will have a mind at peace (or, in tranquility) when I lie down, and will sleep calmly. This is said in view of his confidence in God, and of his belief that God would preserve him. He had put his trust in him; he had sought his happiness in him, and now he felt assured that he had nothing to fear, and, at peace with God, he would lie down and compose himself to rest. This is the counterpart of what is said in Psalms 3:5. There he says in the morning, that, though surrounded by fear, he “had” been permitted to lie calmly down and sleep; here he says, that, though he is surrounded by fear, he has such confidence in God, that he “will” give himself to quiet slumber. His mind was free from anxiety as to the result of the present troubles; he had calm confidence in God; he committed all to him; and thus gave himself to rest. No one can fail to admire the beauty of this; and no one can fail to perceive that entire confidence in God, and an assurance that all things are under his control, are best adapted of all things to give peaceful days and nights.

For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety - There are two ideas here:

(a) One a confidence that he would abide in safety;

(b) the other, that he owed this entirely to the Lord.

He had no power to defend himself, and yet he felt assured that he would be safe - for he put his trust entirely in the Lord. The whole language implies unwavering trust or confidence in God, and is thus instructive and useful for all. It teaches us:

(1) that in the midst of troubles we may put our trust in God; and

(2) that religion is adapted to make the mind calm in such circumstances, and to enable its possessor to lie down without anxiety in the slumbers of the night, and to pursue without anxiety the duties of the day.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

He concludes, by stating, that as he is protected by the power of God, he enjoys as much security and quiet as if he had been defended by all the garrisons on earth. Now, we know, that to be free from all fear, and from the torment and vexation of care, is a blessing to be desired above all other things. This verse, therefore, is a confirmation of the former sentence, intimating that David justly prefers the joy produced by the light of God’s fatherly love before all other objects for inward peace of mind certainly surpasses all the blessings of which we can form any conception. Many commentators explain this place as expressing David’s hope, that his enemies will be reconciled to him, so that he may sleep with them in peace, God having granted him the peculiar privilege of being able to rest without being disturbed or disquieted by any man. But in my judgment the proper meaning is this, that he will live as quietly and securely alone, as in the midst of a great host of men, because God defends him for in the words, I will sleep together, I consider the particle as to be understood, as if the reading were as together, that is to say, as with a multitude. Some refer לבדד, lebadad, alone, to God, translating the words thus, Thou alone, O Lord, hast set me in safety; but this I do not at all approve, because, by taking away the contrast between these two words, together and alone, much of the beauty of the sentence islost. In short, David boasts that the protection of God alone was sufficient, and that under it he sleeps as securely, although destitute of all human guardianship, as if he had had many to keep watch and ward continually over him, or as if he had been defended on all sides by a great company. Let us therefore, learn from his example, to yield this honor to God — to believe, that although there may appear no help for us from men, yet under his hand alone we are kept in peace and safety, as if we were surrounded by a great host.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 4:1-8

The fourth psalm is to the chief musician on Neginoth. Now Neginoth is a stringed instrument, and it is mentioned in connection with several of the Psalms--3, 5, 53, 54, 60, 66, and 75. So it is some kind of a stringed instrument that they had in those days. And so this psalm was to be accompanied as they sang it with this particular stringed instrument. David probably wrote not just the psalm, but the music, and also scored for the Neginoth so that the Neginoth player could play along the chords with them as they were singing.

Here me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer ( Psalms 4:1 ).

This is really a prayer of the evening. As David is calling unto God.

O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after deceitfulness [or deception]? But know the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still ( Psalms 4:2-4 ).

In the evening, just lying there, commune with your own heart, just be still before the Lord. Just let your heart be in communion with Him.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that say, Who will show us any good? ( Psalms 4:5-6 )

Now, again, in the last psalm he was talking about those that say there is no help for him in God. There are always those negative people around. And there are always those who are going to say, "Who is going to show us any good?" David's answer,

LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. For thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased ( Psalms 4:6-7 ).

That is, those people who are negative about God. "What good does it do to pray? What good does it do to worship God? Who's gonna show you any good?" David says, "Lord, you have put happiness, gladness in my heart, more than theirs when they are in the midst of their thanksgiving, their harvest, their wine."

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me to dwell in safety ( Psalms 4:8 ).

So the glorious ability of the child of God to sleep even in the midst of problems, because of our trust in the Lord.

