Commentary on the Holy Bible

. ni. He prays to Gad against them. In which there vre four particulars: 1. Their dU and ruio. 9« Their persecution. 3. Their terror. 4. Their disgrac».'\.. *

These 'he illustrates by ^ve -similitudes wheel that, running on, crushes all under it 8. Of Stubble or chaff, easily driven away by the' totfi^, ver. 13. 3. Of d^ wood or forest in a state of general conflagratian, yer. 14. 4. Of 9l flame that even Consumes the fnountains, ver. 14..Their fall and ruin he wished to be—

1. Speedy and perpetual: " Do unto them as unto the ididianites,*' &"c., ver. 9-13.

There are here three particulars of their punishment: 1. Flight, 3. Terror. 3. Shame and ignominy.

IV. The charitable ends prdposed. These were two:^ —

8. That they might know him to be Jehovah, the only true God, that they might be saved from all idolatry, ver. 18.

, The spirit of this prayer is, 1. If they will not seek thee, and be converted, let them be confounded in their attempts against thy people. 3. If they will not acknowledge thee, let them be utterly routed and overthrown: " Let them be put to shame, and perish!"

Tk» psalmist Itmgs for communion PSALM LXXXIV.

The psalmist Umgs fdr communion with God in the stmctmry^ 1-3. The hUsssdness of those who «i;oy God's ordinances^ 4-T, With confidence in Qod^he frays for restorati&n to his house and worshipf 8-12., -

XJOW « amiable are-^ thy tabernacles, O Lord of hostd!,

2 ' My soul longeth, yea, even £aintet& for the couEts of the Lord: my heart' and mf

3 Yea, the sparrow hath fojand a hpuse, and the swallow a nest for herself whfere she may

The title here is the same as ibgx of Pndm Ixxid., <»ily that Was for Asqpky this for the sons^ of Korah, Thi9 person was one of the chief tebels against Mtoes and Asron; there were three^ Kprah, 'Dathan, and Akiram^ who made fui insurrection; and the earth opened, and swallowed them and their partisan^ up. Num. xvL The children of Bathan and Abiram perished with their fathers; hat hy a'paitionlaar dispensation of Providence, thd children of JT^oA'were spared. See Nuiiof. xxvi..11, and the -note 4Here.' The'fiunily oV Korah was continadd in Imel; and it appears from 1 Chrbn. xxvL 1-19 that they were vtill employed about the temple, fuid.were porters or keepers of the doors. They were also singers in the temple; see. 3 Chron. xx. 19v^ This Psalm migUt; have been sent to them to be sung, or one of themselves might have been its author.

Verse 1. How amiable are thy tabernacles'] Iq this piural noun he appears to include all the pHace^ in or near the temple where acts of Divine worship were.perllirnied. The holy of holies^ the holy place, the altar of incense, the altar of bumt-offeting, i&c.', &c.; all called here God^s tohertiacles ox dwettihg-places ^ for wherever God was worshipped,.t^ere he was supposed to dwell.

Verse 2. My soul longeth]- It is a Levite that speaks, who ardently longs to regain his place in the temple, and his part in the sacred services.' iky heart and my. flesh] All the desires of my soul and body; every appetite' and wish, both animal and spiritual, long for thy service.

Verse 3. Fra, the sparrow hath foiind a house]^ It is very unlikfely that sparrows and swallows, or birds 'of any kind, should be permitted to build their nests, and hatch their young, in or about altars which were kept in a 'state of the greatest purity; and where perpetual fires were kept up for the purpose of sacrifice, borning incense, Ac. Without altaring the text, if the clause be read in a parenthesis, the absurdity wiD be -avoided, and the sense be good: " My heart crieth out for the living God, (even the sparrow hath' found a house, and the swallow 'iiTt deror, the ring^4o^«t a nest for httraelf, where she may lay her yom^,) for

lay her young, even thine altara, O Loed <jf hostis, my King and my God.

4 ' • Blessed are they diat dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah«

5 QlessQd is the man whose strength is in thee'; in' whose heart arc the ways ofihefn:

6 Who passing through' the valley ^oU Baca make it q: well; the rain also ^filleth the pools.

thine 'altax% O Lord of -hosts 1*^ Or, read the paren« thesis la«t: ** My heart crieth out for the living God i for thine altars, O Ldrd of hosts, my King ifld my God« Even the sparrow hath found out a house, and the swallow 'Xring-dove) a nest for herself, where she may lay her yonng;" but I have np place, either of rest or worship, understood. The Ckaldee tramdites thus: " Even the pigeon &ith found a house, and the turtle* dove hath a nest, because theiz: young may be offered lawi^illy upon thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my Kmg^ and my God."** Oir, as a comparison seems to be here intended, the followin'g may best express the meaning^ *^ Even as the sparrow finds oot (seeks) a house, and the swallow her 'nest id which she may hatch her * young;.^so I, thin^ alttoi, O Lord of hosts, my King, and iny. God."- •, ' «••

Verse 4. Blessed are tKey that dwell in thy house] They who have such a constant habitation in thy tern* pie as the sparrdw or the swall[ow has In the house wherein it has built its nest.

They will be still praising thie.] They wQl find it good to draw nigh unto God^ as he always pours out his Spirit on his sincere worshippers.

. << Who life and strength from thee derives; And by thee moves and in thee Uves.^

In whose heart are the ways of them] This is no sense. The original, however, is obscure: 033^3 m'TDO \Kt^' mesilloih bilebabam, **the liigh ways are in their ^'JK' hearts;" that is^ the roads winding to- thy temple. Perhaps there is a reference here to- the high roads leading to the cities of refuge. We wish to escape firom'the hands and dominion of these murderers, and the roads that lead to Jerusalem and the temple we think on with delight; our hearts^ are with them, we long to be travelling on them. ';

' Verse 6. Passing through the voUey of Baca make it a well] Instead of I03 bacha, a mulberry-tree, seven MSS. have HM ifcW, mourning. I believe Baca to be the same here as Bochim, 3ndg. ii. 1-5, called The Valley^ of Weeping, Though they pass through this barren and desert place, they would not fear evil».j^ that thou wonldst supply jti theb wants; and^ 4flS

' 7 They go ' from * strength to strength, every one of them in Zion * appeareth before God. '80 Lord God of hosts, bear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah,,J

9 "» Behold, O,God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.

10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. ^ I had rather be a doorkeeper in

ttren in the sandy desert ckose them to find pools of • Water, in conseqaence of which they shall advance with renlbwed strength, and shall meet with the God of Inael in Zion. ' '. * ^ the rain alio JillethHhe pools.] The iTe^rtfw may he translated difierently, and has been differently ^der- Stood by all the Versions. miO rtor riO^a Di.^wn berachoth yuateh moreh; ** Tea^the mstmotor is covered or clothed with blessings.^* While the followers of *God are passing through the wilderness of this world, God opens for Hixem fountains in the xoUd^mess^ and springs in the dry jiaces. ' They Arifik of the wellspring qf jalvatioi\; they are not destitute of their pastors. God takes care to give* his followers teachers after his own heart, th4 shall feed them with knqWled^e \ and while thej are watermg- the pepple they aie watered thelnselves; f^ God loads them with'his benefits^ and the people caver them with their blessings.

Verse 7. They go from strength to stretch) They proceed from one degree of ^giace to another, gaining piyine virtue through all the steps of their probation.

Every one of thera in Zion appeareth before Ood*] This is a paraphrase, and a bad one, bat no translation. They shall proceedi from strength to strength, hH TWnr jrv!l DTiSk y.eraBh el j^lohun betsiyen^ " The (Jod of gods shall be seen in Zion.^' God shall appear in their l^ehalf, as ofleii as they shidl seek him; in consequence' ff. which they sha^ increase iniq>irituid a^ngth.

Some think there is a reference here to companies of people going up to Jerusalem from different parts of 4he land, blending together as they go on, so that the crowd is continually increa^ng. This meaning our translators have put in tho margin.

Verse 8. S^ear my prayer] Let us be restored to thy sanctuary, and to thy worship.

Verse 9. Behold^ O Ood, our shield] We have no Protector but thee. Thou seest the deadly blows that lire aimed at us; ^covejr our souls; protect our lives!

Look upon, the face of thi^e anointed.] Consider the snppUcations sent up by him whom thou hast appointed to be Mediator between thee and man— thy Christ. But some apply this. to David, to Zerubbabel^ to the people of Israel; and each has his reasons.

Verse 10, A day in $hy courts is better than a thousand.] Not only better than one thousand in captivity, as the Chaldee states, but any where else. For in iGrod*s courts we m0et with God the King, and are sore to have what petitions we ofifer unto him through his Christ.

the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wipkedness.

11 F<Mr the LoRp God: tt a • sun tfnd ^ shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: <>no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.. \

12 O Lord of hosts,' 'blessed ii the man that trusteth in- thee.

we does this express for the ordinances. of God! Who now prefers the worship of God to genteel; gay, honourable, and noble company, to mirthful feasts, jiiibfic entertainments, the stage, the oratorio, or the baff? Read^.wottldst thou rather be in-thy chset, wresdiiig in t>rayer,.oir reading the Scriptures on 4hy knees, than be al any of %he above jdaeed t«. How often has»t thm sacrificed thy amusement, and oamal delight, and pleasures, for the benefit of a piou» heart-searohing sermon \ 'Let conscience speak, and it will tell thee.

Verse IX. For the Lofd Qod is a sun arid MM] Tor illuminate, invigorate, and warr^; to protect and defend all such as prefer him an<r his worship to ereiy.thing the eiirth. can produce.

It -is 'remarkable that nofron^of the Visions wiAer^ stand the \trot^ shemesh, 9b signifying sun, as' we ^o. They ^generally concur in the. follbwipg translation:." For the Lord loveth mercy and ivankt and he will.give grace and glory." The Chaldee says, " The Lord i^ as a high wall and a strong shield; grace;and gioiy will tfae'LoYd giii:e,/and will not deprive those of Ueao' edness who walk in perfection.*' Critics in general take the word as signifying a defence or a guard. Instead •ot JffOVf'shemesh, sun, Houliigant reads "vyff shemer^n keeper or guardian, and <8ays thai to represent Grod as the Sim is Without example in the sacred writings. Bnt is not Mai. iy. S, a parallel passage. to this 'p!a6e t " Unto you that fear my name shall the 3un of righteousness arise ttith healing in kis mngs.^^ No MS. countenances the altemtion of Houbigant.

The Lord will give gtaee] To pardon, purify, and, save thB soul from' sin: and then he will give glory to the sanctified in his etiemal kingdom; and even here he withholds no* good thing from them that walk uprightly. Well, therefore, might the psalmist say, verse 19^ *' O Lord of hosts, blessed ia the man that tnisteth in thee.". - •.,

This Ppalm may be divided into t^e following parts: — -.

..i. The psalinist, absent from the public worship of. God, shows his love to the house of God, and his desires to be present in it, ver. 1-3.

n. The happiness of those who continue in that assembly, ver. 4-7.

IIL He prays for restoration to it, and sets down the causes, ver. 8-11. •

rV. The blessedness of the man who trusts in God, vor. 1«.

favoar to Israd.

I. 1; He begihs with the |>athetieal 'exclamation,' ** How amiable are t)^ tabernacles!^'., A mode of expression which intimates there is ntme equal to them,

' 3. He laments his absence from God's honse. The sforrows and swallows have their respective housesr where thejr may be present, build, hatch their young, ^c, but be could have no access to God's house". And lhi» he expresses in an affecting appeal pa God to moVe fcis pity: — 1. " O Lord of hosts!" I acknowledge theeasmy/^o^er. 2. "My King.'* I acknowledge myself as thy stibfect: 3.' ^'My God." Whom I iMnrre, and haTe taken for my portion.

. n. The^ happiness of those who have liberty to worship €rod in his tem{4e.

1. " Blessed are they." They enjoy thy oidtnaaees, and hare blessings in all.'

