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YALE UNIVERSITY
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1940

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THE WORKS
OF THE
RIGHT REVEREND
GEORGE HORNE, D.D.
VOL. II.

Printed by S. Hamilton, Wejbridge.

THE
WORKS OF THB
RIGHT REVEREND
GEORGE HORNE, D.D.
LATE
LORD BISHOP OF NORWICH;
TO WHICH ARS PREFIXEO
MEMOIRS OF HIS LIFE, STUDIES,
AND
WRITINGS,
By WILLIAM JONES, M.A. F.R.S.
ONE OF HIS LORDSHIP'S CHAPLAINS,
AND LONG HIS MOST INTIMATE AND CONFIDENTIAL FRIEND.
IN SIX VOLUMES.
VOL. II.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, F. & C. RIVINGTON, R. FAULDER, G. WILKIK
& J. ROBINSON, J. WALKER, G. ROBINSON, R. LEA, J. NUNN,
CADELL & DAVIES, CUTHELL & MARTIN, VERNOR, HOOD,
& SHARPE, LONGMAN, HURST, REES, & ORME,
i. RICHARDSON, & J. M. RICHARDSON.

isoy.

PREFACE.

1 HE Psalms are an epitome of the Bible, adapted
to the purposes of devotion. They treat occasionally
of the creation and formation of the world ; the
dispensations of Providence, and the economy of
grace ; the transactions of the patriarchs ; the
exodus of the children of Israel; their journey
through the wilderness, and settlement in Canaan ;
their law, priesthood, and ritual; the exploits of
their great men, wrought through faith; their sins
and captivities ; their repentances and restorations ;
the sufferings and victories of David ; the peaceful
and happy reign of Solomon ;- the advent of Mes
siah, with its effects and consequences ; his incarna
tion, birth, life, passion, death, resurrection, ascen
sion, kingdom, and priesthood; the effusion of the
Spirit; the conversion of the nations ; the rejection
of the Jews ; the establishment, increase, and per-;
petuity of the Christian church; the end of the
world; the general judgement; the condemnation of
the wicked, and the final triumph of the righteous
vol. ii. a

ii PREFACE.
with their Lord and King. These are the subjects
here presented to our meditations. We are in
structed how to conceive of them aright, and to ex
press the different affections which, when so con
ceived of, they must excite in our minds. They are,
for this purpose, adorned with the figures, and set off
with all the graces of poetry; and poetry itself is
designed yet farther to be recommended by the
charms of music, thus consecrated to the service of
God ; that so delight may prepare the way for im
provement, and pleasure become the handmaid of
wisdom, while every turbulent passion is calmed by
sacred melody, and the evil spirit is still dispossessed
by the harp of the son of Jesse. This little volume,
like the paradise of Eden, affords us in perfection,
though in miniature, every thing that groweth else
where, " every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and
" good for food :" and above all, what was there
lost, but is here restored, the tree or life in
the midst of the garden. That which we read,
aa matter of speculation, in the otter Scriptures,
ia reduced to practice, when we recite it in the
Psalms ; in those, repentance and faith are described,
but in these, they are acted; by a perusal of the
former, we learn how others served God, but, by
using the latter, we serve him ourselves. " What
" is there necessary for man to know," says the
pious and judicious Hooker, " which the Psalms are

PREFACE. iii
" not able to teach? They are to beginners an easy
" and familiar introduction, a mighty augmentation
" of all virtue and knowledge in such as are entered
" before, a strong confirmation to the most perfect
" among others. Heroical magnanimity, exquisite
" justice, grave moderation, exact wisdom, repent-
" ance unfeigned, unwearied patience, the mysteries"
" of God, the sufferings of Christ, the terrors of
" wrath, the comforts of grace, the works of Provi-
" dence over this world, and the promised joys of
" that world which is to come ; all good necessarily
"to be either known or done, or had, this one
" celestial fountain yieldeth. Let there be any
" grief or disease incident unto the soul Of man,
" any wound or sickness named, for which there is
" nOt, in this treasure-house, a present comfortable
" remedy at all times ready to be found*." In the
language of this divine book, therefore, the prayers
and praises of the church have been offered up to
the throne of grace, from age to age. And it appears
to have been the manual of the Son of God, in the
days of his flesh ; who, at the conclusion of his last
supper, is generally supposed, and that upon good
grounds, to have sung an hymn taken from it f ; who
* Hooker's Ecclesiast. Pol. b. v. sect. 37-
f St. Matthew informs us, chap. xxvi. 30. that he and his
apostles " sung an hymn ;" and the hymn usually sung by the
a 2

iv PREFACE.
pronounced, on the cross, the beginning of the
xxiid Psalm ; " My God, My God, why hast thou
" forsaken me?" and expired with a part of the
x;xxist Psalm in his mouth;." Into thy hands I com"
"mend my spirit." Thus He, who had not the
Spirit by measure, in whom were hidden all the
-?treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and who spake
as never man spake, yet chose to conclude his life,
to solace himself in his greatest agony, and at last
to breathe out his soul, in the Psalmist's form of
words rather than his own. No tongue of man or
angel, as Dr. Hammond justly observes, can convey
an higher idea of any book, and of their felicity who
use it aright.
Proportionable to the excellency of the Psalms,
hath been the number of their expositors. The
ancients were chiefly taken up in making spiritual or
evangelical applications of them; in adapting their
discourses on them to the general exigencies of the
Christian church, or to the particular necessities
of the age in which they wrote. The moderns have
set themselves to investigate with diligence, and
ascertain with accuracy, their literal scope and
meaning. Piety and devotion characterize the
writings of the ancients ; the commentaries of the
Jews, upoi) that occasion, was, what they called the " great
" Hallel," consisting of the Psalms from the cxiiith to the
cxviiith inclusive.

PREFACE. v
moderns display more learning and judgement. The
ancients have taught us how to rear a goodly super
structure ; but tlie moderns have laid the surest
foundation. To bring them in some measure toge
ther, is the design of the following work ; in which
the author has not laboured to point out what
seemed wrong in either, but to extract what he
judged to be right from both ; to make the annota
tions of the latter a ground-work for improvements
like those of the former; and thus to construct an
edifice, solid, as well as spacious. Materials, and
good ones, he cannot be said to have wanted; so
that , if the building should give way, the cement
must have been faulty, or the workman unskilful.
The right of the Psalter to a place in the sacred
canon hath never been disputed ; and it is often
cited by our Lord and his apostles in the New
Testament, as the work of the Holy- Spirit. Whe
ther David therefore, or any other prophet, was
employed as the instrument of communicating to
the church such or such a particular Psalm, is a
question which, if it cannot always be satisfactorily
answered, needs not disquiet our minds. When we
discern, in an epistle, the well known hand of a
friend, we are not solicitous about the pen with
which it was written.
The number of Psalms is the same in the ori
ginal, and in the version of the LXX.; only these

vi PREFACE.
last have, by some mistake, thrown the ninth and tenth
into one, as also the hundred and fourteenth, and the
hundred and fifteenth, and have divided the hundred
and sixteenth into two, as also the hundred and forty-
seventh. The Hebrews have distributed them into five
books ; but for what reason, or upon what authority,
we know not. This is certain, that the apostles quote
from " the book of Psalms*," and that they quote
the " second Psalm " of that book, in the order in
which it now stands f. That division, which our
own church hath made of them, into thirty por
tions, assigning one to each day of the month, it
hath been thought expedient to set down in the
margin ; as persons may often choose to turn to the
commentary on those Psalms, which occur in their
daily course of reading.
In the titles, prefixed to some of the Psalms,
there is so much obscurity, and in the conjectures
which have been made concerning them, both in a
literal and spiritual way, so great a variety and un
certainty, that the author, finding himself, after all
his searches, unable to offer any thing which he
thought could content the learned, or edify the un
learned, at length determined to omit them ; as the
sight of them, unexplained, only distracts the eye
and attention of the reader. The omission of the
word selah must be apologized for in the same
* Acts, i. 20. f Acts, xiii. 33.

PREFACE. vii
manner. The information obtained from the histori
cal titles will be found in the Argument placed at the
head of each Psalm; though even that is not always
to be relied on.
Where this information failed, the occasion and
drift of a Psalm were to be collected from the in
ternal evidence contained in itself, by a diligent pe*
rusal of it, with a view to the sacred history ; the
light of which, when held to the Psalms, often dissi
pates the darkness that must otherwise for ever
envelop allusions to particular events and circum
stances. Sometimes, indeed, the descriptions are
couched in terms more general; and then, th£
want of such information is less perceived. ' If it
appear, for instance, that David, at the time of com
posing any Psalm, was under persecution, or had
been lately delivered from it, it may not be of any
great consequence, if we cannot determine with
precision, whether his persecution by Saul and Doeg,
or that by Absalom and Ahithophel, be intended
and referred to. The expressions either of his sor
row or his joy, his strains, whether plaintive or jubi
lant, may be nearly the same, in both cases, respect
ively. This observation may be extended to many
other instances of calamities bewailed, or deliver
ances celebrated in the Psalms, sometimes by the
prince, sometimes by the community, and frequently

viii PREFACE.
by both together. Upon the whole, it is hoped, that
the design of each Psalm hath been sufficiently dis
covered, to explain and apply it, for the instruction
and comfort of believers.
The result of such critical inquiries as were found
necessary to be made, is given in as few words as
possible; often only by inserting into a verse, or
subjoining to it, that sense of a word, or phrase,
which seemed upon mature deliberation to be the
best ; as it was deemed improper to clog, with prolix
disquisitions of this kind, a work intended for gene
ral use. The reader will, however, reap the benefit
of many such, which have been carefully consulted
for him. And he will not, it is presumed, have rea
son to complain, that any verse is passed over with
out a tolerable consistent interpretation, and some
useful improvement. — Where the literal sense was
plain, it is noticed only so far as was. necessary to
make an application, or form a reflection. Where
there appeared any obscurity or difficulty, recourse
was had to the best critics, and that solution, which
seemed the most satisfactory, given in the concisest
manner. Much labour hath here been bestowed,
where little appears. The plan of every Psalm hath
been attentively studied, with the connexion and de
pendence of its parts, which it is the design of the
Argument to exhibit at one view, and of the Com-

PREFACE. ix
mentary to pursue and explain from beginning to
end*. No person is more thoroughly sensible than the
author is, of the respect and gratitude due from all
lovers of the sacred writings, to those who have
laboured in the field of literal criticism ; great and
illustrious characters, whose names will be had by
the church in everlasting remembrance! All, who
desire to understand the Scriptures, must enter into
their labours, and make tlie proper advantage of
them, as he himself hath endeavoured to do. But
let us also bear in mind, that all is not done, when
this is done. A work of the utmost importance still
remains, which it is the business of Theology -j" to
undertake and execute; since, with respect to the
Old Testament, and the Psalter more especially, a
person may attain a critical and grammatical know
ledge of them, and yet continue a Jew, with a veil
upon his heart ; an utter stranger to that sense of the
* Nos Lectoris pium hunc laborem adjuvandum suscepimus:
dum constitute argumcntis scopum attentioni figimus: dum scru-
tarum literam, et ex sacra historia, quantum possumus, omnia
repetimus ; dum annotamus qua; pietatem inflamment; alia eo
exemplo quasrenda indicamus. Bossuet. Dissertat. in Psal.
cap. vii.
t Theologian insignis hie usus est, ut, verborum sensu exposi-
to, rem intelligas. Elsner. Prafat. ad Observat. Sacr.

x PREFACE.
holy books, evidently intended, in such a variety of
instances, to bear testimony to the Saviour of the
world ; that sense, which is styled, by divines,
the PROPHETICAL, EVANGELICAL, MYSTICAL, Or
spiritual sense. As it is one great design of
the following work to investigate that sense in
many of the Psalms, this is the proper place to lay
before the reader those grounds and reasons upon
which such investigation- has been made.
That the spiritual interpretation of the Scripture,
like all other good things, is liable to abuse, and that
it hath been actually abused, both in ancient and
modern days, cannot be denied. He who shall go
about to apply, in this way, any passage, before he
hath attained its literal meaning, may say what in
itself is pious and true, but foreign to the text from
which he endeavoureth to deduce it. St. Jerome,
it is well known, when grown older and wiser, la
mented, that, in the fervours of a youthful fancy, he
had spiritualized the prophecy of Obadiah, before
he understood it! And it must be allowed that a
due attention to the occasion and scope of the
Psalms, would have pared off many unseemly excre
scences, which now deform the commentaries of St.
Augustin, and other Fathers, upon them. But
these, and other concessions of the same kind being
made, as they are made very freely, " men of sense

PREFACE. xi
" will consider, that a principle is not therefore to
" be rejected, because it has been abused * ; since
human errors can never invalidate the truths of
God. It may not be amiss, therefore, to run through the
Psalter, and point out some of the more remarkable
passages, which are cited from thence by our Lord
and his apostles, and applied to matters evange
lical. No sooner have we opened the book, than the
second Psalm presenteth itself, to all appearance, as
an inauguration hymn, composed by David, the
anointed of Jehovah, when by him crowned with
victory, and placed triumphant on the sacred hill
of Sion. But let us turn to Acts, iv. 25. and there
we find the apostles, with one voice, declaring the
Psalm to be descriptive of the exaltation of Jesus
Christ, and of the opposition raised against his
Gospel, both by Jew and Gentile.
In the eighth Psalm we imagine the writer to be
setting forth the pre-eminence of man in general,
above the rest of the creation ; but by Heb. ii. 6".
we are informed, that the supremacy conferred on
the second Adam, the man Christ Jesus, over
all things in heaven and earth, is the subject there
treated of.
* Bishop Hurd's Introduction to the Study of the Prophe
cies, p. 64.

xii PREFACE.
St. Peter stands up, Acts, ii. 25. and preaches the
resurrection of Jesus from the latter part of the
sixteenth Psalm ; and, lo ! three thousand souls are
converted by the sermon.
Of the eighteenth Psalm we are told, in the course
of the sacred history, 2 Sam. xxii. that " David
" spake before the Lord the words of that song, in
" the day that the Lord delivered him out of the
" hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of
" Saul." Yet in Rom. xv. 9. the 49th verse of that
Psalm is adduced as a proof, that " the Gentiles
" should glorify God for his mercy in Jesus Christ,
"as it is written, For this cause will I confess
" to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy
" name." In the nineteenth Psalm, David seems to be
speaking of the material heavens, and their opera
tions only, when he says, " their sound is gone out
" into all the earth, and their words unto the ends
" of the world." But St. Paul, Rom. x. 18. quotes
the passage to show, that the Gospel had been uni
versally published by the apostles.
The twenty-second. Psalm Christ appropriated to
himself, by beginning it in the midst of his sufferings
on the cross; "My God, my God," &c. Three
other verses of it are, in ihe New Testament, ap
plied to him ; and the words of the 8th verse were
actually used by the chief priests, when they re-

PREFACE. xiii
viled him; " He trusted in God," &c. Matt.
xxvii. 43.
When David saith, in the fortieth Psalm, " Sacri-
" fice and offering thou didst not desire — Lo, I
" come to do thy will :" we might suppose him only
to declare in his own person, that obedience is better
than sacrifice. But from Heb. x. 5. we learn, that
Messiah, in that place, speaketh of his advent in tne
flesh, to abolish the legal sacrifices, and to do away
sin, by the oblation of himself, once for all.
That tender and pathetic complaint, in the forty-
first Psalm, " Mine own familiar friend in whom
" I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up
" his heel against me," undoubtedly might be, and
probably was, originally uttered by David, upon the
revolt of his old friend and counsellor, Ahithophel,
to the party of his rebellious son, Absalom. But we
are certain, from John, xiii. 18. that this Scripture
was fulfilled, when Christ was betrayed by his
apostate disciple — " I speak not of you all ; I know
" whom I have chosen; but that the Scriptures
" may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath
" lift up his heel against me."
The forty-fourth Psalm we must suppose to have
been written on occasion of a persecution under
which the church at that time laboured; but a verse
of it is cited, Rom. viii. 36. as expressive of what
Christians were to suffer, on their blessed Master's"

xiv PREFACE.
account ; " as it is written, For thy sake are we
" killed all the day long ; we are counted as sheep
" appointed to be slain."
A quotation from the forty-fifth Psalm, in Heb. i.
8. certifies us, that the whole is addressed to the
Son of God, and therefore celebrates his spiritual
union With the church, and the happy fruits of it.
The sixty-eighth Psalm, though apparently con
versant about Israelitish victories, the translation of
the ark to Sion, and the services of the tabernacle,
yet does, under those figures, treat of Christ's resur
rection, his going up on high, leading captivity cap
tive, pouring out the gifts of the Spirit, erecting his
church in the world, and enlarging it by the accession
of the nations to the faith ; as will be evident to any
one, who considers the force and consequence of the
apostle's citation from it, Ephes. iv. 7, 8. " Unto
" every one of us is given grace, according to the
" measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he
" saith, When he ascended up on high, he led cap-
" tivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."
The sixty-ninth Psalm is five times referred to in
the Gospels, as being uttered by the prophet, in the
person of Messiah. The imprecations, or rather
predictions, at the latter end of it, are applied, Rom.
xi. 9, 10. to the Jews ; and to Judas, Acts, i. 20.
where the hundred and ninth Psalm is also cited, as<
prophetical of the sore judgements which should

PREFACE. xv
befall that arch traitor, and the wretched nation of
which he was an epitome.
St. Matthew, informing us, chap. xiii. 34. that
Jesus spake to the multitude in parables, gives it as
one reason why he did so, " that it might be fulfilled
" which was spoken by the prophet, Psal. lxxviii. 2.
"" I will open my mouth in a parable : I will utter
" things which have been kept secret from the foun-
" dation of the world."
The ninety-first Psalm was applied, by the tempt
er, to Messiah : nor did our Lord object to the ap
plication, but only to the false inference, which his
adversary suggested from it. Matt. iv. 6, 7-
The ninety-fifth Psalm is explained at large in
Heb. iii. and iv. as relative to the state and trial of
Christians in the world, and to their attainment of
the heavenly rest.
The hundred and tenth Psalm, is cited by Christ
himself, Matt. xxii. 44. as treating of his exaltation,
kingdom, and priesthood.
The hundred and seventeenth Psalm, consisting
only of two verses, is employed, Rom. xv. 1 1 . to
prove, that the Gentiles were one day to praise God
for the mercies of redemption.
The 22d verse of the hundred and eighteenth
Psalm, " The stone which the builders refused,"
&c. is quoted six different times, as spoken of our
Saviour.

xvi PREFACE.
¦ And, lastly, " the fruit of David's body," which
God is said, in the hundred and thirty-second Psalm,
to have promised that he would place upon his
" throne," is asserted, Acts, ii. 30. to be Jesus
Christ. These citations, lying dispersed through the Scrip-
, tures of the New Testament, are often suffered by
common readers to pass unnoticed. And many
others content themselves with saying, that they are
made in a sense of accommodation, as passages may
be quoted from poems or histories merely human,
for the illustration of truths, of which their authors
never thought. " And this," as a learned critic ob
serves, " is no fault, but rather a beauty in writing.
" A passage applied justly, and in a new sense,- is
" ever pleasing to an ingenious reader, who loves to
" be agreeably surprised, and to see a likeness and
" pertinency where he expected none. He has;
" that surprise, which the Latin poet so poetically
" gives to the tree ;
" Miratuique novas- frondes, et non sua poma."
The readers, who have been accustomed to con
sider the New Testament citations in this view of
accommodation only, must perceive the necessity of
such accommodation, at least, to adapt the use of
the Psalms, as a part of divine service, to the times
and circumstances of the Gospel ; and cannot there-

PREFACE. xvii
fore reasonably object, updn their own principles, to
the applications made in the following sheets for
that purpose. But not to inquire, at present, whe
ther passages are not sometimes cited in this manner,
surely no one can attentively review the above made
collection of New Testament citations from the book
of Psalms, as they have been placed together before
him, without perceiving that the Psalms are written
upon a divine, preconcerted, prophetical plan, and
contain much more than, at first sight, they appear to
do. They are beautiful without, but all-glorious
within, like " apples of gold in pictures, or net-
" work cases of silver ;" Prov. xxv. 11. The bright*
ness of the casket attracts our attention, till, through
it, upon a nearer approach, we discover its contents.
And then, indeed, it may be said to have " no glory,
" by reason of the glory that so far excellethV
Very delightful and profitable they are, in their literal
and historical sense, which well repayeth all the
pains taken to come at it. But that once obtained,
a farther scene begins to open upon us, and all the
blessings of the Gospel present themselves to the eye
of faith. So that the expositor is as a traveller
ascending an eminence, neither unfruitful, nor un
pleasant ; at the top of which when he is arrived, he
beholds, like Moses from the summit of mount Nebo,
a more lovely and extensive prospect lying beyond it,
* 2 Cor. iii. 10.
VOL. II. b

xviii PREFACE.
and stretching away to the utmost bounds of the
everlasting hills. He sees valleys covered over
with corn, blooming gardens, and verdant meadows,
with flocks and herds feeding by rivers of water ; till,
ravished with the sight, he cries out, as Peter did at
the view of his Master's glory, " It is good to be
"here!" It would be unreasonable to suppose, that no parts
of the Psalms may by us be spiritually applied, but
such as are already expressly applied for us by the
inspired writers. Let any man consider attentively
a New Testament citation ; then let him as carefully
read over, with a view to it, the Psalm from which it
is taken, and see if it will not serve him as a key,
wherewith to unlock the treasures of eternal wisdom ;
if it will not " open his eyes," and show him " won-
" derful things" in God's law. When we are taught
to consider one verse of a Psalin as spoken by
Messiah, and there is no change of person, what
can Ave conclude, but that he is the speaker through
the whole ? In that case, the Psalm becomes at once
as much transfigured, as the blessed Person, supT
posed to be the subject of it, was on mount Tabor.
And if Messiah be the speaker of one Psalm, what
should hinder, but that another Psalm, where the
same kind of scene is evidently described, and the
same expressions are used, may be expounded . in the
same manner?

PREFACE. xix
It is very justly observed by Dr. Allix, that " al-
" though the sense of near fifty Psalms be fixed and
" settled by divine authors,, yet Christ and his apo-
" sties did not undertake to quote all the Psalms
" they could quote, but only to give a key to their
"hearers, by which they might apply to the same
" subjects the Psalms of the same composure and
" expression*." The citations in the New Testa
ment were. made incidentally, and as occasion was
given. But can we imagine, . that the church was
not farther instructed in the manner of applying the
Psalms to her Redeemer and to herself? Did she
stop at the applications thus incidentally and occa
sionally made by the inspired writers ? Did she stop,
because they had directed her how to proceed ? We
know she did not. The primitive fathers, it is true,
for want of critical learning, and particularly a com
petent knowledge of the original Hebrew,' often wan-
- dered in their expositions ; but they are unexcep
tionable witnesses to us of this matter of fact, that
such a method of expounding the Psalms, built upon
the practice Of the apostles in their writings and
preachings, did universally prevail in the church
from the beginning. They, who have ever looked
into St. Augustin, know, that he pursues this plan
invariably, treating of the Psalms as proceeding
from the mouth of Christ, or of the church, or of
* Preface to his Book of Psalms, p. 9.
b2

xx PREFACE.
both, considered as one mystical person. The same"
is true of Jerom, Ambrose, Arnobius, Cassiodore,
Hilary, and Prosper. Chrysostom studies to make
the Psalter useful to believers under the Gospel.
Theodoret attends both to the literal and prophetical
sense. But what is very observable, Tertullian, who
flourished at the beginning of the third century, men
tions it, as if it were then an allowed point in the
church, that " almost all the Psalms are# spoken in
" the person of Christ, being addressed by the Son
" to the Father, that is, by Christ to God*." In
this ehannel flows tlie stream of the earliest Christian
expositors. Nor did they depart, in this point, from
the doctrine held in the church of the ancient Jewsr
who were always taught to regard Messiah as the
capital object of the Psalter. And though, when
the time came, that people would not receive Jesus
of Nazareth as their Messiah, it does not appear
that they ever objected to the propriety of the cita
tions made by our Lord and his apostles, or thought
such passages applicable to David only and his con
cerns. Nay, the most learned of their Rabbies, who
have written since the commencement of the Chris
tian sera, still agree with us in referring many of the
* Omnes pene Psalmi Christi personam sustinent,  Filium
ad patrem, id est Christum ad Deum verba faGientem represen.-
tstnU

PREFACE. xxi
Psalms to Messiah and his kingdom ; differing only
about the person of the one, and the nature of the
other. When learning arose, as it were, from the dead,
in the sixteenth century, and the study of primitive
theology by that means revived, the spiritual inter
pretation of the Scriptures revived with it It was
adopted at that time, by one admirably qualified to
do it justice, and to recommend it again to the world
by every charm of genius, and every ornament of
language. I mean the accomplished Erasmus, who
omitteth no .opportunity of insisting on the useful
ness and even the necessity of it, for the right -un
derstanding of the Scriptures ; for the attainment of
that wisdom which they teach, and that holiness
which they prescribe; seeming to think himself never
better employed, than when he is removing tlie earth
and rubbish with which those Philistines, the monks,
had stopped up tlie wells of salvation, opened by the
apostles and first fathers of the church, for the be
nefit of mankind *. This great man was much im
portuned by his learned friends, as he inforroeth us
in an epistle to cardinal Sadolet, to write a commen
tary on the Psalms t- Such a work, executed by
* Enchirid. Mil. Christ, in Prsefat. Canon. 5. et passim.
-J- Lib. xxv. Epist. 11. edit. Frobcn. 100S5, edit. Cler. Nan
gemel rogatus sum, quum ab aliis, turn ab Anglorum rot'.: , ut in
omnes Psalmos cderem Commentarios ; sed deterrebant Sue quum

xxii PREFACE.
rum, had been one of the richest gifts that were ever
cast into the Christian treasury; as we may judge from
the specimen which he hath left us, in his discourses
on eleven of them. Some of these were drawn up
with a view to enlarge upon the transactions ofthe
times ; and in all of them he is more diffuse and lux
uriant, than, it is to be presumed, he would have
been in a general exposition. But they abound with
a rich variety of sacred learning, communicated in a
manner ever pleasing, and ever instructive. If at
any time he takes us out of the road, it is to show us
a fine country, and we are still in company with
Erasmus. He considers a Psalm, as it may relate
to Christ, either suffering or triumphant; as it may
concern the church, whether consisting of Jews or
Gentiles, whether in adversity or prosperity, through
the several stages and periods of its existence ; and
as it may be applicable to the different states and
circumstances of individuals, during the trials and
temptations which they meet with, in the course of
their Christian pilgrimage and warfare here below,
till, having overcome their last enemy, they shall sit
down with their Lord in his kingdom; when the

'al

alia multa, turn ilia duo.potissimum, quod viderem hoc argu-
mentum v;x posse pro dignitate tractari, nisi quis calleat Hebra-
orum literas, atque etiam antiquitates ; partim quod verebar ne
turba Commentariorum obscuraretur Sermo Propheticus, citius
quam illustraretur.

PREFACE. xxiii
scheme of prophecy shall receive its final accom
plishment, and " the mystery of God be finish-
" ED*." It is obvious, that every part of the Psalter, when
explicated according to this Scriptural and primitive
method, is rendered universally " profitable for doc-
" trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
" righteousness ;" and the propriety immediately
appears of its having always been used in the devo
tional way, both by the Jewish and the Christian
church. With regard to the Jews, bishop Chandler
very pertinently remarks, that " they must have un-
" derstood David, their prince, to have been a figure
" of Messiah. They would not otherwise have
" made his Psalms part of their daily worship, nor
" would David have delivered them to the church
"to be so employed, were it not to instruct and
" support them in the knowledge and belief of this
" fundamental article. Was the Messias not con-
" cerned in the Psalms, it were absurd to celebrate,
" twice a day, in their public devotions, the events of
" one man's life, who was deceased so long ago as
" to have no relation now to the Jews, and the cir-
" cumstances of their affairs; or to transcribe whole
" passages from them, into their prayers for the
*l coming of the Messiahf." Upon the same prin-
* Rev. x. 7.
f Defence of Christianity, First Part, p. 241,

xxiv PREFACE.
ciple, it is easily seen, that the objections which may
seem to lie against the use of Jewish services in
Christian congregations, cease at once. Thus, it
may be said, Are we concerned with the affairs of
David and of Israel? Have we any thing to do with
the ark and the temple ? They are no more. Are
we to go up to Jerusalem, and to worship on Sion?
They are desolated and trodden under foot by the
Turks. Are we to sacrifice young bullocks, accord
ing to the law ? The law is abolished, never to be
observed again. Do wre pray for victory over Moab,
Edom, and Philistia ; or for deliverance from Baby
lon ? There are no such nations, no such places in
the world. What then do we mean, when, taking
such expressions into our mouths, we utter them in
our own persons, as parts of our devotions, before
God ? Assuredly we must mean a spiritual Jerusa
lem and Sion ; a spiritual ark and temple ; a spirit
ual law ; spiritual sacrifices ; and spiritual victories
over spiritual enemies ; all described under the old
names, which are still retained, though " old things
'•' are passed away, and all things are become new*.'1
* 2 Cor. v. 17. Ergo arrige aures, Christiane Lector, et ubi
talia in Davide legeris, tu mihi fac cogites, non Arcam, fragile
lignum, aut Tabernaculum contectum pellibus; non urbem lapi-
dibus compositam; non Templum divinag Majestati angustum ;
sed Christi et Ecclesias Sacramcnta, sed vivos Iapides, Christo
angulari lapidi coaptatos ; sed ipsam Eucharistiam prassentis Dei

PREFACE. xxv
By substituting Messiah for David, the Gospel for
the law, the church Christian for that of Israel, and
the enemies of the one for those of the other, the
Psalms are made our own. Nay, they are, with
more fulness and propriety, applied now to the sub
stance, than they were of old to the " shadow of good
*' things then to come*." And, therefore, ever since
the commencement cf the Christian aera, the church
hath chosen to celebrate the Gospel mysteries in tiie
words of these ancient hymns, .rather than to com
pose for that purpose new ones of her own. For,
let it not pass unobserved that, when, upon the first
publication of the Gospel, die apostles had occasion
to utter their transports of joy, on their being count
ed worthy to suffer for the name of their dear Lord
and Master, which was then opposed by Jew and
Gentile, they brake forth into an application of the
second Psalm to the transactions then before their
eyes: see Acts, iv. 25. The primitive Christians
constantly followed this method, in their devotions ;
and particularly when, delivered out of the hands
of persecuting tyrants by the victories of Constantine,
they praised God for his goodness, and the glorious
success and establishment of Christ's religion, no
words were found so exquisitely adapted to the pur-
testcm ; deniquc cajlestc regnum et aeternam felicitatem. Bos-
scet, Dissertat. de Psal. cap. i. ad fin.
* Heb. x. I.

xxvi PREFACE.
pose, as those of David, in the xcvith, xcviiith, and
other Psalms—" Sing unto the Lord a new song :
" sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the
" Lord, and praise his name ; be telling of his t,al-
" vation from day to day. Declare his honour unto
" the heathen, his worship unto all people," &c. &c.
&c. In these, and the like Psalms, we continue to
praise God, for all his spiritual mercies in Christ, to
this day.
The Psalms, thus applied, have advantages which
no fresh compositions, however finely executed, can
possibly have ; since, besides their incomparable fit
ness to express our sentiments, they are, at the same
time, memorials of, and appeals to, former mercies
and deliverances ; they are acknowledgements of pro
phecies accomplished ; they point out the connexion
between the old and new dispensations, thereby teach
ing us to admire and adore the wisdom of God dis-
played in both, and furnishing, while we read or sing
them, an inexhaustible variety of the noblest matter
that can engage the contemplations of man.
Why is the mind more than ordinarily affected,
and either melted into sorrow, or transported with
joy, when, on the days set apart for the commemora
tion of our Saviour's birth, passion, resurrection, &c.
the Proper Psalms are read, which the church hath
appointed, following herein the directions of evange
lists and apostles, and the usage of the early ages ?

PREFACE. xxvii
Why, but because, by such appointment, we are ne
cessarily put upon transferring our ideas from the
complaints or exultations of David and Israel, to
those of a suffering or glorified Messiah, of whose
sufferings or glories we participate, as members of
his mystical body ? And how much more intense
would be the effect, if, in the sermons preached on
those occasions, such Proper Psalms were expound
ed to the people, and their propriety evinced, as it
might easily be! Discourses of this kind would make
the hearts of the auditors to " burn within them;"
and men would cease to wonder, that three thousand
Jews were converted to the faith by St. Peter's ani
mated discourse on part of the sixteenth Psalm.
Were believers once brought well acquainted with
these Proper Psalms, they would be better enabled
to study and apply the rest, which might likewise be
explained to them, at different times, and certainly
afford the finest subjects on which a Christian ora
tor can apply his eloquence. That this was done in
the primitive church, we learn from the exposition
of the Psalms k-ft us by St. Chrysostom in the east,
and St. Augustin in the west, those expositions still
subsisting in the form of homilies, as delivered to
their respective congregations. Is it not to be fear
ed that, for want of such instructions, the repeti
tion of the Psalms, as performed by multitudes, is
but one degree above mechanism ? And is it not a

xxviii PREFACE.
melancholy reflection to be made, at the close of a
long life, that, after reciting them, at proper seasons,
through the greatest part of it, no more should be
known of their true meaning and application, than
when the Psalter wag first taken in hand at school ?
Many sensible and well-disposed persons, there
fore, who, when they read or sing the Psalms, de
sire to read and to sing " with the spirit and the un-
" dprstanding," haye long called for a commentary
whjch might enable them to do so, which might not
only explain the literal sense of these divine compo
sitions, and show how they may be accommodated to
our temporal affairs, as members of civil society*;
but might also Unfold the mysteries of the kingdom
of God, which are involved in them, and teach then-
application to us, as members of that spiritual and
heavenly society of which Christ Jesus is the head,
and for whose use, in every age, they were intended
by their omniscient Author. A work of this kind,
* A concern for the present peace and prosperity of the world,
and of that kingdom in it to which we belong, ought ever to be
entertained and cherished by the most exalted Christian. And
if this part of the subject should, at any time, in the following
work, appear to be but slightly touched upon, the reason is, be
cause it lies obvious upon the surface, and has been so frequently
inculcated by other expositors. Nor are mankind indeed so
liable to forget the relation they bear to the world, as they are
to overlook that which subsists between them and their Creator
and Redeemer.

PREFACE. xxix
though often desired, has never yet been executed,
upon any regular and consistent plan. The survey
of a province in theology, hitherto almost unoccupied
among the moderns, which promised a great deal of
pleasing as well as profitable employment, gave
birth to the attempt which hath been made to culti
vate it, in the ensuing Commentary ; in which the
author has only endeavoured to evince, by an induc
tion of particulars, the truth of what so many learn
ed and good men have asserted in general, concern
ing the prophetical, or evangelical, import of the
Psalter. Dr. Hammond, in the preface to his An
notations, tells us, he chose to leave every man to
make applications of this kind for himself, finding he
had work enough upon his hands" in the literal way.
But so much having been done by him, and other
able critics, in that way, it seems to be now time-
that something should be done in the other, and
some directions given, in a case where directions can
not but be greatly wanted.
Very few of the Psalms, comparatively, appear to
be simply prophetical, and to belong only to Mes
siah, without the intervention of any other person.
Most of them, it is apprehended, have a double
sense, which stands upon this ground and foundation,
that the ancient patriarchs, prophets, priests, and
kings, were typical characters, in their several offices,
and in the more remarkable passages of their lives,

xxx PREFACE.
their extraordinary depressions, and miraculous ex
altations, foreshowing Him who was to arise, as the
Head of the holy family, the great Prophet, the true
Priest, the everlasting King. The Israelitish polity,
and the law of Moses, were purposely framed after
the example and shadow of things spiritual and hea
venly ; and the events which happened to the ancient
people of God, were designed to shadow out paral
lel occurrences, which should afterwards take place,
in the accomplishment of man's redemption, and the
rise and progress of the Christian church. For this
reason, the Psalms composed for the use of Israel,
and Israel's monarch, and by them accordingly used
at the time, do admit of an application to us, who
are now " the Israel of God*," and to our Redeemer,
who is the King of this Israel f.
Nor will this seem strange to us, if we reflect, that
the same divine person, who inspired the Psalms,
did also foreknow and predispose all the events of
which he intended them to treat. And hence it is
evident, that the spiritual sense is, and must be, pe-
* Gal. vi. 16.
+ That expressions and descriptions in human writings are often
so framed as to admit of a double sense, without any impro
priety or confusion, is shown by the very learned Mr.iMBR.mcK,
in -his excellent Observations on Dr. Benson's Essay concern
ing the Unity of Sense, &c. subjoined to his Annotations on the
Psalms.

PREFACE. xxxi
culiar to the Scriptures ; because of those persons
and transactions only, which are there mentioned
and recorded, can it he affirmed for certain, that they
were designed to be figurative. And should any one
attempt to apply the narrative of Alexander's expe
dition by Quintus Curtius, or the Commentaries of
Csesar, as the -• New Testament writers have done,
and taught us to do, the histories of the Old, he
would find himself unable to proceed three steps
with consistency and propriety. The argument,
therefore, which would infer the absurdity of sup
posing the Scriptures to have a spiritual sense, from
the acknowledged absurdity of supposing histories
or poems merely human to have it, is inconclusive;
the sacred writings differing, in this respect, from all
other writings in the world, as much as the nature
of the transactions which they relate differs from
that of all other transactions, and the author who re
lates them differs from all other authors,
" This double, or secondary, sense of prophecy;
" was so far from giving offence to Lord Bacon, that
" he speaks of it with admiration, as one striking ar4
" gument of its divinity. In sorting the prophecies of
" Scripture zvith their events, we must allow, says
" he, for that latitude, which is agreeable and f ami"
" liar unto divine prophecies, being qf the nature of
" the Author, with whom a thousand years are but
" as one day; and therefore they are not fulfilled

xxxii PREFACE.
"punctually at once, but have springing and gef*
" minant accomplishment through many ages, though
" the height, or fulness of them, may refer to some
" one age.
" But, that we may not mistake, or pervert, this
" fine observation of our great philosopher, it may
" be proper to take notice, that the reason of it holds-,
" in such prophecies only as respect the several sue*
" cessive parts of one system ; which being intimate-1-
" ly connected together, may be supposed to come
" within the view and contemplation of the same
" prophecy ; whereas it would be endless, and one
" sees not on what grounds of reason, we are autho-
" rized to look out for the accomplishment of pro-
" phecy, in any casual unrelated events of general
*' history. The Scripture speaks of prophecy, as re-
" specting Jesus, that is, as being one connected
" scheme of Providence, of which the Jewish dis-
" pensation makes a part : so that here we are led
" to expect that springing and germinant accom-
" plishment, which is mentioned. But had the Jew-
" ish law been complete in itself, and totally unre-
" lated to the Christian, the general principle — that
" a thousand years are with God but as one day — ¦
" would no more justify us in extending a Jewish
*' prophecy to Christian events, because perhaps it
" was eminently fulfilled in them, than it would
" justify us in extending it to any other signally cor-

PREFACE. xxxiii
" responding events whatsoever. It is only when
" the prophet hath one uniform connected design
" before him, that we are authorized to use this lati-
" tude of interpretation. For then the prophetic
" spirit naturally runs along the several parts of
" such design, and unites the remotest events with
" the nearest : the style of the prophet, in the mean
" time, so adapting itself to this double prospect, as
" to paint the near and subordinate event in terms
" that emphatically represent the distant and more
" considerable. So that, with this explanation, no-
" thing can be more just or philosophical, than the
" idea which Lord Bacon suggests of divine prophecy.
" The great scheme of redemption, we are now
" considering, being the only scheme in the plan of
" Providence, which, as far as we know, hath been
" prepared and dignified by a continued system of
" prophecy, at least this being the only scheme to
" which we have seen a prophetic system applied
• " men do not so readily apprehend the doctrine of
" double senses in prophecy, as they would do V they
'" saw it exemplified in other cases. But what the
" history of mankind does not supply, we may re-
" present to ourselves by many obvious, supposi
tions; which cannot justify, indeed, such a scheme
" of things, but may facilitate the conception of it*."
* Bishop Kurd's excellent Introduction to the Study of the
Prophecies. Serin, iii.
VOL. It. C

acxxTv PREFACE.
In allegories framed by man, the ground-work is.
generally fiction*, because of the difficulty of find
ing one true series of facts, which shall exactly re
present another. But the great Disposer of events,
" known unto whom are all his works," from the be
ginning to the end of time, was able to effect this ;
and the Scripture allegories are therefore equally true
in the letter and in the spirit of them. The events
signifying, no less than those signified, really hap
pened as they are said to have donef. Why the
allegories of this most perfect form, with which the
book of God abounds, and which are all pregnant with
- truths of the highest import, should be treated with
neglect and contempt, while the imperfect allegories of
man's devising are universally sought after and admir
ed, as the most pleasing and efficacious method of
* I say, " generally," since, as the above cited Mr. Merrick
iustly observes, " It is possible (for example) in a complimental
"address to a modern statesman, or general, to relate the actions
" o: some ancient patriot of the same character, in such a man-
" ner. that the parallel intended to be drawn between them,
" shall be readily known, and the praises expressly bestowed on-
(i the one, be transferred, by the reader's own application, to the
v other." t Neque propterek ab historico, sive literali atque immediate,
ut aiunt, sensu aberrare nos oportet ; quin eo erit clarior et fun-
datior secretions illius intelligentia; sensus, quo typum ipsum,
hoc est, historiam ac literam figemus ccrtius. Bossuet. Dis-
sertat. in Psal. ad finem.

PREFACE. xxx*
conveying instruction, it is not easy to say. Why
should it not afford a believer as much delight, tp
contemplate the lineaments of his Saviour, portrayed
in one of the patriarchs, as to be informed, that the
character of lapis was designed by Virgil to adum
brate that of Antonius Musa, physician to Augustus?
Or why should not a discourse upon the redemp
tion of the church, as foreshadowed by the exodus
of Israel, have as many admirers among Christians,
as a dissertation, however ingeniously composed, on
the descent of JEneas to the infernal regions, con
sidered as typical of an initiation into the Eleusi-
nian mysteries.
A learned, judicious, and most elegant writer of
the present age hath stated and illustrated the subject
we are now upon, with a felicity of thought and ex
pression peculiar to himself. I shall endeavour to
gratify the English reader with a view of his senti
ments. The beauties of his language are not to be
translated. " It would be an arduous and adventurous under-
" taking to attempt to lay down the rules observed
" in the conduct of the Mystic Allegory; so diverse
" are the modes in which the Holy Spirit has thought
" proper to communicate his counsels to different
" persons, upon different occasions ; inspiring and
" directing the minds of the prophets according to
" his good pleasure; at one time vouchsafing more
c %

xxxvi PREFACE.
" full and free discoveries of future events; while, at
" another, he is more obscure and sparing in his inti-
" mations. From hence, of course, ariseth a great
" variety in the Scripture usage of this kind of alle-
" gory, as to the manner in which the spiritual sense
" is couched under the other. Sometimes it can hardly
" break forth and show itself at intervals through the
" literal, which meets the eye as the ruling sense,
" and seems to have taken entire possession of the
" words and phrases. On the contrary, it is much
" oftener the capital figure in the piece, and stands
" confessed at once by such splendour of language,
" that the letter in its turn, is thrown into shades, and
" almost totally disappears. Sometimes it shines
" with a constant equable light; and sometimes it
" darts upon us on a sudden, like a flash of lightning
" from the clouds. But a composition is never
" more truly elegant and beautiful, than when the
' ' two senses, alike conspicuous, run parallel together
" through the whole poem, mutually corresponding
" with, and illustrating each other. I will produce
" an undoubted instance or two of this kind, which
" will show my meaning, and confirm what has
" hitherto been advanced on this subject of the mystie
" allegory. " The establishment of David upon his throne,
" notwithstanding the opposition made to it by his
" enemies, is the subject of the second Psalm.

PREFACE. xxxvii
" David sustains in it a twofold character, literal and
".allegorical. If vie read over the Psalm, first with
" an eye to the literal David, the meaning is obvious,
" and put out of all dispute by the sacred history.
" There is indeed an uncommon glow in the expres-
" sion, and sublimity in the figures, and the diction
" is now and then exaggerated, as it were on purpose
" to intimate, and lead us to the contemplation of
" higher and more important matters concealed
" within. In compliance with this admonition, if we
" take another survey of the Psalm, as relative to
" the person and concerns of the spiritual David, a
" nobler series of events instantly rises to view, and
"the meaning, becomes more evident, as well as
" exalted. The colouring, which may perhaps seem
" too bold and glaring for the king of Israel, will
" no longer appear so, when laid upon his great
" anti-type. After we have thus attentively con-
" sidered the subjects apart, let us look at them to-
" gether, and we shall behold the full beauty and
" majesty of this most charming poem. We shall
" perceive the two senses, very distinct from each
" other, yet conspiring in perfect harmony, and bear-
" ing a wonderful resemblance in every feature and
" lineament, while the analogy between them is so
" exactly preserved, that either may pass for the
" original from whence the other was copied, New
" light is continually cast upon the phraseology,

xxxviii PREFACE.
" fresh weight and dignity are added to the sentiment,
" till gradually ascending from things below to things
" above, from human affairs to those which are di-
" vine, they bear the great important theme upwards
" with them, and at length place it in the height
" and brightness of heaven.
" What hath been observed with regard to this
*' Psalm, may also be applied to the seventy-second ;
*' the subject of which is of the same kind, and
" treated in the same manner. Its title might be,
" The Inauguration of Solomon. The scheme ofthe
" allegory is alike in both ; but a diversity of matter
" occasions an alteration in the diction. For whereas
" one is employed in celebrating the magnificent
l( triumphs of victory, it is the design of the other
" to draw a pleasing picture of peace, and of that
" felicity which is her inseparable attendant. The
"sfyle is, therefore, of a more even and temperate
" sort, and more richly ornamented. It aboundeth
" not with those sudden changes of the person
" speaking, which dazzle and astonish ; but the
" imagery is borrowed from the delightful scenes
" with which creation cheers the -sight, and the pencil
" of the divine artist is dipped in the softer colours
" of nature. And here we may take notice how
" peculiarly adapted to the genius of this kind of
" allegory the parabolical style is, on account of that
" great variety of natural images to be found in ic.

PREFACE. xxxix
tl For as these images are capable of being employed
" in the illustration of things divine and human, be-
ie tween which there is a certain analogy maintained,
" so they easily afford that ambiguity which is ne
cessary in this species of composition, where, the
" language is applicable to each sense, and obscure
" in neither; it comprehends both parts of the alle-
" gory> and may be clearly and distinctly referred to
" one or the other*."
The scheme of exposition so beautifully delineated
and illustrated in two instances by this truly valuable
author, has been extended, in theory, by another
learned writer, to a great part of the Psalter;; and
that upon a principle deduced from the attributes of
God, and the nature and design of the divine dispen
sations; though his own labours, like those of Dr.
Hammond, were employed chiefly in literal criticism.
His reasoning is as follows —
" In this point (namely, the application of the
" Psalms to the mysteries of the Gospel) I am very
" clear. The Jews only, as a nation, acknowledged
" the one supreme God, under the name of Jehovah ;
*' they must be, therefore, his peculiar people. There
" is nothing capricious in this ; they are correlates,
" and of necessity answer reciprocally to each other.
" Hence that singular intercourse between God and
" them. Hence, among other instances of liis favour,
" his communication of himself to them by superna^
* Bishop Lowth on the Hebrew Poetry, Lect. xi.

xl PREFACE.
" tural ways of Oracle, Inspiration, &c. When the
" acknowledgement of the one God branched itself,
" from this Jewish stock, over the face of the earth,
" and by that means he was become the God of all
" mankind, they must all, for the same reason, be-
" come his people. As God is ever the same, and his
" doings uniform, his conduct towards mankind must
" exactly be proportioned to his conduct towards the
" Jewish nation. Let us, therefore, place Godin com->
" mon over them both; and there will be — on one
" side, the Jewish nation; and on the other, mankind :
" on one side, Canaan, and a national prosperity;
" on the other, heaven and human happiness : on
Ai one side, a redemption from Egyptian servitude,
"*' and national evils ; on the other, a redemption of
¦" the whole human race from absolute evil: oh one
*" side, national crimes atoned by national ceremonies,
" sacrifices, priests; on the other, sins expiated hy
" the one universal sacrifice of Jesus Christ : on
"one side, national and temporary saviours, kings,
" prophets, !&c. ; on the other, all this universal, and
" etfefhal : 'oil one side, the Law, and every branch
" of it, adapted to a favourite nation; on the other^
" the everlasting' Gospel, suited to all mankind. It
" is impossible, therefore, that God can say any
" thing to David, under the quality of king of this
" chosen nation, which he does not sjieak, at the
" same time, to Jesus Christ, as King of all the
"elect; and that in a truer and nobler sense. To

PREFACE. xii
" each of them he speaks in a sense adapted to the
" nature of their respective kingdoms. Nor is the
" latter a bare accommodation of wordsj but the
" first and highest meaning of them, and which only,
" absolutely speaking, can be the true sense of God;
" the other being this sense, confined to a particular
" circumstance ; in other words, an absolute truth,
" made history and matter of fact. This is a prin-
" ciple, which shows, that, far from denying the
" Christian application, I consider the literal and
" historical sense only as a kind of vehicle for it*."
Upon this plan it is, that many of the Psalms are
interpreted in the following sheets.
In such of them as were written by David, and
treat of his affairs, that extraordinary person is1 con
sidered as an illustrious representative of Messiah,
who is more than once foretold under the name of
David, and to whom are applied, in the New Testa
ment, Psalms which do undoubtedly, in the letter of
them, relate to David, and were composed on occa
sion of particular occurrences which befell him; a'
circumstance in theology, to be accounted for upon
no other principle.
When, therefore, he describeth himself as one hated
and persecuted without a cause ; as one accused of
crimes which he never committed, and suffering for
sins the very thoughts of which he abhorred; as
* Preface to an Essay towards a New English Version of th«
Book of Fsalms, by the reverend Mr. Mudge.

xiii PREFACE.
one whose life was imbittered by affliction, and his
soul overwhelmed with sorrows ; yet, withal, as one
whom no troubles could induce to renounce his trust
and confidence in the promises of God concerning
him, when he repeated his resolutions of adhering
to the divine law, setting forth its various excellencies,
and the comforts which it afforded him in the days
of adversity ; when he complaineth of that implaca
ble malice, and unrelenting fury, with which he was
pursued by Saul and his attendants, by Doeg the
Edomite, by rebellious Absalom, traitorous Ahitho
phel, &c. and when, contrary to all appearances, he
predicteth their destruction, with his own final exalta
tion; in expounding the Psalms of this cast and
complexion, it hath been my endeavour to direct the
reader's thoughts to parallel circumstances, which
present themselves in the history of the true David ;
his sorrows and sufferings ; his resignation under
theni all; his obedience to the will of his Father ;
the temper and behaviour of his betrayers and mur
derers ; the prophecies of judgements to be inflicted
upon them, and of glory to be conferred upon him.
As the Psalter was the liturgy of the Jewish church,
of which our Lord was a member, and to which he
"therefore entirely conformed during his abode and
humiliation upon earth, he might pour forth his com
plaints, and " offer up his prayers and supplications,
" with strong crying and tears*," in the very words
* Heb. v. 7.

PREFACE. xliii
which his progenitor David had before used under his
own troubles, but which were given by inspiration,
with a view to the case of that blessed person
whom, in those troubles, he had the honour to pre
figure. Other Psalms there are, which disclose far different
scenes. In them the sorrows 'of David are at an
end, and the day of his deliverance hath already
dawned. The heavens are opened, and Jehovah ap
peareth in the cause of his afflicted servant. He
descendeth from above, encompassed witli clouds and
darkness, preceded by fire and hail, proclaimed by
thunder and earthquake, and attended by lightnings
and whirlwinds. The mountains smoke, and the
rocks melt before him ; the foundations of the globe
are uncovered, and the deep from beneath is moved
at his presence. The adversary is dismayed and
confounded ; opposition, in the height of its career,
feels the blast through all its powers, and instantly
withers away. The anointed of God, according to
his original designation, is at length elevated to the
throne; 'his sceptre is extended over the nations;
the temple is planned by him, and erected by his
son ; the services of religion are appointed in perfect
order and beauty ; Jerusalem becometh a praise ia
all the earth : and the kingdom is established in
honour, peace, and felicity. If in Psalms of the
former kind the holy Jesus might behold those per
secutions and sufferings, under which he was to be

xliv ' PREFACE.
humbled, and to mourn, during his pilgrimage here
below ; in ' Psalms of this latter sort, he might
strengthen and console himself, as a man, " touched
" with the feeling of our infirmities, and tempted in
" all points like as we are," by viewing " the glory
" that should follow;" by contemplating the mani
festation of the Father in favour of his beloved Son ;
his own joyful resurrection, triumphant ascension,
and magnificent inauguration ; the conversion of the
world, and the establishment of the church ; events,
which were foreshadowed by those above mentioned ;
and to wliich, when the strongest expressions made
use of by the divine Psalmist are applied, they will
no longer appear hyperbolical ; especially if we bear
in mind, that these prophetic descriptions wait for
their full and final accomplishment at that day, when
the mystical " body of Christ," haying " filled up
" that which is behind of his afflictions*," shallajso,
amidst the, pangs and convulsions of departing, nature^
arise ' from the dead, and ascend into heaven ;
where all the members of that body, which have
been afflicted and have mourned with their Lord and
Master, shall be comforted and glorified together
with hinr}\
(¦ * Coloss. i. 24. < .. '
+ Neque praetermittendum illud Augustini passim; tunc Psal-
teios videri suavissimos, ac divinissima luce perfusos, cum in his
caput et membra, Christum et Ecclesiam, sive apertti propalatos,
siye latenter designates intelligimus— Quare iterum atque iterum

PREFACE. xiv
In some of the Psalms, David appears as one suf
fering for his sins. When man speaks of sin, he
speaks Of what is his own ; and, therefore, every
Psalm where sin is confessed to be the cause of
sorrow, belongs originally and properly to us, as.
fallen sons of Adam, like David and all other men.
This is the case of the fifty-first, and the rest of
those which are styled Penitential Psalms, and have
always been used in the church as such. Some
times, indeed, it happens, that we meet with heavy
complaints of the number and burden of sins, in
Psalms from which passages are quoted in the New
Testament as uttered by our Redeemer, and in which
there seems to be no change of person, from begin
ning to end. We are assured, for instance, by the
apostle, Heb. x. 5. that the sixth, seventh, and eighth
verses of the fortieth Psalm, " Sacrifice and offering
" thou didst not desire," &c. are spoken by Messiah
coming to abolish the legal sacrifices, by the oblation
of himself once for all. The same person, to ap-
erigamus animos; atque ubi Davidem atque Solomonem; ubi
Davidis hostes, Saiilem, Achitophelem, alios ; ubi bella et pacem
captivitatcm, libertatem, ac caetera ejusmodi audimus ; turn
animo infigamus Christum, et Ecclesiam laboribus periculisque
fcxercitam, atque inter adversa et prospera peregrinai^tem ; turn
sanctorum pcrsecutores, non modo visibilcs, sed etiam invisibiles
ilias atque aereas potestates, pugnasque in hue vita, perpetes, ac
secuturam postt-a pacem sempiternam. Bossuet. Dissertat. in
Psalm, ad tin.

xlri PREFACE.
pearance, continues speaking, andj only three verses
after, complains in the following terms : " Innumera-
" ble evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities
" have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to
" look up ; they are more than the hairs of my head,
" therefore my heart faileth me." So again, there are
no less than five quotations from different parts ofthe
sixty-ninth Psalm, all concurring to inform us that
Christ is the speaker through that whole Psalm. Yet
the fifth verse of it runs thus : " O God, thou knowest
" my foolishness, and my oipk guiltiness is not hid
" from thee." The solution of this difficulty given, and
continually insisted on, in the writings of the Fathers,
is this; that Christ, in the day of his passion, standing
charged with the sin and guilt of his people, speaks
of such their sin and guilt as if they were his own,
appropriating to himself those debts for which, in
the capacity of a surety, he had made himself re
sponsible. The lamb which, under the law, was
offered for sin, took the name ewk, " guilt," because
the guilt contracted by the offerer was transferred to
that innocent creature, and typically expiated by its
blood*. Was not this exactly the case, in truth and
reality, with the Lamb of God? " He did no sin,
" neither was guile found in his mouth ; but he bare
" our sins in his own body on the treef . He was made
" sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made
* See Leviti v. 6. \ 1 Pet. ii. 22.

PREFACE. xlvii
" the righteousness of God in him*." Christ and
the church compose one mystical person, of which
he is the head, and the church the body ; and as the
body speaks by the head, and the head for the body,
he speaks of her sin, and she of his righteousness ;
which consideration is at the same time a key to any
claims of righteousness made in the Psalms by her,
and to any confession of sin made by him. This
seems to be a satisfactory account of the matter.
Such, at least, appears to have been the idea gene
rally adopted and received, in the first ages of the
Christian church; a circumstance which, it is pre
sumed, will be deemed a sufficient apology for the
author, if, in the explication of such passages, he
hath ventured to proceed accordingly. Nay, and
even in reciting the Penitential Psalms, when the un
happy sufferer is ready to sink down under that
weight of woe which sin hath laid upon him, if he
will extend his thoughts, as he is sometimes directed
to do, to that holy and most innocent person, who
felt and sorrowed so much for us all, he will thereby
furnish himself with the best argument for patience,
and an inexhaustible source of comfort. Nor can it,
indeed, well be imagined, that our blessed Lord, as a
member of the Jewish church, and an attendant on
the service of the synagogue, though conscious to
himself of no sin, did not frequently join with his
* 2 Cor. v. 21.

xlviii PREFACE.
" brethren according to the flesh," in the repeti
tion of the Penitential, as well as the other Psalms,
on the days of humiliation and expiation, when the
use of them might be prescribed. If, from his cir
cumcision to his crucifixion, "he bare our sins in
" his own body;" why should it be thought strange,
that he should confess them, on our behalf, with his
own mouth?
The offence taken at the supposed uncharitable
and vindictive spirit of the imprecations, which
occur in some of the Psalms, ceases immediately,
if we change the imperative for the future, and read,
not " let them be confounded," &c. but, " they
" shall be confounded," &c. of which the Hebrew-
is equally capable. Such passages will then have no
more difficulty in thein, than the other frequent pre
dictions of divine vengeance in the writings of the
prophets, or denunciations of it in the Gospels, in
tended to warn, to alarm, and to lead sinners to re
pentance, that they may fly from the wrath to come.
This is Dr. Hammond's observation ; who very pro
perly remarks, at the same time, that in many places
of this- sort, as particularly in Psalm cix. (and the
same may be said of Psal. lxix.) it is reasonable to
resolve, that Christ himself speaketh in the prophet ;
as being the person there principally concerned, and
the completion most signal in many circumstances
there mentioned ; the succession especially of Mat-

PREFACE. xii*
thias to the apostleship of Judas. It is true, that in
the citation made by St. Peter from Psal. cix. in
Acts, i. 20. as also in that made by St. Paul from Ps.
lxix. in Rom. xi. 9. the imperative form is preserved ;
" let his habitation be void," &c. " let their table
" be made a snare," &c. But it may be considered,
that the apostles generally cited from the Greek of
the LXX version; and took it as they found it,
making no alteration, When the passage, as it there
stood, was sufficient to prove the main point which it
was adduced to prove. If the imprecatory form be
still contended for, all that can be meant by it, whe
ther uttered; by the prophet, by Messiah, or by our
selves, must be a solemn ratification of the just
judgements .ofthe Almighty against his impenitent
enemies, like what we find ascribed to the blessed
spirits in heaven, when suth judgements were exe
cuted : Rev. xi. 17, 1&. xvi. .5, 6, 7- '¦ see Merrick's
Annotations on Ps. cix. and Witsii Miscellan. Sacr.
fib. i. cap. xviii. sect. 24. But, by, the future ren
dering the verbs, ever}*- possible objection is preclude
ed at once. This method has therefore been adopt
ed in the .ensuing Commentary.
Ofthe Psalms which relate to Israel, some are em
ployed in celebrating the mercies vouchsafed them,
from their, going forth, out of Egypt, to their complete
settlement in Canaan, .These were the constant
standing subjects of praise and thanksgiving in the
vol, 11. d

I PREFACE.
Israelitish church. But we are taught, by the writ
ers of the New Testament, to consider this part of
their history as one continued figure, or allegory.
We are told, that there is another spiritual Israel of
God ; other children of Abraham, and heirs of the
promise ; another circumcision ; another Egypt*
from the bondage of which they are redeemed ; an*.
other wilderness, through which they journey ; other
dangers and difficulties which there await them; other
bread from heaven for their support; and another
rock to supply them with living water ; other enemies
to overcome ; another land of Canaan, and another
Jerusalem, which they are to obtain, and to possess
for ever. In the same light are to be viewed the
various provocations and punishments, captivities
and restorations, of old Israel afterwards, concern*
ing which, it is likewise true, that they " happened
" unto them for ensamples," * types,, or figures,
"and were written for our admonition f." Care
has therefore been taken to open and apply, for that
salutary purpose, the Psalms which treat of the
above-mentioned particulars.
What is said in the. Psalms occasionally ofthe law
and it ceremonies, sacrifices, ablutions, and purifi
cations; of the tabernacle and temple, with the
services therein performed; and of the Aaronical
priesthood; all this Christians transfer to the new
* Gr. Tvmi. + lCor.x.U.

PREFACE. fl
law; to the oblation of Christ ; to justification by his
blood, and sanctification by his Spirit ; to the true
tabernacle, or temple not made with hands ; and to
what was therein done for the salvation of the world,
by Him who was, in one respect, a Sacrifice ; in an
other, a Temple; and in a third, an High' Priest for
ever, after the order of Melchisedek. That such was
the intention of these legal figures, is declared at
large in the' Epistle to the Hebrews : and they are
of great assistance to us now, in forming our ideas
of the realities to which they correspond. " Under
" the Jewish economy," says the excellent Mr.
Pascal, " truth appeared but in a figure ; in heaven
" it is open, and without a veil ; in the church mili-
" tant it is so veiled, as to be yet discerned by its
" correspondence to the figure. As the figure was
" first built upon the truth, so the truth is now di-
" stinguishable by the figure." The variety of strong
expressions used by David in the nineteenth and
the hundred and nineteenth Psalms, to extol the en
livening, saving, healing, comforting efficacy of a
law, which, in the letter of it, whether ceremonial or
moral, without pardon and grace, could minister no
thing but condemnation, do sufficiently prove, that
David understood the spirit of it, which was the
Gospel itself*. And if any, who recited those
* Haec inter, veri et spiritualcs Judasi, hoc est, ante Christum
Christi discipuli, altiora cogitabant, et rerum ccelestium Sacra-
d2

iii PREFACE.
Psalms, had not the same idea, it was ;po,t the fault
of the Law.or.qf the Psalms,, of Moses ,or of Dayid,;
or of him who inspired both,, but, it was their own;
as it is that of the Jews, ,at this hour, though. their.
prophecies have now beep fulfilled, and, their, types*
realized. " He that takes; Ifis, estimate ofthe Jewish
" religion from the grossness of the Jewish multi-
" tude,"as the last cited auther observes,,;" cannot;
" fail of making a very wrong judgemqnt.;: Itis to;
'. i , :: --:,-! n ' .¦,]/¦ d. • ; .
menta vengrati,nqvam Jerusalem, novum tempi um,. no vara arcain
intuebantur., Bossuet, Dissertat, in Psal. cap. i. Lex, juxta
Spiritum accepta, ipsum erat Evangelium,' sub veferibus liguris
dclitescehs, et cerimoniarum vclis obtcctum,'ab ipso quidem Mdse:
(imprimis in Deutoronbmie) aliquate'nus et pro tempornm ratione'
exp'licatum, - a f>rophetis vero succedentibus' (ut visum e|J Bivinas ¦
Sapientiae,),, dilucidius osten&um,- demum ,a Chrjsto et ajpostplis
plenissime et-lucc ipso sole clarion patefactum. Bulli Op^'ra^
per Grabe, p. 6l4. — If the Jews, as our Saviour tells them,
" thought they had eternal life in' their Scriptures," tliey m'tist
needs have understood them in a' spiritual' sense : and 'I know, not'
what other spiritual sense, that should lead them td> the expecta- I
tipn of eternal life, they could put on thei'r Scriptures, but that'
prqphetical or typical, sense, which respected the Messiah. Jesus -
expressly asserts, at the same time, that their " Scriptures , testi-
" fied of Him." How generally they did so, he explained at
large', in that 'remafka'bre conversation with two of his' disciples
after his resurrection ; when, " beginning at Moses, and all the
" prophets, he expounded unto them in. all the Scriptures, the,
" things concerning himself." Kurd's Introd. to the Study of
the Prophecies, Serm. ii.

PREFACE. liii
" be sought for in the sacred writings ofthe prophets,
" who have given us sufficient assurance, that they
" understood the law not according to the letter.
" Our religion, in like. manner, is true and divine in
" the Gospels, and in the preaching of the apostles ;
" but it appears utterly disfigured in those who maim
" or corrupt it."
Besides the figures supplied by' the history of
Israel, and by the law, there is another set of imager
often employed in the Psalms, to describe the- bless
ings of redemption. These are borrowed from the
natural world, the manner of its original production,
and the operations continually carried on in it. The
visible works of God are formed to lead us, under
the direction of his word, to a knowledge of those
which are invisible ; they give us ideas, by analogy,
of a new creation rising gradually, like the old one,
out of darkness and deformity, until at length it ar
rives at the perfection of glory and beauty ; so that
while we praise the Lord for all the wonders of his
power, wisdom, and love, displayed in a system
which is to wax old and perish, we may therein con
template, as in a glass, those new heavens, and that
new earth, of whose duration there shall be no end*.
* Read nature; nature is a friend to truth ;
Nature is Christian, preaches to mankind ;
And bids dead matter aid us in our creed.

lir PREFACE.
The sun, that fountain of life, and heart of the world,
that bright leader of the armies of heaven, enthroned
in glorious majesty ; the moon shining with a lustre
borrowed from his beams; the stars glittering by
night in the clear firmament ; the air giving breath
to all things that live and move ; the interchanges of
light and darkness ; the course of the year, and the
sweet vicissitudes of seasons ; the rain and the dew
descending from above, and the fruitfulness of the
earth caused by them ; the bow bent by the hands of
the Most High, which compasseth the heaven about
with a glorious circle ; the awful voice of thunder,
and the piercing power of lightning ; the instincts of
animals*, and the qualities of vegetables and mine-
* " I believe, a good natural philosopher might show, with
" great reason and probability, that there is scarce beast, bird,
" reptile, or insect, that does not, in each particular climate, in-
" struct and admonish mankind of some necessary truth for their
" happiness either in body or mind." Dr. Cheyne's Philoso
phical Conjectures on the Preference of Vegetable Food, p. 73,
That which a celebrated writer has observed concerning a poet,
may perhaps be equally applicable to a divine — " To him no-
" thing can be useless. Whatever is beautiful, and whatever is
" dreadful, should be familiar to his imagination : he should be
" conversant with all that is awfully vast, or elegantly little.
" The plants of the garden, the animals of the wood, the mine-
" rals of the earth, and meteors of the sky, should all concur to
"store his mind with inexhaustible variety; for every idea is
" useful for the enforcement or decoration of moral or religious
"> truth ; and he who knows most, will have most power of di-

PREFACE. Iv
rals ; the great and wide sea, with its unnumbered
inhabitants; all these are ready to instruct us in the
mysteries of faith, and the duties of morality : —
They speak their Maker as they can,
But want and ask the tongue of man. Parnell.
The advantages of Messiah's reign are represent
ed, in some ofthe Psalms, under images of this kind.
We behold a renovation of all things, and the world
as it were, new created, breaks forth into singing.
The earth is crowned with sudden verdure and fer
tility ; the field is joyful, and all that is in it ; the
trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord ; the floods
clap their hands in concert, and ocean fills up the
mighty chorus, to celebrate the advent ofthe Great
King- Similar to these, are the representations of spiri
tual mercies by temporal deliverances from sickness,
" versifying his scenes, and of gratifying his reader with remote
" allusions, and unexpected instruction. By him, therefore, no
" kind of knowledge should be overlooked. He should range
" mountains and deserts for images and resemblances, and pic-
" ture upon his mind every tree of the forest, and flower of the
" valley; the crags of the rock, and the mazes of the stream."
Rasselas, chap. x. The reader may see this exemplified in
some " Disquisitions on Select Subjects of Scripture," by my
worthy friend, the reverend Mr. Jones, whose labours make it
evident, that true philosophy will ever be the handmaid of true
divinity.

lvi PREFACE.
prison, danger of perishing in storms at sea, and from
the sundry kinds of calamity and death, to which the
body of man is subject ; as also by scenes of domes
tic felicity, and by the flourishing state of well-order
ed communities, especially that of Israel in Canaan,
which, while the benediction of Jehovah rested upon
it, was a picture of heaven itself. The foregoing and
every other species of the sacred imagery, if there
be any other not hitherto included, it hath been the
author's main endeavour to illustrate. And a view
of what is done in this way will, it is humbly hoped,
afford some reason to think, there may not be that
necessary connexion, which a late noble writer has
been pleased to suppose, between devotion and
DULNESS. The Psalms which remain are such as treat, in
plain terms, without figures or examples, of wisdom
and folly, righteousness and sin ; the happiness pro
duced by one, and the misery caused by the other ;
of particular virtues and vices ; of the vanity of hu
man life ; ofthe attributes of.God ; of that patience
with which the faithful should learn to bear the sight
of wickedness triumphant in this world, looking for
ward to the day of final retribution ; and subjects of
the like nature. As Psalms of this kind call for little
in the expository way, the general doctrines or pre
cepts implied in them, or suggested by them, are
drawn forth in short reflections, attempted after the

PREFACE. lvii
manner of those made by father Quesnel on each
verse of the New Testament. The opportunity of
doing this, where nothing else seemed to be required,
and indeed of doing, upon every occasion, what did
seem to be required in any way, was the reason for
throwing the work into its present form, rather than
that of a paraphrase, or any other. Some repeti
tions, in a performance of this sort, are unavoidable.
But a Commentary on the Book of Psalms is not to
be read all at once*; and it was thought better to
give the exposition of each Psalm complete in itself,
than to refer the reader elsewhere ; which, there
fore, is only done, when passages of a considerable
length occur in two Psalms, without any material
difference. Such is the method the author has taken, such the
authorities upon which he has proceeded, and such
the rules by which he has directed himself. If con
sistency and uniformity in the comment have been
the result, they will afford, it is hoped, no contemp
tible argument on its behalf; since it is' scarce possi-
* The most profitable way of reading it, perhaps, would be,
by small portions, often reviewing the text and the comment, and
comparing them carefully together; at times when the mind is
most free, vacant, and calm ; in the morning, more especially, to
prepare- and fortify it for the business of the day; and in the
evening, to recompose, and set it in order, for the approaching
season of rest,'

lviii PREFACE.
ble to expound uniformly, on an erroneous plan, so
great a variety of figurative language, as is to be
found in the book of Psalms*.
Let us stop for a moment, to contemplate the time
character of these sacred hymns.
Greatness confers no exemption from the cares
and sorrows of life. Its share of them frequently
bears a melancholy proportion to its exaltation.
This the Israelitish monarch experienced. He
sought in piety that peace which he could not find in
empire, and alleviated the disquietudes of state with
the exercises of devotion.
* The student in Theology, who is desirous of farther infor
mation upon a subject so curious, so entertaining, and so inter
esting, as that of the figurative language of Scripture, the princi
ples on which it is founded, and the best rules to be observed in
the sober and rational interpretation of it, may find satisfaction,
by consulting the following authors : —
Lowth's Preface to his Commentary on the Prophets.
Lowth, Prelect, de Sacr. Poes. Heb. Pralect. iv. — xii.
Pascfial's Thoughts, sect. x. — xiv.
Kurd's Introd. to the Study of the Prophecies. Serm. ii;
iii. iv.
Vitringa, Observat. Sacr. lib. vi. cap. xx. et lib. vii.
 , Prafat. ad Comment, in Jesaiam.
Glassii Philologia Sacra, lib. ii,
Witsii Miscellan. Sacra, torn. i. lib. iii. cap. iii. lib. ii. Dissert.
i. ii. (Econom. Feed. lib. iv. cap. vi. — x.
Waterland's General Preface to Scripture Vindicated. '

PREFACE. lix
His invaluable Psalms convey those comforts to
others, which they afforded to himself. Composed
upon particular occasions, yet designed for general
use ; delivered out as services for Israelites under
the law, yet no less adapted to the circumstances of
Christians under the Gospel; they present religion
to us in the most engaging dress ; communicating
truths which philosophy could never investigate, in
a style which poetry can never equal : while history
is made the vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends
all its charms to paint the glories of redemption.
Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform
the understanding, elevate the affections, and enter
tain the imagination. Indited, under the influence
of Him to whom all hearts are known, and all events
foreknown, they suit mankind in all situations, grate
ful as the manna which descended from above, and
conformed itself to every palate. The fairest pro
ductions of human wit, after a few perusals, like ga
thered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their
fragrancy ; but these unfading plants of paradise be
come, as we are accustomed to them, still more and
more beautiful; their bloom appears to be daily
heightened ; fresh odours are emitted, and new sweets
extracted from them. He who hath once tasted
their excellencies, will desire to taste them yet again :
and he who tastes them oftenest will relish them
best.

Ix PREFACE.
And now, could the author flatter himself, that
any one would take half the pleasure in reading the
following exposition, which he hath taken in writing
it, he would not fear the loss of his labour. The
employment detached him from the bustle and hurry
of life, the din of politics, and the noise of folly ;
vanity and vexation flew away for a season, care and
disquietude came not near his dwelling. He arose,
fresh as the morning to his task ; the silence of the
night invited him to pursue it ; and he can truly say,
that food and rest were not preferred before it
Every Psalm improved infinitely upon his acquaint
ance with it, and no one gave him uneasiness but
the last ; for then he grieved that his work was done.
Happier hours than those which have been spent on
these meditations on the Songs of Sion, he never ex
pects to see in this world. Very pleasantly did they
pass, and moved smoothly and swiftly along; for
when thus engaged, he counted no time. They are
gone, but have left a relish and a fragrance upon'
the mind, and the remembrance of them is sweet.
— But, alas ! these are the fond effusions of parental
tenderness. Others will view the production with
very different eyes; and the harsh voice of inexorable
criticism will too soon awaken him from his pleasing
dream. He is not insensible, that many learned and
good men, whom he does not therefore value and
respect the less, have conceived strong prejudices

PREFACE. Ki
agffinst the scheme of interpretation here pursued;
and. he knows how little the generality of modern
Christians have been accustomed to speculations of
this kind ; which, it may likewise, perhaps, be said,
will give occasion to the scoffs of our adversaries,
the Jews and the deists. Yet, if in the preceding
pages it hath been made to appear, that the applica
tion of the Psalms to evangelical subjects, times, and
circumstances, stands upon firm ground ; that it may
be prdsecuted upon a regular and consistent plan ; ;
and that it is npt only expedient, but even necessary, i
to render the .use of them, in our devotions rational
and profitable; will it be presumption in him to hope-
that, upon a calm and dispassionate review of thei
matter, prejudices may subside, and be done away ? ,
If men, in these days, have not been accustomed to
snch contemplations, is it not high time they should
become so ? Can they begin too soon to study, and
make themselves masters of a science which pro-
mises to its votaries so much entertainment, as well.,
as improvement; which recommends the Scriptures.
to persons of true taste and genius, as books intend
ed equally for our delight 'and 'instruction; which '
demonstrates the ways of celestial wisdom to be
ways of pleasantness, and all her paths to be peace
indeed? From the most sober, (deliberato, and at
tentive survey of the sentiments which prevailed upon
this point, in the first ages of the church, when the

lxii PREFACE.
apostolical method of citing and expounding the
Psalms was fresh upon the minds of their followers,
the author cannot but be confident, that his Com
mentary, if it had then made its appearance, would
have been universally received and approved, as to
the general design of it, by the whole Christian world.
And, however the Jews, in their present state of
alienation and unbelief, may reject and set at nought
such applications of their Scriptures to our Messiah
and his chosen people, as they certainly will do ; he
is not less confident, that, whenever the happy and
glorious day of their conversion shall come, and the
veil shall be taken from their hearts, they will be
hold the Psalter in that light in which he has en
deavoured to place it*. As to the deists, they,
* " If this appears to be the case in so many of the Psalms
" (namely, that they are predictive of Messiah), how strongly.
" does it justify our Lord's appeal to them as treating of Him !
".And what a noble argument may hence arise, for the convic-
" tion and conversion of that extraordinary people, to whom they
" were originally communicated, when once the veil that is on
" their hearts, shall be taken away, as by the same Spirit of pro-
" phecy we are assured it shall !" The bishop of Carlisle's
Theory of Religion, p. V/6. 6th edit. With what transports of
zeal and devotion, of faith and love, will they recite these holy
hymns, in the day when the whole body of the Jews, returning
to the Lord their God, shall acknowledge their unparalleled
crime in the murder of their King, and their penitential sorrow
for the same, perhaps, as his- Lordship intimates, in the word* of

PREFACE. lxiii
while they continue such, can have neither lot nor
part in this matter ; for giving no credit to the Scrip
ture account of things, either in the Old Testament
or the New, to discourse with them concerning a;
connexion and analogy subsisting between the one
and the other, is to reason about a fifth sense with
a man who has only four. For the conviction both
of the Jews and deists, other arguments are to be
urged; arguments from undeniable miracles openly
wrought, and plain prophecies literally fulfilled.
Such proofs are " for them that believe not." And
such have been repeatedly urged, in their full force,
by the many able champions, who have stood forth
(success evermore attend their labours !) in defence
ef the evidences of Christianity. Expositions and
meditations, like those in the subsequent pages, serve
not, nor are intended to serve, " for them who be-
" lieve not, but for them who believe*;" who will
the fifty-first Psalm: " Deliver me from blood guiltiness,
" O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing
" aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips, and.
" my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou desirest not,
"sacrifice, else would I give it; thou delightest not in
" burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God arc a broken spirit ;'
" a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
" O do good in thy good pleasure to Zion; build thou the walls
" of Jerusalem !"
* 1 Cor. xiv. 23.

lxiv PREFACE.
exercise their faculties in. discerning and contem
plating the mysteries of the kingdom of heavCn, and
who are going on unto perfection ; tor increase their
faith, and inflame their charity: to delightthem in pro
sperity, to comfort them in adversity, to edifythem at
all times. Such effects, .the author doubts not, will be
experienced by believers, who will re^d his-, book with
an honest and good heart, with seriousness and atten
tion ; for though he humbly trusts it will not he deemed
altogether unworthy a place in the libraries' of the
learned, he builds chiefly on that approbation which
he is solicitous it should receive in the closets of the
devout; as considering, that it is love, heavenly love,
which " never faileth ; but whether there be prophe-
" cies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues,- they
" shall cease ; whether there be knowledge, it shall
" vanish away. For we know in part, and we pro-
" phesy , hi part : but when that winch is perfect is
" come, then that which is in part shall be done
" away *." They who find not the wi'shed-for satis
faction in one portion, will find it in another; they
who disapprove of an interpretation at the first read
ing, may, perhaps, approve of it at the. second; and
they who still continue to disapprove of -some parti
culars, will not therefore disdain to accept the bene
fit of the rest. He has written to gratify ho sect or
* 1 Cor. xiii. 8.

