Exposition of the Whole Bible

_ 3. 16, For the voice of bim that reproacheth and blafphemeth, &c.] That is, Antichrift, to whom a mouth fpeaking blafphemies has been given, and which he has opened in blafphemy againft God, attributing that to himfelf which. belongs to God; blafpheming his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven; fee Rev. xiii. 5, 6. 2 Theff. ii. 4. By reafon of the enemy and avenger; which are very proper characters of Antichrift, who is the enemy of Chrift and of his people, and breathes out vengeance againft them; as the fame titles are alfo given to the fcribes and pharifees, the implacable enemies of Chrift, P/al. viii. 2.

y¥. 17. All this is come upon us, &c.] Not by chance, but according to the purpofe and counfel of God; not for fin, and as a punifhment of it, but for Chrift’s fake and his gofpel; for a profeffion of faith in him, and for the trial of it. Yes have we not forgotten thee; not the being and perfections of God, on which they often meditated, efpecially as difplayed in the affair of falvation by Jefus Chrift; nor the works of God, which were remembered to encourage faith and hope in their prefent circumftances, y. 1. nor the benefits and favours beftowed upon them by him; nor his word, worfhip and ordinances; their reproach, affli€tions, and perfecutions, did not move them from the hope of the gofpel, and the fervice of God.

Neither have we dealt falfly in thy covenant; by difbelieving their intereft in God as their covenant- God; by difregarding or not coming to and making ufe of Chrift the mediator of it; and by calling in queftion their intereft in the bleffings and promifes of the covenant; for nothing can be more called dealing falfly in or with refpect to the covenant of grace than unbelief about it; which remains firm and fure notwithftanding all the afflictions that may come on fuch who are interefted in it: moreover, as this may refpect the formal exhibition of the covenant under the gofpel-difpenfation, by the miniftry of the word, and the adminiftration of ordinances; the fenfe may be, that though the church and her members met with fo much reproach and perfecution from men, yet did not drop nor deny any of the truths of the gofpel, nor corrupt the ordinances of Chrift, nor neglect an attendance on them; but were virgins, pure and incorrupt in doctrine and practice, and followed the Lamb whitherfoever he went.

¥. 18. Our heart is not turned back; &c.] To its original hardnefs, blindnefs, and bondage, to its former fin and folly, to cherifh, gratify, and fulfil its lufts and defires; not from God, from love to him; faith in him, and defires after him; nor from his worfhip and fervice; their trials had no fuch infiuence upon them as to caufe them to apoftatize from God, neither in heart, nor in action. Neither have our fteps declined from thy way; from the way of his commandments; frorh the paths of holinefs, truth and faith, being direéted and guided therein by the counfel of the Lord, and kept and preferved by his power.

¥. 19. Though thou haft fore broken us in the place of dragons, 8c.] Where men, comparable to dragons for their poifon and cruelty, dwell; particularly in Rome; and the Roman jurifdiction, both pagan and papal, the feat of Satan the great red dragon, and of his wretched brood and offspring, the beatt, to whom he has given his power; here the faints and followers of Chrift have been forely afflicted and perfecuted, and yet have held faft the name of Chrift, and not denied his faith; fee Rev. ii. 13.

and xii. 3. the wildernefs is the habitation of dragons; and this is the name of the place where the church is faid to be in the times of the papacy, and where fhe is fed and preferved for a time, afd time$, and half a time, Rev. xii. 6,14. And covered us wilh the fhadow of death; as the former phrafe denotes the cruelty of the enemies of Chrift’s church and people, this their difmal afflictions and forlorn’ ftate and condition; fee P/al. xxiii. 4. J/a, ix. 2 and may have fome refpeét to the darknefs of popery, when it was at the height, and the church of Chrift was covered with it, there being very little appearances and breakings forth of gofpel-light any where. ‘According to drama, the place of dragons denotes the captivity of Egyp', which is the great dragon; and the /hadow of death, he fays, was a name of Egypt in ancient times, as fay the Rabbins; and obferves that ¥. 25. explains this; fee Gev. iil. 14.

y. 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, &c.} As Antichrift, and the antichriftian party did in thofe times, Dan. xi. 36, 37. Or firéiched out our bands to a ftrange God, as not to any of the heathen deities under the pagan perfecutions, fo not to any images of gold, filver, brafs ‘and wood, under the papal tyranny; not to the virgin Mary, nor to angels and faints departed; nor te the breaden God in the mafs, never heard of before; fee Dan. xi. 38, 39. Rev. ix. 21.

y. 21. Shall not God fearch this out? &c.] Undoubtedly he would, was it fo, and expofe it, and punifh for it; as he will the Balaamites and children of Fezebel, Rev. ii. 18—23. this feems to be an appeal to God for the truth of all that the church had faid concerning her ftedfaftnefs and integrity under the moft trying exercifes. For be knoweth the fecrets of the heart; whether the heait is turned back, or there is any inclination to apoftatize from God, or his name is forgotten in’ it; as well as whether in fact the hand has been ftretched out, or prayer made to a ftrange God, Fer. xvii.

long, &c.] Thefe words are cited by the apoftle Paul in Rom. viii. 36. and are applied to his times, thewing the then clofe attachment of the faints to Chrift, and their {trong love and affection for him; and they have the fame fenfe here, being an inftance and proof of the church’s integrity and faithfulnefs in the caufe of God, amidft the foreft afflictions and perfecutions; for the truth of which fhe appeals to the fearcher of hearts; and had their accomplifhment in the ten perfecutions under the heathen emperors, and under the papal tyranny; and may be underftood of their being threatned with death, being in danger of it, and expofed unto it continually, 1 Cor. xv, 31. 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11, 12. OF Of their being in fuch troubles and afflictions which may be called death, 2 Cor. i. 8, 9, 10. and Xi. 23. or of the actual flaying them: and what was done to many of the members of the church, fhe attributes to herfelf, becaufe of the union between them; and for the fake of the worfhip of the true God, becaufe they would not worfhip the gods of the lieathens, rior the image of the beaft; multitudes of them were put to death; and thar all the da long, and every day, atid that for a tong feries and courfe of time; or continually; and indeed ever fince the gofpel-day or difpenfation begin, this killing work hag been more or lefs; and it will continue during the rei¢n of Antichrift, until the meafure of his iniquity is filled up, and the afffictions of the faints are ac=

» 10. y. 22. Yea, for thy fake are we Filled all the day complifhed. We are counted as fheep for ihe flaughter; or as foeep of flaughter*; fee Zech. xi. 4, 7- that is, either as fheep to be flaughtered for food, their enemies delighting to eat their fefh and drink their blood; fee the note on y. 11. or for facrifice, they reckoning it doing God good fervice to take away their lives, as though they facrificed a lamb or a fheep unto him; and which, like fheep, they have patiently endured: this is the account made of them, not by the Lord, in whofe fight their death is precious; nor by the faints, with whom their memory is dear; but by their furious perfecutors, among whom they areas fheep among wolves; fee 1 Cor. iv. 13. nd ¥.23. Awake, why fleepet thou, O Lord? &c.]. Not that fleep properly falls upon God:_ the keeper of J/rael neither flumbers nor fleeps;_his eyes are always upon his people; he never withdraws them from them, and he watches over them night and day: but fometimes he feems and is thought to be afleep; as when wicked men flourifh and triumph over the righteous, and go on in fin with impunity; when their judgment feems to linger, and their damnation to flumber, though it does not; and when the faints are under fore afflitions, and the Lord feems to difregard them, and does not appear for their deliverance; and when things areas when thedifciples were in a ftorm, and Chrift was afleep, to whom they faid, Cares thou not that we perifo? And the Lord may be faid to awake, and it is what is here prayed for, when he ftirs up himfelf and takes vengeance on his enemies, as he will ere long on Antichrift and his followers; and when he takes.in hand the caufe and judgment of his people, and pleads it thoroughly, and delivers them out of the hands of all their oppreffors, and gives them the dominion and kingdom under the whole heaven; fee Tfa. li. 9. Pfalm Ixxvili, 655 66. and XXxv. 23, Arife; to revenge the blood of his people, and to have mercy on his Zion. Caft us not off for ever; as he might feem to do, by fuffering their enemies to triumph over them; but in reality he does nor; much Jefs with loathing and abhorrence, as the word ‘ ufed fignifies, fince his church is his Hépb= zibab, in whom he delights; and ftill lefs for ever, fince his love to them is from everlafting to everlafting, and they fhall be for ever with him} fee the note on Pfalm xliii. 2.”