Psalms 5:1-12

Psalms 5:1-12 is a prayer of the morning. Psalms 4:1-8 was the prayer of the evening, and now for the morning.

Give ear unto my words, O LORD; consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and look up ( Psalms 5:1-3 ).

This again is upon a Neginoth, the psalm of David. And he said,

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all of the workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak deceitfully: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man ( Psalms 5:4-6 ).

Now the bloody, this is an old English kind of a word. Over in England to say, "You are a bloody bloke," is really a bad thing. Where's Malcolm? He'll tell you that in England the word bloody is really a gutter type of word. You have got to really watch your language when you go really from one culture to the other, because you can be saying things that are sort of weird.

When I was over in England I was speaking to a group of ministers, and I was sharing with them a little bit about the history of Calvary Chapel. And how before we came, the group of people that were praying whether or not to try to keep going or just to quit. And they were discouraged; there were only about twenty-five people here. They had a little church down here on Church Street here in Costa Mesa, and they had gone for a couple of years and were actually just deciding to whether or not to try to go or not. And so a prophecy came to them. And in the prophecy the Lord said that, "Chuck Smith is going to come down and be your new pastor and the church is going to be blessed. You are going to out grow this facility; you are going to have to move onto the bluff overlooking the bay. The church will be going on the radio nationally and it will be known around the world." Twenty-five discouraged people ready to quit and a prophecy like that, and you have the same attitude as the guy upon whom the king leaned when Elisha said, "Tomorrow they will be selling a barrel of wheat for sixty cents in the gate of the city." And he said, "If God could open up the windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" It seemed utterly impossible. The prophecy went on to say, "As soon as Chuck comes down, he's not going to like the church. He is going to suggest that you remodel it. Remodel the platform and all." And, it was just an encouragement, "Get in and do it."

They didn't tell me anything about the prophecy. In fact, when I finally said, "Yes, I will come down," they called me back the next day and they said, "Don't bother. We have decided to quit. We just have had it." I said, "Hey, I have already resigned. I'm on my way, you know." So the first Sunday, all of us went out for lunch together to the Sizzler. And I took the napkin on the table, and I said to the guys, "We really need to remodel the church, and here is what we need to do to the platform." And I began to draw on the napkin, remodeling design for the church. Now, they didn't tell me about the prophecy. I didn't know anything about it, but they all began to get real excited. They said, "That sounds great! Lets start this week." And I thought, "Wow! This is all right. I've got an eager crew here, you know."

And so I was relating this to the ministers in England how that I took out a napkin and I began to draw the plans on the napkin. Afterwards my host over there said, "Um, in England we call baby diapers a napkin." So he said, "All of those ministers were giggling because they pictured you drawing plans on a baby diaper." So it is interesting how one culture changes the thoughts and the meanings. Of course, that's not quite as bad as when I was in New Guinea and I decided to use one of Romaine's phrases, but never again. As I, at the close of the missionary conference, told those Wycliffe missionaries how the conference was just such a great blessing to us. I said, "I've just been blessed out of my gourd since I have been here." Not realizing that New Guinea tribesmen often wear gourds over a certain part of their body. The place broke up.

Now I don't know what the word bloody means really, but it's a dirty word in England. So being an English translation of a Hebrew word, it's a word that doesn't really commentate to us the dirtiness of it, that it is. It is a dirty kind of a man. But it doesn't really connotate in our minds. But David used it several times in the psalm concerning the deceitful man and the evil man. So he speaks, "The Lord will abhor the bloody and the deceitful man." That will mean much more to an Englishman than it does you.

But as for me ( Psalms 5:7 ),

Now here is the contrast. Now, as I told you, poetry to them is contrasting ideas or the compounding of an idea. Here comes the contrast,

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee ( Psalms 5:7-10 ).

Contrast.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defend them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee ( Psalms 5:11 ).

This is a beautiful psalm, really. "Let all of these who put their trust in Thee rejoice." If you put your trust in the Lord, then you should be rejoicing, shouting for joy. Why? Because God defends you. "Those that love Thy name, let them be joyful in Thee." God does want the consciousness of our daily walk in life to be that of joy.