S. ^They will be still praising' thee:" As heing eontinnsjly happy tn thy presence.

<* Blessed is the man whose strengUr.is in tliee:" "Who knows his own weakness, and* depends npon^thee §br his continual support. • \<

This is the happiness of those who are near God's ■iMwae: but thq^ is a happiness for thoie also whose kMttB axe there, though their bodies are-detained ai a 'distance from it.

1. Blessed are they in whose heahir are the ways •f -^hem, ver. ^

9. Eveii when they are passing throogfa deaeit and inhospitable countries, ver. 6.

3. "They go from strength to strength;" 1.. They •.get from one place of protection to another. 2. They mcrease in the Divine light and life. 3. They, get oumy companions on the way.

in. His prayer. 1. He begs to be heard. 2. He "remembfrs God, who succpured Jacot in weakness and

distress. 3. He eonnderp himself as the omnn/eif of Grod, and nnder his especial care, ver. 8. He wishes to be employed, even in the meanest' offices, in the house of Grod, which he illustrates by an opposj^tion of time, plaee^ and persons,

1. Time. One day in thy pouits is better than 4 thousand out of it, '.

pie, rather than an emperor in his palace. For this he gives yfve reasons: —

2. He is a shield: The l)efender and Protector of his followers.

Z, He givee grace, to prepare for heaven.

4.'(?2ofy, to crown that graced

Bat sinners and hypocrites need not expeoi these blessing*; they are for them that walk -nprig^tly,

i. They most walk — go on, be oonstanti ubide i;^ the Uray;

IT. The blessedness of the i^an who trusts in God. '^O Lord of hosts, blessed is die man that trusts in thee!'^ This acclamation may be intended to answer an objection: **U ihooe b^ blesae^ v^o'dwell^in thy tei^le, then those most be wretched -whia are exiled from it." No,.says the psalmist; though there be jnaiiy advantages enjoyed by those who can attend the. ordinancefl( of God, and somis may attend Uiem without profit; yet he who trusts in God -can never be eonfbdnded. Faith in God will always be crowned; and, when absent through necessity, every plaoe is a temple,

" Though &te coinmand me to the farthest verge Of the green earth -. — — — — '-

i Yet God is ever present, ever felt,

' In the wide waste as in the city fUn; And where he vital breathes, there msst be Joy.

Thanksgiving to God for restoration la the Dimne favour, 1*3; prayer for farther mercies, 4-7; the psabnist wails for a gracious answer infuU tonfidence -of.receiving it, 8. He receives the assurance of the greatr est blessings, and exults in the pro^ct, 9-13.

3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath p

NOTES ON PSALM LXXXV. The title of this Psalm we have seen b^ore, Psa. xliL As to the time, it seems to have been written during, or even after, the return from the Babylonish captivity. In the three first verses the psalmist aeknowledgear'the goodness of God in bringing the.people back to their own land; he next prays to God to restore them to their ancient prosperity. In the spirit of propheey, he waits on God, and hears him. promise to do it; aqd then exults in the prospect of so great a good. The whole Psahn seems also to have a reference to the rev demption of the world by Jesns Chnst.-

'thou, hast turned thyself firom the fierceness of thine anger.

4 » Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger JOTvard us to cease. ^ *

6 ^Wilt thou be angry with us tor ever? wilt thou draw out thine aoger to all generations? -6 Wilt thou not * revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in tiiee?

8 *^I will hear what Gtxi the Lord will speak:* fpr ^ he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let Aem not * turn again to fdly.

9 Surely "his dtjalyation w nigh them that fear him; '*that gloi^ may dwell in our land. * 10 Mercy ^nd truth are met together; "^righteousnessand peace have kissed each other.

Thau hast brought back the captivity] This seems to fix the tuhe of tha Psalm to be after,the retmnt oif the Jews from Babylon.

. T%nt hast covered all their siti,'] As thou hast fireely/or^fffiitfits offensiveness and abominable natnxe na longer nqfpear. The whole is pdt out of fight; ■nd, as if^ are restored from our <^aptitity, the cimitfguences no longer appear,

Verse 8» Thou -hast taken- aMoy\ nODM asugfhta, ^Thoa hast j^a<Aereiti|i all thy wrath.r.This carries on the TMtaphpr in the second verte 1 ^Thoa hast coflected afi' thy wrath, and carried it away, with all ^onr iniquities." - •,.,

Verse 4. Turn us, OGod of our salvation] Thou hast turned our captivity; now eonverl our souk. And they fiud a reason for their phiyer in an attribute of their God; the Ood of their salvation. And as his Wrk was to' save, they, beg^ that his anger towards them, might cease. The Israelites were not restored from their captiTity all at once. A few returned widi Ze^^ rubhabel; some more with Ezra and NehenUah; but a great number still remained in, Babylonia, Media, Assyria^ Egypt, abd other parts. The recjuest of the psalmist is, to have- a complete restoration of all the Israelites from all places 6{ their dispersion.

Verse 5. Wilt thou ^ draw out thine anger] We have already suffered much and lon^; our fathers have' snfl^red, and we have succeeded to their distresses. Draw not out thy anger against ds from generation to flsiieradon.

Verse 0. Wilt thou not revise us] We have long had the sentence of death in ourselves; and have feared Sn uttet extinction^ Shall not our 4)ation yet live before thee \ Shall we not become once more numerous, jHous, and powerful; that

, Thy pe^'e may rejoice in thee t] As the Source of »11 our mercies; and give thee the giory duiB to diy namel

Verae*8. / wtU heAr what God the Lord will speak] The p^iahmsi goes as a prophet to consult the Lord; add, having made^Ms request, waits an answer from the spirit dr -prophecy. He*. is -satisfied that^the answer will be gracious; and Mvifig receited it he jelates it to the people.

He-will speak peace] He will give prosperity \o the people in general; end to his 'scdnts — ^his followers,. in jMirticular. ' '^''- -..'

•But let the/k not:turn again to folly.] Let them not' abuse the mercy of;Uieir God, i>y sinning #ny more against him.

Ver^e 9. Suftly his salvation iB^nigh] To him who fears God, and trembles at his word, his salvation is nigh at hand.*

* Thai glori may dwell in 0ur land^ That thy worship may be restored,' the temple rebuilt, and the Divine shechinAh, or symbd of the jpresence.nf God, resume its jdaise. The pU|e and undefiled ^religion of God preached, professed,' and experienced in a niatieii, is the glory oif that land.. The Prophet Haggai had said tl^t the, glory of the latter house-— ihe temple bitflt after iheir-retum from' Babylon^ should b^. greater than the glory pfthe former, viz., of that Imilt by Solomon; but,* as a building, it was far inferior to Uie former; yet it fiad a superior glory in being visited by Jesus Christ. -This wm the glory that excelled.;.

Venie 1,0. Mercy and truth are met tether] It vould he more simple to translate the origUal, —

''Mercy and truth have met ouithe wayi. / Righteousness and peace hkve embraced.^

This is a remarUble text, and much has beeji said on it: but there Is^a beauty in it which, I think, has not been noticed.

Mercy and peace are on One side; truth and right' eoiisness on the other. Truth requires righteousness; mercy calls for peace.

They meet together on the way; one going to make inquisition for sin, the other to plead for reconciliation. Having met, their differences on certain considerations^

12 'Yea, the Lord shall give that which is

HOC here particalarly mentioned, are adjusted; and their ^BOtoal claims nre blended together in one common interest; on which peace and righteousness immediatsLy embrace. Thus^ rigAteousniss is given to tnOh^ and piaee IB giyeti Xo mercy.

., Verse 1 1. Truth shcdl spring out of the earth], jn oonseqaence of this wond«fui recanchuUipfij the ti^th of God shall prevail among mcQ. The seedi of it shall ^ so plentifully sown by the p^r^aching oi Christ and Bis aik>stles that truejreUgion shall he diffused ove»t)ie #orid.

And righteousness shall look down from' he(iven.] And be delighted with the t^formatibfi of the sons of Adam; and shall be so. satisfied with the glorions work which is carried forward, ^at,... >

Verse 12. The, Lord shall give — good] 2)t3nhaitQ^, TBr GOOD thing — ^what is the supreme good, the,*iim-. fmim bonum, for which toian Ims searched in vain tfaioagh all his generations. Those who are reco|ieiled to him through the Son of his lore shall enjoy tiie./tfoaur of. their God; to have which is the supreme happiness of man... '

. \Out land shall yield her increase.]' There shall be tteSther dearth nor barrenness; for irUlA, that springs, out of the earth, shall yield an' abundant harvest, in the ' eonversion of all pations to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. '.

• yene 13, Righteousness shall go before him] Perhaps this, verse may receive its besteolution from Roita; ifi. 36: ** Whom God'hath set for a propitiation through fiiith in his blood, to declare his RiOHTBcHjeNESs. for the jedrission of sins that are past." This term the apostle jmea to point out God's method of justifying or samng mankind. And this, in the preaching of tiie pure Gospel, is ever going before to point out the Lord Jesus, and the redemption that is in his bloods And^thus going before him, the sinner, who feels his need of sa^- vation; is Set — in the toay <^ his steps ^ as Bartimeus sat by the way-side begging, by ^ which way Jesus ipralked; and when he came where he was, heaid his prayer^ and restored him his sight. Or, righteousness —the pure and holy law of God, most be proclaimed as broken by sinners, and calling aloud for vengeance, before they can see and feel their need of Christ cruci^. By the preaching of the law they are prepared to receive the grace of the Go^l.

Analysis or the EioHTV-riFTH Psalm.

. Mystically^ this Psalm may be considered as treating of the redemption of the world by Jeshs Christ. 1^ has the three following parts: —

I. An acknowledgment of God's former mercies, vcr.'l-3.

• n. A petition on that ground thalhe wcdolil repeat them, ver. 4-t7« '

. III., A profeission of T>bedience, and an ad vibe to 'continue in it, ver. 8. That men may be partakers of the promises, both spiritual^ ver. 9, 10, 11; an<{ tem,- poraly ver. 43, which shall be folfilled to those who keep isy the ways of GoJ, ver. 13.

1. In the three ^^t verses, the psalmist commemorates God s mercies to bis people; of which has good vnU ox favour is the Fountain. These mercies are, 1. Temporal: "Tliou hast been favourable unto thy land," Ac, ver. 1,. 3. Spiritual: 1. " Thou hast forgiven the.ifiiquities of thy people:J*". Justification. 2. *f Thou hast taken away all thy wrath -^ Reoonciliatfon,

" 3. Thou hast brought us back. Revive eUr hearts, that tjiey may rejoice in thee. '

4.. Thoa hast -forgiven the iniqui^ of thy people. Save ns.

III. • He proinises obedience: " I will hear what God will apeak;" and I shall hear nothing from him but what is (or his oWn glory, and his people*s good.

1. >* H^ will speak peace:" He will turn all iheir sufferings to their advantage. ^ ' - '

' 3. But they must hear, and: be steady. They must " not turn again to folly;" let them remember this.

3. To anch his'proniise is sure: " His saltation is nigh them." ^. '*•

4. And it;jcomes, that ''glory may dwell in our land;". that it may ^be- crowned with peace and plenty.

In this prospehty of theirs, there shall be a coailnnation of mercy, truth,' justice, and peace,.

i. /' Justice and peace shall embrace;" for there is such a league between these two, that- where peace is made without justice, it cannot long continue: and mercy and truth must; for it is inconsistent with mercy to be in concord with falsehood.

3. *< Truth riiall spring out of the earth." Men shall observe it in all their transaction^ contracts, and promises..

3. ** Righteousness shall look down from heaven." God will smile en ibis state of things, and pour out upon them the continual dew of his blessing. ' ^

4. In a word, 1. They shall enjoy all spiritual blessings; for the "Lord shall give that which Ts goodi" 3. And all temporal i ** for the land shall yield her increase."

