Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 127* Therefore I^tote thy cOmmandmmti] I see thou wilt do all tilings well. I will trust mtbee.

Above gold] 271 to mtzzahabf more than respttndifii gptd f gold Without any stam or ruat.

Verse 128, All thy precepts concerning ^ tkiogt fb be ngkt] There are too many supplied n-qrds hers to leave the testf ^jostispectad. All th« ancient vetsionSf except the Chaldce, seem to have omitted Cbff second' S3 cot^ all, and read the text thus: ** Tberf* fore I have walked straight in all ihy precepts*** I go straight on in all thy precepts, hating €vety false way, I neither turn to the right hand nor 10 the hH; the false ieays are crool^ed; thy way is st might. I am going to heaven, and that >i^ay lies straight btfon me. To walk in the w^y of falsity I eannot^ becagac I Aoff it; Mid I hate such ways because God hate^ them/

In this part the paalmist,

L Makes a profession of his integrity.

II. Prays for protection against his eoeniies.

III, Resolves to. walk in tlie right way*

I. He makes a profession of his integiity: — 1* ** I have done judgment and justice." 3. Though he had dnno so, yet he was not free from calumny and oppression. He cnmmends, therefore, his righteous cause to God: ** Leave me not to ^rnine opprwssors*"

3. '^ Be surety for thy servant:■' give me an assnt* ance that thoo will stand by me*

4. "Let not the proud oppress me." For miserable are the destitme when ihey fall into such hajuts,

IL He shows us how he had prayed ag&iaftt Mi enemies, and tbr God^a salvation.

"Mine eyes fail*" My faith is almost gone, and the eye of my mind become dim.

5. It was the sahatwn of Kod he had in ticw: " For thy salvation."

3. The gVound on which he prayed was the wprd of GptTs righteousness.

He proceeds in his prayer; and bcga God to deal with him as a needy ^^rvonl, and alsd an ignareni scholar.

ISO The entrance of ihy words giveth ligbt; ** it giveth understanding tinto the simple,

132 ** Look thon upon me, and be merciful tin to me, >^ as i ihou uses t to do unto those Ihat lo?e thy nameM

i, '* Deal with ihy servant*" ' 1 am, ready to do thy will i but treat tne in thy meTc^.

9. " Teajcli ine thy statutes." I if'mh t*> learn what thy Will is; and whf i» I know it, faithfully to du it.

He urges the awnifi request^ with nearly the same reasons for it; " 1 am ihy servant," 1 am no stranger id thee, 1 have frequently come to thee- to get grace to enable me to serve thee. I ^m on« of thj domea^ iies, a member of thy Church. -

He comes now with his complaint.

1. " It is time for the« to work." Thy tnemU* we Mirongf and ihy ppi>pU weak.

2. "They have made void ihy law/* 'They hafe entirely trampled it under fmit

III. The zeM of the pssimist' mcreasad as the Itrre of many waxed cold.

I. "Therefore," beeati«e they deapise thy wordi ordinanees, and people.

3. *' I * love thy comtnandmentB.^ As they hste^ io I love- When we love Ood*s eommandmentSi H JB a sign that weiiave not received the grace of God in Tain.^

S. To^ show the great neas of his love, he says, I love Ihy eommandmenta " above gold; yea, above fine geld.'* My love i^ greater to thy hw, than that of the miier is to \m bags.

4. He received all God's preeepta to be rights and ^he takes not some, but the whole of ib'ftm.

5. Whatever gain idolatry and time*serving might hold out to him, h^ abominated it, becauAa he haUd every fahe way. His love of God, his l^w, and holi-' m^ was gfreater than his love of life.

Verse 199. 7*Av te^tintomes are woriiferful] There is a height, length, depth, and bread lb in thy word and testimonies that are tnily astonishing; and on this account my sonl loves them, and I deeply stady them. The more Lsiudy, the more light and salvation T obtain.

Verse 130. The entrance of tht/ words gft^etk ligHi] nn£ peihach^ the npening of it: when I open my Bible to read, light springs up m my mind. Every sermon, ^eiy prayer, every act of fifth, is an opening by which light is let into (he seeking souL

VoTse 131. / opened my mouthy and pdnted] A metaphor taken from an animal exhausted in the ehaie. He mos, open-mourhed, to take in the coaling air; ihe bean beating high* and the musrular force nearl y expend ed throu gh fatigu e. The psal m i^t song b t

133 T Order my steps in thy word: ^nod ■ let. not any iniquity have dominion over me*.

135 ° Make thy face to sliine upon ihy servant; and "^ leach me thy statutes,

1 36 * Risers of watera run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

for saivatiotif as he would run from a ferucious beast /or his life. Nothing can show his earDestness in a stronger point of view.

Verse 133. As thatt usenf to do] Treat mo as thy mercy has indueed thee to treat others in my circumstances, Bed with me as thou dealest with thy friends.

Verse 133. Order my steps] prr harheai^ make them firm; let me not walk with a hailing or unsteady step.

Hente dominitm over me.] '3 hi^^jv me. Let me have no governor but God; let the throne «f my heart be. filled by him, and none other.

Verse 135. Mah thy faee to shine] Give me a sejiae of thy approbation. Lei me kiM>w, by the testimony of thy Spirit in my conacience> that ihou art recobeiled to me. The godly in aH ages derived iheir happiness from a eonsei<HisnflaB of the Divine favour. The witness of Qod*s Spirit in the souls gf helievers was an essential pnnciple in religion from the fgundatioQ of the world.

Verse 135, Mwers of waters run down mine eyes] How muoh had this blessed man the lionour of God and the salvation of souls at heart I 0 for more of that spirit which m£»iirns for the transgress Inns of the land I fiut we are not properly convinced cf the e%- Deeding sihfu In esr of sin.

In this division the psalmist—-

VL Showa his affection to it.

ITL Prays for grace to keep it.

T^\ Mourns for those who do not.

L The eulogy be gives to God's word hero is from a nmi} quality not mentioned before. "Thy testimonies are Wonderful;'* ^''ondrous mysteries are con' tained in the Divine oracles.

1. The certmonial law is wonderful, because tita mystery of our redemption by the blood of Christ is pointed out in it,

2. The prophecies arr wondrrfuh as predicting things^ hum3.nly speaking, so uncertain^ and at fiuch great distance of time, vvith so much accuracy.

3. The decalogue is wonderful as containing in a very few words all the principles of justice and charily.

4. Were we to go to the New Tt'stftment^ hero wonders rise on wonders! All is astonishing; but the pealmist could not have had this in view*

138 y Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are * righteous and very * • faith* ful. ■.;

139. **Hy zeal halh-® consumed me, because mine, enemies have forgotten thy words.

140 ^'Thy word is very •pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. ^

The second eulogy is, that God^s law is the dispenser of light,

1. The entrance of it, the Urst chapter of Genesb; what light does that pour on the mind'of man! W^t knowledge of the ipost important thin^ which we •should never have known without ft! *

2. It gives light to the 5im/>/e-— to. those who are not double; who hav^ but one end in view, and one aim to that end. "..

n. The psahnist shows that he was one of those simple ones.-

1. "He opened hi|r mouth", by prayer, und* soughr the spirit of light anii *piety.

2.- He panted after it as men do that want breath, and are longing iff get fresh;dr.

3. And this he did because "he longed for^God^s. commandments;'* had a vehement desire to know.and to keep them.

. III. He now betakes himself to prayer, and acquaints ia with the petitions he had* offered.

3. "As' thou usest to do.^ Act byme aff thou dost "by them that love thee. ' \

4. " Order my steps." Give me grace td bd obe-. dient. Many look for mercy to pardon their sin^ but

iio not 16ok for grace k) enable them to-be obe'dient,

6. " Let not any iniquity have dominion ovel: me." Let me be saved from all my spiritual caj)tivity. *

6.' " Deliver me:fi:om the oppression of men." Let, nehher wicked men nor wioked spirits rule over me.

7. " Make thy face to shine upon me!" Let me have thy light, thy psase, and thy approbation,

8. " And teach me thy statutes." Keep met at thy feet, under continual instruction.

IV, He concludes by tilling how he grieved for the wickedness of others and the dishonour of God. If we grieve not for others, their sin may become ours. See Ezek. ix. 8; 1 Cor. v. 2.

Verse 137. Righteous art thou] Thorn art infinitely holy in thy nature; and therefore tha^ art.. 626. »

141 I am small and'dlsspised: yet do not I forged thy precepts.

1-42 Thy righteousness, is. an everlaisting righteousness, and- thy law is ^ the truth.

144 The righteousness of thy testimonies ii ^ everlasting: ^ give me understandings and I shall live.

Verse 1 38. Thy testimonies] Every thing that- pro-. ceed» -from thee partakes of the perfections of thy nature^ v

Verse 139. My zeafhath consumed me] My earnest desire to promote th^^loKy,'and the pain I feel at seer. va^ transgressiohiS multiplied, have worn down both my flesh and spirit^. '.

Verse 140. Thy word ib very pure] HdniT isen^iAaA, it is purification. It is tioi a purified things bat a timg "that purifies. "Now ye are clean^'^ said Chrial, " by the word I have spoken unto you^" God's void is a fire to purify as well as n, hammer to break, s' Verse 141. /am small and despised] And on these accounts h^ve every thing- to /<»ir. Being smgll, I caor ' not resist; being despised, I am in darker; but even all this, does not' induce me to star( aside, •r through the fear of man to be unfaithful to thee.r

* Verse 142. Thy righteousness - is an everlasting righteousness] • The word plV tscdek is a word of very extensive meaning in>lhe Bible. It signifies, not «sly God^s inherent righteousness and perfection of natore, but abo his method of treating others; his plan of redemption; his method of saving others. And the word ^ixoioirvvy], which ^swers to it, in the Septuagint and in the New Testament, is used with the same latittide of meaning, and in the same sense; particularly in that remarkable passage, Rom. iii. 25, 26, where see the notes. Thy merciful method of dealing iprith sinners ^nd justifying tlie ungodly will last as long as the earth lasts; and thy law that witQesies this, in all its pages, IS the truth.

Verse 143. Trouble ^and anguish] I am exercised with various trials from, men and devils.

Have taken hold on me] But still I cleave to my God, and am delighted with his law.

Verse 144. The righteousness of thy testinumies '»' everlasting] Thy moral law was not' made for one people, or for one particular time; it is as imperishable as thy nature, and of endless ohligaHon. It is that law by which all the children of, Adam shall be judged.

Give me understanding] To know and practise it. - And I stall live.] Siiall glorify thee, and live eternally; n^Lfisr the merit of having done it, but becaOM thou didst fulfil the work of the law in my iieart, Vtf^ ing saved me from condemnation by it.. V ( 40*)

146 I cried with my whole heart; hear me/ O Lord: I will keep thy statutes'.

' 148 *Mine eyes prevent the night watches^ that' I might meditate in thy word.

In iloB divisfon the psalmidt^ —.

I. Commends the lav" of God, frdm its Aothor, its eqoity, its purity^. and its perptetuity.

'II. A consideratipd of which led him to love and 'delight in it, though opposed by many enemies..

3. Thy judgments, in giving rewards and diffpenmng pitnishments, are upright.

He consequently felt an ardent zeal for God's -glory. - 1. This **2eal consumed him,*^ and he expresses the cause. ».,

, • 2.. Men " forgot God's words." He pined away for grief on this account. He turns to another character of God's faw.. ^ *■

"Thy- word is very pure."

1« It is pure in itself, and thQ purifier of the heart. ^ft) On this account he lov^d it; and wer know that •* love is the fulfilling of the law.**^ *

A third effect was a careful remembrance of it, though tried by his enemies.

1. "1 am small." Of no- weight nor authority; have no secular power.

3. '* Despised." Hire no credit nor respect. ■ 3. " Yet do I not forget thy precepts." Nothing)fon move -me while upheld by thee; and tfibu wilt up- Iriold me while I cleave unto thee. ^, ' '

. 1. It is immutable^ and 6an never be dispensed with. It is a righteousness that is everlasting.

3. It is the truth: 1. It has priority of all laws; 3. Contains no falsehood.

3. Its promises and threatenlngs shall all be punctually.fulfilled.

II. He Imwd and delighted in it, notwithstanding he lad trouble and anguish.

• X' Trouble and anguish. Tho righteous are often ' nnd^ the cross.