For thou, LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor will thou encircle him as with a shield ( Psalms 5:12 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 4

Many students of the psalms have recognized that Psalms 4 is very closely akin to Psalms 3 in both subject matter and structure. It is an individual lament with motifs characteristic of psalms of confidence. Bullock saw this type of psalm as a distinct genre (including Psalms 4, 16, 23, 27, 62, , 73) and called these psalms individual psalms of trust.

"Unlike the psalms of thanksgiving, which state the crisis and also add a word of assurance that the crisis has passed, this group of psalms makes their declaration of trust in the Lord, but do not always clarify the occasion that provoked the statement of confidence." [Note: Bullock, p. 166.]

"Somewhere in the shadows of the psalms of trust trouble is lurking." [Note: Ibid.]

David may have written this psalm on the same occasion as the previous one or near then. It is an evening hymn (Psalms 4:8). Perhaps it occurs after Psalms 3 in the Psalter because of these similarities.

Many of the psalms begin with instructions concerning how the Israelites were to use the psalm in public worship, as this one does. As mentioned previously, these notations are very old. They usually constitute the first verse of the psalm in the Hebrew Bible. This authority suggests their divine inspiration.

In this psalm, David warned his enemies not to sin against God by opposing His anointed king.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. Confidence in God 4:6-8

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

He could rest and sleep peacefully with this knowledge (cf. Psalms 3:5). Even though many sinners opposed him, he was right with his righteous God. He knew God would protect him. David’s name means "beloved," and his words in this verse express his appreciation for the fact that he was beloved by the Lord.

The elect of God can experience true joy and peace-even though the ungodly may oppose them-because He will protect and provide for them (cf. Galatians 5:22; Romans 14:17).

"As an expression of confidence in God, the psalm helps the reader to meditate on God’s fatherly care and to leave the troubles and causes of anxiety in his hands. Here the psalmist teaches us that in our walk with God he can bring us to the point where we can sleep without fear." [Note: VanGemeren, p. 80.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep,.... Signifying, that he had such a calmness and serenity of mind, amidst all his troubles, that he could not only lay himself down in great peace, and much composure of mind, but sleep also, and that as soon as laid down almost; some lay themselves down, but cannot sleep, through the anxiety of their minds; but the psalmist could do both: or the word rendered "both" may he translated "together" u; and the sense be either that he would lie down and sleep together with his friends, committing himself and them to the care and protection of God; or that he should lie down and sleep together with his enemies; meaning that he was assured that there would quickly be a reconciliation and peace between them; see Proverbs 16:7;

for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety; suggesting that his protection and safety were owing to the power and presence of God only; and that was the reason of the tranquillity of his mind, and why he slept so quietly in the night watches, though in such danger from his enemies; or "thou, Lord, makest me only" or "alone" w, being solitary and destitute of friends, to dwell in safety; finder the shadow of thy wings, encompassed by thy favour, and surrounded by thy power; see

Deuteronomy 33:28.

u יחדו "simul", Musculus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Cocceius. w לבדד "me solum", Cocceius "me seorsim", Gejerus.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 There be many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.   7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.   8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

      We have here,

      I. The foolish wish of worldly people: There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Who will make us to see good? What good they meant is intimated, Psalms 4:7; Psalms 4:7. It was the increase of their corn and wine; all they desired was plenty of the wealth of this world, that they might enjoy abundance of the delights of sense. Thus far they are right, that they are desirous of good and solicitous about it; but there are these things amiss in this wish:-- 1. They enquire, in general, "Who will make us happy?" but do not apply themselves to God who alone can; and so they expose themselves to be ill-advised, and show they would rather be beholden to any than to God, for they would willingly live without him. 2. They enquire for good that may be seen, seeming good, sensible good; and they show no concern for the good things that are out of sight and are the objects of faith only. The source of idolatry was a desire of gods that they might see, therefore they worshipped the sun; but, as we must be taught to worship an unseen God, so to seek an unseen good, 2 Corinthians 4:18. We look with an eye of faith further than we can see with an eye of sense. 3. They enquire for any good, not for the chief good; all they want is outward good, present good, partial good, good meat, good drink, a good trade, and a good estate; and what are all these worth without a good God and a good heart? Any good will serve the turn of most men, but a gracious soul will not be put off so. This way, this wish, of carnal worldlings is their folly, yet many there be that join in it; and their doom will be accordingly. "Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, the penny thou didst agree for."