PREFACE. lxv
party, but for the common service of all who call on
the name of Jesus, wheresoever dispersed, and how
soever distressed, upon the earth. When he views
the innumerable unhappy differences among Chris
tians, all of whom are equally oppressed with the
cares and calamities of life, he often calls to mind
those beautiful and affecting words which Milton
represents Adam as addressing to Eve, after they
had wearied themselves with mutual complaints and
accusations of each other : —
But rise, let us no more contend, nor blame
Each other, blam'd enough elsewhere ; but strive
In offices of love, how we may lighten.
Each other's burden in our share of woe. B. x. V. 955.
Enough has been given to the arts of controversy.
Let something be given to the studies of piety and a
holy life. If we can once unite in these, our tem
pers may be better disposed to unite in doctrine.
When we shall be duly prepared to receive it, " God
" may reveal even this unto us." To increase the
number of disputes among us, is, therefore, by no
means the intent of this publication. The author
having, for many years, accustomed himself to con
sider and apply the Psalms, while he recited them,
according to the method now laid down, has never
failed to experience the unspeakable benefit of it,
vol. ii. e

lxvi PREFACE.
both in public and in private ; and would wish, if it
so pleased God, that death might find him employ
ed in meditations of this kind*. He has likewise
frequently taken occasion, in the course of his mini
stry, to explain a Psalm, upon the same plan, from
the pulpit; and whenever he has done^so, whether
the audience were learned or unlearned, polite or
rustic, he has generally had the happiness to find
the discourse, in an especial manner, noticed and
remembered. But still many may be of a different
opinion, who may conscientiously believe the doc
trines, and practise the dudes of the Gospel, whether
they see them shadowed out in the Psalms or not.
Such will enjoy their ' own liberty, and permit their
brethren to do the same. Or, if they shall 'think it
necessary to take up the polemical pen, he desires
only to receive that treatment, which he has himself
shown to every writer, cited or referred to by himf.
* " I have lost a world of time," said the learned Salma-
sius, on his death-bed ; " if I had one year more, I would spend
'.' it in reading David's Psalms, and Paul's Epistles."
t Detur igitur erratis meis venia ; ipse demum exemplo meo
mihi prosim, qui ncminem eorum, a quibus dissenserim, contu-
meliis affeci ; qui non, vitio criticorum, in diversae sententise pro-
pugnatorcs acriter invectus sum ; qui denique earn veniam an-
tecessoribus meis libens tribui, quam ab iis, qui haec in manus
sumturi sint, velim impetrare. Pearce in Prasfat. ad edit.
Cic, de Oratore,

PREFACE. Ixvii
Instead of engaging in a tedious, and, perhaps, un
profitable altercation upon the subject, he feels him
self at present much rather inclined, in such a case,
to follow, at his proper distance, • the amiable ex
ample of his greatly respected Diocesan, who re
printed in England the objections made by a foreign
professor, "to some parts of his Lectures on the He
brew Poetry, and left the public to form its own
judgement between them*. From that Public, the
author of the following work is now to expect the
determination of his fate. Should its sentence be in
his disfavour, nothing further remains to be said,
than that he has honestly and faithfully endeavoured
to serve it, to the utmost of his power, in the way,
in which he thought himself best able ; and to o-ive
the world some account of that time, and those op-
* " In his quas sunt, quae mihi minus persuasit Vir Clarissi-
" mus, ea malui hoc modo libero lectorum nostrorum judiciu
l< permittere, quam in disceptationem et controversiam injucun-
" dam, et fortasse infructuosam, vocare." Lowth, in Praf. ad
edit. 2dam Praelect. de Sacra Poesi Hebraeorum. " Authors
" should avoid, as much as they can," says another very learned
critic, " replies and rejoinders, the usual consequences of which
" are, loss of time, and loss of temper, Happy is he who is en-
" gaged in controversy with his own passions, and comes offsu-
" perior; who makes it his endeavour, that his follies and weak-
" nesses may die before him, and who daily meditates on morta-
<' lity and immortality." Jortin's Preface to his Remarks on
Ecclesiastical History, p. xxxiv.
eg

xviii PREFACE.

portunities, which, by the providence of a gracious
God, and the munificence of a pious Founder, he
has long- enjoyed in the happy retirement of a col
lege.

THAT the reader may the more easily turn to such Psalms
as will best suit the present state of his mind, according
to the different circumstances, whether external or inter
nal, into which, by the changes and chances of life, or
the variations of temper and disposition, he may, at any
time, be thrown, the common Table of Psalms, classed
under their several subjects, is here subjoined.
Prayers.
I. Prayers for pardon of sin. Psalm 6, 25, 38, Si, 130.
Psalms styled Penitential, 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143.
II. Prayers composed when the Psalmist was deprived
of an opportunity of the public exercise of religion.
Psalm 42, 43, 63, 84.
III. Prayers wherein the Psalmist seems extremely de
jected,, though not totally deprived of consolation, un
der his afflictions. Psalm 13, 22, 69, 77, 88, 143.
IV. Prayers wherein the Psalmist asketh help of God,
in consideration of his own integrity, and the upright
ness of his cause. Psalm 7, 17, 26, 35.
V. Prayers expressing the firmest trust and confidence
in God under afflictions. Psalm 3, 16, 27, 31, 54, 56,
57, 61, 6.2,71, 86.
VI. Prayers composed when the people of God were
under affliction or persecution. Psalm 44, 60, 74, 79,
80, 83, 89,94, 102, 123., 137.

VII. The following are likewise Prayers in time of trou
ble and affliction. Psalm 4, 5, 11, 28, 41, 55, 59, 64,
70, 109, 120, 140, 141, 142.
VIII. Prayers of Intercession. Psalm 20, 67, 122,
132, 144. Psalms of Thanksgiving.
I. Thanksgiving^ for mercies vouchsafed to particular
persons. Psalm 9, 13, 22, 30, 34, 40, 75, 103, 108,'
116, 118, 138, 144.
II. Thanksgivings for mercies vouchsafed to the Israel
ites in general. Psalm 46, 48, 65, 66, 68, 76, 81, 85,
98, 105, 124, 126, 129, 13.5, 136, 149.
Psalms of Prai-se and, Adoration, displaying the
Attributes of God.
I. General acknowledgements of God's Goodness and
Mercy, and particularly his care and protection of
good men. Psalm 23, 34, 36, 91, 100, 103, 107, 117,
121, 145, 146.
II. Psalms displaying the Power, Majesty, Glory, and
other attributes of th^ Divine Being. Psalm 8, 19,
24, 29, 33, 47, 50, 65, 66, 76, 77, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99r
104, 111, 113, 114, 115, 134, 139, 147, 148, 150.
Instructive Psalms.
I. The different characters of good and bad men: The
happiness of the one, and tbe miseries of the other, are
represented in the following Psalms, l, 5, 7, 9, 10,

11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 32, 34, 36, 37, 50, 52, 53,
58, 73; 75, 84, 91, 92, 94, 112, 119, 121, 125, 127,
128, 133.
II. The Excellence of God's Law. Psalm 19, 119.
III. The Vanity of human Life. Psalm 39, 43, 90.
IV. Advice to Magistrates. Psalm 82, 101.
V. The Virtue of Humility. Psalm 131.
Psalms more eminently and directly prophetical.
Psalm 2, 16, 22, 40, 45, 68, 72, 87, 110, 118.
FIistorical Psalms.
Plalm 78, 105, 106.

A COMMENTARY ON THE
BOOK OF PSALMS.

FIRST DAY.— MORNING PRAYER;
PSALM I.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm, which is generally looked upon by ex
positors as a preface or introduction to the rest;
describes the blessedness of the righteous, consist
ing, ver. 1 . negatively in their abstaining from sin ;
2. positively, in holy meditation on the Scriptures;
productive of continual growth in grace, which, 3.
is beautifully represented under an image bor
rowed from vegetation ; as, 4. is the opposite state
of the unbelieving and ungodly, by a comparison
taken from the threshing floor. The last two
verses foretel the final issue of things^ with re*
spect to both good and bad men, at the great day.
VER. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the Ungodly, nor standeth in the way of
sinners, not sitteth in the seat ofthe scornful.
The Psalter, like the Sermon on the mount, open
eth with a " beatitude," for our comfort and encou->
VOL. II. B

2 A COMMENTARY Psal. 1.
ragement, directing us immediately to that happiness
which all mankind, in different ways, are seeking
and inquiring after. All would secure themselves
from the incursions of misery ; but all do not con
sider that misery is the offspring of sin, from which
it is therefore necessary to be delivered and preserved,
in order to become happy, or " blessed." The va
riety of expressions, here used by David, intimateth
to us, that there is a gradation in wickedness ; and
that he who would not persist in evil courses, or
commence a scoffer at the mystery of godliness, must
have no fellowship with bad men ; since it is impos
sible for any one, who forsakes the right path, to say,
whither he shall wander ; and few, when they begin
to " walk in the counsel of the ungodly," propose
finally to sit down in the " seat of the scornful." O
thou second Adam, who alone, since the transgression
of the first, has attained a sinless perfection, make
thy servants " blessed," by making them " righteous,"
through thy merits and grace !
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and
in his law doth he meditate day and night.
He who hath once brought himself to " delight "
in the Scriptures, will find no temptation to exchange
that pleasure for any which the world or the flesh can
offer him, Such an one will make the lively oracles
of God his companions by day and by night. He
will have recourse to them for direction, in the bright
and cheerful hours of prosperity; to them he will
apply for comfort, in the dark and dreary seasons of
adversity. The enemy, when advancing to the as
sault, will always find him well employed, and will

Day 1. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 3
be received with — " Get thee behind me, Satan !"
When the law of God is the object of our studies and
meditations, we are conformed to the example of our
Redeemer himself, who, as a man, while he " in-
" creased in stature," increased likewise, " in wisdom,"
and grew powerful in the knowledge of the law which
he was, to fulfil, and of those prophecies which he
was to accomplish; so that, at twelve years of age,
he appeared to " have more understanding than all
" his teachers; for the divine testimonies had been
" his meditation." Ps. cxix. 99.
3. And ke shall be like a tree planted by the rivers
qf water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.
By continual meditation in the sacred writings, a
man as naturally improves and advances m holiness,
as a " tree " thrives and flourishes in a kindly and
well-watered soil. All the " fruits " of righteousness
show themselves at their proper " season," as oppor
tunity calls for them; and his words, which are to
his actions what the " leaves " are to the fruit, fall
not to the ground, but are profitable, as well as or
namental. Every thing in him and about him serves
the purpose for which it was intended ; his brethren
are benefited by him, and his Maker is glorified.
How eminently is this the case with that tree of
life, which Jehovah planted in the midst of his new
paradise, by the waters of comfort; a tree which
sprung out of the earth, but its height reached to
heaven, and its breadth to the ends of the world;
its shadow is for the protection, its fruit for the sup-
b 2

4 A COMMENTARY Psal. l.
port, and its leaves for the healing of the nations.
It flourishes in immortal youth, and blooms for ever
in unfading beauty. See Rev. xxii. 2.
4. The ungodly are not, so but are like the chaff;
which the wind driveth away.
In the foregoing description of the righteous, all
appeared verdant and fruitful, lovely and enduring;
but here, by way of contrast, we are presented with
nothing but what is withered and worthless, without
form or stability, blown about by every wind, and
at length finally dispersed from the face of the earth,
by the breath of God's displeasure, and driven into
the fire prepared for it. Such is the state, such the
lot of the " ungodly;" and so justly are they com
pared to " chaff."
5. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the
judgement, nor sinners in the congregation qf the
righteous. A day is coming, when the divine Husbandman
shall appear with his " fan in his hand," and shall
" thoroughly purge his floor." The wheat, which
shall stand the winnowing of that day, will be ga
thered into the celestial granary ; while the chaff, for
ever separated from it, shall be hurried out of the
floor, and carried, by a mighty whirlwind, to its
own place. Then shall there be a " congregation of
" the righteous," in which " sinners shall not stand."
At present wheat and chaff lie in one floor ; wheat
and tares grown in one field; good and bad fishes are
comprehended in one net; good and bad men are
contained in the visible church. Let us wait with
patience God's time of separation.

Day 1. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 5
6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righ
teous: but the xeay of the ungodly shall perish.
In the present scene of confusion, we may be, and
often are, deceived in the judgement we form of men.
But it cannot be so with the Omniscient. " The
" foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
" The Lord knoweth them that are his :" 2 Tim. ii. '
19- Their good deeds are not unobserved, nor will
they be forgotten by him. His eye seeth them in se
cret, and his hand will reward them openly, in the
day of final retribution ; when crowns of glory shall
sparkle on the heads of the righteous, but shame and
torment shall be the portion of the wicked; " the
" way of the ungodly shall perish."
PSALM II.
argument.
David, seated upon the throne of Israel, notwith
standing the opposition made against him, and
now about to carry his victorious arms amongst the
neighbouring heathen nations, may be supposed
to have penned this, as a kind of inauguration
psalm. But that a " greater than David is here,"
appears not only from the strength of the expres
sions, which are more properly applicable to Mes
siah, than to David himself; but also from the ci
tations made in the New Testament ; .the appoint
ment of the Psalm by the church to be read on
Easter day; and the confessions of the Jewish

6 A COMMENTARY Psal. 2.
rabbies. It treats therefore, 1 — 3. of the op
position raised, both by Jew and Gentile, against
the kingdom of Jesus Christ; 4 — 6. of his victory,
and the confusion of his enemies ; 7 — 9- after his
resurrection, he preaches theGospe"!, and, 10 — 12.
calls the kings of the earth to accept it; denouncing
vengeance against those who shall not do so, and
pronouncing a blessing on those who shall.
1 . Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine
a vain thing? 2. The kings of the earth set them
selves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying,
The true David is introduced, like his ancestor of
old, expostulating with the nations, for their vain,
attempts to frustrate the divine decree in his favour.
These two verses are cited, Acts, iv. 27- and thus ex
pounded — " Lord — of a truth against thy holy child
" Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and
" Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people
" of Israel, were gathered together, for to do what-
" soever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
" to be done." Persecution may be carried on by
the people, but it is raised and fomented by kings
and rulers. After the ascension of Christ, and the
effusion of the Spirit, the whole power of the Roman
empire was employed in the same cause, by those who,
from time to time, swayed the sceptre of the world.
But still, they who intended to extirpate the faith,
and destroy the church, how many and how mighty
soever they might be, were found only to " imagine

Day 1. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 7
" a vain thing." And equally vain will every ima
gination be, that exalteth itself against the counsels
of God for the salvation of his people.
3. let us break their bands asunder, and cast away
their cords from us.
These words, supposed to be spoken by the powers
in arms against Messiah, discover to us the true
ground of opposition, namely, the unwillingness of
rebellious nature to submit to the obligations of di
vine laws, which cross the interests, and lay a restraint
upon the desires of men. Corrupt affections are the
most inveterate enemies of Christ ; and their language
is, " We will not have this man to reign over us."
Doctrines would be readily believed, if they involved
in them no precepts ; and the church may be
tolerated by the world, if she will only give up her
discipline. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the
Lord shall have them in derision.
By these and such like expressions, which frequently
occur in the Scripture, we are taught, in a language
which we understand, because borrowed from our
selves, and our manner of showing contempt, how
the schemes of worldly politicians appear to him,
who, sitting upon his heavenly throne, surveys at a
glance whatever men are doing, or contriving to do,
upon the earth. This is the idea intended to be con
veyed ; and from it we are to separate all notions of
levity, or whatever else may offend when applied to
the Godhead, though adhering to the phrases as in
use among the sons of Adam. The same is to be said
with regard to words which seem to attribute many

8 A COMMENTARY Psal. 2.
other human passions and affections to the Deity: as,
for instance, these which follow : —
5. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
and vex than in his sore displeasure. 6. Yet have I
set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.
The meaning is, that by pouring out his indigna
tion upon the adversaries of Messiah, as formerly
upon those of David, God would no less evidently
convict and reprove their folly and impiety, than if
he had actually thus spoken to them from his eternal
throne above: " Yet, notwithstanding all your rage
" against him, have I raised from the dead, and ex-
" alted as the Head of the church, my appointed
" King Messiah; in like manner as I once set his
" victorious representative David upon my holy hill
" of Sion, in the earthly Jerusalem, out of the reach
" of his numerous and implacable enemies." Let us
reflect, for our comfort, that He who raised up his
Son Jesus, has promised to raise up us also who be
lieve in him; and that the world can no more prevent
the exaltation of the members, than it could prevent
that of the Head.
7- 1 will declare the decree: the Lord hath said
unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten
thee. Jesus, for the suffering of death, crowned with
honour and immortality, upon the holy hill of Zion,
jn the new Jerusalern, now " declares the decree," or
preaches the Gospel of the everlasting covenant. His
part in the covenant was performed by keeping the
law, and dying for the sins of men. Nothing there-
fore remained, but the accomplishment of the pro,r

Day 1. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 9
mise made to him by the Father, upon those condi
tions. One part of this promise was fulfilled, saith St.
Paul, " in that he had raised up Jesus again; as it is
" written in tlie second psalm, Thou art my Son, this
" day have I begotten thee:" Acts, xiii. 33. Another
part was fulfilled at the ascension of Christ, and his-
inauguration to an eternal kingdom, and an un
changeable priesthood, as the true Melchizedek, King
of righteousness, King of peace, and Priest of the
most high God. The next article in the covenant,
on the Father's side, was the enlargement of Messiah's
spiritual kingdom, by the accession of the nations to
the church. , And accordingly, this was the next
thing which " Jehovah said unto him," after having
proclaimed his Sonship and pre-eminence; as we find
by the following verse :
8. Ask qf me, and I shall give thee the heathen for
thine inheritance, and the uttermost paints qf the earth
for thy possession.
Christ was to enter upon the exercise of the inter-
cessorial branch of his priestly office with a request
of the Father, that the " heathen world might be
" given for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts
" of the earth for his possession," in return for the
labours he had undergone, and the pains he had en
dured ; as also to supply the place of the Jews, who
were his original " inheritance and possession,1' but
were cast off, because of unbelief. That such re
quest was made by Christ, and granted by the Father,
the person who writes this, and he who reads it, in
a once Pagan, but now Christian island, are both
witnesses.

10 A COMMENTARY Psal. 2.
9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou
shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel.
The irresistible power and inflexible justice of
Christ's kingdom are signified by his " ruling with a
" rod of iron:" the impotence of those who presume
to oppose him, is compared to that of "a potter's
" vessel," which must fly in pieces at the first stroke
of the iron rod. The power of Christ will be mani
fested in all, by the destruction either of sin, or the
sinner. The hearts which now yield to the impres
sions of his Spirit, are broken only in order to be
formed anew, and to become vessels pf honour, fitted
for the Master's use. Those which continue stubborn
and hardened, must "he dashed in pieces by the stroke
of eternal vengeance.
10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be in
structed, ye judges of the earth. 1 1. Serve the Lord
with fear, and rejoice zvith trembling.
The decree of the Father, concerning the kingdom
of the Son, being thus promulgated by the latter, an
exhortation is made to the kings of the earth, that
they would learn true wisdom, and suffer themselves
to be instructed unto salvation ; that they would bow
their sceptres to the cross of Jesus, and cast their
crowns before his throne ; esteeming it a far greater
honour, as well as a more exalted pleasure, to serve
Him, than to find themselves at the head of victorious
armies, surrounded by applauding nations.
12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye pe
rish from thezvay; when his wrath is kindled but
a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in
him.

DayI. m.p, ON THE PSALMS. 11
-Christ beseeches kings, no less than their subjects,
to be reconciled to him, and by him to the Father :
since a day is at hand, when mighty men shall have
no distinction, but that of being mightily tormented.
And then will be seen the " blessedness " of those who
" put their trust in " the Lord Jesus. For when
the glory of man shall fade away as the short-lived
flower of the field, and when all, that is called great
and honourable in princes, shall be laid low in the
dust, he shall give unto his faithful servants a crown
without cares, and a kingdom which cannot be
moved.

PSALM III.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm is said to have been composed by Da
vid, when he fled from his son Absalom. Thus
circumstanced, he expresses himself in terms well
adapted to the parallel case of the Son of David,
persecuted by rebellious Israel ; as also to that
of his church, suffering tribulation in the world.
1, 2. He complains, in much anguish, ofthe mul
titude of his enemies, and of the reproaches cast
upon him, as one forsaken by God ; but, 3. de
clares, notwithstanding, his sure trust in the di
vine promises ; 4, 5. he relates the success of
his prayers, 6—8. derides the impotent malice of
his enemies, and ascribes salvation to Jehovah.

12 A COMMENTARY Psal. 3.
1. Lord, how are they increased that trouble tne!
Many are they that rise up against me.
David is astonished to find, that " the hearts of
" the men of Israel are after Absalom," 2 Sam. xv.
1 3. that his counsellors are revolted, and his friends
falling off continually ; and that the king of Israel is
forced to leave his capital mourning and weeping.
Thus, led forth out of Jerusalem by his own children
in arms against him, the holy Jesus went, forsaken
and sorrowing, to the cross, in the day of trouble.
Thus is the church oftentimes opposed and betrayed
by her sons, and the Christian by his passions and
affections. So true it is, that " a man's foes are
" they of his own household." But he who by
prayer engages the assistance of Jehovah,, will rise
superior to them all.
2. Many there be which say of my soul, there is no
help for him in God.
Affliction and desertion are two very different
things, but often confounded by the world. Shimei
reviled David, as reprobated by heaven; and the
language of the Shimeis afterward, concerning the
Son of David, was, " He trusted in God; let him
" deliver him now, if he will have him." See 2 Sam.
xvi. 8. Matt, xxvii. 43. The fearful imaginations
of our own desponding hearts, and the suggestions
of our crafty adversary, frequently join to help for
ward this most dangerous temptation, in the hour of
sorrow. What therefore hath faith to offer? We
shall hear —
3. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my
glory, and the If ter up of my head.

DayI. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 13
Such is the answer of David, and of all the saints,
but above all, of tlie King of saints, to the tempta
tion before mentioned. Jehovah is a " shield " against
this, and all other fiery darts, shot by Satan and his
associates : he is the " glory" of Christ and the
church, with which they will one day be seen in
vested, though for a season it appear not to the
world, any more than did the royalty of David, when,
weeping and barefoot, he went up mount Olivet : 2
Sam. xv. 30. The same Jehovah is " the lifter up
' of our heads," by the gift of holy confidence, and
the hope of a resurrection, through that of Jesus
Christ, prefigured by the triumphant and happy re
turn of David to Jerusalem.
4. / cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he
heard me out of his holy hill.
David, driven from Jerusalem, still looked and
prayed towards the " holy hill " of Sion. Christ,
when a stranger on the earth, " made supplication,
" with strong crying," to his Father in heaven. Christ
was heard for his own sake; David was heard, and
we shall be heard, through him.
5. I laid me down and slept; I azvaked, for the
Lord sustained me.
Behold David, in the midst of danger, sleeping
without fear ; secure, through the divine protection, ''
of awaking to engage and vanquish his enemies. Be
hold the Son of David composing himself to his rest
upon the cross, that bed of sorrows ; and commend
ing his spirit into the Father's hands, in full confi
dence of a joyful resurrection, according to the pro
mise, at the time appointed. Behold this, O Chris-

14 A COMMENTARY Psal. 3.
tian, and let faith teach thee how to sleep, and how
to die ; while it assures thee, that as sleep is a short
death, so death is only a longer sleep ; and that the
same God watches over thee, in thy bed and in thy
grave. 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
that have set themselves against me round about.
Faith, revived and invigorated by prayer, and fix
ed on God alone, is a stranger to fear, in the worst
of times. The innumerable examples of saints res
cued from tribulation, and, above all, the resurrection
of the Son of God from the dead, render the believer
bold as a lion, although the name of his adversary
be " legion."
7 . Arise, O Lord ! save me, O my God \for thou
hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone;
thou hast broken the teeth ofthe ungodly.
The church, through Christ, prayeth in these words
of David, that Jehovah would arise, as of old time,
in the power of his might ; that he would finally break
the power of Satan and his adherents ; pluck the
spoil out of the jaws of those beasts of prey ; and
work that glorious deliverance for the members,
which is already wrought for the Head of the body
mystical. 8. Salvftion belongeth, or, be ascribed unto the
Lord ; thy blessing is, or, be upon thy people.
The Psalm ends with an acknowledgement, which
ought always to fill the heart, and, upon every proper
occasion, to flow from the mouth of a Christian;
namely, that " salvation " is not to be had from man,
from the kings of the earth, or the gods of the

DayI. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 15
heathen, from saints or angels, but from Jehovah
alone ; to whom alone, therefore, the glory shall be
ascribed. If He will save, none can destroy ; if He
will destroy, none can save. Let Balak, then, curse
Israel, or hire Balaam to curse them for him ; be but
" thy blessing," O Lord, upon thy people, and it
sufficeth.

PSALM IV.
ARGUMENT.
The person speaking in this Psalm, 1. prayeth to be
heard by God; 2. convinceth the world of sin;
3. declareth the righteous to be under the divine
protection ; 4, 5. prescribeth solitude and medita
tion, as the proper means to lead men to repent
ance and faith ; 6. showeth that in God alone
peace and comfort are to be found, and, 7- how
superior the joys of the spirit are to those of sense ;
8. reposeth himself, in full assurance of faith, on
the loving kindness of the Lord. . >
1. Hear me zvhen I call, O God of my righteous
ness ; thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress ;
have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
The church, like David, " calls " aloud, as one in
o-reat affliction, for God's assistance : she addresses
him as the "God of her righteousness," as the foun
tain of pardon and grace ; she reminds him of that
spiritual liberty, and " enlargement " from bondage,

16 A COMMENTARY Psal. 4.
which he had purchased for her, and oftentimes
wrought in her; and, conscious ofher demerits, makes
her prayer for " mercy."
2. O ye sons of men, hozv long will ye turn my
glory into shame ? How long will ye love vanity, and
seek after leasing, or falsehood?
If the Israelitish monarch conceived he had just
cause to expostulate with his enemies, for despising
tlie royal majesty with which Jehovah had invested
his Anointed ; of how much severer reproof shall
they be thought worthy, who blaspheme the essential
" glory" of King Messiah, which shines forth by his
Gospel in the church ? Thou, O Christ, art ever
lasting Truth ; all is " vanity and falsehood," tran
sient and fallacious, but the love of thee !
3. But knozo that the Lord hath set apart him
that is godly for himself; the Lord will hear zvhcn I
call upon him.
Be the opinions or the practices of men what they
will, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Is
David " set apart " for the kingdom of Israel ? Saul
shall not be able to detain, nor Absalom to wrest, it
from him. Is Messiah ordained to be King of the
Israel of God ? Death and hell shall not prevent it.
Are his disciples appointed to reign with him ? In
fallibly they shall. Our intercessor is already on
high ; and for* his sake, " the Lord will hear us when
" we call upon him." What, then, can be said for
us, if we neglect to call upon him ?
4. Stand in azoe, Heb. tremble, and sin not ; com
mune zvith your own heart upon your bed, and be
still.

ayI. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 17
The enemies of Christ, as well as those of David,
are here called to repentance, and the process of
conversion is described. The above mentioned con
sideration of the divine counsel, and the certainty of
its being carried into execution, by the salvation of
the righteous, and the confusion of their • enemies,
makes the wicked " tremble." " The fear of the
" Lord is the beginning of wisdom:" it arrests the
sinner in his course, and he " sins not;" he goes no
farther in the way of sin, but stops, and reflects upon
what he has been doing: he " communes with his
" own heart upon his bed, and is still;" his con
science suffers him not to rest in the night, but
takes the advantage of solitude and silence, to set
before him his transgressions, with all the terrors of
death and judgement ; stirring him up to confess the
former, and deprecate the latter, with unfeigned com
punction and sorrow of heart; to turn unto the
Lord, and do works meet for repentance ; to learn to
do good, as well as to cease from doing evil.
5. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your
trust in the Lord.
The Jews are no longer to offer the shadowy sa
crifices of their law, since He, who is the substance
of them all, is come into the world. The Gentiles
are no more to offer their idolatrous sacrifices, since
their idols have fallen before the cross. But return
ing sinners, whether Jews or Gentiles, are to offer
the same " sacrifices of" evangelical " righteous-
" ness;" not "putting their trust" in them, but
" in the Lord " Jesus, through whose Spirit they tre
enabled to offer, and through whose blood their offer-
VOL. ii. c

18 A COMMENTARY Psal. 4.
ings are acceptable unto God. Faith, hope, and
charity mutually strengthen each other, and compose
" a threefold cord," which is not easily broken.
6. There be many that say, Who will show us any
good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy counte
nance ripon us !
The two former verses were addressed to rebel
lious sinners, inviting them to repentance and refor
mation. This seems to relate to the righteous, who,
in times of calamity and persecution, like the friends
of distressed David, are tempted to despond, on see
ing no end of their troubles. The Psalmist there
fore prescribes prayer to all such, as an antidote
against the temptation ; he directs them, in the dark
est night, to look towards heaven, nor doubt the re
turn of day, when the rising sun shall diffuse light and
salvation, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away.
How many are continually asking the question in
this verse ! How few applying to Him, who alone
can give an answer of peace and comfort !
7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than
in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
No sooner is the prayer preferred, but the answer
is given ; and the devout soul declares herself to ex
perience a joy in the midst of tribulation, far superior
to the joy with which men rejoice in the time of har
vest, or that of vintage ; a joy, bright and pure, as
the regions from whence- it descends. Such is the
difference between the bread of earth, and that of
heaven ; between the juice of the grape, and the cup
of salvation. Teach us, O Lord, to discern this dif
ference, and to choose aright.

DayI. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 19
8. I zvill both lay me doxvn in peace, and sleep; for
thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
This conclusion affords ample matter for profitable
and delightful meditation, if it be considered, first, as
spoken by David, or any other believer, when lying
down to rest, full of the joys of a good conscience,
and faith unfeigned ; secondly, as pronounced by the
true David, when composing himself to his rest, in
certain hope of a resurrection. And happy the
Christian, who having nightly, with this verse, com
mitted himself to his bed, as to his grave, shall at last,
with the same words, resign himself tb his grave, as
to his bed, from which he expects in due time to
arise, and sing a morning hymn, with the children of
the resurrection.

PSALM V.
ARGUMENT.
The Psalmist, in affliction, 1—3. continues and re
solves to continue instant in prayer; 4 — 6. de
clares the irreconcileable hatred which God bears
to sin, and, 7 ¦ his own confidence of being accept
ed; 8. he petitions for grace to direct and pre
serve him in the way ; 9. sets forth the wickedness
ofhis enemies; 10. foretels their punishment, and,
11, 12. the salvation of the faithful.
1. Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my
¦meditation, or, my dove-like mournings.
c 2

20 A COMMENTARY Psal, 5:
Although nothing can really hinder or divert the
divine attention, yet God is represented as " not
" hearing," when either the person is unacceptable,
or the petition improper, or when he would thorough
ly prove the faith and patience of the petitioner.
Christ, the church, and the believing soul, are all in.
Scripture styled "doves," from their possessing the
amiable properties of that bird of meekness and in
nocence, purity and love. The "mournings" of
such are always heard and attended to in heaven.
2. Hearken unto the voice of cry, my King and my
God: for unto thee will I pray.
The voice of the suppliant's cry will be in propor
tion to the sense which he hath of his sin. Whom
should a subject solicit, but his King? to whom
should a sinner pray, but to his God? Let us often
think upon the strong cryings of him who suffered
for the sins of the world, and upon that intercession
by which the pardon of those sins was procured.
3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O
Lord ; in the morning will I direct my prayer, Heb.
dispose, or set myself in order, unto, or for thee, and
zvill look up.
He who is good in earnest, and hath his heart fully
bent upon the work of salvation, like other skilful and
diligent artificers, will be " early" in his application
to it ; he will get the start of the world, and take the
advantage of the " sweet hour of prime," to " dis-
" pose," and " set himself in order," for the day.
What is a slothful sinner to think of himself, when he
reads, concerning the holy Jesus, that " in the morn-
' ing, rising up a great while before day, he went

Day 1. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 21
" out and departed into a solitary place, and there
" prayed!" Marki. 35.
4. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in
zcickedness ; neither shall evil dwell zvith thee.
The Psalmist was encouraged to make his early
prayers to God in the day of trouble, upon this con
sideration, that his righteous cause must finally pro
sper, and the divine counsels be accomplished in his
exaltation, and the depression of -his enemies, who
were likewise the enemies of God. The same was
the case and the confidence of a suffering Messiah ;
and such is that of his church and people in the
world, where " wickedness " may prosper, and
" evil " not only live, but reign. Nevertheless, we
know that "God hath no pleasure" in them, nor
shall they " dwell with him," as we hope to do.
5. The foolish, Heb. mad, shall not stand in thy
sight ; for thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6.
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing, or false
hood ; the Lord doth abhor the blood-thirsty and de
ceitful man.
No objects of the senses can be so nauseous to
them, as the various kinds of sin are in the sight of
God. O could we but think, as he does, concern
ing these, we should rather choose " madness " than
transgression, and as soon fall in love with a plague-
sore, as a temptation. " Falsehood, blood-thirsti-
" ness, and deceitfulness," are marked out as cha-
racteristical of the enemies of David, of Christ, and
the church ; and history evinces them so to have
been. Let us never go within the infection of such
pestilential crimes.

22 A COMMENTARY Psal. 5.
7. Um* as/or mc, / will come into if % Ao««e in the
multitude of thy mercy : and in thy fear zvill Izvorship
towards thy holy temple.
Wisdom, righteousness, truth, mercy, and sincerity,
form a character the reverse of that drawn in the
preceding verses, and such an one as God will ac
cept, when appearing before him in his house, and
offering, with humility and reverence, the sacrifices
of the new law, as David did those of the old,
through faith in Him who alone filled up the charac
ter, and procured acceptance for believers, and their
oblations. 8. Lead me, O Lord, in thy inghteousness, because
qf mine enemies; make thy way straight before my
face. The child of God, admitted into his holy temple,
there prefers this petition, praying to be led by the
divine Spirit in a course of holy obedience, all im
pediments being removed out of the way, which
otherwise might obstruct the progress, or cause the
fall of one beginning to walk in the path of life : of
one who had many " enemies " ready to contrive,
to take advantage of, to rejoice and triumph in his
ruin. Thus a man's enemies, -while they oblige him
to pray more fervently, and to watch more narrow
ly over his conduct, oftentimes become his best
friends. 9- For there is no faithfulness in their mouth ; their
inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an
open sepulchre ; they fatter zvith their tongue.
A part of this verse is cited, Rom. iii. 13. together
with several other passages from the Psalms and Pro-

Day 1. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 23
phets, to evince the depravity of mankind, whether
Jews or Gentiles, till justified by faith, and renewed
by grace. It is plain, therefore, that the description
was designed for others, besides the enemies of the
literal David, and is of more general import, reach
ing to the world of the ungodly, and to the enemies
of all righteousness, as manifested in the person of
Messiah, and in his church. The charge brought
against these is, that "truth" and " fidelity " were
not to be found in their dealings with God or each
other; that their " inward parts " were very wicked
ness ; their first thoughts and imaginations were de
filed, and the stream was poisoned at the fountain;
that their " throat wTas an open sepulchre," continu
ally emitting, in obscene and impious language, the
noisome and infectious exhalations of a putrid heart,
entombed in a body of sin; and that, if ever they
put on the appearance of goodness, they " flattered
" with their tongue," in order the more effectually to
deceive and destroy. So low is human nature fallen !
" O thou Adam, what hast thou done? For though
" it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone,
" but we all that come of thee." 2 Esd. vii. 48.
10. Destroy thou them, OGod; let them fall by
their ozvn counsels : cast them out in tke multitude of
their transgressions, for they have rebelled against
thee. Concerning passages of this imprecatory kind in
the book of Psalms, it is to be observed, that they
are not spoken of private and personal enemies, but
ofthe opposers of God and his Anointed; nor of any
among these, but the irreclaimable and finally impe-

24 A COMMENTARY Psal. 5.
nitent ; and this by way of prediction, rather than
imprecation ; which would appear, if the original
verbs were translated uniformly in the future tense,
as they might be, and indeed, to cut off all occasion
from them which desire it, should be translated. The
verse before us would then run thus — " Thou wilt
" destroy them, O God ; they shall perish by their
" own counsels: thou wilt cast them out in the mul-
" titude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled
" against thee." The words, when rendered in this
form, contain a prophecy of the infatuation, rejection,
and destruction of such as should obstinately per
severe in their opposition to the counsels of heaven,
whether relating to David, to Christ, or to the church.
The fate of Ahitophel and Absalom, of Judas and
the Jews, should warn others not to offend after the
same example.
11. But let all those that trust in thee rejoice; let
them ever shout for joy, because thou def endest them:
let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Heb. All they that trust in thee shall rejoice, 8$c.
As the last verse foretold the perdition of the un
godly, this describes the felicity of the saints; who,
trusting in God, rejoice evermore, and sing aloud in
the church the praises of their Saviour and mighty
defender ; the love of whose name fills their hearts
with joy unspeakable, while they experience the com
forts of grace, and expect the rewards of glory.
12. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
The " blessing" of God descends upon us through
Jesus Christ " the righteous," or "just one," as of

Day 1. E. p. ON THE PSALMS. 25
old it did upon Israel through David, whom, for the
benefit of his chosen, God protected, delivered, and
placed upon the throne. Thou, O Christ, art the
righteous Saviour, thou art the King of Israel, thou
art the blessed of Jehovah, the fountain of blessing
to all believers, and thy " favour " is the defence and
protection of the church militant.
FIRST DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM VI.
ARGUMENT.
This is the first of those Psalms which are styled pe
nitential. It contains, 1. deprecation of eternal
vengeance, and, 2, 3. a petition for pardon; which
is enforced from the consideration of the penitent's
sufferings; 4. from that of the divine mercy; 5.
from that of the praise and glory which God would
fail to receive, if man were destroyed; 6", 7- from
that of the penitent's humiliation and contrition;
8 — 10. the strain changes into one of joy and
triumph, upon the success and return of the
prayer. 1 . O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither
chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Let us suppose a sinner awakened to a true sense
of his condition, and looking around him for help.
Above is an angry God preparing to take vengeance;
beneath, the fiery gulf ready to receive him; with-

¦16 A COMMENTARY Psal. 6,
out him, a world in flames; within, the gnawing
worm. Thus situated, he begins, in extreme agony
of spirit, " O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger,
" neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." He ex
pects that God will " rebuke " him, but only prays
that it may not be in " anger," finally to destroy him;
he desires to be chastened, but chastened in fatherly
love, not in the " hot displeasure " of an inexorable
judge. As often as we are led thus to express our
sense of sin, and dread of punishment, let us reflect
on Him, whose righteous soul, endued with a sensibi
lity peculiar to itself, sustained the sins of the world,
and the displeasure of the Father.
2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for lam weak:
O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed, Heb.
shaken, or, made to tremble.
The penitent entreats for mercy, first, by repre
senting his pitiable case, under the image of sickness.
He describes his soul as deprived of all its health and
vigour, as languishing and fainting, by reason of sin,
which had eat out the vitals, and shaken all the pow
ers and supporters ofthe spiritual frame, so that the
breath of life seemed to be departing. Enough how
ever was left, to supplicate the healing aid of the God
of mercy and comfort ; to petition for oil and wine
at the hands of the Physician of spirits. How happy
is it for us, that we have a physician, who cannot but
be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, seeing
that he himself once took them upon him, and suffer
ed for them, even unto the death of the cross, under
which he " fainted," and on which " his bones were
" vexed."

Day i. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 27
3. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord,
how long?
Another argument is drawn from the sense which
the penitent hath of this his woful condition, and the
consternation and anxiety produced thereby in his
troubled mind. These cause him to fly for refuge to
the hope set before him. " Hope deferred maketh
" the heart sick;" he is therefore beautifully repre
sented as crying out, with a fond and longing impa
tience, " But thou, O Lord, how long?" His
strength is supposed to fail him, and the sentence is
left imperfect. What, blessed Jesus, were thy " trou-
" bles," when to thy companions thou saidst, " My
" soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death?" By
those thy sorrows we beseech thee to hear the voice
of thine afflicted church, crying to thee from the earth,
" My soul also is sore troubled; but thou, O Lord,
" how long?"
4. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul; Oh, save me
for thy mercies sake.
A third argument is formed upon the consideration
of God's " mercy;" for the sake of which, as it is
promised to penitents, he is requested to " return,"
or to turn himself towards the suppliant; to lift up
his countenance on the desponding heart; to " deliver "
it from darkness and the shadow of death, and to dif
fuse around it light and life, salvation, joy, and glad
ness, like the sun in the morning, when he revisits a
benighted world, and calls up the creation, to bless
the Maker of so glorious a luminary, so bright a re
presentative of redeeming love.

28 A COMMENTARY Psal. 6.
5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee ;
in the grave zvho shall give thee thanks?
The fourth argument proceeds upon a supposition,
that God created man for his own glory, which,
therefore, would be so far diminished, if man were
permitted finally to perish. The body could not glo
rify God, unless raised from the dead; nor could the
soul, if left in hell. The voice of thanksgiving is not
heard in the grave, and no hallelujahs are sung in the
pit of destruction. This plea, now urged by the
church,' was urged for her without all doubt by her
Saviour in his devotions, and prevailed in his mouth,
as, through him, it will do in hers.
6. I am zoeary with my groaning ; all the night
make I my bed to szvim ; I water my couch with my
tears. The penitent is supplied with a fifth argument, by
the signs and fruits of a sincere repentance, which
put forth themselves in him. Such was his sorrow,
and such revenge did he take upon himself, that for
every idle word he now poured forth a groan, like
him that is in anguish through extremity of bodily
pain, until he was " weary," but yet continued groan
ing; while the sad remembrance of each wanton
folly drew a tear from the fountains of grief. The
all-righteous Saviour himself wept over sinners; sin
ners read the story, and yet return again to their
sins! 7- Mine eye is consumed because of grief : it waxeth
old because of all mine enemies.
Grief exhausts the animal spirits, dims the eyes,

Day i. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 29
and brings on old age before its time. Thus it is
said, concerning the man of sorrows, that " many
" were astonished at him, his visage was so marred
" more than any man, and his form more than the
" sons of men:" Isa. Iii. 14. How long, in these
times, might youth and beauty last, were godly sorrow
their only enemy !
8. Depart from me, all ye workers qf iniquity, for
the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 9.
The Lord hath heard my supplication ; the Lord will
hear, or, hath heard my prayer.
Repentance, having performed her task, having
taught her votary to forsake sin, and to renounce all
communication with sinners, now gives place to faith,
which appears with the glad tidings of pardon and
acceptance, causing the penitent to rejoice in God
his Saviour, with joy unspeakable; and inspiring his
heart with vigour and resolution to run his course in
the way of righteousness. Risen to newness of life,
he defies the malice, and predicts the final overthrow
of his spiritual adversaries.
1 0. Let all mine enemies, or, all mine enemies shall
be ashamed, and sore vexed; let them, or, they shall
return, and be ashamed suddenly.
Many of the mournful Psalms end in this manner,
to instruct the believer, that he is continually© look
forward, and solace himself with beholding that day,
when his warfare shall be accomplished ; when sin
and sorrow shall be no more ; when sudden and ever
lasting confusion shall cover the enemies of righteous-
ness; when the sackcloth ofthe penitent shall be ex
changed for a robe of glory, and every tear hecome

30 A COMMENTARY Psal. 7.
a sparkling gem in his crown; when to sighs and
groans shall succeed the songs of heaven, set to an
gelic harps, and faith shall be resolved into the vision
of the Almighty.
PSALM VII.
ARGUMENT.
David is said to have composed this Psalm concern
ing the words, or the matter of Cush the Benjamite.
Whether Saul, or Shimei, or any one else, be in
tended under this name, it is sufficiently clear,
that David had been maliciously aspersed and ca
lumniated by such a person ; that the Psalm was
written to vindicate himself from the imputation,
whatever was the nature "of it; and, consequently,
may be considered as the appeal of the true David
and his disciples, against the grandAccuserandhis
associates. The person speaking, 1, 2. declares
his trust to be in God; 3 — 5. protests his inno-
eence; 6 — 8. desires that judgement maybe given
in the cause; 9, 10. prays for the abolition of sin,
and the full establishment of righteousness ;
ll-iJ-%3. sets forth the divine judgements against
sinners; 14—16. describes the beginning, pro
gress, and end of sin, with, 17. the joy and triumph
of the faithful.
1. 0 Lord my God, in thee dolput my trust; save
me from all them that persecute mc, and deliver me :

Day 1. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 31
To a tender and ingenuous spirit, the " persecu-
" tion " of the tongue is worse than that of the
sword, and with more difficulty submitted to; as in
deed a good name is more precious than bodily life.
Believers in every age have been persecuted in this
way; and the King of saints often mentions it as one
of the bitterest ingredients in his cup of sorrows.
Faith and prayer are the arms with which this formi
dable temptation must be encountered, and may be
overcome. The former assures us, that God can
" save and deliver" us from it; the latter induces
him so to do.
2. Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in
pieces, while there is none to deliver.
The " lion " of whom David stood in fear, was
probably Saul, rouged, by a false accusation, to de
stroy him. The rage of tyrants is often in the same
manner excited against the church. And we all have
reason to dread the fury of one who is " the roaring
" lion," as well as the " accuser of the brethren."
From him none can deliver us, but God only.
3. O Lord my God, if I have done this ; if there
be iniquity in my hands;
David makes a solemn appeal to God, the searcher
of hearts, as judge of his innocence, with regard to
the particular crime laid to his charge. Any person,
when slandered, may do the same. But Christ only
could call upon Heaven to attest his universal upright
ness. In his "hands" there was "no iniquity;"
all his works were wrought in perfect righteousness;
and when the, prince of this world came to try and
explore him, he found nothing whereof justly to ac-

32 A COMMENTARY Psal. 7.
cuse him. The vessel was thoroughly shaken, but
the liquor in it continued pure.
4. If I have rezvarded evil unto him that was at
peace with me; yea, I have delivered him that without
cause is mine enemy:
David probably alludes to the life of Saul, which
was twice preserved by him, when he had been press
ed by his attendants to embrace the opportunity of
taking it away. See 1 Sam. xxiv. xxvi. Of the Son
of David St. Paul says, " In this he commended his
" love to us, that when we were sinners, he died for
" us :" Rom. v. 8. In so exalted a sense did he
" deliver him that without cause was his enemy."
Wretched they who persecute their benefactor; happy
he who can reflect, that he has been a benefactor to
his persecutors. .
5 . Let the enemy persecute my sojil, and take it ;
yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and
lay mine honour in the dust.
These are the evils which David imprecates on
himself, if he were such as his adversaries represented
him; persecution, apprehension, death, and disgrace.
Christ, for our sakes submitting to the imputation of
guilt, suffered all these ; but, being innocent in him
self, he triumphed over them all; he was raised and
released, glorified and adored ; he pursued and over
took his enemies, he conquered the conquerors, and
trampled them under his feet ; and he enableth us,
through grace, to do the same.
6. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself
because qf the rage of mine enemies: and azvake for
me to the judgement that thou hast commanded. .

Day I.e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 33
To a protestation of innocence succeeds a prayer
for judgement upon the case, which is formed on these
two considerations ; first, the unreasonable and un
relenting fury of the persecutors ; secondly, the justice
which God has " commanded " others to execute,
and which therefore he himself will doubtless execute
upon such occasions. How did he " awake," and
"arise," and "lift up himself to judgement" on the
behalf of his Anointed, in the day of the resurrection
of Jesus, and the subsequent confusion of his ene
mies ! And let injured innocence ever comfort itself
with the remembrance of another day to come, when
every earth-born cloud being removed, it shall dazzle
its oppressors with a lustre far superior to that of the
noon-day sun.
7- So shall the congregation of the people compass
thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou, on
high. The meaning is, that a visible display of God's
righteous judgement would induce multitudes who
should behold, or hear of it, to adore and glorify
him. For their sakes, therefore, as well as that of
the sufferer, he is entreated to re-ascend the tribunal
as formerly, and pronounce the wished-for sentence.
Thus the determination of the cause between Jesus
and his adversaries, by his resurrection, and "return
" on high," brought "the congregation ofthe nations "
around him, and effected the conversion of the world.
Nor, in human affairs, does any thing more advance
the reputation of a people among their neighbours,
than an equitable sentence in the mouth of him who
sitteth in judgement.
VOL. II. D

24 A COMMENTARY Psal. 7.
8. The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O
Lord, according to my righteousness, and according
to mine integrity that is in me.
Conscious of his "righteousness" and "integrity,"
as to the matter in question, David desires to be
judged by him who is to judge the world at the last
day. How few, among Christians, have seriously
and deliberately considered, whether the sentence of
that day is likely to be in their favour ! Yet, how
many, with the utmost composure and self-compla
cency, repeat continually the words of this Psalm, as
well as those in tlie Te Deum, " We believe that thou
" shalt come to be our judge!" Legal, or perfect
righteousness and integrity are peculiar to the Re
deemer; but evangelical righteousness and integrity
all must have, who would be saved.
9- Oh let the wickedness qf the zvicked come to an
end; but establish the just: or, the zvickedness of the
wicked shall, Sec: for the righteous God trieth the
hearts and reins. 10. My defence is of God, zvho
saveth the upright in heart.
It is predicted, that wickedness will, in the end, be
abolished, and the just immoveably established, by
Him who knoweth intimately the very thoughts and
desires bf both good and bad men, and will give to
each their due reward. How can we doubt of this,
when it has pleased God to afford so many examples
and preludes to it, in his dispensations of old time?
The righteous cause hath already triumphed in Christ;
let us not doubt, but that it will do so in the church.
Happy the man, whose hope is therefore in God, be^
cause " he saveth the upright in heart,"

Day 1. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 35
11. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry
with the wicked every day.
The sense seems to be, that there are daily in
stances in the Avorld of God's favour towards his
people; as also of his displeasure against the un
godly, who are frequently visited by sore judgements,
and taken away in their sins. In this light we should
consider and regard all history, whether that of our
own age and nation, or of any other.
12. If he turn not, he zvill zohet his szvord; he hath
bent his bozo, and made it ready. 13. He hath also
prepared for him the instruments qf death; he or'
daineth his arrozvs against the persecutors.
The sinner who is not converted by the vengeance
inflicted on others, will himself at length be made an
example of. The wrath of God may be slow, but
it is always sure. In thoughtless security man wan
tons and whiles away the precious hours; he knows
not that every transgression sets a fresh edge on the
sword, which is thus continually whetting for his de
struction; nor considers, that he is the mark of an
archer who never errs, and who, at this very instant,
perhaps has fitted to the string that arrow which is to
pierce his soul with everlasting anguish.
14. Behold, he tr availeth zvith iniquity, and hath
conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
This is not to be understood as if " travail " were
previous to " conception." The first is a general ex
pression, " Behold, he travaileth with iniquity:" the
latter part of the verse is more particular ; as if it
had been said, " and having conceived mischief, he
" bringeth forth falsehood." When an evil thought is
d 2

36 A COMMENTARY Psal. 7.
instilled into the heart - of ' a1 man, then the seed of
the wicked one is sown ; by- admitting, retaining, and
cherishing the diabolical suggestion in his mind, he
" conceiveth '" a purpose of " mischief;" wdien that
purpose is gradually formed and matured for the
birth, he " travaileth with iniquity;" at length, by
carrying it into action, he "bringeth forth falsehood."
Tlie purity of the soul, like that of the body, from
whence the image is borrowed, must be preserved by
keeping out of the way of temptation.
15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into
the ditch which he made. 16. His mischief shall re
turn upon his ozvn head, and his violent dealing shall
come dozvn upon his own pate.
All the world agrees to acknowledge the equity of
that sentence which inflicts upon the guilty the pu
nishment intended by them for the innocent. No
one pities the fate of a man buried in that pit which
he had dug to receive his neighbour; or of him who
owes his death-wound to the return of an arrow shot
against heaven. Saul was overthrown by those Phi
listines whom he would have made the instruments
of cutting off David. Haman was hanged on his
own gallows. The Jews, who excited the Romans
to crucify Christ, were themselves, by the Romans,
crucified in crowds. Striking instances these of the
vengeance to be one day executed on all tempters
and persecutors of others; when men and angels
shall lift up their voices, and cry out together,
" Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are thy
"judgements." 17. I will praise the Lord according to his righ-

Day 1. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 37
teousness; and zvill sing praise to the name of the
Lord most -high.
Whatever doubts may at present arise concerning
the ways of God, let us rest assured that they will
all receive a solution; and that the " righteousness "
of the great Judge, manifested in-his final determina
tions, will be the subject of everlasting hallelujahs.
PSALM VIII.
ARGUMENT.
This is the first of those Psalms which the Church
has appointed to be read on Ascension-day. It
treats, as appears from Heb. ii. 6, &c. of the won
derful love of God, shown by the exaltation of our
nature in Messiah, or the second Adam, to the
right hand of the Majesty on high, and by the
subjection of all creatures to the word of his
power, 1. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name
in all the earth ! who hast set thy glory above the
heavens. The Prophet beholds in spirit the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should fojlow; like St.
Stephen afterward, he sees heaven opened, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God; the sight fills his
heart with wonder, love, and devotion, which break
forth in this address to " Jehovah," as " our Lord;"
for such he is by the twofold right of creation and
redemption, having made us, and purchased us. On

38 A COMMENTARY Psal. 8.
both accounts, " how excellent," how full of beauty
and honour is his name, diffused by the Gospel
through " all the earth !" But more especially do
men and angels admire and adore him for the exalta
tion of his " glory," the glory of the only begotten,
high " above the heavens," and -all created nature, to
the throne prepared for him before the foundation of
the world.
2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast
thou ordained, Heb. founded, or, constituted strength,
because qf thine enemies, that thou mightest still the
enemy and the avenger.
This verse is cited by our Lord, Matt. xxi. 16.
and applied to " little children in the temple, crying,
" Hosanna to the Son of David!" which vexed and
confounded his malignant adversaries. The import
of the words, therefore, plainly is, that the praises of
Messiah, celebrated in the church by his children,
have in them a strength amd power which nothing can
withstand; they can abash infidelity, when at its
greatest height, and strike hellAtself dumb. In the
citation made by our Lord, "which the Evangelist
gives from the Greek of the LXX, we read, " thou
" hast perfected praise," which seems to be rather a
paraphrase than a translation of the Hebrew, literally
rendered by our translators, " thou hast ordained
" strength." 3. When I consider thy heavens, the work qf thy
fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast or
dained: 4. What is man, that thou art mindful qf
him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
At the time of inditing this Psalm, David is evi-

Day 1. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 39
dently supposed to have had before his eyes the hea
vens as they appear by night. He is struck with
the awful magnificence of the wide extended firma
ment, adorned by the moon walking in brightness,
and rendered brilliant by the vivid lustre of a multi
tude of shining orbs, differing from each other in
magnitude and splendour. And when, from survey
ing the beauty of heaven, with its glorious show-, he
turns to take a view of the creature man, he is still
more affected by the mercy, than he had before been
by the majesty of the Lord; since far less wonderful
it is, that God should make such a world as this,
than that He, who made such a Avorld as this, should
be " mindful of man," in his fallen estate, and should
" visit" human nature with his salvation.
5. For thou hast made him a little, or, for a little
while, lozver than the angels, and hast crowned him
zvith glory and honour. 6. Thou madest him to have
dominion over the zvorks qf thy hands: thou hast put
all things under his feet.
On these two verses, with that preceding, St. Paul
has left us the following comment: " One in a cer-
" tain place testified, saying, AVhat is man, that
" thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that
" thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower
"than [marg. a little while inferior to] the angels;
" thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and
" didst set him over the works of thy hands ; thou
" hast put all things in subjection under his feet,
" For in that he put all in subjection under him,
" he left nothing that is not put under him. But
" now we see not yet all things put under him.

40 A COMMENTARY Psal. 3.
" But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower
" than the angels, for the suffering of death, crown-
" ed with glory and honour." Heb. ii. 6, &c. See
also 1 Cor. xv. 27.
7. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the
field; 8. Thefozvlofthe air, and the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea.
• Adam, upon his creation, was invested with sove
reign dominion over the creatures, in words of the
same import with these ; Gen. i. 28. which are there
fore here used, and the creatures particularized, to
inform us, that what the first Adam lost by trans
gression, the second Adam regained by obedience.
That " glory" which was "set above the heavens,"
could not but be over all things on " the earth."
And accordingly, we hear our Lord saying, after his
resurrection, " All power is given unto me in heaven
" and in earth : " Matt, xxviii. 18. Nor is if a spe
culation unpleasing, or unprofitable, to consider, that
he who rules over the material world, is Lord also of
the intellectual, or spiritual creation, represented
thereby. The souls of the faithful, lowly and harm
less, are the sheep of his pasture; those who, like
oxen, are strong to labour in the church, and who,
by expounding the word of life, tread out the corn
for the nourishment of the people, own him for their
kind and beneficent Master ; nav, tempers fierce and
untractable as the wild beasts of the desert, are yet
subject to his will ; spirits of the angelic kind, that,
like the bird of the air, traverse freely the superior
region, move at his command ; and those evil ones,
whose habitation is in the deep abyss, even to the

Day 1. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 41
great Leviathan himself; all, all, are put under, the.
feet of King Messiah ; who, " because he humbled
' himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
" death of the cross, was therefore highly exalted,
" and had a name given him above every name, that
" at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
" whether of things in heaven, or things on earth,
" or things under the earth ; and that every tongue
" should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory
" of God the Father." Phil. ii. 8. &c.
9. O Lord, our Lord, hozv excellent is thy name in
all the earth !
Let therefore the universal chorus of men and an
gels join their voices together, and make their sound
to be heard as one, in honour of the Redeemer, ever
more praising him, and saying, O Lord, our Lord
Jesu Christ, King of Righteousness, Peace, and
Glory, King of kings, and Lord of lords, how excel
lent, how precious, how lovely, how great and glo
rious is thy Name, diffused over all the earth, for
the salvation of thy chosen ! Blessing, and honour,
and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.
And let heaven and earth say, Amen.
SECOND DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM IX.
ARGUMENT. '
This Psalm consists of two parts, a thanksgiving,
1 — jo. and a prayer, 13 — 20. Upon what par-

42 A COMMENTARY Psal. 9.
tjcular occasion it was composed, is not known ;
probably to celebrate the victories gained by Da
vid over the neighbouring nations, after God had
exalted him to be king in Sion. See ver. 11.
But most certainly the Psalm was intended for the
use of the Christian Church ; and she continually,
by using it, 1, 2. declares her resolution to cele
brate the praises of her God ; since, 3, 4. her ene
mies were vanquished, and her cause was car
ried; 5, 6. the empire of Satan was subverted,
and, 7, 8. the kingdom of Christ established ; 9,
10. affording to believers refuge and salvation.
For all these blessings, 1 1 . Christians are excited
to praise their Redeemer, who, 12. forgets no
thing" that is done or suffered for his sake. 13,
14. The Church petitions for final deliverance
from the world, and the evil thereof; 15, 16.
building her hope upon the mercies already re
ceived, 17, 18. she foretels the destruction of
the wicked ; and, 19, 20. prays for the manifesta
tion of God.
1. I zvill praise thee, O Lord, zvith my whole
heart; I zvill shozo forth all thy marvellous zvorks.
In this animated and exalted hymn, the church
begins witli declaring her resolution to " praise Je-
" hovah," as the author of her salvation ; and that,
neither coldly, as if the salvation were little worth ;
nor partially, reserving a share of the glory of it to

Day 2. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 43
herself; but with the " whole heart," with an affec
tion pure and flaming, like the holy fire upon the
altar. She is determined to "show forth" to the
world, for its conviction and conversion, " all his
" marvellous works," the most " marvellous " of
which are those wrought for, and in the souls of men.
Outward miracles strike more forcibly upon the
senses ; but they are introductory only to those in
ternal operations, which they are intended to repre
sent. 2. / zvill be glad and rejoice in thee; I will sing
praise to thy name, O thou most High.
Christians are taught to "be glad and rejoice,"
not in abundance of wealth, or plenitude of power,
not in the pleasures of sense, or the praise of men,
but in God their Saviour ; and their joy is as far su
perior to the joy of the worldly, as the object of one
is to that of the other. He who, with the spirit and
the understanding, as well as with the voice, " sings
" praise to thy name, O most High," is employed as
the angels are, and experiences a foretaste of the de
light they feel.
3. When mine enemies are driven back, they shall
fall, or, they stumble, or fall, and perish at thy pre
sence. The church begins to explain the subject of her
joy, which is a victory over her " enemies ; " a victory
not gained by herself, but by the " presence of God "
in the midst of her. The grand enemy of our salva
tion was first vanquished by Christ in the wilderness,
and " driven back," with the words "Get thee be-
" hind me, Satan." The same blessed person after-

4i A COMMENTARY Psal, 9.
ward completely triumphed over him upon the cross,
when " the prince of this world was cast out." This
is that great victory, which we celebrate in psalms,
and hymns, and spiritual songs, from generation to
generation ; and, through faith in him who achieved
it, we likewise are enabled to fight and to overcome.
4. For thou hast maintained my right and my
came ; thou sattcst in the throne judging right.
The same important transaction is here described
in forensic, as before it was in military terms. Sar
tan having gotten possession of mankind, might have
pleaded his right to keep it, since by transgression
they had left God, and sold themselves to him. But
Christ, as the church's representative and advocate;
made the satisfaction required, paid down the price
of redemption, " took the prey from the mighty,
" and delivered the lawful captive : " Isa. xlix. 24.
Thus was our "right and our cause maintained;"
thus we were rescued from the oppressor, and he wh©
" sat on the throne judged righteous judgement."
Something of this sort may be supposed to pass, con
cerning each individual, between the Accuser of the
brethren and the eternal Intercessor, in the court of
heaven. 5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast de-,
stroyed the zvicked, thou hast put out their name for
ever and ever.
To the victory of Christ succeeded the overthrow
of Satan's empire in the pagan world. " The hea-
" then were rebuked," when, through the power of
the Spirit, in those who preached the Gospel, men
were convinced of sin, and of righteousness, and of

Day 2. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 45
judgement; " the wicked were destroyed, and their
" name put out for ever,"' when the Roman power
became Christian, and the ancient idolatry sunk, to
rise no more. A day is coming when all iniquity
shall perish and be forgotten in like manner.
6*. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpe
tual end, or, the destructions of the enemy 'are com
pleted to the utmost: and thou, O God, hast destroy
ed their cities, their memorial is perished zvith
them*! The Christian church, when repeating these words,
may be supposed to take a retrospect view of the
successive fall of those empires, with their capital
" cities," in which the "enemy" had from time to
time fixed his residence, and which had vexed and
persecuted the people of God in different ages. Such
were the Assyrian, or Babylonian, the Persian, and
the Grecian monarchies. All these vanished away,
and came to nothing. Nay, . the very " memorial "
ofthe stupendous Nineveh and Babylon is so "pe-
" rished with them," that the place where they once
stood is now no more to be found. The Roman
empire was the last of the pagan persecuting
powers; and when the church saw "that" under
her feet, well might she cry out, " The destructions
" of the enemy are completed to the utmost ! " How
lovely will this song be, in the clay when the last
( Bishop Lowth renders this verse to the same effect. " De-
" solations have consumed the enemy for ever; and as to the ci-
" ties which thou, 0 God, hast destroyed, their memory is pe-
" rished with them." See Merrick's Annotations on the Psalms,
p. 9.

46 A COMMENTARY Psal. 9.
enemy shall be destroyed, and the world itself shall
become what Babylon is at present. Next to the
glory and triumph of that day, is the jubilee which
> the Christian celebrates, upon his conquest over the
body of sin.
7. But the Lord shall endure for ever ; ke hath
prepared his throne for judgement. 8. And he shall
judge the world in righteousness, ke shall minister
judgement to tke people in uprightness.
In opposition to the transient nature of earthly
kingdoms, the eternal duration of Messiah's kingdom
is asserted ; as also its universality, extending over
the whole " world ; " together with the consummate
rectitude of its administration. To him, as supreme
judge in an unerring court of equity, lies an appeal
from the unjust determinations here below : and by
him in person shall every cause be reheard, when
that court shall sit, and all nations shall be summon
ed to appear before it.
9. The Lord also zvill be a refuge for the oppress
ed, a refuge in times qf trouble.
In the mean time, and until he returneth to judge
ment, the poor in spirit, the meek and lowly penitent,
however " oppressed in times of trouble," by worldly
and ungodly men, and by the frequent assaults of
the wicked one, still finds a refuge in Jesus ; who
renews his strength by fresh supplies of grace, arms
him with faith and patience, and animates him with
the hope of glory.
10. And they that know thy name zvill put their
trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them
that seek thee.

Day 2. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 47
Therefore, they who " know God's name," that is,
who are acquainted with, and have experienced his
merciful nature and disposition, expressed in that
name, will take no unlawful methods to escape afflic
tion, nor " put their trust" in any but " him," for de
liverance ; since a most undoubted truth (and, O what
a comfortable truth !) it is, that " thou, Lord Jesus,
" hast not forsaken," nor ever wilt finally " forsake
" them that " sincerely and diligently, with their whole
heart, " seek " to " thee " for help ; as a child, upon
apprehension of danger, flies to the arms of its tender
and indulgent parent.
11. Sing praises to the Lord which dzvellcth in
Zion : declare among the people his doings.
The church, having celebrated the power and the
goodness of her Lord, exhorteth all her children to
lift up their voices, and sing together, in full chorus,
the praises of him whose tabernacle is in " Zion,"
who resides with men, upon the mountain of his ho
liness, and faith, " Behold I am with you always,
" even to the end of the world." And thus, not only
" among the people," but also to principalities and
powers in heavenly places, will be " declared " and
made known by the voice of thanksgiving in the
church, the manifold wisdom and mercy of God, in
his " doings" towards man. See Ephes. iii. 10.
12. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he re-
membereth them, and forgetteth not the cry of the,
humble. An objection might be started to the so much ex
tolled loving kindness of God, namely, that in this
world his faithful people are often afflicted and per-

48 A" COMMENTARY Psal. 9.
secuted ; nay, sometimes suffered to be killed all the
day long, as sheep appointed to the slaughter. But
this is obviated by the consideration, that all is not
over, as Avicked men may suppose, at death ; that a
strict " inquisition " will be appointed hereafter,
when the " blood " of martyrs and the sufferings of
confessors shall not be ," forgotten." He remem-
bereth " them," that is, those who seek him, men
tioned verse 10; so that the exhortation to "sing
" praises," &c. ver. 11. seems parenthetic.
13. Have mercy upon me, O \Jokt>,. consider the
trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that
If test me up from the gates of death.
We are now come to the second part ofthe Psalm.
The church, after having, hi the former part,
strengthened her faith by commemoration of the
mighty works God had wrought for her, proceeds,
in this, to pour forth a prayer for farther and final
deliverance. She speaks, as still militant upon earth,
still in an enemy's country, surrounded :by them that
hate her, and suffering much from them. To whom
therefore should she address herself, but to him whose
high prerogative it is, literally to " raise from the
" gates of death ;" to him who is, in every possible
sense, " the resurrection and the life ?"
14. That I may show forth all thy praise in the
gates qf the daughter of Zion : I zvill rejoice in thy
salvation. The members of the church militant despair of
being able to " show forth all God's praise," till they
become members of the church triumphant. There
is a beautiful contrast between " the gates of death,"

Day 2. m1. p. ON THE PSALMS. 49
in the preceding verse, and " the gates of the daugh-
" ter of Zion," or tlie heavenly Jerusalem, in this :
the one lead down to the pit, the other up to the
mount of God ; the one open into perpetual dark
ness, the other into light eternal ; from the one pro
ceeds nothing but what is evil, from the other nothing
but what is good ; infernal spirits watch at the one,
the other are unbarred by the hands of angels. What
a blessing then is it, to be snatched from the former,
and transported to the latter! Who but must " re-
" joice" in such " salvation!"
15. The heathen are smik, or sink, dozvn in the pit
that they made; in the net zvhich they hid is their ozvn
foot taken. \6. The Lord is knozvn by the judgement
which he executeth ; tke zvicked is snared in the work
qf his own hands.
Faith beholds, as already executed, that righteous
judgement, whereby wicked men and evil spirits will
fall into the perdition which they had prepared for
others, either openly by persecution, or more covertly
by temptation. See Ps. vii. 15, 16\
17. The zvicked shall be turned into hell, and all the
¦nations that forget God.
All wickedness came originally with the wicked
one from hell ; thither it will be again remitted, and
they who hold on its side must accompany it on its
return to that place of torment, there to be shut up
for ever. The true state both of " nations," and the
individuals of which they are composed, is to be esti
mated from one single circumstance, namely, whether
in their doings they remember or " forget God."
VOL. II., x

50 A COMMENTARY Psal. 9.
Remembrance of Him is the well-spring of virtue ;
forgetfulness of Him, the fountain of vice.
18. For the needy shall not alxvays be forgotten:
the expectation ofthe poor shall not perish for ever.
They who remember God shall infallibly be re
membered by Him ; and let this be their anchor, in
the most tempestuous seasons. The body of a martyr
is buried in the earth ; and so is the root of the fairest
flower; but neither of them " perisheth forever."
Let but the winter pass and the spring return, and,
lo, the faded and withered flower blooms ; the body
sown in corruption, dishonour, and weakness, rises
in incorruption, glory, and power.
1.9. Arise, O Lord, let not men prevail; let the
heathen be judged in thy sight.
And now, the Spirit and the Bride say, Come ;
Arise, O Lord Jesu, from thy throne of glory, and
come quickly; "let not" the "man" of sin " pre-
" vail " against thy church ; but let the long depend
ing cause between her and her adversaries, " be
" judged " and finally determined " in thy sight."
20. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations
may know themselves to be but men.
Strange, that man, dust in his original, sinful by his
fall, and continually reminded of both by every thing
in him and about him, should yet stand in need of
some sharp affliction, some severe visitation from
God, to bring him to the knowledge of himself, and
make him feel, who, and what- he is. But this is
frequently the case; and when it is, as there are
wounds which cannot be healed without a previous

Day 2. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 51
application of caustics, mercy is necessitated to be
gin her work with an infliction of judgement.

PSALM X,
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm is, in the LXX, joined to the pre
ceding, but, in the Hebrew, divided from it. The
church, under persecution from the spirit of anti
christ in the world, after, 1. an humble expostu
lation with her Lord, setteth down the marks
whereby that spirit may be known; such as, 2.
hatred of the faithful; 3. self-willedness and
worldly-mindedness ; 4. infidelity ; 5, 6. profli
gacy and pride; 7- profaneness and perjury; 8 —
10. subtilty and treachery employed against the
people of God; 11. security and presumption.
From the persecutions of such a spirit the church,
12 — 15- prayeth earnestly to be delivered; and,
16 — 18. through faith, rejoiceth in tribulation.
1. Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why
hidest thou thyself in times of trouble ?
During the conflict between the church and her
adversaries, God is represented as one withdrawing
to a distance, instead of affording succour; nay, as
one concealing himself, so as not to be found by
those who petitioned for aid, or counsel. To behold
the righteous cause oppressed, and good men seem-
E 2

52 A COMMENTARY Psal. 10,
ingly deserted by heaven, at a time when they most
need its assistance, is apt to offend the weak, and
oftentimes stagger those who are strong. It is in
deed a sore trial, but intended to make us perfect in
the practice of three most important duties, humility,
resignation, and faith. That we may not faint under
the severity of this discipline, let us ever bear in
mind, that the beloved Son of the Father, the Son in
whom he was well pleased, had once occasion to utter
these words, " My God, my God, why hast thou for-
" saken me?"
2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor ;
let them, or they shall, be taken in the devices tkat
they have imagined.
Inconceivable is that malignant fury, with which
a conceited infidel persecutes an humble believer,
though that believer hath no otherwise offended him
than by being such. And what wonder? since it
is a copy of the hatred which Satan bears to Christ.
But the devices of the adversaries, like those of their
leader, will end in their own eternal confusion,
4. For the zvicked boasteth ofhis fi cart's dea-ire, and
blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhor ret h.
The first part of this verse points out that alarm
ing symptom of a reprobate mind, a disposition to
exult and glory in those lusts, which are the shame
and disgrace of human nature, whether the world or
the flesh be their object. The latter clause is differ
ently rendered, as implying either that " the wicked
" blesseth the covetous, whom God abhorreth," or
that " the wicked, being covetous, or oppressive,.
" blesseth himself and abhorreth God." Either wav>

Day 2. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 53
an oppressing, griping, worldly spirit is characterized,
with its direct opposition to the spirit of God, which
teaches, that sin is to be confessed with shame and
sorrow; that in God alone man is to make his
boast ; and that it is more blessed to give, than to
receive. 4. The zvicked through the pride of his counte
nance zvill not seek after God ; God is not in all his
thoughts; or, all his imaginations are, There is no
God. The counsels of heaven are not known by the
wicked, because they are not sought after ; and they
are not sought after, because of a diabolical self-
sufficiency, which, having taken possession of the
heart, displays itself in the countenance, and reigns
throughout the man. He wants no Prophet to
teach him, no Priest to atone for him, no King to
conduct him ; he needs neither a Christ to redeem,
nor a Spirit to sanctify him ; he believes no Provi
dence, adores no Creator, and fears no Judge.
Thus he lives a " stranger from the covenants of
" promise, and without God in the world." Ephes.
ii. 12. O that this character now existed only in the
Psalmist's description !
5. His zvays are always grievous, or, corrupt ; thy
judgements are jar above out qf his' sight ; as for all
his enemies, hepuffeth at them.
As are a man's principles, such will be his prac
tices ; and if he hath not God in his thoughts,
his course of life will be corrupt and abominable,
his end, his means, and his motives being all
wrong, and polluted with concupiscence. There

54 A COMMENTARY Psal. 10.
would have been some chance of holding him by
fear, but that is gone with his faith ; for no man can
- tremble at judgements in which he does not believe.
6. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved;
for I shall never be in adversity.
Prosperity begets presumption, and he who has
been long accustomed to see his designs succeed, be
gins to think it impossible they should ever do other
wise. The long-suffering of God, instead of leading
such an one to repentance, only hardens him in his
iniquity. Because sentence against an evil work is
not executed speedily, he thinks it will not be exe
cuted at all. He vaunteth himself, therefore, like the
proud Chaldean monarch, in the Babylon which he
hath erected, and fondly pronounceth it to be im
mortal. Such, it is too evident, are often the vain
imaginations of triumphant wickedness.
7. His mouth is full qf cursing, deceit, and fraud;
wider his tongue is mischief and vanity.
From the thoughts of the sinner's " heart," men
tioned in the preceding verse, David goes on to de
scribe the words of his " mouth." And here we
may illustrate the character of antichrist, by setting.
that of Christ in opposition to it. The mouth of one
poureth forth a torrent of curses and lies; from that
of the other flowed a clear and copious stream of be
nediction and truth. Under the serpentine tongue of
the former is a bag of mischief and vanity; but
honey and milk were under the tongue of the latter,
so pleasant and so nourishing to the spirits of men
were all his communications.
8. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages ;

Day 2. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 55
in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his
eyes are privily set against the poor.
From " words," the description proceeds to " ac-
" tions." And with regard to these, as the Son of
God went publicly preaching through cities and vil
lages to save men's lives, so this child of Satan lieth
in ambush to destroy them, privily bringing into the
church, and diffusing among the people, pestilent
errors, and damnable heresies, for that purpose.
9. He lieth in zvait secretly as a lion in his den ; lie
lieth in zvait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor,
when he drazedh him into his net.
The disciples of Jesus, like their blessed Master,
are ever vigilant to catch men in the evangelical net,
in order to draw them from the world to God : the
partisans of Satan, in imitation of their leader, arc
employed in watching, from their lurking places, the
footsteps of the Christian pilgrim, that they may
spring upon him in an unguarded moment, and draw
him from God to the world, and from thence to the
devil. 10. He croucheth, and humbletk himself , that the
poor may fall by his strong ones.
Our Lord, who is styled " the Lion of the tribe
" of Judah," became a " Lamb," for the salvation
of mankind; but when his adversary at any time
" humbleth " himself, when the wolf appears in
sheep's clothing, let the flock beware ; it is for their
more effectual destruction. And if, allured by an
outward show of moderation and benevolence, the
simple ones shall venture themselves within his reach,

56 A COMMENTARY Psal. 10.
they will soon find that his nature is disguised, but
not altered.
1 1 . He hath said in his heart, God hath for gotten;
lie hideth his face, he zvill never see it.
For the chastisement ofhis people, God often suf
fers the enemy to prevail and prosper, who then ri
dicules the faith and hope of the church, and solaces
himself in the conceit, that if there be a God, he
either knows not, or cares not, what is done upon
earth. These Epicurean notions, however absurd
and unworthy of the Deity they may seem, do yet in
some measure take possession of every man's mind at
the instant of his committing a sin ; since it is most
certain, that, with a due impression of the divine
omniscience upon his soul at the time, he would not
commit it, for all that the tempter could offer him.
But faith is apt to sleep, and then sin awakes.
12. Arise, O Lord; O God, If t up thine hand ;
forget not the humble. 1 3. Wherefore doth the wicked
contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt
not require it.
The church now prays, that Jehovah, in vindica
tion of his own honour and attributes, would arise to
judgement, and make bare his glorious arm for the
defence of his elect, who cry day and night unto him.
Thus would the insolence of the wicked one and his
agents, founded on the divine forbearance, be re
pressed, and all the world would see, that God had
not forgotten, but still, as ever, remembered and re
garded the low estate of his handmaid.
14. Thou hast seen it, for thou beholdest mischief

Day 2. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 57
and spite, to requite it zvith thine hand: the poor com
mit teth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the
fatherless. " The wicked," above, " saith in his heart, thou
" wilt not requite it." But the faithful are taught
other things by the promises in Scripture, and the
experience of unnumbered histories. They know
assuredly, that God beholds all that travail and vexa
tion which some inflict, and others sustain, upon the
earth ; and that he will infallibly recompense to the
former their deeds, to the latter their sufferings.
Destitute should we be of every earthly help, in the
state of beggars and orphans, yet in him will we trust,
who, as the father and protector of all such,, saith
unto every one of us, "I will never leave thee, nor
" forsake thee."
15. Break thou the arm ofthe zvicked and the evil
man : seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
This may be either a prayer, or a prediction, im
plying that the time will come, when the power of
Jehovah will dash in pieces that of the enemy, by
the demolition either of sin or the sinner, until wick
edness be come utterly to an end, and righteousness
be established for ever in the kingdom of Messiah.
And, lo,
16. The Lord is King for ever and ever: the
heathen are perished out qf the land.
Faith beholds the Lord Jesus, as already manifesto
ed in his glorious majesty, the kingdoms of this world
become his, and the Canaanite no more in the land
of promise. Each individual experiences in himself
a happy prelude to this manifestation, when Christ

5S A COMMENTARY Psal. 10.
rules in his heart by the Spirit, and every appetite
and affection is obedient to the sceptre of his king
dom. 17. Lord, thou hast heard, or, hearest, the desire
qf the humble: thou zvilt prepare, or, thoupreparest,
their heart : thou zvilt cause, or, thou causest, thine
car to hear.
How many important and comforting truths have
we here, in a few words! As, that the "humble"
and lowly, whatever they may suffer in the world,
are the favourites of Jehovah : that he attends to the
very " desires " of their hearts : that such hearts
" prepared " to prayer, are so many instruments
Strang and tuned by the hand of heaven : and that
their prayer is as music, to which the Almighty him
self listens with pleasure.
18. To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that
'• ihe man qf the earth may no more oppress.
For the sake of the elect, and their prayers, the
¦¦ days of persecution and tribulation will be shortened;
the insolence of the earth-born oppressor, the man
of sin, will be chastised ; the cause of the church
will be heard at the tribunal of God; and victory,
triumph, and glory will be given unto her. In the
foregoing exposition, regard has been chiefly had to
the case of the chureh, and to her sufferings from
the spirit of antichrist, in whomsoever existing and
acting, from time to time, in the world ; this being
judged the most generally useful application, which
Christians, as such, can make of the Psalm. Parti
cular accommodations of it to the various oppressions
of innocent poverty by iniquitous' opulence, will meet

Day 2. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 59
the eye, and offer themselves at once to persons so
circumstanced, for their support and comfort, under
their respective afflictions; which will be also not a
little alleviated by the consideration, that the whole
church of God groaneth with them, and travaileth
in pain, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the re
demption of the body. Then, and not till then, tears
shall cease to run down the cheeks of misery ; and
sorrow and sighing shall fly away, to return no more
for ever. PSALM XI.
ARGUMENT.
The Psalmist, under persecution, I — 3. declareth
himself resolved to trust in God alone, at a time
when he was advised to fly to some place of re
fuge ; 4. he expresses his faith in the omniscience
and over-ruling power of Jehovah ; 5. assigns the
reason why good men are afflicted ; who, after,
that the wicked, 6. shall be destroyed, will appear
to have been all along, 7- the favoured of God.
1 . In the Lord put I my trust; hozo sayj/e to my
soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
The Christian, like David, in perilous times,
should make God his fortress, and continue doing his
duty in his station ; he should not, at the instigation
of those about him, like a poor, silly, timorous, in
constant bird, either fly for refuge to the devices of
worldly wisdom, or desert his post, and retire iato

60 A COMMENTARY Psal. 11.
solitude, while he can serve the cause in which he is
engaged. Nor indeed is there any " mountain " on
earth out of the reach of care and trouble. Tempta
tions are every where; and so is the grace of
God. 2. For, lo, the zvicked bend their bozv, they make
ready their ai~rozv upon the string, that they may
privily shoot at the upright in heart.
These seem to be still the words of David's friends,
representing to him, as a motive for his flight, the
extreme danger he was in from the " arrows " of the
enemy, already, as it were, fitted to the " string,"
and pointed at him " in secret," so that not knowing
from whence they were to come, he could not guard
against them. The Christian's danger from the darts
of the infernal archers, lying in wait for his soul, is
full as great as that of David. But " the shield of
" faith " sufficeth, in both cases.
3. If the foundations be destroyed, zchat can the
righteous do?
This likewise seems to be spoken by the same per
sons, discouraging David from making any farther
resistance, by the consideration, that all was over ;
the " foundations " of religion and law were subvert
ed; and what could a man, engaged in the most
" righteous " designs, hope to " do," when that was
the case? Such arguments are often urged by the
timid, in similar circumstances ; but they are falla
cious ; since all is not over, while there is a man left
to reprove error, and bear testimony to the truth.
And a man who does it with becoming spirit, may
st^p a prince, or senate, when in full career, and reT

Day2. M.p. ON THE PSALMS. 61
cover the day. But let us hear David's farther reply
to his advisers.
4. The Lord is in his holy temple, the I.ord'j
throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try,
the children qf men.
In the first verse, the Psalmist had declared his
trust to be in Jehovah. After reciting the reasonings
of his friends, he now proceeds to evince the fitness
and propriety of such trust, notwithstanding the
seemingly desperate situation of affairs. " Jehovah
" is in his holy temple;" into which, therefore, unholy
men, however triumphant in this world, can never
enter : " Jehovah's throne is in heaven ;" and conse
quently superior to all power upon earth, which may
be controlled and over-ruled by him in a moment;
'* his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of
" men ;" so that no secret wickedness can escape his
knowledge, who scrutinizeth the hearts as well as the
lives of all the sons of Adam. Why, then, should
the man despair, who hath on his side holiness, omni
potence, and omniscience?
5. The Lord trieth the righteous ; but the wick
ed, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. ¦
As to the afflictions which persons may suffer,
who are embarked in a righteous cause, they are in
tended to purge away the dross, and to refine them
for the Master's use. " Gold," saith the son of Si
rach, " is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the
" furnace of adversity :" Ecclus. ii. 5. In the mean
time, God's displeasure against the wicked is ever
the same, and their prosperity, instead of benefiting,
will in the end destroy them. The cases of David

62 A COMMENTARY Psal. 11.
and Saul, Christ and the Jews, the martyrs and their
persecutors, are all cases in point, and should be often
in our thoughts to teach us patience, and guard us
against despair, in seasons of calamity, pain, or dis
grace. 6. Upon the zvicked he shall rain snares, or, burn
ing coals, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest;
this shall be the portion of their cup.
St. Jude, ver. 7. tells us, that the cities of Sodom,
Gomorrah, &c. for their abominable sins, " rffoxewrai
" Seiypa, are set forth for an example, or, specimen,
" suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." And here
we see the images are plainly taken from the dreadful
judgement inflicted on those cities, and transferred to
the vengeance of the last day. Then the sons of
faithful Abraham shall behold a prospect, like that
which once presented itself to the eyes of their
father; when rising early in the morning, and looking
toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the
land of the plain, he " beheld, and, lo, the smoke e-f
" the country went up as the smoke of a furnace !"
Gen. xix. 28. Such must be the " portion of their
' ' cup," who have dashed from them the cup of salvation.
He, therefore, who would enjoy the prosperity of the
wicked here, must take with it their torment hereafter ;
as he who is ambitious of wearing the crown of
righteousness in heaven, must be content to endure
tribulation upon earth.
7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness ;
Ms countenance doth behold the upright.
He who is in himself essential righteousness, can
not but love his own resemblance, wrought in the

Day 2. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 63
faithful by his good Spirit ; with a countenance full
of paternal affection, he beholds, and speaks peace
and comfort to them, in the midst of their sorrows;
until, admitted, through mercy, to the glory, from
which justice excludes the wicked, and beholding that
countenance which has always beheld them, they
shall enter upon a life of boundless and everlasting
felicity. SECOND DAY.— EVENING PRAYER,
PSALM XII.
ARGUMENT.
The church, through David, 1, 2. laments the de
crease of God's faithful servants, and the universal
corruption among men, but, 3 — 5. rests upon the
divine promises, the truth and certainty of which,
6, 7- she celebrates, and comforts herself there
with, while in a world where oftentimes, 8. tlie
wicked walk uncontrolled.
1. Help, Heb. save, Lord, for the godly man
ceaseth ; for the faithful fail from among the children
of men.
Our Lord foretels, that in the later days, " be-
" cause iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall
" wax cold;" and seems to question whether, "when
" the Son of man cometh, he shall find faith upon
" the earth." The universal depravity of Jew and
Gentile caused the church, of old, to pray earnestly

64, A COMMENTARY Psal. it<
for the first advent of Christ; and a like depravity
among those who call themselves Christians, may in
duce her to pray no less earnestly for his appearance
,the second time unto salvation. It is frequently a
benefit, to be destitute of help from man, both as it
puts us upon seeking it from God, and inclines him
to grant it, when we do seek.
2. They speak vanity, or, a lie, every one zvith his
neighbour: with flattering lips, and zvith a double
heart do they speak.
When men cease to be faithful to their God, he
who expects to find them so to each other, will be
much disappointed. The primitive sincerity will ac
company the primitive piety in her flight from the
earth ; and then interest will succeed conscience in
the regulation of human conduct, till one man cannot
trust another farther than he holds him by that tie.
Hence, by the way, it is, that although many are
infidels themselves, yet few choose to have their fa
milies and dependants such ; as judging, and rightly
judging, that true Christians are the only persons to
be depended on, for the exact discharge of social
duties. 3. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and
the tongue that speaketh proud things : 4. Who have
said, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our
own : who is lord over us ?
They who take pleasure in deceiving others, will
at the last find themselves most of all deceived, when
the Sun of truth, by the brightness of his rising, shall
at once detect and consume hypocrisy. And as to
men of another stamp, who speak great swelling

Day 2. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 65
words of vanity; who vaunt themselves in the arm
of flesh, thinking to prevail by human wit, or human
power ; equally deplorable will be their case, when
the Lord God " omnipotent" reigneth.
5. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing
qf the needy, now zvill I arise, saith the Lord, I zvill
set him in safety from him that pu ff eth at him.
For the consolation of the afflicted and poor in
spirit, Jehovah is here introduced promising, out of
compassion to their sufferings, to " arise, and set
" them in safety," or place them in a state of " sal-
" vation." Such all along has been his promise to
the church, who, by looking back to the deliverances
wrought of old for the servants of God, and, above
all, to that wrought for the Son of God, is now en
couraged to look forward, and expect her final re
demption from the scorn and insolence of infidelity.
6. The words qf the Lord are pure zcords; as
silver tried in a furnace, or, crucible of earth, puri
fied seven times.
The church rejoices in the promises of God her
Saviour, because they are such as she can confide in.
His words are not like those- of deceitful boasting
man, but true and righteous altogether. Often have
they been put to the test, in the trials of the faithful,
like silver committed to the furnace, in an earthen
crucible ; but like silver in its most refined and ex
alted purity, found to contain no dross of imperfec
tion, no alloy of fallibility in them. The words of
Jehovah are holy in his precepts, just in his laws, gra
cious in his promises, significant in his institutions,
true in his narrations, and infallible in his predictions.
vol. jr. ' F

66 A COMMENTARY Psal. 12.
What are the thousands of gold and silver, compared
to the treasures of the sacred page !
7- Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt pre
serve them from this generationfor ever.
As if it had been said, Yes, blessed Lord, what
thou hast promised shall surely be performed, since
there is with thee no variableness, nor shadow of
turning : thou wilt keep thy poor and lowly servants,
as thou hast promised, from being circumvented by
treachery, or crushed by power ; thou wilt preserve
them undefiled amidst an evil and adulterous gene
ration : thou wilt be with thy church to the end of
the world, and then admit her to be with thee for
ever. 8. The zvicked walk on every side, when the vilest
men are exalted.
While the faithful repose, as they ought to do, an
unlimited confidence jn God's promises, they liave,
in the mean time, but too much reason to mourn the
prevalence of wickedness, stalking, like its author,
to and fro, and up and down in the earth, uncon
trolled by those who bear the sword, but who either
blunt its edge, or turn it the wrong way. Such is
often the state of things here below; and a reflection,
made upon the subject by our Lord, when his ene
mies drew near to apprehend him, may satisfy us
how it comes to be so : " It is your hour, and the
" power of darkness." But that hour will quickly
pass with .us, as it did with him, and the power of
darkness will be overthrown ; the Lord Avill be our
everlasting light, and the days of our mourning shall
be ended/

Day 2. E. p. ON THE PSALMS. 67

PSALM XIII.
¦ ARGUMENT.
This Psalm contains, 1, 2. a complaint of desertion ;
3, 4. a prayer for the divine assistance ; 5, 6. an
act of faith and thanksgiving.
1. How long zvilt thou forget me, O Lord ? for t
ever ? Hozo loitg zvilt thou hide thy face from me?
While God permits his servants to continue under
affliction, he is said, after the manner of men, to
have " forgotten, and hid his face from them." For
the use, therefore, of persons in such circumstances,
is this Psalm intended; and, consequently, it suits
the differerub cases of the church universal, languish
ing for the advent of our Lord to deliver her from
this evil world ; of any particular church, in time of
persecution; and of each individual, when harassed
by temptations, or broken by sickness, pain, and
sorrow. He who bore our sins, and carried our sor
rows, may likewise be presumed to have made it a
part of his devotions in the day of trouble.
2. Hozv long shall I take counsel in my soul, having
sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine ene
my be exalted over me ?
"To excite compassion, and prevail for help from
above, the petitioner mentions three aggravating cir
cumstances of his misery: the perplexity ofhis soul,
not knowing which way to turn, or what course to
take; his heart-felt sorrow, uttering itself in sighs
and groanings; and the mortifying reflection, that
F 2

(i8 A COMMENTARY Psal. vs.
his enemies were exulting in their conquest over him.
All this will happen, and be particularly painful, to
him who has yielded to temptation, and committed.
sin. 3. Consider and hear me, O Lord my God ; lighten
mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep oi death.
On the preceding considerations is founded a pray
er to Jehovah, that he would no longer hide his face,
but " consider," or, more literally, " have respect
" to, favourably. behold" his servant; that he would
" hear, attend to, be mindful of" his supplication in
distress. The deliverance requested is expressed
figuratively, " Lighten mine eyes, lest, I. sleep the
" sleep of death." In time of sickness and grief, the
' ' eyes" are dull and heavy ; and they grow more and
more so as death approaches,; which closes them in
darkness. On the other hand, health and joy render
the organs of vision bright and sparkling, seeming,
as it were, to impart " light" to them from within.
Tlie words, therefore, may be fitly applied to a re
covery of the body natural, and thence of the body
politic, from their respective maladies. Nor do they
less significantly describe the restoration of the soul
to a state of spiritual health and holy joy, which will
manifest themselves in like manner, by " the eyes of
" the understanding being enlightened;" and in this
case, the soul is saved from the sleep of sin, as the
body is, in the other, from the sleep of death.
4. Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against
him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am
moved. This argument we often find urged in prayer to*

Day 2. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 69
God, that he should be pleased to work salvation for
his people, lest his and their enemies should seem to
triumph over him as well as them; which would in
deed have been the case, had Satan cither seduced the
true David to sin, or confined him in the grave. And
certainly it should be a powerful motive to restrain
us from transgression, when we consider, that as the
conversion of a sinner brings glory to Cod, and
causes joy among the angels of heaven ; so the fall of
a believer disgraces the Gospel of Jesus, opens the
mouths of the adversaries, and would produce joy,
if such a thing could be, in hell itself. ,-
5. But I have trusted, or, I trust, in thy mercy;
my heart ^hall rejoice, or, rejoices, in thy salvation.
6. I zvill sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt,
or, deals, bount fully zvith me.
The heart which " trusteth in God's mercy," shall
alone " rejoice in his salvation," and celebrate by
the tongue, in songs of praise, the loving kindness of
the Lord. It is observable, that this, and many
other Psalms, with a mournful beginning, have a tri
umphant ending; to show us the prevailing power
of devotion, and to convince us of the certain return
of prayer, sooner or later, bringing with it the com
forts of heaven, to revive and enrich our weary and
barren spirits in the gloomy seasons of sorrow and
temptation, like the dew descending by night upon the
withered summit of an eastern mountain.