¥. 24. Wherefore hideft thou thy face? &c.] See Pfaim x. 1. and xiii, 1. And forgette/t our af= fiiétion and our oppreffion? Not that the Lord does really forget either the perfons of his people, which he cannot, fince they ate engraven on the palms of his hands, and a book of remembrance is written for them: nor the afflictions of his people 3 he knows their fouls in adverfity; he choofes them in the furnace of affliction; he makes all afflictions work together for good, and delivers out of them. But becaufe deliverance is not immediately wrought; and they fometimes continue long under their afflictions and oppreffions, they feem to be forgotten by him, as during the ten perfecutions and the long reign of Antichrift.

¥. 25. For our foul is bowed down to the duft, &c.]_ Which may fignify great declenfion in {piritual things, much dejeétion of mind, and little exercife of grace, Palm cxix. 25. Lam. iii. 29. or a very low eftate in temporals; fubjection to their enemies; they fetting their feet upon their necks, and obliging them to lick the duft of them: and even it may fignify nearnefs to death itfelf; fee Fofo. x. 24. Ifa. xlix. 23. Pfalm xxii. 16. Our belly cleaveth to the earth; as perfons that lie proftrate, being conquered and fuppliants.

¥.26. Arife for our help, &c.) Or, arife our help *. God is the help of his people, and he is a prefent help in time of trouble; and he is the only one; and he can help and does, when none elfe can. And redeem us for thy mercies-fake; not for the fake of her integrity and faithfulnefs; nor for her fufferings for Chrift’s fake; but for his grace and mercy fake, which is the fource and fpring of redemption or deliverance, both temporal and piritual; and to that the faints afcribe it, and not to any merit of theirs, or works of righteoufnefs done ‘by them.

To the chief mufician upon Shofhannim, for

HERE are fome things in this title we have met with already in other pfalms3 as the direction, To the chief mufician, for the fons of Korab; and one of its names, Ma/chil. The word /hofbannim, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, is the name of a mufical inftrument, on which this pfalm was fung; an inftrument of fix ftrings, as Fumius: but Aben Ezra thinks it was the firft word of a fong, to the tune of which it was fung; though others are of opinion that it points at the perfons, the fubjects of this pfalm, and may be rendered, Concerning Shofoannim; that is, as the Yargum interprets it, concerning thofe that fit in the fanbedrim of Mofes; and Farch’s note is, for the glory of the difciples of the wife men, comparable to lilies; for fo this word fignifes, and may be tranflated, concerning the lilies‘; that is, concerning Chrift and his church, who are ma- the fons of Korah, Mafchil, a fone of loves.

| nifeftly the fubjeét of this pfalm, and ate coni- pared to lilies, Cant. ti. 1, 2, 16. and v. 13, and vi. 2, 3. This pfalm is called a fong of loves, ani epithalarny or marriage-fong, fetting forth the mutual fove of Chrift and his charch; or a fong of the beloved ones"; ot friends; of Chrift, who is the beloved and friend of his church; and the church, who is the beloved and friend of Chrift; fee Z/a. v. 1. and the word here ufed being in the feminine gender, fome have fupplied the word virgins, and render it thus, a fong of the beloved virgins "s fung by them) on account of the marriage between Chrift and his church, who are the companions of the bride, mentioned in y. 14. and friends and lovers of the bridegroom;- fee Cant. i. 3. Fobn iit. 2g. The writer of this pfalm is not mentioned; it was not written by the fons of Korah, as fay the Targum and Syriac verfion; but moft probably by

© TANIM IN ne abjicias cum faftidio, Gejerus. © swe Sy de liliis, Tigurine verfion.

amatarum,Cocceius. ™ Dileétarum feu de dilestis Chrifto virginibus, Michael

David, though not concerning his fon Solomon, as fome have thought; who, though wifer than all men, is never faid to be fairer; nor was he a warrior, as the perfon is reprefented; nor was his throne and kingdom for ever and ever; nor he the object of worfhip; nor was his marriage with Pha- ‘yaob’s daughter fo commendable a thing; nor is fhe ever praifed, as the queen herein mentioned is: but the perfon who is fpoken of is the Meffiah, as is owned by feveral Jewith writers: the Targum interprets the fecond verfe of the King Meffiah; and Ben Melech fays, he is meant by the King in ¥. 1. ben Ezra obferves, that this pfalm is faid concerning David, or concerning the Meffiah his fon, for fo is his name, Ezek. xxxvil. 26. and | Kimchi exprefly fays, it is fpoken concerning the Meffiah; and Arama affirms, that all agree that. it treats of him.

y.1. My heart is inditing a good matter, &c.) What: is valuable and excellent, concerning the excellency of Chrift’s perfon, of his kingdom, of his love to the church, and of the church itfelf; what is pleafant and delightful, comfortable, ufe-. ful and profitable: this his heart was inditing; which fhews that it was under the fanctifying influences of the holy Spirit, and denotes the fervour of its it boiling up, as the word” fignifies; being heated by the fire of the divine Spirit, whereby it was hot within him, and caufed him to {peak with | his tongue; and alfo the abundance that was in it, it bubbling up’, as fome choofe to render it; from whence this good matter flowed like water out of a fountain. I /peak of the things which I have made touching the king; the King Meffiah; the King of the whole world, and of the kings of it, and of the faints in it; over whom he reigns in a {piritual | manner, and in righteoufnefs; concerning whom this pfalm or poem was compofed by David under divine infpiration, and which he here delivers: Ay tongue is the pen of a ready writer; or as * one; fuch an one as Ezra was, Ezra vii. 6. that writes {wiftly and compendioufly; fuggefting, that as he was full of matter, he freely communicated it, being moved by the holy Spirit, who fpake by him, and whofe word was in his tongue; which made him fo ready and expert in this work. The allufion is to fcribes and notariesy and fuch dike perfons, that are extremely ready and {wift in the ufe-of the pen. The word for pen is derived either from wyy which fignifies to fly *, and from whence.is a word ufed fora, flying fowl; yet we' are not to imagine that here it fignifies a pen made of a bird’s quill, as now in common nfe with us; for this did not obtain until many hundred years | after Davia’s time. It feems that J/dore of Seville, who lived in the feventh century, is the firft perfon that makes mention of penna, a pen, as made of the quill of a bird’; but rather the pen has its name in Hebrew, if from the above root, from the velocity of it, as in the hand of a ready writer; or rather it may be derived from Myy ¢o sharpen, in which fenfe it feems,to be uled,. Azek. xxi. 15, and fo a pen has its name from the fharp point of it: for when the ancients wrote, or rather engraved on ftone, brafs, lead and wood, they ufed a ftyle or pen of iron; fee Fob xix. 24. Fer. xvii. 1, when they wrote on tables of wood covered nd wax, they ufed a kind of bodkin made of iron, brafs or bone; fee the note on Hab. ii. “2. and when upon the rind and leaves of trees, and om papyrus and parchment, they made ufe of reeds, particularly the Egyptian calamus or reed; and the word here is tranflated calamus or reed by the Targum, Septuagint, and all the Oriental verfions.