2. Yet "thy commandments are my delights." While faithful to thee, all my afflictions 9/f sanctified % me, so that I can rejoice while I suffeib'rf ' jS4Be speaks again about the immutabUih^ 4ii God's word.

149 Hear my voice^ according unto thy loVitig-kindness: (> Lord, * Quicken me according to thy judgment.

150 They draw nigh that follow after mischiefs they are. far firom thy law, • *

152 Concerning thy.testimonies, I have known of- old that thou hast founded them 'for ever.

1. "The righteousness of thy testimonies." Thy.word IS like thyself, for it comes from thee.. ^ «

Sf. "Give me understanding." 1 always stand in > need of teaching.

3. " And I shAll live." All is death without thee. Live in me, that I may live ^ thee.

. YiQrse 145. I cried with my whole heart] Tlie whole soul of the psalmist was engaged m this good work. He whope whole heart cries to God wi]l never rise from the throne of.grac^ without a bleteing,.*. Verse. 147. 1 preventedthe dawning] '*J^D'^p^hiddamtiy " I went before the d^wn or twilight." -,

VersQ li8. ^ine eyes prevent] ^D'^p kiddemu, " go before the watches." Before- the watchman proclaims the hour, I am awake, mediating on thy words. The 'Jewv divided |he night into three watches, which began fit what WQ call six o'clock in the 'evening, and consisted each of four hours^ T!he Romans tauglit them aflerwards tb divide it jinto four watches of three hours each; and to divide the day and night i^to twelve hours each, wherein. ^ifl[<3rent guards of soldiers were appointed to watchi At the proclaiming of each watch the j)salmisl appears to hiave risen and performed some act of devotion^ For. a remarkable custom of our Saxon ancestors, see the note on ver. 164.

Verse 130. They draw nigh^ They are just at hand who seek to destroy me.

Verse 164.' Thou art near] ks they are near to destroy, so art thou- near to save. When the enemy comes in as a flood, the SpiHt of the Lord liAs up a' standard against him.

Verae 152. Concerning thy iestimonies^t have known of old] ^nirT'Dlp kedemyedati, "Long ago I have known concerning thy' testimonies." Thou hast de« signed that thy testimonies should bear reference to, and evidence of, those glorious things which thou hast provided for the salvation of men; and that this should be aaeverlasting testimony. They continue, and Christ is come.

1. 'the psalmist is earnest in his prayenf for deliverance,

H He shows the end for which he desires it.

153 * Consider mine affliction^ and deliver me: for 1 do not forget tky law^

155 ^ Salvrftion i* fer fron* tbe wicked: for they seek not thy statutes..

III. The necessity of its. being speedy, as his ene^ Biies wers tft hanJ, "

4. It was out vf season: ** Mine eyes prevent the night-watches.". - ^

What he prayed iSr, —

1. That he tnight keep God's statute, '

5. That he might keep his t^stimoni^s^: ■ See the elq>lanation of these words at the beginning, of this Psakn.. -.

3. That he might meditate on.0od|8 word..

3. The danger he Was in {rotorloB pursuing enemies. — 1, They draw nigf^: 2. They are mischi^ously bent. 3. They are most impious men. Far from the law of God; they; despised and hated it.

ni. Near as they may be to destroy, thda *art nearer to save, ' ' ■.

1. " Thou art near:" They cantiot come where thou ait riot..

• 9., " All thy commandnwnis arc ttruth:" 'And thou hast commanded us to tritst ifi thee; and therefore we Ahali npt fear evil. Thou wilt sypport ihy servants, and destroy thine enemies:

1. " Concerning thy testimonies:^ Thy will, which thou hast testified in thy word.

• 2. "I have known of old:" Ever since I looked into them, began to study and practise them.

3. " That thou hast founded them forever:'* They are of eternal tnfUi,immtttable and indispensable..And this is the anchor of our souls, that we may not be carried away by trials and temptations.- Not one tittle of God^s truth has. ever failed any of his sincere followers. No one promise of his that h%s*boett' sought

158 I beheld the transgressors, and ^. was grieVed; because tbey kept not thy word..

IjBO >Thy word is true/rom tlie beginning: and every, one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.-

The heginning ofjhy word is.£ni«. ' ''

by faith in Christ has ever been 4infulfilled. Blessed be God!...

Verse 1 6 3 ^ jConsider nUne affliction] See mine af fUction or KmhUiniion: but the eye of the Lord^^^ffects kis 'heart; aod therefore ^e never sees the distresses of his followers without cphsifiering their situation* and afft>rding thei(i help.

VjerM454. Plead my cause] ""Dn nan ribah riii, 1^ Be my Advocate' in my suit.'' Contend for os against the Babylonians, and hrihg us out of jour bondage.

According, to thy word.] Spoken by thy prc^ikets tot bur con>fort and encouragem/^tnt.

y-erse 156. Sahation yi far from the wicked] There is no hope of thctir conversion.. * _

Verse 156. Ch-et^ are thy tender mercies'] They ai:S D^3*) rabbim, multitudes. They extend to <;dl thewrdchednesses of all men.

.Verse li66. Thy word is true irom^ the begimung] JtnO rosh,,ihe head or beginning of thy word, is trms, I>oes be refer to.the>ir«/ word in the Book <if Genesis, rvvinn bereihith, *<in the beginning?". li© learned reader Icnows that \ff»r\ rash, ox raaih, is the root in that word. Every word^thou hast spoken from the first in Bereshith (Genesis) to the end of the. law apd. prophets, and all thou wilt yet speak, as flowing from the fountain of truth, must be true; and all shaU h^e, in due time^ their fuD^ent. ' And all these, thy woids,.endure for ever. They are ^rue,,and ever will be true,

3. Begs rtiat God would help him: " Deliver me."

3. The reason for both: " I do not forget thy law,"

4. He begs God to be his Advocate: 1. " Plead my cause.'' At the bar of men a just cause often miscarries for want. of an able. advocate, ^nd is borne down by ah unjust judge. Be thou my Advocate, and I shall not fiaui S. " Q6icken me:'-' Revive nay hopes, give new life » my soul.

lia He JbeUeves he shall.. be heard, becaose —

161 •Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standethin awe of thy word.

1. "Sdvation is far from the wicked:"-But he does TiXii forget GocTs law,

8. ** They sbek not God's statntes:'* But he meditotes in God's law day and night. '

III. If he ever miscarries, or oomes short, he flies' to God for mercy.

' 1. On God's mercies he bestows |wo epithets: -I. They are great or many^ and they endure far ever. 2. They are tender; they are misericordiiiB^ q. d.; mi- 9eria cqrdjs^ feeling^ which occasion fain and distress to the heart. U:D^\'^ rachamirft, such as affect and flow from Xhe tender yearnings of the bpwels. The word signifies what a mother feels foj; the t>i/*an< that lay in her womb J and hangs bo her breast,

. 4. He was greatly distre/Bsed on Iheir account: ^ I beheld them, and was grieved.^

V. He brings this as a proof of his attachment to God. - *1. "Consider how I love:" No man dare say to

God, " Look upon^m^," but he who is persuaded that when God looks upon him he will like Him. This was a sure proof of the psalmist^s sincerity. ^ ' * ' v

S. He loves not merely the blessings he receives firom God, but he loves God's lato; and none will love this, who does Uot delight In ebedience. And hdw few are there of this character, even in the Church of God!

3. And becailse he loves he prays to-be quickened.. The soul only which b spiritually alive, can obey..

VT. He concludes with a commendation of God's -word.

1. " Thy word is. true,'* in its piHnciple arid in all its details, from Adam to Moses; from Moses to Christy from- Christ to the present time; and from the present tune to the end of the world.

3. For it " eodures for ever:" All Other things wear out or decay;- lose their testimony, and become obsolete. ^ But God will ever bear testimony to his own wifrd, and continue to support its veracity by fulfilling, it to all successive generations.

Verse 161. Princes have persecuted me\ This may refer to whkt was done.by prime ministers, and the rulers of provinces, to sour the king against^ the unfortumUe Jetos, in order' still to detain them in bondage. In reference to David, the plotting against him in Saul's court, and the daggers he ran in consequence of the jealousies of the Philistine lords, while he sojourned among them, are well known.

• 164 Seyen times a day do I. praise thee, because *^ of *. thy righteous judgments.

My heart standeth in awe] ' They had probably offers mado them of enlargement or melioratidn^of coii-* dition, providing t|iey sabmitted to some idolatrous conditibi^^; but they knew they had to do with a jealous God; their hearts stoo'd in awe, sjid they were thereby kept from silt ^ " '

Verse. l(S2. As one thatfindelh great spoil. ] 31 SW, shakd rob..This "appears, to refer fd such ipoH as is scquired by stripping the dead ici a field of biittje, tak-' Ihg the rich garments of the slain chiefo; or it may ^. re/er to plunder in general: As God opened kifi eyes he beheld wonders- in his law; and.tioli discofi^'of this kind was like* finding a prize. m

■ Verse 163. I-r-^tbhor lying\ Perhaps. the]f might;" have made the confessions whic!) the Chaldeans required, and by mental. reservation have kept an inward firm adherence to theikr creed -, but this, in the sight of the God of truth, -must have b^en lying;. and at such a sacrifice they would not purchase their enlargement, even from their captivity. *

V«rse'i64. Seven times, a day do I praise thee] We, have often seen \ttaX seven w^ a number express-. ing perfection, tompht\pn, &c., among ^ the Hebrews; and that it is' oft^ti used to signify many, or an mdefinite number^ see Prov. xxiv. 16; Lev. xxvi« 28. And here it <nay mean no more than thsit his soul was filled with the spirit of-^[ratitude and /praise, and thftt he.very frequently expressed his joyous and grateful fbelings in this way. l^xiX'RqJbbi Splomon says t}iis is to bie nnde/stood iitierally, for they praised (}oA twice in the •morning before reading the deca-. logue, and once after; twice in -the evening before the -' same reading, and ttoiee after; maiking in the whble seven times. The Roman Church has prescribed a similar service. ^., ' \ callum CjiifCenum mannum «r beboben f hi ealne heojia hclieman jeopon fljl^am seblarjion mit> Cjar^^r jiOoe^tacB* - 1. ejiof c on a)in« moitgen.,.

Every Christian man ia commanded that he always his body sev^n times Mess with the sign. of Christ^s cross.- ' •

li65 ^ Great peace hare • they which ' love thy law: and * nothing shall offepd

167 My soul hath kept thy testioioni^s; and I love them exceedingly.

169' Let my cry come neat before thee, O LpRD I ^ give jne qndeirstanding according to ^thy word.

170 Let my supplication ^ome before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

17 1 ^ My lips shall utter praise* whe^ 4hoa hast taught me thy statute?. -.

t72 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy conimandments -are righteo'usn/^

173 Let thine hand help me; for ^ I have chosen thy precepts.'

175 Let my soid live^ and it shall jnaise thee; and Tet thy judgments help me.

It seemed that the sign of the cross was thpaght^sofficient, even without prayer. '

Verse 165. Cheat peace have they]. They have peace in (heir.conscience, aoid joy in the Jfoly Sp^t; and '.-*;

Verse 166. Lord,.! h^e hoped] " Thoa hast*;?romised deiiverance, and I have expected it on ihe ground of that promise.

Verse ^7. My ioul hath' kept] I have net attended to the letter merely, but foy spint has entered into the spirit and design of thj^ testimdnies.. Verse 168. Far all my wayiixe before thie*] Thouknowest that I do not* lie;, thy eye has been upon my heart and my conduct^ and thoa knowest that I have endeavoured to walk before thee Mtb a perfect heart.

.In this section the psalmist ^ows, —

I. His love to' God; and

II. The ardoilr and perfection of that love^ *

I. The first sign of his love was, that it stood « the midst of persecution. i^ >

3. " But my heart standeth in awe." My love and confidence have due respect to thy infinite justice fo'd immaculate purity.,'

The second sign of his love is the joy and delight he /x>k in God's law; it was greater than a conqueror could feel at the fortunate issue. of a battle, and the spoils x)f the vanquished, howsoever rich or immense. « The tliird sign was his hatred to all iniquity: " I hate and abhor lying."