For these mercies he sets doWn our duty: — •

1. "Righteousness shall go before him." All his

saints shaU walk before him in righteousness and true

" And this righteousness shall set th6o[i in the way

The pMolmist prayt to

of hia steps," II shall teach thftntto'walk eoDctaitiy end steadily in the way of his commandments all the ditys of their U&,

By many of the ancients and moderns ^e whole of this Psailm hs* heen applied to Christy and his salTat^n/ See the preceding notes.

The ps^bfiiMt frays to Ood fer support^ from a cm^tumdhat he is merctful^geod, ready tofergive^ aiuLihai there is none like him^ US; all nations shtUl bow before him because of his wondrous works, 9, 10; he frays to be instructed, and fromises to fraise God for his grea$ mercy, 1 1^13; describes^ his enemies, and offeeis to God, I4r'i6; begs a token for God, thtU his enemies may be confounded, 17. •.

7- ^Li tbe day of my trouble: I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer rae. ' *

8.^AiAong the gods tAere is hone" like untcT thee, O LoUd; ^neither ctre there any works like unto thy works.

9^ All nations whom thou hast made shall come^and wrorship 'before thee, O Lord;.aiid •shall glorify thy name;'.

4 Rej6ice the soul of thy servant: 'for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5 <^For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to fwgive; and f)lenteous in metcy.untb all them that call upon thee,

' NOTES ON PSALM iiXxxyj:. The tkl'e attributes this Psaha to David; and vbC this fHW the Versions agree: but in its'stmbtare it if the Bigne with those attributed to the sons ofKorah; find waa probably made daring the ca|>tiyity. It is a very suitable prayer for a peraon labQiuriog under affliction from persecution.' or calumny.

Verse 1. Bow down thine eer] Spoken' after the Planner of men: I am so low, and ufyweak, that, qih iefli thoil stoof to me, my voice cannot reach thee.

Save thy servm^] I have long, taken thee as.my Master and Lord; I reeeiTe tfie word fiMua thy mcm^i and Kibey Uiee.

Verse 8. Be merciful unto me] I haVe no merit; I plead none, hut troM in thee alond.. / cry unto thee^ daily,] My state deeply affects me; and I incessantly cry for thy salvation.

- Verse 4. R^aice the soul of thy servant] ' I want spiritual Uessings; 1 want such consolations as tfaoo 4o8t impart to them that love thee; I preset thsl soul to thee which I wish thee to console.

expectation of help gn thy own goodness, lhiong}i >hi^ tbod azt*alwa)rs re^y to forgive. And I Ibfmd it also OD thy, weU-knbwn oharaeter, to which all thy followers bear testimony^ tIs., that **thbu arC plenteoos in mercy unta all them that call upon th^e.**

Verse 6. Give ear, O Lord] Attend to jne. Mib lions call upon thee for help '-and mercy; hat who,has more, need than myself? That the psalmiat was deeply ih earnest, his conduct i^bws. 1. 'He frayei^ 9. His prayer was tehement; he lifted up his voice* d^ He opntincfed in prayer; be abounded in supfhca^

Verse 7. Thou wit dHswer mei:] Because thoa w^ good,' mercifi^, and ready to forgiv^e; and I osU npoii thee forvently,- and seek thOe in thy own way.

Verse 6. Among the gods Uiere is none Wlx unie thee, O Lord] Non^ that trusted in an idol oyer hs4 help in time of need; none that prayed to any of them, ever had an answer to his petitions. Them savest; they cannot; than uphddest; they Ynost ha upheld \j their fodlish worsHippers. Thou art my Director, ^Jlk Adonai; but th^ cannot <ftrec/ aof t^ach; they havd mouths, but they speak not:

Veise^^ 9. All nations] Thy word shall be pror claimed among all the Gentiles: they shall reoeiTe thy testimony, and worship thee as the only true andliving Gk)d.

And doest wondrous thirds] rUKSdJ rxiry\ veosek niphlaoth; thot^ art the Worker of miraclei. 'This

11* Teach-me thy way, O- Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

12 I will praise thee, 0 Lord my God, withaH my heart: and 1 will glorify thy name for evermore.

1 3 For great is thy mercy to'trard me: and thou bast p delivered my soul from the Ipwest. ^ Hell.

14 O God, ' the proud are risen against me^ and the assemblies of * Tiolent men have nought aftermy soul; and have not set thee before them.

thou hast done, in nUineroas instances,, tnd thereby showed thy infinite power and wisdom.

This appears to be a prophecy of the calling of the Gentile to the faith of Christ, and Ike evidepce tp be given tD his Divine mission by the miracles which.he •hoqld work.

Thou art God aJone.] 2u fii h 06o( luvmg'l \iSyoji, — Sept. Thou art the only, thb eaiAT Qeii. In this the JEthiapic and Arabic agree.

Verse 11., Teach me ihy way"] Instmct me in the steps I should take; for withoul. thy teaching I must go astray.

Unite my heart] ^33S m'* y ached lebah, join all the purposes, resolutioos, and afiections of my heart together, -to fear and to glorify thy name.,. This is s most important prayer. A divided heart is ^ great dtrse; scattered affections are a miserable plague. When the hearl is not at utdty with itself, the work of religion cannot go on. Indeoisum of mind and division^ of affections mar any work. The heart must be one, that the work may be o^e. If this be waptiiig, all is wrong. This is a prayer which becomes the mouth of every Christian.

Verse 12. J will praife thee — with afi my heart] M[hen my heart is United to fear thy name, then shall' I pniise thee with my whole heart.

Verse 13. Thou hast delivered my soul froni the lowest heU.] This must mean more than the grave; % hell below hell — a place of perdlition ibr the soul, %s the gf^ye is a place of corruption for the body^

* Verse li. ne assemblies of violent men] nip XyTT^ adath aritsim, the congregation of the terrible ones* Men of violent passions, violent counsels,. and ▼iolenit acts; aud, because they have power, terrible eaall. ';

Have not set thee before them.] Who sins th^ sets God before his eyes 1 Who does not sin tluit has no sooaeioiiBness of the Divine presence 1

Verse 15. fiut thou, O Lord] What a wonderful eharacter of God is given in this verse I ^jIM Adonai, Ae Director, Judge, and Support; — but instead of ^rVM Adonai, thirty-four of Kennicott^s MSS. have TVUV Yehovah, the self-existent and eternal Being; — Sn £/, the strong God; Dim rachtun; tenderly compassionate; [Un channun, the Dispeuser of grace or fibvouT; O'DM I^K erech appayim, suffering long, ndt easily provoked; ion 31 rab chesed, abundant in jbiessings; and noK emeth, faithful and ^e. Such

16 * But thon, O Lor», art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

16 O ^ turn unto me, and hare mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant^ and save ^ the son of thine handmaid.

17 ShoW me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it^ and be ashamed: because thou, LoRDy hast holpen me, "^and comforted me.

is the God w^ lias made himself more particularly kqown to us in Christ. The scanty language of our ancestors was not adequate to a full rendering of the original words:."g v« ^lohv ^od s^rndtij-ieno' "j nulo* hoO}iv, ^>^lois, "2 muoel qu)«heO]trn^ffe *3 povpspc. " And. ^thu driht God geipildsiend, and mildheort, gethyldig and mucel mildheortnysse and sothfesL-— And thou. Lord GM, art mild, and n^dhearled* patient, and of much mildheaitedness, and soothfast,*' — steady in truth;

la the old Psalter the language- is. but' little im-

Th6 wmrd nutciet is interpreted, doand dede of mercy.

Vetse 16. *0 iwm unto me] He represents hunself as following after God; but he ea^not overtake him; and th^ he prays (hat he would turn and meet him through pity; or give him strength that:he tni^l be able.to bold on his race. r

. -Give thy strength unto ^hy servant] The Vulgate renders. Da imperium tupm puero tho, "Give thy empire to thy child.'* The old Psaltor: 4!Spf emppre to. tilt bwoHt atdi make jBtafe tit leton of tt)t tuutb lliaphen« Thi bame-^hy tender ohild. cnapan or cnapan >mum, Anglo-Saxon; thy inave; signifying either a serving man or a male child. As many servants were found to be puTloiners of their masters' properfy, hence the word cnapan, Sqd enapan, and knave, became the title of an unprincipled servant. The term y«r,r which signifies a Mie/',in Latin, for the same reason became the appellative of a diskonesiservant.

When servants {thieves) do such things, what may not be expected from the masters.l Yiro. Eel. iii. IO4

S6 Plaittus, speaking oCa servant, Aulul. ii. 46, says: Homp es trium literarum, *^Thou art a man of three letters,'' i. e., mi, a thief. The word knave is still in use, but is always taken in a bad sense; The jtarO' phrase in the old Psalter states the handmaid to be the kirk; and the son bf this handmaid to.be a true believer.

' Verse 17. J^uno me a token for good) mK ^0$? HWJT ase^ immi oth, " Make with me a sign." Fix the honoutable mark of thy name upon me, that I may be known to be thy servant. There, seems to be an allusion here to the marking of a slave, to ascertaio whose

pToperty he was. Th^Angla-Saxm^ it inn» me tacn on 2,0T>e, " do wi^h me a token in good." Om^PuHter: 9o tDitI) mie jB(igiic tn gulie* From racn Uum we.have our word token, which signifies a ^^, mark^ or remembran€9r of something beyond itself; a pledge that something, then 8pecified> shall be done or ^wen. Give me, from the iqflaence of thy Spirit in my hjBart, a pledge that the blessingSL which I now ask shall be given in due time. But he wished for soch % sign ^ his enemies might see; that. they might know God to be his helper, and be confounded when tl^ey sought his destruction... '

I.. The ^r«^ part is a petition -for sa&ty, drawn from Am ownpersprij ver.-l— 4...

IL Tiie second, a quickening of the same p^ition, drawn from the petsoti and nature of Godf ▼er. '6—13. ■ IH. The third, taken tnm the quality of his adversaries, yei, 14. -

I. The reasons of Jus petition, drawn from. himself..^ /-

2. *1-Th9re is none like unto thee," ver. 8. 4.. " Nor any works like unto thy* works,**"

On this reason, tiiat there is none like God,^- '1.' He begs to be governed by his word and Spirit, ver. 11.,. •:\ ' \

in. He presses another argument taken - ham lUfe efiimies.

^ 8. From his own condition ':. " Turn nnto me, and have meroy upon ine,^' ver. 16. * -

3. Jhrom the quality cf Us adversaries: " Show me a token— ^that they wiiich hate me may be ashamed,^ ver. IT.

The nature and glorious privileges of Zipn and Jer^ale^, 1-3. No other city to be compared to this, 4. ' Thej>riviilegetfbeingbominit,5,6*. Its praises celebrated, 1\

.^4 1 will make mention of • Rahab iCtid Babylon to them that kitow me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethfopik; thU man was born there.

NOTES ON PSALM 'LXXXVII. The titU^ A Psalm or Song for the -sons of Korah, gives ns no light into* the autihor or meaning of this Psalm. It \iegins and ends so ahniptly that many have thought it to be only a fragment of a larger Psalm. This opinion is very likely. Those:who suppose it- to hav9 been made when Jerusalem was rebuilt and fortified, imagine it to have been an exclamation of the author on beholding its beauty, and contemplating its privileges. If this opinion be alloW^, it wiU account for the apparent.abruptness in the he- 4^0.

ginning and' end. As to its general design it aeems to have been veiltten in praise of Jerujnlem; and Ihoee who are for myj^u; meanings, think that it refers tathe Christian Church; and, on. tills supposition it is interpreted by several waiters, both ancient and modem. To pretend to have found out the true meaning wdnld be very i^bsurd. I have done the best I could to give its Ktero/* sense.

