Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts _are_ against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? in _thine_ anger cast down the people, O God. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: _are they_ not in thy book? When I cry _unto thee_, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God _is_ for me. In God I will praise _his_ word; in the LORD will I praise _his_ word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows _are_ upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death; _wilt_ not _thou deliver_ my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? This is a fervent prayer; in which David complains of Saul and the men of his party, because he was obliged to flee out of the land to the Philistines. So bitterly and hostilely did Saul and the men of his conspiracy persecute David, and plot against his life, that he could be in safety no where. He encourages and supports himself, however, with a constant and undaunted faith. ‘I will glory (says he) in the word of God: for I have a command, a declaration, and a promise of God in my favour: he has declared that Saul shall be dethroned, and that I shall be king. I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Let them gainsay: let Saul and the Saulites oppose and fight against me. Let them say, and say again, that I shall not be king. If God be for me what can man do against me?’ _We_ ought also to pray, after the manner of this Psalm, against tyrants; who unceasingly persecute the word of God and us, and will never suffer us to be at rest. We, however, have that strong and Davidical consolation,—that the word of God is for us, though they unceasingly attack that in us, and corrupt, pervert, and reproach it; crying out that we are heretics; and arrogating to themselves only, the appellation of the church. PSALM LVII. _David in prayer fleeing unto God, complaineth of his dangerous case.—He encourageth himself to praise God._ To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusted in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until _these_ calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth _all things_ for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me _from_ the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul _is_ among lions: _and_ I lie _even among_ them that are set on fire, _even_ the sons of men, whose teeth _are_ spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; _let_ thy glory _be_ above all the earth.