The fourth sign was his. ferroor and earnestness in devotion: " Seven times," &c. *"

The fifth sign Was the satis&ction he took in the wdfare of others, '... '.

I. " Gre^t peace hj^ye^hey'- Which love thy law." 9. "Nothing shall offfend, them." They go on their

way rejoidng; and they that loye God rejoice with them that do rejoice,

II. He shows the perfecti(m of his love, —

3. By keeping Ood^s testimonies with all his soul..

And' this he repeats. • 1., *M havekepl thy precepts kad thy testimonies." • 3. I have done this through the purest moHoes, as thou knowest: ^* For all jop'y ways are before thee.* Whatever he did- he did in God's s)ght; for he well knew that the eye of the Lord was constantly opon him:. • - ' '.

For other particulars see. the preceding notes.

Verse 1 6P. Let my cry come near before thee] TTiii is really a fine image; it is of frequent occurrence, and is little heeded. Here the psalmistV cry for deliverance is personified; made ^n intelligent being, and sent up to the throne of grace to negotiate in his behalf.. He pursues ihiB prosopopaia in the next verse, and sends his supplication in the same way. I have alreadj had occasion to refer to a similar figure in Homer, where prayers ar^ represented as the daughters of Jupiter, See on Psa. Ixxxviii. 2,

Verse 179. My tongue shall speak of thy word] There is a curious distinction here. In the preceding verse he says, " My lips shaQ utter;" here.no reference is made to articulate sounds f except as affixed to musical notes. In this tferse he says, " My tongde shall aipeak;*' here artictdate and inleUigihlc. words are intended. He first utters sonnds connected' witk words expressive of bis grateful feelings; in the second he ^aks-wordsj principally those which G^d himself had 8poken„ containing premises of support, purposes relatiTe to 'the redemption of his people, andideounciations against their enemies. '

- Verse^ 175. Let my soul live] Let my life be preserved^ an^ my <soul quickened!. Verse 1 76. / have gone astray lii^e a lost sheep]., A «hee^, when it has once lost the flock, stiays in socha manoer as to render the prospect of its own-return Qtterly ho^less. I have seen them bleating when they ^ have lost the flock,, and when answered by the otheis, ipstead of tarning to the sounds, have gone on in the same direction ih which they were.etrayingt their bfeatings answered by the rest of the flock,- till they were out of hearing! This fa6t shows the propriety of the 'next clause., - '.

Seek thy servant] I shall never find thee; come Ky the wilderness, take, me up, and carry me to the flock. See the hotes on the parable of the lost sheep, Luke XV. 4, <&c. The psalmist began with "Blessed sfc the^undefilcd in the way, who ^vj^alk in the law of th6 Lord;" and he concludes, with " I have.gone astrscy like a lost sheep; seelc thy servant.'^ And thus, conscious of the blessedness of those who are in the way 6f righteousness, he desires to be brought.hito it, that he may walk in newness of.'life. Ver. 1: ** It is Ji good way, and they are blessed that walk in it." Verse the last, " Bring me into this way,' tfiat I jnay be blessed." And thus the Psalm, in sentiment, rettrms into itself; and the latter verse is so connected with.the fohner, as to make the whol6 & perfect circle, like the serpent biting its own tail.

There is one extraordinary perfection in this Psalm: begin where you vill, you se^m to be at the- commencement of the pifece; end where you will, you seem lo close with. a complete sense.. Aiid yet it is, not like the Book of Proverbs, a tissue of detached sentences; it is.a whole composed of many parts,, and all apparently as necessary to the perfection of the' Psalm, as thfe different alphabetical letters under which it is- arranged are to the formation of a complete alphabet. Though there be a continual recurrence of the same words, which would of itself prevent it from havmg a l^easing effect upon the ear, yet these words are so connected with a vast variety of other?, which sh^w their force and meaning in still new and impressive points of light, that attention is still excited, and devotion kept alive, during the whole reading. It is constructed with admirable art, and every where- breathes -the justest and highest encomiums on the revelation of.God; shows the glories of the God who gave it, the necessities and dependence of his intelligent creatures, the bounty of the Creator-, and the praise and obedience which are his due. Il is elegant throughout; it is ifull of beauties, and I have endeavoured iitthe preceding notes to mark some of them; but the number might have been greatly multiplied. To no Psalm can its own words be better applied, ver. 18: " Open thou mine eyes, tliat I may behold woildrous things out of thy law."

Analysis or Lsttcr Tau. — TSoenty-second Division. In this last section the psalmist seems to som up all his preceding exercises.

I. In the first two verses he prays for his prayers, begging God to aacept. them. *

1. •* Let my cry come near- before thee!"

I. " Give me understanding.'.' I want more light. * 3. Give me this " according -to thy wowi." In the measure which thou hast promised., ||

3. And giv^ i(.to inC for. this end, that I may know thy law, be obedient to its: precepts, and finally, by thy jnercy, obtain everlasting life;

4. " Deliver me according to thy word." I want salvation, and that measure of it^^^liich thy word promises.

1. "My lips shall utter praise." I will celebrate thy praises with songs.. -

3. Shall show that all ahy commandments are 'righteousness; just,.holy, ithpartial.

4. But fdese thiii^ T cannot do till " thou hast taught me thy* statutes." •

, III. "He proceeds to othef parts of prayier:^-r-.

1. -**'Let thy hand help me." My own strength will avaiLlittfe..

3. " I have longed for thy salvation." Thou knowest my heart is right with thee.

.4. "And thy law is ray delight." A ma;i natiwally longs for that which he delights to possess.

Her^ he notes three things: —

3. " Delighted in thy law;" therefore " let thy hand be with me."

2. "And it shall' praise thee." When tl)e soul is dead to God, there is neither gratitude nor obedience.

3. " Let thy judgments help me." Cause the merciful dispensations of thy providence ever to work in my behalf. In fliis sense the word judgments is frequently taken inthis Psalm.

IV. - He confesses his errors.

1. " I have gone asttay "' departed from thee, my Shepherd.

3. -My errors, however, have ndt been\trt//ti/ and obstinate. I did not suflficiently watch and pray, and my sheep-like simplicity was practised upon by my arch enemy..

W%B p9al0iut jprays iigmnst

' demess; leave th& ninety and nine that do not need

thee as I do, and seek me'; for, lyy thy grace, I seek thee.

V. I look for tfanee in the spirit.of oifdience.,

1. Seek thy' servant. I am ready to de thy will, thoUgli I erred from t^y ways.

3. '^^ I'do not forget thy commandments," thoogh I have 0^9 come short of my duty.

These vfofds may he very suitable to a person who has backslidden^ and who is.^tuming to God with a penitent and believing Kelirt.

1. Though'he had falling the Ugb^of Grod oontintied to shine into his conscience. '*"

9. He h^ not forgfitten Crod*s tMry, nor lost nght of his own state, llie word of the Lord, applied by his Spirit, 1. When he was tAnn!iipmg,mvaiened him. 8. When « he was dead, -^ic^beite^^ himv- ^ When^ heiraain danger, -^ej^fvetr him. * 4. When b® ^"^n wbimded, cured him. 5. When he was aytailed by bis foes, arnufdsnd defended him. 6. A)id by this worfi he was ^nawifhedjaJnA supported.^ It was ever well, with the psalmist, and it is ever well with all the fbUowetsof^oJl, when they do not forget God's wbrd.'

It may be Just- necessary to note here, th^ if this Psalm he considered as belonging to Uie time* of ike' Babylonish captvoity^ which it most probably does, the psalmist, though speaking in- his oum persomjia eref to be considered as sp^ddng m the persons of all the captives in Babylon, *.

The psalmist^ in great distress; calls on the Lord for deliverance from calumny and dtfamatian^ I« JB, shows the punishment that awaits hi* persectUof, 8, 4;^' depletes ikki necessity if his residence with the ungodly] 6-7.,..'...'.

TN • my distress I tried unto tlie Lord, and he heard me... * •

NOTES ON PSAliM. CXX- " ' This Psalm, and all the rest that follow it, to the end of Psalm cxxxW,, fifteen in number, are called Psalms, of Degrees ^ for thus the HebVew title rvhyon Tutmmaahth is generally translated, as coming from the root, n^y alah^ to -ascend or mount upward*. Hence n>S];D maalqth, steps or stairs for aschiding, 1 Kings*. X. 1^, 20; b Kingfs ix. 13. But.as the word may be applied te elevation' in general, hence some have thought that it may here signify the elevation of voices '* these Psalms being, sung with the highest elevations of voice and mujic,^ Others hwe thought the word[ expiesses rather the matter of these PsaUns, as being of peculiar excellehce: and hence Junius and TVemellius prefix to each Con/icum 'excetlerUissimumi ^A most excellent ode." - •

, B. D, Kimchi 6vy^ «*Ther& vrerejifteen steps by ^whidr the priests ascended into the temple^ on each of which they sang one of these fifteen Psalms." This opinion I find referred^ to in the ApoCryphal Gospel of the birth of Mary: •< Her parents brought her to the temple, and set her upon one of the steps. JWow there n^ fifteen steps aboiit the temple, by which tney go up to it, according to ihe fifteen Psalms of Degrees.'' Bilt the existence 'of such steps and practices cannot be proTcd. '

Aben Ezra supposes that the word means some k;nd of tune sung to these Psahns., /Itift more likely, If the title be really ancient^ that it was affixed to them on account of their being sung on the return

3 ^What &hall be given unto thee? or' what shall be ^ done unto.thee, thou &lse tgnguet

from the Babylofiish captivity, as th^ people woe going up ib Jen&al^iii.; for though sOme of thefai are. attributed,to David, yet if is very prob^le that they were all made, long after, his titne, and probably during the ci^yity, or about the end of it. The adlhor j)f - these fifteen Psalms id not known; and most probably they were not the work of one person. They have been attributed to David, to ^doman, to Ezra, to Haggai, tq Zechariah, and to MaUtchi, withoot any positive evidence. T^ey are, however, excellent in ' their kind^ and written with niuch eleguee;' containing, strong and nervous sentiments of the most exalted piety, express^ with great felicity of language in a few words.

. It. appears to be a pr^rer of the captives in Babylon fat complete liberty; ^Sr perhaps he recites the prayer the Israelites h^d trnde previonsiy to their restoration.

Verse 9. Lying lips, wadfiroma deceitful tongue.] From a people without faith, without truth, without religion; Who sought by lies and cahiihnie^ to destroy

Verse 3. What shall be given unto thee %] Thou ait worthy of the heaviest punishments. '

4 ^ Sharp arrows of the 'mighty, with coals of juniper. •. '.

Vena 4. Sharp arrtnos] The Chtddee haa, '"^The strong -ftharp arrows are like lightDing- from above* with coals of juniper kindled in heU beneath.*^ TOr the juniper, iee the note on Job zxx. 4, where.this passage is explained. Fiery arrowsyor arrows torap^ ped qbout with inflamed combustibles, were formerly xsMl in sieges to set the places on fire. See my notes on Bph. vi. la.

Verse 6. 'That I sojourn in Meiech] the Chaldeelias it, ^ Wo is me that I am a strafig^ with the Asiatics, ('NCIM useeyj) and that I dwell in the tents of the Arabs.*' ' Calmet, who understands the Psalm as speaking of the state of the captiVes in Babylon and r^A provinces, says, ^^MesHec was i^>parently' the fiUher of the Mosquians, who dwelt in 'the moontains that separate Iberia from Armenia, and both from Colchis. These provinces were subjugated 'by Nebuchadnezzar; and it is evident from 2 King^ xvii.' 23, 34, xviii. 11, xix. 12, 13, that many of ^e Jews. were • hold in captivity iii those countries.. As to Kedar, it extended into Arabia Petraa, and Stewards the Euphrates; and is the country aftex^rardr known as the edoatry of the Saracens,^'

Verse 6. My soul hath long dwelt with Aim that hateth peace.]. A restless, Barbarous, wailike, and maimuding peopte. ^ -

Verse 7. / am for peace] We IdVe to bC quiel and peaceably; but - they are continually engaged in excursions.of rapine and plunder. ' It is evident that the psalmist refers to a -people like the' Scemta ox ^pandering Arabs, who live constantly in tents, and sobsist by robbery; plutideriAg and carrying away all Ihat they can seize. The 'poor captives w^i^ed them to Mtivate the arts of peace, and live IJoietly; biit they woold hear of nothing but their old manner of life.