• Verse 1. -His foundation is in the holy mountains,} Jenisalem^ was founded on the mountains or hills of Zion and M<friah, The after increase of the popoia-

5 And of Zion it phsU be said, This and that man was born in her; and the Highest himself shall establish her. 6 'The Lord shall count, when he "r^writeth

tion obliged the inhabitants to- inclose, all the contigaoos hilla; but Zwn and Moru^ were the pHncipal. We know that aneien^ Rome was built on ieven MUi. Vetse 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than ab the dwellings of Jacob.] That i8» he prefevred Zion for his habitation, to.be the pbu;e of his teiopfe and sahetvary, before any other pli&cc^ in the prqnnsed land. Myetically, the Lord prefers the Christian Church to the Jewish: the latter, was. only a type of the ibnner; and had no glory by reason of Jthe glory that excelleth. To this position ao exception can be

Verse 3. Glorious, things are spoken of thee] Or, the^e are. glorious words or doctrines' in tfaEie. Does this refer to the glorious doctrines of.the Christian Church? These are gloriptis sayings indeed.

Verse 4. / will make mention of" Rahab] Th^ meaning se^tns to be, RahaJtj i. e., Egyptf Babylon, Tyre, Philistia, and Ethiopia are not so honourable as Jerusalem. To be Jborn in any of them is no privilege when compared with being, a natiye of Jerussleofi: tkdir cities are but heada of.villages; Jerusalem aloae is i| oiTT. I have met with a very similar seiitinient in a Persian work,, of which I know not the author:

Tche MesT, o tche Sha^, o tche dut o Buhr. fiemd rustaee and, we Sheerazee Shuhr.

' 'The meaning seems to be* the ^aarne in. tyyth the Hebrew and Persian poet. ' ^

Verse 5. This and that man was bom in hef] ■ It will he an honour to any person to hare been bom in Zien.^ But. how great is the honour to be bom from db&ve, and be a citizen of the Jerusalem ^at is from abOTe! To be children of Ged, by faith in Christ Jesus-! The Tar gum has* *' David the king, and SoIomon^s son, were brought up here/'

The Highest himself shall establish her.] The Christtan Church is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles; Jesus Christ himself being the Comerlnone.

Verse 6. The Lord shall coftnt, when he writeth up ike people] 0*D]; 3inD3 bichthob ammim, in the register of the people. When he takes accbuht of those who dweU- in Jerusalem, he wiU particularly npte those "who were bom in Zion. -. *

■This has an easy spiritual meaning. When God taked an account of all professing Christians, he will jl^t s^art those for inhabitants of the New Jemsalem

7 As well the singers as tbe players on instruments, shall be there: all myspmgt, are ia thee.

who were bom in^ion, who were bom agaiq, received a new natare,.and wei^ ^tted for heaven.

Verse 7. As tuell the singers, 4«;] perhaps, this may mean no more than, The burden of the songs of aU the singers and choristers shall be, " All my fountains (ancestors and posterity) are in thee;" and consequently, entitled tb aU thy privileges and unmtmities. Instead of W'W sharim, '* singers," many MSS.. and early printed, editions have, sarvn, ** princes." Some for 'J^jra mayenai, **'my fountains," would read with several of the Versions, ^JIJTD meoney, " habitations;** bat no MS^. yet discovered topport* this reading.

It would be a very natural can^ of exi^tation, yrhen considering the great privileges of this royal city, to know that afi.his friends, fbnily„ an<]^chfldren, were citizens.of this city, were entered in God's register, and were entiUed to his proteetion and favour. Applied to the Christian Church, the privileges are still higher; horn of God, enrolled aitaong th^ living in Jerufalem,. haying their hearts purified by faith, and being washed and made clean through the blood of the oovea^i, apd sealed by the Holy Spirit of jnromise, soch havei alright to' the inheritance among the s^lnta in light. I need* nof add 'that 'springs,.wells, fountains and cisterns, and tca^s are nsed metaphorically in the sacred writings for children, * posterity, fruitful women, people, &c,; see among others Pror. v.. 15, 16;Tsa.'bLviii. S6; laa. xlyiii. 1; and Rev. xvli. 15. The iold Pstdter understands the whole as relating to Gospel times; and interprets it accordingly. Bishop Home takes it in the same sense. Th^ whole Psalm is obscure' ^nd di^eult. I wiH venjture f, literal version of the whole, with a few explanatory interpolations, instead of notes, in order to cast a little qiore light upon it. ' ' '.

3. ^ Jehovah loves his.fbundation, the city built by him on holy.mountains. He love's the gates of Zion more than all the habitations of Jacob."

4. *^l will number ISgypt and Babylon among my worshippers; behold Philisti^ and Tyre! They shall be bom in the same ph&ce.^* They shall be considered as bom in the dty of God-

5. '' But* of Zion it shall be said. This one, and t}iat one," persons of different nation?, " was bom in it, and the' Most High shall establish it.'!

6. '< Jehovah shall reckon in the regiaters of the people, This one was born there,"

7. '* The people shall silig, as in leading up a clioir. All my fountains," the springs of my happiness, "are m thee.",

I have nearly followed here the version of Mr. N. M. Berlin, who wonders that there shoulcl be any doubt

Symmachus and Aquilm, who^'muBt have Veil ktiown Jkpn a pure and holy worship, ver. i-

This Psalm eonUins marks of the beauty and per^ fection of the Church.

8. The Lord lotjeth his CkOrth — thip aciBembly, beyond all ethe»: << The Lord loveth," &c., veic- S.

. 3. All the prophets have iii^}Lau glorima, things concerning it, and have considered ii as the *< pity of God," ver..3. ^ ' •.

4. One of the glorious things spoken of^it ^was the conversion of the Gentiles to it. So -here Egyptitms, Babylonians, Tyriahs, Ethiopians, &C.,. jure to be gathered into it by regeneration. They sbfll all be brought to know the true Crod; aad shall be ckased

in the multitude of those who know him, i. e., who offer

5. By having the word of God in this true Church, they dball be converted to God; so that it may be said, " Tliia and that mau were bom to God in it,** ver. 5.

A. AU other citiei shall decay and perish; but the Church of God, the city of the Great King, shsLll be established for tv^, tfie gates of hell shall never prevail, against it, ver< 5.

7. The converted Gentiles shall have- equal privileges with the converted Jews; and ito tfi^ Cbristiaii Chiirch they ahall alt be enrolled without difference or precedence, v,er. 6. »' * ' * "

84 They shall enjoy a perpetual solemnity. \ They shfldl ever have Ckuse to Mg and rejoice, ver. 7.'

9. The highest privilege is that in GodVChureh he opens atie fountains of living water; in his ordinfiiees God dispensee every blessing; every sincere «nd upright soul rejoices in opportunities to wait* on God in his ordinances. - &uqh a one can sing, *' All my spijngs are in Uicjb.*' AU other fountains are muddy; this akme is as eleai^ as crystal. Worldly springs yield bo pU|^ delight;- aU 'there are mixed and turbulent: aU hisre are re^feshihg, aatisfying, delightful.

The earnest prayer of a person in ds^ distress, abandoned by kis frienda and neighbours, and -apparently

^A Song or Pnlm •for the loni of l^ofa^r to the- chief Musician upon Mabalath bLeanneth, « Huc^ of * Hemanthe Esrihite.

- 2 Let iny prayer come before thee: incline thine ear Unto my cry; • '.

3 For my fsoul is full of troubles; and my life » draweth nigh unto the grave..

NOTES ON PSALM LXXXVin. Perhaps tl^ title of this Psalm, whicK is difficult enough, might be thus trandated: " A Poem' to. be sung to the conqueror^ by the sons of 'KoraK, responsivehy, in behalf of a distressed person) to g^ve^ instruction to Heman the. E^rahite.*' Kenhicott'tOiyB.this Psalm has three titles, bttt the last only belongS to it; and supposes it to be the prayer ef a person shut up in a separate house, because of t&e leprosy, who seems to hav« beep in the last stages of that distemper; this disease, under the Mosaic dispensatipn, being supposed to come- &om the immediate stroke of God; Calrriet supposes it to refer to the captivity; the Israelitish nation: being represented -here under the figure of a person great|y afflicted through the whole course of his life. By ^ome^ Hetnan is suppotod to have been, the author; but who* he was is not easy to be determined. Heman and Ethan,- whose names are separately prbfixed to this tod the following Psalm, are mentioned as the grandsons of Jud^ by his' daughter-in-law Tamar, 1 Chron. ii. 6, for they were the sons of Zerah, his immediate son by the above. **And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, b^e him Pharez and Zerah," ver.. 4. " And the sons of Zerah, Zimri, and Etlian, ftnd Heman, aqd Calcol, and

Bara, (or Darda,") ver. -6. If these were the Baihe 4)er8ons mentioned 1 Kings iv. 31, they were eminent in wisdom; for it id ^ere said' that Solomon^s wisdom' *< •excelled the wisdom, -of all the children bf the east country, aiid all the wisdom of Egypt. For he Was wiset than all men; than Ethan the Eznhitie, and Heman, and Chaleol, and Darda, the sobs of Mabel,'' ver. 3p, 3 1. Probably Zerah. was also ea&ed Mahd. If He Psaims in question ixrere written by these men, they are the eldest poetical compositions extant; and the. most andentyart of Divine revehfion, as these persons lived at least one hundred and seventy yeuu before Moses. This may he true of the seventy^eightk ^ Psalm; liut cCfttainly not.of the follchiving, as it speaks of transactioUs that took place long afterwards, at le^t as late as. the days of David, who' is paiticulaiff mentioned in it. Were -we sure of Heman as thrtf author, there would be no difficulty in >applying ther whole of thd Psalm to the state of the Hebrews in Egypt, perseicuted and oppressed by Pharaoh. But to seek or labour to reconcUe matters contained in the, titles to the Psalms, is treating them '^hh too much respect^ as many of them are wrongly placed, and none' of them Divinely inspired.

"^ 4 ''^I am countai with them 'that go down into the pit: ^ I am as a man ikat hath Q^ strength:.;. '^

lie in the grarey- whom thou remembereet no more^ and they are ^ cut off * from thy hand. ^6 Thank hast laia me in the lowest pit, in diWJmesBj in the deeps.

the cofUintiatiQn of prayers and supplicaiions already often sent up to the throne of grace.

.Verse 3. Let my prayer come before 4hde\, It is weak aod helpless,, though fervent and sincere: take all hiqderances out of its way^ and let it have a free passage to thy throne. One of the finest thoughts in tke Iliad of Homer zoxiz^nxv prayer; I shall transenbe % prtacipal part of this incomparaUe passage— inconir parable when we- consider its origin: — slant-eyed, Which, though far distant, yet with constant pace. Follow offence. Offence, robust of limb. And treading firm the ground, outstrips them all, And over all the earth, before them runs Hurtful to man: they, following, heal the hurt. Received respectfully when they approach, Thejr yield us aid, and listen when we pray. But if we slight, aiid with obdurate heart Resist, them, to Saturnian Jove they cry Against us, supplicating, that offente Jf ay cleave to us for vengeance of the wrong. ■ Thou, therefore, 0 Achilles! honour yfeld To Jove's own daughter^, vanquished as the brave Have ofltimes been, by honour paid to thee.

