Here, 1. David prays that divine grace would work for him: Let thy hand
help me. He finds his own hands are not sufficient for him, nor can any
creature lend him a helping hand to any purpose; therefore he looks up
to God in hopes that the hand that had made him would help him; for, if
the Lord do not help us, whence can any creature help us? All our help
must be expected from God's hand, from his power and his bounty. 2. He
pleads what divine grace had already wrought in him as a pledge of
further mercy, being a qualification for it. Three things he
pleads:--(1.) That he had made religion his serious and deliberate
choice: "I have chosen thy precepts. I took them for my rule, not
because I knew no other, but because, upon trial, I knew no better."
Those are good, and do good indeed, who are good and do good, not by
chance, but from choice; and those who have thus chosen God's precepts
may depend upon God's helping hand in all their services and under all
their sufferings. (2.) That his heart was upon heaven: I have longed
for thy salvation. David, when he had got to the throne, met with
enough in the world to court his stay, and to make him say, "It is good
to be here;" but still he was looking further, and longing for
something better in another world. There is an eternal salvation which
all the saints are longing for, and therefore pray that God's hand
would help them forward in their way to it. (3.) That he took pleasure
in doing his duty: "Thy law is my delight. Not only I delight in it,
but it is my delight, the greatest delight I have in this world." Those
that are cheerful in their obedience may in faith beg help of God to
carry them on in their obedience; and those that expect God's salvation
must take delight in his law and their hopes must increase their
delight.