Now as the Jews had occafion frequently to copy out the book of the Law, and other writings OF theirs, their fcribes, at leaft fome of them, were very expert and dextrous at it; but whether the art of /bort-band was to any degree in ufe among them,,.is not certain, as it was in after-times amone the Romans, when they ufed marks, figns and ta breviations, which feems to have laid the foundation of the above art, and had its rife, as is faid, from Cicero himfelf, though fome aferibe it to A4- c@nas *: and in Martial’s time it was brought to fuch perfection, that, according to him, the hand could write fwifter than a man could fpeak ®. ¥.2- Thou art fairer than the children of men, &c.] Here begins the pfalm, and this is an ad-

| drefs to the King-Meffiah, the fubje€t of it, commending him for his beauty and comelinefs; which is not to be underftood of his divine beauty or his glory, as the only begotten of the Father, in which he is the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon; for this admits of no comparifon, nor is the beauty of angels and men to be mentioned with it; but of the beauty of his human nature, both in body and foul, which being the immediate produce of the holy Spirit, and without fin, and full of wifdom, grace and holinefs, muft tranfcend that of any or all the fons of Adam, They are all deformed by fin; and whatever fpiritual beauty there is in any of them, they have it from Chrift; they are comely through his comelinefs; the outward beauty of men is vain and deceitful, and foon perifhes; but Chrift is ever the fame, and he is efteemed of by all that know him, as exceeding precious, altogether lovely, and tranfcendently excellent and glorious. The Hebrew word here ufed is doubled in its radicals, which denotes the exceeding great fairnef§ and beauty of Chrift, -efpecially as Mediator, and as full of grace and truth. It follows, Grace is poured into thy lips; by which is meant the matter ‘of his fpeéch, or the gofpel preached by him; thofe words of grace, as Kimchi on the text exrefles himfelf; or gracious words which Pa be fd out of his Lee Luke iv. 22. Y the grace of God was given him to preach; it was put into his mouth, and that in great abundance; it was given at fundry times and in divers man. ners, and by piece-meal to the prophets before him; but it was poured into his lips, and he was abundantly qualified for preaching it, by having the Spirit without meafure given him; and fo was poured out in a graceful manner, with great authority, and as never man before him abe ja doétrines of grace, gracious invitations, precic promifes, excellent prayers, and even words | ternal life; fee Caut.v. 13.

T, Bie ai fiir bleffed thee for ever, or, becaufe * God bath b

Romans,: and amongft us, with other curious things concerning writing, and the matter a inftruments rh) neg La + hee ra a; ’, by. velociter \illis: nondum lingua,fuum, dextra peregit opus, Mastia], Bpigr. 1. 14..ep..189. of the origin of fhortshand oe of union to the Son of God, and with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God; and as Mediator, with all {piritual bleffings, with grace and glory for his people. Hence all his comelinefs, grace and gracetulnefs. ¥. 3. Gird thy fword upon thy thigh, O moft mighty, &c.] As Chrift is, the mighty God, even the Almighty, and which appears. by his works of creation and providence; by the redemption of his people 5 by his care and government of ‘them; by fuccouring them under all their temptations and afflictions; by ftrengthning them for every fervice, duty and fuffering; by pleading their caufe, and fupplying their wants; by preferving them to his kingdom and glory; by raifing them from the dead at the laft day, and by introducing them into the pofleffion of the heavenly inheritance. This mighty One is called upon to gird on his fword; by which is meant either the fword of the Spirit, the word of God; which is fharp in convincing of fin, reproving for it, and threatning on account of it, as well as in refuting error and herefy; and a two edged one, confifting of Law and Gofpel, and which Chrift made ufe of to great purpofe, againft Satan in the wildernefs, and againft the Scribes and Pharifees;-and which he will make further ufe of in the latter day, againft the man of fin, and his followers. Or elfe the power of Chrift, which, as the leader and commander of his people, and the captain of their falvation, is called upon to exert, by preparing to engage with, and by deftroying his and their enemies; and which he did put forth when the year of the redeemed was come, which was the day of vengeance in his heart; when he combated with and deftroyed Satan, and {fpoiled his principalities and powers; when he abolifhed death itfelf, and took away fin the fling of it, and the law, the ftrength of fin; overcame the world, and delivered his people from it, and out of the hand of every enemy. It is added, with thy-glory and thy majefty; which may be connected either with the phrafe and moft mighty, and fo be expreffive of the glory and majefty of Chrift, as the mighty God; or with his /word, as an emblem of his authority and majefty as a King, and may denote the glory of his gofpel and of his power; or may point at the end of his girding his {word upon his thigh, which was to fhew forth the glory of his.majefty, or to obtain honour and glory: though the word gird may be fupplied and repeated, and fo make a diftin&t propofition, gird with thy glory and thy majefty; which was done when he was raifed from the dead, and had glory given him; was crowned with it, and had the glory put upon him he had with his Father before the world was. yx. 4. And in thy mayefty ride profperoufly, &c.] Not literally, as was prophefied of him he fhould, and as he did, Zech. ix. 9. Matt. xxi. 7, 9, 16. but mayftically and fpiritually, either in the chariots of angels up to heaven, P/alm Ixviii. 17, 18. or on the white horfe of the gofpel, with his bow and arrows after-mentioned, conquering and to conquer, Rev. vi. 2. and where he rides i his majefty, thewing forth his glory both as a divine perfon and as Mediator; and which is very confpicuous in the gofpel, and the miniftry of it; and alfo profperoufly, as he did in the firft preaching of the word by the apoftles, when it was made the power of God to falvation to multitudes, and the Lord. caufed them to triumph in Chrift every thee for ever; in his human nature, with the grace where; and as he will in the latter day, when the Jews will be converted, and the fulnefs of the Gentiles brought in. Becaufe of truth, and meekne/s, and righteoufne/s, either becaufe he himfelf is ¢ruth, the truth of all types, promifes, prophecies and doctrines; or becaufe of the gofpel of truth which comes by him; or on account of his truth and faithfulnefs in fulfilling his own engagements, and the promifes of his Father: and becaufe of the meekne{s which was fo apparent in him, in taking upon him the form of a fervant; in his carriagé to finners, and converfation with them; in miniftring to his difciples; in his conduct towards his enemies; and in feeking not his own glory, but his Father’s: and:becaule of righteou/ne/s, the holinefs of his nature, the purity of his life and actions; and becaufe of the righteoufnefs he is the author of to his people, and of his righteous ade miniftration of his offices, efpecially as a King. And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things 5 or thy power, which the right hand is a fymbol of, fhall perform terrible things; as it did in the work of redemption, by conquering and deftroying tle enemies of his people, and of himfelf; and as it does in the converfion of men, which makes terrible work in their confciences, as the inftances of the three thoufand, of Sau/, and of the jailor fhews and as it has in his judgments on his enemies the Jews, in the utter ruin of their nation, city and temple; and will do on all the antichriftian powers in the latter day. The Targum paraphrafes it, “© The Lord fhall teach thee to do terrible things ‘¢ with thy right hand *.”* ¥.5. Thine arrows are fharp.in the heart of the king’s enemies, &c.| Meaning either the Jews, who were the implacable enemies of Chrift, and who would not have him to reign over them; in the midft of whom were fent his arrows, of the fword, famine and peftilence, and which were very © fharp, and made fad havock among them, and caufed fuch a time of tribulation as was not before, or has been fince, Mafét. xxiv. 21. or elfe the doctrines of the gofpel. The fcriptures are the quiver out of which they are taken; the gofpel is the bow into which they are put, and out of which they are fhot; and minifters are the archers that draw the bow at a venture and fhoot them; and which are compared to arrows for their fwift, fudden and fecret motion, and for their piercing and penetrating power and efficacy: and thefe are Chrift’s, which he is the author of, and which he makes ufe of to good purpofe, by ftriking the hearts of his people with them, who in their ftate of unregeneracy are enemies to him; which apears by their wicked works, and as they were when he died for them, and reconciled them to God; by means of which arrows fixed in them, and with which their hearts are pricked and wounded, they fubmit unto him, fignified by the next claufe: whereby the people fall under» thee, acknowledge themfelves finners; fall down: at his feet; humbly implore his grace and mercy 5 fubmit to his righteoufnefs; depend on him alone for falvation; adore him, and give him the glory of it, as well as become fubject to his laws and ordinances, This is to be underftood of thofe who are God’s covenant-people, whom he has given to Chrift, and he has redeemed by his blood; and particularly the Gentiles, who were not a people, but now openly are, in diftinction from the Jews, the enemies of the King-Meffiah, 52 y. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, &c.] This verfe and the following are cited in Heb. i. 8, 9. and applied to the Son of God, the fecond perfon in the Trinity; and therefore arenot an apoftrophe to the Father, as fome have faid; nor will they bear to be rendered, ¢hy throne is the throne of God, or thy throne is God; or be fupplied thus, God fhall eftablifh thy throne. But they are fpoken of the Son of God, who is truly and properly God, the true God and eternal Life; as appears by the names by which he is called, as 7ebovah, and the like; by his having all divine perfections in him; by the works which he has wrought, and by the worfhip which is given unto him; and to whom dominion is afcribed, of which the throne is an emblem, Gen. xli. 40. And this his government is either general, over angels, good and bad, and over men, even wicked men, and over the greateft among men, the kings of the earth; or fpecial, over his own church and people, and which is exercifed by his Spirit and grace in them; by his word and ordinances among them; and which will be in a glorious manner in the latter day; and in heaven, though not in the fame manner as now, and that to all eternity: for to this government duration for ever and ever is attributed; Chrift will have no fucceffor, he will die no more; nor.can his government be fubverted or taken out of his hands, or he be removed from his throne by any of his enemies, or by all of them; and though his kingdom will be delivered up to the Father, it will not ceafe, it is an everlafting one. The fceptre of thy kingdom is a right feeptre; meaning either the gofpel, which is the golden fceptre of mercy and grace, ftretched out and held forth for the encouragement of fenfible finners; and is a fceptre of righteoufnefs, as it directs to the righteoufhefs of Chrift for juftification, and encourages works of righteou{nefs to be done by men: or rather the righteous adminiftration of Chrift’s government is meant, the {ceptre being an emblem of dominion and government, Gez. xlix. 10. Num. XXiv. 17.