On this allegory the translator makes the following remarks:. ** Wrinkled, because, the countenance of a man,<IHven to prayer by a consciousness of guilt, is sorrowful and dejected. Lame, because it is a remedy to which men recur late, and with reluctance. SUmteyed, either because in that state of hiuniliation they fear to lift up their eyes to heaven, or are employe^ in takin^^ a retrospect of their past misconduct. The whole allegory, considering when and u^A^re it was composed, jforms a very striking passage.''. Prayer to God for mercy must have the qualificatiqps marked above. Prayer comes from God, He desires to save us: this desire ^is impressed on our hearts by his Spirit, and reflected back to himself. Thus says the allegory, **^ Prayers are the daughters of Jupitec'' Bat they are lame; za.reflected light is much less intense and vimd than light direct^ The desire of the heart is afraid to gb into the presence of God, because the man knows, /eelt^ that he has sinned against goodness and mercy. ' lliey are tmn^M— dried up and withered, with incessant longing: even the tears that reffesh the soul are dried up and exhausted. They are slant-eyed; look aside through shtoie and confusion; dare not look God in the.fiMSe. B.ut transgression is strong, bold, impndent, and destraqtive: it treads with Kfirm step over the earth, bringing dowo. curses on mankind. Prayer qnd repentance follow, but generally at a distance. The heart, being hardened by the deoeit6ihiess of sin, does not speedily relents They, however, follow: and when, with humility and contrition,, they approach the throne of grace, they are respectfully ■ received. God acknowledges them as his offspring, md Keal4 the wouridi made by transgres/ion, " If the' heart remain ohdurate^ and the man wijU not humble himself'hefoie his.- God, then hie transgression. cleaves to hith, and the heartless, lifeless prayers which he maj offer in ^at state, presuming op God's mercy, will tqm ag%in.8t hun; and to such ' a jone the sjSu;riiicial death and mediation of Christ are in vain. And this will^ be the c^ise especially with the person who, having received an oSenc^e frem another, refuses to for* gwe, Th^ latter circumstance is that to which the poet part^cnlaily refers. See Jthe whole passage, with its context.

Terse 4. I am counted with them, 4^.] I am as good as dead; nearly destitute of life and hope.

Verse's. Free among the dead] 'Wfln O'H'Si bammethim chophshi, I rather think, means stripped among ike dead' Both the fourth Kod" fifth verses seem to allude Xj9 9i field of battle: the slain and the wounded, are found scattered over the plain; Che spoilers come among them, and strip, hot only the dead, buu those also who appear to be mortally wounded, and cannot recover, and ace so feeble as not to be able to resist. Hence the psalmist says, ** I am counted with them that go down ipto the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength," ver» 4. And I am stripped among the dead, like the mortaUir wounded (O^SV) chaialim) that lie in the grave. " Free aniong the dead," inter mortuos liber, has been applied by the fathewrto our Lord's voluntary death: all others were obliged to die; he alone ^ove up his Jife,jaiid could take it again, John X. 1 8. He Went into the grave, and came but when he chose. The dead are bound in the grave; he was free, and not obliged to continue in that state as they were.

They are cut off from thy hand] An aQuaion to the roll in which the'general has the names of aH that compose his army under their respective officers. And when one is killed, he is erased from this register, and remembered no more, as belonging to the army; but hiaT name is entered among those who are dead, in a separate book. This latter is termed the black book, or the book of death; the other is called

7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and " thou hadt afflicted me with sll thy waves. $elah^ ^ 6 "^Thou hast {)u^ away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast ro^de me an abomuiaiion unto them: / am shut up, and I caiUDot come forth. -

. 9 ® Miiie eye moumeih by reason of affliction: Lord, I have cidled daily upon thee, ' I have stretchedoiit my hands unto thee.

10 ^ Wilt thou show wonders to. the dead? shall tike dead arise^ncf upraise thee? Selah.

11 ' Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

13 But unto thee^have I cried, O Lord; and * in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

15 lam afflict^ and ready to die frora my y oilth up: while. ^ I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16 Thy fierce wi:ath goeth.over me; thy terrOTs have ciit me off. ' '

17 They came round about me ^ daily lihe water;. they Compassed me about together.

18 ^ Lover and friend hast tliou piit far ffan me, and mine acquaintance into darktiess..

the ifo&k of life, er the book.where the living are enrolled. From thiflT circumstance, Qxpresaed in different parts of- the sacred writings^' the doctrine of unconditional reprobation and election l^ak l^pn deriy.e^. How wonderful f '

Verse 7. Thofi hast evicted me with aU.thy waves,'\ The figures in this verse* se/kn to be tajcen from a tempest at sea. The stdhn is fierce, and the war 09, coyer the ship. / -..

-t Verse 8. Thou hast modi n^ an ahominati6n\ This ferseiias been supposed to express ^'^ state afn lepers who, because of tlie infectious nature of his disease, is separated from his famUy^-r-vi' abominable to all, a|id at l^t shut up in a separate house, whence he does not come out to mingle with society.^

Verse 10. Wilt thou show wonders to (Be dead t] D^no methim, dead men.

Arise and praise thee t] Any more in this life 1 The interrogations in this and the two following verses imply the. strongest n«^a^i<»iu.

Verse 11.. Or thy faithfulness' in destrttctian J] Faithfulness in God refers as well to hia fulfilling his Shreatenings as to his keef^ig his promises. The wicked are threatened with siich punishments as their crimes have.deserved; but annihilation is no puhishment, ' Gud therefore does not intend to annihilate the wicked; their destruction cannot declare the faithfulness of God,. Verse 13. The land offorgetfulnesst] The place • of separate spirits, or the invisible world. The heathens had some notion of this state. They feigned a river in nh& invisible worlds called Z«tf{A€(,.An^vi, which signifies oblivion, and that those who.dnmk of ii remembered no more any thing relative, to their former state.

^-B — ^Animae, quibus altera fato

Corpora debentur, lethai ad flwninis ufidam Securos latices et lor^a oblivia potant,

To all those souls who round the river wait

New mortfd bodies are decreed by fate;

To yon dqrk stream the gliding ghosts repair, Aod quajS deep draughts otlong dblivion there.

Verse 13. ShaU my prayer prevent thee.] It shall get before theej 1 wUi not wait till the accustomed time to.offer my morning sacrifice, I shaU call on thee lon^. before others coftte to offer their devotions.

Verse 14. Why ca4tesl thou off my soul I] Instead oC'Yiiy «(?u/vsevenil of* the ancient Versions have my prayer. Why dost thou refuse to hear me, and thus abandon me to </«a/A.'

. Verse 15. From my youth up.] I have always been a chfld. of. sorrow, afflicted in my body, and distressed in my mind.- There are still found in the Church of God persons in.simMar circumstances,; persons who are continually mourning for themselves and for the desolations ■ of^ Zion. A disposition of this kind is sure to pibdtice an unhealthy hody; and indeed a weak cqnstitution may oflen produce An enfeebled mind; but where the terrors of the Lord prevafl, thei» is neither liealth ot^dy nor peace of mind.

Verse 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth i^er fne.J It 'is a mighty flood by which I am. overwhelmed.

. Verse,1.7. They catne round about me daily like water] Besides his spiritual conflicts^ he had many enemies to grapple with.- The wave* of God^s displeasure broke over him, and his enemies came around liim like water, increasing more and more, rising higher and higher, till hp was at last on the point of be^ sabmerged in the flood.

Verse 18. Xrover antf yW^mf] I have no comfort, and neither /nenrf nor neighbour to Bympathize with roe.'*.,Mine acquaintance into darkness.] All have forsaken me; or I^ETHD y^^Dmeyitddai machsdch, ^* Darkness is ray companion.'' Perhaps he may refer to the tUatfk of his acquaintances; all were gone; there was ndne left to console him! That man has a dismal lot who has outlived. all his old friends and acquaintances; well may such complain. In the reqtiova] of their friends they see little else than the triumphs of death. Khosroo, an eminent Persian poet, handles this painful^ subject with great delicacy aAd beauty in the following lines: —. H

Rnftem sauee khuteereh bekerestem bezar Az Hijereh Doostan ke aseer fana ^hadend: Gaftem Eeshah Kuja shudend t v^ Kbatyr. Dad az sadajoaab, Eeshan Kuja.'

^'Weepiog, I pasaed the place where lay my friends' 'Captu'red by death; in accents wild I cried, Where are they J And stem Fate, by Echoes voice, Returned in solemn sound the sad Where are they T'

There are /our parts in -this Psalm:— *

III. The effects produced by this miserable condition: 1'. A special prayer, ver. 10-12; 9L An expostulation with God for deliverance^ ver. 10^2.

The psalmist offers his petition; but before he begins, he lays down four arguments why it abonld'be admitted, —

i: His confidence and reliance on Grod: ^ O Lord God of my salvation."

4. His sincerity: " I have cried before the.py And then he tenders his request for audience: ** Let

. ^t prayer come before thee, incline ihine ear unto my cry.

n. And then next he sets forth the pitiful condition he was in, that hereby he might ' move God to take compassion, which he amplifies several ways: —

1. From the weight and variety of his troubles; many they were, and pressed him to death. ** For my soul is full of troubles, and my life dra'weth nigh to the grave."

5. From the danger of death in which he was. • Which is illustrated by three degrees: —

1 • That he was moribundus, dying, no hope of life in him ev^n by the estimate of all men: "I *m counted with them that go down to the pit; I am as ii man that hath no strength."

2. That he was plane mortuus, nearly dead; but as a dead man, ** free among the dead;'' freed from all the business of this Ufe; as far separate £Pom them as a dead' man.

• 3.' Yea, dead and buried: " Like the slain that lie in the grave; whom thou rememberedst no more;" i. e., to care for in this life; and '* they are cut off from thy hand," i. e., thy providence, thy custody, as tooolw ing matters of this life.

And yet he farther amplifies his sad condition by two aimilitudes: —.

1. Of a man in some deep dark dungeon: "Thou kut laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness^ in the iaeps;" -as was Jeremiah, chap, xxxvii;

' S. Of ar man in a vp9ek at. aMs ttttt la compassed with the waves, to. which heoomparea God's anger: '^ Thy wrath lieth hard npon die, and thon hast afflicted ipe wfth all thy waves." One wave imp^fs another. The recurrence of his troubles wtti p6if>etnal; one no aooner gone but another succeeded. • *

And, to add to. this his sorrow, his friends, whose visits in extremity used to alleviate the grief of a troubled soul,' even these' proved perfidious, and came not to him; he had no comfort, with them; which was also God's doing, and thus augmented his giief.

The auxeeu or augmentation is here very elegant.

I.- "Thou hast put away mine. aoqiuuntance from me." Thou.

2. " Thon hast made me an M)omination^to them." No less;• an dbaminatidn.

3. " I am ^ut up, I cannol ^ome'forth." As a man in prison, I cannot' cqme at them, and they will not come to me.

lU. The effect of which grieyoiis affliction ww threefold': I. An internal grief and wasting of the. body-; S. An ardent affection in God; and, 3. A^ expostulation with Grod.

1. " My eye mourns by reason of affliction." An evidence that I am troubled and grieved to the heart, that my eye droops and fails; for. when the animal and vital spirits suffer a decay, the eye will quickly, by her dimness, deadness, and ^ulne^' discover it.

2. It produced an ardent affection, a continuance and.assiduity in prayei, which is here made evident by the adjuncts.

2. 'JBj the extension of his hands: " I have stretched out my hands to thee." Men used to do so when they

expected help; when they looked to receive; whence we sometimes say. Lend me thy hand.

3. The i)iird effect was, an expostulation with God, in which he-presseth to spare his life from the inconvenience ihat migHl thereby happen, viz., that he shotfld be ^sabled to praise God, and celebrate his name,- as he waia bound and desired to do, among the living: an argument used before, Psa. vi. 3.- This argument, though it savours too much of human frailty, yet he thought by it to move God, who above all things is jealous of his' own glory, which Sy his death he imagines will suffer loss; ' and therefore he asks, —

1. "Wilt thou show wond,ers anM)ng the deadl** That is, thy desire is to set forth thy. honour, which cannot be done if I ^ to ' the grave, except by some miracle I should be raised from thence.

2. " Shall the dead arise again and praise thee V It is the living that shallshow forth thy praise, thy power, and. goodness; tl^ fidelity in keeping thy promises to' the sons of men. The dead, as dead, cfannot do this; and they return not from the grave, except by miracle.