The psalmist in distress — I. Flees to God by piayer. n. Sets forth the miseries of a fQol and deceitiiil tongue.

6 My soul liath* long dwelt with liim that hateth peace. ^

III. Complains of his banishment.

I. 1. He is in distreto, and cries to the Lord; the surest and best way.

2.; He t^Us us4>r the success of his prayer: *' Grod heard him.":

II. He sets forth.the evil that shall fall op such deceivers -and slanderers.

3. " Shiup arrows of the mighty," shot by a strong hand, and so much the more dangerous.

4.' " With coals-Hinflamed arrows," such as set all 4hin^on^re.

fl. •* With] coals' of jumper,** which of all coals are the hottest, and keep fire the longest. ^

ni. The paalmist complains of his banishinent.

1. He laments his situation on account of the wickedness of the people among whom he sojourned^

.3. His state was the more intolerable, as if had been of (orig duration: ** My soul hath loh^ dwelt," &e. * ' His disposition was quite contrary to theirs.

1. " I am for.peace.-" I wish to live in peace, and cultivato it.

2. But wHen I speak of peace, they are for war; They are fierce and' inhuman. It 'Was said of the Macedonians in "Phinp^s time, Illis pacem esse helium et helium pacem. ' " To, them peace was war, and^war was peace." Such:weT6 the peopld of the provinces, among whom maay of the Israelites were in captivity.*

The resolution of a gotUy man, 1, 3. The safety and prosperity of such, as they and theirs shall be under the

•Or, ShqUlUftup mint eyettothe hiUsT whence thmdd my help ' wme r see Jer. iii. 23. '

NOTES ON PSALM CXXI. ' This appears to be a prayer of the Jews in their captivity, who are solicitous for their restoratioh. It as in the form of a dialogue. \

madeiieaYeh and earth. 3 **He will not suffer thy foot to be

4.Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither dumber nor sleep.

6 The Lord is, thy keeper: ' the Lord is ••thy shade 'upon thy right hand. * %..

will not suffer thy foot to be moTed." " " He that keepeth thee will notjdumber,'' vet. 3..

To which the worshipper -answers, that, he kndws that " he who kpepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep/^ ver. 4; but he seems to express ^ doubt whether he shall be an object ofjthe Divine attention..

Ver. 5, &c. The priest resumes; an(i, to the conclusion of the Psalm, gives him the most positive assurances of God^s favour and protection.

Verse 1. Unto the hills] Jer4isriem was built upon a mountain; and Judea was a raonntaihous* country; and the Jews, in their several dispersions, turned towards Jerusalem when they offered up their prayers to (?od....

Verse 2. My helpcometh from the- Lord] There is no help for me l^ut in i|^. God; and I expect it ficom no other qjaarter.

V^rse 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be^ rMved], Xhe foundation, God^s infinite power and goodness, on which thou standest, cannot be Wved*; ahd whilst thou standest on (his basis; thy foo't cfuinot be moved.

Verse 4. He that keepeth- Israel] The Pivine Being represents himself as. a watchman, who takes Qare of the city, and its inhabitants durix^ the nightwatches;, and who is never overtaken wfth slumbering or sleepiness. There is a thought in the Antigone of Sophocles, thzX seems the counterpart of this of* the psalmist.

Veise 6. The sun skall^ not smite thee by day] Thus expressed by the Chdldee: '* The morning spectres shiall not smite thee by day, during the government of the suQ; nor the ipctumal i^ectres by night,. during the government of the moon." I believe the psalmist simply means, they shaD not be injured by heat nor cold; by a sun-stroke by day, nor ^frost-hite by night.

6 *Thc sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. ^

7 The Lord, shall '.preserve thee from all evil; he shall ^ preserve thy soul.

8 The Lord sh^ll ^> preserve thy going odt and* thy comihg' th firom this time forth, and even for evermore., *

Verse 7. ^The Lord shall preserve thee from aU ewZ] Spiritual and corporeal, ndtural and moral.

Verse 8. Thy going out- and thy cofining in] Night and day — in iail thy biisiness and undertakings; and this -through the wholjB course of thy life: for eoermore,. ^ *. • '

Analysis of the Hundrkp and Twenty-First Psaui.

^ The scope of this Paahn is to show that Grod aloois ia the refuge, of the/distressed.^

I. Whil^ some aie looking for earthly comfort and support, " I will lift up mine eyes onto the hills," &c.

II. Faith sees Gojd, the only helper; and sayi^ « My help is the Xord.."'.

^ And 'the first- reason ioj this is gireb: God^s omnipotence and. sufficiency. ** The * Lord that mida heaven and earth,V and is consequently the anihor and dispenser- of all spiritaaLand temporal blessinga.

A third reason is, his^ watchful care: *< Hb diai keepeth thee will tiot slun^ber."

III. The end which God proposes in his watching, ' — to keep them, ^

1. He is the *' Keeper of Israel." He^goards his Church; he is as a 'wall of fire about it.

!^. He is ' a shade. This cert§inly refers Ittf that kind "of • umbraculum, or parasol, which was in Teiy ancient use in the eastern countries. The sense of the passage is. Neither the day of prosperity nor the night of advenfity s^all hurt thee; nor the hjuit of persecution, noT the coldness of friends or reladves: aH -thebe shall work for thy.good.

3*. " He shall preserve thee from all evil;" — and,

4.' Especially from every thing that might hurt thy 4oul: ** He shall preserve thy soul."

The psalmist concludes with this encouraging assurance.

1. " The Lord shall preserve thy going out." We are always beginning or ending some action, going abroad, or returning home; arid weTieed the protecting care of God in all.

. 2. " From this time forth." Now that thou hast put thy whole trust and confidence in God, he will be thy. continual portion ajod defence in aU places, in all timesvin all actions; in life, in pro^rity, in adversity, in death, in time, and in eternity.

Tke sotisf action ef a gracious soul m the use of GotTs meni of Jerusalern, 3—5. - Prayers

3 Jerusalem is buildcd a/s a city that is ^coftnpact together-^.

4 • Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, urito ^ the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto. the name o( the Lord.

NOTES ON PSALM, CXXII. t * In the preceding Psalms we find the poor captives /crying to God for deliverance; here they lire. returning thanks that they find they are j>enni(ted to return to th^ir own land and to the ordiAaJ^ces of their God. Verse 1. / was glad when they said] Wh^ Qyms published an edict for their return,- the very first object ^ their thanks^ving waa the kindness of God iii per- ■litting them to return to his ordinances.

* Verse 3. Our feet shall stand] Fot seventy.yean we iiaye been exiled from our own land; our heart was in, Jerusalem,. but our feet were. in -Chaldea. Now GtKi has turned our captivity, and our feet shall ahortly stand within the gates^of Jerusalem.. What subject for rejoicing! -.Verse 3. Jerusalem-^—compact together J] It is now

Well rebuilt, every part contributing to the. strength of. the whole. It is.also a state of great political and

* Verse 4. The testimony of Israel] There is the arhi where the presence of God is manifested; there.Is the holy of hdies; and there all the tribes assembled to worship Jehovah. He no doubt ajlu^es to the assembling of the tribes annually at each of the three gjrajbd national festivals.

Verse 6. There are set thrones of judgment] There were the public courts^ and thither the people went to obtain justice; and while the thrones of the house of David were there, they had justice.

Verse 6. Pray, for the peace of Jerusaiem\ DlSlBT sludom signifies both peace and prosperity. Let hei^ unanimity never be disturbed; let her prosperity ever be on the increase!

They shall prosper that love thee.] In the peace and prosperity of the city, they shall find their peace and their prosperity; and even on this ground they should love the c^ty, and labour to promote its best ' interests. There is a remarkable alliteration in this verse, the letter Jff shin frequently recurring.

6 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:. they shall prosper that love thee..

8 For my brethren and companions' sakeS, I will now s?iy, Pedce be within thee.

9 Because of the house of the Lord out God L will ^ seek thy good.

- There are remarkable specimens of similar allitera-' turn to be found in all poets, ancient and modem. This fbrmed th^ chief feature of our ancient poetry. Thus in Peter the ploughman:-^ ' *

And the same manner often appears, even in Milton himself. See the E ^enserosd;—

•Verse 7. Pjsacebe within thy walls] This is the form of* prayer that they -are to use: " May prosperity ever reside within thy -walls, on all the people that dwell there;, and tranquillity within thy palaces or high places, amdng the rtt/e»*j and governdrs of the people.". ' - ' - •,

Verse l3. For my brethren and companions* sdkiss] Because this city)s the abode of my kinsfolk a^d countrymen, I will wish it prosperity. I will promote its peace.and tranquillity by all means in my power. I will affectionately say. May peace he within thee!

Verse 9, Because of the house qf the ^Lord our God] Particularly will I wish thee weD, because thou art the seat of religion, the place where our merciful God has condescended tp dwell.

To the captives in Babylon the Prophet Jeremiah had given this charge, chap. xxix.'7: "And seek DiSbt shalom; the- prosperity of tlie city, whither I have caused you to be carried captives, and pray unto the Lord for it;. for in the prosperity thereof ye shall have prosperity.'*^

Was this a duty for the captives f Yes. ' Ajid is it the duty of every man for his own country t God, nature, common sense, and ael£>intere8t'8aj, Ybs! And what must we think of tte wifetches wha not only da not thus pray, but labour lo destroy the public peace, to subvert the govemmeqi of their country, to raise seditions, and to destroy all itfe civil and religious insti-^ tutions t. Think of^them S "Wliy, that hemp would be (/t^^a/ec? by hanging them: **

There is a fine picture given us.liere of the state of Jerusalem after the restoration of thd Jews.* The walU were finished, the cUy rebuilt, beautiful, strong, and regular; the temphh and its worship were restored, the courU of justice were re-established, the consiu^ luted authorities ia Chiarch and state were doing their duty; and God was.pouring out, his blessing * upon all. Who could see this without pr^ying^'ld^y- God increase thy peac?, and establish thy prosperity for^ ever! ' ' '

•fhe psalmist, in tKe. person of the. people,— ^. I. Expresses his joy that he might Join with the Church iaGt)d% service, ver. 1, 3.

' III. Exhorts all to pray for its peace and prosperity, Ter. 6; and puts the form of prayer ^nto their mouthJB, ver. 7.' •

I.'jThe psalmist congratulates himself and the people cm Ihe yestuiiHua of God's)^orship:—

3. To hear of the unanimity of the people mutually exhorting 6a6h other to it:.** When they said unto me," - ^

3. " Let us go into the house of the JLordJ" Let ' jis dk go, hear his wor<i, give liim thsCnki^ >uid make pr^'ers and supplications td'him.

II. He c6mmehds Jerusalem ihfte \ea3ts:-^

1. For its. -um/y: it was oompacjt together; it jifas united in itself 4 and united, both in polities and religiony m i\A inhabitants. -

3- For its being the />^eo/*G^<r^ti7or«Atp: 1. Fdr '^thither the tribes go up" thrice in the year, as.wa^- ordained, Exod. xxiii. 14, to' celebrate their d'elivet- ^«nce from Egypt, in keepihg the passover. 3. The gfiving of the law, in the, feast of peniecott^ 3, Their preservation in the wilderness, in the feast of tflber' noises..

These tribes are « the tribes of the Lord." A very honourable title.

' " Unto the testiniony of Inael.*^ To the ark of the covenant, the pledge of the covenant between God and the pebpte.. '.

• The en4 for which they went up: « To give'diadBi unto the name of the Lord'.'^

•3. He cominends Jencsalem for its civil and ecclesiastical policy: 1. *' For there are set thtoqes of judgment." ''The tribunals and oburts of justice are then. 8. *VThe thrones of the bouse of David." The court and throne df a legitimate sovereign.

IH: He exhorts the tlrib^s.to pray for a eontinuanoe of its present 'happy state. '

1. " Pray for the peace," &c. Jt is our doty to pn^ for the prosperity of the nation dLnd of thtf Chirck of God...,.,:

8. " They shall prpspef that -love thi^." Those who love both are' bl^ed, those -who ^9 J^^ ve cufsed.