¥.7. Thou loveft righteoufne/s, &c.] Either righteous perfons, whom his countenance beholds,. on whom his eyes. are, and from whom they are never withdrawn, and with whom he is exceedingly delighted: or righteous things; a righteous adminiftration of government; faithfulnefs and integrity in whatfoever he is intrufted with, or appointed to by his Father; all righteous actions which the law requires, as appeared in the whole courfe of his life; and by working out a righteoufnefs for his people, and by encouraging them in works of righteoufnefs; and as alfo will appear by judging the world in righteoufnefS at the laft day, and by giving the crown of righteoufnefs to his righteous ones. 4nd hate/t wickednefs; which was manifeft not only by his inveighing againft it and dehorting from it, and by his feverity exercifed towards delinquents; but by fuffering for it, and abolifhing it, and by chaftizing his. own peo. ple on account of it. Lherefore God, thy God; or becaufe ® God, thy God; whois the God of Chrift, as Chrift is man; who prepared and formed. his human nature, fupported it in fuffering, and glorified it, and to whom Chrift prayed, and whom he believed in, loved and obeyed as fuch; Hath anointed thee with the oil of gladnefs above thy fellows; who though he is called God, ¥. 6, and. is truly fo, yet was not anointed as fuch, but as man and Mediator, to the office of Prophet, Prieft and King; and not with material oil, but with the holy Ghoft, his gifts and graces; fee 4é/s x. 38. called ' the oil of gladnefs, in allufion to the ufe of oil at feafts and weddings, for the delight and refrefh-— ment of guefts, and particularly ot the oil of lilies, oleum fufinum, {fo forne* tranflate it; well known to the Hebrews, who inhabited Syria and Palefline, where red lilies grew, of which this was made, and had in great efteem; and becaufe of its effects in the human nature of Chrift, filling it with alacrity and chearfulnefs to go through the work he came about. This unction refers to the time of his conception and birth, and alfo to the time-of his baptifm; and the phrafe, above thy fellows, denotes the abundance of the Spirit’s grace, his having it without meafure, and in a tranfcendent manner to any of the fons of men, even his own people; for thefe, and not angels, nor the princes of the earth are meant, neither of which-are his fellows; but the faints, who are of the fame nature with him, of the fame family he is the head of, of the fame dignity through him, being made kings and priefts by him, partakers of the fame Spirit and grace; and will be companions with him, and fit on the fame throne with him to all eternity. The Zgrgum, in the king of Spain’s Bible, begins the verfe thus; “ But thou, O King-Meffiah, becaule thou “ Tovelt, toc...

¥.8. All thy garments {mell of myrrh, and aloes, and caffia, &c.| Either his human mature, as_anointed with the oil of gladnefs, and filled with the graces of the Spirit, fignified by the holy anointing oil in the tabernacle, of which the things mentioned were ingredients, Exod. xxx. 23, 24- or the garments of falvation and robe of righteoufnefs, wrought out by him for his people, which are well-pleafing and acceptable to his Father, and of a {weet-{melling favour, being agreeable to his law and juftice; and alfo to himfelf, as they are put upon his people; fee Cam. iv. 11. And likewife to them who rejoice at being clothed with them, and defire to be found in them: or elfe his people themfelves, who are fometimes compared to a clothing and to garments, J/a. xlix. 18. whofe perfons are to God as the fmell of a field, whom the Lord has blefled; and whofe facrifices of prayer and praife are fweet odours to him, through the mediation of his Son. Out of the ivory palaces; fee Cant. vil. 4, 1 Kings Xxil. 29. Amos iii, 15. meaning the places from whence sd garments. were taken, the wardrobe; or from whence Chrift came, and where he appears; as heaven, the palace of the great King, ages Se he came down, whither he is gone, and from whence he is expected again; and the human. nature of Chrift, in which he tabernacled on and was pure and clear from fin; and his churches, which are his temples and pee he gr:

his prefence. Or it may be rendered, more. th the ivory palaces', and.fo be expreflive of thi cellency of Chrift’s garments above them} an note the purity of his human nature, the {po nefs of his righteoufnefs, and the comelinef people. Whereby they have made thee gla wherein or from whence*; in which palac churches, the faints make Chrift glad, by ing of his glory; by afcribing glory to him by the exercife of grace upon him, ' i heart is ravifhed, Cant.iv. 9, 10, 11. Or for ‘which!; garments of falvation, and robe of righteéoufnefs; they being clothed with them, and rejoicing in them, caufe joy and gladnefs in Chrift: or more than they, or theirs that make thee glad ™; meaning his fellows and their garments, his being more odorous than theirs. y¥. 9. Kings daughters were among thy honourable women, &c.| Or maids -of honour"; who filled and adorned the King’s court, and made a {plendid appearance there, the fame with the virgins, the companions of the bride, in ¥. 14. and defign truly ‘gracious fouls, believers in Chrift, who ate his precious ones°, as the word may be rendered; the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight; the precious fons of Zion, comparable to fine gold; his'portion, his jewels, his peculiar treafure, and the apple of his eye: and fince they have been precious to him, they have been honourable, as they ate, both by birth and marriage, being born of God, and efpoufed to Chrift 5 by their character, kings and priefts,; and by their company being among princes, and efpecially by their having communion with Father, Son, and Spirit: and among thefe are kings daughters, yea, they are all of them the fons and daughters of the King of kings; not by their firft birth, by which they were mean, bafe, and difhonourable, wretched and miferable, and children of wrath, as others; but by their fecond birth, or regeneration, through being born from above, and of God, to an incorruptible inheritance; and fo are clothed and fed like the daughters of kings, and have the attendance of fuch, angels to wait upon them and guard them; and through adopting grace, which regenetation is the evidence of, by virtue of which fome of the children of men become the fons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; and through their marriage to the King’s Son, the Lord Jefus Chrift: the words may be rendered, Kings daughters were in thy precious things’; that is, were arrayed with them; meaning either the graces of the Spirit, comparable to gems, pearls, jewels, and precious ftones; fee Cant. i. 10. or elfe the rich robe of Chrift’s righteoufnefs, and garments of falvation, with which believers being clothed, are as a bride- @room decked with ornaments, and as a bride adorned with jewels, J/a. Ixi. ro, and this agrees with what follows. Upon thy right-hand did ftand ‘the queen in gold of Opbir; by whom is meant the church, whofe title is a queen, being thé bride, the Lamb’s wife: wherefore, becaufe he is King, fhe is queen; for this title fhe has, not of herfelf; itis founded not in her own right, but upon her relation to Chrift, being married to him; and fo isexpreflive of relation tohim, union with him, and of privilege and dignity through him; fhe fharing with him in all he has, even in his kingdom and government, reigning with him, and on the fame throne: her being on bis right-band, fhews the’ honour fhe is advanced unto; yet /fanding may denote fubjeétion to him as her Lord and head’; and being fo clofe by him, may fuiggeft her fidelity and inviolable attachment to him, and ftri€t adherence to his perfon, caufe and intereft; as well as her protection from him, being held and upheld by his right-hand; and her reception of favours from thence, and her enjoyment of his prefeénce, at whofe right-hand are pleafures for evermore. Her drefs is gold of Ophir, a place famous for gold, _ 1 Propter quod, Muis. ® “PFI IPS inter nobiles tuas, Tigurine verfion. tibus tuis, Montanus, Gejerus; fo fome in Vatablus.