, 3. " Shall thy lovingkindness be declared ip the grave^ oi thy faithfulness in destruction? shall thy wonders be known in (he dark, or thy righteousness in the land of forgQtfulness 1" Such is the grave, a place of oblivion; for Abraham is ignorant of us. The goodness' and faithfulness- of God, w{iich he makes known to us in this life, are not known nor can be declared by the dead: the living see them'; they have expe-

T%e psabnist celebrates PSALMS*

rtence of them; "and therefore ke deeires that his life maj he apared^to that end, leat.if he die jiow that faculty should be taken from him; he shonfil no kwger be ahie to resound the praise of God, which ia the end £k whiek men ought to desire life.

rV. He returns to his complaint; and again repeata what he had said before, and almost in the same words, and gives three instances: —

1. Ia his prayer: *' But unto thee have I eried^ O

^Lord; and in the morning shall my -prayer prerent

thee.** He prayed earnestly, early, not drowsily; for

he did preyent God: he prayed, and would continue in

prayer; and yet all in vain.

8. For God seems to be inexorable, of which he eomptain^: ** Lord, why castest thou off my soul! why hideat thou thy face from me 1" Even the best of God^a aervanu have.sometimeiB been brought to that (rtrait, thai they have not had a clear sense of God's fkvour, but conceived themselves neglected and deserted.I9 him, and discountenanced.

1. ¥xom the time and continuance of it; for he had borne it ^ even ^om his youth up.*'

S. From the cause. • It did not proceed from any

thefmerey ef ISkd.

oatwaad or Human canae; that might have been heme and' helped: l^ut it waa a& affliction sent jfrom God: ** Thy terrora have I suffered -^ it came from a sense of God's wrath.

3. FVom an uncomfortable effect. It wrought in his soul amazement, unreat, a perpetual trouble and aatonishment: "** Thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind: I am distracted vnth them." -.

He amplifii^a this wrath l^ the formef aimilea, ver. 7; waves and water^

1. ^Thy fieipe wrath goea over me;" as waves over a man's head at sea. *^ Thy terrors have cut me off;" as a weaver's thrum.

3. " They came round about me like wmtev; dafly like w»ter."

3. ** They compassed me about together," as if they conspired my ruin: " all thy waves," ver. 7.

His third instance, which ih the same, ver. 8. The perfidiousness and desertion of friends: a loving friend ia aome comfort in distress; but this he found not: " Lover and friend* hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness." They appear no more to me to give me any counsel, help, or comfort, than if they were hidden in. perpetual darkness. His therefore, waa most deplorably. '

,J%i ficknist shows Ooi*s great fnercy to the Juntse of Davids and the promises which ke had given ia it of support and p^tpettUty, J^"^!! complains thatt notwithstanding these promises, th^ kingdom of JwM is overthi-own, and' the toyd family^ nearly ruined, 88-45; and earnestly prays for their restara-. Han^ 40-52.

• T WIHi sing of the mercies erf the Lord for erer:; with my mouth will I make kBovn thy faithfulness ^ to all generations.

It ia roost probable that this Psalm wtm composed dilriiig the captivity. Of Ethan and Neman we have already aeen something ia the introduction to the preeeding- Psalm; see also the parallel places in the mar.- gin. The title should probably be translated, — To give instructiam^ to Ethan the Ezrahite. The Chaldee haa, ^* A good instruction, delivered by Abraham, who eame from- the east country." The 'Septuagint and JEtkiopic have Ethan the Israelite; the Arabic has Nathan the Israelite,

The Psalm divides itself into two grand parts; the first extends from ver. 1 to 37, in which the psalmist shows God's mercy to the house of David, and tlie -profniaes which he has given to it of support and perpetuity. The second part begins with ver. 38, and ends, with the Psalm; and in it the author complains that, notwithstanding these promises, the kingdom of Judah' is overthrown ind the royal family ruined; and h^ entreats the Lord to remember his covenant made

2 For I have said, Mercy shdl. be built up for ever: * thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the veiy heavens.

3 'I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have ^ sworn imto JDayid my servant,

Verse i: / will sing of th^ mercies of iha Lord] I will celebrate the mercy of God to the house of Jacob; the mercy that has been shown to our fatbeia foim time immemorial.

To all generations] What £ say concerning thy mercy and goodness, being inspired by thy "Spirit, ia not only true, bntjBhall be preserved by the Diviae providence for ever.

Verse 8. Mercy shall he huilt up far ever] God^a goodness is the foundation on which 6is mercy rests; and from that source, and on that foundation, acta of mercy shall flow and be built up for ever and' ever.

Thy faithfulness shalt thou estaldish] What thoa hast promised to do to the children of men* on earth, thou dost register in heaven; a^d thy promise shall never fail.

Verse 3. I have made a covenant with my chosen] I have made a covenant with Abraham, laaac, and

4 ^Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up tiiy throne ' to all generations. Selah.

5 And ^ the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

6 ^ For who in the heaven cato be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened qnto the Lord?

.7. ■ God is greatly to be feared in the assem-

Jacob; an4 renewed it with Moees aad Joahua in reference to the Israelites in general: bat I have made one with Pavid in especial relation to himself and p08«> terity, of whom, according to the flesh, ^ Christ ia to xome. And this is the covenant with Darid: —

Verse 4. Thy seed will I establish far evtr, and buUd up thy throne to all generations.'] And this co- Tenant had most incontestably Jesos Christ in view. This is the seed^ or posterity, that should sit on the llirone, and reign for ever and ever. DaTid and his ftmUy are 'long since become extinct; none of his race has sat on tho Jewish throne for more Ihan two thoU' sand years: but the Christ has reigned invariaUy •inee that time, and will reign till all his enemies are pat under his feet; and to thi* the psalmist says-iSe^. Il will be so; it is so; and it cannot be otherwiae; for the Lotd hath sttom that he shall have an enerlasimg kingdomy as he has an everlaiting priesthood.

Verse 6, The heavens shall praise thy w&nder$\ The works that shall be wrought by this descendant of David shall be so plainly miraculous as shall prove dtoir ongin to be Divine: and both saints and angels shall join to celebrate his praises.

Thy foMfidness also] All thy promises shall be fnlfilled; and particularly and supereminently those which respect the congregation of the lairttj— -the assemblies of Christian believers.

Verse 6. For who in the heaven] pnST shachak signifies the ethereal regions, all visible or unbounded space; the universe. Who is like Jesus! Even in his human nature none of the sons of the mighty can be compared with hira. He atones for the sin of the world, and saves to the uttermost all who come unto God through him.

~ This may also be considered a rcpiroof to idolaters. Is there any among the heavenly hosts like to God 1 Even.the most glorious of them were made by his hands. Can the stars, or the more distant planets, or the moon, or the sun, be likened unto God most-high?

Who among the sons of the mighty] Instead of whu^ elim^ mighty ones, four of Kenmcott^s and De EossVs MSS. have Vk eil, strength: — sons of strength, strong persons. Several of the Versions seem to have read D'nSx Elohlm, Goo, instead of D'^K elim^ strong ones. So my old Psalter, following the Vulgate: —

fzt Vpha in the tiototic^ jsral be etoeneb to Kortie; liiie jB^Al be to ^oti in jaronjer of 49o))! which it pan^

bly of the saints, and- to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

8 O Lord God of hosts, who t» a strong Lord * like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

9 ** Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

'lO ^ Thou hast broken ^ Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies ' with thy strong arm.

phrases thos: ^'Emang al haly men nane may bd evened to Ihu Crist: and nane may be like to hyni in God^s sons: for he is God^s son be kynde, and thai Chmgh grade.*^

Verse i. Ood is greatly to he feated]- In all reli* gious assemblies the deepest reverence for God should rest upon the people. Where- this docs not preyail^ there is no true worship. While some come with a proper Scriptural boldness to the throne of grace, therd are others who come into the presence of God with a reprehensible, if not sinful, boldness. *

Verse 8. O Lord God of hosts] Thou who hast all armies at thy command, ^d- canst serve thyself by every part <^ thy creation, whether animate or inanimate^

Who is a stfong Lord] See ver. 6.

Thy faithfulness round about theet] Or, morO properly, thy fdithfulness is round about theci Thou still keepest thy promisee in view, God's truth leads him to fulfil his promises: they stand round his throne as the faithful servants of an eastern monarch stand round thenr master, waiting for the moment of theitf dismission to perform his wilL

Verse 9. Thou rulest the raging of the sea] Who-, ever has seen the sea in a storm, when its waves ran what is called mountain high, must acknowledge that nothing but omnipotent power could rule its Paging.

W,hen the waves thereof arise, thou stillesi them.] Thou govemest both its flux and reflux. Thou art the Author ot storms and calms* There may be a reference here to the passage of the Red. Sea, and the strong wind that agitated 'its waves, at that time; as the next verse seems to indicate.

Verse 10. Thou hast broken Rahab] Hion hast destroyed the power of Egypt, hiving overthrown the king and its people when they endeavoured to prevent thy people from regaining their liberty.

As one that is slain] The whole clansc in the original is, 2m SSnJ riHD"! nnK attah dikkitha kechalal Rahab, " Thou, like a hero, hast broken down Egypt. ** Dr. Kennicott has largely proved that SSn chalal, which we render wounded, slain, &c., means ^ soldier, warrior, hero; and it is certain that this sense agrees better with it than the other in a great number of places. Mr. Berlin translates, Tu contrivisti ut cadaver -/Egj'ptum; " Thou hast braised down Egypt like a dead carcass." The whole strength of Egypt conld avail nothing against thee. Thon didst trample

1 1 ■ The heavens are ihine, the ca^nh also is ihine: as for the vvjorld and ihe fulnesa thereof, thou liast founded ihem,

12 *The north and tlie south thou Last created them: ^' Tabor and ' Hermoii shall rejoice in tliy name.

13 Tliou hasl *a mighty arm: strong is ihy hand, und high is thy right hand.

^A 14 * Justice and judgment are the J^ habitation '^f ilty iljrone: * mercy and truth shall go before thy face, 15 Blessed is the people that know the

Verse 11. The heavens are thine] Thou art the Governor of nil things, and the DiBpoaer of all t2veat«*

And ihe fuhics-f] All the general ions of ftiea. Thou hasl founded them — ihou haat m^dc thertit and dost ^^fustuin them 4.

After this verse, the ^diiw Printeps of the Hebrew Qhle, printed at Soneini, 1 4d@, adds:■ —

To thee is the day; also to thee la the night: Thou ha^t prepared the light and the ma.

Verse 13. The north and the sQuth] It i« generally supposed that by these /omr tcrraa all the four quartera of the globe are intended. TaW^ a mountain of Galilee, WiLS on the wesi of Mount ffer/iionj which was beyond Jordan, to the east of the aouroc of that river,

Veiae 14* Justice and judgment are the habit alian rf thy throne] The throne — the govemment^ of God, ia founded ip. righteousness and judgment. He knows what is right; he aeea what ia right; he dotjs what is right; and his judgments are ever according to righteousness. His decision are till. oracles; tio one of '|bcTi> is ever reversed.

Mercy and truth shall go before thyfoce.} These shall be the hef^tis that shall anuounte ih^ coming of the Juilge. His trulh binda him to fulfil all hia declarations; and hit mf^rcy shall be showTi to all thow who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them in the Gospei See the notea on Psa. bLxxv.

Verse 15. Bkssed m the people] ** 0 the blessednesses of that people (Qjm ^^y^H ashretj /taam) that know the joyful sound;** that are spared to hear the sound of iho trumpet on the loornitig of the jubilee t which procluims deliverance to the captives, and the realoration of all their forfeiteit estates, " They ahaH 4SS

1 6 In thy nanae shall they rejoice all the day i and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

17 For thou art the glory of their strength; ^'and ia thy favour our horn ahall be exalted,

18 For ^ the Lord ts our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our King.

10 Then thou spakest in fisioe to thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted owe " chosen out of the people.

walk vigoTOUsiy (joStt' ifehaUechtm) in the Ugtit of thy CO unte nance " (yi3 "IIKI beor p^/i^yrAa)— the full per^ suasion of the approbation of God their Fetthett Ue^- deerncr^ and Sanctifier.

And in thy righteousness] Tn th^ deelaTation of thy righteousoess for the remisaiun of ^tns thai Axe pa^i Rom. iii. 25, S6.