10 A COMMENTARY Psal. 14.
PSALM XIV.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm is in a manner the same with the 53d.
It sets forth, 1 — 3. the corruption of the world ;
4 — 6. its enmity against the people of God; 7-
the prophet longs and prays for salvation.
1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God :
they are corrupt, they have done abominable zvorks,
there is none that doth good.
It does not appear upon what occasion David
composed this Psalm. The revolt of Israel in Ab
salom's rebellion, is by most writers pitched upon as
the subject of it. But, be this as it may, the expres
sions are general, and evidently designed to -extend
beyond a private interpretation. And accordingly,
the apostle, Rom. iii. 10, &c. produces some pas
sages from it, to evince the apostasy of both Jews and
Gentiles from their King and their God, and to prove
them to be all under sin, In this light, therefore, we
are to consider it, as characterizing the principles and
practices of those who oppose the Gospel of Christ
<in all ages. " The fool hath said in his heart, There
" is no God." Infidelity is the beginning of sin,
folly the foundation of infidelity, and the heart the
seat of both. " Their foolish heart (says St. Paul
" ofthe heathen, Rom. i. 21.) was darkened." The
sad consequence of defection in principle, is cor
ruption in practice. " They are corrupt, they have
" done abominable works, there is none that doth

Day 2. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. ll
" good." On these words the reader may see a full
comment, Rom. i. 2S — 32.
2. The Lord looked dozen from heaven upon the
children oj men, to see if there zvas any that did under
stand, and seek God. 3. They are all gone aside,
they are all together become filthy, or, putrefied : there
is none that doth good, no, not one.
Like a watchman on^he top of some lofty tower,
God is represented as surveying, from his heavenly
throne, the sons of Adam, and their proceedings
upon the earth ; he scrutinizes them, and as it Mere
searches diligently, to find among them a man of true
wisdom, one whose heart was turned toward the
Lord his God, one -who was inquiring the way to
salvation and glory, that he might walk therein.
But as the result of this extensive and accurate sur
vey, God informs his prophet, and commissions him
to inform the world, that all had declined from the
paths of wisdom and righteousness ; that the mass of
human nature was become putrid, requiring to be
cleansed, and the vessels made of it to be formed
anew. Such is the Scripture account of man, not
having received grace, or having fallen from it ; of man
without Christ, or in arms against him. See Rom.
iii. 11, 12.
*4. Have all the zvorkers of iniquity no knozvledge ?
* Between the preceding verse and this are three others inserted
jn our common translation, which, though taken by St. Paul from
other parts of Scripture, yet because (Rom. iii. 13.) they followed
the words cited from this Psalm, were probably added thereunto
in this place by some transcribers of the copies of the LXX . For
in other copies of the LXX, they exist not any more than in the
Hebrew, Chaldee, or Syriac.

72 A COMMENTARY Psal, 14.
who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not
upon the Lord.
The "workers of iniquity" work for the wages of
death; they fight against God and their own souls;
they barter eternity for time, and part with happi
ness for misery, both in possession and reversion.
"Well therefore may it be asked, " Have they no
" knowledge r" For common sense, after all, is what
they want. They who, with an appetite keen as that
to their food, prey upon the poor, and devour the
people of God, will themselves be preyed upon and
devoured by that roaring lion, whose agents for the
present they are ; and such as now " call not on "
the name of "the Lord" Jesus for pardon and sal
vation, shall hereafter call in vain upon the rocks and
mountains, to shelter them from his power and vcn-
geance. 5. There zvere they hi great fear ; for God is in
the generation of the righteous.
In the parallel place, Ps. liii. 5. after tlie words,
" There were they in great fear," are added these,
" where no fear was," which certainly connect bet
ter with what follows, " for God is in the genera-
" tion of the righteous." David is supposed to be
speaking primarily of Israel's defection from him to
Absalom, and here to be assigning the motive of
that defection in many, namely, fear of the rebel's
growing power, and distrust of his ability to protect
them; which fear, he observes, was groundless, be
cause his cause was the cause of God, who would
not fail to appear in its support and vindication. The
subjects of Christ, in times of persecution, are often

Day 2. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 73
tempted to renounce their allegiance, upon the same
principle of fear ; although of them it may more
emphatically be said, that they " fear where no fear
" is, since God is in the generation ofthe righteous ;"
and they who are engaged on the side of Messiah
will, in the end, most assuredly be triumphant. The
latter clause of this verse, in Psalm liii. runs thus,
" For God hath scattered, or, shall scatter, the bones
" of him that encampeth against thee; thou hast, or
" shalt, put them to shame, because God hath de-
" spised them:" the sense of which is evidently the
same with — "God is in the generation ofthe rigb-
" teous : " he will defend them and overthrow their ene
mies": therefore let them not fear, neither let their
hearts be troubled. If this interpretation be disap
proved, the words, " There were they in great fear,"
must be understood of the enemy ; and the clause,
" where no fear was," must be rendered interrogative
ly thus, " and Avas there not cause for them to fear ?
" since God is in the generation of the righteous,
" or, will scatter the bones of him that encampeth
" against thee," &c.
6. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because
the Lord is his refuge.
This is plainly addressed to the adversaries, and
charges them with reproaching and scoffing at that
confidence in the Lord, expressed by the afflicted
righteous, in the preceding verse.
7. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of
Zion ! When the Lord bringeth back the captivity
of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall he
glad,

Ii A COMMENTARY Psal. 15.
The consideration of the apostasy and corruption
of mankind, described in this Psalm, makes the pro
phet express a longing desire for the salvation of Is
rael, which was to go forth out of Zion, and to bring
back the people of God from that most dreadful of
all captivities, the captivity under sin and death ; a
salvation, at which Jacob would indeed rejoice, and
Israel be glad. And how doth the whole church, at
this time, languish for the consummation of her feli
city, looking, even until her eyes fail, for that glo
rious day of final redemption, when every believing
heart shall exult, and all the sons of God shout aloud
for joy!

THIRD DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XV.
ARGUMENT.
This is one of the Psalms appointed to be used on
Ascension-day. The Prophet, 1. inquires con
cerning the person, who should ascend into the
hill, and dwell in the temple of Jehovah ; 2 — 5.
he receives, in answer to his question, a character
of such person.
1. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who
shall dzvell in thy holy hill?
The prophet alludes to the hill of Sion in the
earthly Jerusalem, to the tabernacle of God which

Day 3. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 75
was thereon, and the character of the priest, who
should officiate in that tabernacle. But all these
were figures of a celestial Jerusalem, a spiritual Sion,
a true tabernacle, and an eternal priest. To the great
originals therefore we must transfer our ideas, and
consider the inquiry as made after Him, who should
fix his resting place on the heavenly mount, and ex
ercise his unchangeable priesthood in the temple not
made with hands. And since the disciples of this
new and great High Priest become righteous in him,
and are by the Spirit conformed to his image, the
character which essentially and inherently belongs
only to him, will derivatively belong to them also, who
must follow his steps below, if they would reign with
him above.
2. He that walketh uprightly, and zvorketh righ
teousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
The man, therefore, who would be a citizen of
Zion, and there enter into the rest and joy of his
Lord, must set that Lord always before him. Re
newed through grace, endued with a lively faith, and
an operative charity, he must consider and imitate
the life of that blessed Person who walked amongst
men, without partaking of their corruptions ; who
conversed unblamably with sinners ; who could give
this challenge to his inveterate enemies, " Which of
"you convinceth me of sin?" in whom the grand
Accuser, when he came, " found nothing;" who,
being himself " the Truth," thought and spake of
nothing else ; making many promises, and perform
ing them all.
3. He that backbiteth not zvith his tongue, ?im-

76 A COMMENTARY Psal. 15.
doth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach
against his neighbour.
O CD
Who, knowing the sins, follies, and infirmities of
all mankind, made his tongue an instrument, not of
disclosing and exasperating, but of covering and heal
ing these sores in human nature; who, esteeming
every son of Adam as his neighbour, went about
doing good ; and then laid down his life, and resign
ed his breath in prayer for his murderers ; who,- in
stead of taking up a reproach, and listening to the ca
lumniator, cast him out, and silenced him, by erasing
the hand-writing that was against us, and nailing the
cancelled indictment to the cross ;
4. In zvhose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he
honoureth them that fear the Lord : he that szvear-
cth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
Who rejected the wicked, however rich and ho
nourable ; and chose the well inclined, however poor
and contemptible in the world ; who having, by
covenant with the Father, engaged to keep the law,
and to taste death for every man, went willingly and
steadily through this work, and surmounted every
obstacle which could be thrown in his way, until he
declared, concerning the task appointed him, " It is
"finished;" 5. He that putt eth not oitt his money to usury, nor
taketh reward against the innocent.
Who was so far from desiring to amass the. earthly
mammon, that he would touch none of it ; and re
ceived the true riches, only that he might bestow
them upon others'; who, instead of taking a reward
against the innocent, died for the guilty; and whose

Day 3. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 11
sentence, when he shall sit on the throne of judge
ment, will be equally impartial and immutable.
6. He that doth these things, shall never be moved.
In the above comment, it was thought most ad
visable to open and display the full intent of what
was both enjoined and forbidden, by exemplifying
each particular, as receiving its utmost completion,
in the character and conduct of our blessed Lord.
And whoever shall survey and copy these virtues and
graces, as they present themselves in his life, will, it
is humbly apprehended, take the hest and shortest way
to the heavenly Zion, and make that use of the xvth
Psalm, which the Church may be supposed to have
had in view, when she appointed it as one of the pro
per Psalms for Ascension-day.
PSALM XVI.
ARGUMENT.
Upon whatever occasion, or in whatever distress
David might compose this Psalm, we are taught
by St. Peter and St. Paul, Acts, ii. 25. and xiii.
35. to consider him as speaking in the person of
our Lord Christ, of whom alone the latter part of
the Psalm is true. The contents are, 1 . a prayer
for support ; 2, 3. a declaration of love to the
saints ; 4. a protestation against idolaters ; 5 — 8.
acts of love, joy, and confidence in Jehovah ; and,
9 — 11. one of hope in an approaching resurrec
tion and glorification.

78 A COMMENTARY Psal. 16.
1. Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I put my
trust. These words are evidently spoken by one in great
distress, who addresses himself to heaven for sup
port under his sufferings, pleading his confidence in
God, still unshaken by all the storms that had set
themselves against it. This might be the case
of David, and may be that of any believer. But
since the Psalm is a continued speech without change
of person, we may consider the whole as uttered by
Him, wdio only could utter the concluding verses, and
who in this first verse makes his supplication to the
Father, for the promised and expected deliverance.
2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou
art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3.
But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the ex
cellent, in rvhom is all my delight.
In the Chaldee and Syriac, the latter clause of the
former of these two verses is rendered—" My good-
" ness is from thee." An ingenious writer thinks the
Hebrew will bear this sense, in the elliptical way,
thus — " My goodness ! shall I mention that ! By no
" means ; it is all to be ascribed to thee." The good
ness of man is all derived from God, and should be
extended to his brethren. That of Messiah owed its
original to his union with the Divinity ; and promoted
the salvation of those to whom it was communicated,
that is to say, of those who thereby became " the
" saints and excellent ones in the earth." For their
sakes obedience was performed, and propitiation
made, by the Son of God, because he loved them
with, an everlasting love, and placed " all his delight"

Day 3. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 79
in making them happy. He rejoiced in "thehabit-
" able parts of the earth, and his delights were with
" the sons of men." Prov. viii. 31.
4. Their sorrozvs shall be multipliedthat hasten after
another god : their drink-offerings qf blood zvill I not
offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
Christ denounceth vengeance against those who
should make to themselves other gods, run after other
saviours, or suffer any creature to rival him in their
affections ; declaring of such, that their offerings
should not be presented by him to the Father, nor
should they be partakers of the benefits of his inter
cession. Even the bloody sacrifices of the law, in
stituted for a time by God himself, became abomina
tion to him when that time was expired, and the one
great sacrifice had been offered upon the altar of tlie
cross. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance,
and qf my cup ; thou maintainest my lot. 6. The
lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places ; yea, I
have a goodly heritage.
The true David, anointed to his everlasting king
dom, yet first a man of sorrows and a stranger upon
earth, prefers the promised inheritance of the church,
that spiritual kingdom, city, and temple of Jehovah,
before all the kingdoms of this world, and the glory
of them ; he is sure that Jehovah will maintain his
lot, that he will both give and preserve to him this
his patrimony ; and therefore rejoices at the divine
beauty and excellency of the heavenly Canaan. And
hence the Christian learns wherein his duty and his
happiness consist; namely, in making choice of God

SO A COMMENTARY Psal. 16.
for " the portion of his inheritance and of his cup,"
for his support and for his delight ; in preferring the
spirit to the flesh, the church to the world, and eter
nity to time.
7- I will bless the Lord, zvho hath given me counsel;
my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
The person speaking here blesses Jehovah for com
municating that divine " counsel," that celestial wis
dom, by whieh he was incited and enabled to make
tlie foregoing, choice and resolution. In the latter
part of the verse is intimated the mode of these gra
cious and spiritual communications, which in the dark
seasons of adversity were conveyed to the inmost
thoughts and affections of the mind, thereby to in
struct, to comfort, and to strengthen the sufferer,
until his passion should be accomplished, and the
morning of the resurrection should dawn, in which,
as we shall see, all his hope and confidence were
placed. 8. I have set the Lord always before me; be
cause he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
The method taken by Christ as man, to support
himself in time of trouble, and persevere unto the
end, was to maintain a constant actual sense of the
presence of Jehovah, whom when he thus saw stand
ing at his right hand, ready, at the appointed hour,
to succour and deliver him,. he then feared not the
powers of earth and hell combined for his destruc
tion. Why are our fears great, but because our faith
is little ?
9- Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory re-
ioiceth ; my flesh also shall rest in hope.

Day 3. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 81 '
Through confidence in the almighty power engag
ed on his side, joy filled the heart of Christ, and ren
dered his tongue an instrument of giving glory to Je
hovah in the midst of his sufferings ; because when
they were ended, as tliey must soon be, his flesh was
only to make its bed, and rest a while in the> grave,
after the labours of the day, in sure and certain hope
of a speedy resurrection and glorification. This
same consideration is to the afflicted, the sick, and
the dying Christian, a never failing source of com
fort, an inexhaustible fountain of joy : sin and in
fidelity are the enemies, who would fill it with earth.
10. For thou zvilt not leave my soul in hell; nei
ther zvilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corrup
tion. It was a part of the covenant of grace, and pro
mised by the mouth of God's prophets, that after the
death of Messiah, his animal frame, wdi, should not
continue, like those of other men, in the grave, Virip,
nor should corruption be permitted to seize on the
body, by which all others were to be raised to incor
ruption and immortality. As members of Christ,
this same promise and assurance is so far ours, that
although our mortal part must see corruption, yet it
shall not be finally left under the power of the enemy,
but shall be raised again, and reunited to its old com
panion the soul, which exists, mean while, in secret
and undiscerned regions, there waiting for the day
when its Redeemer shall triumph over corruption,
in his mystical, as he hath already done in his natural
body. 11. Thou wilt show me the path qf life: in thy
vol. nr g

S2 A COMMENTARY Psal. 17.
presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore.
The return of Christ from the grave is beautifully
described by Jehovah " showing," or discovering to
him a " path of life," leading through the valley of
the shadow of death, and from that valley to the sum
mit of the hill of Zion, or to the mount of God in
heaven, on which he now sits enthroned. There ex
alted at the right hand of tlie Father, that human
body, which expired on the cross, and slept in the
sepulchre, lives and reigns, filled with delight, and
encircled by glory incomprehensible and endless.
Through this thy beloved Son and our dear Saviour,
" thou shalt show" us likewise, O Lord, " the path
"of life;" thou shalt justify our souls by thy grace
now, and raise our bodies by thy power at the last
day ; when earthly sorrow shall terminate in heaven-
ly joy, and momentary pain shall be rewarded with,
everlasting felicity.

PSALM XVLT.
ARGUMENT.
The Psalmist, confiding in the justice of his cause,
1 — 4. prayeth for a hearing and decision of it ;
5 — 9- he petitioned! for the divine guidance and
protection ; 10— 12. he describeth the temper and
behaviour of his enemies; 13, 14. beseecheth God
to disappoint them, and to deliver him; he endeth
.with an act of faith*

Day 3. m.p. ON TrfE PSALMS. 83
1. Hear the right, O Lord, or, Hear, O righ
teous Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my
prayer, that goeth not out qf feigned lips.
The righteousness of the judge, and the importu- .
nity and sincerity of the petitioner, are the arguments
here urged for a speedy and favourable determina
tion. Slander and calumny were the. portion of
David, and of a greater than David, till the righteous
Lord manifested himself on their behalf. And shall
not God, in like manner, judge and avenge the cause
of " His own elect, who cry day and night unto him;
" I tell you," saith Christ himself, " that he will
" avenge them speedily :" Luke, xviii. 8. " Men
" ought always to pray, therefore, and not to faint."
2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence;
let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
A court of equity is ever sitting in heaven, to re
ceive appeals from the wrongful decisions of men
here below ; and in that court a judge presides, whose
impartial hand holds the scales of justice even ;
whose unerring eye marks the least inclination of
either ; and from whose sentence injured innocence
is therefore taught to expect redress.
3. Thou hast proved mine heart ; thou hast visited
me in the night ; thou hast tried me, and shalt find
nothing: I am purposed that my mouth shall not
transgress. The sufferer's " heart condemns him not, and he
" has confidence towards God," to whom he applies
as the proper judge, because the only witness ofhis
integrity. God had " proved" not only his words
and actions, but his " heart," which man could not
G 2

84 A COMMENTARY Psal. 17.
do: God had " visited," observed, and explored
him "in the night," when secrecy'and solitude prompt
the hypocrite to sin, and when the undisciplined ima
gination wanders abroad, like the bird of darkness,
after forbidden objects : God had " tried" him, as
silver or gold, in the fiery furnace of adversity ; and
if there be any dross or scum in the metal, it will
then rise to the top, and show itself; yet nothing ap
peared, not so much as the alloy of an intemperate
word. Absolutely and universally this could only
be , time of the holy Jesus ; however, through his
grace, it may be true of some of his disciples in par
ticular instances of crimes falsely laid to their charge.
Let us pray that it may be true of us, whenever God
shall please to prove and try us.
4. Concerning the zvorks of men, by the zvord qf
thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the de
stroyer. The w ay to hold fast our integrity in time of temp
tation is here pointed out. " Concerning the works
" of men, " that is, such works as fallen, depraved
man has recourse to, when in distress, " by the word
" of thy lips,*' by treasuring up thy word in my
heart, as the rule of my actions, and the guide of
my life, " I have watched, " observed, that is, in
order to avoid " the paths of the destroyer. " This
seems to be ,the literal construction, and to convey
the fidl meaning of the verse, which contains exactly
the same sentiment with that in Psal. cxix. ll.
" Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
" not sin against thee. " If the word either be not
in the heart at. all, or if it be not there in such a man-

Day 3. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 85
ner as to be ready at all times for use and applica
tion, the man is in danger, at every turn, of going
astray. 5. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my foot
steps slip not.
The word of God affords us direction, but the
grace of God must enable us to follow its direction,
and that grace must be obtained by prayer. The
" paths of God" are opposed to the " paths ofthe
" destroyer," the way of righteousness^to that of sin.
The image here is taken from one walking in a slip
pery path, for such is that of human life, by reason
of temptations ; so that the believer, especially if he
be young, feeble, and inexperienced, has great need
of a divine -supporter in every step he takes,.
6*. I have called upon thee, for tkou zvilt hear me,
or, because tkou hast heard me, O God: incline thine
ear to me, and hear my speech.
The sweet experience of former deliverances giveth
a comfortable assurance of protection in present and
future dangers; and this should cause us to fly for
refuge at all times, by strong supplication and pray
er, to him, who is able and willing to save us from
death. 7. Shozv thy marvellous loving kindness, O thou
that savest by thy right hand them which put their
t?'ust in thee from those that rise up against them.
This is an address to the " loving kindness, " or
mercy of God, which the Psalmist entreats him to
display and magnify in his favour, since it was the
promise, the delight, and the glory of Jehovah,
to save those who believed and trusted in him.

86 A COMMENTARY Psal. it.
There are two ways of rendering the latter clause of
this verse : either, " Thou who savest by thy right
" hand," &c. as our translation has it : or, " Thou
" that savest them which put their trust in thee from
" those that rise up at, or, against thy right hand,"
meaning the opposers of the divine counsels and
dispensations: as in Zech. iii. 1. Satan is said to
" stand at Joshua's right hand, " to obstruct the
building of the temple.
8. Keep me as the apple qf the eye : hide me under
the shadozv of thy zvings. 9. From tke wicked that
oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me
about. He who has so fenced and guarded that precious
and tender part, the pupil of the eye, and who has
provided for the security of a young and helpless
brood under the wings of their dam, is here entreat
ed to extend the same providential care and parental
love to the souls of his elect, equally exposed to dan
ger, equally beset with enemies. Of his readiness so
to do he elsewhere assureth us, under the same ex
quisite imagery, Zech. ii. 8. " He that toucheth
" you, toucheth the apple of his eye : " Matt, xxiii.
37- " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would
ft I have gathered thy children together, even as a
" hen gathereth her chickens under her wings ! "
10. They are enclosed in their ozvn fat ; with their
mouth they speak proudly. .
The last argument made use of hy the Psalmist,
in his address to God, is the character of his adver
saries. He begins with their " pride, " and its
cause, " fulness of bread, " or high living. Dp.

•f

Day 3. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 87
Hammond prefers the rendering which follows : •
" They have shut up their mouth with fat ; they speak
" proudly. " Either way the meaning plainly is,
that pride is the child of plenty, begotten by self-
indulgence, which hardens the hearts of men against
the fear of God, and the love of their neighbours ;
rendering them insensible to the judgements ofthe.
former, and the miseries of the latter. Let every
man take care, that, by pampering the flesh, he do
not raise up an enemy of this stamp against him
self. 1 1 . They have now compassed us in our steps : they
have set their eyes bowing down to the ground.
" They have compassed us in our steps ; " that is,
literally, Saul and his followers had watched, pur
sued, and at last hemmed in David and his men :
" They have set, or fixed their eyes " upon us, psa
mtoiV, " to lay us prostrate upon the earth, " or finals
ly to make an end of us. Such are our spiritual
enemies ; such is their intention, and our danger.
12. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as
it zvere a young lion lurking in secret places.
The similitude of a lion, either roaring abroad in
quest of his prey, or couching in secret, ready to
spring upon it the moment it comes within his reach,
is often employed by David, to describe the power
and malice of his enemies. Christians cannot forget,
that they likewise, have an adversary of the same na
ture and character; one ever seeking whom, and
contriving how, he may devour.
13. Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him dozen :
deliver- my soidfrom the zvicked, which is thy szvord;

8S A COMMENTARY Psal. 17.
14. From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from
men of the zvorld, which have their portion in this
life, and zvhose belly thou fittest with thy hid treasure:
they are full of children, and leave the rest of their
substance to their babes.
The Psalmist, having characterized those who pur
sued after him to take away his life, now entreatsGod
to " arise," or appear in his Gause, to " disappoint,"
or " prevent" the enemy in his designs, and to " cast
" him down," to overthrow and subdue him. The
next words may be thus rendered; " Deliver my
" soul from the wicked by thy sword, from men by
" thy hand, O Lord, from the men of the world;"
the expressions, " sword" and "hand of Jehovah,"
being frequently used to denote his power and ven
geance. The i^ba o'no or " mortals of the transi-
" tory world," from whom David prays to be deli
vered, are said to be such as have " their portion in
" this life," such as, in our Saviour's language, " have
" their reward " here, and are not to expect it here
after; " whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid
" treasure ;" whom thou pennittest to enjoy thy tem
poral blessings in abundance, to " receive their good
"things" upon earth, and to " fare sumptuously
" everyday;" as if it were to convince us, in what
estimation we ought to hold the world, when we see
the largest shares of it dealt out to the most worthless
of the sons of Adam: " They are full of, or abound
" in children, and leave the residue of their substance
" to their babes;" after living in plenty, perhaps to
a good old age, they leave behind them a numerous
and flourishing posterity, who inherit their estates,

Days. m.p. ON THE PSALMS, 89
and go on, as their fathers did before them, w ithout
piety to God, or charity to the poor. From these
men and their ways, we have all reason to say with
David, " Good Lord deliver us !"
15. As for me, Izvitt behold thy face in righteous*
ness: I shall be satisfied, when I azvake, zvith thy
likeness. Instead of setting our affections on tilings below,
the prophet instructs usr after his example, -to place
all our happiness in the vision of God, and in that
righteousness which leads to it; since the hour is
coming, when we shall awake, and arise, after the
divine similitude; when we shall be like God, for
we shall see him as he is, and by seeing him shall be
changed into the same image : and then shall every
desire be satisfied with the fulness of joy, with the
exceeding abundance of unutterable glory.
THIRD DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XVIII.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm, as we are informed by the sacred histo
ry, 2 Sam. xxii. 1. was composed and sung by
David, in the day that the Lord had delivered him
out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the
hand of Saul. It contains, ver. 1 — 3. an address
of thanks to Jehovah ; 4 — 6. a relation of suffer
ings undergone, and prayers made for assistance ;
7 — 15. a magnificent description of the divine in-

90 A COMMENTARY Psal. IS.
terposition in favour of the sufferer, and, 16 — 19.
of the deliverance wrought for him, 20 — 24. in
consideration of his righteousness, 25 — 28. ac
cording to the tenour of God's equitable proceed
ings ; 29 — 36. to Jehovah is ascribed the glory of
the victory, which, 37 — 42. is represented as every
way complete, by the destruction of all opponents,
and, 43 — 45. the submission of the heathen; for
these events, 46—50. God is blessed and praised.
As the sublimity of the figures used in this Psalm,
and the consent of ancient commentators, even,
Jewish as well as Christian, but above all, the
citations made from it in the New Testament, do
evince, that the kingdom of Messiah is here
pointed at, under that of David, an application
is therefore made of the whole, in the ensuing
comment, to the sufferings, resurrection, righteous
ness, and conquests of Christ, to the destruction
of the Jews, and conversion of the Gentiles. In
a word, the Psalm, it is apprehended, should now
be considered as a glorious epinikion, or triumphal
hymn, to be sung by the church, risen and victo
rious in Christ her Head.
1. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
Let us suppose king Messiah, like his illustrious
progenitor of old, seated in peace and triumph upon
the throne designed and prepared for him. From
thence let us imagine him taking a retrospect view of

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 91
the sufferings he had undergone, the battles he had
fought, and the victories he had gained. With this
idea duly impressed upon our minds, we shall be
able, in some measure, to conceive the force of the
words, " *|nmK, with all the yearnings of affection
" I will love thee, O Jehovah, my strength, through
"jny union with whom, I have finished my work,
" and am now exalted to praise thee, in the name
" of a redeemed world." Whenever we sing this
Psalm, let us think we are singing it in conjunction
with our Saviour, newly risen from the dead; a con
sideration which surely will incite us to do it with be
coming gratitude and devotion.
2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my
deliverer; my God, my strength, in zvhom I trust;
my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my
high tozver.
In other words, explanatory of the figures here
made use of, Through Jehovah it is, that I have
stood immovable amidst a sea of temptations and
afflictions; he has supported me under my troubles,
and delivered me out of them; his protection has
secured me, his power has broken and scattered
mine enemies ; and by his mercy and truth am I now
set up on high above them all. — How lovely these
strains, in the mouth of the church militant ! How
glorious will they be, when sung by the church
triumphant! It is observable, that the words, " in
" whom I trust," or, as the original has it, "I will
" trust in him," are referred to, in the margin of Our
English Bible, as quoted from this verse by St. Paul,
Heb. ii. 13. If it be so, the reader, by turning to

92 A COMMENTARY Psal. 18.
the place, may furnish himself with a demonstration,
that in the xviiith, as well as in the xvith Psalm,
David speaks in the person of Christ.
3- / zvill, or, did, call upon tke Lord, who is
worthy to be praised ; so shall I be, or, so was I,
saved from mine enemies.
As the Psalm so evidently throughout is a thanks
giving for past deliverances, the verbs in this verse
seem to require the same rendering which is given to
them below, at ver. 6. Jehovah is to be " called
" upon," both in adversity and in prosperity; in the
former, with the voice of prayer, in the latter with
that of praise. " Is any afflicted?" saith St. James,
v. 13. Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him
" sing Psalms."
4. Tke sorrows, or, cords, qf death compassed me,
and the floods of ungodly men, or, Belial, made me
afraid. 5. The sorrows, or, cords, qf hell, or, the
grave, compassed me about; the snares qf death pre
vented me.
St. Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost,
says, when speaking of Christ — " Whom God hath
" raised up, having loosed the pains of death, be-
" cause it was not possible that he should be holden
" of it:" Acts, ii. 24. " Now the Hebrew word ban
" (as Dr. Hammond well observes, on that place)
" signifies two things, a cord or band, and a. pang,'
" especially of women in travail ; hence the LXX
" meeting with the word, Ps. xviii. where it certain-
" ly signifies, xoma, cords, or bands, have yet ren-
" dered it wives, pangs; and from their example here,
'' St. Luke hath used r«; uStvas Sahara, the pains or

Day 3. E. p. ON THE PSALMS. 9?
"pangs of death; when both the addition of the
" word x-.-0-a.;, loosing, and xaarsdrflai being holden fast,
" do show the sense is bands, or cords." From the
passage in the Acts, with this learned and judicious
remark upon it, we obtain not only the true rendering
of the phrase " nin 'ban cords, or bands of death,"
but also something more than an intimation that, in
the verses of our Psalm now before us, David speaks
of Christ, that the " cords of death," those " bands "
due to our sins, " compassed him about, and the
" floods of Belial," tlie powers of darkness and un
godliness, like an overwhelming torrent breaking
forth from the bottomless pit, " made him afraid,"
in the day of his agony, when the apprehensions of
the bitter cup cast his soul into unutterable amaze
ment, and he beheld himself environed by those
" snares " which had captivated and detained all the
children of Adam. David, surrounded by Saul and
his blood-thirsty attendants, was a lively emblem of
the suffering Jesus, and therefore the same description
is applicable to both; as the words of the second
Psalm, in like manner, celebrate the inauguration of
the son of Jesse, and that of the Son of God.
6. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and
cried unto my God: he heard my voice out qf kis
temple, and my cry came before him, even into his
ears. David was in distress ; David called upon Je
hovah, the God of Israel, who dwelt between the
Cherubims~in the holy place; and by him the prayer
of David was heard. Much greater was the distress

94 A COMMENTARY Psal. IS.
of Christ, who likewise, as St. Paul speaks, " in the
" days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplica-
" tions, with strong crying and tears, unto him that
" was able to save him from death, and was heard;"
Heb, v. 7. his voice ascended to the eternal temple,
his powerful cry pierced the ears of the Father ever
lasting, and brought salvation from heaven at the
time appointed. The church also is distressed upon
earth, she crieth, her cries are heard, and will be
answered in the day of God,
7- Then tke earth shook and trembled; the founda
tions also of the hills moved and zvere shaken, because
he was wroth.
At this verse the prophet begins to describe the
manifestation of divine power in favour of the
Righteous Sufferer. The imagery employed is bor
rowed from mount Sinai, and those circumstances
which attended the delivery of the law from thence.
When a monarch is angry, and prepares for war, his
whole kingdom is instantly in commotion. Universal
nature is here represented as feeling the effects of its
sovereign's displeasure, and all the visible elements
are disordered. The earth shakes from its founda
tions, and all its rocks and mountains tremble before
the majesty of their great Creator, when he ariseth
in judgement. This was really the case at the resur
rection of our Lord from the dead ; when, as the
Evangelist informs us, " there was a great earth -
" quake," and the grave owned its inability any
longer to detain the blessed body, which had been
committed, for a season, to its custody. And what

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 99
happened at the resurrection of Jesus, should remind
us of what shall happen, when the earth shall trem
ble, and the dead shall be raised, at the last day.
S. There zvent up a smoke out of his nostrils, and
fire out qf his mouth devoured: coals zvere kindled by
it; or, fire out qf his mouth devoured, zvith burning
coals from before him.
The farther effects of God's indignation are re
presented by those of fire, which is the most terrible
of the created elements, burning and consuming all
before it, scorching the ground, and causing the
mountains to smoke. Under this appearance God
descended on the top of Sinai: thus he visited the
cities of the plain; and thus he is to come at the end
of time. Whenever therefore he is described as show
ing forth his power and vengeance for the salvation
of his chosen, and the discomfiture of his enemies,
a " devouring fire " is the emblem made choice of, to
convey proper ideas of such his manifestations. And
from hence we may conceive the heat of his wrath
against the adversaries of man's salvation, when by
raising his Son Jesus from the dead, he blasted their
schemes, and withered all their strength.
9- He bozved the heavens also, and came down: and
darkness was under his feet. 10. And he rode upon a
cherub, and did fly ; yea, he did fly on the zvings qf
the zvind. 1 1 . He made darkness his secret place ;
his pavilion round about him were dark zvaters and
thick clouds of the skies.
Storms and tempests in the element of air are in
struments of the divine displeasure, and are therefore
selected as figures of it. When God descends from

90- A COMMENTARY Psal. 13.
above, the clouds of heaven compose an awful and
gloomy tabernacle, in the midst of whieh he is sup
posed to reside : the reins of whirlwinds are in his
hand, and he directs their impetuous course through
the wOrld ; the whole artillery of the aerial regions is
at his command, to be by him employed against his
enemies, in the day of battle and war.
12. At the brightness that was before kim,\his thick
clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. 1 3. The
Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest
gave his voice ; hail stones and coals ofjire. 14. Yea,
he sent out his arrows, and scattered thenr, and he
shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
The discharge of the celestial artillery upon the
adverse powers is here magnificently described. Ter
rible it was to them, as when lightnings and thunders,
hail stones and balls of fire, making their way through
the dark clouds which contain them, strike terror and
dismay into the hearts of men. Such is the " voice,"
and such are the " arrows " of the Lord Almighty,
wherewith he " discomfiteth " all w-ho oppose the
execution of his counsels, and obstruct the salvation
of his chosen. Every display and description of this
sort, and indeed every thunder-storm which we be
hold, should remind us of that exhibition of power
and vengeance, which is hereafter to accompany the
general resurrection,.
15. Then the channels of waters zvere seen,, and
the foundations of the world were discovered at thy
rebuke, 0 Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy
nostrils. As the former part of the Psalmist's description

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 97
was taken from the appearance on mount Sinai, so
this latter part seems evidently to allude to what
passed at the Red Sea, when by the breath of God
the waters were divided, the depths were discovered,
and Israel was conducted in safety through them.
By that event was prefigured the salvation of the
church universal, through the death and resurrection
of Christ, who descended into the lower parts of the
earth, and from thence reascended to light and life.
The xivth chapter of Exodus, which relates the pas
sage of Israel through the Red Sea, is therefore ap
pointed as one of the proper lessons on Easter Day.
And thus we obtain the ideas intended to be conveyed
in this sublime but difficult verse, together with their
application to the grand deliverance of the true
David, in the day of God's power. Indeed it is not
easy to accommodate to any part of the history of the
son of Jesse those awful, majestic, and stupendous
images, which are made use of throughout this whole
description of the divine manifestation, from verse 7.
But, however this be, most certainly every part of so
solemn a scene of terrors forbids us to doubt but
that a " greater than David is here;" since crea
tion scarce affords colours brighter and stronger than
those here employed, wherewith to paint the appear-,
ance of Jehovah at the day of final redemption.
16. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me
out qf many, or, the great, waters. 17- He delivered
me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated
me: for they were too string for me.
For this purpose did God in so wonderful a man
ner display his power and glory, that he might deli-
vox.. 11. H

98 A COMMENTARY Psal. 18.
ver the sufferer out of his troubles. This deliverance
is first expressed metaphorically, by " drawing him
" out of the great waters," and then plainly, "he
" delivered me from my strong enemy," &c. The
" great waters," in ver. 16. are the same with " the
" floods of the ungodly," in ver. 4. By these was
Messiah, like David, oppressed and overwhelmed for
a time; but, like David, he arose at length superior
to them all. The " strong enemy " was obliged to
give way to a " stronger than he, who overcame him,
" and took from him his armour in which he trusted,
" and divided the spoil : " Luke xi. 22.
1 8. They prevented me in the day of my calamity:
but the Lord zvas my stay. 19- He brought me
forth also into a large place; he delivered me, be
cause he delighted in me.
The divine mercy is celebrated again and again
through this sacred hymn, in a variety of expres
sions. Innumerable foes " prevented," that is, sur
rounded, enclosed Christ, on all sides, " in the day of
" his calamity," when the powers of earth and hell
set themselves in array against him: but "Jehovah
" was his stay;" on him he reposed an unshaken con
fidence; Jehovah therefore supported his steps, and
led him on to victory and triumph; from the narrow
confines of the grave he translated him to unbounded
empire, because he was the son of his love, in whom
he delighted.
20. The Lord rezvarded me according to my righ
teousness ; according to the. cleanness of my hands
hath he recompensed me. 21. For I have kept the
ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed

Day 3. E. p. ON THE PSALMS. 99
from my God. 22. For all his judgements were be
fore me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23. I zvas also upright before him, and I kept myself
from mine iniquity, or, from iniquities. 24. There
fore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my
righteousness, according to the cleanness qf my hands
in his eye-sight.
Commentators have been much perplexed to ac
count for these unlimited claims to righteousness
made by David, and that, long after the matter of
Uriah, and, towards the close of life. Certain indeed
it is, that the expressions, considered as David's,
must be confined either to his steadfast adherence to
the true worship in opposition to idolatry, or to his
innocency with regard to some particular crimes
falsely alleged against him by his adversaries. But
if the Psalm be prophetical, and sung by the victo
rious monarch in the person of king Messiah ; then
do the verses now before us no less exactly than
beautifully delineate that all-perfect righteousness
wrought by the Redeemer, in consequence of which,
he obtained deliverance for himself and his people.
For " His " righteousness' sake Jehovah was well
pleased, and rewarded with everlasting felicity the
unspotted purity of his works : " He " performed an
unsinning obedience to every part of the law, and
swerved not from its line in a single instance ; the
rule was ever in his eye, and no temptation could
induce him to deviate frorri its direction; like the
light, he passed through all things undefiled, and his
garments were white as the lily : therefore a glorious
H 2

100 A COMMENTARY Psal. 18.
kingdom was given unto him, forasmuch as in him
the piercing eye of heaven could discover no blemish
at all.
25. With the merciful thou zvilt show thyself ' mer-
cful; with an upright man thou zvilt shozv thyself
upright: 26. JVith the pure thou wilt shozv thyself
pure : and zvith the froicard thou zvilt show thysef
frozvard : Heb. with the perverse tkou zvilt zvrestle,
or, strive.
The reason is here assigned why God " recom-
'" pensed Messiah according to the cleanness of his
" hands," namely, because he is just, in rendering to
every one according to his works. He who is " mer-
' ' ciful " to his brethren shall obtain the divine mercy ;
he who is " upright" in his dealings with others, will
have justice done him by the great Judge, against his
iniquitous oppressors ; he who is " pure " from deceit
and hypocrisy in the service of his God, shall expe
rience in himself a faithful and exact performance of
the promises which God hath made to such; but the
man that is " froward," perverse, and rebellious, must
expect to grapple with an arm which will either hum
ble or destroy. See Levit. xxvi. 3, 4, &c. 23, 24, Sec.
1 Kings, viii. 32. Prov. iii. 34.
27- For thou wilt save the afflicted, or, lozvly,
people : but zvilt bring dozvn high looks.
"God resisteth the proud," saith an apostle, " and
" giveth grace unto the humble :" James, iv. 6. And,
indeed, what is the covenant of grace, but a cove
nant to humble pride, and to exalt humility; what
was it, but the humility of Christ, that subdued the

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 101
.pride of Satan; and on what does the salvation of
every man depend, but on the issue of the contest
between these two principles in his heart ?
28. For thou zvilt, or, dost, light my candle, or,
lamp: the Lord my God zvill, or, does, enlighten my
darkness. An instance of God's favour towards the lowly
and afflicted was the salvation vouchsafed to the suf
fering Jesus, who, like David, after much tribulation
and persecution, under which he sunk for a time,
even so low as to the grave itself, was exalted to
glory and honour. This change of condition is set
forth by that of a " lamp," from a state of extinction
to one of illumination, darkness being a well known
emblem of sorrow and death, as light is the establish
ed symbol of life and joy. Remarkable are the words
of the Chaldee Paraphrast upon this verse, cited by
Dr. Hammond — " Because thou shalt enlighten the
" lamp of Israel, which is put out in the captivity,
" for thou art the author of the light of Israel : the
" Lord my God shall lead me out of darkness into
" light, and shall make me see the consolation of the
" age which shall come to the just."
29- For by thee I have run through, or, broken,
a troop : mid by my God have I leaped over a zvall.
Through the power of his divinity, the Captain of
our salvation vanquished the host of darkness, and
escaped from the sepulchre, notwithstanding all their
precautions to confine him there. Vain is every
effort, by whomsoever it is made, against the coun
sels of omnipotence. And let us reflect, for our
comfort, that they who could not prevent the resur-

102 A COMMENTARY Psal. 13.
rection of Christ, cannot detain the soul of a Chris
tian in sin, or his body in the grave.
30. As for God, his way is perfect: the word ofthe
Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust
in him.
The " way " of God is the course of his proceed
ings with men, and its " perfection" consists in the
equity of those proceedings ; the promises made in
" the word of Jehovah " to his servants, are " tried"
in times of affliction and persecution, as gold in the
fire, and found pure from any dross of deceit, or fal
libility : he is ever a " shield " to protect " those who
" trust in him," during their stay here, until he be
comes their " exceeding great reward " hereafter.
All this he has been to the Head, in order that he
may be all this to the members of the church.
31. For zvho is God, save the Lord? Or zvho is a
rock, save our God?
" Jehovah" alone is the " God," or covenanted
Saviour of his people; he is the only "rock," on
which they may securely build their hope of heaven.
Vain were the idols of the ancient world, Baal and
Jupiter; as vain are those of modern times, Pleasure,
Honour, and Profit. They cannot bestow content,
or make their votaries happy below ; much less can
they deliver from death, or open the everlasting doors
above. 32. It is God that girdetk me with strength, and
maketh my zvay perfect.
In this and the following verses are enumerated
the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he
is armed and prepared for the battle, after the ex-

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 103
ample of his victorious leader. God invests him with
" strength," or what the apostle calls " the spirit of
" might in the inner man," as the loins of a soldier
are braced by the military girdle ; whence that of St.
Paul, " having your loins girt about with truth." He
removes every thing that may impede his progress,
until he has accomplished his warfare, and finished
his course in righteousness, which seems to be what
is meant by " making his way perfect."
33. He maketh my feet like kinds' feet, and setteth
me upon my high places.
He endueth the affections, which are the feet of
the soul, with vigour and agility, to run the way of
his commandments, to surmount every obstacle, arid,
with an activity like that of the swift hart, or the
bounding roe, to conquer the steep ascent of the
everlasting hills, and gain the summit of the heavenly
mountain. St. Paul tells us how the feet must be
shod, for this purpose, namely, " with the prepara-
" tion of the gospel of peace."
34. He teacheth my hands to zvar, so tkat a bow of
xteel is broken by mine arms.
He communicates a wisdom and a power which
nothing can withstand, instructing and enabling the
combatant to overcome in the conflict, to seize and
render useless the weapons of the adversary. St.
Paul puts into the Christian warrior's hand, " the
" sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
35. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy sal
vation-: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and
thy gentleness, or, thy afflictions, have made me
great.

104 A COMMENTARY, Psal. IS.
The salvation of God is a defence against all
temptations, to such as believe in it; whence St. Paul
styles this piece of armour, the shield of Faith,
" wherewith," says he, " ye may be able to quench
" all the fiery darts of the devil." The " right hand "
of God must support and sustain us at all times; and
the wholesome discipline of the Christian camp, the
chastisements and corrections of our heavenly Father,
must train us up to true greatness, and prepare us
for the kingdom of heaven. The soldiers, like their
great Leader, must be " made perfect through " suf-
" ferings." 36. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, tkat,
or, and, my feet did not slip.
In other words, God had opened a free course
for him to victory and triumph, and had also endued
him with strength to run that course; thus removing
the two mischievous effects of sin, which not only
precluded the way to heaven, but deprived us of the
ability to travel in it.
37- I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken
them ; neither did I turn again till they zvere con
sumed. 38. / have zvounded them that they were not
able to rise : they are fallen under my feet.
If we suppose David in his conquests to have pre
figured victorious Messiah, then have we, in these
and the subsequent verses, a sublime description of
that vengeance which Jesus, after his resurrection
and ascension, inflicted on his hardened and impeni
tent enemies. His wrath "pursued" and " overtook"
them, in the day of visitation ; nor did it return, till,
like a devouring fire, it had " consumed" the prey.

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 105
The Jews were cast down, " not able to rise," or
lift up themselves as a people, being crushed under
the feet of the once-despised and insulted Nazarene.
Let us reflect upon the impotence of our spiritual
adversaries, when Jesus declares war against them,
and let us beseech him to conquer them in us, as he
has conquered them for us.
39. For thou hast girded me zvith strength unto
the battle ; thou hast subdued under me those that
rose up against me. 40. Tkou hast also given me
the necks of mine enemies ; that I might destroy them
that hate me.
With the almighty power of the Godhead was
Jesus invested, by which all enemies were subdued
unto him; the stiff " necks" of his crucifiers were
bowed under him, and utter destruction became the
portion of those who hated him, and had " sent after
" him, saying, We will not have this man to reign
" over us. " So gird us thy soldiers and servants, O
Lord Jesu, to the battle, and subdue under us, by
the power of thy grace, those that rise up against us,
whether they be our own corrupt desires, or the ma->.
licious spirits of darkness ; so give us, like another
Joshua, the " necks" of these our enemies, that Ave
may destroy them that hate, and would destroy us.
4 1 . They cried, but there was none to save them ;
even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
Never was there a more just and lively portrait of
the lamentable and desperate state of the Jews, when
their calamities came upon them. " They cried,
" but — none to save!" They had rejected him who
alone could save, and who was now about to destroy

106 A COMMENTARY Psal. 18.
them. They cried to Jehovah, and thought them
selves still his favourite nation; but Jehovah and
Jesus were one ; so that after putting the latter from
them, they could not retain the former on their side.
" He answered them not !" It was too late to knock,
when the door was shut ; too late to cry for mercy,
when it was the time of justice. Let us knock,
while yet tlie door may be opened ; and not begin to
pray, when prayer shall be no longer heard.
42. Then did I beat them small as the dust before
the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the
streets. The nature of that judgement which was executed
upon the Jews, cannot be more accurately delineated,
than by the two images here made use of. They
were broken in pieces and dispersed over the face of
the earth by the breath of God's displeasure, like
" dust before the wind; and as .dirt in the streets,
" tliey were cast out," to be trodden under foot by
all nations. O that every nation would so consider,
as to avoid their crime and their punishment !
43. Thou hast delivered me from the st livings ofthe
people, and thou hast made me the head of the heath
en : a people whom / have not knozvn shall serve me.
If David was delivered from the strivings of the
people ; if the adjacent heathen nations were added
to his kingdom, and a " people, whom he had not
"known, served him;" how much more was this
the case of the Son of David, when he was " deliver-
" ed," by his resurrection, from the power of all his
enemies ; when he was made " head of the heathen,"
of whom, after their conversion, his church was, and

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 107
to this day is, composed; and when, instead of the
rejected Jews, a people, to whom before he had not
been known, became his servants !
44. As soon as they hear qf me, they shall obey
me : the strangers shall submit themselves1 unto me.
45. The strangei^s shall fade azvay, and be afraid
out of their close places.
" As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me;"
hereby is intimated the readiness with which the Gen
tiles should flow into the church, upon the preaching
of the Gospel to them, when the Jews, after having
so long and so often heard it, had nailed Christ to
the cross, and driven the apostles out from among
them. " The strangers shall submit themselves unto
"me;" the nations who were " aliens from the com-
" monwealth of Israel, and strangers to the cove-
" nants of promise," either cordially submitted to
the sceptre of Christ, or at least dissembled their
hostility, and yielded a feigned submission (for so
the word wra sometimes signifies) ; " the strangers
" shall fade away ; " that is, such of them as set
themselves against me, shall find their strength blast
ed and withered as a leaf in autumn, and shall fall at
the sound of my name and my victories; " they shall
"be afraid out of their close places;" or rather,
" they shall come trembling from their strong holds,"
as places not able to protect them, ahd therefore they
will sue for peace. Such seems to be the import of
these two verses, which therefore denote the conquest
of Messiah to have been every way complete. And
accordingly, in the remaining part of the Psahn, the

108 A COMMENTARY Psal. 18.
church, through Christ her Head, blesseth Jehovah
for the same.
46. The Lord liveth, and blessed he my rock; and
let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47- It is
God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under
me. 48. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea,
thou If test me up above those that rise up against
me ; thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
In other words, " And now, the Lord God om-
" nipotent liveth and reigneth, for ever blessed and
" exalted, as the God of salvation : by whom I am
" avenged of those who persecuted me, and am ad-
" vanced to empire ; my enemies are fallen, and my
" throne is established. " Thus we learn to trust in
Jehovah without fear, when our enemies are victo
rious, and to glorify him without reserve, when we
are so.
49. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O
Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy
name. Remarkable is the manner in which St. Paul cites
this verse, Rom. xv. 9. The context runs thus :
" Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the
" circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the
" promises made unto the fathers : and that the
" Gentiles might glorify God, for his mercy, as it is
" written, For this cause I will confess to thee among
" the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name." This verse
is by the apostle produced as a proof, that the Gen
tiles were one day to glorify God, for the mercy
vouchsafed them by Jesus Christ. But, according to
the letter of the passage, king David only says, that

Day 3. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 109
he will give " thanks unto God among the heathen,"
on account of his own deliverance, and exaltation to
the throne of Israel ; for upon that occasion we know
that he composed and sung the Psalm. This cita
tion brought by St. Paul, cannot therefore be to the
purpose for which it is brought, unless the Psalm
have a double sense ; unless God be glorified in it
for the victory and inthronization of Christ, as well as
for those of David ; and this cannot be, unless the
same words which literally celebrate the one, do like
wise prophetically celebrate the other ; unless David
be a figure of Christ, and speak in his person, and in
that of his body, the church. While this Psalm is
used as a Christian hymn, in the Gentile Christian
church, David still continues, as he foresaw he should
do, " to give thanks unto Jehovah, to glorify God
" among the Gentiles," for the mercies of redemp
tion, and to " sing praises unto his name *."
50. Great deliverance giveth he to his King : and
shozveth mercy to his Anointed, to David, and to his
seed for evermore.
" Great deliverance giveth he unto his King; " to
king David, in saving him from Saul, and his other
temporal enemies, and seating him on the earthly
throne of Israel ; to King Messiah, in rescuing him
from death and the grave, and exalting him to an
heavenly throne, as Head of the church : " and
* " This verse is applied in Rom. xv. 9- to the calling of the
l< Gentiles unto the faith of Christ, and praise unto God there-
"fore. By which we are taught, that of Christ and his kingdom
'¦' this Psalm is chiefly intended." Ainsworth.

110 A COMMENTARY Psal. 13,
" showeth mercy to his anointed ; " to him who was
anointed outwardly, and in a figure, with oil ; and to
him who was anointed inwardly, and in truth, with
the Holy Ghost and with power; " to David, and
" to his seed for. evermore ; " to the literal David, and
to his royal progeny, of whom, according to the flesh,
Christ came; and to Christ himself, the spiritual
David, the beloved of God, with all those who,
through faith, become his children, the sons of God,
and heirs of eternal life.
FOURTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XIX.
ARGUMENT.
In the former part of this beautiful Psalm, ver. 1--6,
the heavens are represented as the instructors of
mankind ; the subject, the universality, and the
manner of their instructions are pointed out ; the
glory, beauty, and powerful effects of the solar
light are described. The latter part of the Psalm,
7 — 14. contains an encomium on the word of God,
in which its properties are enumerated; and a
prayer of the Psalmist for pardoning and restrain
ing grace, and for the acceptance of these and all
other his devotions and meditations. From a
citation which St. Paul hath made of the 4th verse,
it appears, that, in the exposition, we are to raise
our thoughts from things natural to things spiritual ;

Day 4. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 1 j i
we are to contemplate the publication of the Gos
pel, the manifestation of the Light of Life, the Sun
of Righteousness, and the efficacy of evangelical
doctrine. In this view the ancients have consider
ed the Psalm, and the church hath therefore ap
pointed it to be read on Christmas-day.
1 . The heavens declare the glory qf God, and the
firmament shozveth kis handy zvork.
Under the name of " heaven," or " the heavens,"
is comprehended that fluid mixture of light and air
which is every where diffused about us; and to the
influence of which are owing all the beauty and fruit
fulness of the earth, all vegetable and animal life, and
the various kinds of motion throughout the system of
nature. By their manifold and beneficial operations,
therefore, as well as by their beauty and magnifi
cence, " the heavens declare the glory of God;"
they point Him out to us, who, in Scripture language,
is styled " the glory of God;" by whom themselves
and all other things were made, and are upholden ;
and who is the author of every grace and blessing
to the sons of men : " the firmament ;" or expansion
of the celestial elements, wherever it extends,
" showeth his handy work," not only as the Creator,
but likewise as the Redeemer of the world. And
thus do the heavens afford inexhaustible matter for
contemplation and devotion, to the philosopher and
to the Christian.
2. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto
night shozveth knozvledge. ¦

112 A COMMENTARY Psal. 19.
The labours of these our instructors know no in
termission, but they continue incessantly to lecture us
in the science of divine wisdom. There is one glory
ofthe sun, which shines forth by day ; and there are
other glories of the moon and of the stars, which be
come visible by night. And because day and night
interchangeably divide the world between them, they
are therefore represented as transmitting in succession,
each to other, the task enjoined them, like the two
parts of a choir, chanting forth alternately the praises
pf God. How does inanimate nature reproach us
with our indolence and indevotion !
3. There is no speech nor language where their
voice is not heard.
Our translators, by the words inserted in a differ
ent character, have declared the sense of this pas
sage to be, that there is no nation or language, whi
ther the instruction diffused by the heavens doth
not reach. But as the same thought is so fully ex
pressed in the next verse, " Their sound is gone
" out," &c it seems most advisable to adhere to the
original, which runs literally thus : " No speech, no
" words, their voice is not heard ; " that is, although
the heavens are thus appointed to teach, yet it is not
by articulate sounds that they do it ; they are not en
dowed, like man, with the faculty of speech ; but
they address themselves to the mind of the intelligent
beholder in another way, and that, when understood,
a no less forcible way, the way of picture or repre
sentation. So manifold is the wisdom of God; so
various are the w-ays by which he communicates it
to men.

Day 4. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 1 1 3
4. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and
their, zvords to the end ofthe zvorld.
The instruction which the heavens disperse abroad
is universal as their substance, which extends itself
in " lines," or rays, " over all the earth ; " by this
means their " words," or rather, their " * significant
" actions" and operations, are every where present,
even " to the ends of the world;" and thereby they
preach to all nations the power and wisdom, the
mercy and loving kindness of the Lord. The
apostles' commission was the same with that of the
heavens ; and St. Paul, Rom. x. 18. has applied the
natural images of this verse to the manifestation of
the Light of Life, by the sermons of those who were
sent forth for that purpose. He is speaking of those
Jews who had not obeyed the Gospel. " But I say,"
argues he, " have they not heard ? Yes, verily, their
" sound went into all the earth, and their words unto
" the ends of the world." As if he had said, They
must have heard, since the apostles were command
ed not to turn unto the Gentiles, till they had publish
ed their glad tidings throughout Judea; but the
knowledge of him is now become universal, and all
flesh has seen the Glory of the Lord ; the Light Di
vine, like that in the heavens, has visited the whole
world, as the prophet David foretold, in the xixth
Psalm. The apostle cannot be supposed to have
made use of this Scripture in a sense of accommoda-

* arv^o — The verb bhii (whence >^d, words), is used for ex
pressing the meaning by signs. It has this sense, Prov. vi. 13.
l^nn bbm, speaking ¦with his foot-
VOL. II. I

114 .A COMMENTARY Psal. 19.
tion only, because he cites it among other texts which
he produces merely as prophecies. And if such be
its meaning, if the heavens thus declare the Glory of
God, and this is the great lesson they are incessantly
teaching ; what other language do they speak than
that their Lord is the representative of ours, the
bright ruler in the natural world of the more glorious
one in the spiritual, their sun of the " Sun of Righ-
" teousness?" But of this the following verses will
lead us to speak more particularly.
5. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
In the centre of the heavens there is a tent pitch
ed by the Creator for the residence of that most glo
rious of inanimate substances, the solar light ; Trom
thence it issues with the beauty of a bridegroom, and
the vigour of a champion, to run its course, and per
form its operations. A tabernacle, in like manner,
was prepared for him, who saith of himself, " lam
" the light ofthe world :" John, viii. 12. And as
the light of the sun goes out in the morning with in
conceivable activity, new and youthful itself, and com
municating life and gaiety to all things around it, like
a bridegroom, in the marriage garment, from his
chamber to his nuptials ; so, at his incarnation, did
the Light Divine, the promised bridegroom, visit his
church, being clad himself, and clothing her with
that robe of righteousness which is styled, in holy
Scripture, the marriage garment ; and the joy which
his presence administered, was, like the benefits of it,
universal. And as the material light is always ready

Day 4. M.p. ON THE PSALMS. 115
to run its heavenly race, daily issuing forth with
renewed vigour, like an invincible champion still
fresh to labour; so likewise did he rejoice to run
his glorious race ; he excelled in strength, and
his works were great and marvellous ; he triumphed
over the powers of darkness ; he shed abroad on all
sides his bright beams upon his church ; he became
her deliverer, her protector and support; and showed
himself able in every respect to accomplish for hei\
the mighty task he had undertaken. What a mar
vellous instrument of the Most High is the sun at
his rising, considered in this view !
6. His going forth is from the end qf heaven, and
his circuit unto the ends of it ; and there is nothing
hid from the heat thereof.
The light diffused on every side from its fountain,
extendeth to the extremities of heaven, filling the whole
circle of creation, penetrating even to the inmost
substances of grosser bodies, and acting in and
through all other matter, as the general cause of life
and motion. Thus unbounded and efficacious, was j
the influence of the Sun of Righteousness, when he'
sent out his word, enlightening and enlivening all
things by the glory of his grace. His celestial rays
like those of the sun, took their circuit round the
earth ; they went forth out of Judea into all parts of
the habitable world, and there was no corner of it so
remote as to be without the reach of their penetrating
and heading power. " The Lord gave the word,
" great was the company of those, that published it :"
Ps. lxviii. 11. It was the express declaration of our
Saviour himself, " This Gospel ofthe kingdom shall
1 2

116 A COMMENTARY Psal. 19.
" be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all
" nations, and then shall the end come : " Matt.
xxiv. 14. And St. Paul affirms, that the Gospel was
" come unto all the world, and had been preached
"to every creature under heaven:" Col. i. 6. and
23. The prophet, therefore, having thus foretold the
mission of the apostles, and the success of their mini
stry, proceeds, in the next place, to describe their
• ." doctrine ;" so that what follows is a fine encomium
upon the Gospel, written with all the simplicity pecu
liar to the sacred language, and in a strain far surpass
ing the utmost efforts of human eloquence.
7- The lazv, or, doctrine, qf the Lord is perfect,
converting, or, restoring, the soul: the testimony of
the Lord is sure, making zvise the simple.
The word of God, ia this and the following verses,
has several most valuable properties ascribed to it.
It is perfectly well adapted, in every particular, to
" convert," to restore, to bring back " the soul" from
error to truth, from sin to righteousness, from
sickness to health, from death to life; as it convinces
of sin, it holds forth a Saviour; it is a means of grace,
and a rule of conduct. It giveth wisdom, and by
wisdom stability, to those who might otherwise,
through ignorance and weakness, be easily deceived
and led astray ; " it is sure," certain and infallible in
its directions and informations, " making wise the
" simple." 8. The statutes ofthe Lord are right, rejoicing
the heart : the commandment ofthe Lord is pure, en
lightening the eyes.
To those who study the righteousness of God

Day 4. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 117
therein communicated to man, it becometh a never-
failing source of consolation and holy joy; the con
science of the reader is cleansed by the blood, and
rectified by the spirit of Christ ; and such a con
science is a continual feast : " the statutes of the Lord
" are right, rejoicing the heart." The divine word
resembleth the light in its brightness and purity, by
which are unveiled and manifested to the eyes of the
understanding, the wonderful works and dispensations
of God, the state of man, the nature of sin, the way
of salvation, tlie joys of heaven, and the pains of hell :
" the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlight-
" ening the eyes."
9. The fear qf the Lord is clean, enduring for
ever : the judgements of the Lord are true and righ
teous altogether.
¦" The fear of the Lord," which restrains from
transgressing that law by which it is bred in the heart,
is in its effect a preservative of mental purity, and
in the duration both of its effect and its reward
eternal; it "endureth for ever." " The judgements
" of the Lord are" not, like those of men, oftentimes
wrong and unjust, but all his determinations in his
word are " truth and righteousness united " in per
fection. 10. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than
much fine gold: sweeter also than honey, and the
honey comb.
What wonder is it, that this converting, instruct
ing, exhilarating, enlightening, eternal, true, and
righteous word, should be declared preferable to the
riches of eastern kings, and sweeter to the soul of the

118 A COMMENTARY Psal. 19.
pious believer, than the, sweetest thing we know of
is to the bodily taste? How ready we are to acknow
ledge all this! Yet, the next hour perhaps, we part
with the true riches to obtain the earthly mammon,
and barter away the joys of the spirit for the gratifi
cations of sense ! Lord, give us affections towards
thy word in some measure proportioned to its excel
lence ; for we can never love too much what we can
never admire enough.
1 1 . Moreover by them is thy servant warned ; and
in keeping them there is great rezvard.
The Psalmist here bears his own testimony to the
character above given of the divine word ; as if he
had said, The several parts of this perfect law, here
after to be published to the whole race of mankind,
have been all along my great instructors, and the
only source of all the knowledge to which thy servant
hath attained ; and I am fully assured, that the bless
ed fruit of them, when they are duly observed, and
have their proper ' effect, is exceeding glorious, even
eternal life.
1 2. Who can understand his errors ? Cleanse thou
me from secret faults.
The perfection and spirituality of God's law render
it almost impossible for a fallen son of Adam even to
know all the innumerable instances of his transgress
ing it. Add to which, that false principles and inve
terate prejudices make us regard many things as in
nocent, and some things as laudable, which, in the
eye of heaven, are far otherwise. Self-examination is
a duty which few practise as they ought to do : and
he who practises it best, will always have reason to

Day 4. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 119
conclude his particular confessions with this general
petition, " Cleanse thou me from secret faults !"
13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous
sins, let them not have dominion over me : then shall
I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great
transgression. In the preceding verse, David had implored God's
pardoning grace, to cleanse him from the secret sins
of ignorance and infirmity : in this he begs his re
straining grace, to keep him back from presump
tuous sins, or sins committed knowingly, deliberately,
and with an high hand, against the convictions and
the remonstrances of conscience : he prays that such
sins micfht not " have dominion over him," or that
he might not, by contracting evil habits, become the
slave of an imperious lust, which might at length lead
him on to " the great transgression," to rebellion,
and final apostasy from God ; for he who would be
innocent from the " groat transgression," must be
ware of indulging himself in any.
14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation
of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my
strength, and my redeemer.
The prophet, having before solicited the justifica
tion of his person through grace, concludes with a
petition for the acceptance of all his offerings, and
more especially of these his meditations, at the hands
of that Blessed One, whom he addresses as the au
thor of all good, and the deliverer from all evil ; as
the " strength," and the "Redeemer" ofhis people*.
* If the reader shall have received any pleasure from perusing
the comment on the foregoing Psalm, especially the first part of

120 A COMMENTARY Psal. 20.
PSALM XX.
ARGUMENT.
1 — 4- The church prayeth for the prosperity of King
Messiah, going forth to the battle, as her champion
and deliverer; for his acceptance by the Father,
and for the accomplishment of his will. 5, 6, 7.
She declareth her full assurance of faith, and her
resolution to trust in him alone, and not in the a*rm
of flesh. 8. She foreseeth the fall of her enemies,
and her own exaltation ; and, 9. concludeth with
a prayer to the God of her strength.
1. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble ; tke
name of the God of Jacob defend thee,
This may be considered as the address of a peo
ple to their king, when he goeth forth to the battle
against their enemies. But it is to be regarded, in a
more general and. useful view, as the address of the
church to Christ her king, in " the day of his trouble."
She prayeth for the happy accomplishment of his
it, he is to be informed, that he stands indebted, on that account,
to a Discourse entitled, Christ the light ofthe world,
published in the year 1750, by the late reverend Mr. George
Watson, for many years the dear companion and kind director
of the author's studies ; in attending to whose agreeable and in-
1 structive conversation, he has often passed whole days together,
' and shall always have reason to number them among the best-
i spent days of his life ; whose death he can never think of without
i lamenting it afresh ; and to whose memory he embraces, with
'(pleasure, this opportunity to pay the tribute of a grateful heart.

Day 4. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 121
warfare, "through the name of the God of Jacob,"
dwelling in him. And his warfare, though accom
plished in his own person, still remaineth to be ac
complished in his people, until the last enemy shall
be destroyed, and death shall be swallowed up in
victory. It is still " the day of trouble ;" still " the
" name of the God of Jacob must defend" the body
of Christ.
2. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and
strengthen thee out of Sion.
All help and strength, in the time of danger and
sorrow, must be obtained by prayer from the heavenly
Sion which is in the Jerusalem above, and from the
eternal temple thereon constructed. By this " help
" and strength," the Captain of our salvation conquer
ed; and the church, with all her sons, must conquer
through the same.
3. Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt
sacrifice. As Christ, in the days of his flesh, offered up, not
only prayers and tears, but, at length, his own most
precious body and blood, the church here prays, that
the great propitiatory sacrifice may be had in ever
lasting remembrance before God, and the merits of it
be continually pleaded in arrest of judgement, and
accepted for herself and her children.
4. Grant thee, according to thine own heart, and
fulfil all thy counsel.
The desire of Christ's heart, and the counsel of
his will, was, that he might die for our sins, and rise
again for our justification; that the Gospel might be
preached, the Gentiles called, the Jews converted,

122 A COMMENTARY Psal. 20.
the dead raised, and the elect glorified. That this
his " desire might be granted," and this his " coun-
" sel be fulfilled," the church of old prayed; and the
church now prayeth for the accomplishment of that
which yet remains to be accomplished.
5. We zvill rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name
of our God zve zvill set up our banners: the Lord ful
fil all thy petitions.
The joy of the church is in the salvation of Christ;
and the joy of every individual is in the application
of that salvation to himself, and all around him. In
the name of Jesus, and under the banner of the
cross, the armies of the faithful undertake and carry
on all their enterprises against the world, the flesh,
and the devil. The prospect of the glorious fruits of
Christ's victory caused the church to redouble her
prayers, that he might be heard in his " petitions "
for mankind, and might see of the travail of his soul.
6. Now know I, that the Lord saveth his anoint
ed; he zvill hear him from his holy heaven, with the
saving strength of his right hand.
The assurance of the ancient church was built on
the prophecies going before concerning the salvation
of Messiah. Our assurance is strengthened by the
actual performance of so great a part of the counsel
of God. We know that the Lord has " saved his
" Anointed;" that his Anointed saveth all, who be
lieve and obey him, from their sins; and therefore,
we doubt not, but that, by " the strength of his right
" hand," or by the excellency of his power, he will
finally save them from death, and rescue them from
the grave.

Day 4. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 123
7- Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but
zve zvill remember the name qf the Lord our God.
This should be the resolution of every Christian
king and people, in the day of battle. And, in the
spiritual war, in which we are all engaged,- the first
and necessary step to victory is, to renounce all con
fidence in the wisdom and strength of nature and the
world; and to remember, that we can do nothing,
but in the name, by the merits, through the power,
and for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our
God.
8. They are brought dozen and fallen; but we are
risen, and stand upright.
This was eminently the case, when the pride and
power of Jewish infidelity and Pagan idolatry fell
before the victorious sermons and lives of the humble
believers in Jesus : this is the case in every conflict
with our spiritual enemies, when we engage them in
the name, the spirit, and the power of Christ; and
this will be the case at the last day, when the world,
with the prince of it, shall be " brought down; and
"fall; but we, risen" from the dead, through the
resurrection of our Lord, shall " stand upright " in
the courts of heaven, and sing the praises of him who
getteth us all our victories.
9. Save, Lord: let the King hear us zoken zve
call. Thus the Psalm concludes, as it began, with a
general " Hosanna " of the church, praying for the
prosperity and success of the then future Messiah,
and for her own salvation in him, her king : who,
from the grave and gate of death, was, for this end,

124 A COMMENTARY Psal. 21.
to be exalted to the right hand of the majesty in the
heavens, that he might hear, and present to his Fa
ther, the prayers of his people, " when they call
" upon him."

PSALM XXI.
ARGUMENT.
This is one of the proper Psalms which the church
hath appointed to be used on Ascension-day, and
wherein, 1—6. she celebrates the victory of her
Redeemer, and the glory consequent thereupon ;
she prophesies, 7. the stability of his kingdom, and,
8 — 12. the destruction of the enemies thereof;
concluding with a prayer for his final triumph and
exaltation; the celebration of which, with ever
lasting hallelujahs, will be her employment in
heaven. 1 . The King shall joy in thy strength, O Lord ;
and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
The joy of Christ himself, after his victory, is in
the strength and salvation of Jehovah, manifested
thereby. Such ought to be the joy of his disciples,
when God hath enabled them to vanquish their ene
mies, either temporal or spiritual ; in which latter
case, as they are called kings, and said to reign with
Christ, so they are in duty bound to acknowledge
that they reign by him: " He that glorieth," what
ever the occasion be, " let him glory in the Lord."