. 3. And that we may- know tf^ prayer 'that God Will hear, he puts one in our mouth, " Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.** It is weU ta join- j^eac^ and prosperity together. Peace without prosperity is but k secure possession cS misery: vid prosperity without pe'ace is but a' dubious and nncertain/e/tcify*.,

I. "Peace be, wjthin thy walls." - Not only Ay fortifications, twil and religious institutions^ but also KtDQTiSg all thy officers^ soldiers, and mhMtants, for they constitute th^ strength and safety of the kingdom.

3. ** And prosperity within Jhy palaces." In the king*s house, hia family, his ministen; - if there be dissehaions there, ruin will soon folIoW.

IV. The psalmist shows his own readiDeap«to do ^.

1. «I will now say, Peace be withijn thee." 60 should all the ministers of religion pray.

3. "I will 'seek thy good." So should thfe king uid every officer of &(tate resolve. All ahoiild be united in so good a work. They should not seek their 'oum good, but 'the good, not the goodSf of the people'.,

For thisrthe'pe^dmist gives these reasons:—

1. ^ For jny brethren and companions*.sakes.** We are nqt only subjects of one king, citisena of the same city, but we have all one God and Father*

8. ^ Because of the house of the Lord.*^ For the maintenance of true religion. If 'religion fail, the kingdom will fail; prosperity will be at an end; the nation will be divided, distracted, destroyed. Religion, the true religion in a country, is the conselatum of the good, and* the bridle that holds in the jaws of the wicked. Let us all pray for ihe prosperity of pure jsad undefiled religion, and the prosperity of the ataite!

The prayer an4 faith of the godly ^ 1, 8. They desire to be delivered from contempt, 3, 4..636

TTNTO ihee •lift 1 up toine eyesj O thou Mhat dwellest in the heavens. 2 Behold, as the 'ef^es of servants look unto the hand of their masters, aacf as the ^6s of a maiden untb the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord

This Psalm is probably a complaint of the captiy^ in Babylon r'^tatiye to the contempt and ciael usige they receiTed. TTiq author is uncertain.

VeiiBe 1. Unto, tfyse lift I up mine eyes] We haVe no hope but in thee; our oy£8 look upward i, we have ej^>ectation from thy mercy alone.

Verse 2. As the eyes of servants] ■ We now Wait for thy commands, feeling the utmost x^eadiness to obey them when made known to us. The w(|rds.may be, understood as the language of dependence ako. As aUves expect their srJtppori &6m their maste^ and mistresses; so do we ours from thee; O Lord f Or, As servants look to their masters and mlBeretees, to see- how they do their work, that they may do it in the same way; so do we, O Lord, that we may learn ' of thee, and do thy worit in thy own ISpirit, and after thy own method. Some think that there is a reference here to the chastisement of ^La^es by their, masters, who, during the time they are -receiving it, keep their eyes fixed on the hand that is inflicting punishment upon them, professing deep' soxtow, a^d entreating- for mercy. And this sense seems to be countenanced' by the following words:-^

Verse 3. Have mercy upon us, O Lord] Chastise lis ne.more; we will no more revolt against thee.

We are exceedingly filled' ttith contempt.]- We not only suffer grievously from our captivity, but are treated in the most contemptuous manner by our' masters.

Verse 4., Those that are at ease]. The Babylonians, who, having subdued all the people of the nelglibouring nations, lived at ease, had none to contend with them, and now became luxurious, indolent, and insolent: they were contemptuous and proud.

Ajtalysis op the HuinmKD awd Twenty-thuu) Psalm.. '^

The opptessed followers of God. make application to him for mercy. In this application they express Mre« things:—

our God, until that, he have mercy, upon us..3 Have mercy* upon 4tt» O. Lord, have mercy upon us: £qi; we we exbeedingly £Ued with contempt.

4 Our sold is exceedingly filled with the scorning' of thos^ that are «t ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

L Their jconfidence in God., '

IL Prayer for m^rcy.

Illr An account of their oppressors.

I, Their trust in God.

S. M O thou '4hat dwellest in the heavens.** Infinitely raised abov« us; but aftected with. our miserable condition, and always ready to help ns*

This he shows by a donUe similitade:—

• «3. '* As the eyes of a maiden unto Ihe hand of begr

mistress;" both 'might be beaten; anid here bolii by

to be saved" from farther stripesr * ';*',

.4. *^ Until that he have mercy;" abate his stripes, and take off his hand. ^

' H. Thieir prayer for mercy.

1. Before they'^fted their eyes to Ood, but now Jhej cry for mercy. '. * •

For this crying, they give the fSbowing feap sons: —,. * '.

1. **We are exceedingly filled with conten^t." To* suffer contempt is miueh; to be filled with it is more; vdd to be exceedingly filled with it is worst of all.

9' We^e scorned: they join words and actions to. show how mueh they^ despise us*.

in. They give the character of those by whom they suffer;

- 3. They are proud— staffed np viith a sense of their Q\nx impprtance;^ and this leads them to despise others. Proud m^n are for the most part empty, shallow-pated men: and contempt and scorn from such wobnds deeply; espeeially if they rise, as they 'often do, from the dungkUk The sick lion in the fa^le found it extremely galling to be kicked by the/<K>< of ao ass.

A thanksgiving of the godly for extraordinary deliverances, 1-6. 7%e great danger they were tn^ 7. TMr

¥^s on our side, when men rose up against us:, ■ 3 Then theyh^ ^' swallowed us up quick,- when their wrath was kindled against us: ' 4 Then the waters had overwhehned us,. the stream had gone over our soul:

In our present Hebrew copies tlus Psalm is attributed to David, 'Vnh ledavid; but th& inscription is' wanting in three of KennieoU^s -tLad De Rossi}s'}iSS,, as also in the Septuagira,, ^yridc, Vulgate, Mthiopic, and Arabic; and in most of the anciefiV fathers^ Greek and Latin, who found no otder inscription in their cof^es of the text than A Psahn of degrees. It was composed long after l>avidV days; and appei^rs to be either a thanksgiving for their deliverance' from the Babylonish captivity, or for a remarkable deliverance from some potent and insidious enemy after their return to Judea. Oi^, what appears to b^ more Kkelyj it is a thanki^giving of the JewQ for their eseape Arom the general, massacre intended by Hainan, prime minister-of A^iasnerus, king of Porsia. ' See the whole Book of Esther,

Verse 1. Jjf it had not been the Lord] If God had not, in a very especial mannej, supported and defended us, we ^ had. all been swallowed up alive, and destroyed by a sudden destruptiqir, so that npt one would have beep left. This might refer to the plot against the whole nation'of |he Jews by Haman, in the day^of Mordecai and Esther; ^hen by his treacherous schemes the Jews, wheresoever dispersed in the provinces of Babylon, were all t^ have been put to death in one day. This may here be, represented under the figuie of an jearthquake,'when a chasm is formed, apd a whole city knd its inhabitants are in a moment swallowed up alive.. • ' '

Verse 5. Then the proud waters] The proild Haman had nearly brought the flood of desolation over our lives...

Verse 7. ^^Qur soul is escaped of a bird out of the snare]. This is a fine image; and af once shows the teealcness of the Jews, and the cunning of their adversaries. Hainan had laid the snare completely for them; humanly speaking ihere was no prospect of their escape: but the Lord was on their side; and the providence that^induced Ahasuerus to call for the book of the records of the kingdom to be read to him, as well indeed as the once very improbable advancement of Esther to the throne of Persia, was the means used by the Lord for the preservation of the whole Jewish people from extermination, (jrod thus broke the snare, and the bird escaped; while the poacher was caUght in his o^^Ti trap, and executed. See the Book of Esther, which is probably the best commeHt on this Psahn.

7 Our so\]I is escaped ^ as a bird put of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is brokon^ and we are escaped. •.

Verse 8. Our help, is in the name ofAht Lord] ^n mO'^D DHJfS beshum meymra iayat, Chald^, "In the name of the. Word of the Lord.'' So iii the second verse, "Unless the Word of the Lord had heed our' Helper;" the substantial Wobd; not 'a word spoken, or a pfophecy delivered, but 4he person who *wa^ afterwards term^ '0*Aoy6grou ©fou, the WorJ^of Gob. This deliverance of the Jews appears to me the mostnati^ interpretation of this Psahn; and probably Mordecai was the authJor. j.

. nThe pepple of God, newly escap^ from some great d^ger, acknowledge* it^ and celebrate God ^ their Deliverer.

I.' The psalmist begins abruptly, as is usual in p^ thetical expressions.. "

. 1. ** If it had not been the Xord:" and so deeply was lie affected with a sens^e of God's goodness, and the narFowness of th6 escape, that he repeats it: " Unless the Lord'/' &c. Nothiog else could have^aved us.

3. " Now may Israel say;" the whole body of the Jewish people may well acknowledge this.

S.. " When men rose up:" when they werfe all leagued.ags^nst us aa one man to destroy us;. and, ho* manly ^speaking, our escape was impossible.

II. This danger 'and escape the psalmist ilhistrata by two metaphors z —

1. T^i^ first is taken from beasts of prey: "They had swallowed us up quick." They would have rushed upon us, torn us in pieces, and swaliowed as down, while life was quivering in our limbs.

This they would hav^ done in their fury. The plot, was laid with great circumspection and cautiimi but it would have been executed with a resistless fury,

2. The second similitude is taken from 'waten whieh had broken through dikes^/and at o;nce submerged the whdle country: " The stream had gone over our soul;" the proud waters, resistless now the dikes were broken, would have gone over our- soul — destroyed our life.

III. He next acknowledges the deliverance.

2. It is the blessed God who has preserved uj: " Bl6ssed be God," &c.

As this deliverance was beyond expectation, hb illustrates it by another metaphor, a bird taken in, but escaping from, a snare.

wlio truiiin God.

3. And th^ fowler disappointed of his prey. The disappointment of Haman was, in all its circumstances, bne.of the mcrat mortifying tHat ever occurred fo man.

IV. He concludes with a gntteful aoclaniation.

.1. /*.Our help is in the name of the Lord.*' In open assaults, and in insidious attacks, we have no helper but Grod; and from him our 'deliverance must come.. 2. This help is-su^cient; for he made the heaven wadearfh; has>hpth under his gQire.mment; and can employ Wh in the support, or for the dehverance, of Jus foUowers.

I. 1. The suhtletyof the adveraaries of the Church in liying snares to entrap it, aa fowlers do birds,

3. Their cfuilty in seeking to tear it to pieces, as aome ravenous beasts of prey Ido; or, as mighty inundations that overdirow all in their wa^, ver. 3-6.

IIL The deliveryK>f the Church from both, by the power and goodness'of God, ver. 1, 3, 6^ 7.

^The safety of those who'irust in. God, h 2. GocPs protecting providence in behalf of his followers, 3,' pmyer for the godly, A, The.eml lot of the tuicked, 6 ' -..

- KOTES ON PSALM CXXV. * This Psalm is without a title:, it belongs most pro^ bably to th© times after the ci^tivity; and has beenapplied, with apparent propiiety, to the x>pposition 'Which Sanballat the Horonite, Geshem the Arabian, tod Tobiah the Ammonite, gave to the Jews while employed in ' rebuilding the walls of JFerusalem, and restoring" the temple. ' ^

Verse 1. They that trust in the Lord] Every faitl^ Jew who confides in Jehovldi shall stand,- in those open and secret attacks of the enemies of God and truth, as unshaken '^s Mount Zion; and shall not be moved,by the power of any adversary.

Verse 2. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem] ' Jerusalem, according to Sandys, was situated on a rocky mountain every way to be ascended, except a little on the north, with steep ascents and deep vadleys, naturally fortified. It is surrounded with other mountains, at no great distance, as if placed in the inidst of an amphitheatre; for on the 'east \b Mount ^ Olivet, separated from the city by the valley of Jehoshaphat, which also encompasses a part of the north; on the south, the mountain of Offiner interposed with Ae valley of Gehinnom; and on the west it was formerly fenced with the valley of Gihon, and the- mounlains adjoining. The situation was such as to be easily rendered impregnable.

The Lord is round about his people] He is above, beneath, around them; and while ihey keep within it, their fortress is impregnable, and they can suffer no evil.