Shail they he exalted.] They shall be justified freely front alt things^ be purified from all ulul r^^

grow in grace, and in the knowledge of J rial

here beloWf and at last be exalted to his ngbi liand to reign with him fur ever* The jubilee was a type of the Gospel, und under tiiat type the psalmist hero e^peakfi of tlie glorious advent of the Lord Jesoa, und the great happineaa of believers in him. Let it be oh^ ^Tved that the letters in the above Hebrew woi^ called paragogic^ aa | nun in p^Vi"' yehaliechntfy and pS'^l' yegtlujt^ always increase and deepen the meaning of the words to which they are attached.

Verse 17, Far thou art the ghry of their strength] They are strong io faith, and give glory lo thee, because they kuow that their strength cometh from the Ijord of hosts*

A fid ta thy favour our horn shall he exalted.] Ittatead of Di'vn tarum, " shall be exalted/* D'-m taHm^ ** thou shalt exalt/' is the reading of se?er&l MSS.: but 01 W lantm^ *» shaU be exalted,*^ is supported by forty-fomr of Kennicotfs MSS*, and stsiy of De MossiSt aa well as by severaJ ancient editions, with the S^uagint, Syrtac^ Vulgale^ and Arahit. \'eraiou8. In th0 enjoyment of the Divine fsivour they sball^ grow j more irtse^ more hidy^ mcfre pmoerfulj and, consequeutly, more happy.

Verse Id. Then thou spaHsi in visi<m i& thy hoiy one] Instead of p'DH chastdechn^ "thy holy one," yi'DH chasideycha^ ** thy holy ones/' ia the reading of sisty^three of Kenntcatt^s and seventy-one of De Mossi*^ MSS,, and a great number ot editions besides.

If w-e liUce it in the singular^ it moat probably means S^mt/elj and refer a to the ret^lstion God,uave to him relative to his appointment of Dmiid to be king in the ( 3f»)

21 ^Wirh whom my hapd shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.

22 ^The enemy shall j)ot exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him,

23 * And I will beat doi?f n his foes befOTe his face, and plague them (hat hate him.

24 Bet ^my failbfulaesa and my mercy shail be wiih Imjb: and *io my name shall bi« hom be cxalled.

25 * I will' set bis hatid also m the sea^ and his right Land in the rivers*

26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art *my falbcr, my God, and " the rock of my salvation*

ntea^ Cff SauL If We take it in tbe piwral^ it maj mean not only Samuei^ but ilso Nathan, and Gat/.

Verse 20. / ha v€ found J^mnd m^ Merc&nt] This Is ihe itsm of what God ha4 said in prophetic visions to his itftPif^ or hulj per54»[is, Slgmue/f Nathan j and Cr^iJI see the pamllel places in the margin. Here die palmist Wg^ins to reason with God relative lo Daviti, his posterity T and the perpetuity of his kingdom; which promises appear now to have utterly failed, as the throve had heen overturned, and all the people carrfed into i^aptivity. But all these things may have reference to CAru/ and his kingdom; for we ate assmred that David was a type of the Messiah.

Verse S9* The enemy shall ji(jt e^act vpon him] None of his enemies shall be able to prevail against him. It is worthy of remark that David was never overthrown; he finally conquered every foe that rose dp against him. SanFs persecution, Absalom^^ revolt^ Shebi's conspiracy, and the stmgs^lc made by the par* lisans of the Ijonse of Saul af\er his death, only tended la call forth David's skill, courage, and prowess, and to seat hitn more frrmly on his throno..The Philis* lines, the Ammonites, the SyriaoSf &c., milted alt theit for^e& to crush him» but in vain: ** God beat down all bis foes before his face," and variously plagued those who opposed him, ver. 23.

V^fse 35. / jPtU s§i hts hand alsa m fhe'sea} This was literally fu I 111 led in David. Hand signiBes power oriHitltori!y; he set his hand on llie sea m rMnquertng the PbilliUiies, and extending bis empire along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from Tyre to Pelusinm. All ihecoastsoCthc Red $ ea» the Persia nGulf^ and the Ara* bie Oeeani jnigbt be said to have been und«r his ^^^r^rnwntnt^^ for they all paid tribute to him or his aon Solomon. liis right hand in iheriwera] Firsts the £uphrate»:

^3 ' My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and ' my covenant shall stand fasi with him,

29 *His seed also will I make to endure for ever, ^and his throne ^as the days of heaven;

30 'If hia children "forsake my law, and walk not in my jud^iients;

3 1 If they y break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

32 Then 'will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes*

33 * Nevertheless my lovingkitidness ^ will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness "" to fail,

he subjected all Syri^ and even a part of Mesopota^ mia; % Sam. viii. 3; 1 Chroo, xviii, 3. He also took Damasons, anil consequently had bis hand or anthority over the river Chrysorrhoca, or Baraddi; and in hia conquest of all Syria his band must have been on the Or&ntts and other rivers in that region. But if thb be considered ^s referring to the typical David, we see that He was never conquered; he ne* er lost a. battle; the hosts of hell pursued him in vain. Satan was diftcomfited, and al! his enemies hruified under his feet. Even over death be triumphed; and as to bis dominion, it has spread and is spreading over aJl the isles of the sea, and the continents of the world,

Ver»0 37* / wtll make him ray Jirst-bom] I wUl deal by him as a father by hi& first-ham sitn, to whi double portion of possessions and honours beli First'hom is not always to he understood hieraUy In Scripture, It often si|rnilies simply a weU-helavedt cr best-hdoved svn; one preferred to all the rest, ajid distinguished by some, eminent pTeiogative. Thus God calls Israel his joft, h]» JirH-borp, Exod. iv. 22, See also Ecelua. xxxvi. |2« And even Bphraim is called God 'a Jirst-bomf Jer* ixxi. 9* In the same sense it is sometimes applied even to Jesus Christ himself J to signify his supereminent dignity; not tho etermd Sanshtp of his Dtvtne nature, as iovfteratt prejudice and super5cial thinking have supposed.

Verse *29. His seed also will I make to endure fat eirer]. This can apply only to the spiritual David. The posterity of David are long since extinct, or so blended with the remaining Jews as to be utterly in* discernible; but Jesus ever livelh, and his seed (Chnsttans) are spread, and are spreading over all nations; and his throne is eternal. As to his manhood^ he is of the house and lineage of David; the governtnent is upon his shouldera, and of its increase there shall he no end, npon the throne of T>avjd and on his kingdom ^ to order it and to establish it with judgment and join tiae, from henceforth even for ever. Jsa. ix^ 7.

34 My covenant will I not break, nor ^Iter the thing that is gone out of my lips."

35 Once have I swom ^by my holiness • that I will not lie \mto David.

36 'His seed shall endure for. ever, and his throne ' as the sun before me.

37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, a^d as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

38 But thou hast ^ cast off and * abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy eervant; ^ thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.. - ■ '

40 ^ Tliou hast broken down ^ his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruki. ^

41 AH that pass by the way spoil him: he is ■* a reproach to his neighbours.

42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.

43 Thou hast ako turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.

44 Thou hast made his «» glory to cease, and ® c^st his throne down to the ground.

45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.

notes on 2 Sam. vii. 13, Vfhexe this and some pf the foUowing verses are explained. *. ■

Verse 34. My covenant wiU I not break'] My determination to establish a spiritual kingdom, the head of which shall be Jesus, the son of David, shall never fail. My prophets have declared this, and I will, not alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth..

Verse 35. Once have I swam].I.have made one determination on this head, and have bound myself by my holiness; it is impossible that I should change, and there needs no second oath, the one already made is of jBndJess obligation.'

Verse 36. His throne qs' the su7i\ Splendid vid glorious! dispensing light, heat, life, and salvation to all mankind.

Verse 37. As the moony and as a/aithfui witness in heaven,] That is, as long as the sun and moon shall endure, as long as time shall last, his kingdom shall last amoog men. The mo^ appears to be termed a faithful witness here, because by her particularly time is measured. Her decrease and increase ite especially observed by every nation, and by these time is generally estimated, espeoialiy amqng the eastern nations. So many moons M a man old; so many moons since such an event happened; and even their years are reckoned by lunation^. This is the case with the Mohammedans to the present day. Or the rainbow may be intended; that sign which God has established in the cloud; that faithful witness of his that the earth shall no more be destroyed by water. As long therefore as the sun, the moon, and the rainbow appear in ■the heavens, so long shall the spiritual. David. reign, ' and his seed prosper and increase.

Verse 38. But thou hast cast off] Hitherto the psalmist has spoken of the covenant of God with David and his family, which led them to expect all manner of prosperity, and a perpetuity of the Jewish throne; now he shows what appears to him a failure of the promise, and what he calls in the next vdfse the making void the covenant of his servant, God cannot lie to David; how is it then that his crown is profaned, that it is cast down to\he ground; thrland being possessed by strangers, and the twelve tribes in the most disgraceful and. oppressive captivity!.

Verse 40. Thau hast broken down all his hedges] Thou hast permitted the land to be stripped of all defence; there is not even one strong place in the hands of thy people.

.Verse 41. All that pass by the way spoil him.] Tks land Is in the condition of a vineyard, the hedge of which is broken down, so that they who pass by- mi^ pun the grapes, and dismantle or tear down the vines. The Chaldeans and the Assyrians began the ravage; the Samaritans on the one hand, and the JUmmeans on the other, have completed it

Verse 42. Thou hast set up the right hand of hie adversarieii] Thou hast given thetfi that strength which thou didst formerly give to thy own people; therefore these are depressed, those exalted.

Verse 43.' Thou hast also turned the edge of k^ svaord^ The arms and military prowess of thy people are no longer of any use to them: tbou ut against them, and therefore they are fallen. In what a perilous and hopeless situation must that soldier be who, while deftmding his life against his mortal foe^ has his sword broken, or its edge turned; or, in modern warfare, whose gun misstsfire I The GauUy when invaded by theRomauSi had no method of hardening iron; at every blow their swords bended, so that they were obliged, before they could strike again, to put them under their foot or over their knee, to straighten them; and in most casesr before this could be done; their better armed foe had taken away their life!. The edge of their sword was turned, so that th^y could, not stand in battle; and hence Ihe Gauls were conquered by the Romans.

Verse 44. 7%oti hast made his glory to cease] The kingly dignity- is destroyed, and there is neither king nor throne remaining.

Verse 46. The days of ftis youth hast thou short* ened] Our kings have not reigned half their days, nor lived out half their -lives. The fmir last kings of Jadea rpigned but a short time, and either died by the sword or 'in captivity.

The fsalmisf 8 prayer to he PSALM LXXXIX.

46 ^ How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? *» shall thy wrath bum like &e?

47' Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

48 'What man is he that liveth, and shall not * see death? shall he deliver his soul fHjia the hand of the grave? Selah.

49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, u;AicA thou'* swarest unto David r in thy truth?

eaptire to Egypt, wh6re he died, Jehaiakim reigned only eleven years^ and was tributary to the Ghaldeans, who fmt him to death, and cast h^ body into the common sewer. Jehoiachin reigned three marUhs and ten days, and was led captive to Babylon, where he continned in prison to the time of £vi]merodach, who, thoogh he loosed him from prison, never invested him with any power. Zedekiah, the last of aU, had reigned imly eleven years when he was taken, his eyes pui out^ was loaded with chains, and thas carried to Babylon. Jfbst of these kings died a Tiolent and premature detlh. -Thus the days of their yvuth^—ofthev power, dignity, and life, were shortened^ and they themselves ■evoered with shame. Selah; so it' most incontesttf- Wy,i«. "

Yene 46. How long, Lordf] The promise cannot otteriy fail. Mlien then, O Lord, vdlt thoa restore the kingdom to Israel?

-Verse 47. How short my time is'] If thou deliver not speedily, none of the present generation shall see thy salvation. Are all the remnants -of our tribes created in vain 1 shall they riever see happiness 1

Verse 48. What man is he that liveth] All men sre mortal, and death is uncertain; and no man, by wisdom, might, or riches, can deliver his life from the hand — the power, of death and the grave.