1 Kings ix. 28. fee the note there; with which the cloaths of great perfonages ufed to be embroidered; fo Efther is faid* to put on her royal apparel, adorned with the good gold of Ophir: here it means, that the queen’s, or church’s clothing, was of wrought gold, as in ¥. 13. and intends the righteouinefs of Chrift, with which fhe is arrayed, comparable to it for its richnefs, purity, luftre, glory, and duration.

‘y. 10. Hearken, O daughter, and confider, and incline thine ear, 8c.) Thefe words are either fpoken by the prophet, the author of the pfalm; or by the King, the bridegroom himfelf; or, as others think, by Jehovah the Father, whofe daughter the church is; unlefs it fhould be rather thought to be.an addrefs of the honourable women, the King’s daughters, the virgins and companions of the bride, delivered by them to her under the charaéter of the daughter of Zion, the King’s daughter, as fhe is called, ¥. 13. to hearken, incline her ear, and liften to her Lord and King, to his gofpel, and the doctrines of it, which are his voice and words, and to all his precepts and commands; and to confider; fee, and behold the goodnefs of God unto her, the greatnefs, excellencies and glories of her hufband; to look to him by faith, as he is held forth inthe word and ordinances, and to him only, and that conftantly, which is well-pleafing to him. Forget aljo thine own people, and thy father’s houfe, Chrift is to be preferred before natural relations; converted perfons are not to have fellowfhip with carnal men, thoughrever fo nearly related; former fuperftitions, whether Jewith or heathenifh, are to be buried in forgetfulnefs finful felf, and righteous felf, are to be denied for Chrift’s fake; and the world, and all things in it, are to be treated with neglect and contempt by fuch whocleavetohim. The Zargym interprets. this of the congregation of J/rae] hearing the Law, beholding the wonderful works of God, and forgetting the idolatrous practices of their anceftors.

y. 11. So foall the King greatly defire thy beauty, &c.} Which lies in the comelinefs or righteous= nefs of Chrift put upon her; in the holinefs of Chrift reckoned to her; in being wafhed from alt fin in the blood of Chrift; in the graces of the Spirit, being implanted in her, in which the beauty of holinefs lies; in the falvation the is interefted in; | and beautified with; in enjoying the:order and! or- | dinances of Chrift’s houfe, and in having the prefence of God and Chrift with her: and this beauty is not natural, nor acquired by her, but what is ‘given her 3 it is not an outward, but an inward beauty 3 nor is it fictitious, but real; it is perfec through the comelinefs of her Lord upon her; and itis durable as the olive tree: and this is greatly defired by Chrift, who delightsin her, and'to bee hold her countenance; feeks after her company, and! will have her where he is, that fhe may behold his’ glory; and he may behold: her:beauty. For be is thy Lord; not only by creation, but by redemption, and in right of marriage, as well as on account of other relations he ftands in to her, as Father, Head; King, and Matter; and it is her privilege that he is her Lord, as well'as her duty toown the relation; ‘fince, though he is afovereign Lord, he’ is ‘no tyrannical one, but governs with gentlenefs, and he has all power to protect her, and all fulnefs to fupply her wants; and on account of his being her Hufband,' Lord, and Head, he has a right of worfhip from her, as follows. Aud worbip thou bim;. both’

both intérnally, by the exercife of faithy hope and love upon him; and externally, by praying to him, praifing of him, and attending on all his ordinances, and doing every thing in a religious way, in his name, according to his word, and by his authority; and fuch worthip fhould be in fpirit and in truth, in fincerity, and without hypocrify, in righteoufnefs and true holinefs, and with reverence and godly fear,

y'.12. And the daughter of Tyre fhall be there with a

gift, &c.] Thatis,among the honourable women in the king’s court and palace: it is a prophecy of the converfion of the Tyrians, and their admiffion into a gofpel church-ftate,which hadits accomplifhment in the times of Chrift and his apoftles, Mark vii. 24. and ili. 8. Ads xxi. 3, 4. compare with this P/al, Ixxxvii. 4. and though Tyre is only mentioned, it being, as Kimchi on this place obferves, near to the land of Fudea; yet all other Gentiles are meant, to whom the gofpel fhould come to the converfion of them, and thereby become members of churches; where they are, with a gift, of themfelves to the churches; fee 2 Cor. viii. 5. joining themfelves to them, to walk with them, and ferve the Lord with one confent; and with the gift or offering of praife and thankfgiving, for the grace and bleflings of it beftowed upon them; and with a free donation out of their fubftance, tofupport a gofpel-church-ftate, its minifters, and the intereft of religion; fee Z a.

xxiii,.48. the allufion may be to Exod. xxiii. 15. Even the rich among the people foall intreat thy favour; either fuch as are rich, ina literal fenfe, both among the inhabitants of Zyre, who were a very wealthy people, J/a. xxiii. 8. and among other Gentiles, efpecially in the latter day, when kings fhall be the church’s nurfing fathers, and bow down to her, J/a, xlix. 23. or fuch who are fo in a fpiritual fenfe, enriched by Chrift with all fpiritual bleffings, and who are particularly rich in faith, and heirs of a kingdom; thefe fhall intreat the favour of the queen the church; not pray unto her, or worfhip her in a religious way; for God is only the object of fuch worfhip; but do thofe things by which they would fhew, that they valued her friendfhip, and would gain her good will; as alfo acknowledge any former injury done her by them, and intreat her forgivenefs; and particularly defire to have communion with “her, and fhare in her prayers.

¥. 13. The king’s daughter is all-glorious within, &c.] The King’s daughter is the fame with the queen, y. 9. the church, who is the King’s daughter, the daughter of the King of kings, through adopting grace, by marriage to Chrift the King’s fon, and by regeneration, or being born of God: and fhe is a/l-glorious within; within doors, in the inner chamber of the King, where being brought, fhe enjoys fuch: communion with him»as reflects a glory upon her; in. his banqueting-houfe, where his banner ‘over her:is love, and where her members enjoy fellowfhip with one another, and this, in harmony, unity and love; which make herlook amiable, pleafant, beautiful and glorious: or with: ia the hearts of her members, through the internal graces of the Spirit wrought there: the work of grace is an inward work; ‘ithas its feat in the heart or fpirit of man, and is a glorious one, in its author, original, and ufefulnefs; it is the workmanfhip of the Spirit, and a curious piece it is; ‘it is: the image of Chrift upon the foul, a partaking of} the divine nature; it is pure and fpotlefs; it is clear of all fin, there is no fin init, nor any comes from it;

it is the faints meetnefs for glory; it is the pledge, earneft and beginning of it; it is all-glorious, and fo are the perfons that are the fubjects of it, as born of God: there is nothing glorious in the old man, or corrupt nature; but in the new man, or work of grace upon the foul, every thing is glorious, and it will iffue in eternal glory and happinefs: or all-glorified within’; like any houfe or building, to which the church is fometimes compared, particularly the tabernacle or temple, which were glorious withinfide, being greatly adorned, and haying ~ many glorious things therein; as the church is with the graces of the Spirit, and with the word and ordinances, and the prefence of God in them. Her cloathing is of wrought gold; this is different from internal grace, which is fometimes fpoken of as a cloathing, 1 Pet. v. 5. Col. ili.. 12. fince that is defigned in the preceding claufe; and yet this does not intend the outward converfation-garments of the faints, which, though ornamental, are not fo elorious as to be faid to be of wrought gold; and yet not the robes of immortality and glory are meant; but the robe of Chrift’s righteoufnefs, which he has wrought out for his church, the Father imputes unto her, and beftows upon her, and faith receives at his hand, and puts it on as a cloathing, to appear in before God; and this may be faid to be of wrought gold; becaufe rich and valuable, {plendid and glorious, fubftantial and durable.