Verse 3. For the rod of the wicked shall not resf upon the lot of the righteous] Rod, here, may be taken

3 For • the'rod of *» the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the rigHtfedus; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. •

4 Do good; O Lord, unto those that be good,

{oT persecution, or for rule; and then it may be thus interpreted: 'tThe wicked ahall' not be permitted to persecute always, nor to have a permanent rule." In' our liturgic v^Jiim^this clause is thus rendered: " The rod of the ungodly cometh no^ into the lot of the righteous." " This," said one of our forefathers, *' is neither truth nor scripture. First, it is rioHruth; for the rod of the wicked doth come. into tihe inheritance of the righteous, and 'that often. Secondly, it is not sdrip^ ture; sibr'the text saith, * The jod of the vncked shall not rest there.^ It may come, «and, stay for a time; but 4t shall* not be permitted to abide."

This' is only one] and not the worst, of the many aad blemishes which deform the Version in our national Prayer-Jbook. In short, the Version of the Psalms in that book is wholly unworthy of regard; and should be tlvrown aside, and that in -the authorized Version in, tKe Bible substituted for it. The people of God are misled by- it; and they are confounded with the great and glaring differences they find between it and what they find in their Bibles, where they have a version of a much better character, delivered to them by the authority of Church and state. Why do not our present excellent and learned prelates lay this to heart, and take away this sore stumbling-block out of the way of the people? I have referred to this subject in the introduction to the Bpok of Psalms.

Lest the righteous put forth] Were the ^cked to bear rule in the Lord^s vineyard, religion Vould soon become extinct; for the great mass of the people would conform to their rulers. Fear hot your enemies, while ye fear-God^ Neither Sanballat, nor

Tobiah, nor Geshem,'tLOt cny of God's foes, shall be able to* set ap'their rod, their power and (nAhor^yi here. While yoa are' faithfiH, the Lord will laagh them to scorn.

Verse 4. Do good, OXord, unto tliose that be ^ood\ liet the upright ever find thee his mure defence! Increase the gdddnes9 which, ^on hast already bestowed npen them; and let all who are upright, in heart ^^ thee to be their stay and their support!

Verse 5'. As for such as turncfside] Who' are not faithful; who give way to sin; who hackslidt^ and > walk in ^ crooked way, widely different from the straight 4oay of the upright, W^XT yesharknr ike. straight in heart; they shaH he ied forth to punishment with Me comtnon workers of Utility., Thus thy Church will be purified, and thy pedice rest' upon thy true Israel, Let him that readeth understand.

Analysis or ths Uundrep and TwENTT-FiFTtf

It is the purpose of the psalmist to comfort the people of God, —.

I. By an assurance of their perpetuity, both from God's presence and protection, ver. 1, 9. '

XL. That though he mi^ permit them to be^iarassed 1)y the -wicked, yet he wiU not leaf e. them- under their rod, ver. 3.

I. A general promise of the perpetuity of the Church; that is, of them « that trust ip God.*'

1. "They that trust in the Lotd:" "The'congretgatibn of God's. faithful people, who have the pure wot^ of God -preached, and the sacraments duly administered," Acts xix.

. S. " Shall be as Mount Zioni" secure and immov- ■aHe; immovable,, because a rhoufUain,—r^ holy mountain,—rand particularly dear to God..

3. " Which abideth for ever:" So surely as Mount

LoRiS shall 4ead ^tfa the workers

Zion shJEdl never be removed, so sitreiy ahall the Ckmrek of Gofi be preserved. Is it noH strange that wkkee and idolatrous po'wers have nt>t joined together, dog down this mount, and ca^ed it rnlo> t^ sea, that they might nullify a promise in which the people of God extdt! ' Till ye can carry Moupt Zionf inlo' die Medi'' terranean Sea!^ the Church of Christ -shaU grow an^ prevail..Hear this, ye murderous Mohanmiedans!

4' " As, the mountains are rpuni about Jerusalem'^!^to fiwtify it. •

6. "From henceforth, even for ever:" Throogfr both time arid eternity,. -

II. 1. But the Chwch is often persecuited and harassed. Granted; for the " rod." the ^wer and seoorge, " of the wicked; may come into the heritage of the righteous." '•..,

. 2. *Bat then may it not finally prevail? No: for thoiigh it ciknes }i shall notreW.

3. And why 1 'Because it nlight finally destroy the Church, pervert the good, and cause- th^m to join issoe with the ungodly. Therefore, "they shall not ha tempted above that they are able.?

1. "Do good to the gobdt" Give them patience, and keep ihem faithful.

2. A^pd "to the -upright in heart:**• Let not tha' ioeak and the sincere be overeome by their enemieii:

• rv. He sets down the- lot of the ungoiily: —

2. They get into crooked, paths; they get into the spirit of the world, and are warped into its crooked aai winding ways.

- 3. They shall be condemned, and ^Aen led fMk ie punishment. The backslider in heart fdiall be filM with his own ways'; he shaU have writhimg in pain, fot * crooked ioalking in h\n. ', -i '

The jqy of the Israelites on their return from. captivity, qnd the effect their deUoermce had espoin 4^ heathen, 1-3. The prayer which they had offered up, 4. The inference they draw from lH« whole, h, e.

y NOTES ON PSALM CXXVL- This PsalxD is not of David,' has do tTtle in the, Hebrew or any oif the Versions, and certainly belongs to tlie close of the captivity. It might have hben composed^ bj Haggai and Zeckariah, as the. Syriac sap-, poses; or by Ezra^ according to others., •It is beantif4il, and faighfy descriptive of the dircivnstances which it xepresents. ■»..

Verse 1. '(VTien tjie Lor4 turned agiun the cajfilwity] lyjien Cyrus published his decree in favour of the Je'ws, giving them liberty to return to their own land, sad rebuild their city and temple. *

We were like them that dremnJ] The ntfws in^so iinexpec^ that we doubted for a time the truth of it. VITe believed it was too Jbod news to be true, and thought ourselves in.a dream of illusion. When the Jlomans had vanquished Philip, king of Macron, they restored liberty to the Grecian citi^ by proclamaiipd.. Jt was done at the time of fhfi Jsthmian glumes, and t^. the crier, who went into the circus to. proclaim them; none but the Roman gcnexal ^.Quintius knowing what was to be done. Multitudes from all. Greece were there assembled; and the tidings produced -nearly.the Mune effect' upon them, accordii\g to Livy, that the publication of the decree of Cyrus did on the Jews, according to what is here related by the psalmist. I shall give the substance of this account from the- Roman -faistohan. When the Romans had, sat down to.behold the games, the herald with bis trumpet -w^nt into the arena, according to c^tom, to proclaim the several gimes.. Silence being obtained, he- solemnly pronounced the following words: —

SCNATUS ROMANUS ET T. QuiNCIUS ImPEIUTOR, PhILIPPO REOE MaCEDONIBUSQUE DEVICTIS; L1BEB08, IMinJNES, 8U18 LEGIBU8 ESSE JUBET CoRlNTHIOS, PHO- CBXrSES, LoCRENSESqUE OMNES, ET GfSULAM EuBCBAM,

^ The Roman Senate^ and T. Quintius the general, having vanquished king Philip and the Macedonians, - do ordain that the Corinthians,. Phocensians, all the Lbcrensians, the island of Euboea, the Jtfagnesians, Tfaeasalians, Perrheebians, Acheans* • fuid Phthiotians, diaA be free, be delivered from ail taxes, and live teeording to their own laws.''

The effect that this produced on the astonished Grecians who were present. Is related by this able hi^ torian in a very natural and affecting manner; and* some parts of it nearly in the words of the psalmist, •

Audita voce prttconiv majus gaudium fuit, quam quod universum homines caperent. yix satis se credere se quisque audisse: alii alios intueri mirabundi

.3 Tlie Lord hath done' great things for us; lofiereof'vre are glad.

eJob viii. 2].-^ — ^Heb. hath magniJM to do

velut somnii vanank spfseiem: quod ad guemque^perti* nerety swavm qariwn fidei minimum oredehtes, prosi^ mos inCerrogabarU, Revocatur pne<^, cum unusquisque non audire, sed videre libertatit suae, nunoinm averit, itexnm pronnnpiaret eadem. Turn ab cerio jam gaudio tantus cium clamore plausus hx otUiby totiesque repe^ titus, ut fadle appareretj nihil omnium bonopim multitifidini gratiiu quatn'LniERXATEJk e&e.

This proclamation of the herald being heard, there was such joy, that- the people in general could not comprehend it.. Scarcely could any t)er8on believe what-he. had heard. They gazed, on each other, won- ' dering as if it had been some illusion,' similar to a dream; and although all were interested in what was spokeq;, none <;oidd trust* his own 'ears, but inquired each from him' who stood next to him what it w^ that was proclaimed. The herald.was ajgain called, as each exp^ssed the strongest desire not only to hear, but se^ the messenger of his own liberty: the herald, there* fore, repeated the proclamation. When by this repe» tition the^glad'tidingtf Were confirmed, there arose such a shout, acdompanied with r^eated clapping olf hands, as plainly shewed that of all good things none is set. dear to the mtUtitude as liberty. * '. ^.

O that God may raise up some oth^r' deliverer tDsave these same "cities with their inhabitants, from a worse' yoke -Hian ever' was imposed upon them by the king of Macedonr and from a servfOide which haft now lasted three- hundred years longer than the coptivity of the Israelites in the empire of Babylon!

Constantinople was taken by the Turks in Jl45d; ahd'tthce that tim^ till* t£e preisent, (October, 1899,) three hundjred and'sixty-ninc ye.ars Imve elapsed. "Whf do tt^ CAmfum powers xif Europe stand by, and see Ihe ark of their God in captivity; thehbly nagie hy 'which they are called despised and execrated; the vilest indignities ofiered to tjiose-who are called Chri»- tians> by barbariatis the mosi cruel, ferocious, and abominable that ever dijBgi:sced the name of map 1 Great God, vindioate the cause of the distressed Greeks as summarily, as effectually, as permanently, jsa. thou once didst that pf thy oppressed people the JeWs! Let the crescent never more fill its horns with a victory, nor with the -spoils of any who are called by the sacred name of Jesus: but let it wane back into total darkness; and know no change for- the better, till illumio nated by the orieiU splenkour of the Sun of righteousness t Amen! Amen! * •

6 Hethatgoethtbrthand weepeth, bearing ' precious seed, shall doubtless t^ome- again with rejoicingybringing his sheaves unY^A^m.

in the. Bay of Nnvarino by the combined fleets of thfi. above powers' in October^ 1827, Xibder the command of the British Admiral, Sir. Edward Codringtbn, and totally.annihilated. AAef which, the Mohammedan troops were driven oat of Greece luid the Morea; so that the whole of Greece is ^sleared of its oppressors, and is now underwits own government^ projected by the above pawers. — March,. 1839.

Verse.2. Then teas our mauih filled with laughierl The same effect as was 'produced on the poor liberated Grecianff mentioned above...

Then said they fmumg the heathen] liei liberty now granted was brought about in so extraordxi\ary a wa/, that the very heathens saw that th6 hand of the great Jehovah must have been in it..

Verse 3. The Lord hath done great thtngi for Us] Wd -acknowledge the hand of oui God. Deus. nobis htRC otia fecit, " God alone has given. Us this' enlarge-* ment.". - •".

-. Verse 4. Turn agaih our captivity] This is either a recital of the prayer they had usiBd 5e/bre their -deli^ Verance; or it is a prayer for those who still remai^d in the provinces beyond the Euphrates. The Jewish captives did not all. return at once; they- caifie. back at different tin^s, and und^r different leaders, llzra, Ne— hemiah, Zerubbabel,' &c. •,.

As the strecans in the jouth.] Probably iheNile is jodeant. It is now pretty well Imown that the Nile has its origin in the. kingdom of- Damo^; and runs from south to north through different countries, tiU, passing ^ottgh Egypt^it empties -itself iiitQ the Mediterranean $ea. it. is possiUe, however, that tliey might have had in view some rapid rtver^-thkt -either rose in the south, oriiad a southern direction; and they desired, that' their jetqrn might be as rapid and d^affUndant as the waters of tho^e rivers. But we know that the Nile proceeds from the south) divides itself into several streaifM as it passes through- Egypt, and fall's by seven mouths into the Mediterranean. '

Verse 6. They that sew in tears shall reap in joy, \ This is either a nuutim' which they gather* from their own history, or it is a fact which they are now witnessing... We see the benefit of humbling oursehes under the mighty hand of -God; we have now a sweSt return for our bitter tears. Or, We have sown in tears.; now we reap in joy. We are restored after > long and afllicting captivity to our own country, to pea^'e, and to happiness.