Verse 49. Lord, where are thy former loving^kindt nesses] Wilt thou hot deal with us as thou didst with oar fathers P Didst thou not s\^ear unto David that tboa wouldst distinguish him as thou didst them t '.

Verse 50. I do bear in my bosom] Our enemies, knowing our confidence, having often heard our boast in thee, and now seeing our low and hopeless estate, noek us for our confidence, and blaspheme thee. This woonds ray soul; I cannot bear to hear thy name blasphemed among the heathen. All these mighty people blaspheme the God of Jacob.

Verse 5 1. TTiey have reproached the footsteps of thme anointed.] They search into the whole history of thy people; they trace it up to the /earliest times; anjl the3r find we have been disobedient and rebdlious; and on this account we suffer much, alas, deserved reproach. The Chaldee gives this clause a singular turn: " Thy enemies have reproached the slowness of the footsteps of the feet of thy Messiah, O Lord. We have trusted in him as our great Deliverer, and havje been daily in expectation of his coming: bat there is no deliverer, and our enemies mock our confidence." This expectation seems now whoUy abandoned by tlK

6© Remember, Lord, thie reproach of" thy servants;. "^ hoU) I do bear in my bosom the reproach q/" all the mighty people;

61- * Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LoRb!; wherewith they have ' reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

J*wi: they halve rejected' the true Messiah^ and the ground of their expectation of another is now cut offt* When win tHey turn unto the Lord! When riutU the veil be taken away from their hearts!^

Verse 6S. Blessed be the Lard for evermore.] Let him treikt- us as he will, his name deserves eternal praises: our affliction, ^though great, is less than we have deserved.

This verse conchidestheTHiRD' Book of the Psajltkr; andy I think,'* has been added, hf a later hand, in order to Biake this distinetian, as f very Masor^tic Bible has something- of this Icind at the end of each book. The. verse is wanting in one oi KennicotVs and one of' De Rossi's MSS. \ in another it is written without points, to show that it does. -not belong to the text, and in three others it is written separately from the. text. It is found, however, in all the ancient Versions, ^The Chaldee finishes -thus:' " Blessed be the name of the Lord in this world: Amen and Amen. Blessed be the name of the Lord in the- world to coftie.. Amen and Amen. '^ And the reader will. find no difficulty to subscrit>e his Amen, so be it.

, In this t^salm the stability and perpetuity of Christ^s kingdom, of which the kingdom of David was but a type, are excellently described' and foretold. The 'parts of this Psalm are these:— I. The 'argument and sumx^tde whole; the loting^ kindness and the truth of God, ver. 1, 9.

n. The particular instance of God's goodness and truth in making a.cbvenant with David, ver. 3, 4.

V. A special example of God's goodness towards his Church, iaempHfied in David, but verified in Christ,'

Vn. An expostulation on the contrary events, where the psalmist deplores the ruined stale of the Jewish kingdom, ver. 38—47.

Analysii of the - PSALMS.

IX: The oanclusiofh u\ which Hie paalmiBt bleiseth God for the tope he has in his fayodr, ia all states, yer. 63. ". • *

I. The argument or sum of the Psalm set-down in the Jirst verse, and amplified by the reason in the second.

1. *'I will sing/' I will S9t this forth in a sdng; fcy6ltnoe, 1. It is the fittest way to express Joy for any

IMiig. 9. It win be besl^ inculcated in this way. 3. It will be- more easily remembered; and, 4. More' easily delivered to others, in order to l>e remembered. Many «ncient iiistories had not been preserved at all, had they not been delivered in poetry. -

2. " Of thy mer6i6s." Plarally, for ihey are' many; and a- song of this kind should be of o^. '

3. *' For ever.'^ Intentionally, not in ^imself, not actoally: for as a wicked man, could he live always, yrould sin always; tet a good ^ man,- could he live here for ever, woul4 sing for ever of the mercies of the Lord.. •..

4.." With my mouth will I make kflown," Ac. While I live I' will m&ke them known,. and when I am dead they shall be known by the're9ord which' I leave behind. His reason. for it is, because God's mercy is everiasting; it is therefore proper to be the subject of everlasting song.

I..^ For I have said." This is an indubitable truth. '*■ S. ^ Mercy shall b6 built up for -ever!" It is not

exhausted. in*one age, but,. as a house built on a strong foundation, it shall be firm, and last'irom age to age. 9. '' Thy faithfulness sh^H thou establish." As is thy mercy f ito is. thy faithfulness^ perpetual as the heavens. • ^ ' - •

II. For the proof of God's goodne^ and truth he produces the^ instance of the covenant divide with J^vid, where he brings in God speiaking:^— '[.

1 have made thi^ covenant through my mere raer6y, not on account of theit merits. I have chosen Da^vid, not because he deserved it, but because he is ^ for it.

2. " I have, sworn." In compassion to the weakness of men,. I have condescended to bind myself by an oath^ and the- covenant and the oath are extant.

3. The tenor of the covenant is, " Thy seed will J establish for ever, and build up^ thy throne to -all generations." Thy seed — this is true of Christ. only, who was of the seed of David, and i>f whose kingdom there shall be no end. The words are not to be understood' of David's earthly kingdom, but of Christ's spiritual kingdom, for that alone will be established for ever.

III. A Doxology.. What the psahnist undertook in the first part he now performs, and ^au he begins: << The heavens. shall.pfaise.'' By these some understand the Church, and* the preachers in the Church; others, the angefi! both are true. GoD^a followers and his angels praise him; and the subject of their praise is:— *

1. God's wondrous tborks, and his truth, S. The manner in which he showed his. works and his tnith, in promising the Messiah, and in so faithfully keeping 'that promise.

And now he shigs praise to his majesty, setting forth his power in three respects >-* i 502

' mghtifmnti„ Psalm.

1. By way of compeHson; there is nothing in heaven or earth equal to it, ver. 6—8.

2. By his agency in governing the worid: a|, for example, the sea, Thou stillest the raging of it, &c.

3. The creation of all things; the world and its fulneso,

'The other part of the praise, sung both by the prophets and the angels, is taken from his attributes, summed up in ver. 14: "Justice and judgment are the habitation- of thy throne; mercy and troth shall go before thy &ce."

He represents God as a great Xing' sitting in hit throne; the basis of. which is, 1. Justice and judgment, 27 The attendants are m^cy and truth.

1. Justice, which defends^ his subjepts, and doss every one right, y

IV. And ih regard thafCrod is powerful, jiist, mercifid, faithful, he takes an tx^casion to set out the happy condition of God's people, who live under this.King.

" Blessed aro the people that know the jo3rful sound:'' thai is,' do Jcnow that. God is present with them, and his kingly Majesty is at hand to* protect l^em. The phrase is taken from Moses^ For the Ijiw was given by soi^nd of 'trumpet. * The calling, of the feasts.was by sound of trumpet: at that Sound they removed; at that sound they assembled. Baiaam,said, *^The sonnd of a king is among them." Happy, then, are the ^ople that know the jOyfol sonnd. God presents their King speaking, ruling, defending, par* doning them,. Gr it may refer to the jrear of JubUee, (see the notes.) • That ^ey are happy^ the ^fleets do evince '; which are: — '

1. "They shall walk in the light of tlyr countenance," i.e., though beset with ^troubles, yet they shall walk confidently, being. assured of God's favpoF.

2. >* In thy name sh^* they rejoice all th6 day long." Their joy is firm.

3. ** In thy righteousness shall they, be exalted." They shall get a name, strength. In their union and tfonununioh with God they shall, be happy.

Confident,' yea, joyful and strong- they ve in aO.temp^tions; which yet they have not.from- themselves. All is from God. For 'Vthou art the glory of their strength, and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. For the L6rd is our defence^ the Holy One of Israel is our King/'

V. The doxology being* now ended, and the happiness of God's people expressed and proved, the prophet now enlarges himself upon the covenant formerly mentioned, yer. 4,.-5, exemplified in David, but truly vi^riAed in Christ, Which he continues to yejse tO,

1. ** Then," i;.e,, when David was chosen to be king, and invested 'with the xegal jobe.

2. '> Thou spfikesi in vision to thy Hofy Ope." To Samuel for his anointing; and saidst,

Z, '*'I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I Jiave exalted one chosen out of the people." That i% David in type, but Christ in the aqtitypOi iSo exr

'Analysis' of the

plained, *' I haye foand Iknid my Berrant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.''

To which there follow the pfomises made to him:^. i. Por his establishment and confirmation in the throng: ^ With w^hom my hand shall be established; mine ann also shall strengthen him/'

5. Fdr protection against his enemies: ** The enemy shall not exact upon him, nor the son of. wiekedhess affli«t him.'^

'3. A conquest over his enemies: " And will beat down his foes before his face, and plag\ie them t^ liatehim."

4. And that there be no donbt of the performance of these ample promises, nor. yet those that follow, the prophet interposes the cause^ viz., the faithfulness and mercy of God. In mercy he said it, and it shonTd so eome to pass r <* But my faithfulness and mercy shall be with him." And now he -goes on: —

And this his exaltation appears: —

1. In the dilatation of his empire*: *< I will set hilS hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers," L e., from the sea to Euphrates^ 3 Sam.;riii..-

2. In the honour done him, to call God Father, his. God, his Rock: *' He shall call to me, Thon'art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.**

. 3. Then that God asserts^ and fixes this prerogative upon him, acknowledging him to be his Son; his firstbom Son: *.' Also I will make him my'first-bonr, higher than the kings of the earth.'*

4. In the per|)etuity of his kingdom, which is rightly attril^ted to God's mercy; as ver. 25: " My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall 4yuid fast with him."

5. In the promise made, to his seed: ^ His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne;as the days of heaven.".,'

yj.'And next the prophet puts a case, and answers it: Btft what, if David's seed transgress God's covenant, break his laws, violate his statutes, become rebels and disobedient; will God then keep covenant with them? Mhall- Am seed endive for ever 7 and his throne as, the doj/M of heaven? To this doubt God answers,, frofai Ver. 30.to 38; showing us how David's seed, if they transgress, shall be dealt with.

2. '^ And walk not in my judgments;" i. e.,' jnthose laws which set out rewards and pumshmenis,

4. "■ And keep not my commandments;" that is, the deealogue and moral law. In a word, if they becoihe vicious in their morals, and profane, and rebels in my worship and religion.

This then sliall happen unto themr— escape they shall not, but shall soundly smart for it. They sh^ feel, — 1. The rod; and, 2. The scourge. Then,

1. **I will visit (that is, punish) their transgression with the rod.*'

often done hy th^. BdhyUmians,.AntiochuSf' Ac. And yel in Judgment I will remember meroy^ I will remember my covenant, my promise, my word, my oath, and will make that ^od.' I Will not totally cast off David's seed; which I mean not after the fiesh, for that is long since east ofiT, but after the Spirit. Christ, which was of the seed of David, and those which are his seed, viz., ihe Church, shall enjoy the henetl^ltt my covenant and oath for ever: f ' Nevertheles%4^ loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor sofifer my faithfulness to fail. - My covenant will t not break, nor alter the thing gone out of my lips.**

And that there. be no doubt of this, he brings in God repeating his oath and covenant.

1. His oath: " Once have I sworn by my holiness;** thai is, by myself, who lam holy.

2. Hia c^enant { " That I will not He unto David; for his seed shall endure for ever,, and his throne as the snn before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a iaithfld witness in heaven.**. As the sun and moon are not liable to any piinous mutationsj no more is this covenant: they, must endure to the etid ~ of the world; and so musl'this covenant." They are faithful vHtnesses in hearen; tM so we are to «eek for ^e pJBrformance of this bovenant in heaven; not in the earib^the sovenant being about a heavenly kingdom, not an earthly; it being erident that the kingdom of David on. earth has failed many ages since: hot that of Christ shall never fail.