Day 4. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 125
2. Thou hast given him kis heart's desire, and hast
not withholden the request of his lips.
The desire of Christ's heart was his own resurrec
tion and exaltation, for the benefit ofhis church; and
now he ever liveth to make " request with his lips,"
for the conversion and salvation of sinners. Such
desires will be granted, and such requests will never
be withholden. Let us be careful to frame ours,
after that all-perfect model of divine love.
3. For tkou preventest him zvith the blessings qf
goodness ; thou set test a crozvn qf pure gold on his
head. The Son of God could not be more ready to ask
for the blessings of the divine goodness, than the Fa
ther was to give them : and his disposition is the same
towards all his adopted sons. Christ, as king and
priest, weareth a crown of glory, represented by the
purest and most resplendent of metals, gold. He is
pleased to esteem his saints, excelling in different vir
tues, as the rubies, the sapphires, and the emeralds,
which grace and adorn that crown. Who w ould not
be ambitious of obtaining a place therein !
4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it km,
even length qf days for ever and ever.
The life, asked by Christ, was not a continuance
in this valley of tears, but that new and eternal life
consequent upon a resurrection from the dead. For
thus his petition was granted in " length of days for
" ever and ever." He died no more; death had no
" more dominion over him." Whose disciples then
are they that wish only to have their days prolonged

126 A COMMENTARY Psal. 21.
upon the earth, forgetful of the life which is hid with
Christ in God?
5. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and
majesty hast thou laid upon him.
What tongue can express the " glory, honour, and
" majesty," with which the King of righteousness
and peace was invested, upon his ascension; when
he took possession of the throne prepared for him,
and received the homage of heaven and earth ! The
sacred imagery in St. John's Revelation sets them be
fore our eyes in such a manner, that no one can read
the description, whose heart will not burn within him,
through impatient desire to behold them. See Rev.
ch. iv. vii. xix. xxi. xxii.
6. For tkou hast made him most blessed, Heb. set
him to be blessings*, for ever: thou hast made him ex
ceeding glad zvith thy countenance.
Christ, by his death and passion, having removed
the curse, became the fountain of all blessings to his
people, in time and eternity ; being himself the bless
ing promised to Abraham, and the object of the pa
triarchal benedictions. The joy communicated to
the humanity of our Lord, from the divine nature,
shall be shed abroad on all his saints, when admitted
to view the "countenance of God" in the face of
Jesus"Dhrist. Then they shall enter into " the joy of
" their Lord."
7- For the King trusteth in the Lord, and

* "Nam posuisti eum in secula benedicendum." Houbigant.
Compare Gen. xii. 2. Bishop Lowth, in Merrick's Annotations.

Day 4. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 127
through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be
moved. The throne of Christ, as a man, wras erected and
established, by his trust and confidence in the Father,
during his humiliation and passion. Faith in God,
therefore, is the way that leadeth to honour and sta
bility. " Look at the generations of old, and see :
" did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confound-
" ed?" Ecclus. ii. 10.
8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies; thy
right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
The same right hand of Jehovah is glorious in
power to save his people, and to destroy his enemies ;
to convert the Gentiles, and to crush the Jews ; to
exalt the faithful to heaven, and cast down the un
believing to hell : neither is there any treason against
the King of heaven, which shall not be dragged forth
into the light, made manifest, judged, and condemn
ed. Let thy hand, O Lord, be upon our sins to de-r
stroy them ; but upon us, to save us.
9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time
of thine anger: the Lord shall szvallozv them up in
his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
" The time of God's anger " often begins in this
life, especially towards the close of it, when an evil
conscience within, like flame confined in an "oven,"
torments the sinner, as a prelude to punishments fu
ture and unknown, which the " wrath " of God is
preparing to inflict on the incorrigible and impeni
tent. Let us so meditate on this sad scene, that we
may have no part in it..

128 A COMMENTARY Psal. 21.
10. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth,
and their seed from among the children of men.
A day is coming, when all the "fruits" of sin,
brought forth by sinners, in their words, their writ
ings, and their actions, shall be " destroyed;" yea,
the tree itself, which had produced them, shall be
rooted up, and cast into the fire. The " seed " and
posterity of the wicked, if they continue in the way
of their forefathers, will be punished like them. Let
parents consider, that upon their principles and prac
tices may depend the salvation or destruction of mul
titudes after them. The case of the Jews, daily be
fore their eyes, should make them tremble.
11. For they intended evil against thee; they ima
gined a mischievous device, which they are not able to
perform. Vengeance came upon the Jews to the uttermost,
because of their intended malice against Christ.
They^ like Joseph's brethren, " thought evil against
"him;" but "they were not able to perform it;
" for God meant it unto good, to bring it to pass,as
" it is this day, to save much people alive:" Gen. 1.
20. So let all the designs of ungodly men against
thy church, O Lord, through thy power of bringing
good out of evil, turn to her advantage : and let all
men be convinced, that no weapon formed against
thee can prosper.
12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their
back, or, thou shalt set them as a butt, when thou
shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings
against the face of them.

Day 4. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 129
* The judgements of God are called his " arrows,"
being sharp, swift, sure, and deadly. What a dread
ful situation, to be set as a mark, and " butt," at
which these arrows are directed! View Jerusalem
enconipassed by the Roman armies without, and torn
to pieces by the animosity of desperate and bloody
factions within. No farther commentary is requisite
upon this verse. " Tremble, and repent," is the in
ference to be drawn by every Christian community
under heaven, in which appear the symptoms of de
generacy and apostasy.
13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine ozvn strength ;
so zvill we sing, and praise thy pozver.
The church concludes with a joyful acclamation
to her Redeemer, wishing for his " exaltation in his
" own strength," as God, who was to be abased in
much weakness, as man. We still continue to wish
and pray for his exaltation over sin, in the hearts of
his people by grace, and finally over death, in their
bodies, by his glorious powder at the resurrection.
The triumph over sin we sing in psalms, and hymns,
and spiritual songs, upon earth ; that over death, we
shall praise with everlasting hallelujahs, in heaven.

FOURTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XXII.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm, wliich the church hath appointed to be
used on Good Friday, as our Lord uttered the
VOL. II. K

130 A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
first verse of it when hanging on the cross, corr»
sisteth of two parts. The former, 1 — 21. treat-
eth of the passion; the latter, 22 — 31. celebrateth
the resurrection of Jesus, Avith its effects. l,-2.
He complaineth of being forsaken; 3 — 6. acknow
ledgeth the holiness of the Father, and pleadeth
the former deliverances of the church ; 6 — 8. de
scribed! his humiliation, with the taunts and re
proaches of the Jews; 9 — 11- expresseth his faith,
and prayeth for help; 12 — 18. particularizeth his
sufferings; 19 — 21. repeateth his supplications;
22 — 25. declareth his resolution to praise the Fa
ther for his deliverance, and exhorteth his church
to do the same; 26 — 31. prophesieth the conver
sion of the Gentile world to the faith and worship
of the true God.

1. My God, my God, zvhy hast thou forsaken me?
why art thou so fir from helping me, and from the
words of my roaring?
Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, when hang
ing on the cross, complained in these words, that he
was deprived, for a time, of the divine presence and
comforting influence, while he suffered for our sins.
If the master thus underwent the trial of a spiritual
desertion, why doth the disciple think it strange, un
less the light of heaven shine continually upon his ta
bernacle? Let us comfort ourselves, in such circum
stances, with the thought, that we are thereby con-

Day 4. £. *. ON THE PSALMS. 131
formed to the image of our dying Lord, that sun
which set in a cloud, to arise without one.
2. O my God, I cry iu the day-time, but thou
hearest not; and in the night season, and am not
silent. Even our Lord himself, as man, prayed, " that if
" it were possible, the cup might pass from him;"
but God had- ordained otherwise, for his own glory,
and for man's salvation. " Day and night," in pro-/
sperity and adversity, living and dying, let us not be
" silent," but cry for deliverance ; always remember
ing to add, as Christ did, " Nevertheless, not my will,
" but thine be done." Nor let any man be impatient
for the return of his prayers, since every petition
preferred even by the Son of God himself was not
granted. 3. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the
praises of Israel*.
Whatever befalleth the members of the church,
the Head thereof here teacheth them to confess the
justice and holiness of God in all his proceedings ;
and to acknowledge, that whether he exalteth or
humbleth his people, he is to be praised and glorified
by them.
4. Our fathers trusted in thee : they trusted, and
thou didst deliver them.
" Trust" in God is the way to " deliverance," and
the former instances of the divine favour are so many
arguments why we should hope for the same; but
* Or, perhaps, as bishop Lowth renders it, " Thou that inha-
" bitest, bmtw m^nn, the irradiations, the glory of Israel," See
Merrick's Annotations on the Psalms, p. 43.
K 2

132 A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
it may not always be vouchsafed, when we expect it.
The patriarchs and Israelites of old were often saved
from their enemies : the holy Jesus is left to languish
and expire under the malice of his. God knows
what is proper for him to do, and for us to suffer;
we know neither. This consideration is an anchor
for the afflicted soul, sure and steadfast.
5. They cried unto thee, and zvere delivered: they
trusted in thee, and were not cor founded.
No argument is of more force with God, than that
which is founded upon an appeal to his darling at
tribute of mercy, and to the manifestations of it for
merly made to persons in distress ; for which reason
it is here repeated, and dwelt upon. They who
would obtain grace to help, in time of need, must
" cry" as well as " trust." The " prayer of faith "
is mighty with God, and (if we may use the expres
sion) overcometh the Omnipotent.
6. But I am a zeorm, and no man; a reproach of
men, and despised by the people.
He who spareth all other men, spared not his own
Son; he spared not him, that he might spare them.
The Redeemer of the world scrupleth not to compare
himself, in his state of humiliation, to the lowest
reptile which his own hand had formed, a " worm,"
humble, silent, innocent, overlooked, oppressed, and
trodden under foot. Let the sight of this reptile
teach us humility.
7, 8. All they that see me, laugh me to scorn:
they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
He trusted on the Lord, that he zvould deliver him:
let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Day 4. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 133
This was literally fulfilled, when Messiah hung
upon the cross, and the priests and elders used the
very words that had been put into their mouths, by
the spirit of prophecy, so long before. Matt, xxvii.
41 — 43. " The chief priests mocking him, with
" the scribes and elders, said, He trusted in God ;
" let him deliver him now, if he will have him."
O the wisdom and foreknowledge of God! The in-
fatuation and blindness of man ! The same are too
often the sentiments of those who live in times,
when the church and her righteous cause, with their
advocates, are under the cloud of persecution, and
seem to sink beneath the displeasure of the powers
of the world. But such do not believe, or do not
consider, that in the Christian economy, death is
followed by a resurrection, when it will appear, that
God forsaketh not them that are his, but they are pre
served for ever.
9, 1 0. But thou art he that took me out of the
xvomb; thou didst make me hope, when I was upon
my mothers breasts. I zvas cast upon thee from the
womb: thou art my God from my mothers belly.
This was eminently the case of Christ, who was
the Son of God in a sense in which no other man
ever was. But in him we are all children of God
by adoption : we are all in the hands of a gracious
Providence from the womb; and into those hands
must we commend ourselves, when about to depart
hence. To whom else, then, should we have re
course, for support and consolation, in the day of
calamity and sorrow ?

134 A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
1 1. Be not far from me, for trouble is near ; for
there is none to help me.
From the foregoing considerations, namely, from
the holiness of God, ver. 3. from the salvation vouch
safed to the people of old time, ver. 4, 5. from the
low estate to which Messiah was reduced, ver. 6, 7? 8.
and from the watchful care of the Father over himj
since his miraculous birth; ver. 9, 10. from all these
considerations, he enforceth his petition for help, dur
ing his unparalleled sufferings, when " all forsook
" him, and fled." Let us treasure up these things
in our hearts, against the hour when " trouble shall
" be near, and there shall be none to help;" when all
shall forsake us, but God, our consciences, and our
prayers. 12, 13. Many bulls have compassed me: strong
bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped
upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roar
ing lion.
From the 11th verse to the 19th the sufferings of
the holy Jesus are described, in terms partly figura
tive, and partly literal. A lamb, in the midst of
wild " bulls and lions," is a very lively representation
of his meekness and innocence, and of the noise and
fury of his implacable enemies. " Bashan " was a
fertile country, Numb, xxxii. 4. and the cattle there
fed were fat and " strong." Deut. xxxii. 15. Like
them, the Jews, in that good land, " waxed fat and
" kicked," grew proud and rebelled; " forsook God
" that made them, and lightly esteemed the rock of
" their salvation." Let both communities and indi-

Day 4. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 135
viduals, when blessed with peace, plenty, and. pro
sperity in the world, take sometimes into considera
tion this flagrant instance of their being abused ; w ith
the final consequence of such abuse.
14, 15. I am poured out like zvater, and all my
bones are out qf joint, or, sundered: my heart is
like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bozvels. My
strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue
cleaveth to myjazvs; and thou hast brought me into
the dust of death.
For our sakes Christ yielded himself, like " wa-
" ter," without resistance, to the violence of his ene
mies; suffering his "bones," in wdiich consisteth the
strength of the frame, to be distended and dislocated
upon the cross ; while, by reason of the fire from
above, to the burning heat of which this paschal
Lamb was exposed, his heart dissolved and melted
away. The intenseness of his passion drying up all
the fluids, brought on a thirst, tormenting beyond ex
pression; and, at last, laid him low in the grave.
Never, blessed Lord, was love like unto thy. love !
Never was sorrow like unto thy sorrow ! Thy spouse
and body mystical, the church, is often, in a degree,
conformed unto thee; and as thou wert, so is she in
this world.
16. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of
the wicked have enclosed me : they pierced my hands
and my feet.
Our Lord, who compared himself above, ver. 12.
to a lamb in the midst of bulls and lions, here setteth
himself forth again under the image of a hart, or
hind, roused early in the morning of his mortal life,

136 A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
hunted and chased all the day, and in the evening
pulled down to the ground, by those who " com-
" passed" and "enclosed" him, thirsting and cla
mouring for his blood, crying, " Away with him,
"away with him! crucify him, crucify him!" And
the next step was, the " piercing his hands and his
" feet," by nailing them to the cross. How often, O
thou Preserver of men, in thy church, thy ministers,
and thy word, art thou thus compassed, and thus
pierced !
17. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare
upon me.
The skin and flesh were distended, by the posture
of the body on the cross, that the bones, as through a
thin veil, became visible, and might be counted *; and
the holy Jesus, forsaken and stripped, naked and
bleeding, was a spectacle to heaven and earth. Look
unto him, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the
world !
18. They part my garments among them, and cast
lots upon my vesture.
" The soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus,
" took his garments, and made four parts, to every
" soldier a part, and also his coat; now the coat was
" without seam, woven from the top throughout.
* " Qui macilenti sunt, sic habent ossa prominentia, ut facile
" omnia possint tactu secerni et numerari. David, quatenus haec
" ei conveniunt, dicere hoc potuit de se fuga et molestiis emaciate
" Sed Christus aptius ita loqui poterat, quod magis emaciatus
" esset, et corpore nudo atque in cruce distento, magis adparerent
" ossa." Le Clerc, cited by bishop Lowth, in Merrick's Anno
tations.

Day 4. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 137
" They said therefore among themselves, Let us not
" rend it, but cast lots for it, wdiose it shall be: that
" the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They
" parted my raiment among them, and for my
" vesture they did cast lots :" John, xix. 23, 24.
19. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my ;
strength, haste thee to help me.
The circumstances of the passion being thus re
lated, Christ resumes the prayer, with which the
Psalm begins, and which is repeated, ver. 10, 11.
The adversary had emptied his quiver, and spent all
the venom of his malice ; Messiah therefore prayeth
for a manifestation of the power and favour of
Heaven on his side, in a joyful and glorious resurrec
tion. And to a resurrection from the dead every
man will find it necessary to look forward, for com
fort. 20, 21. Deliver my soul from the szvord ; my dar
ling* from the pozver of the dog. Save me from the
lions mouth : for thou hast heard me, or, and hear
thou me, from the horns ofthe unicorns.
The wrath of God was the " sword," which took
vengeance on all men in their representative ; it was
the " flaming sword," which kept men out of Para
dise ; the sword, to which it was said, at the time of
the passion — " Awake, O sword, against my shep-
" herd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith
" the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the
* Heb. wvn» my united one. " May it relate to any thing
" more than 'ttfBJ? the human nature united with the Divinity
f in the person of Christ? Qtfsre." Bishop Lowth, in Merrick's
Annotations.

138 , A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
"sheep shall be scattered:" Zech. xiii. 7- Matt.
xxvi. 31. The ravening fury of the "dog," the
" lion," and the " unicorn," or the " oryx," a fierce
and untamable creature of the stag kind, is made
use of to describe the race of the devil and his instru-
ments, whether spiritual or corporeal. From all these
Christ supplicates the Father for deliverance. How-
great need have we to supplicate for the same, through
him!
'< 22. I zvill declare thy name ttnto my brethren : in
the midst ofthe congregation zvill I praise thee.
The former part of the Psalm we have seen to be
prophetical of the passion. The strain now changes
to an epinikiori, or hymn of triumph, in the mouth
of the Redeemer, celebrating his victory, and its
happy consequences. This verse is cited by the
apostle, Heb. ii. 11. " Both he that sanctified, and
" they who are sanctified, are all of one : for which
" cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
" saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren,"
&c. And accordingly, when the deliverance, so long
wished, and so earnestly prayed for, was accomplish
ed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, he
" declared the name of God," by his apostles, to all
his " brethren;" and caused the church to resound
with incessant praises and hallelujahs ; all which are
here represented as proceeding from the body, by and
through him who is the head of that body.
23. * Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all yt
* Bishop Lowth is of opinion, that this verse and the follow
ing are the " song" of praise, which, in the verse preceding, the
speaker says, he will utter " in the congregation." The intra-

Day 4. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. !39
the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye
tke seed qf Israel.
If Christ arose from the dead, to declare salvation
to his brethren, and to glorify God for the same, how
diligent ought we to be in doing the former ; how de
lighted, in the performance of the latter ! Messiah first
addressed himself to his ancient people, " the seed
" of Jacob," to whom the Gospel was first preached.
How long, O Lord, holy and true, shall thy once
highly favoured nation continue deaf to this gracious
call of thine ! " All ye seed of Jacob glorify him ; and
" fear him all ye seed of Israel."
24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the
affliction of the afflicted ; neither hath he hid his face
from him ; but zchen he cried unto him, he heard.
The great subjects of praise and thanksgiving, in,
the church, are the sufferings of the lowly and afflict
ed Jesus, and the acceptance of those sufferings by
the Father, as a propitiation for the sins of the world;
which acceptance was testified by raising him from
the dead ; inasmuch as the discharge of the surety
proved the payment of the debt. The poor and af
flicted brethren of Christ may take comfort from this
verse; for if they suffer ia his spirit, they will be
raised in his glory.
25. My praise shall be of thee in the great con
gregation: I zvill pay my vows before them that fear
him. The vow of Christ was, to build and consecrate
duction of it, as his lordship justly observes, gives a variety to
the whole, and is highly poetical. Merrick's Annotations.

140 A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
to Jehovah a spiritual temple, in which the spiritual
sacrifices of prayer and praise should be continually
offered. This vow he performed, after his resurrec
tion, by the hands of his apostles, and still continueth
to perform, by those of his ministers, carrying on the
work of edification in " the great congregation " of
the Gentile Christian Church. The vows .of Christ
cannot fail of being performed. Happy are they
whom he vouchsafeth to use, as his instruments, in
the performance of them.
26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied : they shall
praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live
for ever.
A spiritual banquet is prepared in the church for
the meek and lowly of heart; the bread of life and
the wine of salvation are set forth in the word and
sacraments ; and they that hunger and thirst after
righteousness, shall be " satisfied" therewith: they,
' ' who seek " the Lord Jesus in his ordinances, ever
find reason to " praise him;" while, nourished by
these noble and heavenly viands, they live the life,
and work the works of grace, proceeding still forward '
to glory ; when their " heart shall live for ever," in
heaven. 27- All the ends of the world shall remember, and
turn unto the Lord : and all the kindreds ofthe na
tions shall zvorship before thee.
The great truths of man's creation and fall, with
the promise of a Redeemer to come, were " forgot-
" ten" by the nations, after their apostasy from the
true God, and the one true religion ; but were, as we
may say, recalled to their " remembrance " by the

Day 4. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 141
sermons of the apostles, and the writings of* Moses
and the prophets, translated, and spread among them.
,By these they were converted to the faith, and now
compose the holy church universal throughout the
world ; being the glorious proofs and fruits of the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
28. For the kingdom is the Lord'*: and he is the
governor among the nations.
There is good reason why the nations should wor
ship Christ, and throw away their idols ; since in his
hands, not in theirs, is the government of the world.
Upon his ascension he was crowned King of kings,
and Lord of lords ; he ruleth in the church by his
Spirit ; and blessed are the hearts, that are his will
ing subjects in the day of his power.
29- All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and
worship : all they that go dozen to the dust shall bozo
before him : and none can keep alive his ozvn soul.
It was said above, ver. 26. " the meek," the poor,
and lowly, " shall eat and be satisfied." It is here
foretold that the " fat ones of the earth," the great,
the opulent, the flourishing, the nobles and princes
of the world, should be called in to partake of the
feast, and to " worship " God. Rich, as well as
poor, are invited*; and the hour is coming, when ali
* They are ''¦ invitL-d," but they do not so often accept the in
vitation. And it must be owned, that yiN >jan, are generally
mentioned in an unfavourable sense. Bishop Lowth is therefore
rather inclined to construe the words, as Mr. Fenwick does ; all
who are " fattened," that is, " fed" and " sustained by the
" earth." The expression then intimates the universality of the
Gospel, which, the apostle says, " was preached to every

142 A COMMENTARY Psal. 22.
the race of Adam, as many as sleep in the " dust"
of the earth, unable to raise themselves from thence,
quickened and called forth by the voice of the Son of
man, must " bow " the knee to king Messiah.
30. A seed shall serve him : it shall be accounted
to tke Lord for a generation.
The apostle informeth us, Rom. ix. 8. that " the
" children of the promise are counted for the seed;"
that is, the converts to be made, among the nations,
by the preaching of the Gospel, according to the pro
mise to Abraham ; these were to constitute the church
and family of Christ, the " generation" of the faith
ful ; these were to take the place, and enjoy the pri
vileges of the Jews, cut off because of their unbelief.
Lord, enable us to serve thee all our lives, with a
service acceptable to thee in Christ Jesus ; that at
the resurrection of the just, we may be numbered in
the generation of thy children.
31. They shall come, and shall declare his righ
teousness unto a people that shall be born, tkat he
hath done this.
The promised and expected race shall spring forth
at the time appointed, and proclaim the " righteous-
" ness," which is of God by faith, to ages and genera-
" creature;" a phrase of similar import. All who would
partake the benefits of Christ's passion, must worship him as a
Saviour, before they are called upon- to adore him as a Judge.
The bishop thinks, likewise, that the 29th verse should end with
the words, " bow before him ; " that the next words in the ori
ginal should be read, as almost all the ancient, versions seem to
have read them, rvn l^> »tt> Sll, and rendered — " But my soul shall
" live— My seed shall serve him," &c.

Day 4. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 113
tions yet unborn ; who, hearing of that great work,
which the Lord shall have wrought, for the salvation
of men, will thereby be led to glorify him in the
church, for the same to the end of time.
Rise, crown'd with light, imperial Salem rise !
Exalt thy tow'ring head, and lift thy eyes !
See a long race thy spacious courts adorn ;
See future sons, and daughters yet unborn,
In crowding ranks, on ev'ry side, arise,
Demanding life, impatient for the skies !
See barb'rous nations at thy gates attend,
Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend.
Messiah.
PSALM XXIII.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, the " sheep of God's pasture " address
themselves to their great and good Shepherd, de
claring, 1. their acquiescence and confidence in
him ; 2. his diligence in feeding them with the food
of eternal life ; 3. his watchful care in bringing
them back from the ways of error, and conducting
them in the path of truth ; 4. his power in saving
them from death ; 5. his loving kindness in vouch
safing his spiritual comforts, during their pilgri
mage in an enemy's country ; and, 6. they express
their hope and trust, that a continuation of that
loving kindness, will enable them to pass through
the vanities and vexations of time, to the blissful
glories of eternity.

144 A COMMENTARY • Psal. 23.
1. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
In these words, which one cannot utter without
feeling the happiness they were intended to describe,
the believer is taught to express his absolute acqui
escence and' complacency, in the guardian care of
the great Pastor of the universe, the Redeemer
and Preserver of men. With joy he reflects, that he
that a " Shepherd;" and that that Shepherd is Je
hovah; one possessed of all the qualities requisite
to constitute the pastoral character in the highest
perfection. For where shall we ever find such un
exampled diligence, such inexpressible tenderness,
such exquisite skill, such all-subduing might, and such
unwearied patience? Why should they fear, who
have such a friend? How can they " want," who
have such a " Shepherd? " Behold us, O Lord Jesu,
in ourselves hungry, and thirsty, and feeble, and dis
eased, and defenceless, and lost. O feed us, and
cherish us, and heal us, and defend us, and bear with
us, and restore us !
2. He maketh me to lie dozen in green pastures : he
leadeth me beside the still zvaters.
The loveliest image afforded by the natural world,
is here represented to the imagination; that of a
flock, feeding in verdant meadows, and reposing, in
quietness, by the rivers of wrater, running gently
through them. It is selected, to convey an idea of
the provision made for the souls, as well as bodies of
men, by His goodness, who " openeth his hand, and
" filleth all things living with plenteousness. By
" me," saith the Redeemer, " if any man enter in,
" he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find

Day 4. E. p. • ON THE PSALMS. 145
" pasture:" John, x. 9. And what saith the Spirit
of peace and comfort? " Let him that is athirst
" come ; and whosoever will, let him take the water
" of life freely:" Rev. xxii. 17. Every flock that
wTe see, should remind us of our necessities; and
every pasture should excite us to praise that love
by which they are so bountifully supplied.
3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths
qf righteousness for his name's sake.
To " restore," or bring back, those that had " gone
" astray," that is, in other words, to " call sinners
" to repentance," was the employment of Him who,
in the parable ofthe " lost sheep," represented! him
self as executing that part of the pastoral office. By
the same -kind hand, when "restored," they are
thenceforth led in " the path of righteousness;"
in the w ay of holy obedience. Obstructions are re
moved; they are strengthened, to wralk and run in
the path of God's commandments ; while, to invite
and allure them, a crown of glory appears, held
forth at the end of it. All this is now done, for, in,
by, and through, that " name," beside which, there
is none other under heaven given unto man, whereby
he may be saved.
4. Yea, though I zealk through tke valley qf the
shadow qf death, I will fear no evil: for thou art
with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
The sheep here express their confidence in the
power of their Shepherd, as sufficient to defend them
against the last and most formidable enemy, death
himself. To apprehend the scenery in this verse,
we must conceive the church militant, and the church
vol. 11. L

146 A COMMENTARY Psal. 23.
triumphant, as two mountains, between which. lieth
the " valley of the shadow of death," necessary to be
passed by those who would go from one to the other.
Over all that region of dreariness and desolation, ex-
tendeth the empire of the king of terrors : and the
believer alone " feareth no evil," in his passage
through it ; because he is conducted by " that great
" Shepherd of the sheep, whom God brought again
" from the dead:" Heb. xiii. 20. and who can there
fore show us the path of life, through the vale of
death. In all our dangers and distresses, but chiefly
in our last and greatest need, let " thy rod," the
sceptre of thy kingdom, O Lord, protect u9, and thy
pastoral " staff" guide and support our steps ; till,
through the dreaded valley, we pass to the heavenly
mountain, on which St. John saw " the Lamb stand-
" ing, with a great multitude, redeemed from the
" earth." Rev. xiv. 1.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my
cup runneth over.
Another set of images, borrowed from a " feast,"
is introduced, to give us ideas of those cordials and
comforts prepared to cheer and invigorate the faint
ing soul, while, surrounded by " enemies," it is ac
complishing its pilgrimage through life ; during which
time, its sorrows and afflictions are alleviated and
sweetened by the joys and consolations of the Holy
One ; by the feast of a good conscience ; by the bread
of life, the " oil" of gladness, and the " cup" of sal
vation, still full, and " running over."
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all

Day 4. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 147
the days of my life : and I will dwell in the house qf
the Lord for ever.
Experience of " goodness and mercy," already so
often vouchsafed, begets an assurance of their being
continued to the end; for nothing can separate us
from the love of Christ, if we do not separate our
selves from it. Thus will the Lord, our Saviour, pro
vide for us on earth, and conduct us to heaven ;
where we shall dwell to " length of days," even the
days of eternity, " one fold under one Shepherd : "
a fold into which no enemy enters, and from which
no friend departs : where we shall rest from all our
labours, and see a period to all our sorrows ; where
the voice of praise and thanksgiving is heard conti
nually; where all the faithful, from Adam to his last-
born son, shall meet together, to behold the face of
Jesus, and to be blessed with the vision of the Al
mighty; where " we shall hunger no more, neither
" thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on
" us, nor any heat. But the Lamb, which is in the
" midst of the throne, shall feed us, and lead us to
" living fountains of waters." Rev. vii. 16, 17.

FIFTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XXIV.
argument.
The plan of this Psalm, according to the letter of it,
is beautifully delineated by bishop Lowth, in his
E2

I4S A COMMENTARY Put. 24
xxviith lecture. The Ark of God is supposed to
be moving, in a grand and solemn procession of the
whole Israelitish nation, towards the place of its
future residence, on mount Sion : see 1 Chron.
xv. On ascending the mountain, the Psalm is
sung, declaring, 1, 2. the sovereignty of Jehovah
over all the earth ; describing, 3 — 6. what the
character ought to be of that people whom he had
more peculiarly selected, to serve him in the house
where his Glory was to dwell, and of which, 7 — 10.
it was now about to take possession. All this is
by us to be applied to the Christian church, and
the ascension of our Lord into heaven ; for which
reason, the Psalm is one of those appointed to be
used on Ascension-day;
1. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness there
of; the zvorld, and they that dwell therein.
The God of Israel was Lord of the whole earth,
by right of creation. The same Divine Person who
created the world, hath since, in Christ, redeemed it;
and it is his again, by that right also. But the church
Christian is his, in a more peculiar manner, as the
church of Israel formerly was. We are doubly bound
to adore and to obey him. " It is he that hath made
" us, and not we ourselves :" Psal. c. 2. and " we
" are not our own, being bought with a price : " 1 Cor.
vi. 20. The inference is, " Let us glorify God in
" our bodies, and in our spirits, which are," every
way,' " God's."

Day 5. m. p. ON THE 'PSALMS. 149
2. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and esta
blished it upon the floods.
The waters which, at the creation, and again at
the deluge, overspread all things, being, by the power
of God, driven down into the great deep, and there
confined, the earth, was, in a wonderful manner, con
structed and established, as a circular arch, upon
or over them. Let us often meditate on this noble
subject for contemplation and devotion; that we
may learn whither we are to have recourse, when in
danger of being overwhelmed by sins or sorrows.
3. Who shall ascend into the kill of the Lord?
and zvho shall stand in his holy place?
The connexion seems to be this : If the Almighty
Creator and Lord of all the earth has chosen us to
be his peculiar people, to serve and worship him in
his temple, upon the holy hill of Sion, whither the
sacred symbol of his presence is now ascending, what
manner of persons ought we to be? The reasoning
is exactly the same, as bishop Lowth observes, with
that of Moses, in Deut. x. 14—16. " Behold the
" heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's
" thy God; the earth also, with all that therein is.
" Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers, to love
" them ; and he chose their seed after them, even
" you, above all people, as it is this day. Circum-
" cise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no„
" more stiff-necked." The argument applies, with
additional force, to ourselves, as Christians. We
compose a far more numerous and magnificent pro
cession than that of the Israelites, when the church
universal, with her spiritual services, attends our

150 ' A COMMENTARY Psal. 24.
Lord, as it were, upon his ascension, in heart and
mind ascending with him into the holy places not
made with hands.
4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, or, placed
his trust in vain idols, or, in the creature, nor szvorn
deceitfidly. 5. He shall receive the blessing from the
Lord, and righteousness from the God qf his sal
vation. No man can ascend into heaven through his own
righteousness, but he who came down from heaven,
and performed a perfect sinless obedience to the will
of God. Sinners of old were purified, through faith
in him that was to come, by typical offerings and
ablutions, before they approached the sanctuary. We
have been cleansed from our sins, and renewed unto
holiness, by the blood of Christ, and the washing of
the Holy Ghost. Thus we become his people : thus
we " receive the blessing from the Lord, and " righ-
" teousness from the God of our salvation."
6. Tkis is tke generation qf them that seek him,
tkat seek thy face, O Jacob, or, O God of
Jacob. Such ought the people to be who seek the presence
of God, and approach to worship him in the
sanctuary; who celebrate the ascension of their Re
deemer, and hope, one day, to follow him into those
happy mansions, which he is gone before to prepare
for them.
7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall
come in. 8. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord

Day 5. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 151
strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9>
10. The chorus is repeated.
We must now form to ourselves an idea of the
Lord of Glory, after his resurrection from the dead,
making his entry into the eternal temple in heaven ;
as of old, by the symbol of his presence, he took
possession of that figurative and temporary structure
which once stood upon the hill of Sion. We are to
conceive him gradually rising, from mount Olivet,
into the air, taking the clouds for his chariot, and
ascending up on high ; while some of the angels, like
the Levites in procession, attendant on the trium
phant Messiah in the day of his power, demand
that those everlasting gates and doors, hitherto shut <
and barred against the race of Adam, should be
thrown open, for his admission into the realms of
bliss. " Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye
" lift up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King of Glory
" shall come in." On hearing this voice of jubilee
and exultation from the earth, the abode of misery
and sorrow, the rest of the angels, astonished at the
thought of a max claiming a right of entrance into
their happy regions, ask from within, like the Levites
in the temple, " Who is this King of. Glory?" To
which question the attendant angels answer, in a
strain of joy and triumph — and let the church of the
redeemed answer with them — " The Lord strong
"and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle;" the
Ljdrd Jesus, victorious over sin, death, and hell.
Therefore we say, and with holy transport we repeat
it, " lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye lift
" up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory

152 A COMMENTARY Psal. 25.
" shall come in." And if any ask, " Who is the
" King of Glory?" To heaven and earth we proclaim
aloud — " The Lord of Hosts ;" all conquering
Messiah, Head over every creature, the Leader of
the armies of Jehovah, " He is the " King of
" Glory." Even so, Glory be to thee, O Lord
Most High! Amen. Hallelujah.
PSALM XXV.
ARGUMENT.
It is much the same, whether we suppose the church,
or any single member thereof, to be speaking
throughout this Psalm, and praying, 1 — 3. for help
and protection against spiritual enemies ; 4, 5. for
knowledge and direction in the way of godliness;
pleading for this purpose, 6, 7- God's mercies of
old ; 8- the perfections of his nature ; 9, 1 0. enu
merating the qualifications requisite for scholars in
the divine school ; 11. upon the strength of these
arguments, enforcing the petition for mercy;
12 — 14. describing the blessedness of the man
who feareth the Lord; 15 — 21. preferring divers
petitions ; and, 22. closing the whole with one for
the final redemption of the Israel of God.
1. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 2.
O my God, I trust in thee:' let me not be ashamed;
let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Cares and pleasures are the weights which .press

Day 5. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 153
the soul down to earth, and fasten her thereto; and it
is the spirit of prayer, which must enable her to
throw off these weights, to break these cords, and to
" lift up " herself to heaven. He who " trusteth " in
any thing, but in God, will one day be " ashamed "
and confounded, and give his spiritual " enemies "
cause "to triumph over him."
3. Yea, let none that zvait on thee be ashamed: let
them be ashamed zvhich transgress without a cause,
or, vainly, rashly.
God, as a father and a master, will never suffer
his children and servants to want his favour and pro
tection ; nor will he permit malicious rebels to enjoy
it. Honour will, in the end, be the portion of the
former, and shame the inheritance of the latter.
4. Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy
paths. 5. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for
thou art the God qf my salvation; on thee do I zvait
all tke day.
We are travellers to heaven, who, through tempta
tion, are often drawn aside, and lose our way. The
way is the law of God ; and, to keep that law, is to
walk in the way. God only can put us in the way,
and preserve and forward us therein; for which pur
pose, we must continue instant in prayer to " the
" God of our salvation," that he would " teach" us
to do his will ; that so we may not be ashamed and
confounded. 6. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and
thy loving kindnesses ; for they have been ever qf
old. The soul, when hard beset with sins and sorrows,

154 A COMMENTARY Psal. 25.
is apt to think that God hath forsaken and forgotten
her. In this case, she cannot more effectually pre
vail upon him, or comfort herself, than by recollect
ing, and, as it were, reminding him of former mer
cies; since, however the dispositions and affections
of men may alter, God is always the same.
7. Remember not the sins qf my youth, nor my
transgressions: according to tliy mercy remember thou
me, for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
When God remembers his mercy, he forgets our
sins ; and when he forgets our sins, he remembers his
mercy ; for what else is his mercy, but the forgiveness,
the blotting-out, the non-imputation of sin ? Who,
that has lived long in the world, can survey the time
past of his life, without breaking forth into this peti
tion, adding, to " the sins of his youth," the many
transgressions of his riper years?
8. Good and upright is the Lord : therefore zvill
he teach sinners in the way.
Another argument for hope and trust in God, k
drawn from his " nature." He hates sin, and loves
righteousness ; he sent his Son to suffer for the one,
and his Spirit to produce the other ; and he cannot
but be faithful and just to his own gracious promises,
which all centre in the salvation of sinners by pardon
and grace, through Him who is " the way, the truth,
" and the life." •
9. The meek zvill he guide in judgement: and the
meek will he teach his way.
Pride and anger have no place in the school of
Christ. The Master himself is " meek and lowly of
" heart;" much more, surely,, ought the scholars to

Day 5. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 155
be so. He who hath no sense of his ignorance, can
have no desire or capability of knowledge, human
or divine.
10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and
truth, unto such as keep his covenant and his testi
monies. The law of God is the way by which he cometh
to us, as well as that by which we go to him ; and all
the different dispensations of that law, here styled the
" paths of the Lord," are composed of " mercy and
" truth;" mercy promising, and truth performing,
meet together in Christ, who is " the end of the law
" to every one that believeth;" to such as v " keep his
" covenant and his testimonies."
11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine
iniquity; for it is great.
The pardon of sin is to be asked, and obtained,
through that gracious "name," in which "mercy and
" truth are met together; and so " great" is our sin,
that pardon can be had only through that name.
12. What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him
shall he teach in the zeay that he shall choose.
The blessings consequent upon " the fear of the
" Lord " are such as will fully justify the earnest
ness and fervour of the foregoing petitions for pardon
and grace. " The fear of the Lord is the beginning
" of wisdom." He who hath it, will " choose" the
right way, and will be "taught" to go therein.
13. His sold shall dzvell at ease, Heb. lodge in
goodness; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
It is a privilege of " the man who feareth the
" Lord," that, not only in this present life, all things

156 A COMMENTARY Psal. 25,.
work together for his " good," but his soul, after
having persevered in righteousness, shall take up its
abode in the mansions of felicity. His " seed " like*
wise shall be blessed in the same manner, with such
a portion of the temporal promise made to Abraham
as God seeth best for them, and certainly with an
abundant share in the spiritual inheritance, the new
earth, wherein dwell righteousness, joy, and glory.
" Blessed are the meek, the seed of Christ, for they
" shall inherit the earth:" Matt. v. 5.
14. The secret, Heb. fixed counsel, or, design, qf the
Lord, is zvith them that fear him; and he zvill shozv
them his covenant, Heb, and his covenant, to make
them knozv it.
The greatest happiness of man in this world is, to
know the fixed and determinate counsels of God con
cerning the human race, and to understand the cove
nant of redemption. This likewise is the reward of
"the fear of the Lord," which ¦ humbles the soul,
and prepares it for divine illumination, causing it to
place all its comfort in meditation on the wonders of
heavenly love. " All things which I have heard of
" my Father I have made known unto you," saith our
Lord to his disciples: John, xv. 15.
15. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord ; for he
shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Encouraged to hope for the blessings above men
tioned, the lowly suppliant still continues to fix the
eyes of his understanding on their proper object, God
his Saviour, beholding his glory, attending to his will,
and expecting his mercy. An unfortunate dove,
whose feet are taken in the snare of the fowler, is a

Days. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 1ST
fine emblem of the soul, entangled in the cares or
pleasures of the world; from which she. desires,
through the power of grace, to fly away, and to be
at rest, with her glorified Redeemer.
16. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
for I am desolate and afflicted.
They who are ever looking unto the Lord will be
' heard, when they beseech him to turn his face, and
to look upon them. When the soul, forsaking and
forsaken by all earthly supports and comforts, finds
herself in a state of desolation, and is experimentally
convinced of her being, not in a paradise of delights,
but in a vale of misery, then her visitation and deli
verance are at hand.
1 7- The troubles of my heart arc enlarged: O
bring thou me out of my distresses.
As life is prolonged, troubles are generally en
larged*, till at length they take up what room there
is in the heart. The last scene of the tragedy is the
most calamitous. So it was in the life of our dear
Master. And every man will sooner or later per
ceive, that God alone can " bring him out of his
distresses." 18. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and
forgive all my sins.
Affliction and pain, whether of mind or body, are
the fruits of sin; and the pardon of sin is the first
* Bishop Lowth, with some slight alteration of the text,
thinks the rendering should be,
Coarctationes cordis mei dilataj
Et ex angustiis meis cduc me.
See Merrick's Annotations,

158 A COMMENTARY Psal. 25.
step towards the removal of sorrow. The latter is
sent to beget in us a due sense of the former, in order
to a deliverance from both. In the new earth
"dwelleth righteousness;" and, for that reason,
" there is no more sorrow, pain, nor crying." 2 Pet.
iii. 13. Rev. xxi. 4.
19- Consider mine enemies, for they are many;
and they hate me zvith cruel hatred.
As the evils we suffer are great, so the enemies we
have to encounter are many. Their name is " le-
" gion:" and to their envy, hatred, and malice, there
are no bounds. How unequal the combat, unless
thou, O God, goest forth with us by thy grace,
" conquering and to conquer!"
20. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be
ashamed; for I have put my trust in thee.
Preservation from sin, and deliverance from death,
are two great gifts of God, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. For the latter clause, see ver. 2.
21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
for I zvait on thee.
How many w ishes do our hearts send forth after
riches, honours, and pleasures! how few after " in-
" tegrity and uprightness ! " yet these can " preserve"
us, and those cannot. Absolute integrity and up
rightness are the prerogatives of the King of righ
teousness; and it is his grace which makes us such
as his mercy will accept. On him therefore let us
" wait." 22. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
In the common salvation all have an interest; and,
for that reason, all should pray for it. The earthly

Day 5. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 159
David petitioned for Israel ; the heavenly David ever
continued to intercede for the church; and every
Christian ought to become a suppliant for his bre
thren, still looking and longing for that glorious day,
when, by a joyful resurrection unto life eternal, God
shall indeed " redeem Israel out of all his " trou-
" bles."

PSALM XXVI.
ARGUMENT.
The party speaking in this Psalm, whether we sup
pose it to be the typical, or the true David, the
church, or any member thereof, lying under the
false accusations of calumny, 1, 2, 3. appealeth
to God in behalf of injured innocence; 4, 5. dis-
claimeth all connexion with wicked men; 6,7, 8.
declareth a fixed resolution to adhere to the worship
of God in the church; 9, 10. prayeth to be de
livered from the ungodly; 11. again protesteth in
tegrity, and, 12. determineth to praise the Lord.
1. Judge me, O Lord, for I have, walked in mine
integrity; I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore
I shall not slide.
We have here an appeal to God, in behalf of in
jured and calumniated innocence. This was the case
of David, with regard to the accusations of Saul;
of Christ, with regard to those of the Jews; and it
is often the case of .the church, and: of good men in

160 A COMMENTARY Psal. 26.
the world; for whose use this Psalm seems pecu
liarly calculated.
2. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me ; try my
reins and my heart.
A trial of this sort might be desired by David, and
may be desired by men, like him, conscious of their
integrity, as to the particular crimes charged ripon
them by the malice of their enemies. Christ alone
could ask such a trial at large, as being equally free
from every kind and degree of sin; and certain of
receiving additional lustre from the increasing heat
of the furnace.
3. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes:
and I have walked in thy truth.
They who study, in order to copy, the " loving
" kindness " and the " truth " of God, may have
confidence towards him, whose " truth " will not
suffer him to be false to ,the promises, which his
" loving kindness " prompted him to make..
4. I have not sat zvith vain persons, neither zvill I
go in zvith dissemblers. 5. I have hated ihe congrega
tion of evil doers ; and will not sit with the zvicked.
David, driven by Saul into a land of aliens, yet
preserved himself from the contagion of idolatry.
And happy the Christian who can say, that, during
the time of his banishment and pilgrimage, he hath
escaped the pollutions that are in the world, namely,
vanity ahd hypocrisy, evil practices, and wicked prin
ciples. Christ alone, like his emblem the light,
passed through all things undefiled.
6. i" zvill wash mine hands in my innocency : so zvill
I compass thine altar, O Lord : 7. That I may

Day 5. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 161
publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of
all thy wondrous zvorks.
Instead of consorting with the heathen, David
comforts himself with the future prospect of restora
tion to Jerusalem : of attending the service of God
in the tabernacle; of performing the legal ablutions,
in token of innocency thereby signified ; and of sing
ing, before the holy altar, psalms of praise for his
deliverance. The believing soul, in like manner, may
find perpetual consolation, while she looks forward,
toward her return home, from her exile in the
world, to the Jerusalem above; her access to the
fountain of life and purity ; her employment of serv
ing God in the eternal temple; and chanting forth,
with angels and archangels, the new songs of the ce
lestial Sion, for so great salvation.
8. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house,
and the place zvhere thine honour dzvelleih, Heb. the
place qf tlie tabernacle qf thy glory.
With what ardent affection the banished prophet
sighs for the beauty of holiness in the church ! the
most amiable object on earth, because the nearest re
semblance of heaven, where is the true " habitation
" of God's house, and the place of the tabernacle of
" his glory;" since of the heavenly Jerusalem St.
John tells us, that the " Lord God Almighty and the
" Lamb are the temple." Rev. xxi. 22.
9. Gather not my sold with sinners, nor my life
with bloody men: 10. In zvhose ha?tds is mischief, and
their right hand is full qf bribes.
In consideration of, his integrity and piety, David
VOL. II, M

162 A COMMENTARY Psal. 26.
beseeches God not to deliver him over into the hands
of his unjust and bloody enemies, nor to reckon him
in their number. Let our lot, O Lord, be among
thy children here, that it may be among them here
after. 1 1, But as for nie, I zvill zvalk in mine integrity:
redeem me, and be mere fid unto me.
The Christian's resolution, like that of the pro
phet, must be, to hold fast his " integrity" in tlie
midst of his enemies, and not follow a multitude to
do evil; as knowing, that the day of final " redemp-
" tion and mercy " will come.
12. My foot standeth in an even place ; in the con
gregations will I bless the Lord.
The law of God is that " even place," that plain
and direct path, in which the affections, which are
the " feet" of the soul, must be immovably fixed^
so that nothing may induce her to swerve from the
stability of her purpose, to the right hand, or to the
left. David, upon his return to his country, " blessed
" the Lord hi the congregation " of Israel, by sing
ing psalms of praise and thanksgiving ; and by the
constant use of those very psalms, the Lord is daily
" blessed " in all Christian " congregations " through
out the world ; yea, and he shall be so blessed to the
end of time.

Day 5. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 163
FIFTH DAY— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XXVII..
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm containeth, 1 — 3. a declaration of trust
and confidence in Jehovah, amidst the dangers
and tumults of war; 4. a longing desire of re
storation to the city and house of God; 5, 6.
a triumphant assurance of final victory and exulta
tion; 7 — 12. earnest prayer for support and pro
tection; 13. a profession of faith, and its mighty
power and comfort in affliction ; 14. an exhorta
tion to patience.
1. 7^eLoRD is my light and my salvation; zvhom
shall I fear? The Lord is the strength qf my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
God is our " light," as he showeth us the state we
are in, and the enemies we have to encounter ; he is
our " strength," as he enableth us, by his grace, to
cope with, and overcome them; and he is our " sal-
" vation," as the author and finisher of our deliver
ance from sin, death, and Satan. All this he was
to the blessed person whom David represented; and
all this he will be to his faithful servants. " If God "
therefore " be for us, who can be against us ?" Rom.
viii. 31.
2. When the zvicked, even mine enemies and my
foes came upon me, to eat up my flesh, they stumbled
and fell. M 2

16*, A COMMENTARY Psal. 27-
The past time is often used, in the prophetical
language, to intimate the certainty of the future.
Faith sees the foe already vanquished, and the prey
snatched from the jaws of the devouring lion.
3. Though an host should encamp against me, my
heart shall not fear : though zvar should rise against
me, in this will I be confident.
What avails it, that the " host" of darkness is in
arms, and the world taking the field against us, when
the Lord is our light, and heaven our ally?
4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that
zvill I seek after ; that I may dzvell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my Vfe, to behold the beauty
of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
The victories of David ended in his restoration to
Jerusalem, and the service of God : the victories of
Christ terminated in his triumphant return to a better
Jerusalem; and this ought to be the " one thing de-
" sired " by the Christian, that, after his conquest
over the body of sin, he may pass the unnumbered
days of eternity in the courts of heaven, contem
plating the beauty and glory of his Redeemer.
5. For in the time of trouble, he shall hide me in
his pavilion : in the secret qf his tabernacle shall he
hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
The protection and consolation experienced hy
believers of the church militant, give them a taste of
the loving kindness of the Lord, and make them im
patiently desirous of quenching their thirst at the
fountain of divine pleasures, after they shall have
been exalted upon the rock of ages, from whenee
that fountain flows.

Days. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 165
6. And nozo shall mine head be If ted up above mine
enemies round about me : therefore will I offer in his
tabernacle sacrifices of joy ; I zvill sing, yea, I zvill
sing praises unto the Lord.
These words, as they are supposed to be spoken
by David, by Christ, or by the church, express their
respective assurances, through faith, of final victory
over their several enemies, with their determined
resolution of singing hallelujahs to Jehovah, for the
same. 7. Hear, O Lord, when / cry zvith my voice:
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
From the assurances of faith it is always good to
descend to the humiliation of prayer to God, who
alone can grant unto us that one thing which we de
sire, and long after, while in the land of our capti
vity, and house of our pilgrimage. See ver. 4,
8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face ; my heart
said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, zvill I seek.
The voice of God, throughout the Scriptures, ex-
horteth the believer to turn away from the delusive
appearances of the creature, and to seek after Him
who is " altogether lovely," until he behold " the
" glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" To this
voice the believer answers, like a well-tuned instru
ment to the master's touch, declaring his resolution
so to do.
9. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy ser
vant azvay in anger: thou hast been my help; leave
me not, neither forsake me, 0 God qf my salvation!
The suppliant, having determined to seek the face
£>f God, here prayeth, that he would permit himself

166 A COMMENTARY Psal. 27,
to be found, and to be seen; and that he would not,
by " hiding his face," cause the light of knowledge
to become darkness, and the -fire of charity to go
out. The church dreadeth nothing so much as an
eclipse of the " Sun of righteousness."
10. When my father and my mother forsake me,
then tke Lord zvill take me up.
A time will come, when the dearest earthly friends
and relations can no longer be of any assistance to
us*. The case of the church and of the soul is
oftentimes compared to that of a poor, helpless, ex
posed orphan. Where worldly comforts end, hea
venly ones begin. See Isa. xlix. 15.; Matt, xxiii. 37«
John, ix. 35.
• 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a
plain path, because of mine enemies.
The child of God, learning to walk in the law of
his heavenly Father, prayeth to be directed and
strengthened from above, that the enemy may neither
pervert his steps, nor triumph in his fall.
12. Deliver me not over unto the will qf mine ene
mies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and
such as breathe out cruelty.
David had his enemies, and false accusers ; Christ
also had his; and every child of God hath need to
petition for deliverance from the great enemy of his
salvation, the grand accuser of the brethren, who is
* As there seems to be some difficulty in supposing the Psalm
ist's parents to have " deserted" him, they might perhaps be said
to have " forsaken " him, (as Muis conjectures), that is, to have
left him behind them, as being dead, Merrick.

Day 5. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 167
ever breathing out malice and cruelty against the
body and members of Christ.
13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the
goodness qf the Lord in the land of the living.
" Faith" in the comfortable promises of God is
the only sovereign cordial for a " fainting" spirit.
Earth is the land of the dying; we must extend our
prospect into heaven, which is the land of the " liv-
¦" ing," where the faithful shall " see," and expe
rience evermore " the goodness of the Lord."
14. Wait on the Lord : be of good courage, and '
ke shall strengthen thine heart : zvait, I say, on the
Lord. The person speaking concludes with an apostrophe
to his own soul, resulting from the confidence in God,
expressed, ver. 1. from the desire and the hope of
heaven, 4 — 13. and from the manifold pledges of
the divine love already received in this life; 14. the '
proper inference from all which considerations is this;
that we should patiently " wait on the Lord," till the
few and evil days of our pilgrimage pass away,
and we arrive at the mansions prepared for us, in the
house of our heavenly Father; till our warfare be ac
complished, and terminate in the peace of God; till
the storms and tempests of wintry time shall give
place to the unclouded calm, and the ever-blooming
pleasures of eternal spring.

168 A COMMENTARY Psal. 28.

PSALM XXVIII.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm, like the xxiid and many others, con
sisted! of two parts. For, 1 — 5. the true David
appeareth in his state of humiliation and suffer
ing; he prayeth for deliverance, and prophesieth
the destruction of his enemies. 6 — 9. He singeth
a sweet, though short, hymn of triumph, and inter
ceded! for his church and people,
1. Unto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rock; be not
silent to me : lest, if thou be silent to me, I become
like them that go down into the pit.
The true David here maketh supplication, " with
" strong crying," to the Father, that he may not be
suffered to continue/ like other men, under the do-
minion of the " grave." The Christian prayeth, in
the same words, to be delivered from the "pit" of
corruption; and mightily should he " cry" to Jeho--
vah, the " rock" of his salvation, until his prayer be
heard and answered.
2. Hear the voice qf my supplications, when I cry
unto thee, zvhen I lift up my hands toward thy holy
oracle. Christ frequently interceded for his people, with
his " hands lifted up " toward " heaven," in fervent
prayer : and — " I will," saith the apostle, " that
" men pray every where, lifting up holy hands ;"

Day 5. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 169
1 Tim. ii. 8. Shall our Redeemer pray for us, and
shall we not pray for ourselves ?
3. Drazv me not azvay zvith the zvicked, and with
the workers qf iniquity, zvhich speak peace to their
neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
Christ, who alone is without sin, petitioneth that
he may not be oppressed by sinners; he who is truth
and love, prayeth to be preserved from the " false
" and malicious." Let us pray to be made like him;
and, like him, to be delivered from evil, especially
from the evil of a " lying and slandering" tongue.
4. Give them according to their deeds, and ac
cording to the zvickedness qf their endeavours; give
them after the zvork qf their hands; render to them
their desert. 5. Because they regard not the zvorks
of the Lord, nor the operation qf his hands, he shall
destroy them, and not build them up.
In these verses, as indeed in most of the impreca
tory passages, the imperative and the future are used
promiscuously ; " Give them — render them— he shall
" destroy them." If, therefore, the verbs, in all such
passages, were uniformly rendered in the " future,"
every objection against the Scripture imprecations
would vanish at once, and they would appear clearly
to be what they are, namely, prophecies of the di
vine judgements, which have been since executed
against the Jews, and which will be executed against
all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ, whom
neither the " works " of creation, nor those of re
demption, can lead to repentance.
6. Blessed be ^AeLoRD, because he, hath heard the
voice of my supplications. 7- The Lord is my strength

170 A COMMENTARY Psal. 28.
and my shield ; my heart trusted in him, and I am
helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and
with my song zvill I praise him.
The scene now changes from the humiliation and
sufferings, to the glory and triumph of Christ, our
Head, who, through the power of the Divinity, hav
ing overcome his enemies, may be supposed, at his
resurrection from the dead, to have sung this strain ;
a strain which they who have been delivered from
- sin and sorrow, will best understand by using it.
8. The Lord is their strength, and he is the sav
ing strength of his Anointed, or, Christ.
He who saved and exalted the Head, will also save
and exalt the members ; or, as St. Paul expresseth
it, " if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
" dead dwell in you : he that raised up Christ from
" the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies
" by his Spirit, that dwelleth in you :" Rom. viii.
11. And for the accomplishment of this glorious
salvation, the salvation of his church, the Redeemer
intercedeth in the remaining verse of this Psalm.
9. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance :
feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
9- Save us, O Lord Jesu, from our sins ; bless us,
O thou Son of Abraham, with the blessing of righ
teousness ; feed us, O thou good Shepherd of the
sheep ; and lift us up for ever from the dust, O thou,
who art the resurrection, and the life !

Day 5. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 171
PSALM XXIX.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, the prophet, 1, 2. calleth the kings of
the earth to give glory to Jehovah, and to the
Voice, or Word, ofhis power; the effects of
which, in the world and in the church, are most
magnificently described ; the same things being
true of thunder and lightning in the former, and
of the Word of God in the latter ; as each of them
is styled, the " Voice of the Lord ; " and both, 3,
4. are mighty in operation ; both, 5. rend, and, 6,
7. shake, and, 8. pierce, and melt, and, 9. make
manifest. The Psalm concludes with, 10. an ac
knowledgement of the extent and glory of God's
kingdom, and, 11. a promise of victory and peace
through him.
1. Give unto tke Lord, O ye mighty, give unto
the Lord glory and strength. 2. Give unta the
Lord the glory due unto his name : worship the Lord
in the beauty of holiness.
The prophet addresseth himself to the " mighty "
ones of the earth, exhorting them to " give" God
the " glory," and to submit themselves to the king
dom of Messiah, to honour that holy " name," by
which they must be saved ; to bow before his altars,
" by whom kings reign;" and to cast down their
crowns at the foot of the eternal throne.

112 A COMMENTARY Psal. 25.
3. The voice ofthe Lord is upon the waters; the
God of glory thundereth ; tlie Lord is upon many
waters. The reason why the mighty are exhorted to serve
Jehovah is, beqause of his wondrous works in die
world, and in the church. By the " voice," or,
" word," of God, the " waters " were driven down
into the deep, and forbidden to overflow the earth
any mOre ; by the voice of God, the tumultuous and
raging nations subsided, and the church was immov
ably fixed upon the rock of her salvation ; and by the
Gospel of the " God of glory," all those effects were
produced in the hearts of men, which are wrought
upon terrestrial substances, by its well known and
most significant emblem in the material heavens.
4- The voice ofthe Lord is pozverful ; the voice of
the Lord is full of majesty.
Of the power and majesty of God's voice, when
he speaketh from heaven in thunder, few hearts are
insensible ; of the power and majesty of his voice,
when he spoke from heaven by his apostles, those
" sons of" the spiritual " thunder," the world was
once fully sensible. O may the evangelical " Boaner-
" ges" so cause the glorious sound of the Gospel to
be heard, under the whole heaven, that the world
may again be made sensible thereof; before that
voice of the Son of Man, which hath so often called
sinners to repentance, shall call them to judgement !
5. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars ;
yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Libanus.
The force of lightning is known to rend in pieces
the tallest and strongest trees in a moment ; nor is

Day 5. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 173
the word of God less effectual in bringing down the
loftiest pride, and rending the hardest heart of man,
by the Spirit which accompanieth it. Thus was the
persecuting Saul humbled and converted, by a " light"
and a " voice" from " heaven;" so that, instead of
" breathing out threatenings and slaughters," he asks,
like a meek and dutiful child, " Lord, what wilt thou
" have me to do?" Acts, ix. 1.6.
6. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Leba-
noti and Sirion like a young unicorn.
Thunder not only demolishefh the cedars, but
" shaketh the mountains" on which they grow.
Thus by the Gospel, " every mountain and hill was
"shaken, and made low; every high thing, which
" exalted itself against the knowledge of Christ, was
" cast down, and brought into subjection :" Isa. xl.
4. ; 2 Cor. x. 5.
7. The voice ofthe Lord divideth the flames of
fire. By the power of God, the " flames of fire" are
" divided" and sent abroad from the clouds upon the
earth, in the terrible form of lightning, that sharp and
glittering sword of the Almighty, which no substance
can withstand. The same power of God goeth
forth by his word, " quick and powerful, and sharper
" than any two-edged sword," penetrating, melting,
enlightening, and inflaming the hearts of men ; Acts,
ii. 3.; Heb. iv. 12.
8. The voice of tke Lord shaketh the wilderness ;
the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The wilderness of Kadesh was a part of that wil
derness through which the Israelites passed, in their

174 A COMMENTARY Psal. 29.
way to Canaan; see Numb. xiii. 26. Thunder
shaketh those wide extended deserts, as well as Leba
non and Sirion, mountains of Judea. The Gospel
was first preached in Palestine, but from thence it
went forth into the Gentile world, that dry, barren,
and desolate " wilderness." The wilderness is yet
once again to be shaken by " the voice of God," and
to be removed for ever, that paradise may succeed in
its place.
9. The voice ofthe Lord maketh the hinds to calve,,
or, the oaks to tremble*, and discovereth the forests;
and in his temple doth every one speak qf his glory.
Storms of thunder and lightning, attended often
with whirlwinds, strip the trees of their leaves and
bark, and disclose the recesses of forests. It is by
the " word of God," that the hidden " things of
" darkness are manifested," and the " counsels of all
"hearts revealed:" for "all things are naked and
" opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have
" to do:" 1 Cor. iv. 5. Heb. iv. 13. For these his
marvellous works, in the natural and spiritual world,
God is daily " glorified " in the " church."
10. The Lord sitteth upon tke flood; yea, the
Lord sitteth a King for ever.
* So bishop Lowth renders the clause in his Lectures. Aris
totle, Plutarch, and Pliny, as cited by Mr. Merrick, mention the
case of abortion being sometimes caused among cattle by thunder.
Whatever terrifies to any degree, may certainly produce such an
effect. But the bishop's interpretation is, in every respect, the
most eligible. The evident connexion with the words that fol
low — " discovereth the forests," — foTbids us to doubt of its being
right.

Day 5. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 175
The Lord Jesus sitteth on his throne, having all
power in the dispensations of nature and of grace ;
by which, as he checketh at pleasure the rage of the
most boisterous elements in the former, so, with the
same ease, he controlled! the fury of the enemy and
oppressor in the latter ; saying, with equal authority
in both cases, Peace ! be still!
11. The Lord zvill-give strength unto his people;
the Lord will bless his people zvith peace.
From Jehovah, whose power and majesty have
been with so much sublimity displayed in this whole
Psalm, we are to expect, through faith and prayer,
" strength" to overcome our enemies, whether ghost
ly or bodily; and also the blessing of " peace," which
must be the fruit of victory. Thou, O Christ, art
the " Mighty God;" and, therefore, thou art the
" Prince of Peace." Isa. ix. 6.

SLXTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XXX.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, or devout hymn, composed probably
by David, on his revisiting the sanctuary, after a
joyful recovery from some dangerous sickness, he,
1 — 3. returneth thanks for that event; and, 4. call
eth the church to do so likewise, 5. drawing a
comparison between temporary sufferings and
eternal rewards. 6, 7. He describeth his former

176 A COMMENTARY Psal. 30.
prosperity succeeded by affliction, with, 8 — 10. the
supplications poured forth to the Almighty, hi the
day of his distress; and then returneth again, 11.
to celebrate his deliverance, and, 12. to glorify
God for the same. The Psalm is finely adapted
to the case of the true David, and of Christians,
his disciples and followers.
1. I will extol thee, O Lord ; for thou hast I fled
me up, Heb. drawn me out, and hast not made my
foes to rejoice over me.
These words, if originally composed and uttered
by king David, on occasion of some temporal mercy,
apply, in a far more emphatical and beautiful man
ner, to the case of Messiah, suffering and rising again,
as well as to that of his church and people, following
him, both in his sufferings and resurrection; when
we shall all lift up our voices, and sing toge
ther — •" I will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou hast
" lifted me up! and hast not made my foes to re-
" joice over me!"
2. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou
hast healed me.
Deliverance is to be attained by " prayer ; " for
so David, and so the Son of David, obtained it ; the
former was " healed," at his restoration to health and
strength ; the latter at the resurrection : the soul is
healed at its repentance and conversion ; and the
body will hereafter be repaired, beautified, and glo
rified, from the ruins of the grave.
3. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul, or,

Day 6. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 177
animal frame, from the grave: thou hast kept me
alive, that I should not go dozen to the pit.
The resurrection of David was a figurative one ;
that of Christ was a real one, as that of his saints
will be ; so that the Psalm is more strictly applicable
to the true, than it ever could have been to the typi
cal David. The latter clause may be rendered —
" Thou hast quickened me from among them that
" go down to the pit;" which rendering is most
agreeable to the former part of the verse — " Thou
" hast brought up my frame from the grave."
4. Sing untojhe Lord, O ye saints qf kis, and give
thanks at the remembrance qf his holiness, or, ofhis
Holy One.
The church of the redeemed is called upon to glo
rify the name of God, for his remembrance of " the
" King of Saints," and for the accomplishment ofthe
promise in raising him from the dead.
5. For his anger endureth but a moment ; in his
favour is life : weeping may endure for a night, but
joy cometh in the morning.
This is a most beautiful and affecting image of the
sufferings and exaltation of Christ ; of the sorrows
and joys of a penitent ; of the miseries of time, and
the glories of eternity ; of the night of death, and the
morning of the resurrection.
6. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be
moved. 7. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my
mountain to stand strong : thou didst hide thy face,
and I zvas troubled.
David, after his success against Goliath, and Christ,
upon his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, were
vol. ii. N

17$ A COMMENTARY PsAL. S0.
hailed by the acclamations and hosannas of the peoj
pie, as the Christian may sometimes meet with the
applauses of the world, and be led to think himself
established in prosperity. But other troubles await
ed David; and the blessed Jesus was nailed to the
cross. Let not the disciple expect to be above his
master ; nor, ' in the season of life and joy, neglect
tb prepare for the approaching days of sorrow and
darkness. 8. 1 cried unto thee, O Lord ; and unto the Lord /
made supplication. 9- What profit is there in my
blood, when I go dozen to the pit ? • Shall the dust
praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth ? 10. Hear,
O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou
my helper.
» These are some of " the strong cryings and suppli-
" cations," which the true David poured forth, while
under the cloud of his passion ; and which are to be
poured forth by us, when conformed to his image,
in suffering affliction. The argument here used, is*
a very powerful one, namely, the necessity of a re
surrection from the grave, that man may be saved>
and God glorified. The dead cannot praise, or serve
God. They must live again for this purpose ; and
for this purpose it is, that we should desire to live,
whether it be in the present world, or that which is1
to come. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into
dancing : thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded
me zvith gladness.
This might be true of David, delivered from his*
calamity; it was true of Christ, arising from the

Day 6. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 179
tomb, to die no more ; it is true of the penitent, ex
changing his sackcloth for the garments of salvation ;
and it will be verified in us all, at the last day, when
we shall put off the dishonours of the grave, to shine
in glory everlasting.
12. To the end that my glory may sing praise to
thee, and not be silent : O Lord my God, I will
give thanks unto thee for ever.
The end of Christ's resurrection, of the salvation
of the souls of the faithful, and the resurrection of
their bodies, is one and the same, namely, the glory
of God, who is the author of every kind of deliver
ance; whose praise should, therefore, be resounded
by the grateful tongues of the redeemed, from gene
ration to generation ; as the tongue then becometh
tlie " glory" of man, when it is employed in setting
forth the glory of God,

PSALM XXXI.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, ver. 5th of which was pronounced by
our Lord, when expiring on the cross, we hear the
true David, like his representative of old, 1 — 6.
supplicating for deliverance; 7, 8. rejoicing in the
divine favour and assistance; 9 — 13. describing
his afflicted and forlorn state ; 14 — 18. returning
again to his prayers ; 19 — 22. celebrating the
mercies of God to the children of Adam; and, 23,
n 2

ISO A COMMENTARY Psal. 31.
24. exhorting his saints to courage and persever
ance, under their troubles in the world.
1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, let mc
never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
God is faithful and jusf, to save those who, in
time of trouble, renouncing all dependence on them
selves and the creature, "put their trust" only in
his mercy. His honour is engaged by his promise,
not to let such be " ashamed" of their confidence.
2. Bow dozen thine ear to me, deliver me speedily :
be thou my strong rock, for an house qf defence to
save me.
The Christian, like his blessed Master, is " be-
" sieged" by many and powerful enemies, insomuch
that, notwithstanding all human precautions, " un-
" less Jehovah keep the city, the watchman waketh
" in vain." Who, in such circumstances, would not
pray for " speedy" deliverance?
3. For thou art my rock and my fortress : there
fore, for thy name's sake, lead me and guide me.
God will be the " rock" and " fortress" of those
who esteem him as such ; and, after having been so,
through all the dangers and difficulties of life, he will
"lead" and " guide" them to the realms of peace
and rest, for the sake of that " name" wliich implieth
salvation. 4. Pull me out qf that net zvhich they have laid
privily for me : for thou art my strength.
As David prayed for an escape from the secret
conspiracies that were entered into against him, so
did Christ pray for deliverance from the snares of

Day 6. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 181
death ; and so doth the Christian pray to be extri
cated from the toils both of sin and death.
5. Into thine hand I commend my spirit: thou
hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God qf truth.
David, in his distresses, might, by these words, ex
press his resignation of himself and his affairs into
the hands of God ; but it is certain, that Christ ac
tually did expire upon the cross, with the former part
of this verse in his mouth : Luke, xxiii. 46. Nor is
there any impropriety in the application of the latter
part to him ; since, as man, the surety and represen
tative of our nature, he was " redeemed" from the
power of the enemy, by " the God of truth" accom
plishing his promises.
6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities :
but I trust in the Lord.
They may hope for redemption, who so " trust in
4i God," as to trust in nothing beside him; for all else
is " vanity," and will deceive.
7. / zvill be glad and rejoice in tky mercy, for
tkou hast considered my trouble; and hast known my
•soul in adversities : 8. And hast not shut me up into
the hand of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a
large room.
The considerations that make the soul " cheerful "
in the hour of affliction, are, that God is merciful;
that as he is not ignorant, so neither is he unmindful
of our troubles; that he is a friend, who " knows"
us in adversity, no less than in prosperity ; that he
hath not subjected us to the necessity of being over
come by our spiritual enemies ; but hath, " with the
*' temptation, made a way for us to escape."

182 A COMMENTARY Psal. 31.
9- Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in
trouble: mine eye is consumed zvith grief, yea my
soul, or, animal frame, and my belly.
Upon the strength of the foregoing considerations,
supplication is here made for deliverance from trou
bles, which wasted the eyes with weeping, and ex
hausted the strength and vigour of the frame. Such
were the troubles of David, and, more emphatically,
those of Christ; and sickness and sorrow will one
day teach us all to use the same expressions.
10. For my life is spent zeith grief, and my years
with sighing : my strength faileth because of mine
iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
> Do we not, in these words, hear the voice of the
" man of sorrows," suffering not indeed for his own
" iniquity," but for ours, of which he frequently, in
the Psalms, speaks as if it were his own? If sin was
punished in the innocent Lamb of God, let us not
expect that it should be unpunished in us, unless we
repent; and let pur punishment never fail to remind
lis of our guilt.
1 1 . I zeas a reproach among all mine enemies, but
especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine
acquaintance ; they that did see me zvithout, fled
from me.
These particulars were never more applicable to
David, than they were to the Son of David, when
his acquaintance, at beholding him reviled hy his ene
mies, were terrified from attending him, and when
" all the disciples forsook him, and fled." The same
things are often too true of the faith and the church.
They are true likewise of every man, when he suffers

Day 6. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 183
the dishonours of the last enemy, death ; when he is
" a fear " to his dearest friends, and they are obliged
to forsake him.
12. / am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; I
dm like a broken vessel.
This was literally the case of Christ, when laid in
the sepulchre, and esteemed no longer the object of
hope by his friends, or of fear by his enemies. That
he should be so "forgotten," while dead, is less won
derful, than that this should have happened since his
glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven.
13. For I have heard tlie slander of many : fear
was on every side, while they took counsel together
against me; they devised to take azvay my Ife.
The slander of Shimei, and the counsel of Ahitho
phel against king David, direct us to the slanders of
the Jews, and the counsels of Judas and the Sanhe
drim against the beloved Son of God, who, in his
church, will be persecuted in like manner, by the un
godly, to the world's end.
14. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, thou
art my God. 15. My times are in tky hand ; deliver
me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that
persecute me. \6. Make thy face to shine upon thy
servant: save me for thy mercies' sake.
In all our afflictions, after the example of the ty
pical, and of the true David, we are to have recourse
to the prayer of faith ; we are to consider, that Je
hovah is our God and Saviour: that the times and
the seasons of prosperity and adversity, of life and
death, are in his hand ; and therefore on him we are

184 A COMMENTARY Psal. 31.
to wait, till the day of mercy shall dawn, and tlie
shadows fly away.
17. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord, for I have
called upon thee ; let the wicked be ashamed, and let
them be silent in the grave. 18. Let the lying lips
be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly
and contemptuously against the righteous.
Ahithophel, for his treason against David, and Ju
das, for his treachery against Christ, felt the force of
this prophetical imprecation, or prediction, which will
also, one day, take its full effect, in the confusion of
all impenitent calumniators and traitors.
19. O hozv great is thy goodness, which thou hast
laid up for them that fear thee ; which thou hast
wrought for them thai trust in thee, before the sons
qf men.
Peace of conscience, the comforts of the Spirit,
and the hope of future glory, will teach the soul,
even in the darkest night of affliction, to break forth
into this exulting strain of gratitude and praise, for
the blessings experienced by those who confess their
Saviour before men.
20. Thou shalt hide them in the secret qf thy pre
sence from the pride, Heb. conspiracies qf man; thou
shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strfe
of tongues.
In times of contention and persecution, there is a
refuge for the faithful in " the tabernacle of David,"
which is the mystical body of Christ, inhabited by
the presence of God. In this sacred " pavilion,"
they enjoy the pleasures of contemplation and devo*

Day 6. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 185
tion, regardless of the distant tumult and confusion
of the world.
2 1 . Blessed be the Lord ; for he hath skozved me
marvellous kindness in a strong city.
The man Christ, and the church with him, like
David of old, here rejoice in the protection and sav
ing power of God, in the same manner as in Isa.
xxvi. 1. " We have a strong city; salvation will
" God appoint for walls and bulwarks."
.22. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from be
fore thine eyes ; nevertheless, thou heardest the voice
qf my supplications, zvhen I cried unto thee.
Whoever shall consider the troubles of the be
loved Son of God, bereaved for a season of the light
of heaven, only that it might afterwards arise upon
him with the greater lustre, will be taught never to
faint under the chastisement of the Lord ; since the
darkness of tlie night argues the approaching dawn
of the day.
23. O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the
Lord preserveth the faithful, and p lent fully rezeard-
eth tke proud doer. 24. Be qf good courage, and
he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in
the Lord.
The exhortation is raised from the consideration of
the deliverance of Christ, with the destruction of his
enemies; which ought to strengthen and comfort the
hearts of believers, under all their afflictions here be
low ; that so, after having suffered courageously with
their Master, they may triumphantly enter into his
joy and glory.

186 A COMMENTARY Psal. 32,
SIXTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XXXII.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, which is the second of those styled
penitential, David, as a model of true repent
ance, 1, 2. extolleth the blessedness of those
whose sins are forgiven them ; 3, 4. describeth
the torment endured by him, before he confessed
his sin; and, 5. the goodness of God in pardoning
it, when confessed ; 6. he foretelleth that others,
after his example, should obtain the like mercy;
7. declareth his hope and confidence in his God;
who, 8. is introduced, promising wisdom and grace
to the penitent; 9, 10. sinners are warned against
obstinacy; and, 11. the righteous exhorted to re
joice in God their Saviour.
1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. 2. Blessed is the man unto
whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in zehose
spirit there is no guile.
As the sick man is eloquent in the praise of health,
so the sinner beginneth this his confession of sin with
an encomium on righteousness, longing earnestly to
be made a partaker ofthe evangelical " blessedness;"
to be delivered from the guilt and the power of sin ;
to be pardoned and sanctified through faith which is
in Christ Jesus. See Rom. iv. 6.

Day 6. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 187
3. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old
through my roaring all the day long.
In opposition to the blessedness above-mentioned,
the penitent now proceeds to declare his own wretch
ed estate, occasioned by his " keeping silence," or
not confessing his sin, which therefore rankled and
festered inwardly, occasioning torment inexpressible.
The disorders of the mind, as well as those of the
body, should be communicated to persons skilful in
assuaging and removing them. Many might thereby
be saved from the horrible crime of self-murder,
which is generally committed in agonies of solitary
remorse and despair.
4. For day and night thy hand zeas heavy upon
me: my moisture is turned into the drought of su??i-
?ner. Outward calamities, and inward pangs of con
science, are the strokes of God's hand, designed to
humble the sinner, and lead him to confession; and
in the infliction of these, such severity is sometimes
necessary, that the patient is brought to death's door,
before a turn can be given to the disease ; but the
pain of a blow upon an ulcerated part, however ex
quisite, is well compensated 'for, if, by promoting a
discharge, it effect a cure.
5. / acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine ini
quity have not I hid; I said, I will confess my trans
gresses unto the Lord ; and thouforgavest the ini
quity of my sin.
What is this, but the Gospel itself — " If we con^
" fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
" sins:" 1 John, i. 9. And thus it happened, in one

188 A COMMENTARY Psal. 32.
case, to David, who had no sooner confessed his sin
to the prophet Nathan, but an answer of peace was
instantly vouchsafed — " The Lord hath put away
" thy sin :" 2 Sam. xii. 1 3. Were angels to descend
from heaven, to comfort the dejected spirit of a sin
ner, they could say nothing more effectual for the
purpose, than what is said in this verse of our Psalm.
But practice will be the best comment upon it.
6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto
thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in
the floods qf great waters they shall not come nigh
unto him.
Encouraged, by this. example and declaration of
David, to hope for mercy, on confession of sin, it
is here foretold, that humble penitents shall be led to
make their prayer unto God in the acceptable time,
and in the day of salvation, while he " may be
" found;" that so they may be forgiven, and pre
served from great and overwhelming calamities ; from
the fears of death, and the terrors of judgement.
7- Thou art my hiding place, thou shalt preserve
me from trouble: thou shalt compass me about with
songs qf deliverance.
The penitent, happily returned to the house of his
heavenly Father, now esteemeth himself safe under
his protection ; and resteth in full assurance that all
his sorrows shall one day be turned into joy, through
the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. *».
8. I zeill instruct thee, and teach thee in the way
in which thou shalt go : I zvill guide thee with mine
eye. The Redeemer is here introduced, returning an

Day 6. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 18S
answer to the penitent's declarations of his humility
and faith ; promising " instruction " in that wisdom
which every man wants who continues in sin, toge
ther with the direction of the Spirit in the way of
righteousness, and the superintendance of his watch-.
ful care. Man cannot prevent evils, because he can
not foresee them. " Next therefore to the protecting
" power of God's Wing, is the securing prospect of
" his Eye," saith Dr. South.
9- Be ye not as the horse, or, as tke mule, which
have no understanding : zehose mouth must be held in
with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
The person speaking in the former verse, or the
prophet himself, exhorts sinners to repent, at the in
vitation and encouragement afforded them; and not
to continue, like brutes, fierce, obstinate, and sense
less, until, like them, they must be tamed and ma
naged by force, and the severity of discipline.
10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he
that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass Mm
about.. They who are not to be reformed by gender me
thods, must learn righteousness under the rod of
affliction, in the school of the cross : and happy are
they, if their " sorrows " may so turn to their advan
tage. But happier are those who, led by the good
ness of God to repentance and faith, enjoy the light
and protection of " mercy."
11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous:
and shout for Joy, all ye that are upright in heart*.
* Bishop Lowth is of opinion, this verse should be tie first of

190 A COMMENTARY Psal. 33.
In the beginning of the Psalm, the penitent, smit
ten with a sense of his wretchedness on account of
his sips, extolleth the blessedness of the righteous !
he now again doth the same, through a joyiul sense
of his pardon, and restoration to that happy state.
Let us " rejoice," O Lord Jesu ; but let us rejoice
" in thee," and in thy salvation ; so shall we rejoice
indeed ! I
PSALM XXXIII.
ARGUMENT*.
In this Psalm, the prophet, 1 — 3. exhorteth the
faithful to a spiritual and holy joy in their God,
whom they are to praise, 4, 5. for his truth, •righ
teousness, and mercy; 6 — 9, for his power, dis
played in the works of creation; 10 — 19. for the
wisdom of his providence, and the care he hath
of his people. 20, 21. The righteous, in answer
to the exhortation, declare their joy and confidence
in God their Saviour, and, 22. prefer a petition for
his manifestation.
1 . Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise
is comely for the upright.
the ensuing Psalm, the repetition being in the very style and man
ner of the Hebrews, and the words repeated and varied with the
greatest art and elegance. " Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye
" righteous ; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
" Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous ; for praise is comely for the
" upright." See Merrick's Annotations.

Day 6. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 191
God, and not the world, is the fountain of "joy;"
which sinners talk of, but the righteous only possess.
" Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, re-
" joice:" Philip, iv. 4.
2. Praise the Lord zvith harp: sing unto him
zvith psaltery, and an instrument of ten strings.
Music, both vocal and instrumental, is of eminent
use in setting forth the praises of God; but there is
no instrument like the rational soul, and no melody
like that of well-tuned affections. When this music
accompanies the other, the sacred harmony of the
church is complete.
5. Sing unto him a new song ; play ski fully with a
loud noise.
" Old things are passed away," and the ideas of a
Christian are to be transferred from the old world,
and the old dispensation, to the " new;" since, un
der the Gospel, " all things are become new," and
all men ought to become so :" Rev. xxi. 1. 5. Abi
lities of every kind are never so well employed, as in
the service of him who giveth them. ,
4. For the word of the Lord is right : and all
his zvorks are done in truth.
God is to be praised for his word, and his Avorks ;
for his rectitude in the one, and his truth in the other;
for his faithfulness in accomplishing by the latter,
what his goodness had promised in the former. The
sense will be the same, if we suppose- that by the
" word of the Lord " is meant the personal word,
or Son of God, all whose " works " wrought for the
salvation of men, are done in truth, as witnessed by
the law and the prophets.