      II. The wise choice which godly people make. David, and the pious few that adhered to him, dissented from that wish, and joined in this prayer, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 1. He disagrees from the vote of the many. God had set him apart for himself by distinguishing favours, and therefore he sets himself apart by a distinguishing character. "They are for any good, for worldly good, but so am not I; I will not say as they say; any good will not serve my turn; the wealth of the world will never make a portion for my soul, and therefore I cannot take up with it." 2. He and his friends agree in their choice of God's favour as their felicity; it is this which in their account is better than life and all the comforts of life. (1.) This is what they most earnestly desire and seek after; this is the breathing of their souls, "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Most are for other things, but we are for this." Good people, as they are distinguished by their practices, so they are by their prayers, not the length and language of them, but the faith and fervency of them; those whom God has set apart have a prayer by themselves, which, though others may speak the words of it, they only offer up in sincerity; and this is a prayer which they all say Amen to; "Lord, let us have thy favour, and let us know that we have it, and we desire no more; that is enough to make us happy. Lord, be at peace with us, accept of us, manifest thyself to us, let us be satisfied of thy loving-kindness and we will be satisfied with it." Observe, Though David speaks of himself only in the Psalms 4:7; Psalms 4:8, he speaks, in this prayer, for others also,--"upon us," as Christ taught us to pray, "Our Father." All the saints come to the throne of grace on the same errand, and in this they are one, they all desire God's favour as their chief good. We should beg it for others as well as for ourselves, for in God's favour there is enough for us all and we shall have never the less for others sharing in what we have. (2.) This is what, above any thing, they rejoice in (Psalms 4:7; Psalms 4:7): "Thou hast hereby often put gladness into my heart; not only supported and refreshed me, but filled me with joy unspeakable; and therefore this is what I will still pursue, what I will seek after all the days of my life." When God puts grace in the heart he puts gladness in the heart; nor is any joy comparable to that which gracious souls have in the communications of the divine favour, no, not the joy of harvest, of a plentiful harvest, when the corn and wine increase. This is gladness in the heart, inward, solid, substantial joy. The mirth of worldly people is but a flash, a shadow; even in laughter their heart is sorrowful,Proverbs 14:13. "Thou hast given gladness in my heart;" so the word is. True joy is God's gift, not as the world giveth,John 14:27. The saints have no reason to envy carnal worldlings their mirth and joy, but should pity them rather, for they may know better and will not. (3.) This is what they entirely confide in, and in this confidence they are always easy, Psalms 4:8; Psalms 4:8. He had laid himself down and slept (Psalms 3:5), and so he will still: "I will lay myself down (having the assurance of thy favour) in peace, and with as much pleasure as those whose corn and wine increase, and who lie down as Boaz did in his threshing-floor, at the end of the heap of corn, to sleep there when his heart was merryRuth 3:7), for thou only makest me to dwell in safety. Though I am alone, yet I am not alone, for God is with me; though I have no guards to attend me, the Lord alone is sufficient to protect me; he can do it himself when all other defences fail." If he have the light of God's countenance, [1.] He can enjoy himself. His soul returns to God, and reposes itself in him as its rest, and so he lays himself down and sleeps in peace. He has what he would have and is sure that nothing can come amiss to him. [2.] He fears no disturbance from his enemies, sleeps quietly, and is very secure, because God himself has undertaken to keep him safe. When he comes to sleep the sleep of death, and to lie down in the grave, and to make his bed in the darkness, he will then, with good old Simeon, depart in peace (Luke 2:29), being assured that God will receive his soul, to be safe with himself, and that his body also shall be made to dwell in safety in the grave. [3.] He commits all his affairs to God, and contentedly leaves the issue of them with him. It is said of the husbandman that, having cast his seed into the ground, he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs and grows up, he knows not how,Mark 4:26; Mark 4:27. So a good man, having by faith and prayer cast his care upon God, sleeps and rests night and day, and is very easy, leaving it to his God to perform all things for him and prepared to welcome his holy will.

      In singing Psalms 4:6-8, and praying over them, let us, with a holy contempt of the wealth and pleasure of this world, as insufficient to make us happy, earnestly seek the favour of God and pleasingly solace ourselves in that favour; and, with a holy indifferency about the issue of all our worldly concerns, let us commit ourselves and all our affairs to the guidance and custody of the divine Providence, and be satisfied that all shall be made to work for good to us if we keep ourselves in the love of God.