y. 14. She fhall be brought unto the King in ratment of needle-work, &c.| Not in her fins, and under the fenfe and guilt of them; as fouls are brought to Chrift, at firft converfion, under the ~ drawings of the Father’s grace; nor in the rags of her own righteoufnefs; but in the robe of righteoufnefs, and garments of falvation, the change of raiment Chrift has put upon her, having before this caufed her iniquities to pafs from her; or in the fhining robes of immortality and glory: for this introduction of the church to Chrift, her King, head, and hufband, will be upon the firft refurrection; when fhe being as a bride adorned and prepared for her hufband, will be brought unto him, and prefented to him by himfelf, a glorious church, without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing: and fhe will be introduced, either by the angels, who will be employed in gathering the eleét from the four winds; or by the minifters of the gofpel, who, at the general harveft, in the end of the world, will bring their fheaves with them; thofe fouls they, have been the inftruments of converting, comfort~ ing; and ripening for glory; who will be theirjoy, and crown of rejoicing then;_ thefe will be brought in feveral companies, which joining together, will make up the general aflembly and church of the firft-born, that will then be, prefented to Chrift: or by Jehovah the Father, who, as he brought Eve to Adam, when he had formed her of his rib, and. had prepared heras a help meet for him;, fo when all the elect of God are formed by divine grace, and. are prepared as a bride for the bridegroom, he will

‘then bringthem unto him,. and they fhall | with him. where: he is, and behold his glory; which is what he prays his Father for, fobu.xvii.24. The virgins ber companions that follow ber fhaltbe bi unto thee; fuch who are. betrothed virgins to Chrift, who itrictly anc here unto-him, love him in the finglenets of t hearts;.are incorrupt in faith and worhhip, and o1 pure and upright converlations; fee Rev. xiv. 4. thefe are the companions of the church, who are * BET RMEES | partakersof the fame grace, enjoy the fame privileges, and fhare in the common falvation; and, as they are partners together in fufferings, they will be in glory: thefe follow the footfteps of the flock, walk after the church in the path of doétrine and duty;

word and ordinances, and in the exercife of faith ‘and patience; thefe, even every one, fhall be brought unto the King, not one fhall be loft, or left behind; whither they fhall be brought, and the manner in which, are expreffed in the following verfe..

¥. 15. With gladnefs and rejoicing fhall they b brought, &c.] With joy unfpeakable, and full of glory in themfelves, becaufe of what they fhall be delivered from; from all outwardtroubles and afflictions; from all inward diftrefles, darknefs, doubts and fears; from fin, Satan, and all fpiritual enemies; and becaufe of what they fhall enjoy, communion with God, angels and faints, the vifion of God in Chrift, conformity to him, perfect knowledge, complete holinefs and happinefs, and a glory both upon their fouls and bodies: they fhall alfo be brought with the joy of Chrift’s faithful minifters, who will rejoice in that day that they have not run, nor laboured in vain; and with the joy of all the holy angels; and with the joy of Chrift the King himfelf, who always rejoiced in them and over them; yea, with the rejoicing of Father, Son, and Spirit; the Father will rejoice to fee thofe brought in, whom he has loved with an everlafting love, has chofen in Chrift, given tohim, and whom he fent his Son to redeem: the Son of God will rejoice to fee thofe prefented to him, whom he'has loved and betrothed to himfelf; who are the purchafe of his blood, and the travail of his foul; who are his jewels, treafure, and portion: andthe Holy Spiric will rejoice to fee thofe brought to glory, whom he has been the convincer, comforter, and fealer of; whom he has been at work upon, and has wrought them up for this felf-fame thing: They fhall enter into the King’s palace; into heaven, the palace of the King Meffiah, the King of kings, and King of faints; where are manfions preparing for them, fuitable to their high birth and character, as the daughters of a king; and where they fhall enter, not merely to fee it and go out again, but to dwell in it with their Lord, Head, and Hufband for evermore; and that as in their own palace, upon the foot of their relation to Chrift, intereft in him, right and meetnefs by him.

y. 16. Instead of thy fathers fhall be thy children, 8cc.] This is an addrefs, not to the church, the queen, the King’s daughter, fpoken to and of in the preceding verfes, but to the King Meffiah himfelf, who was of the Jewifh fathers, according to the flefh, Rom.ix. 4, 5. and though he was rejected by that people, yet he had children; not only the apoftles, who are fometimes fo called, whom he fet on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of J/rael, in a doctrinal way, and fent into all the - world to preach his gofpel; and which being attended with his mighty.power, made them trium-

. | phant conquerors every where; but alfo a numeare followers of her, as fhe is of the Lord, in the rous progeny among the Gentiles: all the elect of

| God are his children, and he ftands in the relation of the everlafting Father to them, they being given unto him as fuch; and he being concerned in their adoption, by which they become children, and in their regeneration, by which they appear to be fuch, Here the children of God, fcattered abroad in the Gentile world, as diftinét from the Jews, feem to be meant. Whom thou mayeft make princes in all the earth; thefe children are princes, being the fons of a King; they look like princes, and have the fpirit of fuch; they are treated as princes, fed, clothed, and attended on as fuch; and are, as princes, heirs of a kingdom: but then, they are not fa originally, they are made princes; not by themfelves, but by Chrift, and who even makes them kings and priefts unto God and his Father, and that Jn alf the earth’; not with refpect to earthly things: they are not made.the princes of this world; but while they are on earth, they are tranflated into the kingdom of Chrift, and have a kingdom which never can be moved; and befides, they fhall reign with Chrift on earth a thoufand years: moreover, this may have refpect to the feveral parts of the world where they fhall be, even in all parts of the world, efpecially in the latter day; fee J/a. xliii. 5, 6,

¥. 17. Iwill make thy name to be remembered in all generations, &c.] Thefe are the words of the pfalmift, fpoken to the King Meffiah, declaring what he would do with refpec&t to him; caufe his name, that is, not any particular name or title of his, but rather his gofpel, the good matter he had endited concerning him; or he himfelf to be remembered, defired, loved, thought of, called upon, and praifed in all fucceeding generations 5 and which he did by penning of this pfalm, which has been the occafion of the remembrance of Chrift’s name in all ages, to the prefent time; and of its being remembered by us now, and the fame ufe it will have in time to come; fee 2 Pet. i, 13, 15. Therefore /ball the people praife thee for ever and ever; becaufe of the excellencies of his perfon; and particularly becaufe of his greatnefs and glory asa King; as well as for all mercies temporal and fpiritual they have from him; and this is but juft, meet, and lovely, and is, and will be their em— ployment, as Jong as they live in this world, and to all eternity. This muft be underftood, not of all people, but of Gad’s chofen and covenant-people; thofe that are given to Chrift to be his people, and whom he has redeemed and purified to himfelf, a peculiar people; and particularly his people amon the Gentiles: and fo the Targum interprets it fuch that are profelytes, © ot

To the chief mufician, for the fons of Korah, a fong upon Alamoth,

HE word Alamoth is thought by fome, as Aben. Ezra, to be the beginning of a fong, to which this pfalm was fet; and by others, a high tune, fuch as virgins exprefs; and by others, the name of mufical inftruments, as archi and Kimchi; which feems moft likely, fince it is mentioned with other inftruments of mufic in 1 Chron. xv. 19—21. and may not unfitly be rendered virginals, from the found of them being like the fhrill voice of virgins, which this word fignifiess though others chufe to render it. of bidden things *, makin the pfalm, the? both in a way of love and grace to his people, an of judgment to his enemies. Some think this pfalm was occafioned by the victories which David obtained over the Ammonites and Moabites, and other neighbouring countries; and others are of opinion, that it was penned on account of the fiege of Ferufalem by Sennacherib being raifed, in the times of Hezekiah: but it feems rather to be a prophecy of the church in gofpel-times, and is applicable to any time of confufion and diftrefs + nations of the world may be in through any kind of calamity, when thofe that truft in the Lord have no reafon in the leaft to be afraid. Kimchi fays, this pfalm belongs to future times; either to the gathering of the captives, or to the war of Gog and Magog; to which alfo R. Obadiah refers it, and Farchi interprets it of time to come: according to the Targum, it was written by the fons of Korab, when their father was hid from them, and they were delivered.