192 , A COMMENTARY1 Psal. 33.
5. He loveth righteousness and judgement : the
earth is full of the goodness, Heb. mercy, of the
Lord. "Justice" is an attribute inseparable from God;
and what deserves the praises of man, as it excites
the admiration of angels, is, that, without sacrificing
this formidable attribute, he hath contrived to fill and
overflow the earth with his " mercy."
6. By tke word qf tke Lord were tke heavens
made : and all the host qf them by the breath, or,
spirit, qf his mouth.
It is true, that the world was created by the
" word," or fiat of God, which may be here de-.
scribed, after the manner of men, as formed by
" the breath of his mouth." It is also true, that. by
the instrumentality of the eternal word, and the
eternal spirit, the old heavens and earth were made;
as also the new heavens and earth which shall succeed
them. Glory is due from man to God, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Spirit.
7- He gathereth tke waters qf the sea together, as
an heap: he layeth up the depth in store houses.
The next instance of divine power and goodness,
for which we arc here excited to be thankful, is that
of laying up the waters, which originally covered the
face of the earth, in the great depth beneath. And
let us reflect, that, by the same divine power and
goodness, a deluge of wickedness and violence is
prevented from overwhelming the faith and the
church. 8. Let all the earth fear Me Lord: let all tke in
habitants of the world stand in azee of him: 9. For

Day 6. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. is 3
he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it
stood fast.
He who made all things, who preserves all things,
and can in a moment destroy all things, is the proper
object of our " fear;" and that we fear him so little,
is a most convincing proof of the corruption and
blindness of our hearts.
10. The Lord bringeth the Counsel of the heathen
to nought: he maketh the devices qf the people of
none effect. 1 1 . The counsel of the Lord standeth
for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
The wisdom of God's providence is not less worthy
of adoration than the power of his might. By this
wisdom the " councils" of states and empires are
either directed to the accomplishment of the great
council of heaven ; or, if they attempt to thwart it^
are blasted, and " brought to nothing." History
will force all, who read it with this view, to acknow
ledge thus much, And with this view, indeed, it
should always be read.
1 % Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ;
and the people whom he hath chosen for his own in
heritance. The foregoing considerations of the righteousness,
truth, mercy, power, and wisdom, of Jehovah, na
turally suggest a reflection on the " blessedness " of
the church, in whose cause all those attributes are,
by the covenant of grace, engaged and exercised.
But who now esteems this blessedness as it deserves?
13. We Lord looketh from heaven: he beholdeth
all the sons of men. 14. From tke place ofhis habi*
tation, he looketh upon all the inhabitants ofthe earth.
vou 11. o

194 A COMMENTARY Psal, 33.
15. Hefashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth
all their zvorks.
How great must be the advantage of living in his
favour, and under his protection, who, from the
watch-tower of his eternal throne, beholdeth, direct-
et£/£Sd controlled! at pleasure, not only the actions
and the words, but the very thoughts and imagina
tions of all the inhabitants of the earth ! For, this
being the case, it is most certain, that,
16. There is no king saved by the multitude of an
host; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shalt
he deliver any by his great strength.
All the power in the world is less than nothing, if
brought into the field against that of God; so that
the fate of every battle will depend upon the side
which he shall please to take, who is equally able to
confound the many and the mighty, and to give vic
tory to the weak and the few. The same is true of
that spiritual warfare in which we are all en
gaged. 1 8. Behold, the eye ofthe Lord is upon them that
fear him; upon them tkat hope in his mercy: ]g. To
deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive
mfarnine. ¦
The ever-waking eye of Providence, w hich look
eth on all, looketh with favour and loving kindness
on such as " fear " God without despondency, and
"hope" in him without presumption; their bodies
are often wonderfully preserved in times of danger
and want; but, what is of far greater consequence,
their souls are saved from spiritual and everlasting

Day 6. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 193
death, and nourished, in the wilderness, with the
bread of heaven.
20. Our soul zvaitcth for the Lord : he is our
help and our shield. 21. For our heart shall rejoice
in him, because zve have trusted in his holy name.
In answer to the foregoing exhortation, the " righ-
" teous " are here introduced, declaring their fixed
resolution to persevere in faith and patience, " wait-
" ing " for the coming of their Lord and Saviour, in
whom they " rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
" of glory," by reason of that humble and holy con
fidence which they have in him.
22. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according
as zve hope in thee.
The "hope" of the church was always in Mes
siah. Of old she prayed for the "mercy" of his
first advent; now she expecteth his second. Grant
us, O Lord, hope, of which w7e may never be disap
pointed.

PSALM XXXIV.
ARGUMENT.
The prophet, escaped out of the hands of his ene.
mies, uttereth a song of praise, in words which
the Christian now em ploy eth to celebrate the far
greater deliverance of his Saviour, and himself by
him, from the power of more formidable adversa
ries 1 — 7- He calleth his brethren to rejoice
with him, and to magnify God for the favour and
o 2

196 A COMMENTARY Psal. 3*.
protection vouchsafed to his servant, in a time of
danger; 8 — 10. he exhorteth others to taste and
experience the goodness of Jehovah to such as fear
him; and for that purpose, 11 — 14. instructeth
them iii the nature and effects of divine fear ; after
which, 15 — 22. he sweetly descanteth on the cer
tainty of redemption from all the tribulations en
dured by the faithful in this mortal life.
1. I zvill bless tke Lord at all times: his- praise'
shall continually be in my mouth.
The Christian, delivered from many perils, yet
continually liable to more, finds cause, at all'seasons
and in all situations, to bless God. " In all things
" he gives thanks, and rejoices even in tribulation,"
which cannot deprive him of the true ground of all
joy, the salvation of Christ.
2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the
humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
The glory of every action is to be ascribed to
God, whose interpositions, in behalf of his people
of old time, afford consolation and joy to the humble
and afflicted. But chiefly are the members of the
church bound to give thanks for the resurrection and
triumph of Christ, their head. " The humble " can
never " hear " of this, without being " glad."^
3. O magnify the Lord zvith me, and let us exalt
his name together.
The Christian, not only himself magnifies God,
but exhorts others to do likewise ; and longs for that
day to come, when all nations and languages, laying

Day 6. z. p. ON THE PSALMS. 197
aside their contentions and animosities, their preju
dices and their errors, their unbelief, their heresies,
and their schisms, shall make their sound to be heard
as one, 'in magnifying and exalting their great Re
deemer's name.
4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and de
livered me from all my fears.
The ground of this rejoicing, to the typical David,
might be his deliverance from his enemies ; to the
true David, it was his rescue from the powers of
darkness ; to the believing soul, it is her salvation
from sin ; and to the body, it will be redemption
from the grave. Then the Lord will deliver us " from
" all our fears;" and this he will do, if we " seek"
him, in his scriptures, and his ordinances.
5. They looked upon him, and zvere lightened: and
their faces zvere not ashamed.
Faith is the eye, sin the blindness, and Christ the
light of the soul. The blindness must be removed,
and the eye must be directed te the light, which will
then illuminate the whole man, and guide him in the
way of salvation. He who thus looketh unto the sun
of righteousness, for light and direction, shall never
be confounded.
6. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
David, when he escaped from his enemies, might
be " poor " and destitute. But he was emphatically
" the poor man," who became so for our sakes; who
not only possessed nothing, but desired nothing in this
world. He " cried, and Jehovah heard him, and
" delivered hira out of all his troubles ;" as he will hear

198 A COMMENTARY Psal. 34.
and deliver the " poor in spirit," who pray unto him.
For, 7, The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them.
The divine protection and salvation, vouchsafed
to the faithful, is here signified, whether Ave suppose
that by " the angel of Jehovah," is meant the pre
sence of Christ in the church militant, as of old in
the camp of Israel; or the ministration of created
spirits to the heirs of salvation, as in the case of
Elisha: 2 Kings, vi. 17- Let the consideration of
these invisible guardians, who are also spectators of
our actions, at once restrain us from evil, and incite us
to good.
8. O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed.
is the man that trusteth in him.
David saw and tasted the goodness of Jehovah,
when delivered from his adversaries : the son of
David when raised from the dead. Both invite us,
by "trusting" in God, to behold and experience, in
our own persons, the mercies and consolations of
heaven. 9. 0 fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is na
want to them that fear him. 10. The young lions do
lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord
shall not zvant any good thing.
He who seeketh the Lord, shall find him; and he
who hath found Him, can want nothing. Faith,
hope, charity, temperance, purity, patience, and con
tentment, are the true riches; and the lack of them,
the poverty to be most dreaded; since to a Christian,
persecution, loss, sickness, nay, death itself, is gain.

Day 6. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 199
In the mean time, God is never wanting to provide
for his servants what he seeth needful and best, h*
matters temporal; while tyrants and oppressors, who
are, in the world, what " lions " are in a forest, are
often, by the just judgement of heaven, reduced to
want that which they have ravished from others.
11. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will
teach you the fear of the Lord.
They who, by contemplating the advantages de
scribed above, which attend the fear of the Lord, are
become desirous of obtaining that fear, must hearken
to their heavenly Father, who by his prophet " speak-
" eth unto them as unto children," offering to teach
them the good and right way.
12. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth
many days, that he may see good?
Every Christian professeth to " desire," not only
an animal, but a spiritual "life;" to love, not an
old age in time, but an eternal duration ; that he may
" see those good things " which God hath prepared,
not upon earth, but in heaven, for them that love him.
Let us observe, therefore, upon what terms such
blessings are offered.
13. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from
speaking guile.
The tongue is an instrument of much good, or
much evil. Life and death are in its power; he that
keepeth it, keepeth his soul ; and he who offendcth
not therewith is a perfect man ; it is an unruly
member, and the first work of the fear of God must
be to bridle it, that no profane, unclean, slanderous,
deceitful, or idle words, proceed out of the mouth,

200 A COMMENTARY Psal. 34.
And as the heart is to the tongue, what the fountain
is to the stream, that must first be purified.
14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and
pursue it.
Not the tongue only, but the whole man is to be
corrected and regulated by the fear of God, operating
unto repentance from dead works, and, through
faith, unto obedience of life. And he who hath thus
obtained peace with God, must ever remember to fol
low peace with men, reconciling his brethren, if at
variance; himself, if it be possihle, being at variance
with no one.
15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their cry. 16. The face
qf the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off
the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous may be afflicted, like David, and
like a greater than David ; and their oppressors may,
for a time, be triumphant ; but, in the end, the for
mer will be delivered and exalted; the latter Avill
either cease to be remembered, or they will be re-*.
membered with infamy,
17. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and
delivereth them out of all their troubles.
This great and comforting truth, is attested by the
history pf the deliverances of Israel from Egypt,
Babylon, &c. ; of Jonah from the whale ; of the three
children from the flames, &c. wrought at the suppli*
cations of the respective parties in distress : but above
all, by the salvation of the world, through the inter*
cession of Jesus Christ. The death of martyrs is

Day 6. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 201
their deliverance ; and the greatest of all deliver
ances. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are qf a
broken heart ; and saveth such as be qf a contrite
spirit. AVe are apt to overlook men, in proportion as they
are humbled beneath us ; G od regards them in that
proportion. Vessels of honour are made of that
clay, which is " broken" into the smallest parts.
19- Many are the afflictions of the righteous : but
the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Afflictions all must suffer ; but those of the righ
teous end in victory and glory. What soldier would
not cheerfully undergo the hardships of a campaign
upon this condition? " In the wrorld," saith the Cap
tain of our salvation, " ye shall have tribulation ;
" but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world;''
John, xvi. 33.
20. He keepeth all his bones ; not one qf them is
broken. It is God who preserveth to man the strength of
his body, which lieth in the bones ; and that vigour
of his spirit, which consisteth in firm and well-esta
blished principles of faith and holiness. The bones
of the true Paschal Lamb continued whole during the
passion ; and those of the saints shall be raised whole
at the last day, when the mystical body of Christ
shall come out of its sufferings, no less perfect and
^ntire, than did the natural.
21. Evil shall slay the zvicked: and they that hate
ihe righteous shall be desolate.
The evil of punishment springs from the evil of

202 A COMMENTARY Psal. 35.
sin; and no sin works such " desolation," as a mali
cious " hatred" and persecution of the true sons and
servants of God. Whoso doubts the truth of this,
let him only survey and consider attentively the de
solation of the once highly favoured nation, for their
enmity against the King of righteousness, and his
faithful subjects.
22. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:
and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
The frequent prosperity of the wicked, and the
troubles of the righteous in this world, strike power
fully upon the sense, and are, for that reason, too
apt to efface from our minds the notices given us by
faith, of that future inversion of circumstances which
is to take place after death. To renew, therefore, the
impression of such an interesting truth, the redemp
tion of the afflicted righteous is so often insisted on-
in the course of this Psalm. Enable us, O Lord, to
" walk by faith,' and not by sight," until we come to
thy heavenly kingdom ; where, with all thy saints,
made perfect through sufferings, we shall " bless and
" magnify thee at all times," and thy " praise will
" continually be in our mouth," for evermore;

SEVENTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XXXV.
ARGUMENT.
The prophet, in this Psalm, as in the xxiid, which it
resembles, personating Messiah, in his state of

Day 7. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 203
humiliation and suffering, 1 — 3. beseecheth Jeho
vah to interpose in his behalf; 4 — 8. predicteth
the confusion of his enemies, and, 9, 10. his own
triumph; 11 — 16. describeth the malice of his
persecutors against him, and his love .towards
them; 17 — 25. repeateth his supplications for de
liverance, and enlargeth upon the cruel insults he
met with ; 26. he again foretelleth the destruction
of the adversary, and, 27, 28. the exultation of the
faithful. 1. Plead my cause, O Lord, zvith them that
strive zvith me: fight against them tkat fight against
me. David, in his afflictions; Christ, in his passion; the
church, under persecution ; and tlie Christian, in the
hour of temptation, supplicate the Almighty to ap
pear in their behalf, and to vindicate their cause.
2. Take hold qf shield and buckler, and stand up
for mine help. 3. Drazv out also the spear, and stop
the way against them that persecute me : say unto
my soul, I am thy salvation.
Jehovah is here described, as a " man of war,*'
going forth to the battle against the enemies of Mes
siah, and his church : the protection afforded by his
mercy, is figured by the shield of the warrior, cover
ing his body from the darts of the enemy ; and the
vengeance of his uplifted arm, is represented by the
offensive weapons used among men, such as the spear
and the sword. " If God be for us, who can be
" against us?" If he speaketh salvation, who shall

204 A COMMENTARY Psal. 35.
threaten destruction? see Deut. xxxii. 4 1 . Wisdom,
v. 20.
4. Let them be confounded, or, they shall be con
founded, and put to shame, that seek after my soul:
let them be, or, they shall be, turned back and brought
to confusion, that devise my hurt.
The consequence of the omnipotent appearing in
arms against his adversaries, is here foretold. And
the prediction has long since been verified in the
" confusion" of Saul, and of the Jews, as it will be
finally fulfilled in that of Satan, and all his adherents, .
at the last day ; for the manifestation of which day
the church now waiteth, in faith and patience.
5. Let them be, or, they shall be, as chaff before
the zvind : and let the angel qf the Lord, or, the
angel ofthe Lord shall chase them.
The Jews, separated from the church and people
of Christ, become useless and unprofitable to any
good work, possessing only the empty ceremonies and
husks of their religion, and by the breath of the di
vine displeasure dispersed over the face of the earth, .
afford a striking comment on this verse, and as strik
ing an admonition to every opposer of the holy Jesus.
See Psal. i. 4.
6. Let their zeay, or, their zvay shall, be dark and
slippery: and let the angel of the Lord, or, the angel
of the Lord shall, persecute them.
A traveller, benighted in a bad road, is an expressive
emblem of a sinner walking in his slippery and dan
gerous ways of temptation, without knowledge to direct
his steps, to show him the danger, or to extricate him
from it ; while an enemy is in pursuit of him, whom.

Day 7. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 205
he can neither resist nor avoid. Deliver us, O
Lord, from all blindness, but, above all, from that
which is judicial!
7- For zvithout cause have they hid for wze their
net in a pit, which without cause they have digged
for my soul. 8. Let destruction, or, destruction shall,
come upon him at unazvares ; and let his net that he
hath hid, or, his net that ke hath hid, shall catch him
self: into that veiy destruction let him, or, he shall,
fall
The causeless persecution raised against David by
Saul, and against our Lord by the Jewrs, reverted,
through the righteous judgement of God, on the
heads of the persecutors. The innocent birds
escaped ; and they who set the toils, were themselves
taken therein. Saul lost the kingdom which he
thought to have secured, and his life also ; and the
Jews who crucified Christ, lest " the Romans should
" take away their place and nation," had their place
and nation taken away by those Romans, for that
very reason. In these histories, all impenitent per
secutors of the faith, the church, and the servants of
God, may read their doom.
9. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it
shall rejoice in his salvation. 10. All my bones shall
say, Lord, zvho is like unto thee, zvho deliverest the
poor from him that is too strong far him, yea, the
poor and the needy from him that spoileth him ?
These verses, as they describe the joy which the
soul and body of Christ were to experience after the
resurrection, so shall they one day be sung by the
mystical body of the Lord, when delivered from the

206 A COMMENTARY Psal. 35.
power of the spoiler, and raised entire from the dust.
In the mean time, they may express our gratitude
for any temporal preservation from enemies, from sad
casualties, and dangerous temptations.
11. False zeitnesses did rise up ; they laid to my
charge, Heb. asked me, things that I knew not. 12.
They rezvarded me evil for good, to the spoiling of my
soul. This was never more literally true of David, than
it was of the holy Jesus, when, standing before Pon
tius Pilate, he received no other return from the
Jews, for all the gracious words which he had spoken,
and all the merciful works whirh he had done
among them, than that of being slandered, and put?
to death.13. But as for me, zvhen they zvere sick, my cloth
ing was sackcloth : I humbled, or, afflicted, my soul
zvith fasting ; and my prayer returned into mine ozvn
bosom. If David prayed, fasting in sackcloth, for Saul,
and his associates, the son of David, to heal the souls
of men, put on the veil of mortal flesh, and appeared
in the form and habit of a penitent, fasting forty days
and forty nights, making continual intercession for
transgressors, and grieving to think that any men, by
their obstinacy, should deprive themselves of the
benefits thereof.'
14. I behaved myself, Heb. Ixvalked, as though he
had been my friend or brother ; I bozeed dozen
heavily, as one that mournefh for his mother, or, as
/t mother that mourneth.
He who so passionately lamented the natural death.

Day 7. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 201
of Saul, doubtless bewailed greatly his spiritual death
of sin : and he who took a comprehensive view of
the sins and sorrows of Jerusalem, wept over that
wretched city, with the tender affection of a " friend,"
a " brother," and a " mother" — " O Jerusalem, Jeru-
" salem, how often would I have gathered thy child-
;l ren together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
" under her wings !"
15. But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and ga~
thered themselves together : yea, tlie abjects, or, smit-
ers, gathered themselves together against me, and I '
kneze it not ; they did tear me, and ceased not.
When the blessed Jesus was suffering for the sins
of men, he was insulted by those men for whose sins
he suffered. He gave, not only his reputation to the
revilers, but also his back to the " smiters," though
not conscious of the crimes for which they pretended
to punish him.
1 6. With hypocritical mockers in feasts, or, among
the profligates the makers qf mock, gnashed upon me
zvith their teeth.
However this might be true in the case of David,
it certainly had a literal accomplishment in the scoffs
and taunts of the chief priests, and others, when
Christ was hanging on the cross" — " Ah, thou that
" destroyest the temple," &c. " He trusted in
" God," &c. " Let him come down from the cross,"
&c. &c. &c. nay, one of the thieves, crucified with
him, " cast the same in his teeth." Whosoever con
siders these things, will not be surprised at the ex
postulation in the following verse.
17- Lord, hozv long wilt thou look on ? Rescue my

208 A COMMENTARY Psal. 35.
soul from their destructions, my darling from the
lions. Christ prayeth, like David of old, for the mani
festation of the promised mercy : for the deliverance
of the nature which he had assumed, and which he
, delighted in. Who does not behold, in him, sur
rounded by his enraged and implacable enemies,
a second Daniel, praying in the den of " lions."
18. I will give thee thanks in the great coyigrega-
tion: I zvill praise thee, among much people, or, the
strong people.
This verse is exactly parallel to Psal. xxii. 25.
wherein, after an enumeration of his sufferings, our
Lord predicteth the praise and glory that should ac
crue to God in the church, after his resurrection, from
the preaching of the apostles ; which passage see, and
compare ; as also, Isai. xxv. 3. and Rev. vii. 9.
19. Let not them that are mine enemies zvrong-
fully rejoice over me : neither let them wink zvith
the eye that hate me zvithout a cause.
The prophet, in the person of Christ, returnetb
again to make supplication, that an end may be put
to the insults, the scoffs, and the sneers, of the re
probate. O come that day, when they shall cease for
evermore !
20. For they speak not peace : but they devise de
ceitful matters against them that are quiet in the
land. 21. Yea, they opened their mouth zvide against
me and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
David would have lived " quietly" under the go
vernment of Saul : our Lord did not aim at tempo
ral sovereignty over the Jews; nor did the primitive.

Day 7. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 309
Christians desire to intermeddle witli the politics of
the world ; yet all were betrayed, mocked, and per
secuted, as rebels and usurpers, and the pests of
society. 22. This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence:
O Lord, be not far from me. 23. Stir up thysef,
and azvake to my judgement, even unto my cause, my
God, and my Lord. 24. Judge me, O Lord my God,
according to thy righteousness; and let them not re
joice over me.
God " seeth" and knoweth all things; yet he per-
mitteth those who love him best, to be often and long
afflicted and oppressed, seeming as one at a " di-
" stance," or " silent," or " asleep," that is, regard
less of what passes. At such times, we are not to
remit, but to double our diligence in prayer, reiter
ating our cries — " Lord save us! we perish!" Then
will he " awake and arise, and rebuke the winds
" and the seas, and there shall be a calm,"
' 25. Let them not say- in their hearts, Ah, so zvould
zve have it : let them not say, We have szvallowed him
up. Messiah prayeth for an end of his sufferings ; that
the enemies of mankind might not triumph in his de
struction; that death might not finally " swallow hiin
" up," but be itself " Swallowed up in victory." The
church daily maketh the same request.
26. Let them, or, they shall, be ashamed and
brought to confusion together, that rejoice at mine
hurt : let them, or, they shall, be clothed zvith shame
and dishonour, that magnify themselves against me.
The accomplishment of this prediction, by the re-
VOL. II. p

210 A COMMENTARY Psal. 36,
surrection of Jesus, and the destruction of Jerusalem,
is well known. There are two events to come
parallel to those two which are past, viz. the resur
rection of the faithful, and the destruction of the
world ; when all who, like the Jews, have " rejoic-
" ed in the hurt" of Messiah, and have " magnified
" themselves against him," will, like the Jews, be
covered with everlasting " confusion."
27. Let them, or, they shall, shout for joy, and be
glad, that favour my righteous cause : yea, let them,
Or, they shall, say continually, Let the Lord be mag
nified, zvhich hath pleasure in the prosperity of his
servant. 28. And my tongue shall speak of thy
righteousness, and qf thy praise, all the day long.
As the preceding verse foretold the sorrow of the
enemies, so these two describe the joy of the friends
to Messiah upon his victory and exaltation, which
have been, and shall continue to be, celebrated by
the church in these divine hymns, indited by the
Holy Spirit for that purpose, until the songs of time
shall end in the hallelujahs of eternity.
PSALM XXXVI.
ARGUMENT.
In the first four verses of this Psalm, the Prophet
describeth the principles, the actions, the conver
sation, and the imaginations of his wicked perse
cutors; and from thence raising his thoughts to
heaven, 5 — 9- celebrateth the mercy and loving

Day 7. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 211
kindness of Jehovah ; for a continuation of which
to himself and the church, he fervently prayeth ;
10, 11, and 12. foreseeth the downfal of the un
godly. 1. The transgression qf the zvicked saith within my
heart, that there is no fear qf God before his eyes.
If the present reading in the original be the true
one, the meaning must be this — The transgressions of
a bad man show plainly, in the apprehension of a
good one, that the former is destitute of a true fear
of God. Bishop Lowth, by a slight alteration or
two in the text, renders it to this effect — " The wick-
" ed man, according to the wickedness in his heart,
" saith, There is no fear of God before mine eyes*."
The great truth which the prophet here declareth
himself to be convinced of, is, that all wickedness
proceedeth from the absence of " the fear of God,"
in the person who committed! it ; that fear being a
principle which, while it is predominant in the man,
will restrain him from transgression. Our laws sup
pose as much, when, in the form of indicting a cri
minal, they attribute the commission of the offence to
his " not having the fear of God before his eyes."
2. For heflattereth himself in his ozvn eyes, until
his iniquity be found to be hateful : or, when his sin
is ready to be found out, and to be hated.
He who hath lost " the fear of God," is first led
into sin, and then detained in it; because, having
forgotten the great witness and judge of his actions,
* See Merrick's Annotations.
P 2

212 A COMMENTARY Psal. 36\
he vainly thinks his crimes may be concealed, or dis
guised, till a discovery breaks the charm, and dis
perses the delusion. The last day will show strange
instances of this folly.
3. The words ofhis mouth are iniquity and deceit:
he hath left off to be' wise, and to do good : or, to un
derstand, that he may do good. ,
If the fear of God be not in the heart, " iniquity
" and deceit" will be under the tongue; and then,
an apostasy from w isdom and goodness, or the wis
dom of goodness, which is the only true wisdom, can
not be far off.
4. He deviseth mischief upon his bed ; he sett eth
himself in a zvay that is not good; he abhorreth not
evil. From the actions and the words of him who hath
not the fear of God before his eyes, the prophet
goeth back to the thoughts and imaginations of his
heart, which, even in retirement and solitude, are
busily employed upon evil, as those of the righteous
are, at those seasons, upon God and goodness. A
man may know the state of his mind, in some mea
sure, from his morning and evening thoughts " upon
" his bed." He who doth not give diligence to " set
" himself in a good way," will soon be set in one that
is not good ; and he who doth not " abhor" sin, will,
ere long, delight in it.
5. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in tke heavens; and
thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds, or, skies.
6. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;
thy judgements are a great deep.
From the wickedness of the world, in which we

Day 7. M.P. ON THE PSALMS. 213
Kve, Ave must lift up our eyes for help and comfort,
to the mercy and truth of God, boundless, pure, and
beneficial, as the heavens over our heads ; to his
righteousness, fixed and permanent as the everlast
ing hills ; and to his judgements, stupendous and un
fathomable as the Avaters of the great deep. Truth
will engage menSy to accomplish the promised sal
vation of the elect ; and righteousness will employ
judgement in executing upon the reprobate the ven
geance that is due.
7- O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. Hoze
excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore
the children qf men put their trust under the shadozv
of thy wings.
The good providence of God extendeth over all
creatures, nourishing and preserving them, as well
as man, for Avhose use they Avere made. We can
never enough value and extol the " loving kindness"
of him, Avhose overshadowing " wings" protect and
cherish us on earth, in order to bear us from thence
to heaven. See Matt, xxiii. 37- Deut. xxxii. 11.
8. They shall be abundantly satisfied zvith the fat
ness of thy house ; and thou shalt make them drink qf
the river qf thy pleasures.
In heaven alone the thirst of an immortal soul
after happiness can be satisfied. There the streams,
of Eden will Aoav again. They who drink of them
shall forget their earthly poverty, and remember the
miseries of the Avorld. no more. Some drops from
the celestial cup are sufficient, for a time, to make us
forget our sorrows, even while Ave are in the midst
&i them. What then may we not expect from full

/

214 A COMMENTARY Psal. 36,
draughts of those pleasures which % are at thy right
hand, O Lord, for evermore?
9. For with thee is tke fountain of life ; in thy
light we shall see light.
The rivers before mentioned flow from a " foun-
" tain" which fetcheth not supplies from without,
but whose spring is within itself, and therefore can
never be exhausted. The " water of life" proceeds
from " the throne of God and the Lamb :" Rev.
xxii. 1. " This is life eternal, to know thee the
" only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
" sent :" John, xvii. 3. God, like the sun, cannot
be seen, but by the light which himself emits.
10, O continue thy loving kindness unto them that
knozo thee ; and thy righteousness fo the upright in
heart. The prophet, groaning under the oppression of
the Avicked, who are described in the first part of the
Psalm, prayeth for a continuation of the mercies of
God, Avhich he has celebrated in the second part.
Give us, O God, the knowledge of thee, and make
us upright in heart, that thy loving kindness and thy
righteousness may be our portion for ever.
1 1 . Let not the foot of pride come against me ; and
let not the hand ofthe zvicked remove me.
* The Christian has reason enough to join with the
prophet in this petition, Avhether we suppose it to de
precate destruction from proud men and sinners
without us, or from pride and sin within us.
12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen : they
are oast dozen, and shall not be able to rise.
Faith calleth things that he not, as though they

Day 7. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 21$
were ; it carries us forward to the end of time ; it
shows us the Lord, sitting on his throne of judge
ment ; the righteous caught up to meet him in the
air; the world in flames under his feet ; and the em
pire of sin fallen to rise no more.

SEVENTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XXXVII.
ARGUMENT.
From the beginning to the end of this Psalm, the
Holy Spirit, by the prophet, administereth advice
and consolation to the church and people of the
Lord, oppressed and afflicted in the Avorld, by pros
perous and triumphant wickedness. Faith and
patience are, therefore, recommended, upon the
double consideration of that sure reward Avhich
aAvaiteth the righteous, and that certain punish
ment which shall be inflicted on the Avicked. These
two events are set before us in a variety of expres
sions, and under many lively and affecting images.
As the Psalm is rather a collection of divine apho
risms on the same subject, than a continued and
connected discourse, it admitteth of nothing far
ther in the Avay of argument.
1 . Fret not thysef because of evil doers, neither
be thou envious against the zvorkers of iniquity. 2.

216 A COMMENTARY Psal. 37.
For they shall soon be cut dozen like .the grass, and
wither as the green herb.
The Holy Spirit here prescribeth a remedy to a
very common, and no less dangerous disorder of the
mjnd, namely, a distrust of God's providence, occar
sioned by frequently beholding the prosperity of the
AA'icked, in this present world. He avIio alloweth him
self time to consider, how soon the fairest spring
must give place to, a burning summer, a blighting
autumn, and a killing winter, will no longer envy, but
pity, the fading verdure of the grass, and the still more
transient glories of the flowers of the field. Herbs
and plants are medicinal in more senses than one*.
3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt tkou
dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed: or,
dwell in the land, and feed on truth, or fait If ulnes.s.
The consideration of the speedy and tragical end
of sinners, affordeth a powerful argument for perse
verance in faith and holiness ; for continuing in the
church, and making our abode in the pastures of
truth; until, in the strength of that sacred viand, Ave
come to the heavenly land of promise, and dwell
therein for ever.
4. Delight thy sef also in the Lord ; and he shall
give thee tke desires of thine heart.
He who delighteth in the creature, hath not always
" the desires ofhis heart" granted, nor is it fit that
he should have them ; but he Avho delighteth in God,
* See an elegant and beautiful discourse on *' the lilies of the
" field," published among the Sermons of the late learned, inge
nious, and worthy, Dr. Tottie,

Day 7. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 217
will desire Avhat he delighteth in, and obtain Avhaihe
desireth. 5. Commit thy zvay unto the Lord; trust also in
him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6. And he shall
bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy
judgement as the noon day.
Malice and calumny may, for a time, overshadow
the splendour of an holy character; but the sun -will
come forth, and the clouds will fly away. This w-as
most eminently true of the blessed Jesus, at his re
surrection, and -will be verified in his saints, at the
last day. The history of Susannah affordeth a re
markable instance cf it in this life. " Her heart
" trusted in the Lord, and he brought forth her righ-
" teousness as the light; insomuch that all the as-
" sembly cried out with a loud voice, and praised
" God, Avho saA*eth them that trust in him." Ver.
35. 60.
7- Rest in, or, be silent to, the Lord, and wait
patiently for hiin : fret not thyself, because of him
who prospereth in the zvay, because of the man who
bringeth zvicked devices to pass.
If the spotless Lamb of God Avas dumb, before
those who Avere divesting him of his honours, and
robbing him of his life, " silent" resignation cannot
but become one, who suffers for his sins. Israel Avas
commanded to " stand still, and see the salvation of
" God;" but the people gazed upon the pomp and
poAver of Pharaoh, Avho Avas in pursuit of them, till
their faith failed, and they began to murmur and
despond. How often is this our case, before Ave
perceive it!

218 A COMMENTARY Psal. 37.
§. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath : fret not
thy se fin any wise to do evil. 9. For evil doers shall
be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they
shall inherit the earth.
At the day of judgement, when " evil doers shall
" be cut off," by the flaming sword of- eternal ven
geance, and when the saints of the Most High shall
" inherit the new earth," the latter Avill have no emo
tions of anger or envy against the former. Let them
sp meditate on that day, as to make it present to
their minds, and they will have no such emotions
noAv. 10. For yet a little while, and the zvicked shall not
be : yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and
it shall not be.
The Avhole duration of the Avorld itself is but " a
" little Avhile" in the sight of him, Avhose hope is
full of immortality. But the calamities and deaths
of princes ; the tragical fate of empires, swept with
the besom of destruction ; the overthrow of cities,
Avhose dimensions, towers, and palaces, once asto
nished the earth, but Avhose " place " is now no where
to be found by the most curious and diligent inqui
rer ; and the desolations of the chosen city, Jerusa
lem ; all these are even noAv sufficient to draw forth
the tear of commiseration, and to exthiguish the
kindling spark of envy in every considerate mind.
11. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and
shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The " meek" are they Avho bear their OAvn adver
sities, and the prosperity of their enemies, without
envy, anger, or complaint. For these there is a pos-

Day 7. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 219
session in the kingdom and city of the Prince of
" Peace," which " the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
" give them at that day." " Blessed are the meek,"
?aith that Lord and judge himself, " for they shall
" inherit the earth:" Matt. v. 5. "In the mean time,
" they, and they only, possess the present earth, as
" they go towards the kingdom of heaven, by being
" humble, and cheerful, and content, Avith what their
" good God has allotted them. They have no tur-
"" bulent, repining, vexatious thoughts that they de-
" serve better; nor are vexed Avhen they see others
" possessed of more honour, or more riches, than
" their wise God has allotted for their share. But
" they possess what they have with a meek and con-
" tented quietness ; such a quietness as makes their
" very dreams pleasing, both to God and themselves."
Walton's Complete Angler, p. 295.
12. The zvicked plotteth against the just, and
gnasheth upon him zvith his teeth. 13. The Lord
shall laugh at him : for he seeth that Ids day 'is
coming. The original enmity between the Wicked One and
the Just One, aa ill always subsist between the wicked
and the just. The rage, of the former against the
latter is compared to that of mad dogs, or wild beasts ;
but a day is coming, Avhen all that rage must be turn
ed and employed against themselves. God, who
knoweth this, contemneth their vain efforts; and
Christians, Avho know it, and are under the protec
tion of God, should do the same.
14. The zvicked have drawn out the sword, and
have bent their bow, to cast dozen the poor and needy,

220 A COMMENTARY Psal. 37.
: and to slay such as be of upright conversation, or, up
right qf zvay. 15. Their sword shall enter into their
ozen heart, and their bow shall be broken.
The tongue is a " sword," and a " boAv," Avhich
shooteth its arrows, even bitter Avords, against the
humble and upright Jesus, and his disciples. But
these are not the only Aveapons that have been draivn
against them. Hoav the malice ofthe Jews returned
upon their OAvn heads, no one is ignorant ; though
few lay it to heart, and consider them as set forth for
an example.
16. A little that a righteous man hath, is better
than the riches of many zvicked. 1 7- For the arms
of the zvicked shall be broken : but the Lord uphokl-
eth the righteous.
A little, with the blessing of God upon it, is bet
ter than a great deal, with the encumbrance of his
curse. His blessing can multiply a mite into a talent,
but his curse will shrink a talent to a mite. By hiin
" the amis of the wicked are broken," and by him " the
"righteous are upholden;" so that the great question
is, Avhether he be Avith us, or against us; and the
great misfortune is, that this question is seldom
asked. 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright ,-
and their inheritance shall be for ever. 19. They
shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days
of famine they shall be satisfied.
The favour of God is, to them that obtain it, a
better and an enduring substance, which, like the
widoAv's barrel and cruse, Avasted not in the evil days
of famine, nor will fail in that evil day of eternal

Day 7. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 221
Avant, when the foolish virgins shall be calling in vain
for oil, and the rich glutton as vainly imploring a
drop of Avater to cool his tongue.
20. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies qf
the Lord shall be as the j'at of lambs: they shall
consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
The destruction of the Avicked is here again set
before us, but under a different image, namely, that
of a sacrifice. Senseless, as cattle, they are fatted
for the altar, they Avanton in their prosperity, and
nourish their hearts against the day of slaughter. In
the mean time, the Almighty is Avhetting that sword,
which nothing can Avithstand ; and those fires are
kindling, which shall never be extinguished. See
Isa. xxxiv. 6 — 10.
21. The zvicked borroweth, and payeth not again;
but the righteous shozveth mercy and giveth.
The wicked man, like his leader, the " Avicked
" one," payeth not those Avhose money or abilities
he hath occasion to borroAv, and to employ, in his ser
vice; whereas the disciple of Christ, in imitation of
his master, not only punctually observeth the rule's
of justice and equity, but thinketh it " more blessed
" to give than to receive." In like manner, though
both are indebted, for every thing, to the bounty of
God, the latter maketh all the acknowledgements and
returns in his power; Avhile the former never thinketh
of making any.
22. For, or, therefore, such as be blessed of him
shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of
him shall be cut off.
They who are like their merciful and gracious

222 A COMMENTARY Psal. 37.
Lord, and who, by their devotion and charity, bless
him, are blessed of him; they wrho are like their
cruel and iniquitous master, and who, by their un
godliness, injustice, and hard-heartedness, dishonour
their Maker and Redeemer, are cursed of him. To
the former therefore it will be said, at the last day,
" Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom;" to the
latter, " Go, ye cursed, into the fire."
23. The 'steps qf a good man are ordered, Heb.
established, by the Lord; and he delighteth in kis
zvay. 24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly
cast dozvn: for the Lord upholdeth him with his
hand. This Avas emphatically true of the man Christ,
whose steps Jehovah established, and in whose way
he delighted; avIio, " though he fell" by death, yet
was raised again by his mighty hand and outstretch
ed arm. It is true likeAvise of Christians, whom it
should support and comfort, in all dangers and
temptations. See, for a parallel, Psal. xci.
25. I have been young, and now am old: yet have
I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
bread. 26. He is ever merciful, and lendeth: and
his seed is blessed.
So far is charity from impoverishing, that what is
given away, like vapours emitted by the earth, re
turns in showers of blessings into the bosom of the
person Avho gave it; and his offspring is not the
worse, but infinitely the better for it. " The liberal
" soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall
" be watered also himself:" Prov. xi. 25. The bread
which endureth, as well as that which perisheth, is

Day 7. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 223
his; and the blessings of time are crowned Avith
those of eternity.
27- Depart from evil, and do good; and dzvell for
evermore. 28. For the Lord loveth judgement, and
forsaketh not his saints ; they are preserved for ever:
but the seed of the zvicked shall be cut off. 29. The
righteous shall inherit the land, and dzvell therein for
ever. The justice and mercy of. God, the rewards which
aAvait the righteous, and the punishments that will,
sooner or later, be inflicted on the wicked, are sub
jects on which whoever shall frequently meditate,
" will depart from evil, and do good. Whatsoever
" thou takest in hand," saith the wise son of Sirach,
" remember the end, and thou shalt never do
" amiss." Ecclus. vii. 36.
30. Tiie mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom,
and his tongue talketh of judgement. 31. The lazo
qf his God is in Ids heart ; none of his steps shall
slide. The AA-ord Avhich is here, as in other places innu
merable, translated " the righteous," is in the singu
lar number, and might therefore be translated " the
" Righteous One," or, " the Just One," for it is
often designed to point him out to us, who is empha
tically so styled; Avhose " mouth " always spake
" Avisdom," in Avhose " heart was the law of God,"
and whose " steps" never declined to evil. Lord,
put thy laws into our hearts, that out of the abun
dance of the heart the mouth may speak; and as th§
mouth speaks, the hands may act, and the feet may-
walk.

224 A COMMENTARY Psal. 37,
32. The zvicked zvatcheth the righteous, and seek
eth to slay him. 33. The Lord will not leave him.
in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
The Jews " Avatched " that " Just One," daily and
hourly; they " sought to slay him," and did so; but
" Jehovah left him not in their hands," but vindi
cated his innocence, by raising him from the dead.
And the day is coining, when he Avho hath stood
tamely at the bar of men, and hath suffered for truth
and righteousness, shall be advanced to a throne
among the saints and martyrs, to assist at the trial of
his once-insulting judges.
34. Wait on the Lord, and keep his zvay, and he
shall exalt thee to inherit the land: zvhen the zvicked,
are cut off, thou shalt see it.
The apostle, writing to the HebreAv converts,
under affliction and persecution, thus expresseth the
sentiment contained in this verse. ' ' Cast not away
" your confidence, which hath great recompense or
" reAvard. For ye have need of patience, that after
" ye have done the will of God, ye might receive
" the promise. For yet a little while, and he that
' ' shall come, will come, and will not tarry." Heb.
x. 35.
35. I have seen the zvicked in great pozver, and
spreading himself like a green bay tree, or, a native
tree, zvhich has grozvn from the seed zvithout trans
plantation, in the same spot. 36. Yet he passed
away, and, lo, he Avas not ; yea, I sought him, but he
could not be found.
The great Babylonian monarch had his own ex
altation, and subsequent degradation, portrayed to

Day 7. £. p. ON THE PSALMS. 225
him, in a vision, under this very image, which con-
veyetli to the mind a most striking and affecting idea
of the rise and fall of men and empires, Avhich have
noAv no existence but in history. " I saAV, and be-
" hold a tree in the midst of die earth; and the height
" thereof was great. The tree grew, and Avas strong,
" and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and
" the sight thereof to the end of the earth. The
" leaves thereof Avere fair, and the fruit thereof much,
" and in it Avas meat for all : the beasts of the field
" had shadow under it, and the foAvls of the heaven
" dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh av&s fed of
" it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed,
'* and behold a watcher and an holy one came doAvn
" from heaven. He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew
" doAvn the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off
" his leaves, and scatter his fruit; let the beasts get
" away from under it, and the fowls from his
" branches :" Dan. iv. 10, 11. &c. See the prophet's
exposition, 20, 21. &c. and Avhat is said abOve, on
ver. 10. of this Psalm.
37- Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright:
for the end ofthoX man is peace. 38. But the trans
gressors shall be destroyed together : the end of the
zvicked shall be cut off.
After taking a vieAv of those short-lived honours,
which the Avorld setteth upon the heads of its most
favoured votaries, let us turn our eyes to " the Per-
" feet and Upright One;" let us behold the perma
nent greatness and the unfading glory of the tree
of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of
vol, ii. Q

226 A COMMENTARY Psal. 38.
God; whose leaves are for the healing of the nations,
and whose fruit is the fruit of " peace."
39. But the salvation of the righteous is qf the
Lord : he is their strength in the time qf trouble.
40. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver
them; he shall deliver them from the wicked, and
save them, because they put their trust in him.
Of thee, O Lord Jesu, is our salvation : be thou
our strength in this mortal life, which is a time of
trouble; help us against our spiritual enemies, and
deliver us from them; deliver us from the wicked
one, and from all evil; and save us from the guilt
and punishment thereof, because we put our trust in
thee, and in thee alone.
EIGHTH DAY.— -MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XXXVIII.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, which is the third of those styled Pe
nitential, the sinner, ver. 1. prayeth to be chastened
only, and not destroyed; 2 — 10. describeth the
state of his soul under various images,* chiefly
borrowed from bodily diseases and pains; 11, 12.
complaineth of his friends forsaking, and his ene
mies persecuting him j but, 13—15, continueth pa
tient and resigned, committing his cause to God,
Avhom, 16 — 22. he beseecheth to help him,
on his confession and repentance. As our

Day 8. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 227
Lord took upon him the guilt, and suffered the
punishment of sin; as there are some passages
in the latter part of the Psalm, literally predictive
of his passion, and so understood by the best
ancient expositors ; and as the sinner should be
led by his own sorroAvs to reflect on those of his
Redeemer; the meditations of the reader are,
therefore, under each particular, directed by the
ensuing comment into that channel.
1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath; neither
chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
The petition here preferred, as in the sixth Psalm,
is, that Jehovah would not condemn as a judge, but
chasten as a father, for the amendment and preser
vation of die offender. The same prayer, Avhich we
sinners make for ourselves, Christ, who bore our
sins, once made for us.
2. For thine arrozvsMick fast in me, and thy hand
presseth me sore.
The " arrows," and the "hand" of God, are his
judgements on sin; those internal pangs and terrors
which pierce the soul, and those external afflictions
and calamities which sink and Aveigh down the spirits.
The holy Jesus, at the time of his passion, received
these arrows, and sustained this Aveight, for the sins
of the whole Avorld.
3. There is no soundness in my flesh, because of
thine anger; neither is there any rest, or, peace, or,
health, in my bones, because of my sin.
The expressions in this verse are applicable to the
Q 2

228 A COMMENTARY Psal. 38.
disorders and diseases which sin hath introduced both
into the soul and into the body, as the terms,
"health," and "sickness," are in Scripture no less
frequently employed to describe the state of the for
mer, than that of the latter. If a single sinner thus
complaineth of his grief and pain, what must have
been the agony and passion of him Avho suffered for
all, mercifully and lovingly submitted to be " made
" sin for us?"
4. For mine iniquities are gone over my head: as
an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
Sins and sorrows are here, as in many other places,
represented under the image of mighty waters rolling
incessantly over the head of the person sunk into
them, and by their accumulated weight depressing
him, so that he can no more rise above them. Let
us meditate on that deep and tempestuous ocean,
into which Ave Avere the means of plunging the inno
cent Jesus.
5. My zvounds stink and are corrupt, through my
foolishness. Sin is the Avound of the soul, Avhich must be
Avashed with the tears of repentance, cleansed by the
blood of Christ, and healed by the Spirit of the Holy
One. It requires great care and attention, until the
cure be completed. Othenvise, mortification and
death ensue, as in the case of outward Avounds, if
neglected, or ill managed. See Isa. i. 6. Luke x. 34.
All the sores and pains of the body mystical are la
mented by him Avho is the head of that body, and
Avho felt the sad effects of these corruptions of our
nature, in the day of his sufferings.

Day 8. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 229
6. I am troubled, Heb. writhed, or, distorted, I
am bozved dozvn greatly : I go mourning all the day
long. As the body by pain, so the soul by guilt, is
"distorted" from its original uprightness; it is
"bowed doAA'n" to the earth, through shame and
fear, being no longer able to look up towards hea
ven, Avithits accustomed holy confidence ; and, instead
of rejoicing in a good conscience, and the hope of
glory, sorroAv is its portion, and grief its familiar
acquaintance. And Avhat wonder, that we should be
humbled and afflicted for our own sins, Avhen the Son
of God was so humbled and afflicted for sins not his
OAATl? 7- For my loins are filled zvith a loathsome disease,
or, inflammation: and there is no soundness in my
flesh. The " disease," or " inflammation," complained
of, in these metaphorical terms, seems to be the dis-
temperature of our fallen nature, Avhereby it cometh
to pass, that " the flesh lusteth against the spirit;" it
is that " other law in our members, warring against
" the laAv in our minds, bringing us into captivity to
" the law of sin," and forcing every son of Adam to
cry out — " O wretched man that I am, Avho shall de-
" liver me from this body of death?" Happy is it for
us, that Ave are enabled to go on with the apostle,
and to "thank God," that Ave are delivered, " through
" Jesus Christ our Lord," on Avhom were laid the
" iniquities of us all."
8. / am feeble and sore broken : I have roared by
reason of the disquietness of my heart.

230 A COMMENTARY Psal. 38.
The vigour of a man is broken in pieces, and
wasted away, by pain and the disquietude from
thence arising, which cause piercing cries, and loud
lamentations. When sin in the soul is felt like sick
ness in the body, it will produce effects in some degree
similar. Let us reflect on the sufferings, the cries,
and the tears of our Redeemer.
9- Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my
groaning is not hid from thee.
The " desires " and " groans " of the penitent are
knoAvn to God, and marked down in his book; and
there is no small comfort in thinking and acknow
ledging that they are so; but much more comfort is
there in the remembrance of those inconceivable " de ¦
" sires," and those unutterable " groanings," which
the holy Jesus poured forth for us in the days of his
flesh, and which prevail for the acceptance of our
OAvn. 10. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me:
as for the light qf mine eyes, it also is gone from me<
In bodily sickness, there are three symptoms of
approaching dissolution; and the soul is in great ex
tremity, when the three corresponding symptoms ap
pear upon her; namely, when she hath neither reso
lution to will, poAver to perform, nor knoAvledge to
discern the things that belong unto her health and
peace. 1 1 . My lovers and my friends stand aloof from
my sore, or, plague, or, affliction; and my kinsmen,
or, my neighbours, stand afar off.
A body afflicted with a noisome distemper, and a
soul troubled on account of sin, find but feAv friends,

Day 8. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 231
who have charity enough to stay with, and to minister
to them. Let us not be surprised, or offended at
this, when Ave see the righteous Jesus, at his passion,
destitute and forsaken by all; as it is written, " Then
" all the disciples forsook him, and fled:" Matt. xxvi.
56. ; " and all his acquaintance, and the women that
" followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding
" these things." Luke, xxiii. 49.
12. They also that seek after my life, lay snares
for me: and they that seek my hurt, speak mis
chievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
13. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as
a dumb man, that openeth not his mouth. 14. Thus
I zvas as a man that heareth not, and in zvhose mouth
are no reproofs, or, altercations.
These verses describe and recommend to our imita
tion the behaviour of David, and of a greater than
David, when under persecution; the former from
Absalom, Ahithophel, Shimei, &c. the latter from the
chief priests and elders, Judas, and the Jews.
15. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope, or, thee do I
zvait for: thou wilt hear, or, anszver, O Lord my
God. This verse assigns the reason why the ill usage
which Ave receive at the hands of men, should be
borne with patience and resignation; namely, be
cause, as it is not without the permission, so neither
will it be without the notice of the Almighty, Avho
will one day take the matter into his OAvn hands.
Christ, saith St. Peter, " Avho did no sin, neither was
" guile found in his mouth, yet when he Avas reviled,
" reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threatened

232 A COMMENTARY Psal. 38.

"not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
" righteously." 1 Pet. ii. 21.
16. For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they
should rejoice over me: zvhen my foot slippeth, they
magnify themselves against me.
As the glory of God may be said, in some mea
sure, to depend on the behaviour and fate of his ser
vants; on that account, besides the stings of con
science, temporal punishments, and the danger of
eternal torments, good men should ever have before
their eyes the dishonour Avhich is brought on the name
of God, and the stop which is put to the progress of
his Gospel, by the fall of any eminently righteous
and holy person into sin.
17- For /am ready to halt, and my sorrow is con*
tinually before me. 1 8. For I will declare mine ini
quity : I zvill be sorry for my sin.
The surest way to have our Aveakness strengthened,
and our sin forgiven, is to acknowledge and confess
both ; and this we need not be ashamed to do, Avhen
we consider, that he,. Avho is the Lord strong and
mighty, took our infirmities ; and the King of righ
teousness bare our sins, in his own body, on the tree.
19- Rut mine enemies are lively, and they, are
strong, and they that hate me zvrong fully are multi
plied. 20. They also that render evil for good are
mine adversaries; because I follozv the thing that
good is.
These words, joined with the preceding, are ap
plicable to the distress of David, and the prosperity
of his adversaries; to the sufferings of Christ, and
the triumph of the Jews; to the afflictions of the

Day 8. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 233
church, and the gaiety of the Avorld ; to the Aveak-
ness of faith, and the strength of nature. The resuft
of all is this, that salvation cometh of God only, and
is to be implored in the following Avords, Avhich con
clude the Psalm.
21. Forsake me not, OLord; O my God, be not
far from me. 22. Make haste to help me, O Lord
God qf my salvation.

PSALM XXXIX.
ARGUMENT.
The prophet, in a state of distress and persecution,
determineth, 1 — 3. to be watchful and silent, as
our blessed Lord also Avas, before his enemies.
4. He prayeth for a due sense of the shortness of
human life; and after meditating, 5, 6. on that
subject, fixeth all his faith and hope in God,
7- whom he entreateth, but Avith submission to his
will, 8 — 10. for the remission of sin, and allevia
tion of misery. 1 1 . From a view of the human
body wearing aAvay by sickness, he breaketh out
12, 13. into a most fervent and affectionate
prayer, Avhich ought to be continually in the
mouth of the Christian, upon earth. — This Psahn
is, with the utmost propriety, appointed byk the
church to be used at the burial of the dead, as a
funeral is indeed the best comment upon it.

234 A COMMENTARY Psal. 33.
1 . / said, I zvill take heed to my ways, thai I sin
not zvith my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a
bridle, zehile the wicked is before me.
The Psalm begins abruptly Avith the result of a
meditation on the narrow^, slippery, and dangerous
paths of life ; and more especially on the extreme
difficulty of restraining the tongue, amidst the con
tinual temptations and provocations of the adversary.
In these circumstances, " watchfulness " and " si-
" lence " are resolved on, as the only means of secu
rity. Let us behold the Lamh of God, as our great
pattern and example herein.
2. / zvas dumb zvith silence, I held my peace even
from good, and my sorrozv zvas stirred.
There is a time to keep silence, because there are
men Avho will not hear ; there are tempers, savage
and sensual, as those of SAvine, before Avhom evange
lical pearls,, or the treasures of heavenly wisdom, are
not to be cast. This consideration stirreth up fresh
grief and trouble, in a pious and charitable heart.
Hoav much more must it have done so, in the soul of
him who lived and died only for the salvation of
sinners! 3. My heart was hot zvithin me, zvhile I was
musing the fire burned: then spake I with my
tongue. The fire of divine Charity, thus prevented from
diffusing itself, for the illumination and Avarmth of
those around it, and, like other fire, rendered more
intense by its confinement, presently ascended, in the
flame of devotion, towards heaven; Avhile it conti
nued to be fed, and preserved in brightness and vi-

Day 8. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 235
gour, by meditation on the goodness of God, and the
ingratitude of man; the transient miseries of time,
and the durable glories of eternity.
4. Lord, make me to knozv mine end, and the mea
sure qf my days zvkat it is : that / may know how
frail I am.
Wearied with the contradiction of sinners, and
sickening at the prospect of so much Avretchedness
in the valley of weeping, the soul looks forward to
her departure from hence, praying for such a sense
of the shortness of human life, as may enable her to
bear the sorroAvs of this Avorld, and excite her to
prepare for the joys of a better. " O faithless and
" perverse generation," saith even the meek and pa
tient Jesus himself, " how long shall I be Avith you,
" how long shall I suffer you?" Matt. xvii. 17-
5. Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand
breadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee:
verily every man at his best, Heb. settled estate, is
altogether vanity.
The age of man, or that of the Avorld, is but a
" span " in dimension, a moment in duration; nay,
it is less than both; it is " nothing," if compared
with the unmeasurable extent, and the unnumbered
days, of eternity : every hour, from that of our birth,
brings us so much nearer to our death : nor can we
continue, for a second of time, in one stay. " Behold,"
then, O Lord, the " vanity " of man ; and be so
merciful unto him, as to open his eyes, that he may
behold it himself!
6. Surely, every man zvalketh in a vain show, or,
in a shadozvy image: surely they are disquieted in

236 A COMMENTARY Psal. 39.
vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not zvho
shall gather them.
This Avorld is, to the other, as a " shadow " to
the substance; nay, temporal life, health, riches, ho
nours, and pleasures, can hardly be called shadoAvs
of those which are eternal, in' point of resemblance ;
though, for their illusive and fleeting nature, they
are shadows indeed. " The mortal state of man is
" compounded of light and darkness; seeming to be
" something, when really it is nothing; always alter-
" ing, and ending on a sudden; nearest to disappear-
" ing, Avhen at full length; sure to continue no longer
" than Avhile the sun is above the horizon; but liable
" to vanish, at the interposition of a cloud; and
" Avhen it is gone, leaving no track behind it." The
fate of riches, heaped up by misers, with unutterable
care and anxiety, may convince us, how "vainly"
men are "disquieted!"
7- And note, Lord, what zvait I for? My hope
is in thee.
The soul, that hath a true sense of the vanity of
the creature, will at ohce fix her thoughts and affec
tions on the Creator. A celebrated writer, describ
ing a man of the world on his death-bed, hath ex
pressed this sentiment with wonderful sublimity and
elegance — " Whoever would know, how much piety
" and virtue surpass all external goods, might here
" have seen them Aveighed against each other, where
, " all that gives motion to the active, and elevation
"to the eminent ; all that sparkles in the eye of hope,
" and pants in the bosom of suspicion, at once be-
" came dust in the balance, without av eight, and

Day 8. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 237
" Avithout regard. Riches, authority, and praise, lose
" all their influence, when they are considered as
" riches, Avhich to-morroAv shall be bestoAved upon
" another; authority, which shall this night expire
" for ever; and praise, which, hoAvever merited, or
" however sincere, shall, after a few moments, be
" heard no more*."
8. Deliver me from all my transgressions ; make.
me not the reproach of the foolish.
Affliction hath then had its proper effect, when
the sufferer is thereby convinced of sin, and there
fore prayeth for a removal of the latter, as the only
way to be delivered from the former. The " re- ',
' ' proaches " of the foolish make no inconsiderable
article in the account of a Christian's sufferings;
and our Lord frequently complaineth of them, in
the- Psalms, as one of the bitter ingredients in his
oavii cup.
9. I zvas dumb, I opened not my mouth; because
thou didst it.
Whatever materials compose the rod of affliction,
and from whatsoever quarter the stroke cometh, let
us remember, that the rod is grasped, and the stroke
is inflicted by the hand of our heavenly Father. To
revenge ourselves on the instrument, is folly ; to mur
mur against the agent, is something Avorse.
10. Remove thy stroke azvay from me: I am con
sumed by the blozv of thy hand.
The Christian, who knoAvs from Avhence his trou
bles proceed, knows vvhere to apply for relief; and
* Rambler, Vol. II. No. 54,

238 A COMMENTARY Psal. 39.
having first " petitioned " for remission of sin, ver. 8.
he then humbly supplicates for a mitigation of his
sorrow. " Father," saith the beloved Son of God,
" if thou be willing remove this cup from me."
Luke, xxii. 42.
11. When thou zvith rebukes dost correct man for
iniquity, thou makest his beauty, or, all that is de
lightful, or, desirable in him, to consume away like a
moth : surely every man is vanity,
The body of a man is as a " garment " to the soul :
in this garment sin hath lodged a " moth," which,
by degrees, fretteth and weareth away, first, the
beauty, then the strength, and, finally, the contex
ture of its parts. Whoever has watched the pro
gress of a consumption, or any other lingering dis
temper, nay, the sIoav and silent devastations of time
alone, in the human frame, will need no farther il
lustration of this just and affecting similitude ; but
will discern at once, the propriety of the reflection,
which folio avs upon it: — " Surely every man is
" vanity!" 12. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto
my cry: hold not thy peace at my tears ; for I am
a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fa
thers were.
Meditation should terminate in devotion ; and me
ditation on human vanity and misery, if indulged as
it deserves to be, certainly will do so - it will bring
us to our " prayers," our " cries," and our " tears;"
and teach us to address the throne of grace, as poor
pilgrims in a strange land, Avho have here no abiding
city, but are soon to strike our tents, and be gone

Day 8. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 23»
for ever. Such was David, though king of Israel ;
and such was the Son of David, in the body of his
flesh, though Lord of all things : both Avere " stran-
" gers and sojourners, as all their fathers," Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, were before them, and as all their
children have been, and shall be after them, upon the
earth. 13. O spare me, tkat I may recover strength, be
fore I go hence, and be no more.
Most fervently and affectionately, therefore, ought
the Christian pilgrim to pray, that God would spare
his life and respite the fatal sentence, until all that
hath been decayed, through the frailty of nature, be
renewed by the powrer of grace ; that his perfect re
conciliation Avith the Almighty may be accomplished,
and his plenary pardon sealed in heaven, before he
taketh his last farewel of the world, and ceaseth to
have an existence in these regions of vanity and
sorrow.
PSALM XL.
ARGUMENT.
It is plain, from ver. 6 — 8. of this Psalm, compared
with Heb. x. 5. that the prophet is speaking in the
person of Christ, Avho, 1 — 5. celebrateth the de
liverance wrought for his mystical body, the
church, by his resurrection from the grave, effect
ing that of his members from the guilt and domi
nion of sin ; for the abolition of which he declar-

240 A COMMENTARY Psal. 40.
eth, 6 — 8. the inefhcacy of the legal sacrifices, and
mentioneth his OAvn inclination to do the will of his
Father, and, 9, 10. to preach righteousness to the
world. 11 — 13. He representeth himself as pray
ing, while under his sufferings, for his own, and
his people's salvation; he foretelleth, 14, 15. the
confusion and desolation of his enemies, and, 16.
the joy and thankfulness of his disciples and
servants ; for the speedy accomplishment of which,
17. he preferreth a petition.
I. Izeaited patiently for the Lord, and he inclin
ed unto me, and heard my cry.
In this verse we hear the voice of the meek Lamb
of God, who, though never sorrow was like unto
his sorroAv, " waited patiently," till the time ap
pointed by the Father came, when that sorrow should
be turned into joy. Let not his disciples expect to
" inherit the promises," otherwise than " through
" faith and patience." Four thousand yews, the
church, under the patriarchs, the law, and the pro
phets, waited for the first advent of Messiah ; and,
seventeen hundred years, the church, under the Gos
pel, hath waited for the second. Jehovah, who in-
; elined himself to the prayers of the former, will also
hear the cries of the latter.
2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit,
Heb. a pit of confused tumultuous noise, out of the
miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and establish
ed my goings.
' The sufferings from Avhich our Redeemer was

Days. m.p. O'N THE PSALMS.

241

delivered, are here described under the image of a
dark subterraneous cavern, from which there was no
emerging, and where roaring cataracts of water broke
in upon him, overwhelming him on every side; till,
as it is expressed in the xviiith Psalm, " God sent
" from above, and took him, and drew him out of
" many waters." Let us celebrate, the deliverance of
Christ, as a pledge and earnest of our OAvn rescue
from the troubles and temptations of life ; from tlie
power of death and the grave ; from the " horrible
" pit, and the miry clay;" when we shall be exalted
on " the rock " of our salvation, and our " goings "
shall be " established " for ever.
3. And he hath put a nezo song in my mouth, even
praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear,
and shall trust in the Lord.
Every neAV deliverance requires " a new song,"
Christians sing their wonderful redemption, from sin
and death, in these holy hymns, Avhich God, by his
Spirit, hath put into their mouths, and which, by
their application to matters evangelical, are become
" neAv" songs, setting forth the praise and glory of
God, through Jesus Christ. x\nd who can hear the
church, singing the victory and triumph of her mighty
and merciful Saviour, without being incited to " fear,"
and " to believe?"
4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his
trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn
aside to lies.
He who is sensible how much God hath done, and
how little the world can do for him, will earnestly
and heartily pronounce the blessedness of the man,
vol. n. R

242 A COMMENTARY Psal. 40.
who relies upon the real poAver and goodness of the
,former, instead of suffering himself to be deceived
by the empty parade, and fallacious promises, of the
latter. 5. Many, O Lord my God, are thy zvonderful
zvorks which thou hast done, and thy thoughts Avhich
are to us-zvard: they cannot be reckoned up in order
unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they
are more than can be numbered.
The counsels and works of the ever-blessed Tri
nity, planned and executed for the benefit of man,
in his creation and preservation, liis redemption and
sanctification, in order to his resurrection and glori
fication, through Christ, already risen and glorified,
are subjects which can never be exhausted, by the
intellectual poAvers of men or angels; but will, to
both, afford matter of incessant meditation, and end
less praise. Yet, how little do we meditate on them;
how seldom, and how coldly, do Ave praise God for
them !
6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire,
mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin
offering hast thou not required. 7. Then said I,
Lo, I come : in the volume of the book it is written
of me, 8. I delight to do thy zvill, O my God: yea,
thy law is within my heart. ,
These Avords, as the apostle informeth us, Heb.
x. 5. are spoken by Christ, in his own person. In
them he proclaims the ineflicacy of the legal sacrifices
to take away ski, and the divine disapprobation of
such sacrifices, when relied on for that purpose.
He sets forth his own readiness to do, and to suffer,

Day 8. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. • 243
the will of the Father, implied in the Psalm, by the
Avords — " mine ears hast thou opened;" but more
plainly expressed in the apostle's citation, by the
paraphrase, " a body hast thou prepared me*." He
* For the expression, " Mine ears hast thou opened," seems
equivalent to — " Thou hast made me obedient." Thus, Isa. 1. 5.
" The Lord God hath Opened mine ears, and I was not rebellious,
" neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters,"
&c. The LXX, perhaps, meant to interpret this symbolical ex
pression, when they rendered it by trtuwa. KSLtr^Titrw jxct, " Thou
" hast prepared," or, " fitted my body," that is, to be " obedi-
" ent," and to " do thy will." See Dr. Jackson, vol. ii. p. 8S2.
This seems to be the best sense of the present reading, and is well
expressed by Mr. Merrick, in his poetical version :
Nor sacrifice thy love can win,
Nor offerings from the stain of sin
Obnoxious man shall clear :
Thy hand my mortal frame prepares
(Thy hand, whose signature it bears),
And opes my willing ear.
Mr. Pierce of Exeter proposed a conjectural alteration of the
word CJ'llN, " ears," rrfto the two words, nu [N, " then a b6dy,"
&c. in which case, a learned friend suggests, n'"0, must likewise
be altered to rt'^3, " hast thou prepared, or finished." Bishop
Lowth wishes to adopt Mr. Pierce's emendation, in order to ren
der the original conformable to St. Paul's citation from the LXX.
And I must confess, if the apostle's argument turned on the word
<ru)y.a., such an emendation might seem necessary. It is true,
<rujy.ee Xfirs occurs in the succeeding verse ; but I think it not
essential to the argument, which seems to stand clear and full,
whatever be the meaning of trw^cc Y.a.rr^tia-ui jxoi — " When he
" said, Sacrifice, &c. thou wouldest not — then lie said, Lo, I come
" to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may
" establish the second." The author of the anonymous notes ih
ltfr. Merrick's Annotations, I find, is of this opinion. " It is ant
" certain that the apostle argues from the word <rw</.sc at all.
R 2

244 A COMMENTARY Psal. 40.
refers to the predictions concerning Messiah, in
the Scriptures of the Old Testament, Avhich is here
styled — " the volume, or, roll of the book." He
declares the pleasure he had in doing the Father's
will, or in accomplishing the laAv ; Avhich had taken
possession of all his powers and faculties ; having
been admitted by the understanding, retained in the
memory, and rendered operative in the will. " I
" delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy laAv is
" Avithin my heart."
9. / have preached righteousness in the great con
gregation : lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord,
thou knowest. 10. I have not hid thy righteousness
zvithin my heart ; I have declared thy faithfulness and
thy salvation : I have not concealed thy loving kind
ness and thy truth from the great congregation.
As the preceding verses described the priestly of
fice of our Lord, in the execution of Avhich he of
fered himself, and his all-perfect obedience, for us ;
so, in the passage now before us, he declares himself
to have acted up to the prophetical part of his cha
racter, by " preaching" the doctrines of truth, righ
teousness, and salvation, to the people, without con
cealing aught through negligence, fear, or favour.
Happy the minister of Christ, who, on his death-bed,
is able to say the same !
1 1 .- Withhold not thou Iky tender mercies from
" He quotes the translation of the LXX, as he found it in his
" copy ; lays a stress on what is in the Hebrew1, but none on the
" rest; either knowing it not to bet here, or'being restrained, by
" the Spirit of God, from making vse of it." See Appendix to
Mr. Merrick's Annotat. p. 294.

Day 8. m.p. ON- THE PSALMS. 245
me, O Lord : let thy loving kindness and thy truth
alway preserve me.
The beloved Son of God here prayeth for the con
tinuation of that mercy, and the accomplishment of
those gracious promises, to his body, the church,
Avhich made the subjects of his heavenly discourses,
in the days of his flesh. Such ought to be the sub
jects of our discourses, and of our prayers.
12. For innumerable evils have cotJipassed me
about : mine iniquities have taken hold upon, me, so
that I am not able to look up ; they are more than
the hairs qf mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
If these words, as Avell as the foregoing, are sup
posed to be spoken by our Lord (and indeed there
doth not appear to be any change of person), they
must be uttered by him, considering himself (for so
the primitive writers suppose him in the Psalms fre
quently to consider himself) as still suffering in his
body mystical, the church; and lamenting, as head,
both the transgressions and the afflictions ofthe mem-,
. bers, accomplishing their warfare in the Avorld. Thus
much at least Ave knoAv, that, after his ascension,
Avhen the members were persecuted on earth, the
head complained from heaven, as sensible of the
pain, " Saul, Saul, Avhy persecutest thou me?"
Some critics think the word, <m, in the text, may be
translated " my punishment." But the author of
the anonymous notes, mentioned below, observes,
that all " punishments, properly speaking, pre-suppose
" sin; and especially when they are represented, as
" here, to overtake and seize a person. Therefore,
" to understand this of Christ, it must be interpreted

246 A COMMENTARY Psal. 40.
" of imputed sins, or punishments for them." Mer
rick's Annotat. p. 295.
13. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord,
make haste to help mc.
This short, but forcible, prayer, for help and de
liverance, in God's good time, and according to his
good pleasure, continues, and must continue, to be
the prayer of the church, and of all her children,
until the day of final redemption.
14. Let them, or, they shall, be ashamed and con
founded together that seek after my soul to destroy
it; let them, or, they shall, be driven baclavard, and
put to shame, that zeish me evil. 15. Let them, or,
they shall, be desolate for a reward of their shame
that say unto me, Aha, aha!
The shame, confusion, and desolation to be brought
on the Jews by the resurrection, exaltation, and poAver
of him whose blood they thirsted after, and Avhorn
they mocked and' insulted Avhen in his last agonies
on the cross, are here foretold; and the prophecy
hath been punctually fulfilled. But a more horrible
confusion and desolation aw-aiteth them, and all other
impenitent sinners, at the future revelation of the
righteous judgement of God; when vengeance must
destroy those, whom mercy cannot reclaim. And,
to this ultimate issue of things, the church directeth
her views.
16. Let all those that seek thee, or, all those that
seek thee shall, rejoice and be glad in thee: let sueh
as love thy salvation, or, such as love thy salvation
shall, say continually, The Lord be magnified.
As the last verses predicted the calamities which

Day 8. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 247
should befall the enemies of Messiah, this described!
the unfeigned joy and gladness, springing up in the
hearts of such as love the salvation of Jesus, and
evermore magnify his holy name in the church, for
the blessings of redemption, " eating their meat," as
the first Christians are said to have done, " with
" gladness and singleness of heart, praising God,"
Acts ii. 46.
17. But I am poor and needy ; yet the Lord think
eth upon me: thou vxtmy help and my deliverer ; make
no tarrying, O my God.
The church, like her Redeemer, is often poor and
afflicted in this Avorld, but Jehovah thinketh upon
her, and is solicitous for her support; she is weak
and defenceless, but Jehovah is her help and her de
liverer. With such a Father, and such a Friend,
poverty becometh rich, and Aveakness itself is strong.
In the mean time, let us remember, that he Avho
once came in great humility, shall come again in glo
rious majesty. " Make no tarrying, O our God; but
" Gome, Lord- Jesus, come quickly." Rev. xxii. 20-
EIGHTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XLI.
ARGUMENT.
The application made of the 9th verse of this Psalm, ,
John, xiii. 18. shoAveth, that the prophet is speak
ing in the person of Messiah. 1 — 3. He de
clared! the blessedness of the man that considereth

24S A COMMENTARY Psal. 41.
the poor; 4. he prayeth for mercy and favour;
5 — 9. described! the behaviour of his adversaries,
and of one person in particular; 10. petitioneth
for deliverance; 11;, 12. rejoiceth in hope; and,
13. breaketh out into thanksgiving.
1. Blessed is he tkat considereth the poor: tke
1 Lord will deliver him in time qf trouble: Heb. "in
tke day qf evil.
As Christ considered us, in our state of poverty,
so ought we most attentively to consider him, in his;
to consider what he suffered in his own person ; to
discern him suffering in his poor afflicted members;
and to extend to them the mercy which- he extended
to us. He, who was " blessed " of Jehovah, and
" delivered in the evil day," by a glorious resurrection,
will " bless " and " deliver," in like manner, such as,
for his sake, love and relieve their brethren.
2. 77;eLoRD zvill preserve him, and keep him alive,
or, revive him ; and he shall be blessed upon the earth :
and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his
enemies. The compassionate and charitable disciple of the
holy Jesus is often Avonderfully " preserved," and
rendered prosperous, even in this world; but his
greatest comfort is, that, like his Master, he shall one
day be f' revived," to inherit the " blessing," in a
better country, where no " enemy " can approach,
|o hurt or molest him,
5. The Lord zvill strengthen him upon the bed of
languishing : thou zvilt make all his bed in his sick,
ness.

Days, e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 24$
An exemption from sorrow and sickness is not
promised to the children of God ; but strength and
comfort are given unto them, from above, to support
and carry them through their trials ; and they avIio,
in the days of their health, have, by their alms, given
rest to the bodies, or, by their counsels, restored
peace to the consciences of others, shall have the
bed of pain made easy under them, by the hand of
their heavenly Father.
4. / said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my
soul ; for I have sinned against thee.
Every son of Adam may, and ought, in these
Avords, to acknowledge his sin, and to entreat for
mercy and grace, to heal the disorders of his nature.
If Ave suppose Messiah ever to have uttered this
verse in his devotions, as Ave know he applied the 9th
verse to his own case, it is obvious, that he must be
understood to confess the sins, not of his own right
eous person, but of the nature he had assumed, in
order to cleanse and purify it by his sufferings. Sec-
above, Psal. xl. 12.
5. Mine enemies speak evil of me, JVhen shall he
die, and his name perish ?
Here we may undoubtedly consider the poor and
loAA'ly Jesus, in the day of his humiliation, when he
Avas daily and hourly calumniated by his adversaries ;
when, restless and impatient at beholding him still
alive, they said — " What do Ave, for, this man doth
" many miracles ? If Ave let him thus alone, all men
" will believe on him. Perceive ye how ye prevail
"nothing? Behold the world is gone after him;"
John, xi. 47- xii. 19-: and when, groAvn more furious

250 A COMMENTARY Psal. 41.
and clamorous, they cried, " Away Avith him, aAvay
" Avith him, crucify him, crucify him." How many,
with the same bitterness of spirit, " speak evil " con
tinually of his doctrines, his church, his ordinances,
and his ministers ; in effect, saying, " When shall he
" die, and his name perish?"
6. And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity:
his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when ke goeth
abroad, ke tclletk it.
Thus the enemies of Christ " sent out spies, who
" should feign themselves just men, that tliey might
" take hold of his Avoids, that so tliey might deliver
" him unto the power and authority of the governor :"
Luke, xx. 20. Thus Judas sat down at the last
supper, all the Avhile meditating the destruction of his
Master; till at length, rising from table, and going
abroad, he put his design in execution : and thus
the mystical body of Christ frequently suffers, as, his
natural body once did, by means of hypocrites and
traitors. 7. All that hate me zvkisper together against me :
against me do they devise my hurt. 8. An evil
disease, say they, Heb. a zvord, or, matter, qf Belial,
namely, the crime charged upon him, cleaveth fast
¦unto him: and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no
more. The AA-hispers of the Pharisees, the counsels of the
Sanhedrim, and their taunts and scoffs at the blessed
Jesus, when on the cross, " numbered Avith the
" transgressors," nor ever expected to " arise "
again from the dead, are here most significantly and
plainly pointed out. The same Aveapons ,are fre-

Day 8. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 251
quently employed against the servants of Christ ; but
let them not be, on that account, discouraged from
following their Master.
9- Yea, mine ozon familiar friend, in whom I trust
ed, zvhich did eat qf my bread, hath lift up his heel
against me.
" I speak not of you all," saith our Lord to his
disciples ; " I know whom I have chosen ; but that
" the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread
" Avith me, hath lift up his heel against me;"' John,
xiii. 1 8. The sufferings of the church, like those of
her Redeemer, generally begin at home : her open
enemies can do her no harm, until her pretended
friends have delivered her into their hands : and, un
natural as it may seem, they, Avho have Avaxed fat
upon her bounty, are sometimes the first to " lift up
" the heel " against her.
10. But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and
raise me up, that I may requite them, or, and I shall
requite them.
The holy Jesus here maketh his prayer unto the
Father, for the accomplishment of the promised re
surrection, and foretelleth the righteous judgement
that Avould be executed on his enemies, after their
rejection of the gracious offers made them, by the
aposties, in his name, notwithstanding all that they
had said and done against him. Then the kingdom
Df God was taken from them, and their house Avas.
left unto them desolate. The hour is coming when
the church shall arise to glory, and all her enemies
shall be confounded.
11. By this I know that thou favour est mc, because

JA3 A COMMENTARY Psal. 42.
mine enemy doth not triumph over me. 1 2. And as
for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and
settest me before thy face for ever.
The Christian, like his Master, must expect sorroAv
and tribulation, but he is not thereby deprived of the
" favour" of heaven; his spiritual enemies, whatever
trouble they may give him, yet do not " triumph"
over him; he is preserved in his " integrity," and his
reAvard will be the " vision" of God. For the ex
altation, therefore, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of
all believers, in, by, and through him,
1 3. Blessed be tke Lord God of Israel from ever
lasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

PSALM XLII.
ARGUMENT.
David, by Absalom's rebellion driven from Jerusa
lem to the country beyond Jordan, is there sup
posed to have indited this Psalm; which, as it is
applicable to the case of our Lord, in his state of
sojourning and suffering on earth, for. our sins; as
also, that of the church, under persecution, or
that of any member thereof, when deprived of the
opportunities of public Avorship; so doth it, in the
most beautiful and pathetic strains, describe the
vicissitudes of joy and sorrow, of hope and de
spondency, Avhich succeed each other in the mind
of the Christian pilgrim, while, exiled from the Je-

Days. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 253
rusalem above, he sufferetli affliction and tribula
tion in this valley of tears. The last is the appli
cation chiefly made in the comment, as it is the
most general and useful one; the others naturally
offer themselves, being coincident with, or subor
dinate to it.
1. As the hart panteth after the zoater brooks, so
panteth my soul after thee, O God.
The thirst, which the " hart" experienced, when
chased, in sultry weather,' over the dusty plains,- is
here set before us, as a representation of that ardent
desire after the waters of eternal comfort, which the
temptations, the cares, and the troubles of the
world, produce in the believing soul. Happy they
Avho feel this desire, and fly to the well of life, that
it may be satisfied. " Blessed are they that thirst
" after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matt.
v. 6.
2. My soul tliirstethfor God, for the living God:
when shall I come and appear before God?
Whoever considers what it is to " appear before
" God;" to behold the glorious face of Jesus; to
contemplate a beauty Avhich never fadeth; to be en
riched by a beneficence Avhich can never be exhaust
ed, and blessed in a love unmerited and infinite ; Avill
find abundant reason to say, again and again, " My
" soul thirsteth after God;" Avhy is the time of my
banishment prolonged; Avhen shall the days of my
pilgrimage have an end; " Avhen shall I come and
" appear before God?"

254 A COMMENTARY Psal. 42.
3. My tears have been my meat day and night,
zvhile they continually say unto me, Jf'here is thy
CiOD? So long as the soul finds herself absent from him
whom she loveth, sorroAv is still her portion, as Avell
in the day of worldly prosperity, as in the night of
adversity. And this sorroAv is greatly aggravated by
the taunts of the enemy; ay ho, because the promise
is delayed, and she suffereth affliction in the mean
season, ridiculeth and insulteth her faith and hope,
as vain and groundless; intimating, that God hath
forsaken her, and tempting her to renounce her prin
ciples. 4. When I remember these things, I pour out my
soul iu me: for I had gone zvith tke multitude, I
went zvith them to tke house of God, zvith the voice
of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.
As the royal prophet, Avhen driven from Jerusalem
by Absalom, Avas melted into tears at the comparison
of his destitute and forlorn situation Avith his former
glory and happiness, when, upon some joyous festi
val, Avith all his subjects about him, he had attended
the service of the tabernacle, in the city of God; so
the Christian pilgrim cannot but bewail his exile from
the heavenly Jerusalem, out of Avhich sin hath driven
him, and doomed him to Avander, for a while, in the
vale of misery. Led, by repentance and faith, to
look back to the place from Avhence he is fallen, he
sighs after the unspeakable joys of the celestial Zion ;
longing to keep a festival, and celebrate a jubilee in
heaven; to join in the songs of angels, and bear a
part in the music of hallelujahs.

