Here, 1. David prays for restraining grace, that he might be prevented
and kept back from that which would hinder him in the way of his duty:
Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. The honours, pleasures, and
profits of the world are the vanities, the aspect and prospect of which
draw multitudes away from the paths of religion and godliness. The eye,
when fastened on these, infects the heart with the love of them, and so
it is alienated from God and divine things; and therefore, as we ought
to make a covenant with our eyes, and lay a charge upon them, that they
shall not wander after, much less fix upon, that which is dangerous
(Job xxxi. 1), so we ought to pray that God by his providence would
keep vanity out of our sight and that by his grace he would keep us
from being enamoured with the sight of it. 2. He prays for constraining
grace, that he might not only be kept from every thing that would
obstruct his progress heaven-ward, but might have that grace which was
necessary to forward him in that progress: "Quicken thou me in thy way;
quicken me to redeem time, to improve opportunity, to press forward,
and to do every duty with liveliness and fervency of spirit." Beholding
vanity deadens us and slackens our pace; a traveller that stands gazing
upon every object that presents itself to his view will not rid ground;
but, if our eyes be kept from that which would divert us, our hearts
will be kept to that which will excite us.