Verse 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed] The metaphoB seems to be this: A poor farmer has had a very bad harveat: a very scanty portion of grain and food has been gathered from the earth. The seed time is now come, and is very unpromising. Out of the &mine a little seed has been saved to be flown, in hopea of another cr6p; but the badness of the present season almost precludes^ the entprtaimnent of. hope.. But he must eow, or else despair and peiudi. He darrios his all, his jrrecious seed, with him in his seed basket; 9sA with a sorrowful heart -commits it to the furro^, watering it ia effect with his tears, and earnestly imploring the blessing- of God upon it. Qod heara ^^-the season becomes mild; he beholds successively the hlade^ the ear^ and -the fuU com in the ear. The appointed weeks of harvest come, and the grain is- very productive.' He fills' his, arms, his carriages, with the sheaves and shocks; and returns to his large expecting* family in triumph, praising God for the wondeVs he hfas wrought. So shall it be with this handfiil 9^ returning -Israelites. They also are to be sovpt^ seattered all pver the Ian4 r the blessing of God shall be upon them, and' their faith and numbers shall be abunj^ntljr increased. - The return here referred to, Isaiah describes, in very natural language: " And they shaQ bring all your brethre^ for an offering to the Lord out of all nations; updn- horses, and in chariots, and in litters, upota- mules, ^and upon swift beasts, to my hdy mpuntain Jeru^eibiJBaith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring;an offering in a clean vessel into the housc^ of tlM Lord," chap..lzvi., ver. 20.

AllALTSIS or 'THB HuNDRKD AND TwtKTT-SIXTH PsALM.

; The,parta of this Psalm are three: —

I. An expre^onpfjoy for their stnngd'deliveranee from captivity.

n. A prayer for the;^retum. of the remainmg part«

L The psalmist celebrates.their return, and amplifies it Mretf •waysCi-^ '. -

1. Yxam the cause, Jehovah. Cyrus gave a commission' for it \ 'but it was the Lord who dispo^- his heart so to ^o: " When the Lord turned," &c.

2. From the manner of it. It was strange and wonderful; they could scarcely believe it.. ' •

That God did this for them he proves by two evidences:—

i. The heathen: *^Theh said they among the heathen." • They saw that they were permitted to retnni by virtue of a royal edict; tfiat the very king who gave the commission was named by a prophet; that Aey had ri<^ gifts given them, the vessels of gold and sflver restored, &c. Who could do all these things but God! ' 2. The Jews.: It is true, said the Jewa, what you acknowledge. 1, " The Lord hath done great things for us." 'Beyond our merit, beyond our hope. 2. " "Wiercof we are glad," for we are freed from a galling yokow

II. But there were some ^ews left behind, for whom they pray.

- 1. « Turn their captivity also." Put it in their hearts ( 41* -)

JVb pro^ferity without

lb joi)ii tbeir bretfaren. SeTer^l* no doobt, stayed behind, because they had married strange wives, &&^

3. '* Turn it as the streams in. the south/' Qr, as aonie read it, streams of water on a parched land. Jndea has been lying waste; ^ we need many hands to coIfiiYato.it. When all join together in this work th^ land wOl become fruitful, like the parched gronnd when powerful riTulets are'sent through it. in' all directions.. m. The benefit of this will be great; for althoogfa II may, cost us much hard labour and distress in the 'beginning, yet the maxim' will hold- good-r-*' They, who flOfw in tears shall re^ in Joy.'' Which th6-4)ealm]st amplifies in the next verse. -

1. '* He that goeth forth and weepeth." Ilia poor husbandman, for t|ie reasons.giveh above and in the notes, bmring ^ precious seed — seed bongtit with a high price, which augments his grief, being 1m> poor.

3. " He shall doubtless come again" — in hairett, with jvy, having a plentiful crop; for every grain sbwn at least one inll-fed ear bf corn-, with at the lowest.thirty-fold. Some maximr are to be gathered from thewhole: Penitential sorrow shall be followed by the joy of pardoning mercy; he that hears the cross ^udl wear the ctown; and, trikls and difficolties shalh-be followed by peace* and prosperity.

The 'necessity^ of God's blessing on every undertaking, without yohich no prosperity can he expeZtid, 1, 3. Children are a heritage from the Lm-d, 3, 4. A fruitful wiff is a blessing to her husband, 5.

2 It is vain for yon to rise up early,* to dit'up late, to * eat the bread of sorrows: for » 90 he giyetli his beloved sleep.

3 Lo,'« children ar^ a heritage of thd^ Lord and ' the fiaiit of the womb is his reward.

The Hebrew, Chaldee, and Vulgate • attribhte this Pealm.t* Solomon. The Syriac says it is *' 4f P^m of l)aYid concerning Solomon; and that it was spoken also concerning Haggai and'Zechaiiah, who forwarded the building of the temple. '' The Septuagint, JEHhiopic, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon have no title, but simply " A Psahn of Degrees.^' It was most likely composed Ibr the building of the second temple,, under Nehemiah, and by some prophet of that time. ' Terse 1. Except the Lord build the house] To build A house is taken in three dijSerent senses in the sacredwritings t I. To build the temple of the Lord, which was caUed n^DH habbeith, the house, by way of eminence. 2. To build any ordinary houee, or place of dwelling. 3. To have a' numerous offspring. In this, 0ense it is supposed to be spoken concerning the Egyptian mid wives; that because thdy fear^ the Lord, therefore he built them houses. See the note on Exod. i. 31. But, however the aboye passage may be interptoted, it is a fact that p ben, a son, and r\2 bath, a daughter, and n'^ beith, a house, come from the same ioot W2 banah, to build; because sons and daughters build up a household, or constitute a family, as much Mid as really as stones and timber constitute a building. Now it is troe that unless the>'good hand of God be ^^n tis we cannot prosperously build a place of wor- ■hip^^or his name. Unless we have his blessing) a dwelling-house cannot be comfortably erected. And.if his blessing be not on our children, the hpuse (the family) may be built up, but instead of its being the honse of God, it will be the synagogue of Satas. All mar- riages that are not under God's blessing will be a private and public curse. This we see every d%y.

Except the Jjord keep ike dty] When the retoniad Jews began to restore the walls of Jerusalem, and rebuild the city, Sanballat, Tobiah, and others formed plots to prevent it. Nehemiah, being informed of this, set up proper w^ches -and guards. The enemy, ^ding this, gathered themselves together, and^determined to fsdl upoti them at once« and cut them all off. Nehemiah, having gained intelligence of this also, armed his people, and placed them behind the wall. Sanballat and.his company, finding that -the Jews were prepared for reaistance, abandoned their project; and Nehemiah, to prevent auiprises of this kmd, kept one-half of the people always under arms, while the other, half was employed in the work. To this the psalmist alludes;.. and m eff^t says. Though you shoul<) vvatch cohiitantly,.' guard every place, and keep on your armour ready to repel every, attack,- yet remember the success of* all depends 'upon the presence and bless^r^ of God. While, therefore, y'e are not slothful in business, be fertreht in spirit, serving the Lord; for there is no'succesd either in spiritual or secular undertakings but in consequence of the benediction «of the Almighty.

Verse 3. It is vain for you to rise up earh/] There seems to be here an allusion to the daily and nightly watches which Nehemiah instituted. The people were worn out w^th constant labour and watching; he theiefdre divided them iii such a manner, that they. who had worked in the day should rest by night, and that they who worked by jiight should rest in the day; and thus his belovedy a title of the Jews, the beloved of God^ g^

Aitoxentisi., of a mighty man: so are cnilfiJ.^^^^ clren of the youth. tige«imiim. 5 Happy w the man thaV » hath

Bleep, dae refrecihmeiit, and rest.. Am fpr Nehemiafa Vid ius senrants, they nerer put-off their clothes day •r night but 'for Mrashing.

* Verse 3. Lo, children are tr tmitdge of the Lord\ TboLt is, To many God givek childreh in p)ace of tem.- porid good. To maigr others he ^Ves houses, lands, anid ' thousands of gold and silver, and with them the womb that beaxeth not; and these are their inh^tance.* The poor man has from God a number of ohildren, without lands or money; these are his inheritance; and God shows himself their father, feeding and supporting them 'by a chain of miraculous providences'. Where is, the poor man who would give op his six children, ynth. the prospect of having, more, for Ihe thousands or miUi<fns of hhn who is the peritre of his own existence, and has neither root not branch but his forlorn solitary self upon the face of the earth.!. Let the fiuitful- family;' howeTer poor, lay this to heart: " Children ai;e a heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb^is his reward.'* And he who gave them wiU feed them; for it is a fact, and the maxim formed on it has. never failed,/* Wherever God sends mouths, he sends meat." •** Murmur not," said an Arafar-to his friend, ** because thy family is large; know that it ii' for their sokes that God feeds thee,^^ - \ *.

.Verse 4. - As arrows are in the hand of a fni^hty mari] Each child wfll, in the process of time, be a defence wad's^pport to the family, as arrows in the quiver of a* skflful and strong archer:• the more he has, the more enemies he may slay, and consequently the more redoubted shall he be.

Children of the youth.] The children of young peopie ar^ always more strong and vigorous, more healthy, abd generally Jonger lived than those of elderly, or comparatively elderly persons. Youth is the tkne'for marriage; I do not -mean infancy or a comparative emidhoodj in which several fools jojn in marriage who are scarcely fit to leave the nursery or school. Such couples generally disagree; they cannot bear the hoyish, and girlish petulancies and caprices of each other; their own growth is hindered, and their offjpring, (if any,) have never much better than an embryo existence. On Ae other hand ^^^ produces only a dwarfish or rickety cApring, that seldoni live to procreate; and when they do, it is only io perpetrate deformity and disease. It W0UI4 be easy to assign reasons for all this; but the interpretation of Scripture wiU seldom admit of physiological details. It is enough that God has said. Children of the- youth are strong and active, like arratvs in, ike hands of the mighty.

Verse 6. Happy is the man' that hath his quiver ftdl of them] 'f\aB is generaUy supposed to mean his house fuH of children, as his quiver is ML q{, arrows; but I submit whether it be not more congenial to the metaphors in the text to consider it as applying to the wife: *' Happy is the man who has a breeding or fruitful wife;" this is tlie gravida sagittis pkxretra,'^Hhe quiver hi9 quirer- fiill of them: ^ they ^^ ^'^ shall not be ashamed, btit they Aitaxendai., 'shall speak urith the enemies in cv.mrata pregnant with arrows." But it may be thought thi met^i)M>T is not natural. I think otherwise; and I luKrlr it to be.in the Jewish style, and the style of the times.of the captivity; when this Psalm was written^ and we find the pudendum muHebre, or human matrix, thus dejoOminated, EccluS. xxvi. 18: KarSvwfri fa^r^s imt" (faXob xa^efsreu,' xai svoevri jSsToou^ avoi^ei. ^apcrpov. The reader may consult the place in the -Apocrypha, where he will find (he verse well enoagh translateid.

■ With the enemies in the gate.]," When he shall contend with^ his adversaries in the gate of the boose of judgment."-^ Targwn. The reference is either to courts of justice, which were held at the gates of cities, or to robbers who Endeavour to force their way iiito a house to spoil the inhabitants of'thefar goods. In the' first case a man^ellsely accused, who has a numerDos family, has as many witnesses in his behalf as he has child^n. And in the- second case he is not afraid of jndrauders, because his house is well defended by his activa and vigorous sons. It is, I believe, Co this last that the psalmist refers.

This Psalm may be' eatiUed, " The Soliloquy of the happy Householder:— ^The ^poor man with a large loving family, and in annual expectation of an increase, because his wife, under the Divine blessing, is fruitful.** All are blessed^ of the Lord, and his hand is invariably upon them for good. '. t

Analysis of thk HuNDkim and Tw^ntt-sstkntb

The Jtews were at this time very busy in rebuildiDg their, temple, and the houses and walls of their citf; and the prophet teaches them that, without the assistance of God, nothing win be blessed or preserved, and that their cauldron- are his especial blessing also. This the prophet shows hy these words repeated, nisi, nisi, frustroj frus^ra; and proves it by an induction.