¥. 1. God is our refuge and ftrength, &c.} That is, Chrift, who is God as well as man, is the refuge for fouls to fly unto for fafety; as for fenfible finners, in a view of ‘danger, wrath, and mifery, fo for faints, in every time of diftrefs; typified by the cities of refuge under the legal difpenfation; fee the note on Pja/. ix. 9. and he it is from whom they have all their fpiritual ftrength, and every renewal and fupply of it, to exercife grace, perform -duties, with{tand enemies, bear the crofs patiently, fhew a fortitude of mind under the foreft diftrefles, and hold on and out unto the end: in fhort, he is the ftrength of their hearts, under'the greateft trials, of their lives, amidft the greateft dangers; and of their falvation, notwithftanding all their enemies. A very prefent help in trouble, whether inward or outward, of foul or body; the Lord helps his people under it to bear it, and he helps them out of it in the moft proper and feafonable time: they are poor helplefs creatures in themfelves; nor can any other help them but the Lord, who made heaven and earth; and he helps prefently, fpeedily, and effectually: in the Hebrew text it is, be is found an exceeding belp in trouble‘; in all kind of trouble that the faints come into, the Lord has been found, by experience, to be an exceeding great helper of them; moreover, he is eafily, and always to be come at, and found by them for their help,

¥. 2. Therefore will not we fear, &c.] The confideration of the Lord’s being the refuge, ftrength, and help of his people, in all times of trouble and diftrefs, has a great influence on their faith and confidence, and makes them intrepid and fearlefs in the midit of the greateft dangers: nor indeed have they any reafon to be afraid of men or devils, fince the Lord is on their fide; nor fhould they indulge a flavifh fear on any account whatever. Though the earth be removed, or changed", as to its pofition or fruitfulnefs; or whatever-changes, viciffitudes, and revolutions may ‘be in the

~ kingdoms, nations, and among the inhabitants of the earth, through wars and: deéfolations. made thereby. And though the mountains be carried into the midft of the fea; fo the deftruction of kingdoms, empires, and cities, is exprefied by a like phrafe; as of Babylon, Jer. li. 25. and of 9 mie and pagan empire, Rev. vie 12—1 4. and of the city of it to defign the fabject-matter of Rome, Rev. viii. 8.

ecret counfels and purpofes of God, troubled, &c.]

hearts to fail them for fear, Luke xxi. 25, 26. Though the mountains hake with the fwelling there-

}or to. the waters of Shiloab, which ‘courfes and branches, ran through the city,of Fe-

‘from erufalem, and which publith glad tidings al) noatitdap y. 3. Though the waters thereof roar and be The noife of which caufes mens of. Selab. All thefe figurative exprefiions te the hurlyburlies, confufions and diforders that have been, or will be in the world; amidft all which the people of God have no reafon to fear for itis always well with the righteous, let it go how it will with others; The paflage may-be applied. to the deftruction of Ferufalem, and the wars preceding it, and the difperfion of the Jews uponit; when true believers in Chrift, found him to be their refuge, ftrength and help in that time of trouble, fuch as never was the like, and were fafe and without fear; and Aben Ezra, a Jewifh commentator, thinks it is right to interpret this pfalm concerning the wars of Ferufalem; moreover, thefe words may be applied to any other time of calamity, through war or perfecution, that has been fince; as alfoto any that is to come; as.to the flaying of the witneffes, the hour of temptation that will try all that are upon the earth; and even to the day of judgment, when heaven and earth fhall flee away from the face of the Judge; when the heavens fhall be folded up as a garment, and the earth, and all that is therein fhall be burnt up, and the whole world of the ungodly fhall be thrown into the utmoft panic, the faints will be fafe with Chrift, and ever happy with him; and, in the worft of times in this world, God is always their covenant-God, their fhield, portion, and exceeding great reward; Chrift is their Redeemer and Saviour, their city of refuge, and {trong hold; and though they may be plundered of their goods and.property,. they have a better and a more enduring fubftance in heaven; an eftate, an inheritance there, that can never be taken away; and even, fhould their enemies kill the body, that is the utmoft they can do; their fouls are fafe in the hands of Chrift; their life is hid with him, and when he fhall appear, they fhall appear with him in glory; and therefore they may well ther to the river Kidron, which ran by, Ferufalem oy different rifalem, and fupplied the feveral parts of it with water, to the joy and.comfort of its inhabitants: but the words are to be underftood in a figurative fenfe, as applicable to gofpel-times 5. and this river either defigns the. gofpel, the ftreams of which are its doétrines, which are living waters that went out great joy to all fenfible finners; or the Spi his graces, which are. compared to a well, and rivers of living water, in the exercife’ of which the faints have much joy and peace; or elfe the Lord himfelf, who is a place of broad rivers and ftreams to his people, and is both their refrefhment and protection; or rather his everlafting love to them is here intended; fee Pfa/. xxxvi. 8. Ezek. xlvii. 5.

Rev. xxii... 'The head: of: thisoriver is the heart of God, his fovereign good-will and pleafure; the channel through which it runs is Ch rift Jefus; the rife’ of it was in’ eternity, when, ‘like @ runs under ground, it’ flowed fecretly before effectual vocation; when it breaks up and appears in large ftreams and flows, and fo it proceeds running on to all eternity. It is a river that is unfathomable, and cannot be pafftd over; it _ has heights and depths, and lengths and breadths, which cannot be fully comprehended: as for the quality of it, it is a pure river, clear as cryftal free of all diffimulation in the heart of God, and clear of all motives and conditions in the creature.

Its water is living water; which quickens dead finners, revives drooping faints, fecures from the fecond death, and gives eternal life; it makes all fruitful about it, or that are planted by it. Tbe Streams whereof fall make glad the city of Gods the fireams of this river are eternal election; the covenant of grace, its bleffings and promifes; the provifion and miflion of Chriftas a Saviour, and redemption by him; juftification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, perfeverance in grace, and eternal lite; called /freams, becaufe they flow from the fountain of divine love; and becaufe of the rapidity, force and power of the’ grace of God, in the application of them in converfion, which carries all before it; and becaufe of the abundance, continuance and freenefs of them, and the gratefulnefs and acceptablenefs of them to thofe who fee the worth of them, and their intereft in them; fee Cant. iv. 15. and thefe, when made known and applied, make glad the hearts of God’s people under a fenfe of fin and guilt, under divine defertions, the temptations of Satan, and the various afflictions they meet with; for thefe are intended by the city of God, as the church is often called, becaufe of his building, and where he dwells, and where the faints are-fellow-citizens, And the fame are fignified by the boly place; being an holy temple to God,. confifting of holy perions, fuch who are fanétified by the Spirit of God, and live holy lives. and converfations; and by the tabernacles of the mo High; being the dwelling-places of God, Father, Son, and Spirit. All which is a rea: fon why the faints fhould not fear in the worft of times. Rei et a. 3.5. God is in the midft of ber, &c.] The churchand people of God; not merely by his effence,. power and providence, as he'is in the midft of the world; but by his gracious prefence, and which. always continues, though not always perceived; and is a fufficient antidote againft all fear of men and devils. She fall not be moved, tho’ the earth may, -and when it is, ¥. 2. neither from the heart of God, on which, his people are fet as a.

feal; nor from the hands of Chrift, from whence they can never be plucked; nor from the covenant of grace,» which is, immoveable;.nor off of the rock Chrift, on which they are built; nor from the ftate of grace, of juftification, adoption and fanctification, in which they ftand; nor out of the world, by all the cunning and power of Antichrift. God feall belp ber, and that right early; or when the morning looks out *. When it is night with the ‘church, it is the hour and power of darknefs with’ the enemies of it; and this is the time of the reign of Antichrift, whofe kingdom is a kingdom of darknefs: but the morning cometh, and alfo the night; the former being about to break forth, and the latter to be at anend; yeas at even-tide it fhall be light: and the Lord will be a fuitable, feafon- _able; and. timely help»to.his, people;, for though weeping endures the night, joy comes in the morn- ill ae ae / A. bette tear Gostkton to him? and befides,’ ate a.con-

¥.6. The beathen raged, &c.] As they did at Chrift’s firft coming, againft him, his gofpel, and his people; and which continued during the three firft centuries; and then the pagan kingdoms belonging to the Roman empire were removed; fince then another fort of heathens, the Papifts, have raged, in violent perfecutions and bloodfhed of the faints and martyrs of Jefus, and will rage again, about and at the downfal of Babylon, fee Rev. xi. 18. and xvi. 10. The kingdoms were moved; either from their pagan-or papal religion, and became fubject to Chrift. So it was at the downfal of Rome, pagan; and fo it will be at the downfal of Rome, papal when the kings of the earth fhall hate the whore, make her defolate, and burn her flefh with fire. Or they fhall be deftroyed; that is, thofe that fhall be gathered together in Armageddon, to make war with the Lamb; {ee Rev. xvi. 14, 16. and xvii. 14. and xix. 15, 20,21. He uttered bis voice, the earth melted; like wax, as the inhabitants of the earth do’at the voice of his thunder, and as Antichrift will at the breath of his mouth; and all within the Romi/b jurifdiction, fignified by the earth, as it often is in the book of the Revelation, when the voice of the mighty angel fhall be heard, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, Rev. xviii. 1, 2595 105 115.15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

