Psalms 34:4

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Ver. 4. I sought the Lord] Even when I was in the enemies' hands, and playing my pranks as a mad man among them; I prayed secretly and inwardly, I sent up some ejaculations, as Nehemiah 2:4, and was heard, though unworthy.

And delivered me out of all my fears] Which were not a few, 1 Samuel 21:13, besides his inward terrors upon his unwarrantable practices to save his life. Sense fights sore against faith, when it is upon its own dunghill (in a sensible danger I mean), to the great disturbance of the conscience afterwards. George Marsh, afterwards a martyr in Queen Mary's days, being examined before the Earl of Derby, kept himself close in the sacrament of the altar, as they called it. But afterward, thus he writeth to a friend; I departed much more troubled in my spirit than before; because I had not with more boldness confessed Christ, but in such sort as mine adversaries thereby thought they should prevail against me; whereat I was much grieved; for hitherto I went about, as much as in me lay, to rid myself out of their hands, if by any means, without openly denying Christ and his word, that could be done (Acts and Mon. fol. 1419). Thus he; but no rest he had in his mind till he had better declared himself, though to the loss of his life. A man had better offend all the world, than his own conscience. David, not without much ado, recovered his peace, for which he here heartily blesseth God.