I. In civil affairs, Whether in house or city.

1. "Except the Lord build the house," Ac. God must be the chief builder in the family; his blessing arid help must be prajred for, for. the nourishment of wife, children, servants, cattle, &c.

d. " Except the Lord keep the city,** &c. And so it is in- kingdoms and commonwealths. The Jews had now a trowel in one hand, 'and a sword in the other, for fear of their enemies: bat the prophet teDs them th^t the Lord must be their protector and keeper, else their watch, piagistrates, judges, &c., would be of Utile v^oe.

And this he illustrates by an elegant hypsihesis of an industrious man who strives to be rich, but looks not to Go^.. "

2. " He sits up late." Takes little rest.

3. "He eats the bread of sorrow." Defrauds himself of necessary food. His mind is fuU of anaucty and

' The bl^VGiness of the

fe^.: bfot all this without God^ Uessiiig ia vain'. ^* It 19 Tain for yoa to rise yp early," &ci On the contnury, lie who loves and fears God has God's blessing: ** For so.he gives his beloved sle^p," in the place of fett and distractioiu

,n. lli^ prophet then sets down the t^eaUng a man possess^ in his <^dren. In reference to their birth» 1. "^Lo, children are a heritage/' &c. They are alone the Lord's gift. \ y -

. S.' As regarding their Vacation v being brought up' in the fear of the Lord, they become generoda spirits: ** As axTQiwa are in the l^and pf a mighty man," &e.

enabled to do great actions, and to defend themselves and others. And the benefilwill redound to th6 father inhiaoldfige.

3. " Ke ehaU not be aahamed^*" &c. He shall be able to defend himself', ^ld. keep out all injuriea* beiiig fortified by his ohildreii.^ And if it so ht^tpen that he has' a cause. pending in the gale,. to 6e tried beforj9 the judges, he shall have.the patronage of his childr^, and not suffer in his plea for want of advocates: his sons shall stand up in 'a just caqae for bixa.

The Uessedness of thei man that fears the'Lord, h He ie^ bleese4 in his labour^ S; in his wife and chiiirenj d, i; in the itrdinances of God, 5; and- m is long Hfe,and munerous fosierityy 6. ^ «

3 Thy wife shall he^ as a fruitful vine by the' sides of thine house: thy children ^-like

This Psalm has no iitley either in the Hebrew or any €/( the Versions; though the Syriac supposes it to ha^e been spoken of ZerubhaheU prince 6f Judah,' who waa earnestly engaged in building the temple of the Lord. It seems to be a continuation 'of the preceding Psahta,.or rather the second part of it. The man who is stated to have a numerous offspring, in the preceding Psaim^ is here represented as silling at table with his largi) family.- A person in the mean while coming in, sees his happy state, speaks of his comforts, and prisdicts to him and his all possible future good. -And why! ' Because the man and his family " fear God, and walk, io liis ways."

Verse 2. Thou shalt eat the labour of Mu hands] ' Thou shUt not be exempted from labowr. Thou ahalt work: but God will bless and prdsper that work, and thou- and thy family shall eat of it. Ye shall all Uti^ on. the produce of your o\vn labour, and.the liand of violence shall ndt be (iermitted to d^eprive you of it.. Thofij^

Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well 'with thee."] Thou shalt have prosperity. ^

YeiBO 8. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine] Thy children^ in every comer and aparti^ent of thy houses ^hall be the evidences of the fruitfulness of thy wife, as bunches of grapes qui ewmtj hough of the vine are the proofs of its being in a healthy thriviqg state, fieing about the house sides, or apartments, ia sppken of the wijkf not the vme/ being around the table in

5; The I(ORD. shall bless thee -out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. "^

Spoken of the children^ not of the ydive-plants. It does not 'appear that there were any vines planted against the waUs of the housels in Jerusalem; nor ax^y o/toeirees in pots or tubs in' the inaide of their houses; sb may be found in different parts of Europe.

Verse 4. Thus shall the man be blessed that fearvth the Lord.] A great price for a small cofisideration. Fear God, and thou shalt have aa much' domestic goodas may be useful to thee.

Verse 5. The Lord shall bleu thee out rf Zion] jIn all, thy approaches to hini in hb heuae by prayer, by 'sacrifice, and by offering, thou 'shalt have his especial blessing. Thou shalt thrive evdxy where, uid in all things. 4

And thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem] Thou shalt see the cause of God flourish in thy lifetime, and ^ his Church in great prosperity.

Verse 6. Yea^ thou shalt see thy children's ehildreri^., Thou shalt AOt ^io till thou have aeen thy family cL'*^ settled in the wc«l<], and tfiose of them who may be<' •« numried blessed with children. ■ ' ';

And peace ty^on Israel.] ^ This is t)ie same eonokl- ^ ' ^ sion as ip. Psa. cxxv.; and should be tninslatpd, pMce be upon Israel! May God favoor hia own oauae, aal bless all his people!

Analysis or thx Huvdrxd and Twenty-ei6hxh *

in |hiB Psalm the prophet persuadea men to feax God ' (ipon the several rewards th«l iltend iqho piety.

*rhe afflicted state of

the Jew^ in eaptimty.

It b divided into thten paita. f. L He describes the pious nuini and pronounces him blesaedf ver* I*

II. He proposes the pmiticulaLra fif hi? blesaingf tof.

HL He gives his ftcelamftiion to it^ ver. 4.

I, He descnbeg the man who is io eatpeot ihe blesaing» TVo qualities he muai have t —

8. He must " walk in his ways." This is the true charaj^ter of his fear*

3, This man shall be ^* bJe*sed." WhelheT rich or poor, high or low; all such shall experience the bleas^ ingof the Lord.

n. And the blessedness cotisists in three partieulars*

1. He shaJl enjoy thuse ^ooda he has honestly oh* tained with his hands: " For thou shalt eat. the labour of thine hands f ' his happiness consists not in having much, hut in enjoying what he has.

2. '* Happy shalt ihou be/^ Sin. Able to help others, and leave to thy children.

3- Happy he shall be in his marriage, if his choice be prudent, and in the Lord; I. *^ His wife shaU be,"

&c. Fttife^^ non^tenlis. 2. Upon the wtiDs of thy house. Staying at liome^, and caring for the Ihinj^ of the house^ while her husband is taking care abroad.

4. Happy in his children: 1. " Thy children Jake olive -plaj^ta*" Freshi green, spreading, fruitful, and pledges ef peace: not like sharp and pnekJy thorns. 2. "Round about ihy lahle./"^ Sit, eat, and conrerse with thee.

II L The acclamation Ibllows dieae temporal bleiaings: "Thus shall the man be blessed,*' &e. In his goods, wife, and children.

Bnt there is a bfesatng^ far beyond theae, the sem of which is, —

5. **Thou shalt ^e the good of Jertisalem," &c. The prosperity of the Church.

Bt natos uatorum, et qui nascent ur at> iHis. ** Thy childreu*H children, and those bom of tkem,^

4. "And peace upon Israel." A ftoufishing i mon wealth and kingdom all prosperity.

for by peace is Qodeistood

The Jews give an accotml cf the affltciions %&kkh ^hey hmye passed ikr&ughi 1^%. And thank God fir ihetr detivertmce, 4, The judgtnmts that shall fsM on the itmierM of iniqnil^r 5-B< '

TV/TANY ^ a time have ihcy afflicted me from ^ my youth, = may Israel now say: 2 Many a lime have they afflicted mc from my youth: yet lliey have not prevailed against me.

This Psalm was wriltcn afier ihe eaplivity; and contains a reference to the many iribulaiiona which the Jews passed through from their youths i. e,, the earliest part of their hi story, their bondage in Egypt. It has no tillf in any of the Versions ^ nor itt the Hehrmv Uxi^ ejtcept the general one of A Psalm of Degrees^ The author is uncertain.

Verse 1. Many a time have they afflicted me] The Israelites had been generally in afHictiou or captivity from the earliest part of their history, here called their youth. So Hos. \i. 15: *' She shall sing as in the dayx of her youths when she came up out of the land of Egypt.'''* See Jer. ii, 3, and Eiek. xvi. 4, &c.

Verse 9* Yet they have not prevailed] They endear cured to annihi]ate us as a people; hut God still preaerres us as his own nation.

3 The plowcrs plowed upon my hack: ihey made long their ftirrowa.

4 The Lord 15 righteous; he hath cut asun*

5 Let them all he.confounded and tume^ back that hate Zion-

Te»lly appears here to be a reference to a yojfet as if they had actually been yoked ta the plough^ or to some kind of carrifigesj and been obliged to draw hke beasts of hfurdcn. In this way St. Jerome understood the passage; and this has the more hkelihood» aa in the next verse God is represented as cutting them off from these draughts. •

Verse 4. The Lord — hath cut asunder the rordi rf the Wicked.] The words have been applied to the suffermgs of Christ; but I know not on what authority. No inch scourging could take place in his case^ as would justify the expreEsion t^

It is not Ukely that he received more tfun thtrtynine strlpea* The last Hue is an unwamnied as* sf.rtion.

Verse 5. Let them aU be confounded] They ahaU he confounded. They who hate Zton^ the Church ot Godi hate God hims^i^lf; and aU such must be dealt with as miemeSi and be utterly coftfounded.

6 Let them be as, ^ the grass wpon the housetops, which withcrelh afore it groweth up:

7 Wherewith the mower hlleth not his hand; nor he.that bindeth sheates hi& bosom.

Yerae 6. As ike grass tipon ike houstiops\ As in the east the roofs of the houecs were jfa/, seeds of variiouB kinds falling^ upon them would natutally vegetate, though in an imperfet^t ^aj; andt because of the want f>f proper nouriahment, would necessarily drynx^d wilfier ayaj. If grass i Ihe mower caimot make hay of it ^ if e^m^t the reaper carmot make a th^af of it. Let the Babylon iaus be like such herbage^ — good for nothing, aod come to noihingf.

Withereih afore tt gretpeih up] Befote p^ff sholok^ it is unscathed ^ L e.fliefore it tarsj or cornea Iq s^ed.

Yeree 6. NeifJi^ d& they which gQ (ty sm/] There ia a reference here to the saluiatimii whioh were given and returned by the reapers in the lime of the harvesi. We find that it was cust<jmary, when the master came to them into the fields to say otito the reapersj The l^ord be with fou I and for them to answer, Tfte Lord bitss I hue! Ruth u. 4. Let their J and become desolate, so that no hitnfe&t shiill ever more appear in it. No interchange of benedictinna between owners and reapers. Thia haa literally taken place: Babylon is uiterly destroyed; no harresta grow near tAue place where it stood.

The intent of the prophet in composing this Psalm k to comfort the Church in afflictioui a.nd to stir her up to glorify God for his providence over her, always for her good^ and bringing hei enemies to cooiusion, &nd a sudden nun.

It is divided Into three parts: —

L The indefatigable malice of the enemies of the Church, vcr. 1, 3,

IL That their malice is viin. Qfid saitea llitini ver, 2, 4.

II li God pats into the mouth of hii people what,

8 Neither do they which go by say,

you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.

they mny say <o thoir enemiea, eren wljen ^eir malioe is at the highest.

1. That aiflictions do attend those whd vrill live righteously ui Christ Jesus.

4. This affliction was a heavy affliction: "The plowers plowed upon my ba^ckj'^&c, Thoy dealt unmercifully with me, as a husbandman does with his ground,

U. But all their malice is to no purpose.

1. ^'^ Yet they have not prevailed against mef* To extiiTguish the Ctiurch.

2. The reason is, ** The Lord la righteous/* And therefore he protects all those who are under his tui* tloQ, and puniidhes their adversaries.

3. ** The Lord is righteous/' (Sec. Cut aaund^ tlie ropes and chains vHith which they made their furrows: ** He hath delivered Israel,'* &c.

III. In the following verses, to the end, the prophet, by May of prediction, declares th^ vengeance God would bring upon his enemies, winch has ihree de> grees: —.