Days. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 255
5. IFhy art thou cast, or, bozved, dozen, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted zvithin me? Hope thou in
God: for 1 shall yet praise him for tke help, or, salva
tion, qf kis countenance.
The holy mourner hoav expostulates Avith his soul,
for suffering herself to sink into a kind of despond
ency, on account of her afflictions, and the insolent
triumph of the adversary; and, as a sovereign cordial
for melancholy, prescribes " faith " in God, which
will sIioav the morning of salvation dawning, after
the night of calamity shall have run its course, a
night Avhich cannot be long, and may be very short .
When the sun arises, Ave cannot be Avithout light;
Avhen God turns his countenance tOAvards us, Ave can
not be without " salvation."
6. O my God, my soul is cast dozvn zvithin me :
therefore zvill I remember thee from the land of Jor
dan, and of the Hermonites, from the kill Mizar, or,
the little hill.
The soul, although exhorted, in the last verse, to
" put her trust in God," yet, considering her OAvn in
firmity, still continueth to be dejected: the prophet,
therefore, confesseth as much; and maketh his com
plaint to God, from Avhom alone he expecteth com
fort : and whom he did not forget, Avhile, far from the
sanctuary, he Avandered up and down in the country
be}rond Jordan, Avhither he had fled from the face oL
Absalom. This world is, to us, that " country be-
" yond Jordan;" Lord, make us to " remember
thee, under all the affliction and tribulations we meet
widi therein, antil, restored to thy Jerusalem, we shall

256 A COMMENTARY Psal. 42.
praise thee in heaven, for the mercies experienced
upon earth.
7- Deep calletk unto deep at tke noise of thy
waterspouts: all thy zvaves and thy billozvs are gone
over me.
The prophet described! the troubles which success
ively came upon him, by the vengeance of heaven,
from above, " raising up evil against him, out of
" his own house" and kingdom, from beneath, ac
cording to the prediction of Nathan : 2 Sam. xii. 1 1.
The ideas seem to be borrowed from the general de
luge, or from a' storm at sea, when, at the " sound"
of descending " waterspouts," or torrents of rain,
the depths are stirred up, and put into horrible com
motion; the clouds above calling, as it were, to the
waters below, and one wave encouraging and exciting
another to join their forces, and overwhelm the
despairing sufferer*. The Avhole compass of creation
affordeth not, perhaps, a more just and striking
image of the nature and number of those calamities
Avhich sin hath brought upon the children of Adamf.
* Thus, as the learned Merrick observes, one river, in Homer,
" calls upon another," to assist in overwhelming the Grecian
hero. And, in jEschylus, the fire and sea are said to " swear to-
" gether," and to give each other their " pledge of confederacy,"
against the Grecian army.
+ Since this was written, I find the author of " Observations
" on divers Passages of Scripture " agreeing entirely with me in
the notion, that David is here describing those waterspouts, and
storms at sea, which were common on the Jewish coast, as we
learn from Dr. Shaw. Observations, p. 324, 1st edit. So Mr.
Merrick likewise, in his Annotations.

Day 8, e. p. ON THE PS ALMS. 237
8. Yet the Lord zvill command his loving kindness
in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be
zvith me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
The gloomy prospect begins again to brighten, by
a ray of hope shooting through it; and the prophet
returneth to his rest and confidence in the mercy of
God, determining, not only to give him thanks in the
day of prosperity, but, as Paul and Silas afterwards
did, to sing his praises at midnight, in adversity and
affliction, 9. i" will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou
forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of tht
oppression qf the enemy? 10. As with a szvord in
my bones, mine enemies reproach me: zvhile they say
daily unto me, Where is thy God?
He ventureth, notwithstanding, meekly and hum
bly, upon the strength of the promises, to expostu
late Avith him, who Avas the " rock " of his salvation,
as to his seeming destitution, while continually op
pressed and insulted by the cutting reproaches of the
adversary. See above, ver. 3. These might be
thought to render it in some sort necessary, for God
td arise, and vindicate his own honour, by the pro-
1 lection and deliverance of his servant. The Psalmist
concludes with that exhortation to his soul, to trust in
God, and to wait for his salvation, which makes the
jmournful chorus of this beautiful Psalm :
* 11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why
art thou disquieted zvithin me? Hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him, Avho is the health qf my
countenance, and my God. See above, ver. 5.
VOL, II. S

258 A COMMENTARY Psal. 43;
PSALM XLIII.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm seemeth to be a continuation of the
former, written by David in the same circum
stances, on the same subject, and closing Avith the
same chorus.
1. Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against
an ungodly, or, unmerciful, nation: O deliver me from
the deceitful and unjust man.
David, in the same situation as before, appealeth
to God, against a people Avho had driven their sove
reign from his capital, to wander like a fugitive and
vagabond in the remotest parts of his dominions;
against the hypocrisy of Absalom, and the villany of
Ahithophel. The Son of David may be supposed to
make the same appeal against the same nation, for
their far more cruel, treacherous, and iniquitous
usage of him, their King and their God. And the
words suit the circumstances of an oppressed church,
or an injured prince, of all Avho suffer for truth and
righteousness' sake, or Avho groan under the tyranny
of then: spiritual enemies, the world, the flesh, and '
the devil.
2. For thou art the God of my strength, zvhydosf
thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the
oppression of the enemy? See above, Ps. xiii. 9.
3. O send out thy light and thy truth : let them lead

Day S. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 259
me; let than bring me unto tky holy hill, and to thy
tabernacles. The chief desire of the Christian, analogous to
that of the prophet in distress, is to be saved from
sin, as Avell as sorroAv ; to be instructed in the way of
righteousness, by the " light " of heavenly wisdom,
shining in tlie face of Jesus Christ; to see the accom
plishment of the promises, in him who is the
"truth;" and to be "led," by this light and this
truth, from the land of his pilgrimage, to the " holy
" hill," and the " mansions " of the just, in the new
Jerusalem. 4. Then will I go unto tke altar qf God, unto
God my exceeding joy, or, the gladness of my joy ;
yea, upon the harp zvill I praise thee, O God my
God. '
The royal prophet, upon his restoration to his
throne, was to sacrifice on the altar of his God,
with the voice of thanksgiving, and to celebrate his
mighty Deliverer, in a new song, upon the melodious
harp. The Christian, in like manner, foresees a day
coming, when sorrow and sighing shall be no more ;
Avhen he and his brethren are to be " made kings
" and priests ;" Avhen they are to reign Avith their Re
deemer for ever; and upon their golden harps, tuned
to an unison Avith those of angels, to sing his ever
lasting praises in the courts of the heavenly temple,
Therefore, 5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why
art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him, Avho is the health of my
countenance, and my God. See above, Ps. xiii. 5.

260 A COMMENTARY Psal. 44.
NINTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM XLIV.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm Ave hear the voice ofthe church, under
persecution; 1 — 3. recounting the mercies of God
vouchsafed to his servants of old time; 4 — 8. de
claring her confidence, that she shall experience
the same in her present distress, and shall at length
overcome through the power of her Redeemer;
for that, notwithstanding her seeming desertion
and manifold sufferings, 9 — 16. there is still a faith
ful remnant, 1 7 — 22. of those who have not bowed
the knee to Baal, and Avho cease not, 23 — 26. to
cry unto God for mercy and deliverance.
1. We have heard zvith our ears, O God, our
fathers have told us, what works thou didst in their
days, in the times of old.
The works wrought of old, by the arm of Jehovah,
for the salvation of his people, are recorded by the
Spirit in the Scriptures of truth, that " through pa-
" tience and comfort of those Scriptures," as the
apostle expresses it, the church and people of God,
whensoever oppressed and afflicted, in any age or
country, " may have hope," that the same God will
exert the same poAver in their behalf. And great is
the light, great is the consolation, which the sacred

Day 9. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 261
history, Avhen thus applied, will always afford to the
troubled mind.
2. How thou didst drive out the heathen zvith thy
hand, and plantedst them: how thou didst afflict tke
people, and cast them out.
If the dispossession of the Canaanites, and the
establishment of the house of Jacob in their land,
furnished the distressed church of Israel with sufficient
ground for confidence; how much force hath the ar
gument since received, by the accomplishment of
what was then typified ; by the victories of the true
Joshua, or Jesus, by the fall of Paganism, and the
plantation of the Christian faith in its stead !
3. For they got not the land in possession by their
ozvn szvord, neither did their ozvn arm save them;
but thy right hand, und thine arm, and the light of
thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto
them. As it sufficiently appears, that the settlement of
Israel in the promised land Avas the Avork of God,
from the miraculous fall of Jericho; from the pro
longation of the day, at the word of Joshua ; from
the slaughter of the enemy hy hailstones from hea
ven, &c. &c. so Avas it the first thing which an
Israelite Avas in duty bound to acknowledge, if he
hoped for more mercies at the hand of God. The
Christian, in like manner, begins and ends all his
prayers with an humble and thankful acknowledge
ment of the free mercy of God in Jesus Christ; con
fessing, that he " got not " his title to salvation, hor
should enter into the possession of it, by ' ' his OAvn "
power or merit, but by "the right hand and the arm

262 A COMMENTARY Psal. 44*
" of his Redeemer, and the light of his countenance,
" because he had a favour unto him."
4. Thou art my King, O God: command deliver
ances for Jacob.
In these words, the church sums up her argument;
as if she had said, O thou, who, going forth before
thy people, hast so often and so wonderfully Avrought
salvation of old time, I still acknowledge thee as my
King, able and willing to save; O manifest yet again
thy power, yet again let me experience thy mercy.
Behold all things are at thy command; all events are
at thy disposal. O gracious Saviour, let all work
together for good, to her whom thou lovest.
5. Through thee will zee push down our enemies :
through thy name will we tread them under that rise
up against us.
The people of God, however persecuted by the
power of the world, here declare, that their faith
faileth not; that the adversary cannot take from
them their holy confidence in God, through whom,
and in whose saving name, whenever he shall think
fit to hear their prayers, and to appear in their cause,
they doubt not of obtaining a final victory, and ce
lebrating a glorious triumph, over all their enemies,
terrestrial and infernal. Such should be the hope of
every afflicted soul.
6. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall
my szvord save me. 7- But thou hast saved us from
our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated
us. 8. In God zee boast all the day long: and praise
thy name for ever.
In spiritual, as well as temporal Avarfare, the ap-

Day 9. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 263
pointed means are- to be used, but not " trusted
" in;" man is to fight, but God giveth the victory ;
and to him must be ascribed the praise, and the'
poAver, and tlie glory; that, as it is written, " He who
" glorietii, may glory in the Lord." And thus the
Christian church daily singeth, after the example of
her blessed and holy representative, " My soul doth
" magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God
" my Saviour."
9. But thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame;
and goest not forth zeith our armies.
The church having declared her confidence, found
ed on the former mercies of God vouchsafed unto
her, proceedeth now to describe her pitiable state
under persecution, when the protection of the Al
mighty seemed, for a season, to be withdrawn, so
that she was no longer able to stand before her ene
mies. 10. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy ;
and they zvhich hate us spoil for themselves.
The first consequence of a victory, gained by the
enemies over the friends of the church, is rapine and
sacrilege ; the invasion of her patrimony, and the
plunder of her revenues ; allured by the prospect of
which, robbery hath sometimes entered into the
sanctuary, under the mask of reformation.
11. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for
meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
The second calamity which is permitted to fall on
the church, in the day of adversity, is, that her people
are doomed to sudden and cruel deaths by sangui
nary edicts. A third calamity is that of their being

264 A COMMENTARY Psal. 44.
driven, in times of persecution, from their native
country, to A?ander among strangers and aliens, or
^ among those in whose communion it is judged un-
laAvful to join.
12. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost
not increase thy wealth by their price.
A fourth misery incidental to the people of God,
when under persecution, is, that he permits them to
be held cheap and vile, and to be sold into slavery
by their enemies, for little or nothing ; a situation
far more to be dreaded than the sword of the execu
tioner. 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours,
a scorn and a derision to them that are round about
us. 14. Thou makest us a by-zeord among the
heathen; a shaking of the head among the people.
15. My confusion is continually before me, and the
shame of my face hatk covered me. 16. For the voice
qf him that reproachcth and blasphemeth; by reason
qf the enemy and avenger.
The fifth and last bitter fruit of persecution is,
that thereby the name, and truth, and church, and
people of God, are exposed to the insolent and blas
phemous scoffs and jeers of infidels; nor is there
any circumstance to a pious soul more grievous and
afflictive than this.
17- All this is come upon us; yet have we not for
gotten thee, neither have zee dealt falsely in thy cove
nant. 18. Our heart is not turned back, neither have
our steps declined from thy zeay : 19 . Though thou
hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and co*
vered us zvith the shadow qf death.

Day 9. m.-p. ON THE PSALMS. 265
It is certain that God is provoked, by the sins of
a church, to let loose the fury of the oppressor upon
her. This is acknoAvledged by Daniel in his prayer ;
ch. ix. by the three children in the furnace ; Song,
ver. 5, 6. by the Maccabean martyrs, suffering under
Antiochus; 2 Mace. vii. 18. and by Cyprian, and
others, in the primitive times. It is not less certain,
that no mere man canxsay, he is free from transgres
sion. The verses now 'trader' consideration, are not,
therefore, spoken by the whole church, but by the
faithful remnant ; nor do they imply an exemption
from all sin, but by a stedfast perseverance in the
profession of God's true religion, from which it is
the aim of persecution to seduce, or to force them.
The malice of the tormentors is here compared to the
venom of " serpents;" and the state of a suffering
church, to the gloom of " death" itself. Happy the
soul, that, in the extremity of affliction, can, Avith
humble confidence, thus make her appeal to God,
as having held fast her integrity against all the ef
forts made to wrest it from her, and not having suf
fered the blasts of adverse fortune, by Avearing out
patience, to part her from the anchor of faith.
, 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or
stretched out our hands to a strange god ; 21. Shall
not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets
of ihe heart.
The consideration, that " God is greater than our
" heart, and knoweth all things," 1 John, iii. 20.
ought to be strongly impressed on our minds at all
times; but more particularly, Avhen we are tempted
by the Avorld (as, one way or other, we all frequently

266 A COMMENTARY Psal. 44.
are) to deny our Master, either by word or deed ;
and when we have occasion to call heaven to Avitness
our uprightness, under such temptation.
22. Yea, for thy sake are zee killed all the day
long; zve are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
The sufferings of the martyrs were a sufficient
proof that they had not yielded to the temptations of
tiie enemy. St. Paul, Roin. viii. 36. cites this verse
as predictive of the persecutions then beginning to be
raised against the Christians. All may apply it to
themselves, who are in circumstances of the same na
ture ; and persecution is generally consistent with
itself, contriving, by some means or other, to be rid
of those who stand in its way. It is a storm, before
Avhich all must either bend, or be broken.
23. Azvake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise,
cast us not off for ever. 24. Wherefore hidest thou
thy face, and forgettest our affliction, and our op
pression ?
There is a time, when the triumphs of the adver
sary, and the afflictions of the church, tempt men to
think, that the eye of Providence is closed, or turn
ed away, and that the Almighty hath ceased to re
member their sad estate. But the truth is, that God
only giveth his people an opportunity of feeling their
own insufficiency; and Avaiteth till, by fervent and
importunate prayer, they solicit his help. For so 'the
holy Jesus slept, while the ship was covered vrith the
waves ; until, awakened by the cries of his disciples;
¦e arose to their assistance, and spoke the tempest
j ito a perfect calm.

Day 9. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 261
25. For our soul is bozved dozen to the dust; our
belly cleaveth unto the earth.
They who are not brought into this state of humi
liation by outward sufferings, should bring themselves
into it by inward mortification and self-denial, by
contrition and abasement, if they Avould put up such
prayers, as the Majesty of heaven will deign to ac
cept, and ansAver; if they Avould repeat with our
church, in the spirit of the Litany, the concluding
verse of this Psalm —
26. Arise for our help, and redeem us, for thy
mercies, sake !

PSALM XLV.
ARGUMENT.
Jn this Psalm, which is one of those appointed to he
used on Christmas-day, the prophet, after, 1. pro
posing his subject, proceeds to celebrate King
Messiah, 2. for his spiritual beauty and eloquence;
3, 4, 5. his poAver and victories ; 6. his throne and
sceptre; 7. his righteousness and inauguration;
8. his royal robes, and glorious palace. 9. The
church is introduced as his spouse; her appear
ance and dress are described; 10, 11, 12. it is
foretold, that the nations shall bring their offer
ings to her; 13, 14, 15. her attire, her presenta
tion to Christ, Avith her attendant train, and the
universal joy and gladness, occasioned by the so-

26S A COMMENTARY Psal. 45.
..lemnization of the nuptials, are set forth. 16.
The prophet predicteth the fruits of this divine
union ; and, 1 7- the use that should be made of his
' sacred epithalamium by the faithful, from genera
tion to generation.
1. My heart is inditing, Heb. boileth, or, bub-
bleth up, a good matter, or, the good zvord : I speak
ofthe things zvhich I have made touching the King:
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
" The Spirit of the Lord," saith David elsewhere,
2 Sam. xxiii. 2. " spake by me, and his word was
" in my tongue." In like manner, we are to con
ceive the prophet here to be full of the divine Spirit,
which inspired him with " the good word," or the
glad tidings of salvation. The sacred fire, inclosed
in his heart, expanded itself Avithin, till at length it
brake forth Avith impetuosity, to enlighten and to re
vive mankind with this glorious prediction " touch-
" ing the King," Messiah; and this was uttered by
his tongue, under the guidance of the Spirit, as, in
Avriting, the pen is directed by the hand that holds it.
2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace
is poured into thy lips : therefore God hath blessed
thee for ever.
After a short introduction^ the prophet stays not
to enter regularly upon the subject, in the formal
Avay of narration ; but, as if he saw the Divine Per
son, Avhom he Avas about to celebrate, standing before
him, he breaks out in ecstatic admiration of the se
cond Adam, so different from all the descendants of

Day 9. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 269
the first! compounded of a soul fair above all cre
ated spirits, and a body pure and perfect, and now
brighter than the meridian sun ; being invested Avith
the unutterable effulgence of the ' Divine Nature.
Next to the spiritual beauty of Messiah, the prophet
is astonished (as those who heard him speak, in the
days of his flesh, aftenvards were) at " the gracious
" Avords Avhich proceeded out of his mouth," Luke,
iv. 22. through the " grace poured into his lips."
Such honey and milk were under his tongue, so de
lightful and salutary Avas his doctrine, that even his
enemies found themselves obliged to confess, " never
" man spake like this man :" John, vii. 46. His
word instructed the ignorant, resolved the doubtful,
comforted the mourners, reclaimed the wicked,
silenced his adversaries, healed diseases, controlled
the elements, and raised the dead. Therefore hath
the Father loved, and exalted, and blessed him, for
evermore. 3. Gird thy szvord upon thy thigk, O most mighty,
zeith thy glory and thy majesty.
The prophet, having described the beauty and the
eloquence of the King, proceedeth now to set forth
his power, and to arm him, as a warrior, for the
battle. The " sword" of Messiah is his Word,
which, in the language of St. Paul, is said to be
" quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-
" edged sword;" and is represented by St John, as
"a sharp two-edged sav ord," coming out of the
"mouth" of Christ: Heb. iv. 12. Rev. i. 16.
With this weapon he prevailed, and thereby made

210 A COMMENTARY Psal. 45.
his " glory and majesty" to be knoAvn throughout the
world.
4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because,
or, for the sake, of truth, and meekness, and righ
teousness : and thy right hand shall teach thee ter
rible, or, zvonderful, things*.
Messiah is in these words magnificently described,
as making his progress among the nations, seated in
his triumphal chariot, adorned with all the regal vir
tues, achieving the most astonishing victories, and,
by the irresistible might of his poAver, subduing
idolatry and iniquity, to the faith and temper of the
Gospel. 5. Thine arrozvs are sharp in the heart of tke
King's enemies ; whereby the people fall under thee.
The prophet goes on to represent Messiah as a
Avarrior, completely armed, and skilful in the use of
every weapon. Thus a prince is portrayed, Rev.
vi. 2. " I saAv, and behold a white horse, and he that
" sate on him had a boAv, and a crown was given
" unto him ; and he went forth conquering, and to
" conquer." The conquests of Messiah, are either
those of his Avord over sin, or those of his arm over
the persecuting powers.
6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever : the
sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
The battle being fought, and the victory gained,
* " The sense, perhaps, may be this : Thy right hand, by its
" promptness to encounter danger, shall bring thee acquainted
" with terrible things : thy right hand shall know its office ; by
" habitual exercise, shall render thee expert in war, and lead
" thee on from couquest to conquest." Merrick.

Day 9. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 27!
we are called to tlie consideration of the " throne "
and " sceptre" of King Messiali, Avhom the prophet
addresseth as God. His throne is distinguished from
the thrones of this Avorld, by its endless duration ;
his sceptre, from the sceptres of earthly potentates,
by the unerring rectitude of its administration.
7. Tlwu lovest righteousness, and hatest zvicked-
ness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thyfellozvs.
The sermons, the example, and, above all, the
death of Christ, for the expiation of sin, demonstra
ted his love of righteousness, and hatred of wicked
ness ; and " because he humbled himself, and be-
" came obedient even to the death of the cross, there-
" fore God highly exalted him:" Phil. ii. 8, 9. and
he Avas " anointed" to the kingdom, " with the Holy
" Ghost and Avith power" immeasurable; to the in
tent that he might bestOAv, in due proportion, the
gifts of heaven on those Avhom he is not ashamed to
call " friends" and " brethren." And these gifts he
did bestow on them, by the emission of the Spirit,
soon after his ascension and inauguration. See
the application of these last two verses to Christ,
Heb. i. 8, 9-
8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes,, and
cassia, out of the ivory palaces*, zvhereby they have
made thee glad.
From the throne, the sceptre, and the inauguration,
the prophet passes on to the robes and palaces of the
* That is, palaces adorned, or inlaid, with ivory; as " Ebur
" atria vestit :" Lucan. x. 119. Merrick.

272 , A COMMENTARY Psal. 45.
King of glory, declaring, that as the perfumed gar
ments of an earthly prince scatter through all the
royal apartments a grateful fragrance, so from the
glorious vestments of our High Priest and King is
diffused the sweet savour of his heavenly graces, fill
ing those happy regions of joy and gladness, Avhere
¦he keeps his residence above, and, by the communi
cation of the Spirit, refreshing the faithful on earth
Avith their odours.
9- Kings' daughters were among thy honourable
zvomen, or, the splendour of thy train; upon thy right
hand did stand the queen in gold qf Ophir.
Such being the divine beauty, and heavenly glory,
of the blessed Person, Avhose nuptials the prophet is
now proceeding to describe, it is no wonder that,
upon hearing of his fame, innumerable converts, for
saking the vanities even of courts and kingdoms,
should folloAv him, ambitious to have the honour of
composing his train ; which in reality was the case,
upon the publication of the Gospel. And, lo, at " the
"right hand" of the King, followed by this magni
ficent procession, appears the church, the spouse of
the Lamb, arrayed in the garments of righteousness
and salvation, fitly compared, for their inestimable
value, and radiant brightness, to the " gold of
" Ophir." 10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and in
cline thine ear ; forget also thine ozvn people, and thy
father's house : 11. «Sb shall the King greatly de
sire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and zvorship thou
him. This seemeth to be the voice of God, addressing

Day 9. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 873
the church to the following effect — O thou Avhom I
have begotten unto a lively hope, by the resurrection
of Jesus from the dead, and whom I have called out
of the world, to become " the Lamb's wife," hearken
diligently to my voice, consider attentively what I.
say, and be obedient to my direction ; thou art noAv;
entering into a new state ; let old things pass aAvay ;
regard no more thy connexions with earth ; but let
the love, and, if possible, the very memory, of thy
former condition be obliterated from thy mind ; let
all things belonging to , the flesh die in thee : then
shalt thou be truly acceptable and dear in his sight,
Avho, having purchased and betrothed thee to him
self, justly claims thy whole heart, thy undivided love,
and thy unlimited service and adoration.
12. And tke daughter of Tyre shall be there with
a gift ; even the rich among the people shall entreat
thy favour.
, The accession of the Gentiles, Avith their offerings
and donations, to the church, is here predicted un
der the name of " Tyre," a city in the neighbour
hood of Palestine, formerly the glory of the nations,
and mart ofthe world. See Isa. iv. and Rev. xxi.
13. The King's daughter is all glorious within:
her clothing is of wrought gold.
The church, in different respects, is sometimes
called the spouse, sometimes the sister, and often, as
here, the " daughter" ofthe heavenly King; the con
nexion formed between them, uniting in itself every
relation, and every affection. Her beauty, so. great
ly desired and delighted in by Messiah, is spiritual .
VOL. II. t

274 A COMMENTARY Psal. 45.
it is the beauty of holiness ; and her clothing is " the
" righteousness of saints." 1 Pet. iii. 3. Rev. xix. 8.
14. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment
of needle-work, or, embroidery: the virgins her
companions that follozv her shall be brought unto
thee. The different graces Of the faithful, all wrought in
them by the same Spirit, compose that divine " em-
'* broidery" Avhich adorns the wedding garment of
the church, who is therein presented to the King, at
tended by her bride maids, after the nuptial manner.
These are either the single churches, or holy souls,
that accede to and accompany the spouse; unless
Ave suppose, as some do, that the bride is the Israel
itish church, and then the attendants will represent
the Gentiles.
* 15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be
brought: they shall enter into the King's palace.
The solemnization of this marriage between Christ
and the church, produceth a jubilee upon earth, and
causeth the streets of the heavenly Jerusalem to re
sound with hallelujahs. For this the angels tune
their golden harps, while prophets, apostles, martyrs,
and saints, fill up the universal chorus of " Blessing,
" and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him
" that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb,
5' for ever and ever."
16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,
zvhom tkou mayest make princes in all the earth.
In this verse the prophet foretelleth the fruit that
should spring from the glorious nuptials which he
hath been celebrating, He assureth the spouse, that

Day 9. M. p. * ON THE PSALMS. 275
instead of her earthly kindred, whether Jewish or
Pagan, Avhich she was to leave for Christ, should
anse an illustrious and royal progeny of believers,
out of whom were to be chosen Christian kings to
govern the world, and Christian bishops to preside in
the church. The expression, " whom thou mayest
" make princes," may ansAver to that in the Revela
tion, ch. i. ver. 6. " And hath made us kings and
" priests unto God and his Father." So Mr. Mer
rick thinks, who beautifully turns the passage, in his
poetical version, as follows —
No more the Patriarchs of thy line
In time's long records chief shall shine ;
Thy greater Sons, to empire born,
Its future annals shall adorn.
Thy pow'r deriv'd to them display,
And stretch through earth their boundless sway.
17-1 'will make thy name to be remembered in all
generations : therefore shall the people praise thee for
ever and ever.
By inditing this divine marriage-song, appointed
to be sung in the congregation of the faithful, from
age to age, the Psalmist hath been, as he foresaw he
should be, the blessed means of celebrating his Re
deemer's name, and inciting the nations of the world
to do likewise ; nor will he cease to be so, Avhile the
xlvth Psalm continues to be sung in the church upon
earth ; that is, while there remaineth a church upon
earth to sing in. And we, who now do sing it, are
witnesses of these things.

T2

276 A COMMENTARY Psal. 46.
PSALM XLVI.
ARGUMENT.
The church, in time of trouble, declares, I. her
trust and confidence to be in God, and doubts
not, 2, 3. of being preserved safe, by means of
this anchor, in the most stormy seasons; even
then, 4, 5. enjoying the comforts of the Spirit,
and the presence of Christ in the midst of her.
She describes, 6. and, 7. exults in, the power and
might of her victorious Lord ; 8. calling the world
to view and consider his Avonderful works. 9. He
himself is introduced, as. speaking the nations into
peace and obedience. She concludes with a re
petition of ver. 7- in the Avay of chorus.
1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present,
help in trouble.
As we are continually beset by " troubles," either
bodily or spiritual, so we continually stand in need
of a city of " refuge and strength," into which Ave
may fly, and be safe. Religion is that city, whose
gates are always open to the afflicted soul. We pro
fess to believe this; do Ave act agreeably to such pro
fession? 2. Therefore will not zve fear, though the earth be
removed, and though the mountains be carried into
the midst qf the sea; 3. Though the waters thereof
roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake
zvith the swelling thereof.

Day 9. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 277
The church declares her full and firm confidence
in God, as her refuge and strength, amidst all the
tumults and confusions of the world, the raging of
nations, and the fall of empires. Nay, at that last
great and terrible day, Avhen sea and land are to be
confounded, and every mountain and hill removed for
ever; Avhen there is to be "distress of nations, with
" perplexity, the sea and the Avaves roaring;" even
then, the righteous shall have no cause to " fear," but
rather to " lift up their heads " with joy and triumph,
because then it is, that their " redemption draweth
", nigh." Let us set that day before us, and try our
selves by that test.
4. There is a river, the streams zvkereof shall
make glad the city of God: the holy place of ihe ta
bernacle of the Most High. 5. God is in the midst
qf her; she shall not be moved: God shall help Her,
and that right early; Heb. zvhen the morning ap
peareth. Such is the ground, on which the church erects
her confidence. Instead of those waters which
overAvhelm the world, she has Avithin herself the
fountain of consolation, sending forth rivers of spi
ritual joy and pleasure; and, in the place of secular
instability, she is possessed of a city and a hill which
stand fast for ever, being the residence of the Eternal,
who, at the dawn of the last morning, will finally ap
pear as the protector and avenger of Israel.
6. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
Hoav concise, how energetic, hoAv truly and asto
nishingly sublime ! The kingdom of Christ being

27S A COMMENTARY Psal. 46.
tAvofold, fhese Avords may be applied either to the
overthroAv of Heathenism, and the establishment of
the Gospel; or to the destruction of the world, and
the erection of Messiah's triumphant throne. Con
quer, O Lord, all our perverse affections, and reign
in us, that we may conquer, and reign with thee.
7- The Lord of hosts is zvith us; the God qf Jacob
is our refuge; Heb. an high place for us.
To the " Lord of hosts " all creatures in heaven
and earth are subject; in " the God of Jacob," the
church acknowledges the Saviour of his chosen. If
this person be Im manuel, God with us, of whom
can we be afraid?
8. Come, behold tke works qf the Lord, what de
solations he hath made in the earth. 9. He maketh
zears to cease unto the end of the earth ; he breaketh
the boze, and cut t eth the spear in sunder; he burneth
the chariot in the fire.
The church, in these words, proposes to us the
noblest subjects for contemplation; namely, the glo
rious victories of our Lord, partly gained already,
and partly to be gained hereafter, in order to the final
establishment of universal peace, righteousness, and
bliss, in his heavenly kingdom. Then the mighty
shall be fallen, and the weapons of war perished, for
ever. Hasten, O Lord, that blessed day; but first
prepare us for it.
10. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be
exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the
earth. In this verse there is a change of person, and
Jehovah himself is introduced, as commanding the

Day 9. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 279
Avorld to cease its opposition, to own his poAver, and
to acknoAvledge his sovereignty over all the kingdoms
of the nations. Let our rebellious passions hear this
divine edict, —tremble, and obey.
1 1 . The Lord of hosts is zvith us; the God of Jacob
is our refuge. See ver. 7.

NINTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM XLVII.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, appointed by the church to be used
on Ascension-day, the prophet, 1 . calls the na
tions to celebrate so glorious a festival; and
that, on account, 2. of Christ's power, and the
mightiness of his kingdom; 3. of his victories and
- triumphs, through the Gospel ; 4. of the inheritance
prepared for his chosen, in the heavenly Canaan,
by his own ascension thither; which, 5. is describ
ed under images borrowed from the ascent of the
ark into the holy city and temple; an occasion, on
which the Psalm was probably composed. 6, 7.
He again and again exhorts all people to sing the
praises of their God and King, and to sing with
the understanding, as well as with the voice. 8, 9.
The Psalm concludes with predicting the establish-

2S0 A COMMENTARY Psal. 47.
ment of Christ's kingdom, and the conversion of
the Gentile kings and nations to the faith.
1 . O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God
zvith the voice qf triumph.
The prophet invites all nations to celebrate the
festival of Messiah's exaltation, because all nations
had a share in the benefits and blessings of that glo
rious day. , God is to be worshipped with bodily, as
well as spiritual worship : every " hand " should be
lifted up to him Avho formed it, and every " mouth "
should praise him who giveth breath for that purpose.
2. For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a
great King over all the earth.
The church celebrates the ascension of Christ,
because then he was " highly exalted;" then he be
came " terrible " to his enemies, all power in heaven
and in earth being committed to him; and then he
began to display the excellent majesty of his universal
kingdom, to which he was then inaugurated, being
crowned " King of kings, and Lord of lords."
3. He shall subdue the people under us, and the
nations under our feet.
The consequence of our Lord's ascension was the
going forth of the all-subduing Word, under the in
fluence and direction of which, the convinced and
converted nations renounced their idols and their
lusts, and bowed their willing necks to the yoke of
Jesus. This is that great conquest, foreshowed by
the victories of Joshua, David, and all the faithful
heroes of old time, and foretold in language borrowed
from their histories.

Day 9. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 281
4. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the ex
cellency of Jacob zvhom he loved.
The land of Canaan emphatically styled, " that
u good land, and the glory of all lands," was the
" excellent inheritance " chosen for the sons of Jacob,
and consigned to them, upon the expulsion of the
idolatrous nations. But from that inheritance Israel
also hath long since been expelled; and Christians,
by these words, are taught to look to "an inherit-
" ance eternal, and incorruptible, and that fadethnot
" away;" to those happy and enduring mansions
which the Son of God is gone to prepare for them
that love him, and are beloved of him.
5. God is gone up zvith a shout, the Lord with
the sound qf a trumpet.
Literally, if applied to the ark, as bishop Patrick
paraphrases the verse, " God is gone up,- by the spe-
" cial token of his presence, into that holy place,
" with shouts of joy and praise ; the Lord is gone
" up in a triumphant pomp, with the sound of the
" trumpet, and all other instruments of music." See
2 Sam. vi. 5. 15. 2 Chron. v. 2. 12. &c. Ps. cxxxii.
8, 9. But spiritually, as applied noAv by the Chris
tian church, to the ascension of Christ into heaven,
prefigured by that of the ark into the temple — God
incarnate is gone up into that holy place, not made
with hands; the everlasting doors of heaven are
opened, for the King of glory to enter, and re-possess
his ancient throne ; there he is received by the united
acclamations of the celestial armies, by that " shout,"
that voice of the archangel, and that "trump of
" God," which are to sound again, in the day when

282 A COMMENTARY Psal. 47.
he shall " so come, in like manner, as he went into
" heaven*."
6. Sing praises to God, sing praises : sing praises
unto our King, sing praises. 7- For God is the
King qf all tke earth : sing ye praises with under
standing. Who can contemplate the glorious triumph of hu
man nature over its enemies, in the person of our
King, risen and ascended, without finding himself
constrained to break forth into joy, and to sing, with
a thankful heart, and an elevated voice, the praises
- due unto his holy name ! These divine hymns were
designed for that purpose. Let us therefore sing
them, and let us sing them " with understanding;"
considering by whom they were indited, and of whom
they treat; reflecting, that the eternal Spirit is their
author ; and their subject the blessed Jesus.
8. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth
upon the throne qf his holiness.
We are never suffered to forget, that the end of
Messiah's exaltation to the right hand of the majesty
in the heavens, was the conversion and salvation of
the world; so continually do the prophets and apo
stles delight to dwell upon that most interesting topic,
the conversion of the " nations " to the Gospel of
Christ. Why do we vainly fancy, that we belong to
Him, unless his Spirit " reign " in our hearts by
faith? 9. The princes of the people are gathered together,
* " Ascendit Deus " — Ascendit area in Jerusalem cum cantu.
Prophetice, Ascendit Christus in ccelum. Bossvet.

Day 9. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. , 283
even the people of the God qf Abraham : for the
shields qf the earth belong unto God: he is greatly
exalted. This verse plainly describeth the kings of the Gen
tiles as acceding to the church ; as becoming, Avith
their subjects, through faith, " the people of the God
" of Abraham," and a part of the sacred peculium;
as submitting to God in Christ that power with
which they were invested, as " shields of the earth,"
or protectors of their several kingdoms; and as
bowing their sceptres to the cross of Jesus*. The
sense of the verse, expressed in New Testament
language, would be, " the kingdoms of this world
" are become the kingdoms of qur Lord and his
" Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." So
let every nation be converted unto thee, O Lord ! and
every king become thy son and servant ; until all the
Avorld shall Avorship thee, sing of thee, and praise thy
name!
PSALM XLVIII.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm is one of those which by our church are
appointed to be used on Whitsunday, because
* This latter part of the verse is differently explained by thed
Rev. Mr. Merrick, in his poetical paraphrase of this psalm —
For he, whose hands, amid the skies,
Th' eternal sceptre wield,
To earth's whole race his care applies,
And o'er them spreads his shield.

284 A COMMENTARY Psal. 48.
other images taken from the earthly city Jerusa
lem, neAvly rescued from her enemies by him who
resided in the material temple on mount Zion, are
celebrated, 1,2, 3. the glory, the beauty, and the
strength of the church Christian, that city and
temple of Messiah; who, 4 — 7- is described as
breaking in pieces, and bringing to nothing, the
opposition formed against her by the Heathen kings
and emperors; on Avhich account, 8 — 11. she ex
pressed! her gratitude and joy; 12 — 14. exhorting
her people to contemplate, and transmit to poste
rity, an account of those Avonderful works of God,
the establishment and preservation of .Jiis church
in the world ; for Avhich she wishes all generations,
after her example, to adore and praise his holy
name, for ever and ever. ¦
1. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
in the city qf our God, in the mountain qf his holi
ness. The prophet preparing to celebrate the beauty and
magnificence of the church, begins with setting forth
the praises of her great Founder; whose Avisdom,
mercy, and poAver, as they are conspicuous in all his
works,' so, more especially, in this, the chief and
croAvn of all; for Avhich, his name can never be
sufficiently extolled, by the inhabitants of the new
Jerusalem; and by them it ought to be extolled, for
ever and ever.
2. Beautiful for situation, the joy ofthe whole

Day 9. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 285
earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the
city of the great King.
How " beautiful" is the holy and heavenly Zion,
or the Christian church; hoAv truly is she " the joy
" of the Avhole earth," by the glad tidings which her
ministers continually publish; how properly is this
Jerusalem styled, " the city of the great King!"
3. God is knozvn in her palaces for a refuge.
The great Founder of the church is also her pro
tector and defender; the dependence of the new Je
rusalem, like that of the old, is not in man, or in the
arm of flesh, but in the God Avho resideth in the
midst of her. For, surely, unless he kept the holy
city, the Avatchmen in the tOAvers Avould wake but in
vain. **
4. For, lo, the kings zvere assembled, they passed by
together. Never were the poAver and malice of earthly
princes more violently bent to hinder the building of
Jerusalem, or to pull doAAn Avhat was already built,
than they Avere to prevent the edification of tlie
church, and to root up its foundations. But the
event, with regard to the latter, Avas the same Avhich
had often happened, in the case of the former.
5. They saw it, and so they marvelled ; they zvere
troubled, and hasted away. 6. Fear took hold upon
them there, and pain, as of a zooman in travail.
The potentates of the world saw the miracles of
the apostles, the courage and constancy of the mar
tyrs, and the daily increase of the church, notwith
standing all their persecutions ; they beheld with
astonishment tfie rapid progress of the faith through

286 A COMMENTARY Psal. 48.
the Roman empire ; they called upon their gods,
but their gods could not help themselves; idolatry
expired at the foot of the victorious cross, and
the power which supported it, became Chris
tian.
7. 7 hou breakest the ships of Tarshish with the
east zvind.
In the foregoing verse, the consternation amongst
the enemies of the church was compared to the hor
rors of a travailing woman ; here it is likened to the
apprehensions of despairing mariners. Nor indeed
can any thing in nature more fitly represent the over-
throAv of Heathenism by the Spirit of the Gospel, than
the Avreck of a fleet of ships in a storm at sea. Both
are effected by the mighty power of God*. *
8. As zve have heard, so have zve seen in the city
qf the Lord qf hosts, in the city of our God: God
will establish it for ever.
The church heard, by the prophets, of the future
birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Mes
siah ; of the effusion of the. Spirit, and her own en
largement, establishment, and preservation, in the
Gentile world. These predictions, Avhich she had so
often " heard," she hath " seen " accomplished, even
* Sensus est ; qualis ventus vehemens content naves magni
maris, talis est Dei vis tuentis Jerusalem, et hostilem exerciturn
dissipantis. Bossuet. Illustrations of this kind are sometimes
introduced, by the sacred writers, with the mark of comparison;
and frequently, as here, without it. The meaning evidently is,
that as the east wind shatters in pieces the ships of Tarshish, so
the divine power struck the Heathen kings with terror and asto
nishment.

Day 9. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 287
unto this day*; and therefore doubts not of God's
continuing his favour and protection to the end of
time.
9- We have thought, or, zve zvait in silence and
patience for thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst
of thy temple.
Contemplation of all the Avondrous works which
the Lord our God hath Avrought for us, produces
faith in his promises, and resignation to his will: and
he that, Avith these dispositions, Avaits for God's mer
cies, in God's house, shall not wait in vain.
10. According to thy name, O God, so is thy
praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is
full of righteousness.
Wherever the name of God is known, and his
works are declared, there the sacrifice of praise must
needs be offered to him, by men, Avho are made sen
sible of his mercies towards them : and the day is
coming, when all the world shall be forced to acknow
ledge, that his " right hand is full of righteousness,"
and his judgements are just.
11. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters qf
Judah be glad, because of thy judgements.
* " Sicut audivimus '' — Prophetise Isaia videtur hie notari :
sensusque est ; sicut audivimus ab Isaia prophetatum, fore ut
obsidio mirabiliter solveretur, ac Sennacherabi Dux Rabsaces,
ejusque exercitus CDederetur, sic impletum vidimus. Isa. xxxvii.
21. 2 Reg. xix. 20. Qui figura coelestis Jerusalem incohe et
ipsi canunt, "sicut audivimus," ex auditu fidei, Gal. iii. 25. " sic
" vidimus," jam sublato velo, atque aperta Dei facie. " Deus
" fundavit earn:" nihil habet metuendum. tantoexemptapericulo.
Prophetice, de Ecclesia fundata super petram, ideoque inconcussa..
Matt. xvi. 18. Bossuet.

288 A COMMENTARY Psal. 48.
The church, and all her children, are exhorted to
rejoice, Avith joy unspeakable and full of glory, on
account of the manifestation of divine power, on
her behalf, against her enemies. Thus, at the fall of
the mystic Babylon, it is said—" Rejoice over her,
" thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets,
" for God hath avenged you on her." Rev. .xviii. 20.
12. Walk about Zion, and go round about her :
tell the towers thereof. 13. Mark ye zvell her bul-
zvarks, consider her palaces ; that ye may tell it to the
generations following.
Christians are here enjoined to contemplate, again
and again, continually, the fabric of the spiritual
Jerusalem, wonderfully raised, and as wonderfully
preserved ; to consider attentively the parts designed
for use, for strength, for ornament; that they may be
able to instruct posterity in the nature and history
of this holy building, and in their duty of fonvarding
and defending the same, from generation to gene
ration. 14. For tkis God is our God for ever and ever: he
zeill be our guide even unto death.
Let the world worship whom or Avhat it will, we
worship none other but Him Avho, by his Spirit,
founded; and, by his poAver, preserveth the church ;
who', by that Spirit, " guideth" us through life, and,
by that power, will enable us to overcome " death*;
that so Ave may rejoice and triumph for evermore, as
* " This God will be our God to all eternity, and (by that
" power which he has already exerted in our protection) will eon-
" du,ctus through life with safety." Merrick.

Day 9. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 289
citizens of the city of God, and subjects of the King
of glory.

PSALM XLIX.
ARGUMENT.
The prophet, after a solemn introduction, 1 — 4. in
which the Avhole world is called upon, to hear a
lesson of divine Avisdom, 5. proposes the subject
in a question, implying the great folly of yielding to
the temptation of fear, in the time of affliction and
persecution, when the rich and the powerful are in
arms against the innocent and righteous Sufferer;
inasmuch as, 5 — 9. no man, by his riches or
poAver, can redeem his brother, or himself, in the
evil day; but, 10. wise and foolish die, and leave
their estates to others; and, 11 — 13. -notwithstand
ing all their care and pains, are soon forgotten,
while they are detained, by death, in the grave, till
they rise to judgement and condemnation. On
the other hand, the prophet, in the person of Mes
siah, 15. declares his faith in a joyful resurrection
to life and glory, through the power of Jehovah ;
and, 16 — 20. exhorts believers, neither to fear
nor envy the man of the world, considering what
his latter end is to be.
1. Hear this, all ye people: give ear, all ye inha-
vol. ir. , u

290 A COMMENTARY Psal. 49.
bit ant s ofthe zvorld: 2. Both low and high, rich and
poor, together.
This Psalm opens with great dignity, and the pro
phet speaks " as one having authority." He de
mands an audience, like that which is to be assem
bled at the last day; having something to deliver,
which is universally important and interesting ; some
thing which concerns every age, and condition, and
nation under heaven. And Ave may observe, that
although the sound of this Psalm, when first uttered,
could be heard only Avithin the confines of Judea,
yet the knowledge of it hath since actually been dif
fused in the Christian church, throughout the world,
from the rising to the setting sun. But hoAv feAv,
alas! have duly attended to the salutary lesson, which
it so divinely teacheth!
3. My mouth shall speak of zvisdom; and the me
ditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
At the call of folly, what multitudes are always
ready to assemble ! But Wisdom, eternal and essen
tial Wisdom, crieth Avithout; she lifteth up her voice
in the streets; and Avho is at leisure to attend her
heavenly lectures? The " mouth " of Jesus always
" spake of wisdom;" but few regarded him: the
" meditation of his heart " Avas ever " of understand-
" ins;" but it was accounted madness.
4. I zvill incline mine ear to a parable: I zvill open
my dark saying upon the harp.
In the promulgation of wisdom and understanding
, to the world, the prophet, as the faithful scribe of the
Spirit, Avas to speak only Avhat he should hear, by
" inclining his ear " to his divine Teacher; he was to

Day 9. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 291
speak in the Avay of " parable," or proverb, or pro
blem, that is, in such a way, as should require
study and diligence, to unfold and explain; in such a
way, as the Avorld is not inclined to understand, or
listen to; as our Lord delivered his doctrines Avhen
on earth. And, that melody might seiwe as a vehicle '¦
for instruction, this important lesson Avas to be set to
music, and played upon the harp.
5. Jllierefore should I fear in the days of evilj
Avhen the iniquity of my heels shall compass me
about? " The iniquity of my heels," says bishop LoAvth, is
hardly sense. Suppose 'ipi? to be, not a noun, but
the present participle of the verb ; it will then be
" The Avickedness of those that lie in Avait for me,"
or " endeavour to supplant me." Bishop Hare like
wise, as Mr. Merrick has observed, translates »ap»,
" insidiantium mihi." I had, at first, given another
turn to the Psalmist's question, and, by " the iniquity
" of my heels," had understood to be meant, " the
" iniquity of my footsteps," that is, " my goings," or
" ways;" (ops being used for footsteps, Ps. lvi. 7.
and Cant. i. 8.) as if it had been said — Why, for the
sake of procuring riches, or power, should I bring
fear and anguish upon myself, in that hour, Avhen my
sins will find me out, and neither riches, nor poAver,
can deliver me from the punishment due to them?
Thus Bossuet and Mudge understood the verse. But
I am clear, that bishop Lowth's idea is the true one:
and then the purport of the question is plainly this —
Why should I give way to fear and despondency, in
the time of calamity, Avhen the Avickedness of my

292 A COMMENTARY Psal. 49.
wealthy and powerful adversaries compasseth me
about, to supplant and overthrow me?
6. They that trust in their zvealth, and boast
themselves in the multitude of tkeir riches: 7- None
of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor
give to God a ransom for him: 8. (For the redemp
tion qf their soul is precious, and it ceasethfor ever:)
9- That he should still live for ever, and not see cor
ruption. In this world, as the wise man observeth, Fccles.
x. 19- " money answereth all things;" and therefore
worldly men place their trust and confidence in it;
but, in "the evil day," riches shall not be found;
nor, if they could be found, would they avail any
thing towards eternal salvation. For, " what shall
" a man give in exchange for his soul?" saith one,
who best knew the value of souls ; as he paid the
price of that " precious redemption," which otherwise
must have " ceased for ever;" Avhen he suffered for
us on the cross, and arose, on the third day, to life
and immortality, without " seeing corruption*."
10. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the
fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their
zvealth to others.
The inability of man to save his brother or himself
from death, is evinced by daily experience, which
* Hos versus ad Christum patres referunt, ut sensus sit, nemo
purus homo fratrem redimit, sed tantum ille homo qui etiam Deus
est. Memorant etiam interpretes R. Mosen Hazardan, qui verba
hasc de Rege Messia intelligit, qui pro redemptione fratrum mor-
tuus, postea in aeternum vivat, uti pnedictum est ab Isaia, liii. 10.
Bossuet.

Day 9. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 293
showeth us, that the penalty due to sin is continually
levied upon all : Avisdom and folly go down into the
dust together ; " and then, Avhose shall those things
"be, AA'hich have been provided?" Luke, xii. 20.
Their possessions come into the hands of others,
perhaps of those for whom they never intended them,
and Avho have neither inclination nor ability to do the
dead man any service.
11. Their inzvard thought is, that their houses
shall continue for ever, and their dzvelling places to
all generations ; they call their lands after their ozvn
names. Various are the contrivances of vain men, to have
their names Avritten on earth, and to procure, after
their deaths, an imaginary immortality, for themselves
and their families, in the memory and conversation of
posterity; Avhich is not often obtained; and, if ob
tained, is of no value ; when, Avith less trouble, they
might have had their names written in heaven, and
have secured to themselves a blessed immortality, in
the glorious kingdom of their Redeemer.
12. Nevertheless man being in honour abide-tA
not ; he is like the beasts that perish.
The continuance of man in the Avorld is as that of
a traveller at an inn, who tarrieth but for a night; so
that if honour and wealth do not soon leave him, he
must soon leave them, and, like the brutes around
him, return to his earth, never more to be seen, and '
little more to be thought of*. Families decay, and
* " Comparatus est jumentis ;" quoad temporalia, nihil habet
amplius, atque omnino instar jumenti est, nisi arterna meditatur.
Bossuet.

294 A COMMENTARY Psal. 49.
are extinguished, as well as individuals; and the
world itself is to perish after the same example.
That such beings, in such a place, should ¦ think of
becoming glorious and immortal !
13. This their zvay is their folly ; yet their poste
rity approve their sayings.
The practice of labouring to acquire Avealth and
greatness, Avhich can be of no service after death,
and of endeavouring to perpetuate the possession of
the most uncertain things in nature, is doubtless a
folly; but it is a folly which, like many others, is at
once blamed, and imitated.
14. Like sheep that, or, they, are laid in the grave;
death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have
dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty
shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
The high and mighty ones of the earth, who cause
people to fear, and nations to tremble around them,
must one day crowd the grave ; in multitude and im
potence, though not in innocence, resembling sheep,
driven and confined, by the butcher, in his house of
Slaughter. There death, that ravening wolf, shall
feed sweetly on them, and devour his longrexpected
prey, in silence and darkness, until the glorious
morning of the resurrection daAvn ; when the once*
oppressed and afflicted righteous, risen from the
dead, and sitting, Avith their Lord in judgement,
shall have the dominion over their cruel and insulting
enemies ; Avhose faded beauty, Avithered strength,
and departed glory, shall display to men and angels
the vanity of that confidence Avhich is not placed \v\
God.

Day 9. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 295
15. But God will redeem my soul, or, animal
frame, from the power of the grave; for he shall
receive me.
The righteous, as well as the Avicked, descend into
the grave : to the bodies of the former it is a resting
place, as the prison Avas to St. Peter, till the angel of
the Lord shall aAvaken them, and call them forth ;
AA'hile to the latter it is a condemned hold, from which,
at the appointed day, they are to be dragged to exe
cution*. The prophet here expresseth a full and
firm faith in the resurrection ; and m&y be conceived
as speaking in the person of Him who was first re
deemed from the grave, and accepted by the Father;
Avho did not " despond in the days of evil, and when
" the wickedness of his supplanters compassed him
"about;" as foreseeing their speedy destruction, and
his OAvn approaching resurrection and exaltation.
And, therefore, he thus exhorts each disciple of his
in the subsequent verses of our Psalm : —
16. Be not thou afraid zvhen one is made rich;
zehen the glory of his house is increased. 17. For
zvhen he dieth, he shall carry nothing away : his glory
shall not descend after him.
This is the conclusion of the Psalm, naturally fol-
loAving from the premises; and addressed, by Avay
of exhortation and comfort, to the meek and humble
disciples of the Lamb ; directing them to fear God,
* Impiorum inanitate despecta, assurgit- ad bonos in - Deum
.sperantes, quorum Deus animam ab inferis redimir, cum a sepul-
' chro assumptos ad vitam aeternam transfert. Alioqui, neque qui
sperat in Domino plus reliquis haberet, neque pr«efationi respon-
deret hujus Psalmi doctrina. Bossuet,

296 A COMMENTARY Psal.49.
who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,
and not to be afraid of the short-lived power, confer
red in this world, by wealth, over the body only.
For this purpose, nothing is requisite, but to strip the
worldling of the pomp and parade, the connexions
and relations of life, and to consider him, as he is to
appear on the day of his burial, when nothing shall
attend him, but his shroud, to the grave, and his
works to the judgement seat. View him in this light,
Avhich is the proper light to vieAv him in, and he will
cease to be the object of fear or envy.
18. Though, zvhile he lived, he blessed his $oul;
and men will praise thee zvhen thou doest well to
tkysef. Such must be- the Avorldling's end, as described
above ; however, in the day of health and prosperity,
he may bless himself, and say, " Soul, thou hast
" goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat,
" drink, and be merry." Nor will such a speech,
whenever it is spoken, Avant its admirers : it will have
the applause of numbers, whose opinion it is, that
" there is nothing better for a man, than that he
" should eat, and drink, and enjoy himself, all the
*' days of his life, which God giveth him under the
" sun." 19. He shall go to the generation of his fathers ;
they shall never see light.
They who follow their fathers in sin, must follow
them likewise into the torments of that sad place
Avhere darkness has fixed its everlasting abode, for
the reception of those that ever loved and embraced
it; and where the light of life and salvation no

Day 9. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 291
longer visits those, Avho always hated, and rejected
ik 20. Man that is in honour, and under standetk not,
is like the beasts that, perish.
The sum of the Avhole matter is, that it can profit
a man nothing to gain the Avhole world ; to become
possessed of all its Avealth, and all its poAver ; if, after
all, he lose his own soul, and be cast away, for Avant
of that holy and heavenly Avisdom which distinguishes
him from the brutes, and sets him above them, in his
life, and at his death.

TENTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM L.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm presents us with a magnificent descrip
tion, 1, 2. of the promulgation of the Gospel, fol
lowed, 3, 4. by a prediction of the terrible man
ner of God's coming to judge his apostate people,
Israel*; 5, 6. of the assembly to be present, and
* Such is the general idea entertained of this Psalm, by the best
Christian expositors, cited in Poole's Synopsis, where we are like
wise informed, that the Jewish rabbies affirm the subject of it to
be, " that judgement, which will be executed in the days of Mes-
" siah" — ignorant, alas ! that they themselves, and their people,
are now become the unhappy objects of that judgement. — " Psal-
" mi quinquagesimi argumentum est ex genere didactico ad mo-
" ralem theologiam pertinens, grave imprimis et fructuosum :
" Deo nimirum non placere sacrificia ct cxternos ritus religio-

298 A COMMENTARY Psal. SO.
his appeal to men and angels; 7 — 13. the rejec
tion ofthe legal, and, 14, 15. the establishment df
the Christian av or ship and services ; 16 — 20. the
impenitent JeAvs are arraigned, and, 21. threat
ened; and, 22. exhorted to consider, to repent;
and, 23. to embrace the evangelical, or spiritual
.- religion, It is to be observed, that in this Psalm,
as in our Lord's discourse on the same subject,
the particular judgement of Jerusalem is a figure
and specimen of the last general judgement. Hy
pocritical and wicked Christians are, therefore, to
apply to themselves what is primarily addressed
to their elder brethren, the unbelieving and rebel
lious sons of faithful and obedient Abraham.
1. The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken,
and called the earth from the rising ofthe sun, unto
the going dozen thereof.
" nis, sed sinceram potius pietatem, laudesque ex grato animo pro-
" .fluentes ; neque vero has ipsas pictatis significationes, sine jus-
" titia castcrisque virtutibus. Ita duas habet partes; primo argui-
" tur cultor pius quidem, sed ignarus et superstitioni obnoxius ;
" deinde improbus pietatis simulator. Si totum hujuscc odae
if apparatum et quasi scenam contemplamur, nihil facile potest
" esse magnificentius. Deus universum genus humanum solenni
" edicto convocat, ut de populo suo judicium publico exerceat;
" ponitur in Sione augustum tribunal : depingitur Dei adveni-
".entis majestas.- imaginibus a descensu in montem Sinam petitis :
" ccelum et terra invocantur divinse justitia? testes : turn demum
" inducitur Dei ipsius se.ntcntiam dicentis augustissima persona,
" per rcliquam oden continuata; unde cum casteris ejus partibuS
" admirabilis ilia exordii majestas et splendor cominunicatur,"
Lowth, Praelect. xxvii. ad init.

Day 10. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 299
" God, who at sundry times, and in divers man-
" ners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the
" prophets, hath, in these last days, spoken unto us
" by his Son:" Heb. i. 1. The everlasting Gospel
hath made its glorious progress from the eastern to
the Avestern Avorld ; ahd the nations have been there
by called to repentance.
2. Out qf Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath
shined. The law Avhich was given by Moses, proceeded
from Sinai, the mount of fear and horror ; but the
word of grace and truth, Avhich came by Jesus Christ,
issued forth from Sion, the chosen mountain of beau
ty and excellency, in Jerusalem. There that glory
first arose and shone, Avhich, like the light of heaven,
sOon diffused itself abroad over the face of the whole
earth. 3. Our God shall come, and skall not keep silence-:
a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very
tempestuous round about him.
The prophet, having described the first advent of
Christ, and the promulgation of the Gospel, noAv
foretelleth his coming to take vengeance on the hy
pocritical Jews, as also, his advent to judge the
Avorld, prefigured thereby. Upon both those occa
sions, his coming was to be Avith sounds and sights
of terror, Avith all the marks and tokens of Avrath and
fiery indignation, like those displayed on Sinai.
4. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to
the earth, that he may judge his people.
Heaven and earth, men and angels, were to be
Avitnesses of the righteous judgements of God, exe-

300 A COMMENTARY Psal. 50.
cuted upon his apostate people ; as all the celestial
armies, and all the generations of the sons of Adam,
are to be present, at the general judgement of the
last day.
5. Gather my saints together unto me; those that
have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
These are the words of God, summoning man
kind to attend the trial, " calling to the heavens from
" above, and to the earth, that he may judge his peo-
" pie." Thus it is said of the Son of man, Matt.
xxiv. 31. " He shall send his angels with a great
" sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together
" his elect from the four Avinds, from one end of hea-
" ven to the other."
6. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness ;
for God is judge himsef.
Th' applauding heaves the changeless doom,
While God the balance shall assume,
In full memorial shall record,
And own the justice of their Lord.
Merrick.
7- Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel,
and I zvill testify against thee : Jam God, even thy
God.
This is the voice of the omniscient Judge, implead
ing his ancient people, who are commanded to attend
to the Avords of him, their God and covenanted Sa
viour, thus constrained to clear his justice, before the
world, and to show that they had destroyed them
selves. Nominal and wicked Christians will be ad
dressed in the same manner at the last day.
8. I zvill not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy

Day 10. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 301
burnt offerings, to have been, or, they were, continu
ally befoi*e me.
This judicial process was not commenced against
Israel, for their having neglected to offer the sacri
fices of tlie law; their oblations Avere on the altar,
morning and evening, continually, insomuch that,
God, by the prophet Isaiah, declares himself " weary
" of them," as not having been accompanied with
faith and holiness in the offerer. Many pharisaical
Christians -will be condemned for the same reason,
notwithstanding their strict and scrupulous attendance
upon the ordinances of the neAv law, if it shall appear
that they left religion in the church behind them, in
stead of carrying it with them into their lives and
conversations. 9. I zvill take no bullock out qf thine house, nor
hcrgoat out of thy folds. 10. For every beast ofthe
forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand kills.
I knozv all the finals ofthe mountains; and the wild
beasts qf tke field are mine. 12. If I were hungry, I
would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the
fulness thereof.
The JeAA ish folly of doating on the legal offerings,
as things in themselves acceptable to God, and
conferring justification on man, is reproved in these
verses, from the consideration, that the various ani
mals slain in sacrifice, Avere long before, even from
the creation of the world, the sole right and property
of Jehovah ; which, therefore, he needed not to have
required at the hands of his people; nor would he
have done so, but for some farther end and intent,
signified and represented by such oblations. What

302 A COMMENTARY Psal. 50.
that end and intent was, Christians knoAv; and Jews
formerly did know. Learn Ave hence, not to dream
of any merit in our works and services ; since God
hath a double claim, founded on creation and re
demption, to all Ave have, and all Ave are.
13. Will I eat the flesh qf bulls, or drink the blood
qf goats?Another argument of the Jews' blindness is, the
gross absurdity of imagining, that a spiritual and
holy being could possibly be satisfied and pleased
Avith the taste and smell of burnt offerings (which
God often declareth himself to have been), any other
wise, than as they were symbolical of some other
sacrifice, spiritual and holy, and, therefore, really
propitiatory and acceptable in his sight. That man
judaizeth, Avho thinketh to please God by an exter
nal, Avithout an internal service ; or by any service,
without Christ.
14. Offer unto God thanksgiving ; and pay thy
vozvs unto the most High: 15. And call upon me in
the day of trouble : I zvill deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify me.
The carnal and bloody sacrifices of the law being
abolished by the coming of Messiah, the spiritual
and unbloody oblations of the Gospel succeed in
their, stead. These are, the eucharistic sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving for the mercies of redemp
tion; that hearty repentance, that faith unfeigned,
and that obedience evangelical, promised and vowed
in baptism : that perfect trust in God, and resigna
tion to his will, Avhich our Lord expressed in his pray
er, during his sufferings, and which we ought to ex-

Day 10. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 303
press in our prayers, Avhen called to suffer with him,
if Ave desire to glorify God for our deliverance
through him, in the day of visitation. These are the
services enjoined to such JeAvs as would become
Christians, and to such Christians, as would be Chris
tians in deed and in truth.
16. But unto the zvicked God saith, IVhat hast
tkou to do to declare my statutes, or that tkou should
est take my covenant in thy mouth: 17. Seeing tliou
hatest instruction, and easiest my zvords behind thee ?
From hence, to tlie end of the Psalm, we have an
expostulation of God with the unbelieving Jew, Avho
boasted his relation to Abraham, without a spark of
Abraham's faith in his heart ; and gloried in a laAv,
Avhich condemned him as a breaker of its precepts in
every instance. St. "Paul's expostulation with the
same person, Rom. ii. 17- &c. is so exact a parallel
to this before us, that one will be the best comment
upon the other — ¦" Behold, thou art called a Jew,
" and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of
" God, andknoAvest his will, and approvestthe things
" that are more excellent, being instructed out of the
"law; and art confident that thou thyself art a
" guide of the blind, a light of them Avhich are in
" darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of
" babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of
" the truth in the law. Thou, therefore, that makest
" thy boast of the laAv, through breaking the laAv dis-
" honourest thou God?" Every minister of God
should try and examine himself by these passages in
our Psalm and St. Paul, on the former of which the
famous Origen is once said to have preached, making

304 A COMMENTARY Psal. 50.
application to his own case, not without many tears.
And, indeed, " if thou, O Lord, shouldest mark ini-
" quities, Avho, among us all, shall stand? But there
" is forgiveness with thee :" Ps. cxxx. 3, 4.
18. When thou sazvest a thief,, then thou consent-
edst zvith him, and hast been partaker zvith adul
terers. St. Paul proceeds in the very same manner —
" Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thy-
" self? Thou that preachest a man should not steal,
" dost thou steal ? Thou that sayest a man should
" not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?
" Thou that abhor rest idols, dost thou commit sacri-
" lege?" All Christians, the clergy especially, should
beAvare not only of committing evil themselves, but
of " consenting" to, or " partaking" of, the evil com
mitted by others.
19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue
frameth deceit. 20. Thou sittest and speakest against
thy brother: thou slanderest thine ozvn mother's son.
Had St. Paul thought proper to have gone on to
this instance, he might have said — " Thou that
" teachest a man should not bear false witness, dost
" thou bear false Avitness ?" For certainly never men
brake that commandment in a more flagrant manner
than the Jews ; never men " gave" their " mouth"
more " to evil," or " framed" more " deceit," than
they, Avhen they " sat and spake against their breth-
" ren," and " slandered their own mother's child-
" ren," for believing in Jesus Christ. Let us look
at this picture of slander, and we shall never fall in
love with so detestable a vice.

Day 10. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 305
21. These things hast thou done, and I kept \
silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such j
an one as thyself; but I zeill reprove thee, and set '
them in order before thine eyes.
The forbearance of God only tempted the JeAvs
still to think him on their side, till at length he made
the Roman armies his instruments of conviction;
Avho, by crucifying multitudes of their countrymen
in sight of the besieged, did in a wonderful manner
" reprove them, and set before them the things Avhich
" they had done." The day of judgement will do
this to all sinners, if temporal chastisements effect it
not, before that day shall come.
22. Nozv consider this, ye that forget God, lest I
tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
The stupendous desolation of Jerusalem, for re
jecting so kind an admonition of her Saviour, and
suffering him to Aveep over her in vain, should, in a
most powerful manner, enforce that admonition on
the inhabitants of Christendom, to prevent its fall
ing, after the same example of unbelief.
23. Whoso offereth me praise, glorifieth me; and
to him that ordereth his conversation aright, zvill I
shozv the salvation of God.
This verse resumes and repeats the conclusion in
tended, by the whole Psalm, concerning the Jewish
and the Christian Avorship; and St. Paul, in the place
above cited, affords us a complete comment upon it :
" He is not a JeAv, Avhich is one outwardly; nor is
" that circumcision, which is outAvard in the flesh :
" but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and cir-
" cumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and
VOL. it. x

306 A COMMENTARY Psal. 51.
" not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but
" of God."

PSALM LI.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm, composed upon a sad occasion, but
too well knoAvn, we have a perfect model of peni
tential devotion. The royal supplicant, robed in
sackcloth, and crowned with ashes, entreats for
mercy, 1, 2. from a consideration of his own
misery, and of the divine goodness; 3. from that
of his confession, 4. of God's sole right to judge
him; 5. laments the corruption of his nature; but,
6. without pleading it as an excuse ; 7- prays for
Gospel remission, in legal terms ; 8. for spiritual
joy and comfort; 9, 10. for pardoning and cleans
ing grace; 11, 12. for strength and perseverance,
that he may, 13. instruct and convert others; 14,
15. deprecates the vengeance due to blood; 16,
17. beseeches God to accept an evangelical sacri
fice; and, 18, 19. concludes with a prayer for the
church. 1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy
loving kindness; according unto the multitude qf thy
tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
The penitent's first ground for hope of pardon, is
his OAvn misery, and the divine mercy, Avhich rejoiceth

Day 10. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 307
to relieve that misery. The riches, the power, and
the glory of a kingdom, can neither prevent nor re
move the torment of sin, which puts the monarch
and the beggar upon a level. Every transgression
leaves behind it a guilt, and a stain; the account
between God and the sinner is crossed by the blood
of the great propitiatory sacrifice, Avhich removes the
former; and the soul is cleansed by the Holy Spirit,
which takes out the latter.
2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin.
The soul that is sensible of her pollution, fears she
can never be sufficiently purified from it ; and there
fore prays, yet again and again, continually, for more
abundant grace, to make and to keep her holy.
3. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my
sin is ever before me.
The penitent's second plea for mercy is, that he
doth not deny, excuse, or palliate his fault, but con
fesses it openly and honestly, with all its aggrava
tions, truly alleging, that it haunts him night and
day, causing his conscience incessantly to reproach
him with his base ingratitude to a good and gracious
Father. 4. Against, or, to, thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest,
or, therefore thou wilt, be justified when thou speak
est, and be clear zvhen thou judgest.
A third reason why the penitent sues for mercy art
the hand of God is, because God alone certainly
knows, and is always able to punish, the sins of men.
David sinned "against" many; as against Uriah,
x 2

308 A COMMENTARY Psal. 51.
whom he slew; against Bathsheba, whom he cor
rupted ; and against all the people, to Avhom he be
came the cause of much offence and scandal. But
the sin was committed in secret; and if it had not
been so, he, as king, had no superior, or judge, in
this matter, but God only; Avho, being able to convict
the offender, as he did, by the prophet Nathan,
would assuredly be justified in the sentence he should
pronounce. And he will appear to be so in his de
terminations at the last day, Avhen he will surprise
the wretched unthinking sinner, Avith a declaration
similar to that which he made, by his prophet, to the
royal offender, 2 Sam. xii. 12. " Thou didst it se-
f' cretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel,
" and before the sun."
5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did
my mother conceive me.
The divine mercy is implored by the penitent,
fourthly, because that alone can dry up the fountain
of original corruption, from which the streams of
actual transgression derive themselves ; and which is
here only lamented as their cause, not alleged as their
excuse; seeing, that the greater our danger is of
falling, the greater should be our care to stand. Da
vid was the offspring of the marriage-bed, Avhich is
declared to be " honourable and undefiled." No
more, therefore, can be intended here, than that a
creature begotten by a sinner, and formed in the
womb of a sinner, cannot be without that taint
Avhich is hereditary to every son and daughter of
Adam and Eve*.
* And so much must surely be intended, as the learned Bos-

Day 10. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 309
6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward part,
Heb. the reins: and in the hidden part thou shalt
make, or, hast made, me knozv zvisdom.
The force of " Behold," is—" It is too plain; I
" feel it but too sensibly ; the punishment I suffer is
" evidence sufficient, that thou are not contented
" with a superficial appearance of goodness: thou
" lovest truth and sincerity in the bottom of the
" heart." This God Avas now teaching him, by the
correction he made him suffer. The punishment in
flicted tended to give him a right understanding of
things, and to Avork it deep into him. Mudge.
7- Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ;
zeash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
He therefore petitioneth, in this verse, for the pu
rification which cometh from God only, through the
one great propitiatory sacrifice, by the Holy Spirit ;
and which- was foreshoAvn, under the laAv, by the ce
remony of sprinkling the unclean person AAith a bunch
of " hyssop," dipped in the " water of separation."
This rite is described, Numb. xix. and explained,
Heb. ix. 13, 14. " If the blood of bulls and of
" goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the un-
" clean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh ; how
" much more shall the blood of Christ, Avho,
" through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without
" spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
suet observeth — Numquid David de adulterio natus erat? De
Jesse viro justo natus erat, et conjuge ipsius. Quid ergo se dicit
in iniquitate conceptum, nisi quia suscepti personam humani ge
neris, et attendit omnium vincula, propaginem mortis, originem
iniquitatis advertit ?

310 A COMMENTARY Psal. 51.
" works to serve the living God!" From the latter
part of the verse we learn, that, by grace and mercy,
the pardoned penitent is arrayed in garments no
less pure and splendid than those of innocence
itself. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the
bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Next to the blessing of forgiveness, is to be de
sired that joy and comfort in the conscience Avhich
forgiveness only can inspire : the effect of this, in re
pairing the vigour of the spirit, decayed through sor
row and anguish, is compared to setting broken
bones, and restoring them again to perfect strength.
At the resurrection of the body, this petition will be
granted in a literal sense, Avhen the " bones," that are
mouldered into dust, shall " rejoice, and flourish as
" an herb." Isai. lxvi. 14.
9. Hide thy face from my sins; and blot out all
mine iniquities.
The soul, still restless and uneasy, reiterates her
request, that God would not only cease to behold
her iniquity for the present, as a man who turneth
away his face from a writing, but that he would not
behold it more, as a man who blotteth out what is
Avritten, so that it can never be read again.
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renezv
a fight, or, constant, spirit zvithin me.
The purification and renovation of the heart and
spirit of a man is a work to which that power only is
equal which, in the beginning, created all things,
and, in the end, will create all things new. " A right
" spirit is renevsed within us," when the affections

Day 10. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 311
turn from the world to God, and charity takes the
place of concupiscence.
1 1. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take
not thy holy Spirit from me.
The soul that is truly penitent, dreads nothing
but the thought of being rejected from the " pre-
" sence," and deserted by the "Spirit "of God.
This is the most deplorable and irremediable effect
of sin ; but it is one, that in general perhaps is the
least considered and regarded of all others.
12.' Restore to me the joy of thy salvation ; and
uphold me Avith thy free, or, princely, or, liberal,
Spirit. David prayeth to God to restore to him the un
speakable joy of that salvation which, as a prophet,
he had so often contemplated, and celebrated in his
divine compositions ; he prayeth also to be preserved
and continued in that state of salvation, by the Spirit
of God, Avhich might enable him to act as became a
prophet and a king, free from base desires and en
slaving lusts.
13. Then zvill I teach transgressors thy ways, and
sinners shall be converted unto thee.
He that Avould employ his abilities, his influence,
and his authority, in the reformation of others, must
take care to reform himself, before he enters upon
the work. " When thou art converted," said Christ
to St. Peter, " strengthen thy brethren:" Luke
xxii. 32. The history of David has "taught" us
many useful lessons; such as, the frailty of man, the
danger of temptation, the torment of sin, the nature
and efficacy of repentance, the mercy and the judge-

312 A COMMENTARY Psal. 51.
ments of God, &c. Sec. by Avhich many " sinners"
have in all ages since been " converted," and many
more will be converted, so long as the Scriptures
shall be read, and the 51st Psalm recited in the
church. 14. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou
God qf my salvation : and my tongue shall sing aloud
qf thy righteousness.
The unhappy criminal entreats, in this verse, for
the divine help and deliverance, as if he not only
heard the voice of innocent blood crying from the
ground, but as if he saAv the murdered Uriah coming
upon him for vengeance, like an armed man. If he
can but obtain the pardon of this sin, he promises to
publish to all the world the righteousness of God,
who justifieth sinners, and shoAveth mercy to the pe
nitent; though he must, at the same time, publish
likewise his oavii heinous and horrid wickedness.
15. O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth
shall show forth thy praise.
The mouth which sin hath closed, can only be
opened by pardon : and to show this, he who came,
conferring pardon, caused the tongue of the dumb
to speak, and to sing praises to the Lord God of
Israel. Our church, with great propriety, daily
maketh her prayer in the Avords of this verse, before
she entereth upon that part of her service, Avhich
consisteth of praise and thanksgiving.
16. For tkou desirest not sacrifice, else woidd I
give it; thou delightest not w burnt offerings. 17.
The sacrifices of God axe a broken spirit; a broken
and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.

Day 10. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 313
David, in this Psalm, is so evangelical, and has
his thoughts so fixed upon Gospel remission, that he
considers the Levitical sacrifices as already abolished,
for their insufficiency to take away sin ; affirming
them to be (as indeed they Avere) nothing, in the
sight of God, if compared Avith the sacrifice of the
body of sin, offered by contrition and mortification,
through faith in Him Avho, in the fulness of time,
was to die unto sin once, that Ave, together Avith him,
might for ever live unto God.
1 8. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion : build
thou the zvalls of Jerusalem.
The king forgets not to ask mercy for his people, as
well as for himself; that so neither his OAvn nor their
sins might prevent either the building and flourishing
of the earthly Jerusalem, or, what Avas of infinitely
greater importance, the promised blessing of Mes
siah, avIio Avas to descend from him, and to rear the
Avails of the new Jerusalem. And thus it ought to
be the fervent prayer of every man, especially if he
be placed in any exalted station, ecclesiastical or
civil, that no sins by him committed, may any Avay
prejudice others, or obstruct the edification of the
church. 19. Then shalt thou be pleased zvith the sacrifices
qf righteousness, zvith burnt offering, and zekole
burnt offering ; then shall they offer bullocks upon
thine altar.
This had its literal accomplishment, Avhen Jerusa
lem was finished ; when the temple was erected on
mount Sion; and Avhen the Lord graciously vouch
safed to accept the sacrifices, there offered on his

314 A COMMENTARY Psal. 52.
holy altars, by king Solomon, at the head of his faith
ful and devout people. It is spiritually true in the
Christian church, where the substance of all the Mo
saic types and shadoAvs is offered and presented to
the Father, by the Prince of Peace, at the head of
the Israel of God. And it will be eternally verified
in the kingdom of heaven, where the sacrifices of
righteousness and love, of praise, and thanksgiving,
will never cease to be offered to him that sitteth on
the throne, by the church triumphant in glory'.

PSALM LII.
ARGUMENT.
In the person of Doeg the Edomite, who was the
persecutor of David, and the murderer of the
priests, are described, 1 — 4. the enemies of the
truth and the church in all ages ; Avhose utter de
struction from the presence of the Lord is foretold,
5. with the exultation of the righteous over them,
6, 7; these last rejoice, 8. in the flourishing state
under grace, 9. in hope of future glory, through
faith and patience.
1. Why boasteth thou thysef in mischief, O
mighty man ? The goodness qf God endureth con
tinually. " The Psalmist thought it strange," says the pious
and ingenious Norris, " that any man should value
'* himself for being able to do mischief, when God

Day 10. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 315
" esteemed it his glory to do good." In vain did
Doeg the Edomite boast himself, in the mischief he
had done, by massacring the innocent priests and
their families ; since " the goodness of God," which
is " unchangeable," had decreed the preservation of
David. As vainly did Herod, the Idumean, or Edo
mite, glory in the slaughter of the Bethlehemitish in
fants, since heaven had determined, that the child
Jesus should not be one of the number. A perse
cution may produce martyrs; but the gates of hell
are never to prevail against the church.
2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp
razor working deceitfully.
The mischief done to religion by men of Doeg's
turn, is done by the tongue, before it> is done by the
hand; it is planned leisurely, and executed speedily
and deceitfully*.
3. Thou lovest evil more than good: and lying
rather than to speak righteousness. 4. Thou lovest
all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
As the Christian spirit delighteth itself in good
ness, truth, and charity, so the antichristian spirit is
here characterized by its offending, not out of igno
rance, or inadvertence, but mere love of Avickedness,
falsehood, and malice. To this pitch many have ar-
* " Sicut novacula acuta " — quae cum tangere leniter et
tantum radere videretur, alte infigitur, ac velut blandiendi specie
vulnerat: ita Doeg cum Achimelech in tabernacuio Domini ami-
citiae pietatisque specie versatus, foedo indicio viros optimos prodi-
git. 1 Reg. xxi. 7. xxii. 9. Bossuet. So Mudge — "Working
" treacherously," that is, Thy tongue is like a sharp razor, that
cuts one's throat before one is aware of it.

316 A COMMENTARY Psal. 5 &
rived; and who, that enters upon a course of sin, can
say, that he shall stop short of it?
5. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever; he
shall cast thee away, and pluck thee out qf thy dzvell-
ing place, and root thee out ofthe land qf the living.
Wonderful is the force of the verbs in the original,
which convey to us the four ideas of " laying pro-
" strate, dissolving as by fire, sweeping aAA ay as Avith
" a besom, and totally extirpating root and branch,"
as a tree is eradicated from the spot on which it grew.
If a farther comment be Avanted, it maybe found in
the history of David's enemies, and the crucifiers of
the Son of David : but the passage va ill be fully and
finally explained by the destruction of the world of
the ungodly at the last day.
6. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall
laugh at him, saying, 7- Lo, this is the man that
made not God his strength; but trusted in the abun
dance of his riches^ and strengthened himself in his
wickedness. Such shall be the triumph of Messiah, and of all
his faithful servants Avith him, over the enemies of
man's salvation, at that hour, when, the world being
in flames, the confidence, that hath been placed in it,
must perish for evermore.
8. But I am like a green olive tree in the house qf
God: I zeill trust in the mercy of God for ever and
ever. The representative of Messiah portrays himself,
as the reverse of Doeg and the wicked, in terms ap
plicable likewise to his great original. He was in the
house of God, they were in the world; he was as a

Day 10. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 3H
fruitful olive tree, they were as barren unprofitable
wood ; he Avas to be daily more and more strength
ened, established, settled, and increased; they were
to be cast down, broken, swept away, and extirpated ;
and all this, because he had trusted in the mercy of
God, they in the abundance of their riches. We
Gentiles Avere branches of the " wild olive," but are
noAv grafted into the good one : Lord, make us to
flourish and bear fruit, in thy immortal " courts,"
w orld aa ithout end !
9- / will praise thee for ever, because thou hast
done it; and I zvill zvait on thy name, for it is good*
before thy saints.
Faith foresees salvation, and anticipates the day of
victory and triumph; in the mean time, while she
Avaiteth patiently for its coming, she refresheth and
comforteth herself with frequent meditation on the
virtue and power of that saving " name," Avhich is
"as ointment poured forth;" by the fragrance of its
odours inviting and alluring innumerable converts to
run after their beloved Redeemer, in the Avay of his
commandments. TENTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM LIII.
This Psalm is in a manner the same Avith Psalm xiv.
except that there is some difference in ver. 5. for
* It is a " goodly thing," it carries a good appearance, it
looks well before the friends of God, to see me praising him, and
putting -my trust in him. Mudge.