¥.7- The Lord of bofts is with us, &c.] The Targum is, The Word of the Lord of hofts. He whofe name is Jmmanuel, which is, by interpretation, God with us; who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; who has all creatures in heaven and earth at his command, whom all the hofts of angels obey; he is on the fide of his people, and therefore they have nothing to fear from all the hofts and armies of men; feeing more are they that are for them, than they that are againft them. The God of Facob is our refuge. Selah; as in the former claufe, the argument againft fear of men, is taken ‘from the power of God, and the extent of his dominion; here it is taken from the grace of God, and his people’s covenant-intereft in -him: for by Facob is meant the church of God, and all true believers, who are J/raelites indeed 5 the Lord is the refuge and fhelter of fuch in all times of diftrefs and trou- ‘ble, and therefore they need not fear; {ee the note On Yarrs7s + * '¥. 8. Come, bebold the works of the L.

‘Of nature and grace, efpecially thofe of providence; both in a way’ of judgment, as in this verfe'; and of mercy, as in the following.” Thefe ‘words are an addrefs of the pfalmift to his friends, ‘as Apollinarius fupplies it’; ‘or of the church to the fearful among them, who were difmayed at the commotions and difturbances that were in the world, ¥.2, 3. and who are encouraged ‘to truit in the Lord, ‘from the confideration of his works, ‘particularly his providential difpenfations. bat defolations he bath made in the earths in the land of

‘Fudea, at the time of the deftruction of the city ‘and temple of Feru/alem, foretold by Mofes, Deut.

being, the fulfilling of prophecy, may ferve to ftrengthen the faith of God’s people, that whatfoever he has faid hall come to pafs; and that feeing he made fuch defolations among the Jews, for their rejection of the Meffiah, what may not be exed be made in the antichriftian ftates, or

* “P3 mye? apices mane, Pagninus; ad profpe€um aoe Mufculas; at the looking Forth of the morning, Ainfworth; i.e. {peedily and quickly, as Suidas interprets it in voce pws.

firmation ‘of the truth of his-being come, fince after his coming thefe defolations, according to Daniel, were to be made; nor was the fceptre to depart from Fudab till he came, nor the fecond temple to be deftroyed before he was in it. Moreover, thefe defolations may refer to thofe that have been made in the Roman. empire, upon the blowing of the trumpets; the firft four of which brought in the Goths, Hunus and Vandals, into the weftern part of it, which made fad ravages and devaftations in it; fee Rev. vili.7—-12. and the fiftb.and Jixth brought in the Saracens and Turks into the eaftern part of it, which feized and demolithed it, and made dreadful havock among men; fee Rev. ix. 1—19. Likewife the defolations that.will be made in the antichriftian ftates, may be here intended; when the feven vials of God’s wrath will her defolate, Kev. xvii. 16..and all her plagues fhall, come upon her.in.one day, Rev. xviil. 8, 9. And a view of thefe defolations, even in prophecy, may ferve to.chear the hearts of God’s people under the prefent reign of -Antichrift, and under all the rage, fury, and. oppreffion of antichriftian powers, fince they will, all in a little time become defolate. This will be the Lord’s doing, and it will be wondrous in our eyes.

¥. 9. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth, &c.] As at the birth of Chrift, the Prince of Peace, in the times of Auguftus Cefar, when there was a general peace in the world, tho’ it did not Jaft long; and in the times of Conftantine, fignified by filence in heaven for half an hour, Rev. vill. 1, when for a, while there was a ceflation from wars and perfecution; and as will be in the latter day, and which, is here. chiefly defigned; when nations fhall learn war no more, and Chrift’s kingdom will take place; of which and its peace there fhall be no end, J/a. ii. 4. and ix, 6,7. Pfal. Axxii.. 7. The confideration of which may ferve to relieve diftreffed. minds under terrible apprehenfions of prefent troubles. and, publick calamities. He breaketh the bow, \and.cutteth the {pear in funder; he, burneth the chariot in the fire; that is, chariots,.Or carts ¥, or waggons, in. which, as Aben Ezra obferves, arms and provifion were carried for the ufe of foldiers;. the Targum renders it round, fields *: and the deftroying of all thefe, military weapons and catriages, is a token of peace and, of.war’s.being caufed to ceafe, there being no more. ufe for them; with,this compare Zzek. xxxix. 8, 9... It was ufual to burn, the.arms of. enemies taken in War *, Ad; y.10, Be Sill, and. know that I am God, &c.] Thefe words are thought by fome to be fpoken by _the Lord to the nations of the-world, to cea e from war, as the Zargum renders the words; or from going up any more againft Ferufalem, as Farchi interprets them; and thatthey were fpoken to them before the breaking, of their bows, &c. as Aben Ezra obferves; or that they are an exhortation to

To the chief mufician, a pfalm for the fons of Korah.

Latin, Ethiopic and Arabic verfions.

Piixlvi. ¥. 9-11. them to ceafe from. their evil works, and know that the Lord is God, and has power to raife up and to make low; which is Kimchi’s fenfe of the words: but they are rather a continuation of the — church’s addrefs to the fearful among them, as before to behold the works of the Lord, fo here to hearken to what he fays, as follows, Be fill; not that they fhould be like ftocks and ftones, ftupid, indolent, and unconcerned at the commotions that were in the earth, and be unaffected with the judgments of God, and be wholly filent and inactive; but that they fhould not be fearful, nor fretful and impatient, or reftlefs and tumultuous; but be quier and eafy, refigned to the will of God, and live in an affured expectation of the appearance of divine providence in their favour. And know; own and acknowledge that he is God, a fovereign Being that does whatfoever he pleafes; that he is unchangeable in his nature, purpofes, promifes and covenant; that he is omnipotent, able to help them and deliver them at the laft extremity; that he is omnifcient, knows their perfons, cafes and troubles, and how and where to hide them till the ftorm is over; that he is the all-wife God, and does all things after the counfel of his own will, and makes all things work together for good to them; and that he is faithful to his word and promife, and will not fuffer them to ‘be overprefied and bore down with troubles. Who further fays for their encouragement, and is to be hearkened to in it; J will be exalted among the heathen; with or in the converfion of the Gentiles; when the kingdoms of this world fhall become Chrift’s, and all nations fhall come and worfhip before him, Rev. xi, 15, 17. and xv. 4. Orin the deftruction of the Gentiles; the Papifts, ‘the antichriftian {tates; which will caufe great rejoicings, hallelujahs, and attributions of honourand glory to him, Rev. xvi. 5, 6. and xix. 1, 2. fo Farchi interprets the words, J will be exalted, 9FapIA in my ven= geance; that I will take upon the heathen.” J will be exalted in the earth; now Chrift is exalted in heaven at the right hand of God, ere long he will be exalted in the earth, where he was defpifed and rejected, crucified and flain; he will be King over all the earth; his dominion will be from one end of it to the other; his tabernacle will be amon men} and his people, as kings and priefts, Dill reign with him on earth; by wham he, and he alone,, will be exalted in the dignity of his perfon and offices, ‘and efpecially in his kingly office, Zech, xiv. 9. ‘and ix. 10. Rev. xxi. 3. and V. to. Ta. ii. 17. ‘The confideration’ of which may ferve to remove fears and difmayings of mind under prefent troubles. ee

¥. 11. The Lord of bofts is with us, &e.] ‘The Targum paraphrafes it, the Word of the Lord of bofs, as in ¥. 7. and the fame words are here repeat, -to.comfort thofe'that were fearful and unelieving, with which the church then co herfelf, Wee pay > ioe AN i eh Pan aoe

HIS pfalm is thought by fome to be writ- | from the houfe of Obed’ Edom to the city of Daten on occafion of the ark being brought | vid, to the place he had’ pre 3 which