318 A COMMENTARY Psal. 53, 54.
which, as well as for the explanation of the
whole, the reader is referred to the comment on
Psalm xiv. PSALM LIV.
ARGUMENT. .
David, as it has been supposed, when betrayed by
the Ziphites, and surrounded by Saul, 1. 2. com-
mitteth his cause, and preferreth his prayer, to
God; 3. complaineth of his cruel treatment; 4. 5.
expresseth his assurance of the divine favour, and
the destruction of his enemies. 6. 7- Being de
livered from his danger, he blesseth and praiseth
God. See the history, 1 Sam. xxiii. The applica-
- tion to Christ, and to Christians, is plain and easy ;
for which reason, our church hath appointed this
Psalm to be read on Good Friday.
1 . Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by
thy strength. 2. Hear my prayer, O God; give
ear to the zvords of my mouth.
Happy the man, to whom, in the day of trouble,
the " name of the Lord is a strong tOAver," into
which " he runneth, and is safe :" Prov. xviii. 10.
Happy the man, that can, with an holy confidence,
commit his cause to the judgement and determination
of God, and expect redress from the Almighty. His
prayer mounteth up to heaven, and returneth not
without a blessing.

Day 10, e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 319
3. For strangers are risen up against me, and op
pressors seek after my soul: they have not set God
before them.
The Ziphites, though David's countrymen, acted
the part of " strangers," or " aliens," in seeking to
deliver him up to his unjust and cruel enemy. Such
a part did the Avhole JeAvish nation act towards their
anointed Prince and Saviour, when they actually de
livered him over to the Roman poAver. And the
church frequently meeteth with such treatment at the
hands of her children, as she had reason to expect
only from " strangers to the covenant of promise."
Something like this always happens, when men, in
stead of setting God, set the world before their
eyes. 4. Behold, God is mine helper ; the Lord is zvith
them that uphold my soul. 5. He shall reward evil
to mine enemies ; cut them qf, or, thou shalt cut
them off, in thy truth.
In all dangers and difficulties, whether temporal
or spiritual, the faithful sons and servants of God fix
their eyes upon their heavenly Father, and gracious
Master : they have recourse to the divine promises,
the performance of which they knoAv to be certain,
and therefore can foresee and foretel the destruction
of their enemies. Thus David, and a greater than
David, supported themselves in their troubles; and
the church, with her children, must do likeAvise.
6. / zvill freely sacrifice unto thee; I will praise
thy name, O Lord, for it is good. 7- For he hath
delivered me out qf all my trouble: and mine eye hath

320 A COMMENTARY Psal. 55.
seen his desire, Heb. mine eye hath looked, upon mine
enemies. Saul, under the direction of the Ziphites, having
encompassed David on every side, was suddenly
called off to defend his country from an invasion of.
the Philistines ; by Avhich means David escaped, and
" beheld his enemies " retreating. 1 Sam. xxiii. 27-
For this event he offers the sacrifice of a heart freed
from fear, and praises the name of his great Deli
verer. Christians should folloAv his example : they
should consider, how great things God hath done for
them, and should never suffer the voice of praise
and thanksgiving to cease in the church of the re
deemed. Beautiful and emphatical will these tAvo
concluding verses appear, Avhen conceived as pro
ceeding from the mouth of our Lord, upon his resur
rection. And we hope one day to repeat them, on
a like occasion, saying, each in his own person : " I
" will freely sacrifice unto thee; I will praise thy
" name, O Lord, for it is good. For he hath deli-
" vered me out of all my trouble, and mine eye
" hath looked upon mine enemies."
PSALM LV.
ARGUMENT.
David, as it is supposed, when driven out of Jerusa
lem by the rebellion of Absalom, and in danger of
being suddenly cut off, 1 — 8. maketh his prayer
to God, and described! the sorrowful state of his

Day 10. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 321
soul; 9— IL entreateth that the iniquitous coun
sels of the rebels may be divided and confounded ;
1 2 — 14. upbraideth Ahithophel, the Judas of those
times, Avith his foul treason; 15 — lg. foretelletii
the tragical end of faction, and his own re-esta
blishment through faith in God, notAvithstanding
the base treachery of his favourite son and fa
vourite servant.
1. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not
thysef from my petition. 2. Attend unto me, and
hear me: I mourn in my complaint, Heb. am dejected
in my meditation, and make & noise; Heb. am in a
violent, tumultuous agitation, as the zvaves of the sea.
In the person of David, driven from his throne,
and put in fear of his life, by Absalom and Ahitho
phel, Ave here behold our blessed Redeemer, on the
day of his sufferings, praying earnestly, and repeat
ing his supplications, as in the garden of Gethse
mane, at the prospect of that sea of sorrows Avhich
was then about to ovenvhelm his agonizing soul. In
all our afflictions, he was afflicted : in all his afflictions,
let us be so.
3. Because of the voice qf the enemy, because qf
the oppression of the zeicked: for they cast iniquity
¦upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
O my God, hOAv can we repine and murmur at
any oppression and calumny Avhich we suffer from
the world, when we see, not only thy servant David.
but thy son Jesus, thus hated, slandered; and per
secuted, by their own subjects, and their own children?
vol. ii. y

322 A COMMENTARY Psal. 55.
4. My heart is sore pained zeit hin me; and the
terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5. Fearfulness
and trembling are come upon, and horror hath over-
zvhelmed me.
These words describe the state of David's mind,
Avhen he Avent over the brook Cedron, and up mount
Olivet; " weeping as he went," and expecting speedi
ly to be cut off; 2 Sam. xv. 23. 30. they describe the
agony of the Son of David, Avhen he likewise went
over the same brook Cedron, John, xviii. 1. at the
time of his passion, Avhen his soul Avas " sore
" amazed and very heavy, and exceeding sorrowful,
" even unto death :" Mark, xiv. 33, 34. and every
man will too surely find them applicable to himself,
if not often before, yet certainly in the day Avhen the
king of terrors shall draAv up all his forces in array
against him.
6. And I said, Oh that I had zvings like a dove!
for then zvould I fly away, and be at rest. 7. Lo,
then zeould I zvanderfar off] and remain in the zeil-
derness. 8. I would hasten my escape from thezvindy
storm and tempest.
The calamitous situation of the Israelitish monarch
forced from him a wish, that, like the bird of inno
cence and peace, he could in a moment banish him
self from the distractions of his rebellious kingdom,
and enjoy, in holy solitude, that repose Avhich his
sceptre and his guards were not able to procure him.
There are few crowned heads, perhaps, AA'hich have
not more than once found occasion to form, if not
to utter, a wish of the same nature. Much more
| must it haAre been the wish of that King of Israel,

Day 10. E. p. ON THE PSALMS. 323
whose croAvn Avas literally one of thorns ; and it often
will be the wish of the devout Christian, Avho, sensi
ble of the sins and follies that overspread the earth,
is taught to aspire after his heavenly country, and to
delight in that resemblance of it which the closet
best affords.
9. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues,
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
In these Avords, king David beseecheth God to di
vide, confound, and bring to nothing, the counsels of
an iniquitous and rampant faction ; for so, in the
history, Ave find him saying, " O Lord, I pray thee,
" turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness:"
2 Sam. xv. 31. The royal prayer was heard; the
counsel of Ahithophel was overthrown by Hushi^
and the disappointed traitor became his own execu
tioner. The treason of Judas, against the Son of
David, brought him likewise to the same end. Every
one, Avho finds himself tempted to betray the cause
of his prince, or his Saviour, should set these two
examples before his eyes.
• 10. Day and night they go about it upon the walls
thereof; mischief also and sorrozv axe in the midst qf
it. 11. Wickedness is in the midst thereof; deceit
and guile depart not from her streets.
The violence and strife, mentioned at the conclu
sion of the preceding verse, are here described as
going their rounds, like an armed watch, upon the
walls, to guard rebellion, Avhich had taken up its re
sidence in the heart of the city, from the attacks of
loyalty, right, and justice, driven with the king be
yond Jordan. Thus from the same city Avas righ-
Y 2

324 A COMMENTARY Psal. 55.
teousness afterwards expelled, in the person of the
King of righteousness, and nothing left, but " mis-
" chief, and sorrow, Avickedness, deceit and guilo,"
encompassed with a guard of " violence and strife."
Whether the state of the Gentile Christian church,
in the last davs, will not too much resemble that of
Jerusalem before its destruction, is a matter of sad
and sorrowful consideration.
12. For it was not an enemy that reproached me,
then I 'could have borne it; neither Avas it he that
hated me, that did magnify himself against me, then
I zvould have hid myself from him. 13. But it was
thou, a man, mine equal, my guide; Heb. my disci
ple, and mine acquaintance. 14. We took sweet
counsel together, and zealked unto the house qf God
in company.
The many aggravating circumstances of Ahitho-
phel's treason against David, and that of Judas
against Christ, are "here strongly marked. The
treachery of pretended friends is generally to the
church, as it was to her Lord, the beginning of sor
rows. Ingratitude, malice, and falsehood, are ingre
dients that must always meet in the composition of a
traitor. 15. Let death seize upon tkem, or, death shall re
move, or, take them azeay, and let them, or, they
shall, go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in
their dzvellings, and among them.
In these Avords is predicted the tragical fate of
Ahithophel,. and those Avho followed Absalom ; of
Judas and the Jews ; and of all, who shall resemble
them in wickedness. The sudden destruction of

Day 10. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 325
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who, for stirring up a
rebellion against Moses and Aaron, " went down
" alive into the pit," seems here alluded to, as the
grand representation of the manner in which the bot
tomless pit shall one day shut her mouth for ever
upon all the impenitent enemies of the true King of
Israel, and great High-priest of our profession.
16. As for me, I zvill call upon God, and the
Lord shall save me. 17- Evening and morning,
and at noon zvill I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall
hear my voice.
Prayer is the believer's universal medicine for all
the disorders of the soul within, and his invincible
shield against every enemy that can attack him from
without. " Morning, Evening, and Noon," were
three of the hours of prayer in the Jewish church.
We find holy Daniel observing them in Babylon,
notwithstanding the royal decree, which made it
death for him so to do. The event fully justified
him, and shoAved the power of true devotion, whose
high prerogative it still is, to save the righteous from
the mouth of the lion. See Dan. vi. 10. 22.
2 Tim. iv. 17- 1 Pet. v. 8.
1 8. He hath delivered, or, shall deliver, my soul
in peace from the battle that Avas, or, is, against me;
for there zvere, or, are, many zvith me.
David was delivered in peace, Avhen, after having
suppressed the rebellion, he Avas brought back in
triumph to his capital; the Son of David Avas deli
vered in peace, when victorious pver the enemies of
man's salvation, he arose from the dead, and returned
to the Jerusalem above; the believing soul is delivered

326 A COMMENTARY Psal. 55.
in peace, when her sins are forgiven, and her cor
ruptions mortified; and the bodies of the saints
shall be delivered in peace, at the resurrection of the
just. The ground of all these deliverances is one
and the same — " They that are Avith us are more
t( than tliey are against us:" 2 Kings, vi. 16.
" Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the
" world." 1 John, iv. 4.
19- God shall hear, and afflict, or, humble, them,
even he that abideth qf old. Because they have no
changes, therefore they fear not God; or, because
they zvill not be converted, and fear God.
He Avho inhabiteth eternity, remaining unchange
ably the same, from everlasting to everlasting, hath
determined to hear the prayers of his faithful servants,
and finally to humble the pride of his unrepenting
adversaries. These are the decrees which he hath
thought fit to promulgate; and on them we may
safely depend.
20. He hatk put forth his hands against such as
be, or, zvere, at peace zvith him; he hath broken his
covenant. The prophet goes on to describe the perfidy of
traitors, like Ahithophel and Judas. Every wilful
and malicious, sinner " puts forth his hand against "
the person Avho is " at peace with him," nay, who
" made his peace " with the Father; and, by so doing,
" breaketh the covenant " into which by baptism he
was admitted. O blessed Jesus, how often do we be
tray thee to thine enemies, our own lusts, and consider
it not !
21. The words qf his mouth zvere smoother than

Day 10. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 321
butter, but zoar Avas in his heart ; his words were
softer than oil, yet were they drawn szvords.
Of this complexion are the cant of hypocrites, the
charity of bigots and fanatics, the benevolence of
atheists, the professions of the world, the allurements
of the flesh, and the temptations of Satan, Avhen he
thinks proper to appear in the character of an angel
of light.
22. Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he shall
sustain thee ; he shall never suffer the righteous to,
be moved.
The conclusion of the Avhole matter is, that amidst
all dangers and adversities, Avherfsoever they oppress
us, Ave are to put our full trust and confidence only
in his mercy, Avho delivered David, ahd the Son of
David, out of all their troubles. He, who once
bore the burthen of our sorrows, requested of us,
that Ave Avould iioav and ever permit him to bear the
burthen of our cares; that, as he knoweth Avhat is best
for us, he may proAade it accordingly. When shall
we trust Christ to govern the world which he hath
redeemed ?
23. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into
the pit of destruction : bloody and deceitful men shall
not live out half their days : but I zvill trust in thee.
O terrible voice of most just judgement, pronounced
against rebels and murderers! Of the sure and
certain execution of his righteous sentence Avho can
doubt, that considers the fate of Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram; of Absalom, Ahithophel, and Judas; and,
above all, of the city which contained within its walls
those rebels, and murderers, of the Son of God? Let

328 A COMMENTARY Psal. 56.
us trust for ever in Him alone who can thus deliver,
and thus destroy.

ELEVENTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM LVI.
{ ARGUMENT^
Pavid, in danger from the Philistines, among whom,
he was driven, as well as from Saul and his as-:
'sociates, is supposed to, 1, 2. ipake supplication to
God, in whom, 3. 4. he placeth all his hope and
confidence, 5—7- of being saved from the wiles
and stratagems ofthe adversary; 8. 9- he comfort-
eth himself with the consideration that God taketh
account of his sufferings, and will . appear on his
behalf; 10, 1 1. he repeateth the declaration of his
faith in the divine promises; and, 12, 13. con-
cludeth with paying his tribute of praise and
thanksgiving. What David was in Philistia, the
disciples of the Son of David are in the world.
1 . Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would,
> szeallozv me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up, for they
be many that fight against me, 0 thou Most High.
The same words are applicable, to the situation and
•{ circumstances of David, pursued by his enemies ; of
' Christ, persecuted bytheJeAvs; ofthe church, afflict
ed in the Avorld ; and of the ifoul, encompassed by

Day 11. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 329
enemies, against whom she is forced to Avage per
petual Avar.
3. What time I am afraid, I zvill trust in thee.
4. In God I zvill praise, or, glory in, his zvord, in God
I have put my trust ; I zvill not fear zvhat flesh can
do unto me.
Whoever, like tlie prophet Elisha's servant, be
holdeth only the forces of the enemy, will be apt, like
him, to cry out, " Alas, my master! how shall we
" do?" 2 Kings, vi. 15. But when our eyes are
" opened," to see those " horses and chariots of fire"
which are ' ' round about us ; " when Ave perceive the
promises of the Word, and. the mighty succours of the
Spirit, Avhich are all on our side ; Ave no longer fear
the terrors or the temptations of flesh and blood;
but find ourselves enabled to do, and to suffer, all
things, through faith in him Avho strengthened us to
the battle. " He hath said, I Avill never leave thee,
"nor forsake thee;" so that ave may boldly say,
•" The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what
" man shall do unto me." Heb. xiii. 5, 6.
5. Every day they wrest my zvords; all their
thoughts are against me for evil. 6. They gather
themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark
my steps, zvhen they zvait for my soul.
These words could not be more literally descrip
tive of the behaviour pf David's persecutors, than
they -certainly are of that conduct which the Scribes
and Pharisees observed towards our blessed Lord ;
when, like serpents by the way side, they " marked
f ' his steps," till a proper opportunity offered, to dart
from their lurking place, and "bruise his heel."

330 A COMMENTARY Psal. 56.
We think it hard, when men use us in this manner ;
but surely we either forget that the Son of God was
so used before us, or that we are his disciples.
7- Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger
cast dozen the people, O God.
The signal vengeance inflicted on the enemies of
David, of Christ, and of the church, in different ages,
may serve to convince us, that if Ave Avould " escape,"
it must be from sin, not by it.
8. Thou tellest my zvanderings : put thou my tears
into thy bottle : are they not in thy book ?
Known unto God are all the afflictions of his ser
vants, while banished, like David, from their abid
ing city and country, they " wander" here below, in
the land of their pilgrimage. The " tears" of peni
tents are had in remembrance, and, as so many pre
cious gems, will one day adorn their crowns. How
dear, then, in the sight of God, Avere the " wander-
" ings" and the " tears" of the holy Jesus, submit
ting to perform penance for those sins which he never
committed !
9. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies
turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
What can we possibly desire more, than this assur
ance, that, hoAv many, or how formidable soever our
enemies may be, yet there is one always ready to ap
pear in our defence, whose power no creature is able
to resist. " This I know," saith David ; and had we
the faith of David, we should know it too.
10. In God zvill I praise his zvord: in the Lord
will I praise his word. 11. In God have I put my
trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Day 11. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 331
See above, on verse 4. 12. Thy vozes are upon me,
OGod; I zvill render praises unto thee. 13. For
thou hast delivered my soul from death ; Avilt not thou
deliver my feet, or, my feet also, or, assuredly, from
fatting, that I may zvalk before God, in the light qf
the living ?
At the conclusion of this Psalm, and of many
others, the prophet speaketh of his deliverance as
actually accomplished; he acknowledgeth himself
under the obligation of the voavs made to God in the
night of affliction, which he is resolved to pay on the
morning of triumph and jubilee. O come that glo
rious morning, when the redeemed shall sing eternal
praises to the Lord God of their salvation, for having
" delivered their souls from death, and their feet
" from falling, that they may Avalk before him, in the
"light of the living!"

PSALM LVII.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm is said to have been composed by David,
on occasion of his escape from Saul, in the cave
at Engedi. See 1 Sam. xxiv. 3. And the church,
by her appointment of it as one of the proper
Psalms for Easter-day, hath instructed us to trans
fer the ideas to the resurrection of Christ from the
grave. The Psalm containeth, 1 — 3. an act of
faith in the promises ; 4. a description of grievous
sufferings; 5. a prayer for the exaltation of God's

332 A COMMENTARY Psal. 57.
' glory, Avhich is repeated again at the conclusion;
6. a prediction of judgement on the adversary ;
7 — 10. a strain of the highest exultation and
jubilee. 1 . Be mere ful unto me, O God, be merciful unto
me, for my soul trusteth in thee : yea, in the shadow
of thy zvings zvill I make my refuge, until these cala
mities be overpast.
David, encompassed by his enemies at Engedi,
putteth up this prayer to God ; the same prayer we
may suppose to have been used by ourblessed Lord,
when draAving near to the grave, and gate of death :
and the church ever continueth the use of it, until
she be delivered from the bondage of corruption. In
the mean time, she teacheth her children to put
themselves, living and dying, under the protection
pf him Avho is always ready to " gather them, as a
" hen gathereth her chickens under her wings."
There they may rest in peace and security.
2. / will cry unto God most high.; unto God that
perfofmeth all things for me.
David cried unto God, and was delivered out of
the hand of Saul; the Son of David cried unto God,
and was delivered from the power of the grave : the
saints on earth cry unto God, and shall be delivered
put pf their troubles; the souls under the altar in
heaven cry unto God, Rev. vi. 10. and shall obtain
a reunion Avith their bodies. Thus God " perform-
" eth all things for us," as well as for David.
3. He shall send from heaven, and save me from

il

Day 1 1. m. P. ON THE PSALMS. 332!
tke reproach of him. that would szeallozv me up. God
shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
We have all an enemy, Avho would " SAvalloAv us
up ; and Ave look for the manifestation of the divine
" mercy and truth" from " heaven," for the salva
tion of our souls, and the redemption of our bodies.
A grand specimen of this manifestation was exhibited
to the world, on that glorious morning Avhen Jesus;
Christ arose from the dead.
4- My soul is among lions: and I lie even among
them that are set on fire, even tke sons of men, zvhose
teeth are spears and arrozvs, and their tongue a sharp
sword. The fiercest of beasts, the most devouring of ele
ments, and the sharpest of military Aveapons, are
selected, to represent the power and fury of David's
enemies. How much stronger, • and more furious,
were the enemies of Christ, who, in the day of his
passion, resembled Daniel in the lions' den, the three
children in the fiery furnace, and Avho stood alone,
exposed to the assaults of men and evil spirits !
5. Be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens; let
thy glory be above all the earth.
God is exalted and glorified among men by the dis
play of mercy and judgement, in the salvation of his
children from the hands of their enemies. But chiefly
Avas he exalted, when, having raised up his Son Jesus,
he set him at his OAvn right hand, far above all princi
palities and poAvers, and every thing that is named in
heaven and in earth. This was the great exaltation,
prefigured, foretold, and incessantly prayed for, in
the ancient church.

334 A COMMENTARY Psal. 57.
6. .They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul
is bozeed dozen: they have digged a pit before me, into
the midst zvkereof they are fallen, or, shall fall, them
selves. David compares himself, 1 Sam. xxvi. 20. to a
bird upon the mountains, which the foAvler endeavour-
eth to hunt into the nets and snares set up and pre
pared for its destruction. So was the most innocent
dove, the holy Jesus, persecuted by the Jews, until
they had driven him into the snares of death, and laid
him low in the grave. But the enemies of both re
ceived, in the end, the due reward of their deads, and
" fell into the pit they had digged."
7- My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing and give praise.
At the prospect of approaching deliverance, the
prophet, in the person of Christ, declareth his heart
to be fixed and established, steadfast and unmov-
able in the midst of trouble, even then preparing to
celebrate its future enlargement with songs of
praise. 8. Azeake up, my glory; azeake, psaltery and harp:
I myself will awake early, or, awaketi the morning.
For this purpose, he calls upon his tongue, with
all his instruments of music, all the organs of the
body and affections of the soul, to unite their powers
in sweetest harmony and concert, and to aAvaken the
sluggish morning with the voice of melody, sounding
forth the glories of redemption. Thus should the
morning be ever celebrated;, on which Christ " arose
" from the dead, and became the first-fruits of them
" that slept."

Day 11. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 335
9. I zvill praise thee, O Lord, among the people;
I zvill sina: unto thee anions, the nations. 10. For
thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth
unto the clouds.
The resurrection of Jesus from the grave, fore-
shadoAved in the deliverance of David from the hand
of Saul, was a transaction Avhich caused the heavens,
and all the poAvers therein, to extol the mercy and
the truth of God. The nations of the earth, Avhose
are the benefits and the blessings of that transaction,
are, therefore, bound evermore to make it the subject
of their praises and thanksgivings ; Avhich is done by
the members of our church, every Easter-day, in the
words of this very Psalm.
1 1. .Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let thy glory be above all the earth.
Even so, be thou still exalted, O blessed Jesu!
above the heavens, while the angels sing their halle
lujahs on high ; and let thy glory be above all the
earth, while, in psalms and hymns, and spiritual
songs, the congregations of the redeemed incessantly
magnify thy salvation below.
. The church triumphant, and the church below,
In songs of praise their present union show :
' Their joys are full, our expectation long ;
In life we differ, but we join in song.
Angels and we, assisted by this art,
May sing together, though we dwell apart.
¦ Waller on Divine Poesie.

336 A COMMENTARY PdAL. 58,
PSALM LVIII.
ARGUMENT.
In the persons of Saul and his .iniquitous counsellors,-
the enemies of Christ and the church, 1, 2. are re
proved, and, 3 — 5. their malice is described, by
comparing it to the poison of serpents, which are
proof against every art made use of to tame them :
6 — 9. the destruction of the Avicked is foretold,
and illustrated by six similitudes ; 10. the triumph
of the righteous is likewise predicted; as also,
1 1. the effect it will produce, in manifesting to all
the Avorld the providence and glory of God.
1. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congrega
tion ? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men ?
2. Yea, in heart ye zvork zvickedness ; ye zveigh the
violence of your hands, or, your hands frame violence,
in the earth.
The proceedings of Doeg, and other associates of
Saul, against David ; those of Judas and the Sanhe
drim, against our Lord ; and those of Avicked princes,
and court sycophants, in different ages, against the
faith and the church ; as they spring from the same
principles, so they flow pretty much in the Same chan
nel. Such men may here see their characters drawn,
and their end foretold.
3. The wicked are estranged from the zvomb : they
go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
The tares sown by the enemy, in human nature,

Day II. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 337
appear early ; and sIioav us how far Ave are " estrang-
" ed" from original truth and righteousness. AVhat
can be expected, unless grace and discipline prevent
it, but that " out of the serpent's root shall come
" forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery
" flying serpent?"
4. Their poison is like the poison qf a serpent ;
they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5. Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers,
charming never so zvisely.
The Avicked are here compared to serpents, for
that malignity in their tempers Avhich is the venom
and poison of the intellectual Avorld. And whereas
there are some kinds even of serpents, which, by
musical sounds, may, for a time, as it is said, be dis
armed of their rage, and rendered so tame as to be
handled without danger*; yet the evil dispositions
* Bochart quotes several ancieht authors, who mention this
effect of music, and among them Virgil, vEneid, vii. v. 753.
" Vipereo generi, et graviter spirantibus hydris
" Spargere qui somnos CANTtrquemanuque solebat."
The elder Scaliger, as quoted by the same learned critic, writes
thus: " Nos- aliquando vidimus cantationibus e cavernis exciri
" serpentes :" and Mr. Boyle, in his Essay on the Great Effects
of Languid Motion, p. 71. ed. 1685, gives us the following pas
sage, from Sir H. Blunt's Voyage into the Levant, p. 81. edit. 5.
" Many rarities of living creatures I saw in Grand Cairo; but
" the most ingenious was a nest of four-legged serpents, of two
" feet long, black and ugl$ kept by a Frenchman ; who, when he
" came to handle them, they would not endure him, but ran and
." hid in their hole; then would he take his cittern, and play upon
" it; they, hearing his music, came all crawling to his feet, and
" began to climb up him, till he gave over playing ; then away
VOL. II. Z

338 A COMMENTARY Psal. 5&
of some men, like those of one particular species of
the serpentine race, are often invincible. The enmity
of a Saul, Avas proof against the heavenly strains of
the son of Jesse ; and He, Avho spake as " never
" man spake," was stung tp death by " a generatioa
" of vipers."
6. Break, or, thou zvilt break, their teeth, O God,
in their mouths; break, or, thou wilt break, out th&
teeth of the young lions, O Lord.
The destruction ofthe Avicked is represented under
six similitudes. The first is that of breaking the
teeth of lions, being the most terrible weapons of the
most terrible animals. But Avhat is human power,
at its highest exaltation, if compared to that of God ?
The mountains of Gilboa can tell us, the desolated
Zion can inform us, how the mighty are fallen, and
the Aveapons of Avar perished! because the mighty
had exalted themselves, and the weapons of war had
been lifted up, against truth and innocence, protect
ed by the decrees of heaven.
7. Let them, or, tkey shall, melt axvay as waters
which run continually, or, pass away ; when he bend-
eth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them, or, they
shall, be as cut in pieces.
The second similitude used to illustrate the de
struction of the wicked, is that of torrents and iminda-
" they ran." The " deaf" adder may either be a serpent of a
species naturally deaf (for several such kinds are mentioned by
Avicenne, as quoted by Bochart) or one deaf by accident : in.
either case, she may be said, in the language of poetry, to " stop
" her ear," from her being groof to all the efforts of the charmer.
Merrick,

Day 11. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 339
tions, Avhich descend Avitii great noise from the
mountains, and cover the face of a country ; but their
cause soon ceasing to act, they run off and appear
no more; herein affording a fine emblem of the
weakness and instability of earthly poAver. The im
potence of human efforts against divine counsels is
compared, thirdly, to a man draAving a bow, when
the aiTOw on the string is broken in two; and there
fore, instead of flying to the mark, falls useless at his
feet. 8. As a snail Avhich melteth, let every one of them
pass away; like the untimely birth of a zeoman, that
they may not see the sun. Or, As a melting snail he
shall pass azvay ; as an abortion, they see not the sun.
A snail, Avhich, coming forth of his shell, marks
his path Avith slime, continually losing some part of
his substance in his progress ; and an abortion, Avhich
consumes aAvay in the like manner: these are the
fourth and fifth images, selected to represent the
transient nature of worldly greatness, still wasting,
till it comes to nothing; and the miserable fate of
those who perish, with their half-formed devices, nor
ever behold the Sun of Righteousness.
9. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall
take them azeay as with a zehirlzvind, both living, and
in his zvrath ; or, ke shall take them azvay alive, as
zvith a zvhirlzvind, in his wrath.
Wicked men have, in common Avifch others, that
tendency to decay which is entailed on the world,
and on all things therein ; but they are warned, by
this sixth and last similitude, to prevent the judge
ments of the Almighty. These often break forth like
z 2

340 A COMMENTARY Psal. 59.
a whirlwind, or a thunder-storm, and sweep away
at once, in the flower of their strength, and the height
of their prosperity, the tyrannical oppressors of the
people of God; whose short-lived glory, and sudden
extinction, are aptly resembled to that crackling and
momentary blaze Avhich is produced by a fire, kin
dled among thorns, under a pot.
10. The righteous shall rejoice, zvhen he seeth the
vengeance; he shall wash kis feet in the blood ofthe
zeicked: 11. So that a man shall say, Verily, there
is a rezvardfor the righteous : verily, he is, or, there
is, a God that judgeth in the earth.
The victories of that Just One, gained in his
own person and in those of his faithful servants,
over the enemies of man's salvation, are productive
of a joy, which springeth not from love of revenge,
but is inspired by a view of the divine mercy, justice,
and truth, displayed in the redemption of the elect,
the punishment of the ungodly, and the accomplish
ment of the promises. Whoever duly Aveigheth and
considereth these things, will diligently seek after the
reward of righteousness, and humbly adore the pro
vidence, wliich ordereth all things aright, in heaven
and earth. ELEVENTH DAY.— -EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM LIX.
ARGUMENT,
This Psalm is said to have been composed on occa
sion of David's escape, when Saul sent, and they

Day 11. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 341
watched the house to kill him. See 1 Sam. xix.
11- — 18. David in these, as in many other circum
stances of his life, may be considered as the re
presentative of Messiah, 1, 2. praying to be deliver
ed from the power of his blood-thirsty enemies,
Avhose indefatigable malice he, 3 — -7- describes;
but, 8 — 10. predicts his own enlargement through
. the tender mercy and mighty poAver of God; as
also, 1 1 — 15. the singular vengeance to be poured
out upon his enemies, for their punishment, and
the admonition of others. The Psalm concludes
with a strain of exultation and thanksg-ivina.
I. Deliver me from mine enemies, 0 my God;
defend me, Heb. exalt me, from them that rise up
against me. 2. Deliver me from the zeorkers of ini
quity, and save mefirom bloody men.
In these words we hear the voice of David, when
a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ,
when surrounded by his merciless enemies ; the voice
of the church, when under bondage in the world;
and the voice of the Christian, when under tempta
tion, affliction, and persecution.
3. For, lo, they lie inzeait for my soul ; the mighty
are gathered against me; not for my transgression,
nor for my sin, O Lord. 4- They run and prepare
themselves zeithout vay fault ; azvake to help me, and
behold. The mighty men of Saul were gathered against
David, who had been guilty of no offence against the

342 A COMMENTARY Psal. 59.
king, and therefore was, so far, innocent. The Jews
and Romans were gathered against Jesus Christ,
who had committed no sin at all, and was perfectly
innocent. And the world is oftentimes in arms
against the children of God, only for doing Avhat it
is their duty -to do. In all such cases, G od is to be
applied to, as the helper and avenger of those who
suffer unjustly.
5. Thou, therefore, 0 Lord God of hosts, the God
of Israel, azoake, or, thou shalt azeake, to visit all tht
heathen : be not merciful, or, thou wilt not be merci
ful, to any zvicked transgressors.
The prophet, in this verse, seemeth to respect that
great day of final retribution, wliich is to succeed the
day of grace, the accepted time of repentance and
pardon. For then it is that Jehovah shall awake, to
judge the nations ; to reward every man according
to his deeds ; and to banish for ever, from his pre
sence, the impenitent Avorkers of iniquity. The ma
licious adversaries of David, ahd those of the Son of
David, may not then find the mercy, so often by them
rejected, in the days of their flesh.
6. They return at evening; they make a noise like
a dog, and go round about the city. '•
The emissaries of Saul, coming after David in the
" evening," besetting his house, and blocking up the
avenues, are compared to a set of hungry blood
hounds in quest pf their prey. But the picture is
drawn likewise for that herd of evenino wolves who
thirsted after the blood of the Lamb pf God, on
whom their mouths were opened, crying, " Crucify
" him! crucify him!"

Day II. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 343
7- Behold, they belch, or, spout, out zvith their
mouth; szeords are in their lips, for zvho, say they,
doth hear?
Out of the abundance of malice in the heart, the
mouth will speak, like the cutting of a sword ; and
the Avicked take counsel against thejust, as if there
were no one above Avho heard and regarded.
8. But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou
shalt have all the heathen in derision.
These very expressions are used in the 4th verse
of the 2(1 Psalm, to denote the futility of all the
counsels entered into, by Jew and Gentile, against
Messiah and his church. The Psalm before us seems
evidendy to relate to the same counsels, against the
same blessed Person, whatever part of king David's
history might be the occasion of its being composed.
9. Because of his strength will I wait upon tkee ;
for God is my defence, or, exaltation. 10. The God
qf my mercy shall prevent me ; God shall let me see
my desire, Heb. look, upon mine enemies.
To the strength of the adversary the Psalmist op-
poseth that of God, which he foresaAv would rescue
him, and avenge his cause. In all our troubles let
us do likewise; and then, he who exalted David, and
a greater than Darid, will in due time exalt us, and
we shall look, Avithout fear, upon our spiritual ene
mies. 11. Slay them not, lest my people forget ; scatter
them by thy power, and bring tkem dozen, O Lord,
our shield. Or, Thou wilt not slay them — thou zvilt
scatter them, &c.
The prophet, in the person of Messiah, predicted

344 A COMMENTARY ' Tsal. 59.
the singular fate of the Jews; who, for their sins,
were not extirpated,- lest the Gentile Christians
should " forget " their punishment, but Avere " scat-
" tered " among, all nations, and degraded from the
glorious privileges of that high rank in which they
once stood *. Thus doth that people remain, at this
day, a monument of God's vengeance against apo
stasy; a beacon, set up, and kindled by the hand of
heaven, as a warning, to all. Christian churches, that
they split not on the same fatal rock.
12- For the sin of their mouth and the words qf
their lips, let them, or, they shall, even be taken in
their pride : and for cursing and lying which they
speak. The causes of the Jews' dispersion are here as
signed, viz. " the sin of their mouth" in the " words
" of their lips," or their " hard speeches " spoken
against the Son of Gpd; their slanders, lying accusa
tions, and outrageous blasphemies, together with that
horrid imprecation in w'hich they involved their
descendants ; who have groaned under the weight of
it. for near these 1700 years, and yet still continue to
justify the deeds , of their fathers, retaining that
" pride " in their name, and long-since forfeited pri
vileges, Avhich provoked the Romans to destroy their
city and:' country.
13. Consume them in thy wrath, consume them,
or, thou shalt consume them, &c, that they may not,
* Prophetice, Christiani divinae ultionis oblivisci non possunt,
dum Judaei, excidio suo superstites, et ubique vagi, poenam
suam, etpariter, in testimonium, eloquia divina circumferunt.-^-
Bossuet,

Day 11. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 345
or, shall not, be; and let them, or, they shall, knozo
that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.
This prediction Avas accomplished in the total sub
version of Jerusalem by Titus, when the Jews having
no longer any city, temple, or civil polity, ceased to
" be," as a nation. And they have seen enough to
have convinced them, that God is the God " not of
" the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also." The
Gospel hath been preached, idolatry hath been over
thrown, the nations have been converted to the faith
of Abraham, and that of David, whose Psalms are
used throughout the world ; and God, Avho " ruled
" in J aco'o, und was known in JeAvry," now is known
and ruleth " unto the ends of the earth;" for they
" have seen the salvation," and submitted to the
sceptre of king [Messiah.
14. And at evening let them, or, they shall, re
turn; and let them, or, they shall, make a noise
like a dog, and go round about the city. 15.
Let them, or, they shall, zeander up and dozen
for meat, and grudge, or, howl, if they be not
satisfied. The punishment inflicted on the wicked often car
ries the mark of their crime. It is just that they who
have thirsted after the blood of the righteous, should
want a drop of water to cool their tongues ; and the
hunger of a dog is deservedly their plague, of ay horn
a resemblance of that unclean animal's disposition
hath been the sin. Such is the present condition of
the Jews, excluded from the church, and suffering all
the calamities of a spiritual famine ; and such will
he the condition of all those Avho are to wail and

346 A COMMENTARY Psal. 60.
lament in vain, Avithout the holy city, for evermore.
Rev. xxii. 15.
16. But I zvill sing of thy power; yea, I zvill sing
aloud qf thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast
been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God
is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
While the wicked murmur and repine at the dis
pensations of Heaven, the righteous are employed in
giving thanks and praises for the same ; and the
" morning " which is to consign the former to the ha
bitations of despair, Avhere no sounds are heard but
those of hideous Availings and horrid blasphemies,
shall transport the latter to the mansions of felicity3
resounding with incessant hallelujahs.

PSALM LX.
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm is thought to have been composed by
David, when, after his coming to the throne, the
tribes of Israel had submitted to his sceptre, and
he was engaged in the reduction of the adjacent
countries. See the history, 2 Sam. chap. v.
and viii. 1 — 3. He describes Avhat Israel had
lately suffered from foreign enemies, and do
mestic feuds ; 4, 5, 6. he declareth himself ap
pointed to conduct his people to victory and
triumph, according to a divine prediction ; 6, 7.

Day 11. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 34T
he rejoiceth in the accession of the other tribes to
that of Judah, and, 8 — 12. sees Edom, Moab,
and Philistia, already subdued by the mighty
power of God. All this is now to be spiritually
applied, in the Christian church, to the establish*-
ment and enlargement of Messiah's kingdom, pre
figured by that of David.
1. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scat
tered us, thou has-t been displeased; O turn thyseff
to us again.
When the church, by her sins, hath rejected God,
she is rejected by him; she is delivered into the
hands of her enemies, and suffers persecution : when,
hy repentance and supplication, she returneth to him,
he is ready to meet and receive her. The history of
Israel is one continued exemplification of these most
interesting truths. It should be the care and endea
vour of every church, and every individual, to profit
thereby. 2. Thou hast made the earth, or, the land, to
tremble; thou hast broken it; heal the breaches
thereof, for it shaketh.
The persecutions of the Israelitish , church often
shook the " land " of promise ; the persecutions of
the Christian church have frequently moved the
whole earth. Afflictions of this kind may be likened
to wounds sometimes made in a diseased body, by
skilful surgeons, to be healed again, when, by a dis
charge of the corrupt humours, they have answered
the end for which they were intended.

348 A COMMENTARY Psal. 60.
3. TJiou hast showed thy people hard things; thou
hast made us to drink the zvine of astonishment, or,
intoxication. The Israelites had not only suffered "hard things "
from their professed enemies the Philistines, by the
overthrow of Saul and his army, but their civil dis
sensions at home showed that they had drunk deep of
the bitter cup of infatuation. See 1 Sam. xxxi. and
2 Sam. ii. and iii. From these two sources flow the
calamities of churches and of kingdoms in all ages,
whensoever it pleaseth God to visit their transgres
sions upon them by the instrumentality of men.
4. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear
thee, that it may be displayed because qf the truth.
For the temporal salvation of Israel, God raised
up David, according to his promise; to whose stand
ard, as a centre of unity, the Avorshippers of the
true God might resort. For the spiritual and eternal
salvation of the church, God raised up his Son Jesus,
according to his promise, and " displayed the banner
" of the cross," under which believers are enlisted,
and led on to triumph, " because of the truth."
Remarkable to this purpose, are the Avords of Isaiah:
" In that day there shall be a root of jesse,
" which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to
" it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest," after the
battle is over, and the victory gained, " shall be glo-
" rious." Isa. xi. 10.
5. That thy beloved may be delivered, save with
thy right hand, and hear mc.
This prayer, Avhich king David preferred for
Israel, the great Intercessor prefers continually for

Day 11. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 349
his church; and all ought to prefer for themselves
and for others.
6. God hath spoken in his holiness, or, by his Holy
One, I zvill rejoice, or, exult, i.e. as a conqueror ;
I zvill divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of
Succoth. As a ground of hope and confidence, David here
declares, that God, by the mouth of an holy pro
phet, had spoken and promised him the success for
Avhich he prayed in the foregoing verse. And that
this Avas known among the people, appears from a
speech of Abner to the elders of Israel, 2 Sam. iii.
18. " The Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By
" the hand of my servant David I will save my
" people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines,
" and out of the hand of all their enemies." Hav
ing, therefore, mentioned this prediction, much of
which Avas already accomplished, he exults as a con
queror, resolving to divide into districts, and portion
out under proper officers, the country about Samaria,
noAv become his OAvn.
7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim
also is the strength of my head; Judah is my law
giver. " Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim," and the other
tribes of Israel', upon the death of Ishbosheth the
son of Saul, whom Abner had set over them, joined
the royal tribe of Judah, and came in, Avith one ac
cord, to the house of David. See 2 Sam. ii. 8. and
v. 1. " Ephraim," as a tribe abounding in valiant
men, is styled by its prince, " the strength of his
" head," or the support of his life and kingdom; and

350 A COMMENTARY Psal. 60.
" Judah," as the seat of empire, replenished Avith
men of Avisdom and understanding, qualified to assist
the throne by their salutary counsels, is dignified Avith
the title of " lawgiver." Thus are the tribes of
the spiritual " Israel " subject to Messiah, and serve
him in various capacities, as the Spirit furnishes dif
ferent men Avith different powers; some "being en
dued Avith zeal and fortitude, to labour and suffer;
others Avith knoAvledge and discretion, to instruct and
govern. 8. Moab is my zvaskpot ; over Edom will I cast
out, or, extend, my shoe; Philistia, triumph tkou be
cause of me; Heb. Over Philistia give a shout of
triumph. The parallel passage, Ps. cviii. 9- has it
— Over Philistia I zvill give, a shout of triumph.
After having mentioned the submission of the Is
raelitish tribes to his sceptre, David predicts the ex
tension of his kingdom over the neighbouring nations,
those inveterate enemies of the people of God ; such
as the Moabites, the Edomites, and, above all, the
Philistines. The absolute reduction of these nations
under his dominion, is expressed metaphorically, by
the phrases of " jnaking them his Avashpot, and ex-
" tending his shoe, i. e. setting his foot " upon them. ,
The Son of David also must " reign, till he hath put
" all enemies under his feet:" 1 Cor. xv. 25. And
the Christian, in these Avords,' now declareth his hope
of being enabled to do the same; to conquer through
; his Lord, and to triumph Avith him.
9- Who zvill bring me into the strong city? Who
will lead me into Edom?
Bozrah, the capital of Idumea, or " Edom," Avas

Day 11. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 351
a fortified town, situated on a rock, deemed impreg
nable. See Obad. ver. 3. Considering therefore the
strength of the adversary, David, by this question,
acknowledgeth his own impotency, and the need he
had of superior aid, in order to achieve this important
conquest. How great need, then, have we of an
Almighty Saviour, Avho may enable us to overcome
our last and strongest enemy, death ! And it is very
remarkable, that Christ's victory over this very enemy
is set forth, by the prophet Isaiah, under the striking
image of a king of Israel, returning in triumph
from the reduction of Idumea. " Who is this, that
" cometh from Edom, Avith dyed garments from
" Bozrah," &c. Isa. lxiii. 1 . The reader will be no
less entertained than instructed, by a discourse of
bishop AndreAvs on this subject, being the seventeenth
of his Sermons on Easter-day.
10. Wilt not thou,, O God, Avhich kadst cast us
off? and thou, O God, Avhich didst not go out with
our armies?
The question in the last verse, " Who Avill bring
" me into Edom?" is here ansAvered by another
question, " Wilt not thou, O God," &c. that is, To
Avhom can we have recourse, for assistance, but to
thee, O God? Deserted by thee, Ave fall; but do
thou go forth with us, and we shall again rise supe
rior to every enemy. So saith the Christian soldier :
" Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words
" of eternal life;" " Thou hast overcome the sharp-
" ness of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven
" to all believers."
1 1 . Give us help from trouble ; for vain is the

352 A COMMENTARY Psal. 61.
help of man. 12. Through God zve shall do valiant
ly ; for ke it is that shall tread dozvn our enemies.
David, like a wise and pious prince, acknowledgeth
the weakness of the fleshly arm, and strengthened
himself in the Lord his God. Much more ought we
to confess the impotence of nature, and to implore
the succours of grace; that so Ave may happily 'ac
complish our spiritual Avarfare, tread Satan under
our feet, and triumph finally over the last enemy,
death himself.

PSALM LXI.
ARGUMENT.
In the person of David, for a Avhile driven into exile,
and then restored to his kingdom, Ave here behold
the church, or any member thereof, 1, 2, 3. pre
ferring a petition for deliverance from the troubles
and temptations of this mortal state; 4, 5. ex
pressing faith and hope in God; 6, 7- praying for
the prosperity and perpetuity of Messiah's king
dom; and, 8. resolving to praise God evermore
for the same.
1. Hear' my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2. From the end qf the earth zvill I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed ; lead me to the rock
that is higher than I.
The church, extended far and Avide among the
nations, crieth aloud unto God, by the- prayers of

Day 11. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 353
its members, even " from the end," or utmost parts,
" of the earth." The world is to Christians a sea of
troubles and temptations, from which they daily be
seech God to deliver them, and to place them on the
"rock" of their salvation; Avhich rock is Christ.
Grounded on him, by faith in his sufferings and ex
altation, we may defy all the storms and tempests
that can be raised against us by the adversary, while,-
as from the top of a lofty mountain on the shore,
Ave behold the Avaves dashing themselves in pieces
beneath us.
3. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a st?'ong
tozver from the enemy.
Meditation on God our Saviour, as set forth in
the Scriptures, will ever prove, to the believer, " a
" strong towrer" or fortress, in Avhich he Avill be safe
from the darts of the enemy, and will be furnished
with impregnable arguments, Avherewith to oppose
and blunt the force of every temptation which Satan
can launch against his soul.
4. / zvill abide in thy tabernacle for ever : I will
trust in the covert of thy zvings.
They who sojourn in the "tabernacle" of the
church militant on earth, and continue faithful mem
bers ofthe same, shall take up their eternal residence
in that permanent " temple," the church triumphant
in heaven. BeloAAr, they are protected by the all-
shadowing "wing" of God's fatherly providence;
above, they will be reAvarded Avith the all illuminat
ing vision of his glorious presence.
5. For thou, 0 God, hast heard my vozvs; thou
vol. ii. ,2a

354 A COMMENTARY Psal. 61.
hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy
name. The " vows" of David, made during his banish
ment, were heard, and he Avas restored to the posses
sion of his kingdom, in that land which God had
given to his people, for an " heritage." The vows
of Messiah, made in the days of his pilgrimage, Avere
heard, and he hath re-assumed his ancient throne ia
the heavenly Jerusalem. The prayers of the faithful,
made in the land where they are in exile, are heard,
and their spirits shall return to God, who will " give
" them the heritage of those that fear his name."
6. Thou zvilt prolong the king's life; and his years
as many generations. 7- He shall abide before God
for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may
preserve him. Or, 6. Thou wilt add days to the days
of the king : his years as generation and generation.
7. He shall dzvell before God for ever; mercy and
truth shall preserve him.
These Avords must be applied to Him, of Avhom
it Avas said by the angel, " The Lord God shall give
'" unto him the throne of his father David; and he
" shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and
" of his kingdom there shall be no end :" Luke, i.
32. The ancient church prayed for "his" exalta
tion and glory, under those of his representative;
nay, the Chaldee paraphrast expounds this passage of
Messiah only: " Thou shalt add days to the days of
" King Messias; his years shall be as the generation
"of this world, and of the world to come." Nor
can a better paraphrase be easily devised.

Day 1 1. fc. p. ON THE PSALMS. 355
8. So zvill I sing praise unto thy name for ever,
that I may daily perform my vozvs.
For the preservation and prosperity, the exalta
tion, the poAver, and the everlasting glory of Christ's
kingdom, with all the benefits and blessings thereof,
we are bound to sing praise unto God's holy name
for ever, and daily to perform the vows made in
baptism, that Ave would believe in him, and serve
him, all the days of our life; until the blessed day
shall daAvn, Avhich no night is to follow, when faith
shall end in vision, and duty be resolved into praise.

TWELFTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM LXIL
ARGUMENT.
This Psalm containeth, 1, 2. a resolution to trust
in God alone; 3, 4. a denunciation of judgement
against the persecutors of the Just One; 5 — 7- a
repeated act of faith^ and resolution to trust in
God, with, 8. an exhortation to all nations to do
the same; and that, 9, 10. because there is ho
confidence to be placed in man, or in the world ;
but only, 11. in the divine power, and, 12. mercy.
1. Truly my soul waitetk, or, resteth, upon God:
from him cometh my sahction. 2. He only is my
rock, and my salvation; he is my defence, Heb. high
place; I shall not be greatly moved.
David, in the midst of trouble, and perhaps
2a 2

356 A COMMENTARY Psal. 62.
tempted to have recourse to sinful expedients for
his preservation, determines still to repose all his
confidence on the promised mercy t»f him Avho is
the " salvation," the " rock," and the " high place,"
or fortress, of men. Christ would not be delivered
from his sufferings, by any other means than those
Avhich the Father had ordained. The church, in like
manner, should patiently Avait for the salvation of
God, and not attempt, through distrust of the divine
mercy* to save herself by unwarrantable methods, of
her own devising.
3. Hozv long zvill ye imagine mischief against a
man? Ye shall be slain all qf you: as a bozving zvall
shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
From a declaration .of his trust in God, the pro
phet passeth to an expostulation Avith his enemies,
for continually plotting against him ; and fore tel
leth, that their destruction Avill happen suddenly and
irremediably, like the doAvnfal of a Avail that is out
of the perpendicular, or a stone fence, the parts of
which are not cemented together. See Isa. xxx- 13.
Hoav striking is this expostulation, and this predic
tion, if considered as addressed by Messiah to his
implacable enemies!
4. They only consult to cast him dozen from his
excellency; they delight in lies; they bless zvith their
¦mouth, but they curse inzvardly.
The adversaries of David " consulted" how to
deprive him of those honours to Avhich God designed
to exalt him; the Scribes and Pharisees took counsel
against Jesus, with the same intent; and to rob the
Christian of the glory and immortality prepared for

Day 12. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 35T
him, is the end of every temptation Avhich the enemy
throAvs in his way, Avhether it be of the terrifying,
or, which oftener succeeds, the flattering, alluring,
and deceiving kind.
5. My soul, zvait thou only upon God; for my
expectation is from him. 6. He only is my rock and
my salvation: he is my defence, or, high place; I
shall not be moved. 7. In God is my salvation, and
my glory ; the rock of my strength, and my refuge,
is in God.
The consideration suggested in the preceding verse,
namelv, that the enemy is ever intent upon our ruin,
should stir us up, after the prophet's example, to re
new our faith, and strengtlien ourselves yet more and
more, continually, in the Lord our God, Avho alone
giveth victory, salvation, and glory.
8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out
your hearts before him: God is a refuge for us.
The comforts Avhich DaArid had found, he exhort-
eth others to seek, in faith and prayer; in such a
faith as fixeth itself on God, Avhen the Avhole world
is against it; and .such prayer, as poureth forth all
the desires of the soul into the bosom of the Al
mighty. How often, in repeating the Psalms, do
Ave declare, that " God is our refuge;" yet how
very seldom do we recur to him, as such, in the hour
of temptation !
9- Surely men qf low degree are vanity, and men
of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the balance,
they are altogether lighter than vanity.
, A reason is here assigned, why Ave should at all
times " trust in God ;" namely, because there is

358 A COMMENTARY Psal. 62.
nothing else, in Avhich Ave can trust, but it will in
the end deceive us. Weighed in the " balance " of
heaven, the poAver of man to save, is " less than
" nothing." Let us weigh every thing in that exact
and faithful balance.
10. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain
in robbery ; f riches increase, set not your heart
upon them.
Of all things here below, Avealth is that on which
poor deluded man is chiefly tempted, even to the
end of life, to place his confidence; and when
" riches increase," it proves a hard task for the
human heart to keep its affections sufficiently de
tached from them. But he Avho by injustice acquir-r
eth the earthly mammon, justly forfeiteth the trea
sures of heaven; and he Avho is made vain and
covetous by money, however honestly gotten, renders
that a curse to one, Avhich was designed as a blessing
to many, and drowns himself in the spring which
should have watered all around him.
1 1 . God kath spoken once ; tzvice have I heard
this, or, these two things have I heard; that power
belongeth unto God. 12. Also unto thee, O Lord,
belongeth mercy ; for thou renderest to every man
according to his zvork.
In opposition to the vain boasts of worldly men,
trusting in their riches, $tc. is cited the declaration
of God, when, from- mount Sinai, he proclaimed
himself to be JEHOVAH, the fountain of all
" power," in heaven above, and on earth beneath,
jealous of the glory of this attribute, ready to avenge
himself on the wicked, and able to abase the pride of

Day 12. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 359
man. At the same time also, he proclaimed him
self "the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long
" suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
" keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity,
" and transgression, and sin:" Exod. xxxiv. 6. To
all mankind, therefore, the prophet here recom-
mendeth meditation on these two most interesting
subjects, the "power" of God to punish sin, and his
" mercy " to pardon it. Fear of the former will
beget desire of the latter, and both together will set
a man upon doing works worthy of their parent faith;
works, which God, of his infinite " mercy," for the
sake of Christ, has graciously promised to accept,
and to "reward."

PSALM LXIII.
ARGUMENT.
David, in the wilderness of Judah, expresseth, 1, 2.
his longing desire after the presence of God, and
the divine pleasures of the sanctuary; 3 — 6. he
blesseth and praiseth God both day and night, in
the midst of affliction, and, 7, 8. declareth his faith
to be immovable; 9, 10. he predicteth the fate of
the wicked, with, 1 1 . the exaltation, triumph, and
glory of Messiah, to be exhibited in his OAvn. The
whole Psalm is applicable to the circumstances of
Christ in the flesh, and to those of his people in
the Avorld.

360 A COMMENTARY Psal. 63.
I. O God, tkou art my God; early zvill I seek
thee; my soul thirst eth for thee, my flesh longeth for
thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is :
2- To see thy pozeer and thy glory, so as / have
seen thee in the sanctuary.
After the example of the persecuted David in the
wilderness of Judah, and that of the afflicted Jesus
upon earth, the true Christian dedicates to God
" the SAveet hour of prime;" he opens the eyes of
his understanding, together with those of his body,
and awakes, each morning, to righteousness. He
arises, Avith an inextinguishable thirst after those
comforts which the world cannot give; and has
immediate recourse, by prayer, to the fountain of
the water of life ; ever longing to behold the divine
power and glory, in the sanctuary above, of Avhich
he has been favoured with some glimpse in the ser
vices of the church below.
3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise thee.
" Life" is the greatest of earthly blessings, all
others being included in it: " all that a man hath,"
saith Satan, " will he give for his life:" Job. ii. 4.
Not so the Psalmist. He knew a pearl of far greater
price, namely, the " loving kindness " of Jehovah,
on which is suspended not only the life which now
is, but that which is to come. The sense of this
loving kindness tuned the harp of the son of Jesse,
and now tunes those of the spirits before the throne.
4. Thus zeill I bless thee while I live; I will lift
Up my hands in thy name.
" While Ave live," hOAvever Avretched our condi-

Day 12. m. p, ON THE PSALMS. 361
tion may be, Ave have an opportunity of obtaining
pardon, grace, and glory; for which Ave ought, at
all times, " to bless " God, " lilting up pure hands"
in prayer, employing them in every good work, and
all in the "name" of Jesus.
5. My soul shall be satisfied as Avith marrow and
fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee zvith joyful
tips: 6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and
meditate on thee in the night watches.
Solitude and stillness render the " night Avatches"
a fit season for meditation on the so often experienced
mercies of God; which, when thus called to re
membrance, become a delicious repast to the spirit,
filling it Avith all joy, and peace, and consolation;
giving, songs in the night, and making darkness itself
cheerful. Hoav cheerful, then, will be that last
morning, Avhen the righteous, awaking up after the
divine likeness, shall be "satisfied" Avith all the ful
ness of God, and "praise him with joyful lips," in
those eternal courts, where there is no night, and
from Avhence sorrow and sighing fly far away!
7. Because thou hast been my help, therefore under
the shadow of thy zeings wid I rejoice. 8, My soul
follozveth hard after thee: thy right hand up-
holdeth me.
Recollection of past mercies inclines the soul to
put herself under the " wing" of an all-shadowing
Providence. Should her Redeemer, for a time, seem
to be deserting her, faith constraineth her to "follow
" hard after him," as a child doth after the father ;
and not to let go the " hand " which hath so often
¦" upholden " her from falling.

362 A COMMENTARY Psal. 63.
9- But those that seek my soul to destroy it, shall
go into the lower parts ofthe earth. 10. They shall
fall by the szeord: they shall be a portion for foxes.
The enemies of Jehovah, and his Anointed, if
they come not to a violent death, an early grave, or
to have their carcasses devoured by the beasts of the ,
field (as hath sometimes been the case), yet, in an
after-state, their condition will certainly be deplor
able. Their habitation must be in the " pit;" their
punishment, the flaming "sword" of almighty ven
geance ; and their companions, those crafty and ma
licious ones, who, having contributed to seduce, will
help to torment them.
11. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one
that szeeareth by him shall glory: but the mouth qf
them tkat speak lies shall be stopped.
If David found cause to rejoice in God, who gave
him the victory over all his enemies; if the subjects
of David might well glory in their king; if the
slanderers of David were put to silence, at behold
ing him exalted to the throne of Israel ; how much
greater is the joy of Messiah in the Godhead, giving
the manhood victory over his enemies, sin, death,
and hell; how much rather may his subjects and
worshippers glory in their triumphant King; and
how much more shall the blasphemers of such a
Saviour be everlastingly confounded, when they shall
behold him invested with all the power and majesty
of the Father, and seated on the throne of judge
ment! Surely, then, "the mouth of them that
" speak lies shall be stopped."

Day 12. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 363
PSALM LXIV.
ARGUMENT.
David, in the person of Messiah, 1 — 2. prayeth to
be delivered from his enemies, from their counsels
and insurrections; 3, 4. he describeth their calum
nies and slanders, their scoff's and blasphemies,
and, 5, 6. their indefatigable malice ; predicting,
7- — 9. their astonishing fall, with, 10. the exalta
tion of the church, in God her Saviour.
1. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer ; preserve
my life from fear of tke enemy.
The prophet, after beseeching God to hear him,
prefers his petition, which is, to be " preserved from
" fear of the enemy." A petition of this kind is
granted, either by a removal of the ground of fear,
when the enemy's power to hurt is taken from him,
or his will changed; or else, by an extirpation of the
fear itself, through the increase of faith, charity, and
fortitude. For the former let us pray conditionally,
" if it may be done, and if it is God's will that it
" should be done," as Christ prayed against the
bitter cup in the garden ; for the latter we may pray
absolutely; since a victory, gained by the fear of
God over the fear of man, is a necessary step, and a
happy prelude, to a full and final triumph over every
enemy of our salvation.
!¦ 2- Hide mcfrom the secret counsel of tke zvicked;
from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.

364 A COMMENTARY Psal. 64.
The " counsels and insurrections '? ofthe Israelites
against David; of tlie same people, afterwards,
against the Son of David; of worldly and Avicked
men against the church ; and of the powers of dark-
'ness against us all, are here, respectively, understood
to be deprecated.
3. Who zvhet their tongue like a szvord, and bend
their boAvs to shoot their arrozvs, even bitter words :
4. That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: sud
denly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
' In personal scoffings and revilings, tlie tongue per
forms the part of a " sword," which is a Aveapon that
can be used only in open rencounters : but " bitter
" words," spoken in secret, and at a distance from
him Avho is the subject of them, are like "arrows,"
which may be shot from an obscure and remote corner,
and therefore cannot be Avarded off. The tongue, in
both these capacities, was employed against that
perfect one, the holy Jesus, in the days of his
flesh. Would to God it had never been since em
ployed against him and his disciples, or by his dis
ciples against each other !
5. They encourage themselves in an evil matter ;
they commune of laying snares privily ; they say,
IF ho shall see them?
Sin doth not often appear abroad without a veil ;
and the more atrocious the sin, the more specious
must be the pretence which is to cover it. Envy
and malice crucified the Son of God ; but, during
the course of the proceedings against him, you hear
only of zeal for the law, and loyalty to Caesar. Such
are the " snares," set by the crafty, to deceive the

Day 12. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 365
simple and umvary; Avithout considering that die
broad eye of heaven, all the time, surveys their most
secret devices, by Avhich they impose upon others,
and frequently upon themselves.
6. They search out iniquities; tliey accomplish a
diligent search; both the inzvard thought of every
one of them, and the heart, is deep.
Truth and righteousness may be found, and prac
tised, Avith half the pains that are often employed
to " search out iniquity," and establish error. The
JeAvs could not accomplish the death of Christ, with
out counsels, stratagems, and subornations, "deep"
and dark as hell itself: all which trouble they might
have saved themselves at once, by believing on bim.
The case is the same with virtue and vice ; and ho
nesty is the readiest, as Avell as the best policy.
7- But God shall shoot at them with an arrozv ;
suddenly shall they be zvounded. 8. So they shall
make their ozvn tongue to fall upon themselves: all
that see them shall flee azvay.
While the enemies ofthe "Just One" were shoot
ing in secret at him, he that dAvelleth in the heaA'ens
was levelling an arroAv at them, and one which would
not feil to take place. It accordingly did so ; and
the direful imprecations of " their own tongues fell,"
in unexampled vengeance, on the heads of them, and
their children, Avho continued to justify the deeds of
their fathers. All Avould "flee away" from the pu
nishment of Jerusalem; let all, then, depart from
the sins which occasioned it.
9. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the

366 A COMMENTARY Psal. 64,
work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his
doing. It is remarkable that the desolation of the once
holy and beloved city filled " all men Avith fear" and
astonishment, forcing them to acknowledge and
" declare" it to be the " work of God." Even Titus,
the Roman emperor, confessed, that he had fought,
and conquered, by the favour, and under the direc
tion, of Heaven. O that men would " wisely con-
" sider" of this, and other wonderful works of the
Almighty !
10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and
shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall
glory. As sorrow, sooner or later, will be the portion of
Messiah's enemies, so joy is the high privilege of his
friends and disciples. The "righteous" man alone
can be truly " glad," because he alone can be glad
"in the Lord" Jesus, the object of all his confi
dence. There was light in Goshen, when darkness
covered the Egyptians; the Christian church drank
the cup of salvation, when that of vengeance wa3
mingled for Jerusalem; and Avhen the empire of
Satan shall fall, heaven will resound Avith halle
lujahs.

Day 12. e.k ON THE PSALMS. 361
TWELFTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM LXV.
ARGUMENT.
In this verj' lovely song of Sion, the prophet treats,.
1. of the praise due to Jehovah, for, 2. his mercy
in hearing the prayers of his servants, and, 3. in
redeeming them from their sins ; 4. he declareth*
the blessedness of the elect in Christ their head ;
5. predicteth the wonderful things which God
would do for the salvation of men, by that pOAver
which, 6, 7- established the mountains, and con
fined the sea within its bounds ; 8. foretelleth the
conversion of the nations ; and, 9 — -13. describeth
the blessed effects of the Spirit poured out upon
the church, under the figure of rain, descending
upon a dry ground.
1. Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion; and
unto thee shall the vow be performed.
The obligations of " praise and thanksgiving" were
formerly offered, and all " vows" Avere paid, in the
temple on mount " Sion." At Jerusalem was per
formed the promise of man's redemption by the sa
crifice of the Son of God ; since which event, and
the call of the Gentiles, the Christian church has
been the holy city and temple. In our communion,
we are to offer up our devotions, and to perform the

368 A COMMENTARY Psal. 65.
voav made in baptism ; until Ave come to the heavenly
Sion, to pay our vows, with the church triumphant, in
everlasting hymns of praise.
2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all
flesh come.
The prophet here foretels, that, on account of
God's mercy, in hearing the prayers of his people,
" flesh," that is, all mankind, out of every nation,
should " come", at his gracious call, and make their
supplications before him in his church. And to Avhom
should " all flesh come," but to him that " heareth
prayer r
3. Iniquities prevail against me ; as for our trans
gressions, thou shalt purge them azvay.
The chief subject of the prayers, made by all flesh
to God, is the forgiveness of sin; in order to which
it must be confessed. The verse, therefore, consist-
eth of two parts. First, an acknoAvledgement of guilt,.
" Iniquities prevail against me;" like Avhereunto is
St. Paul's complaint, " O wretched man that I am ;
"who shall deliver me from this body of death!"
The second part of the verse intimates an assurance
of pardon, through the blood of the Lamb. "As
" for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away;"
exactly corresponding to the answer, which the
apostle returneth to himself; " I thank God, through
" Jesus Christ our Lord:" Rom. vii. 25.
4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and
causest to approach unto thee, that he may dzeell in
thy courts : zee shall be satisfied zvith the goodness qf
thy house, even of thy holy temple.
Blessed are they who are chosen out of the world.

Day 12. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 3-69
and admitted to the privileges of the church; still
more blessed are they, Avho are chosen out of the
congregation to stand continually in the presence of
God, and to minister in his courts ; but blessed,
above all blessing and praise, is the man Christ Jesus,
elect, precious, chosen of God to be an high priest
for ever ; to make intercession for his people in the
courts of heaven; that Avhere he is, they may be
also. Then shall Ave indeed be satisfied with the
" pleasures of thy house, O Lord, even of thy holy
" temple." 5. By terrible, or, wonderful, things in righteous
ness zvilt thou anszver us, O God qf our salvation;
who art the confidence qf all the ends ofthe earth,
and of them that are afar off* upon- the sea.
The ancient church foretelleth, that God would
" answer" her prayers for the coming pf Messiah,
" by AA*onderful things in righteousness;" Avhichwas
brought to pass, by the death and resurrection of
Christ, the overthroAv of idolatry, and the conversion
of the nations. Then " the God of salvation" be
came " the confidence of all the ends of die earth,"
and the inhabitants of the most distant " island" be
lieved in Jesus. By " Avonderful tilings in righteous-
" ness," will the prayers ofthe church, which iioav is,
be ansAvered at the second manifestation of the Son
of God, in the glory of his Father.
6*. Which by his strength settethfast the moun
tains being girded zvith pozver : 7- Whick stilleth the
noise of the seas, the noise of their zvaves, and the
tumult of the people.
That poAver which originally fixed the foundations
vol, ir, 2 b

370 A COMMENTARY Psal. 65.
of the " mountains," and which, from time to time,
controls the " waves" of the sea, is engaged in the
support and preservation of the church ; and will
never suffer the " waves" of this troublesome world
( to overwhelm the " mountain ofhis holiness."
8. Tliey also that dzvell in the uttermost parts are
afraid at thy tokens; thou makest the outgoings qf
the morning and evening to rejoice.
The " tokens," or signs, mentioned in this verse,
are the exertions of divine power and mercy, called
above, " wonderful things in righteousness;" which,
at the publication of the Gospel, produced a saving
" fear" of God among the nations, " dwelling in the
" uttermost parts ofthe earth." " The isles," saith
Isaiah on the same occasion, " saw it, and feared;
" the ends of the earth were afraid ; they drew near
" and came :" Isa. xii. 5. And then it was, that
" the outgoings of the morning and evening," all the
inhabitants of the earth, as many as experienced the
sweet vicissitudes of day and night, of morning and
evening, were " made to rejoice" in God their Sa
viour; Avhose name was praised, from the. rising to
the setting sun.
9. Thou visit est the earth, and waterest it: thou
greatly enrichest it zvith the river of God, Avhich is
full of water: thou preparest them com, when thou
hast so provided for it; or, for so thou hast establish
ed, or, constituted, it. J
Under the beautiful image of a once barren and
dry land, rendered fruitful by kindly showers of rain,
turning dearth into plenteousness, are represented
here (as in Isa. xxxv. and numberless other places)

Day 12. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 371
the gracious " visitation" of the church by the_ Spirit;
the " riches" of grace and mercy, poured upon the
hearts of men, from the exhaustless " river of God ;"
and the bountiful provision made thereby, for the
relief of that spiritual famine which had been sore
in all lands. Seelsa.lv. 10. Rev. xxii. 1. Amos,
viii. 11.
10. Thou zvaterest the 7'idges thereof abundantly :
tkou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft
with shozvers: tkou blessest the springing thereof.
After the ground is ploughed up, the former rain,
descending upon the "ridges," and into the " fur-
" rows," dissolveth the parts of the earth, and so
fitteth it for the purposes of vegetation, whenever the
seed shaft be cast into it : then cometh the latter rain,
to assist, and to " bless the springing" and increase
thereof, unto a joyful harvest. Thus doth the good
Spirit of God both prepare the hearts of his people
for the reception of the word, and also enable them
to bear fruit, bringing forth " some an hundred fold,
" some sixty, some thirty." Matt. xiii. 23.
11. Thou crozvnest the year with thy goodness ; and
thy paths, or, clouds, or, heavens, drop fatness.
The herbs, fruits, and flowers, produced by the
earth, are here finely represented, as a beautifully
variegated " crown," set upon her head, by the hands
of her great Creator; at Avhose command, the hea
vens, by collecting and distilling the drops of rain,
impregnate her, and make her the parent of terres
trial blessings. It is the same God who will crown
with everlasting goodness the acceptable year, the
year of his redeemed; Avhen the Spirit shall have
2 b 2

372 A COMMENTARY Psal. 65.
accomplished his work ; Avhen God shall be glorified
in his saints; and heaven, as well as earth, shall be
full of the goodness of Jehovah.
12* They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness ;
and the little hills rejoice on every side ; or, are gird
ed about zvith gladness.
As the rain, which descendeth from heaven, caus
eth even the barren Avilderness to become a green
pasture, and investeth the naked hills with the gar
ments of joy and gladness ; so the Spirit, when pour
ed out from on high upon the Gentile world, con
verted that " wilderness" into a " fruitful field;"
Avhile the churches, there rising on all sides, like little
fertile "hills, rejoiced" Avith joy unspeakable, and
full of glory. See Isa, xxxii. 15. xxxv. 1, 2.
13. The pastures are clothed zvith flocks ; the
valleys also are covered over zvith corn ; they shout
for joy, they also sing.
The happy effects of God's visiting the earth Avith
rain, are valleys covered with corn, verdant meads,
and thriving flocks. All these ideas, in the prophet
ical Scriptures, are frequently transferred to the
times of refreshment and consolation, of peace and
fruitfulness, in the church ; which breaks forth into
joy, in the one case, as the world is always ready to
do, in the other. Manifold and marvellous, O Lord,
are thy works, Avhether of nature or of grace ; surely,
in wisdom and loving kindness hast thou made them
all ; the earth, in every sense, is full of thy riches !

Day 12. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 37B

PSALM LXVI.
ARGUMENT.
In this Psalm the prophet, 1, 2. exciteth all the
world to sing the praises of God ; 3, 4. die pQAvcr
and universality of his kingdom; 5 — 12. the de
liverance of the church from various afflictions and
temptations; for Avhich, 13 — -15. Ave are to offer
the sacrifices which had been A'owed; 16 — 19.
to declare the mercies and loving kindnesses of the
Lord tOAvards us ; and, 20. to bless his holy name
continually. 1. Make a joyful. noise unto God, all ye lands, or,
all the earth: 2. Sing forth the honour qfkis name;
make his praise glorious.
" The holy church, throughout all the world," is
here called upon to lift up her voice, like the jubilee
trumpet of old, in thanksgiving; to celebrate that
name, which is above every name ; and to make
the praise of Jesus glorious, both by Avord and
deed ; that so others, hearing our voices, and
seeing our Avorks, may be led to glorify him, in like
manner. 3. Say unto God, Hozv terrible art thou in thy
zvorks! through the greatness of thy power shall
thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
The subjects proposed are the various and awful
manifestations of divine " pOAver;" of that power
which made, and Avhich continues to support, the

574 A COMMENTARY Psal. 66.
world ; which overthrows, and raises up, empires ;
which subverted the kingdom of Satan, established
that of Christ, and caused its enemies either to re
linquish, or dissemble their hostility. . Happy the
man, whose heart and affections unfeignedly " sub-
" mit themsehes" to the sceptre of Messiah !
4. All tke earth shall zvorship thee, and shall sing
unto thee; they shall sing to thy name.
What David spake in the future, the church now
speaketh in the present, tense — " All the earth doth
" worship thee, the Father everlasting — Day by day
" Ave magnify thee ; and we worship thy name ever
" Avorld Avithout end." A day is coming Avhen this
shall be the case, in an unlimited sense of the words ;
when Jews and Gentiles, quick and dead, heaven
and earth, shall compose one perfect and truly har
monious choir.
5. Come, and see the works of God : he is terrible
in his doing toward the children of men. 6. He turn
ed the sea into dry land: they zvent through the flood
on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
The prophet, after inviting men to contemplate
" the works of God," sets before them, for that pur
pose, two great miracles Avrought for Israel ; namely,
the division of the Red Sea, and that of the river
Jordan ; by the former they escaped Egypt, by the
latter they entered Canaan. Under these two figu
rative transactions, the Christian church beholds,
and, in the words which describe them, she celebrates,
two corresponding Avorks of mercy wrought for her;
namely, the deliverance of her children from the do
minion of sin, by the vraters of baptism; and their

Day 12. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 375
admission into the kingdom of heaven, through the
grave and gate of death. If the Israelites rejoiced in
God their Saviour, for the former blessings, much
more, surely, ought we so to do, for the latter.
7- He ruleth by his pozverfor ever; his eyes behold
tke nations: let not the rebellious, or, the rebellious
shall not, exalt themselves.
The uncontrollable sovereignty, and superintend
ing providence of our God and King, are topics on
which Ave should ever delight to dwell. Establish,
O Lord, thy kingdom Avithin us, and suffer not
our " rebellious" passions to "exalt themselves"
against it.
8. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice
of his praise to be heard: 9 IVho holdeth our sold in
I'ffe, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
But chiefly are Ave bound to " bless " and " praise "
God, for that goodness and mercy, by which our
feet are turned back from the Avays of death, placed
in the path of " life," and enabled to walk therein,
without falling into perdition; until, having finished
our pilgrimage in the Avorld, we lie down in peace,
and our flesh resteth sweetly in hope.
10. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast
tried us, as silver is tried.
Notwithstanding the mercy of God, and the salva
tion wrought for us, we are here taught to expect
affliction and tribulation ; which indeed are oftentimes
necessary; for, having in our composition a mixture
of the earth from whence Ave came, with a base alloy
of concupiscence, we stand as much in need of ad
versity, as metals, in like circumstances, do of the

376 A COMMENTARY Psal. 66.
fire, to refine and purify our tempers. Try us, O
God; but enable us to stand the trial!
11. Thou broughtest us into the net ; thou laidst
affliction upon our loins. 12. Tkou hast caused men
to ride over our heads; zve zvcnt through fire and
zvater ; but thou broughtest us into a zvealthy place.
Various calamities are here mentioned, Avhich God
suffers to fall upon his people. As first, their being
" brought into the net," or ensnared and taken cap
tive by their enemies, whom they had not power to
resist or escape. Secondly, " affliction upon the
" loins," or hard servitude under heavy burdens.
Thirdly, " men riding over their heads," or the ma
nifold oppressions of persecuting tyrants, trampling
them under their feet, like war-horses in the day of
battle. Fourthly, passing " through fire and Avater,"
or troubles of different, and contrary kinds, though
alike deadly and destructive. But he who brought
Israel from among the brick-kilns of Egypt, and
through the waters of the Red Sea, and the river
Jordan, into the promised rest, will bring us safely
through every fiery trial, and through the Avaves of a
troublesome Avorld, to the laud of everlasting peace
and comfort.
13. Izaill go into thine house zvith burnt offerings;
I will pay thee my vozvs, 14. Which my lips have ut
tered, and my mouth hatk spoken, when I was in
trouble. 15. I zvill qffrer unto thee burnt sacrifices
of fadings, zvith the incense of rams; I will offer
bullocks zvith goats,
Under the Gospel, the obligation of " going to
" the house of God," and there " paying voavs,"

Day 12. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 377
still continues; but the "offerings" are changed.
The legal sacrifices have been abolished by the obla
tion of the body of Christ once for all. This obla
tion is commemorated in the eucharist; at the cele
bration of Avhich, Ave now offer up our prayers and
praises, ourselves, our souls and bodies, a reasonable,
holy, and lively sacrifice, acceptable to God, in the
name and through the merits of tbe Redeemer. These
offerings, if voAved in the seasons of sickness and
sorroAv, should be paid in the days of health and
gladness. 1 6. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I
zvill declare zohat he hath done for my soul.
Every man should be ready, like David, to cele
brate the mercies of God vouchsafed to him. It is
a debt of gratitude to his Saviour, Avho is glorified;
and a debt of charity to his brethren, who are edified
thereby; provided only, that it be done witli so
briety and humility.
17. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he zvas
extolled zvith my tongue.
The mean by which Ave obtain salvation, is faith;
which, as it showeth us both our disease and our
physician, inclineth us to pray to the latter for a cure
of the former. Prayer is one gift of God; and
every other gift is obtained by it.
18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me.
The prayer, which is " heard," is the prayer of
the penitent, heartily grieved and wearied with sin,
hating, and longing to be delivered from it. For
God heareth not hypocrites, who, while they out-

378 A COMMENTARY Psal. 67.
wardly disavow, yet imvardly " regard " and cherish
" iniquity;" from which every one, who nameth the
name of Christ, ought to depart.
19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath at
tended to the voice qf my prayer.
David was heard, when God delivered him from
his enemies, and set him on the throne of Israel:
Christ Avas heard, when God raised him from the
dead, and exalted him to the right hand of the Ma
jesty in the heavens : and every man is heard, when
God raises him from sin to righteousness, as an
earnest of his future resurrection from dust to glory.
Let every such man praise the Lord, and say, with
David, in the last verse of our Psalm,
20. Blessed be God, zeho hatk not turned away my
prayer, nor his mercy from me.
PSALM LXVII.
ARGUMENT.
In this evangelical Psalm, the Israelitish church is
introduced as partly praying for, and partly fore
telling, the advent of Christ, and the conversion of
the nations, with the joy and gladness that should
be consequent thereupon. The Christian church
now uses, and will continue to use, the Psalm, with
propriety, until the fulness of the Gentiles shall
be come in, the conversion of the Jews effected,
and Christ shall appear the second time, finally to
accomplish the salvation of his chosen.

Day 12. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 379
1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and
cause his face to shine upon us.
The Israelitish church, by the mouth of the pro
phet, expresseth her ardent desire after Messiah's
advent, and appearance in the flesh; she prayeth,
that God Avould be " merciful unto her," as he had
promised; that, by so doing, he would " bless " her
with the blessings of pardon and peace, of grace and
glory; and, in one word, that he Avould " cause his
" face to shine upon her " by the rising of the Sun
of Righteousness, making her to behold the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ, reviving her Avith
the glad tidings of the Gospel, and enlightening her
with the light of salvation.
2. That thy way may be knozvn upon earth, thy
saving health among all nations.
Nor was she studious, as her degenerate children
have since been, to confine the favour of heaven
within her own pale. If she had a good Avish for
herself, she had one likewise for others ; and therefore
prayed, that the " Avay " to life eternal might be
" known," not in JeAvry alone, but over all the
" earth ;" and that the virtues of that salutary medi
cine, which was able to restore health and vigour to
the deceased and languishing spirits of men, might be
published "among all nations."
3. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all tke
people praise thee.
As if she had said — Hitherto, indeed, blessed
Lord, thou hast thought fit to make me the guardian
and keeper of that great deposit, thy true religion,

380 A COMMENTARY Psal. 67.
from which the nations revolted, and fell ; but the
time is coming, Avhen, by the Gospel of thy dear
Son, they shall again be called to the knoAvledge of
thee. Thy glory, impatient, as it Avere, of any longer
restraint, and demanding a larger sphere, shall diffuse
itself, like the light of heaven, to the ends of the
world. Hasten, then, O hasten the daAvning of that
happy day, Avhen congregations of converted Gentiles
shall every Avhere lift up their voices, and, perhaps in
the Avords of this very Psalm, sing to thy praise and
glory! 4. O kl the nations be glad, and sing for joy : for
thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern
the nations upon earth.
And a very sufficient cause, surely, is here assign
ed, Avhy the " nations " should " be glad, and sing
" for joy," upon the erection of Messiah's kingdom
in the midst of them; namely, because* he would
" judge the people righteously;" breaking the yoke
of tlie oppressor, and the iron rod of the prince of
this Avorld ; becoming himself an advocate in the
cause of his church; introducing her into the glo
rious liberty of the children of God, whose service
is perfect freedom ; and, Avith a sceptre, around
Avhich justice and mercy are Avreathed together, " go-
" verning the nations upon earth."
5. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all tke
people praise thee. Chorus repeated, as above, ver. 3.
6. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and
God, even our ozvn God, shall bless us.
Then, Avhen that long-expected time shall arrive,

Day 12. r. p. ON THE PSALMS. 3S1
" the earth shall yield her increase;" the nations of
the Avorld shall be converted to the faith, and become
fruitful in every good Avord and Avork, through the
benediction of heaven upon them*.
7 . God shall bless us ; and all the ends of the earth
shall fear him.
The evangelical " blessings," predicted in this
Psalm, have been long since poured out upon " the
" ends of the earth," by the bountiful hand of God ,
in Christ. Let us beseech him to add yet this to all
his other mercies, that, in return for such unmerited
favours, the redeemed may have grace evermore to
pay him the tribute of fear and obedience, of duty
and love.

THIRTEENTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM LXVIII.
ARGUMENT.
This beautiful, sublime, and comprehensive, but very
difficult, Psalm, is one of those which the church
has appointed to be used on Whit-sunday. It
seems evidently to have been composed on that
festive and joyful occasion, the removal of the ark
to mount Sion. See 2 Sam. vi. 1 Chron. xvf".
* Universe gentes ad Deum convertentur, et electi abunda-
bunt bonis operibus, rerumque omnium copia. Bossuet.
t The argument seems to be, a prognostication of success to
David and the kingdom of Israel, and victory over their enemies,

382 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
Under this figure, David, foreseeing the exaltation
of Messiah, speaks of him, whom he describes,
1, 2. as arising, and vanquishing his enemies;
3 — 6. as causing the faithful to rejoice, and show
ing mercy to the afflicted; 7 — 15. as bringing his
church out of bondage, supporting her in the
world by the Word and the Spirit, purging away
her corruptions, and subduing her adversaries ;
the ground work being laid in the history of the
Egyptian deliverance, the Manna and, the Law
given in the Avilderness, and the overthroAv of the
Canaanitish nations. 16 — 20. David returns to
the scene before him, celebrates the ascension of
Christ with power and great glory, to the heavenly
Sion, and the gifts he should from thence pour
down upon men; 21 — 23. foretels the" vengeance
he would take on his opposers; 24 — 28. sets forth
in consequence of the manifestation of the especial presence of
God on mount Sion, and by his power exerted in their favour.
In the mystical sense, which is authorized by St. Paul, Eph. iv. 8.
it is, according to Vitringa, " Ascensio Christi in coelos, et sessio
" ad dextram Patris, et illius effecta, quae sunt collectio et conser-
" vatio ecclesiae, ac destructio hqstium sibi et ecclesia; adverso-
" rum." Bishop Lowth, in Merrick's Annotations. Dr. Chand
ler, in his " Critical History of the Life of David," has given
an admirable exposition of the literal, or historical, sense of this
Psalm, and a very ingenious division of it into five parts, founded
on the supposition of its being performed at the removal of the
ark. The author has been greatly assisted, in the ensuing com
ment, by the Doctor's exposition, and the reader will find the
division of the Psalm inserted.

Day 13. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 383
the order of the church in her services; 29 — 31.
predicts the conversion of the nations; all of
Avhom, 32 — 35. he exhorts to unite in chanting
forth the praises of their God and Saviour.
1. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; lei
them also that hate him, flee before him.
These words were used by Moses, Avhenever the
ark set forward before the armies of Israel, in their
progress toward Canaan : Numb. x. 35. David,
in like manner, uses them in this triumphal hymn, on
the removal of the ark to the city of Zion : 1 Chron.
xiii. and xv. Dr. Chandler supposes this part of
the Psalm, from ver. 1 . to ver. 6. inclusive, to have
been sung, when the ark was taken up on the should
ers of the Levites. The church now celebrates, in
the same terms, the substance of the foregoing
shadows; she sings the praises of her Redeemer,
rising from the dead, and preceding the Israel of
God, to the true land of promise; when " his ene-
" mies," the poAvers of darkness, sin, and death,
" Avere scattered, and they that hated him fled before
" him." And the Christian, in the hour of tempta
tion, will always find this verse a most powerful and
profitable ejaculation.
2. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away ;
as wax melteth before the fire, so let the zvicked perish
at the presence of God.
* The sudden and utter destruction of the enemies
of God, and of his people, is resembled, first, to the
dissipation of " smoke," which, though it rises from
the earth in black and tremendous clouds, is by the

384 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
Avind presently brought to nothing; secondly, to the
melting of " Avax," Avhich though, to appearance, of
a firm and solid consistence, yet, when held to the
fire for a few minutes, dissolves, and makes no more
resistance. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord,
witiiin us. Let our vain imaginations be dispersed
before thy Spirit, and our corruptions melt and die
away, at the presence of thy light and thy truth.
3. But let the righteous be glad: let them rejoice
before God; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
A variety of expressions is used in the HebreAA', to
denote the festive " joy " and " delight " with which
the righteous celebrate the triumphs of their God over
his and their enemies, under each dispensation respect
ively. When the heart is full of these sensations, it
has no desire to resort to the world for pleasure.
4. Sing unto God, sing praises unto kis name:
extol him that rideth upon the heavens, by his name
j ah, and rejoice before kirn.
The prophet exhorts the people of God to mag
nify, Avith psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs,
the eternal and incommunicable " name " of him
" Avho Avas, and is, and is to, come;" who, deriving
being from none, gives it to all; and Avho, as Re
deemer ofhis people, is exalted above the " heavens,"
and all the powers therein ; above the gods of the
nations; acknoAvledged and glorified ' by saints and
angels ; feared and trembled at by ungodly men, and
evil spirits*.
* The idea of " riding on the heavens," furnished by our trans
lation, is here followed, because o'ntrn naiV in the 33d verse,
seems to be exactly parallel. But bishop Lowth, Mr. Merrick,

Day 13. M. p. ON THE PSALMS. 385
5. A father qf tke fatherless, and a judge of the
widows, is God in his holy habitation.
After a description of God's " majesty," the
Psalmist proceeds to make mention of his " mercy "
towards the afflicted Israelites, Avho had suffered so
much, in Egypt, and in the wilderness. The cause
of the " fatherless and AvidoAV " he takes into his
OAvn hands. But never did he do this in so full and
extensive a manner, as Avhen, by becoming man, he
betrothed the church to himself in righteousness, and
became a father to her fatherless children.
6. God sett eth the solitary in families; he bringeth
out those zvhich are bound in chains; but the rebellious
dwell in a dry land.
The " solitary," or destitute, in this verse, are the
same persons Avith the " fatherless and widoiv," in the
foregoing ; those, as Dr. Chandler observes, Avhose
fathers and families had been destroyed' in Egypt, or
fallen in the Avilderness; who, therefore, were left
alone, destitute of help. These God afterwards
" made to sit doAvn in families," blessed them Avith a
numerous progeny, and the peaceable enjoyment of
domestic felicity. Thus hath since been manifested
the same tender care of Heaven, in calling home the
Avretched outcasts among the nations, and admitting
them into the holy and happy family of the children
and Dr. Chandler rende rnmM Hib 1^3, " Prepare the way for
" him who rideth through the deserts," i. e. who rode upon the
cherubim, through the wilderness; alluding to the passage of" the
ark. This construction seems most agreeable to the common
usage of the words employed in the original. Either way, the
idea is truly great and sublime.
VOL. II. 2 C

3S6 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
of God. Another instance of God's mercy, men
tioned in this verse, is that he " bringeth out those
" which are bound Avith chains," delivering his people
from a spiritual, as he once did Israel from a tem
poral bondage. " But the rebellious," the ungodly
and impenitent, " dwell in a dry land," in a spiritual
desert, Avhere no waters of life, of comfort, and sal
vation flow. Such is the state of the rebellious Jews
at this day, like that of their murmuring predecessors
in the wilderness. This allusion, says bishop LoAvth,
to the deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, and
the destruction of the murmurers in the desert, brings
in, Avith great ease, the full subject of the Exodus, in
the next verse.
7- O God, .when thou zventest forth before thy
people; when thou didst march through the zvilder-
ness: 8. The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at
the presence of God; even Sinai itsefwa,s moved at
the presence qf God, the God qf Israel.
This part of the Psalm, from ver. 7. to ver. 14. is
the second, in Dr. Chandler's division. It is sup
posed to have been sung when the procession began,
and to have lasted till mount Sion Avas in view. The
prophet goes back to commemorate the wonders
wrought for Israel, when Jehovah, by his presence in
the cloudy pillar, conducted them through the wilder
ness : when, descending to deliver the laAv, he bowed
the heavens, and shook the earth, and caused Sinai to
quake from its foundations. The Christian church,
singing this Psalm on the day of Pentecost, comme
morates, under these terms and figures, her redemp
tion from the spiritual Egypt, by the resurrection of

t)AY 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 337
Jesus, with mighty signs and wonders, and the suc
ceeding delivery of the new law from mount Sion,
after the descent of the Holy Spirit; by which the
old Jewish dispensation was shaken and removed, to
make Avay for one that should last for ever. See Heb,
xii. 18 — 28.
9- Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful, Heb. a
free, liberal, or, gracious, rain, zvhereby thou didst '
confirm thine inheritance, zvhen it zvas zveary.
As the heavens, at the command of God, rained
doivii manna, &c. to strengthen and refresh the well
nigh famished people, in the Avilderness; so, by
the descent of the Spirit from above, bringing with
him the word of life, the church, in her infant and
languid state, Avas mightily confirmed and invigo
rated. 10. Thy congregation hath dzvelt therein: thou, O
God, hast prepared qf thy goodness for the poor.
In the former verse, the Psalmist tells us, that God
hath confirmed, refreshed and revived, his inheritance,
by the plentiful, and as it Avere voluntary, shoAvers of
bread and flesh, that he rained down upon them. In
these Avords, Dr. Chandler apprehends, he speaks of
the manner, as w-ell as abundance of the food thus
given them; and renders the verse thus — " *jn'n, Thy
" food, or, As to thy food," the food which thou
gavest, them, " na iaw> They dwelt in the midst of it;
" thou didst prepare, O God, by thy goodness, for
" the poor." Thus the history informs us, that the
marina covered by the dew " lay round about the
" host;" and that the quails were " let fall by the
" camp, about a day's journey on one side, arid a
2 C 2

388 A COMMENTARY Psal. 63.
" day's journey on the other, round about the camp :"
Exod. xvi. 13. Numb. xi. 31. This was . literally
" dAvelling in the midst of the food God had provided
" them." By the ministration of the word and sa
craments, in the Christian church, the true manna,
the bread which cometh down, with the deAv of God's
blessing, from heaven, is continually furnished, for
the nourishment of those Avho " hunger and thirst
" after righteousness." It " falls round about the
" camp," and, "as to this thy food, O God," wre,
thy favoured people, have the happiness to " dwell in
" the midst of it:" thus " thou hast prepared, of thy
" goodness, for the poor in spirit."
1 1. The Lord gave the word; great was, the com
pany qf those that published it.
He Avho supplied his people Avith food in the Avil-
derness, enabled them likewise to vanquish the nu
merous enemies that opposed them in their passage
through it, the Amalekites, the Amorites, the Midian
ites, the Moabites, &c. With respect to all these
enemies, "the Lord gave the word." The Israelites
engaged them, by his order, see Numb. xxi. 34. xxv.
17- and, under his conduct and blessing, obtained
the victory over them. When the enemies of man's
salvation were vanquished by the resurrection of
Christ, and the Heathen nations were to own his power,
again " the Lord gave the word." It was published,
at first, by apostles, confessors, and martyrs, and hath
been since published continually, by all the churches,
who celebrate in their services the victories of their
Redeemer; as in old time, prophets and prophetesses,
Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Deborah, and others, with

Day 13. m. P. ON THE PSALMS. 389
the armies of Israel, sang triumphal songs, on occa
sion of temporal, but figurative conquests.
12. * Kings zvith their armies did flee apace: Heb.
fled azvay, fied azvay : and she that tarried at home
divided tke spoil.
When God, by the hand of Moses and his suc
cessor Joshua, led his people, through the Avilderness,
into the land of promise, the kings of Canaan, with
their mighty hosts, Avere discomfited ; and the Avomen
of Israel, Avho " tarried at home, divided the spoil "
of their vanquished enemies. After the conquest of
the Midianites, as Dr. Chandler observes, God or-
t
dered the prey to be divided between them w ho went
out on that expedition, and the rest of the congrega
tion Avho continued in their tents : Numb. xxxi. 27.
Thus, in the spiritual war, apostles, confessors, and ¦
martyrs, Avent out to the battle, fought and conquer
ed; Avhile the benefits of the victory extended to
thousands and millions, avIio, Avithout being exposed
to their conflicts and torments, have enjoyed the fruit
of their labours.
13. Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall
ye be as the wings of a dove covered zvith silver, and
her feathers zvith yellozv gold.
By "lying among the potsf," or in "dust and
* Bishop Lowth thinks with Dr. Hammond, that this verse
was the Song, sung by the choir, mentioned in the verse preceding.
Dr. Chandler adds the next verse to it.
f My worthy and learned friend, Mr. Parkhurst, in his Hebrew
Lexicon, gives the following account of the word O'nstw (derived
from nsttf, to put or set any thing in order) — rows of stones,
" on which the caldrons or pots were placed. Lying among these

390 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
" ashes," is evidently denoted a state of affliction
and wretchedness, like that of Israel in Egypt, which
was exchanged for one of the utmost dignity and
splendour, in Canaan ; one as different from the for
mer, as a caldron, discoloured by smoke and soot,
is from the bright and beautiful plumage of an east
ern dove,- glistering interchangeably, as with silver
and gold. Thus the church of Christ emerged from
a state of persecution and tribulation, into one of
splendour and magnificence. And such is the change
made in the spiritual condition of any man, when he
passes from the bondage of corruption, into the glo
rious liberty of the sons of God ; he is invested aa ith
the robe of righteousness, and adorned with the
graces of the Spirit of holiness.
14. When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it
was Avhite as snozv in Salmon.
The purport of this difficult verse seems to be,
that all was white as snow, i. e. all was brightness,
joy, and festivity, about mount Salmon, imbyi ibwn
when the Almighty, fighting for his people Israel,
vanquished their enemies, na, in or about that part
of the country.
15. The kill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an
high hill, as the hill of Bashan.
When the ark came in view of mount Sion, the
place of its fixed residence for the future, and pro
bably when they began to ascend it, Dr. Chandler
».
" denotes the. most abject slavery ; for this was the place of rest
" allotted to the vilest slaves." So our translators render it, in
the margin of Ezek. xl. 43. Dr. Chandler adopts the same in
terpretation of the word.

Day 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 391
apprehends, this and the two folloAving verses Avere
sung. And if these Avords be read Avith an interro
gation, he conceives they Avill appear suitable to the
occasion, and Avorthy of the genuine spirit of poetry.
" The hill of God," that hill which God hath chosen
to inhabit, "is it the hill of Bashan, the hill with
" its craggy eminences, the hill of Bashan?" Bashan
may boast of its proud eminences, its high summits;
but is that the hill where God will fix his residence?
The prophet speaks of Bashan Avith contempt and
disdain, in comparison of Sion. And this agrees
Avell with Avhat immediately follows—
16\ If hy leap ye, or, why look ye, askance with
envy, ye high hills? This is the hill Avhich God de-
sireth to dzvell in; yea, the Lord zvill abide in it for
ever. The Psalmist, in commemorating God's former
mercies and loving kindnesses, having been led to
mention the towering hills of Salmon and Bashan,
by a masterly transition, suddenly resumes his original
subject, Avith a beautiful apostrophe to those moun
tains, letting them know, that however proudly they
might lift up their heads aboA'e the rest, or, in the
language of poetry, "look askance va i th envy," on
mount Sion, yet this Avas the mount, which Jehovah
had determined to honour Avith his special presence ;
thither he Avas now ascending, with the ark of his
strength; and there, between the cherubims, in the
place prepared for him, he Avould " dwell for ever ;"
till the Avhole dispensation Avould be at an end, till the
glory of the Lord should be revealed in human na
ture ; till God should be manifest in the flesh; and,

302 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
the true tabernacle and temple should succeed the
typical. After that, the privileges of Sion were
transferred to the Christian church; she became, and,
while the world lasts, will continue to be, the " hill
" in Avhich God delighteth to dAvell:" she will there
fore be justly entitled to the pre-eminence over all
that may seem to be great and glorious in the
Avorld. 17- The chariots of God are tzeenty thousand, even
thousands of angels, or, thousands repeated: the Lord
is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place, or, Sinai
is in the sanctuary.
The Psalmist, in the preceding verse, had declared
Sion to be the habitation of Jehovah. In this verse
is described the majesty and magnificence of his ap
pearance there, as a mighty conqueror of the ene
mies of his people, riding upon the cherubim, as in
a triumphal chariot, Avith all the hosts of heaven, as
it were in his retinue. Thus God descended on Si
nai, Avith the fire, the cloud, and the glory; thus he
manifested himself, when taking possession of " the
" holy place " prepared for him in Sion ; 2 Chron. v.
13.; and in some such manner Ave may suppose king
Messiah to have entered heaven at his ascension,
Avhen he went up in the clouds, with power and great
glory, and all the attendant spirits joined his train,
rejoicing to minister to their Lord, and increase the
pomp and splendour of that glorious day.
18. Thou hast ascended on high ; thou hast ltd cap
tivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men; yea,
for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell
among them.

Day 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 3y3
When the ark had ascended mount Sion, and was
deposited in the place assigned for it, the singers are
supposed, by Dr. Chandler, to have proceeded with
this part of the Psalm, in which they celebrate the
ascension of their God and King, by the symbol of
his presence, to the heights of Sion, after having sub
dued their enemies, and enriched his people Avith the
spoil of the vanquished, and the gifts of the tributary
nations ; of which much w as probably employed in
the service of the tabernacle, and afterwards in
building the temple, first designed by David, " that
" the Lord God might dwell," and have a fixed
permanent habitation, among his people. But this
whole transaction, like many others of old, being a
figurative one, the apostle, Ephes. iv. 8. has applied
the Avords before us to our blessed Saviour (the true
fARK, on Avhich the glory rested), Avho personally
ascended up to the highest heavens, " led captivity
" captive," by triumphing over his conquered enemies,
and having received gifts from his heavenly Father, as
tlie fruits of his victory, gave them unto men, as was
most conducive to the establishment of his church,
" that the Lord God might dwell among them,—
" Thou hast ascended on high;" Thou, O Christ,
who didst descend, from the right hand of the Majesty
in the heavens, to the lower parts of the eartli, art
again ascended, from the lower parts of the earth to
the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens : " thou
" hast led captivity captive ;" thou hast conquered the
conqueror, bound the strong one, redeemed human
nature from the grave, and triumphantly carried it,
Avith thee, to the throne of God; " thou hast re-
" ceived gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also;"

394 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
and, being thus ascended into thy glory, thou hast re
ceived of the Father the promise of the Spirit, with
all his gifts and graces, to bestow upon the sons of
men*; even upon such as heretofore have not only
broken thy laAvs, but appeared in arms against thee ;"
yet of such as these, converted by the power of thy
Gospel, Avilt thou form and establish a church ; " that
" the Lord God may dwell among them ;" that so,
of thy faithful people, gathered from all parts of the
world, may be built up a living temple, " an habita-
" tion of God through the Spirit;"
19. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us
with benefits: Heb. carries, or, supports us; even
the God qf our salvation. 20. He that is our God,
is the God of salvation: and unto God tke Lord
belong the issues- from death, Heb. the goings forth
to death, or, qf death.
The preceding survey of God's dispensations con
strained! the church to break out into an act of praise,
and to bless the preserver of men, the author of eter
nal "salvation;" in whose hands are the "goings
" forth of death;" in other words, who has " the
" keys of death and the grave;" Rev. i. 18. Avho is
possessed of power to confine, and to release ; to kill,
and to make alive.
* The Psalmist mentions these gifts as received : " Thou hast
" received gifts for men ;" the apostle, in his citation, showeth us
the end for which they were received : " He gave gifts unto men.''
Or rather, as the best critics have observed, in the Hebrew idiom,
to " take gifts for another," is the same as to " give them to
" another." Thus we read, 1 Kings, iii. 24. " Take me a sword;''
i. e. give, or bring it me. Gen. xviii. 5. " I will take a bit of
" bread ;" i. e. for you, or to give it you—" and comfort ye your
" hearts."

Day 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 395
21. But God shall wound the head of his enemies:
and the hairy scalp, or, crozen, of such an one as
goeth on still in his trespasses.
The meaning is— God shall strike deep, or exhaust
the blood of the head of his enemies, even the hairy
croAvn of him that goes on in his guilty practices;
where the emphasis consists in the description of
God's enemies, who were such as persevered in their
criminal actions. This verse begins a prediction of
that vengeance, Avhich the person, Avho Avas "ascend-
" ed on high," Avould infallibly execute upon his
impenitent enemies, and Avhich was shadoAved forth
in the destruction of the enemies of Israel, by David,
after that the ark of God was placed upon the hill
of Sion. See 2 Sam. viii. The expressions, "the
" head," and "the hairy croAvn," denote the princi
pal part, the strength, the pride, and the glory of the
adversary, Avhich was to be crushed, according to
the original sentence; " He shall bruise thy head."
Gen. iii. 15.
22. The Lord said, I zeill bring again from Ba
shan; I will bring my people again from the depths
qf the sea : 23. That thy foot may be dipped in the
blood of thine enemies: and the tongue of thy dogs in
the same.
Abner, in his conference Avith the elders of Israel,
to bring them over to David's interest, tells them,
" The Lord hath spoken of David, saying; By the
" hand of my servant DaA'id, I will save my people
" Israel, out of the hand of the Philistines, and out
" of the hand of all their enemies:" 2 Sam. iii. 18.
Thus Jehovah had promised to repeat in Israel, by

396 A COMMENTARY Psal. 63.
David, his glorious acts ; to work as signal victories
and deliverances for his people, as he had formerly
done in the field of Bashan, and at the Red Sea ;
when they saw their enemies dead at their feet. By
the glorious resurrection, and triumphant ascension
of king Messiah, hythe conquests ofthe Gospel, and
the unparalleled overthrow of its opposers, Avere
these figures realized, and these shadows changed
into substances.
24. They have seen thy goings, or, marches in
procession, O God; even the goings, or, marches, of
my God, my King, in, or, into the sanctuary,
When the ark Avas safely deposited, the sacrifices
Avere offered, the solemnity well-nigh concluded, and
the Avhole assembly about to return back, Dr. Chand
ler supposes the singers to have struck up, and joined
: in the remaining part of this noble anthem. These
words contain a sort of triumph, because this great
work of translating the ark was now so happily
accomplished. The people of Israel had a pledge
and earnest of those mighty things Avhich God
would do for them, by the joyful and victorious
manner in which, with the ark of his presence, he
had taken possession of the place prepared for him
on mount Sion, and gone " into the sanctuary." A
like pledge and earnest of her future enlargement
and exaltation, was the ascension of her Lord and
iiead to the Christian church.
<.¦.). The singers went before, tke players on instru-
m?ius followed after ; amongst them were the dam
sels playing zvith timbrels.
The joy and gladness expressed by David, and

Day 13. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 397
the house of Israel, Avhen in solemn procession, with
the sound of vocal and instrumental music, they
:' brought up the ark of Jehovah, and set it in its
'* place,"' 2 Sam. vi. 5. 15. 17. may be considered
as a prelude to that voice of universal exultation,
Avith which the Christian church, in her holy services,
doth noAv celebrate the resurrection and ascension of
her Redeemer.
26. Bless ye God in the congregations, even the
'Lord, from the fountain qf Israel.
" Bless ye God in J;he congregations ;" in this
form of words the Israelites are supposed, Avhen ac
companying the ark, to have reciprocally exhorted
and encouraged each other to exert their utmost
powers in the sacred employment of blessing and
thanking God: "even the Lord from the fountain
" of Israel :" the " fountain of Israel " is the same
witli the "stock, or family of Israel." See Isa. xlviii. 1.
The sense of this latter clause therefore is, " Bless
" the Lord, ye Avho are sprung from the stock of
" Israel;" thus is the duty of blessing and thanks
giving enforced on the congregations of the faithful,
in all ages.
27. There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the
princes of Judah, and their counsel, the princes of
Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
The literal rendering of this verse is — " There is
" little Benjamin their ruler, the princes of Judah
" their counsel, the princes of Zebulun, and the
" princes of Naphtali." In this enumeration of the
tribes of Israel, that Avere present at the removal of
the ark, four only are mentioned; Benjamin and Ju-

398 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
dah, who dwelt nearest to the city of David ; Zebu
lun and Naphtali, who were the farthest distant from
it; to show, as Dr. Chandler observes, the unani
mity of the whole nation, and of all the tribes far and
near, in attending this solemnity, to testify their
willing acknowledgement of David for their king, and
the city of David for their capital, where all the
great solemnities of religion should be performed,
and their annual festivals continually celebrated.
Benjamin, though the youngest tribe, is named first,
and called the " ruler ;" because from that tribe
sprang Saul, the first king of Israel. The attendance
of this tribe showed, that all envy and opposition to
David from Saul's party was at an end. Upon
David's accession to the crown, Judah became the
royal tribe, and supported the throne by its coun
sels. Zebulun and Naphtali were tribes of eminent
learning and knowledge. See Gen. xlix. 21. Judg.
v. 14. Thus, after the publication of the Gospel,
the nations flocked into the church, both those that
were near, and those that were afar off; power, wis
dom,* and learning, submitted themselves to the
kingdom, and conspired to set forth the glory of
Messiah. 28. Thy God hath commanded thy strength:
strengthen, O God, that which thou hast zvrought
for us.
The former part of this verse contains a comfort
able assurance given to the church, that God had
made provision, and issued out orders, for her esta
blishment and security. In the latter clause is a
prayer, that he Avould accomplish all his counsels

Day 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 399
concerning her ; and, as he had begun a good work,
so that he Avould vouchsafe to perfect it unto the day
ofthe Lord.
2y . Because qf thy temple at Jerusalem, shall kings
bring presents unto thee.
David foretels, that on the establishment of the
then church and Avorship in Jerusalem, the kings of
the Gentiles should come, and make their oblations
at the * temple of God; Avhich happened in his days,
and those of his son Solomon, as an earnest and
figure of that plenary accession of the kings of the
earth to the church of Christ, Avhich Avas to take place
in the latter days, under the Gospel. See 2 Sam.
viii. 9—11. 1 Kings, v. 1.x. 1. 24. 2 Chron. ix. 23.
Isa. Ix. 3. 6. Matt. ii. 11. Rev. xxi. 24.
30. Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multi
tude of the bulls, zvith the calves of the people, till
every one submit himself zvith pieces of silver : scatter
thou the people that delight in war.
We have here a prophetical prayer against the
enemies of the Israelitish church. The Avhole verse,
Avhen literally translated, runs thus — ¦" Rebuke the
" wild beast of the reeds, the congregation of the
" mighty among the calves of the nations, skipping,
" or exulting, Avith pieces of silver; scatter the
" people that delight in Avar." By the " wild beast
" of the reeds," is to be understood the Egyptian
power, described by its emblem, the crocodile, or
* The tabernacle is called b^n, 1 Sam. iii. 3. This might,
otherwise, seem inconsistent with the supposed occasion of the
Psalm, and the times of David, when there was yet no temple
there. Bishop Lowth.

400 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
river horse, creatures living among the " reeds " of
the Nile. The " calves of the nations " intend the
objects of worship among the Egyptians, their Apis,
Osiris, &c. around Avhich the " congregation of the
" mighty'' assembled. And by their "skipping with,"'
or, " exulting in, pieces of silver," may either be
meant their dancing at their idolatrous festivals with
the tinkling instruments called "Sistra," which might
be made of " silver," or else it may imply their
" glorying in pieces of silver," or, " in their riches."
The last member of the verse is plain, " Scatter
" the people that delight in war." The Avhole is evi
dently a prayer of the prophet to this effect, that it
would please God to bring down and overthrow the
strength, the pride, and the idolatry of Egypt, that
ancient adversary and oppressor of Israel*. — The
Christian church, in like manner, through faith in
the poAver of her Lord, risen from the dead and
ascended into heaven, prayeth for the confusion of her
* Increpa regem Egvpti populo tuo invidentem, increpa
etiam optimates qui inter populos honore et viribus eminent,
'argenteis clavis, vel aliis insignibus ornati. Bossuet. See
bishop Lowth, Praelcct. vi. ad. fin. edit. 8vo. The sense of the
verse cannot be better expressed, than it is by Mr. Merrick in his
version : The beast, that from his reedy bed,
On Nile's proud banks, uplifts the head,
Rebuke, indignant ; nor the throng
Forget, from whose misguided tongue
The heifer and the grazing steer
The offer'd vow, unconscious, hear;
While to the silver's tinkling sound,
Their feet in solemn dance rebound.

Day 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 401
implacable enemies, who delight in opposing the
kingdom of Messiah.
31. Prmces, or, ambassadors, shall come out of
Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands
unto God.
The hostile powers being overthrown, and the
church of Israel fully established, the nations around
her, even those Avhich had been most given to idolatry,
sued for her friendship, and came to Jerusalem, Avith
their gifts and oblations ; as, in like manner, after the
defeat of Maxentius and Maximin, the Roman em
pire, Avith all its tributary provinces, was added to
the church of Christ.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth : O
sing praises unto the Lord.
" Rapt into future times," the prophet exhorteth,
not Judea. only, but all "the kingdoms ofthe earth,"
to unite in chanting forth the praises of their God and
Saviour. In the fulness of time, this exhortation
was heard and obeyed. For Eusebius thus describes
the state of the church in the days of Constantine : .
" There Avas one and the same power of the Holy
" Spirit, which passed through all the members;
" one soul in all ; the same alacrity of faith ; one
" common consent in chanting forth the praises of
" God." Euseb. Eccles. Hist. b. x. chap. 2. And
it deserves notice, that the primitive Christians, when,
delivered from the rage of persecuting tyrants, they
freely celebrated their holy festivals, could find no
Avords so well calculated to express the joy and
gladness of their hearts, as the songs of Moses, and
David, and the prophets, which seemed to have been
VOL. II, 2 D

402 A COMMENTARY Psal. 68.
divinely penned on purpose for their use, upon that
glorious occasion. The reader may see several very
curious and beautiful instances of this, in the open
ing of the xth book of Eusebius's History, and in
the panegyric there recorded to have been spoken
by him, in a full ecclesiastical assembly, to Pauli
nus, bishop of Tyre, upon the consecration of that
church. 33. To him that rideth upon the heaven of heaven,
which were qf old; lo, he doth send out his voice,
and that a mighty voice.
The praises of the church are sung to him Avho,
after his sufferings here below, reascended to take
possession of his ancient throne, high above all hea
vens ; Avho from thence speaketh to the Avorld by his
glorious Gospel, mighty and powerful, as thunder, in
its effects upon the hearts of men. See Ps. xxix.
' throughout. The power of Christ's voice, Avhen he
was on earth, appeared by the effects Avhich folloAv-
ed, Avhen he said, " Young man, arise:" " Lazarus,
" come forth:" " Peace, be still:" and it will yet
farther appear, Avhen " all that are in the graves
" shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and come
" forth." 34. Ascribe ye strength unto God ; his excellency
is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds, Heb.
the skies. -i
God requires his people to ascribe unto him the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory;, to ac-
knoAvledge him as the author of life, health, and
salvation, of ( all they are, and all they have, in na
ture and in grace; to glorify him as the Creator and

Day 13. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 403
Governor of the world, the Redeemer and Sanctifier
ofhis church.
35. O God, thou art terrible out qf thy kqly places:
the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and
pozver unto his people. Blessed be God.
The Psalmist, here exemplifying the precept laid
down in the foregoing verse, ascribes to God the
glory ofhis appearance in the sanctuary, as the God
and King of Israel, terrifying and dismaying his ene
mies, comforting and invigorating his people. Such
is the presence of a glorified Saviour, by his Spirit,
in the Christian church. For this, and all other
his mercies, she is bound continually to say, and, by
her holy services, continually doth she say, blessed
be God. THIRTEENTH DAY.— EVENING PRAYER.
PSALM LXIX.
ARGUMENT.
The application of many passages in this Psalm to
our Lord, made by himself and his apostles, as
Avell as the appointment of the Avhole, by the
church, to be used on Good Friday, direct us to
consider it as uttered by the Son of God, in the
day of his passion. 1 — 5. He describeth his suf
ferings, undergone for the sins of men ; 6, 7- pray-1
eth that his disciples may not be offended at the
pain and shame of the cross*; 8 — 12. relateth the
* In confesso est apud Christianos, in Psalmo lxix. nobis ob
oculos poni Christum, eumque passum. Nos addimus, eumque
2 d 2

404 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69-.
usage he met with at the hands of the JeAvs;
13 — 19. maketh his prayer to the Father; 20, 21.
complaineth of his desolate estate, of the reproach
• cast upon him, and of the gall and vinegar admi
nistered to him; 2.2 — 28. foretelleth the judge
ments of heaven, about to fall upon the Jewish
nation ; 29. returneth to the consideration of his
own sorrows, and prayeth for deliverance; 30,
3 1 . praiseth the Father for the accomplishment of
that deliverance; 32, 33. exhorteth all men to
come and partake of it, and, 34. the Avhole crea
tion to join in a chorus of thanksgiving for it ; 35,
36. predicteth the salvation, edification, and per
petuity ofthe church.
1. Save me, O God, for the zvaters are come in un
to my soul. 2. I sink in deep mire, zvhere there is no
standing: I am come into deep zvaters, where the floods
overflow me.
The Gospels inform us concerning the constancy
and patience of Christ under his sufferings : the suf
ferings themselves (those in particular of his soul)3
crucifixum ; quia evangelistae Mattha^us, Marcus, et Johannes,
comma vigesimum secundum certae circumstantias crueifixionis
Christi applicarunt— Notatum igitur volumus, Christum in tota
sua ad Patrem supplicatione (est enim ejusdem argumenti cum
Ps. xxii.), describere mortis et calamitatis sua? genus, ut maxime
pudendum, et ignominiosum. Item, ad ver. 8. 20. 21. — Christus
nullas hie negligit voces, qus probrum aut ignominiam status, in
quo tunc erat, designare valent. Vitringa, Observ. Sacr. lib.
ii. cap, 10.

Day 13. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 405
are largely described in the Psalms ; many of which,
and this among the rest, seem to have been indited
beforehand by the Spirit, for his use in the day of
trouble. As the head of the church, he here be-
seecheth the Father to " save," through him, his
mystical body. He compares the sad situation into
Avhich he Avas brought, to that of a drowning man.
The divine displeasure, like a stormy tempest, was
let loose upon him ; the sins of the world, as deep
mire, enclosed and detained him ; whilst all the wa
ters of affliction Avent over his .head, and penetrated
to his vitals.
3. / am zvcary of my crying, my throat is dried;
'mine eyes fail, zvhile I zvait for my God.
This verse describes the effects of those supplica
tions Avhich the Son of God offered up, " with
" strong crying and tears, in the days of his flesh;"
Heb. v. 7- ; of that thirst, which, through loss of blood
on the cross, " dried his throat;" and of that long
and patient endurance, when his " eyes failed," and
were closed in darkness, while his faith "waited"',
for the deliverance promised by the Father. The
hour is coming, Avhen our eyes must fail, and be
closed; but even then, " let us Avait for our God :"
in this respect, " let us die the death of that right-
" eous" person, Avho died for us; " and let our last
" end be like his."
4. They that hate mc zvitkout a cause, are more
than tke hairs qf my head: they that zeould destroy
mc, being mine enemies zerong fully, are mighty : /hen
I restored that zvhich I took not away.
The Jews, the Romans, and the spirits of dark-

406 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69.
ness, made up that multitude of enemies, Avhich, like
an herd of evening Avolves, surrounded the Lamb of
God, thirsting after his blood, nor resting till they
had drawn forth the very last drop of it from his
heart. And thus the only innocent person in the
world suffered for all its guilt, making satisfaction
for wrongs which he never did, and " restoring that
" Avhich he took not away*."
5. O God, thou knozvest my foolishness ; and my
sins are not hid from thee.
These words, in the mouth of David, or any
other sinful son of Adam, are plain enough. They
may, nevertheless, be spoken, as the rest of the Psalm
is, in the person of Christ, concerning the iniquities
committed by us, but "laid on him;" which he
therefore mentions, as if they had been his own ; the
head complaining- of diseases incident only to the
members'}". 6*. Let not tkem tkat zvait on thee, O Lord God of
hosts, be ashamed for my sake; let not those that
seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God qf Israel.
7. Because for thy sake I have borne reproach ; shame
hath covered my face.
* " Quas non rapui" — Ex persona Christi: ita mecum agitur,
ac si rapta ab altero, ab altero, eoque innoxio, repetas; neque
enim impiorum excmplo, Deo rapui honorem debitum ; pro eis
solvo quicunque rapuerunt; sicut scriptum est: " Propter scelus
" populi mei, percussi eum." Isa. liii. 8. Bossuet.
+ So this verse is interpreted by the fathers, and many of the
commentator^ cited by Poole, in his Synopsis — Thus also Bos
suet — " Insi|jientiain meam et delicta mea" — Qua? in me suscepi.
" Quia posuit in eo Dominus iniquitates omnium nostrum."
Isa. liii. 6.

Day 13. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 407
The Son of God prefers a petition to the Father,
that his disciples may not be scandalized on account
of his passion, or be tempted to relinquish their trust
in God, at beholding his only and beloved Son for
saken on the cross ; since it Avas not for any demerit
ofhis OAvn, but for the sake of God's glory, as well as
man's salvation, that he " bore reproach, and shame
" covered his face." It ought to be the prayer of
every Christian, especially if he be a minister of the
Gospel, that his sufferings in the Avorld may not give
just offence to the brethren, or the church ; Avhich
they never will do, if he suffers in a good cause, with
a good conscience.
8. / am become a stranger unto my brethren, and
an alien unto my mothers children. 9. For the zeal
qf thine house hath eaten me up ; and the reproaches
of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
The Jews Avere Christ's " brethren," according to
the flesh. To them he was a " stranger and an alien."
" He came to his own, and his own received him
" not." " We know," said they, " that God spake unto
" Moses; but as for this fellow, Ave know not from
" Avhence he is." And again, " Thou art a Samari-
" tan, and hast a devil." John, i. 11. ix. 29- viii.
48. The ground of all this enmity was the " zeal"
of Christ for the reformation and purification of the
church, Avhich he manifested in his reproofs and ex
hortations, as also by the emblematical act of driving
the buyers and sellers out of the temple. Upon this
latter occasion, the evangelist tells us, " his disciples
" remembered that it was Avritten," that is, it Avas
predicted of Messiah in this Psalm, " The zeal of

408 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69.
"thine house hath eaten me up:" John, ii. 17.
Therefore, as he adds immediately, " the reproaches
" of them that reproached thee fell on me." In
calumniating and blaspheming the works of the Son
of God, the Jews reproached both the Father Avho
gave him those AAorks to do, and the Spirit, by Avhich
he did them : all which reproaches fell on the man
Christ, as the visible instrument employed in the
doing of them. This last passage is thus quoted and
applied by St. Paul — " Even Christ pleased not him-
" self: but, as it is written, The reproaches of them
" that reproached thee fell on me :" Rom. xv. 3.
The usage our Lord met with from his brethren, be
cause of his zeal for the house of God, should com
fort those who meet Avith the same usage, on the
same account.
10. When Izeept and chastened my soul with fast
ing, that was to my reproach. 11. I made sackcloth
also my garment ; and I became a proverb to them.
12. They that sit in the gate speak against me: and
I Avas the song of the drunkards.
To expiate the sins of his creatures, the King of
glory became a man of soitoavs ; he put on mortal
flesh, as a penitential garment; he fasted, and pray
ed, and mourned, and wept, and humbled himself
to the dust, as if he had been the offender, and we
the righteous persons that needed no repentance.
And what return A\-as made him? " It was to his re-
" proach, and he became a proverb to them," for
whom he suffered. " They that sat in the gate," or,
on the "judgement-seat," which used to be in the
gates of cities, even the senators and judges of the

Day 13. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 409
land, the chief priests and elders, " spake against
" him," with cool and deliberate malice; while he
Avas " the song of the drunken" and profligate, Avho
more grossly insulted and derided him. The true fol
lowers of the holy Jesus will often experience the like
treatment, from an evil and adulterous generation.
13. But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O
Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multi
tude qf thy mercies hear me, in the truth of thy sal
vation. The Son of God himself, in the midst of soitoavs
and sufferings, has recourse to prayer, pleading for
his church the " mercies" of the Father, set forth in
the promises, and his " truth," engaged to make those
promises good, in the " salvation" of his chosen,
through their head and representative. The " ac-
" ceptable time," in which Christ prayed, was the
time Avhen he offered the great propitiatory sacrifice.
Through the merit of that sacrifice it is, that wc have
an " acceptable time, and a day of salvation," allow
ed us. Behold, noav is that time, behold noav is
that day ! Let us not delay one moment to use and
improve it aright.
14. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not
sink ; let me be delivered from them that hate me,
and out ofthe deep zvaters. 15. Let not the water-
flood overflozv me, neither let the deep szvallow me up,
and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Messiah petitions for deliverance from calamities,
under the same images Avhich were employed at the
beginning of the Psalm, to describe those calamities.

410 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69.
The purport of the petition is, that the sins of the
world, and the sufferings due to them, may not finally
overwhelm hiin, nor the grave " shut her mouth
" upon him'' for ever; but that the morning of his
resurrection may at length succeed the night of his
passion. Such is also the hope and the prayer of the
church, and of the Christian, here below.
Ifj. Hear me, O Lord, for thy loving kindness is
good; turn unto me, according to the multitude of
thy tender mercies. 17- And hide not thy face from
thy servant, for I am in trouble ; hear me speedily.
18. Draze nigh unto my soul, and redeem it; de
liver me because qf mine enemies. 19 . Thou hast
known my reproach, my shame, and my dishonour:
mine adversaries are all before thee.
As afflictions increase, the prayers are redoubled.
Christ pleads with the Father for redemption from
death, on account of his divine " loving kindness and
" mercy;" ofhis own great " trouble;" ofhis " ene-
" mies," that they might be either converted or con
founded; ofthe " reproach, shame, and dishonour"
undergone by him, that they might be wiped off, and
done away ; of the wrong he suffered from his ad
versaries, whose iniquitous proceedings were " all
" before God," and known unto him. Deliverance
from tribulation and p3rsecution, is prayed for by
the church, and by her faithful children, upon the
same grounds.
20. Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full
qf heaviness : and I looked for some to take pity, but
there Avas none; and for comforters, but I found

Day 13. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 411
none. 2 1 . They gave me also gall for my meat, and
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
The argument urged by Christ, in these most af
fecting words, is, that in the extremity of his passion,
he was left alone, without a comforter, a friend, or
an attendant; while all that Avere round about him
studied to infuse every bitter and acrimonious ingre
dient into his cup of sorrows. This Avas literally as
Avell as metaphorically true, Avhen " they gave him
" to drink vinegar mingled Avith gall." See Matt.
xxvii. 34. John, xix. 28. Such are the comforts
often administered, by the Avorld, to an afflicted and
deserted soul.
22. Their table* shall become a snare before them;
and that which should have been for their zee fare,
Heb. their peace offerings, shall become a trap.
At this verse beginneth a prediction of those
dreadful judgements which heaven has since inflicted
upon -the crucifiers of the Lord of , glory. By their
" table becoming a snare, and their peace offerings a
* I have taken the liberty to give a future rendering to the
verbs in this and the following verses. That they are to be so
understood, saith Dr. Hammond, i. e. in the future sense, by way
of prediction, and not as an imprecation, see St. Aug. de Civ. 1.
xvii. c. 19- " Haec non optandr, sunt dicta, sed optandi specie, pro-
" phetando — These things arc not said by the way of wishing,
" but under the show or scheme of wishing, byprophecy." And
indeed the Hebrew TV is in the future, and is most fitly render
ed, " shall be.'' And so doth the Jewish Arab interpreter observe,
that such seeming imprecations as here and elsewhere occur in
this book of Psalms are not so much by way of imprecation, as by
way of prophecy, or prediction of what in God's best judgements
would certainly beiall man. Ham. in loc.

112 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69.
" trap," is pointed out the consequence of the Jews
adhering to the legal services, in opposition to him
who is " the end of the law, for righteousness."
After his sufferings and exaltation, to continue under
the laAv, became not only unprofitable, but destruct
ive, inasmuch as it implied a denial of Messiah's
advent, and a renunciation of every evangelical be
nefit and blessing. The religion of God's OAvn ap
pointment Avas an abomination to him, when reduced
to the form of godliness, deserted by its power.
Christians, avIio pride themselves in the one, while
they deny and deride the other, Avould ' do well to
consider this.
23. Thou zvilt darken their eyes that they shall not
see ; and make their loins continually to shake.
They Avho loved darkness rather than light, by
the righteous judgement of God, Avere permitted to
Avalk on in darkness, Avhile the blind led the blind.
And such still continues to be the state of the Jews,
notwithstanding that intolerable weight of woe Avhich
made " their loins to shake," and bowed doAvn their
backs to the earth. " The veil remaineth yet upon
" their hearts," in the reading the Old Testament;
nor can they see therein " the things which belong
" unto their peace." These last tAvo verses are
cited, ad spoken of Israel, by St. Paul, Rom. xi. 9,
10. Afflict us, blessed Lord, if thou seest it good
for us to be afflicted ; only take not from us, in our
affliction, the "light" of thy truth, and the "strength"
of thy grace.
24. Thou zvilt pour out thine indignation upon
them, and thy zvrathful anger zvill take hold of them..

Day 13. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 413
Never Avas " indignation so poured out," never
did " wrath so take hold" on any nation, as on that,
Avhich once was, beyond every other, beloVed and
favoured. " The Avrath," says St. Paul, 1 Thess.
ii. 16. " is come upon them to the uttermost, m te\o;,
" to the end," to the very last dregs of the cup of
fury. Let every church Avhich boasteth of favours
bestOAved, and privileges conferred upon her, remem
ber the consequences of their being abused by Jeru
salem; and let every individual do the same.
25. Their habitation shall be desolate, and none
shall dzvell in their tents.
Our Lord seems to have had this passage in his
view, when he said to the Jews, " Behold, your house
" is left unto you desolate:" Matt, xxiii. 38. Jeru
salem Avas by the Roman armies destroyed from the
foundations. It hath been since indeed rebuilt, and
inhabited by Gentiles, by Christians, and by Saracens,
but no more by the Jewish people. It is remarkable,
that this verse is applied, Acts, i. 20. to Judas, con
sidered as the head and representative of that
apostate nation, Avhich rejected and delivered up its
Prince and Saviour to be crucified. " He was guide
" to them that took Jesus:" Acts, i. 16". The pu
nishment therefore, as Avell as the sin of Israel, is
portrayed in his person, and the same prophecy is
applicable to him and to his countrymen*.
* " Fiat habitatio eorum deserta" — Dc Juda proditorc exponi-
tur, Act. i. 20, Congruit etiam Judads, eversa Hierosolyma,
quod Christus predixerat : " Ecce relinquetur vobis domus yestra.
"deserta." Luc. xiii%35. Bossuet.

414 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69.
26. For they persecute him zvhom thou hast smit
ten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou
hast wounded*.
The cause of the foregoing calamities, inflicted on
the Jcwf, is here assigned, namely, that, instead of
mourning and sympathizing with Messiah, in the day
when Jehovah laid on him the iniquities of us all,
and afflicted him for our sakes, they, by reproaches
and blasphemies, aggravated his sufferings to the ut
termost; and afterwards continued to use his disci
ples in the same manner. It Avere to be Avished,
that the sorrows of the penitent, when wounded
with a sense of sin, never subject him to the scorn
and contempt of those avIio would be thought
Christians. 27- Thou wilt add iniquity to their iniquity ; and
they shall not come into thy righteousness.
As thev added affliction to the afflictions of Christ,
so God permitted f them to go on, blinded and de
serted, in their wickedness, " adding sin to sin,"
filling up the measure of their fathers, still obstinate
ly refusing to come into the church, and partake of
the " righteousness " Avhich is by faith. From all
thy judgements, good Lord, deliver us; but, above
* Datur his in verbis ratio longe maxima et gravissima, propter
quam Judaei terra sua essent ejiciendi, ac nomine et prerogativis
populi Dei privandi, quia nimirum " eum persequuntur, quem a
" Deo percussum" vident, hoc est, quem vident ira Divina maxi-
mopere pressum, et ad summa aSr^oviav redacturn. Vitring a,
Observat. Sacr. lib. ii. cap. 9-
t Dcserendo, et permittendo, non opcrando ; ut Theologi no
runt. Bossuet.

Day 13. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 415
all, from that which punishes one sin witli another,
and seals up the reprobate to destruction.
28. Tliey shall be blotted out of the book of the
living, and not be zvritten zvith the righteous.
By " the book of the living," in which the names
of the " righteous are AA-ritten," is to be understood
the register of the true servants and Avorshippers of
God, of those Avho are " justified," or made " right-
" eous," through faith. In this register, the names
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ancient fathers of
the Israelitibh race, Avith their true children, stand re
corded ; but the degenerate and apostate Jews have
been long since " blotted out;" they are no longer
the peculium of heaven ; nor have they any part or
portion in the inheritance of the sons of God. Thus
Ezekiel: " They shall not be in the assembly of my
" people, nor shall they be Avritten in the Avriting of
" the house of Israel :" xiii. 9. And our Lord, in
his conversations with the Jews, took every opportu
nity to tell them, that they, for their unbelief, should
be " cast out," and that the Gentiles, obeying the
call of the Gospel, should come from all quarters of
the world, and " sit doAvn with Abraham, and Isaac,
" and Jacob, in the kingdom of God."
29. But I am poor and sorrozeful: let thy saving
health, O God, or, thy salvation shall, or, can, set
me up on high.
Messiah returns to the subject of his OAvn suffer
ings, which Avere not a little enhanced by the consi
deration, that so many of his people would not be
the better for them. " lam poor and sorrowful;"
" poor," for he was divested of his very garments;

416 A COMMENTARY Psal. 69.
" sorrowful," for he was covered over with stripes
and wounds. But he knew the hour was coming,
when the salvation of God would raise him from the
dead, and " set him up on high." Thus should a
disciple of Jesus depart out of the world, joyfully re
linquishing its goods, patiently bearing its evils, and
confidently expecting a resurrection to glory,
30. / zvill praise the name qf God with a song,
and magnify him zvith thanksgiving.
Here, as in the xxiid, and many other Psalms, the
scene changes from sorroAv to joy; from a state of
suffering to one of triumph; from the passion to the
resurrection. Jesus, risen from the dead, declares his
resolution of praising and magnifying the Father, for
the salvation of the world, happily accomplished by
his labours and sufferings, Avhich were now for ever
at an end. The church does the same incessantly,
on earth, and in heaven.
31. This also shall please the Lord, better than
an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
A bullock Avas in its prime for sacrifice, under the
law, when it began to put forth its " horns and
" hoofs." The infinite distance therefore, in point
of value, between the best legal sacrifices, and those
of obedience, love, and praise, as offered by Christ,
and, through him, by his church, under the Gospel,
is pointed out in this verse. See Psal. xl. 6. &c.
1. 23. 32. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and
your heart shall live that seek God: or, Be seeking
God, and your heart shall live.
It is foretold, that the " humble," or the " poor

Day 13. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 417
" in spirit," i. e. the meek and lowly followers of the
holy Jesus, should find everlasting joy and comfort in
the glad tidings of salvation; all mankind are ex
horted to " seek after God," as manifested in the
Gospel of his Son ; and the reward promised is " life "
spiritual and eternal *.
33. For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth
not his prisoners.
An argument for our " seeking after God," is the
experience of patriarchs, prophets, and saints, who
in ali ages have sought, and found him, by repentance
and faith: and that the Lord " despiseth not his pri-
" soners," is evident from what he did and suffered,
to deliver their souls from the bondage of sin, their
bodies from the prison of the grave, and both from
the dungeon of hell. Therefore,
34. Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas
and every thing tkat moveth therein.
The mercies of God in Christ are such, that they
cannot worthily be praised by any thing less than an
universal chorus of the whole old and new creation ;
and what should such a chorus celebrate, but those
mercies by which all things have been made, pre
served, and redeemed?
35. For God will save Sion, and build the cities qf
Judah, that they, i. e. men, may dwell there, and
have it in possession.
The salvation and edification of the church fol
lowed the passion and resurrection of Christ. " God
* Haec et sequentia ad redemptionem per Christum, sub figure
solutae captivitatis, videntur pertinere. Bossuet.
VOL. II. 2 E

418 A COMMENTARY Psal. 10.
" will save Sion," that is, the church, which at first
consisted of the apostles, who were Jews, and others
of that nation by them converted to the faith.
" And build the cities of Judah," or cause churches
to arise in all the world, Avhich shall from thenceforth
take the names, and inherit the privileges, of " Israel
"and Judah; that men," even such as God shall
call from among the nations, " may dwell there," as
citizens of the new Jerusalem, " and," instead of
the rejected Jews, " have it in their possession."
36. Tke seed also qf kis servants shall inherit ity
and they that love his name shall dzvell therein.
The continuation of the church in the posterity of
the faithful, is here predicted. Accordingly, the
descendants of the proselyted Gentiles have been in
possession of the Gospel privileges, for above 1700
years. And thus it will be, Avhile they abide in the
faith, and " love the name " of Jesus. Should the
Gentiles apostatize as the Jews did, and the Jews be
converted as the Gentiles were, then the Gospel
would go from the Gentiles,: to the Jews, as before
it Avent from the Jews to the Gentiles; then would
there " come out of Sion the Deliverer, to turn away
" ungodliness from Jacob." Rom. xi. 26.
PSALM LXX.
The Avords of this Psalm occur, without any material
variations, in Ps. xl. verse 13, to the end. The
reader is therefore referred thither for the exposi
tion-; as before, in the cage of the liiid and xivth
Psalms,

Day 14. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 419
FOURTEENTH DAY.— MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM LXXI.
ARGUMENT.
The Psalmist, sorely distressed in his old age (see
ver. 9; and 18.), by the rebellion of Absalom,
Avhich was his great affliction at that period of life,
ver. ] . prayeth for the divine assistance, pleading,
2. God's righteousness, 3. and promise; 4. the
iniquity of his persecutors; 5, 6. the mercies
vouchsafed him from his birth; 7, 8. his being de
serted and given up by man; 9. his old age; 10,
11. the taunts and insults of his adversaries: 12.
he repeateth his request; 13. prophesieth the
downfal of his enemies; declareth, 14. his hope,
15. his gratitude, 16. his faith; 17, 18. wisheth to
be preserved, that he might show forth the power
and glory of God, whose righteousness and mar
vellous acts, 19. he extollethy and thence, 20, 21.
promiseth himself a final redemption from all his
troubles, and a restoration to honour and comfort;
Avhen, 22 — 24. he shall sing and speak the praises
ofthe Lord.
1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me
never be put to confusion.
The "promises of salvation are made to those who,
renouncing all confidence in the world and them-
selves, " trust" in God alone for it. For this reason
2e 2

420 A COMMENTARY Psal. TI.
1 the Psalmist so often begins his prayer with a declara
tion of his " faith," Avhich is to the soul in affliction,
what an anchor is to a ship in distress.
1 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me
to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
A second argument, here used, is the " righteous-
" ness " of God, who cannot but be faithful and just
to his own gracious word. By that word, he had
engaged to establish the temporal throne of David,
and the eternal throne of the Son of David. And,
by the same word, he has engaged to bring those
who believe in him, through sufferings, to glory.
3. Be thou my strong habitation, zvhereunto I may .
continually resort: thou hast given commandment to
save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.
, The protection of the Almighty, to Avhich the
troubled soul " resorts " by faith and prayer, is com
pared to that which a well fortified castle, or t0Avnv
affords to those within it, in time of war. And the.
plea, upon which this petition is enforced, is in a
manner the same with the former, namely, the de
clared purpose of God to be the Saviour of his
servants ; " Thou hast given commandment to save
" me." 4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the
wicked, out qf the hand qf the unrighteous and cruel-
man. The divine assistance is'implored by the Psalmist,
thirdly, on the foot of the goodness of his cause, and
the iniquity of his enemies. Such were Absalom,
Ahithophel, &c. to David; Judas and the JeAvs to
Christ; and such are the world, the flesh, and the

Day 14. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 421
devil, to the Christian. Against them he is to pray
and fight continually ; ever remembering that Avick
edness is at least as dangerous when it tempts, as
when it persecutes ; and can smile, as Avell as frown, a
man dead.
5. For thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art
my trust from my youth. 6. By thee have I been
holden upfront the zvomb: thou art he that took me
out of my mothers bowels; my praise shall be conti
nually of thee.
Former mercies are urged, as a fifth motive, for
tlie divine goodness to continue those mercies. The
watchful care of heaven over us, at an age Avhen Ave
are able to take no care of ourselves, deserves con
sideration. The love of Jesus, shown in passing
through a state of childhood for us, deserves a still
more deep and devout consideration.
7. / am as a zvonder unto many ; but thou art my
strong refuge.
David, banished from his kingdom, Avas regarded
as a " wonder," or a prodigy of wretchedness ;
Christ, in his state of humiliation upon earth, was a
" sign," every where " spoken against," as Simeon
foretold he Avould be : Luke, ii. 34. The Christian,
Avho lives by faith, who quits possession for reversion,
and who chooses to suffer Avith his Saviour here, that
he may reign with him hereafter, appears to the men
of the world, as a monster of folly and enthusiasm.
But God is the "strong refuge" of all such.
8. Let my mouth befitted with thy praise, and with
thy honour, all the day.

422 A COMMENTARY Psal. 71.
Whatever men say, or think of him, the royal pro
phet desires still to strengthen, and to delight himself,
in doing the will, singing the praises, and setting forth
the glory of God. Such likeAvise was thy desire, O
blessed Jesus ! in the days of thy flesh. Ever grant
that it may be ours.
9. Cast me not off in the time qf old age; forsake
me not zvhen my strength faileth.
David, mindful of the noble actions which,
through God's assistance, he had achieved in his
youth, beseeches him not to desert his. servant, Avhen
persecuted by a rebellious son, in his old age. The
weaknesses and temptations peculiar to that time of
life, render this a petition necessary for us all to
make, before we are overtaken by it. The church
findeth but too much occasion to make the same, now
that she is sunk in years; when faith languisheth,
charity waxeth cold, and the infirmities of a spiritual
old age are coming fast upon her.
10. For mine enemies speak against me; and they
that lay zvait for my soul, take counsel together, 1 1 »
Saying, God hath forsaken him, persecute and take
him, for there is none to deliver him.
They who saw David ascending mount Olivet in
tears, when Absalom had driven him from Jerusalem,
and they who beheld Jesus led forth out of the same
Jerusalem, to be crucified on mount Calvary, were
tempted to regard both the one and the other, as
finally deserted by God. They who view the church,
or any member thereof, under affliction and persecu
tion, are too frequently tempted to think the same,

Day 14. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 423
and to act accordingly; though they are so plainly
taught the contrary, by the restoration of the king of
Israel, and the resurrection of the Son of God.
12. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make
haste to help. 13. Let them, or, they shall, be con
founded and consumed that are against my soul; let
them, or, they shall, be covered with reproach and
dishonour tkat seek my hurt.
As the insolence of his persecutors increaseth, the
distressed monarch crieth more earnestly unto God;
and is so far from relinquishing his hope, that, in the
midst of his sorrows, he foreseeth and foretelieth the
"linal confusion of his enemies. The Christian, who
has faith in the promises, may do likewise, in the
worst of times, and the worst of circumstances. For
the day cometh, when all the workers of wickedness
shall be destroyed, and " death and hell shall be cast
" into the lake of fire." Rev. xx. 14.
1 4. But I zeill hope continually, and zeillyet praise
thee more and more. 15. My mouth shall shoze forth.
thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day long :
for I know not tke numbers thereof.
As there is no end to the loving kindness of Je
hovah, there should be none to our gratitude. The
" hope " of a Christian " giveth songs in the night,"
and enableth him to be thankful, even in the dark
season of affliction. Paul and Silas not only prayed,
but also " sang praises to God, in a prison, at mid-
" night." Acts, xvi. 25.
16. I will go in the strength ofthe Lord God: I
will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine
only.

424 A COMMENTARY Psal. 11.
He who goeth to the battle against his spiritual
enemies, should go, confiding, not in his own
" strength," but in that of the Lord God; not in
his own " righteousness," but in that of his Re
deemer. Such an one engageth, with omnipotence
on his side, and cannot but be victorious.
17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth;
and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18. Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O
God, forsake me not : until I have shozved thy strength
unto .this generation, and thy power to every one that
is to come.
It was the God of Israel, who " taught " David,
as a Avarrior, to conquer, and, as a Psalmist, to
" declare the wondrous works " of his great Bene
factor. He requests to be preserved in his old age,
until, by completing his victories, and his Psalms
composed to celebrate them, he had " showed the
" strength and poAver of God," not only to the men
of the " generation" in which he lived, but also to
" every one that should come," or arise in after times,
and chant those divine hymns in the assemblies of
the faithful, throughout all ages. Doth St. Paul
wish to have his life continued upon earth ? It is only,
that he may edify the church, and glorify God.
Othenvise, it is far " better," says he, " to depart,
" and to be with Christ."
19- Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, zvho
hast done great things: O God, who is like unto
thee !
,What a force is now added to these words, by the
actual exaltation of the righteous Saviour "very

Day 14. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 425
" high " above all heavens, and by the " great
"things" Avhich he hath "done" for our souls!
Let us think on these things, and we shall most af
fectionately say, Avith David, " O God, who is like
" unto thee ! " Delightful is thy love, O Lord Jesu,
beyond all pleasure, more precious than much fine
gold, and honourable above the thrones of the
mighty! The Avorld languisheth and fadeth aAvay at
thy presence, Avhose beauty is immortal, whose trea
sures diminish not, and whose glory endureth through
the unnumbered ages of eternity.
20. Ihou which hast showed me great and sore
trouble, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me
up again from the depths qf the earth. 21. Thou
shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every
side. In David, delivered out of his troubles, and re
stored to his throne, we behold our Lord, after his
" great and sore trouble, literally quickened, or re-
" vived, brought up again from the depths of the
" earth, increased in greatness, and comforted on
" every side." In him Ave were virtually, by his
grace we are actually, raised from sin and sorrow, to
righteousness and comfort; and, through his power
we shall be raised, from dust and corruption, to
glory and immortality.
22. / will also praise thee with the psaltery, even
thy truth, O my God: unto thee zeill I sing zeith the
harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. 23. My lips shall
greatly rejoice, when I sing unto thee : and my soul,
zvhich thou hast redeemed. 24. My tongue also shall
talk qf thy righteousness all the day long; for they

426 A COMMENTARY Psal. 72.
are confounded, for they are brought unto shame,
that seek my hurt.
The truth of God, in accomplishing his promises,
by the redemption of our souls, and the confusion of
our spiritual enemies, is a subject Avhich demands a
never-ceasing tribute of gratitude and love, of praise
and thanksgiving. To celebrate it. aright, Avith the
melody of instruments, voices, and affections, all in
perfect concord, is the duty and delight of the
church militant; Avhich, when thus employed,
affords the best resemblance of the church trium
phant.

PSALM LXXII.
ARGUMENT.
David, praying for Solomon, foretelleth his peaceful
and glorious reign, and under that figure, in most
lively and beautiful colours, portrayeth the king
dom of Messiah; 1 — 4. its righteous administra
tion; 5. its duration; 6 — 7- its blessings; 8. its
extent; 9 — 11. the accession of the Gentiles to it;
12 — 14. the -redemption to be wrought, and, 15.
the prayers and praises to be offered up in it; 16.
its miraculous increase and fruitfulness; 17. its
perpetuity and universality: 18, 19. a doxology
sung to God for it.
1. Give the king thy judgements, 0 God, and thy

Day 14. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 427
righteousness unto the king's son*. 2. He shall
judge thy people zvith righteousness, and thy poor
zvith judgement.
In this prophetical prater, the aged monarch of
Israel, about to resign the kingdom into the hands of
his son Solomon, makes unto God the request of a
wise father for him. He asks such a portion of
wisdom and integrity from above, as might enable
the young prince to govern aright the people of God,
and to exhibit to the Avorld a fair resemblance of that
king of Israel, aa ho was, in the fulness of time, to
sit upon "the throne of his father David;" Luke, i.
32. " to reign in righteousness:" Isa. xxxii. 1. and
" to have all judgement committed unto him."
John, v. 22.
3. The mountains shall bring, or, bear, peace to
the people, and the little hills, in, or, by, righteous
ness. In other words, peace, manifested by its conse
quence, plenteousness, shall be upon all the moun
tains and little hills of Judea, by means of that
righteous judgement which Solomon will execute in
the land. And thus in the days of Messiah, " Beau-
" tiful upon the mountains were the feet of them
" that brought the glad tidings of peace ;" which the
fruits of the Spirit, in the churches, plainly shoAved
to have been derived from above, through the right-
* The " king," and the " king's son," are the same person ;
a character that belongs to none so properly as to Solomon, who
was the first prince that was at the same time " king," and " son
" of a Jung." Mudge. Dr. Chandler is of the same opinion.

428 A COMMENTARY Psal. 72.
eousness of the Redeemer, producing " peace on
*' earth."
4. He shall judge the poor of the people: he shall
save the children ofthe needy; and shall break in
pieces the tppressor.
It is the part of justice, in Avell-ordered govern
ments, to see that the " poor and needy have right;"
to break the teeth of " oppression" and pluck indi
gence from its devouring jaws. This Christ per
formed, Avhen, having undertaken the cause of his
people against the adversary, he " saved " them by
his resurrection, and "broke in pieces'" the power
of the great oppressor.
5. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and
moon endure, throughout all generations.
The kingdom of Solomon continued, in his own
person, only for forty years ; but in his seed, that is,
Christ, it is established throughout all generations.
He reigneth " over the house of Jacob for ever, and
" of his kingdom there shall be no end:" Luke, i.
33. His dominion over the world by his providence,
and in the church by the influences of his grace, is
to be coeval with that of the celestial luminaries in
nature. And when the " moon shall be confounded,
" and the sun ashamed," when the heavens shall be
dissolved, and the earth burnt up, " the Lord of
" hosts shall reign on mount Zion," in the Jerusalem
above, in glory everlasting. See Isa. xxiv. 23.
6. He shall come dozvn like the rain upon the
mown grass : as showers that zvater the earth.
Refreshing and salutary, as the drops of heaven
to the shorn and parched grass, is the mild admini-

Day 14. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 429
stration of a wise and pious prince to his subjects.
And what image can convey a better idea of those
most beneficial and blessed effects, which followed
the descent of the Son of God upon the earth, and
that of the Spirit, at the day of Pentecost ? The
prophets abound with descriptions of those great
events, couched in terms borrowed from the philoso
phy of rain and deAv. See Isa. xliv. 3. Iv. 10. Hos.
xiv. 5. Heb. vi. 7. In the last words of David, the
reign of Messiah is described under this figure :
" He shall be as the tender grass, springing out of
" the earth by clear shining after rain." I cannot
help subjoining bishop Sherlock's masterly illustra
tion of this passage — " There cannot be a more
' lively image of a flourishing condition, than what
' is conveyed to us in these words. The grass, which
' is forced by the heat of the sun, before the ground
' is Avell prepared by rains, is weak and languid,
' and of a faint complexion ; but when clear shining
' succeeds the gentle shoAvers of spring, the field
' puts forth its best strength, and is more beauti
fully arrayed, than even Solomon in all his glory."
Disc. vol. v. p. 89-
7. In his days shall the righteous flourish ; and
abundance qf peace, so long as the moon endureth.
By means of rain and dew, the grass springeth out
of the ground. In the kingdom of Solomon, through
the influences of his wisdom, good men were en
couraged, righteousness flourished, and the land en
joyed tranquillity. In the days of Messiah, the fruit
of the Spirit of righteousness, and the fruit of right
eousness was " abundance of peace." He was the

430 A COMMENTARY Psal. 72.
true " Melchisedek," or " King of righteousness, "and
therefore the true Solomon, the " King of Salem, the
" Prince of peace." And his peace is to endure,
when the moon shall have ceased to vary her appear
ances, and when a period shall be put to all sublu
nary vicissitudes.
8. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and
from the river unto the ends of the earth, or, land.
As applicable to the kingdom of Solomon, this
verse describes the extent and limits of the promised
" land ;" if it be interpreted, of the wide extended
empire of Christ, that empire knoAvs no bounds, but
those ofthe " earth" itself. The Hebrew Avord J'ik,
is often used for both, and as the dominion of So
lomon represented that of a greater than Solomon,
both are comprehended in the same words. And it
is observable, that when the prophet Zechariah fore-
tels the advent of " the King of Sion," in great hu
mility, " meek, and riding on an ass," he describes
the extent of his kingdom in these words — " His
" dominion shall be even from sea to sea, and from
" the river even to the ends ofthe earth." Zech. ix.
9, 10.
9. They that dzvell in the wilderness shall bow be
fore Mm : and his enemies skall lick the dust. •
Distant nations submitted themselves to the scep
tre, and prostrated themselves before the throne, of
Solomon, foreshowing the conversion of the Heathen
Avorld (in the figurative language of ' prophecy, fre
quently styled, " the wilderness") to the Gospel,
and the lowly adoration to be made by penitent sin
ners, at the footstool of the King of glory. They who

Day 14. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 431
take not the advantage of the day of grace, will feel
the rod of his poAver in the day of vengeance, when
his " enemies" shall be subjected to him; Avhen death
himself shall be destroyed; and " dust shall be the
" serpent's meat." Isa. lxv. 25. Gen. iii. 14.
10. The kings qf Tarshish, and of the isles, shall
bring presents : the kings of Sheba andSeba shall offer
gifts. This verse suggested! to our meditation several
curious and interesting particulars, all tending to one
and the same end. As, 1. The munificent presents
and immense treasures, brought to Solomon from
Tarshish, and the isles ofthe Gentile's : 1 Kings, x. 22,
&c. 2. The coming of the queen of Sheba from the
south, with her gifts and acknowledgements, to Jeru
salem. 3. The offerings made by the eastern Magi,
as the first-fruits of the Gentiles, to the Saviour of
the world. And, lastly, the accession of the nations
to the faith (even these " isles of the Gentiles"),
bringing their glory and honour into the city of God.
See Isa. xlix. Ix. Rev. xxi. 24.
1 1 . Yea, all kings shall fall dozen before him : all
nations shall serve him.
It is said, 2 Chron. ix. that " aU the kings of the
" earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his
*' Avisdom ; that he reigned over all the kings, from
'• the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and
" to the border of Egypt; and that they brought
" unto him horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands."
The dominion of Christ is universal ; and it will ap
pear to be so at the last day ; when, before men and

432 A COMMENTARY Psal. 72.
angels, he shall prove his claim to the title, " King
" of kings, and Lord of lords."
12. For he shall deliver the needy zvhen he crieth ;
the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 13. He
shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls
of the needy. 1 4. He shall redeem their soul from
deceit and violence ; and precious shall their blood be
in his sight.
These three verses, considered as describing the
just and merciful administration of Solomon, need
no exposition. As prophetical of Messiah's reign,
they may be thus connected Avith the context, and
paraphrased — The kings and the nations of the earth
shall accede to the church of Christ, induced so to
do by the fame of his mercy, no less than by that of
his majesty. They shall hear of the great deliverance
wrought by him for the poor in spirit, who make their
prayer unto him, confessing their sins, and acknow
ledging the inability of any creature, in heaven or
earth, to recover them from their lost estate. These
he shall spare, and pardon, and save, from sin, and
from death, and from hell. He shall, for this pur
pose, break the snares, and destroy the power of
their great oppressor, the devil; and so dear shall
their blood be in his sight, that he shall shed his own
for it ; after Avhich, arising to a neAv and immortal
life, he shall accomplish the eternal redemption of
his servants.
15. And he shall live, and to him shall be given qf
the gold of Sheba ; prayer also shall be made for him
continually, and daily shall he be praised.

Day 14. m.p. ON THE PSALMS. 433
As Solomon's reign was long and prosperous, that
of Messiah is everlasting and glorious : as the rich
brought presents to the one ; so the nations offered
up themselves, their possessions, their souls and their
bodies, to the other : as the former Avas continually
" prayed for," and blessed by his subjects, avIio owed
peace and plenteousness to his government ; so, with
regard to the latter, prayer is made ever in the
church, for the increase and consummation of his
kingdom ; and " daily is he praised," by his people,
for all the riches of grace, for all the comforts of the
Spirit, and for all the hopes of glory, which they pos
sess, and enjoy, through him.
16. There shall be an handful qf com in tke earth,
upon the top of the mountains ; the fruit thereof shall
shake like Lebanon ; and they ofthe city shallflourish
like grass of tke earth.
It is here foretold, that in the days of Solomon,
wonderful shall be the fruitfulness of Judea ; of the
country in corn, by which the city is supported ; and
of the city in people, who, by their numbers, consti
tute the strength of the king. The fruitfulness of the
country was to be so great, that frorri an " handful
" of corn," and that soAvn on the most barren spot,
the " top of a mountain," should issue a produce,
the ears of which Avould " shake" and wave in the
Avinds, like the woods of " Lebanon ;" while in the
city, a fresh progeny of Israelites was still springing
up, and advancing to maturity, like the unnumbered
blades of grass, in a field which the Lord hath bless
ed : see 1 Kings, iv. 20. &c. Such, under the reign
of King Messiah, was the amazing increase of the
vol. ii. 2 F

434 A COMMENTARY Psal. 72.
" word," Avhen soAvn in hearts barren before ; such
the astonishing multiplication of citizens in the Chris
tian church : as it is written, Acts, vi. 7- " And
" the word of God increased; and the number of
" the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly." So
let it be, blessed Lord, wheresoever thy Gospel is
preached, throughout the Avorld.
17. His name shall endure for ever ; kis name shall
be continued, Heb. propagated, as long as the sun :
and men shall be blessed in him ; all nations skull call
him blessed.
The person and kingdom of Solomon have been
used all along as a channel, through which to convey
a most illustrious prophecy concerning those of
Christ: But here the type seems to be wholly ab
sorbed in the great antitype. His " name," his sav
ing name, " shall indeed endure for ever, propa-
" gated," with the faith, through all the generations
of men, while the " sun," another of his representa
tives, shall continue to maintain his station in the
heavens, and to diffuse his light upon the earth. In
him, as it was promised to Abraham, shall all the
true children of Abraham be " blessed" Avith the
blessings of eternity ; " all nations shall call him
" blessed," as they are taught to do in the remaining
verses of this exalted composition.
18. Blessed be the Lord God, tke God qf Israel,
zvho only doeth zvondrous things. 19. And blessed he
his glorious name for ever : and let the whole earth
befitted with his glory ; Amen, and Amen.
Blessed, therefore, be thou, O Lord Jesu ! for
thou art the Lord God, even the God of Israel, Avho

Day 14. m. p. ON THE PSALMS. 435
hast wrought such miracles of mercy, for the salva
tion of the church : and blessed, by the tongues of
men and angels, be thy holy and glorious name; and
let the Avhole earth be filled Avith the amazingly trans
cendent and inconceivable majesty of thy most excel
lent glory, for evermore ! So be n^ so be it.

FOURTEENTH DAY.— EYENLNG PRAYER.
PSALM LXXIII.
ARGUMENT.
The person speaking in this Psalm relates, 1 — 3
the process of a temptation, occasioned by his be
holding the prosperity of Avicked men upon earth,
which he describes, 4 — 11. with, 12 — 14. the sug
gestions of nature on the occasion ; but, in oppo
sition to these, grace urges, 1.5. the examples of
saints, 16. the difficulty of judging concerning
God's dispensations, and, above all, 17 — 20. the
final issue of things at the last day, and the end
of that prosperity, Avhich had excited his envy.
Perfectly satisfied with these considerations, 21,
22. he owns his uneasiness to have sprung from
his ignorance; and, 23 — 28. closes the Psalm with
the most affectionate expressions of his full trust
and confidence in the divine mercy and goodness.
No temptation is more common, or more formi-
Q v c

436 A COMMENTARY PsaL. 73.
dable, than that above-mentioned. A more poAver-
ful and effectual antidote to it cannot be devised,
than this most instructive and beautiful Psalm
affords. 1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as
are of a clean heart.
This declaration seems to be the result of a long
struggle in the mind of the Psalmist, betw een nature
and grace, in Avhich the latter proves victorious, and,
notAvithstanding all appearances to the contrary, de
termines, against the suggestions of the former, that
God is the same good and merciful God to his
church and people, if they do but preserve inviolable
their fidelity to him, Avhether, in this Avorld, they en
joy prosperity, or endure affliction.
2. But as for me, my feet zvere almost gone : my
steps had zvell nigh slipt. 3. For I zvas envious at
the foolish, when I sazv the prosperity ofthe zvicked.
Temptations impede the progress bf the Christian
in the way of righteousness, and incline him to fall ;
as it happens to one avIio Avalks in a slippery path.
The temptation here complained of, is that excited
by seeing wealth and honour in the hands of infide
lity and villany, while the faithful servants of God
are covered Avith infamy, and oppressed by poverty.
A prospect of this sort is apt to make us distrust the
love of heaven towards us, and its providence over
us. For our benefit, therefore, in the course of this
Psahn, the disease is particularized, and the remedy
prescribed.

£>ay 14. E. p. ON THE PSALMS. 437
4. For there are no bands, or, pangs, in their
death ; but their strength is firm.
Health and strength are to be reckoned among
those temporal blessings, Avhich the long suffering of
God sometimes permits the ungodly to enjoy. And
accordingly Ave find men of that cast, avIio live with
out sickness, and die in a manner Avithout pain : Avhile
others, of a contrary character, are worn Avith chro
nical, or racked with acute disorders, which bring
them Avith sorrow and torment to the grave.
5. They are not in trouble as other men: neither
are they plagued like other men.
Calamities, Avhich overwhelm the small concerns
of the poor righteous man, approach not the borders
of the wealthy sinner. Far from poverty, as free
from disease, he seems to pass his days exempted
from the miseries of mankind, Avithout labour or
anxiety ; and not so much as to think of those who,
distressed on all sides, can scarcely earn their bread
by the SAveat of their brows. See this sentiment
beautifully dilated, Job, xxi. See also Jer. xii. 1 .
6. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a
chain : violence covereth them as a garment.
Among men Avho have not the love of God in
their hearts, or his fear before their eyes, pride and
oppression are the offspring of Avorldly prosperity.
The daughters attend the mother Avherever she goeth,
and show themselves openly Avithout reserve " pride
" compasseth them about as a chain ;" they wear it
for an ornament about their necks, as gold chains,
collars, or necklaces, Avere Avorn; see Cant. iv. 9.
discovering it by their stately carriage; see Isa. iii.

433 A COMMENTARY Psal. 73.
16. " Violence covereth them as a garment;" it
appeareth outwardly in all they say or do, and en-
grosseth the Avhole man ; they are, as the English
phrase is, " made up of it."
7- Their eyes stand out zvith fatness : they have
more than heart could wish.
" A man may be known by his look," saith the
son of Sirach, Ecclus. xix. 29. The choleric, the
lascivious, the melancholy, the cunning, &c. &c. fre
quently bear their tempers and ruling passions strongly
marked on their countenances : but more especial
ly doth the soul of a man look forth at his " eyes."
The " pride" of the ungodly, occasioned by great
and unexpected success in the Avorld, hardly ever
fails to bewray itself in this way.
8. They are corrupt, and speak zvickedly concern
ing oppression : they speak loftily.
Prosperity, in an irreligious heart, breeds " cor-
" ruption," Avhich from thence is emitted by the
breath in conversation, to infect and taint the minds
of others. A circle of fawning dependants is never
wanting, to whom the poor, vain, and ignorant
wretch, exalted in his own conceit above the level
of mortality, may, from the chair, without control,
dictate libertinism and infidelity, bidding defiance to
the laAvs of God and man.
9- They set' their mouth against the heavens; aud
their tongue zvuiketh through the earth.
The blessings for which a Christian praises his God,
only cause the infidel to blaspheme him. So true is
that of Solomon — " The prosperity of fools destroy-
" eth them." What a pity is it, that the former

Day 14. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 439
should ever be less zealous and indefatigable in dif
fusing his piety, than Ave know the latter is in propa
gating his blasphemies through the earth !
10. Therefore his people return thither: and zvaters
of a full cup are wrung out to them.
It seemeth impossible to ascertain, with any de
gree of precision, the meaning of this verse, or to
Avhom it relates. Some think it intends those people
who resort to the company of the wicked, because
they find their temporal advantage by it; while others
are of opinion, that the people of God are meant,
who, by continually revolving in their thoughts the
subject here treated of, namely, the prosperity of the
wicked, are sore grieved, and enforced to shed tears
in abundance. Mr. Mudge translates the verse
thus — " Therefore let his (God's) people come be-
" fore them, and Avaters in full measure would be
"wrung out from them:" that is, "Should God's
" people fall into their hands, they Avould squeeze
" them to the full, they would wring out all the
" juice in their bodies." He takes " waters in full
" measure" to have been a proverbial expression.
11. And they say, kozv doth God know? and is
there knowledge in the Most High ?
They who interpret the foregoing verse of the peo
ple of God,, tempted by the success of the ungodly
to distrust his providence, suppose this and the fol
lowing verses to be uttered by "them," as question
ing whether God had any regard to what passed here
below. But, to avoid confusion of persons, I Avould
rather suppose the foregoing verse (to Avhomsoever it
may belong) to be parenthetic, and the verse now

440 A COMMENTARY Psal. 73.
under consideration to be an epicurean, atheistical
speech in the mouth of the wicked above described
at large ; after Avhich the Psalmist goes on, in his
OAvn person, as from the beginning, to relate the
temptation which he underwent, and the issue of it.
12. Behold, these are the ungodly zvho prosper in
the zvorld, they increase in riches.
The temptation is now stated in its full force.
" These " worthless, ungodly, blasphemous wretches,
whose characters I have been delineating, " these "
are the men Avho prosper in the world, who succeed
in every thing they undertake, and roll in riches !
What are Ave to think of God, his providence, and
his promises ?
1 3. Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and
zvashed my hands in innocency : 14. For all the day
long have I been plagued, and chastened every
morning. Nature will be apt upon this occasion to suggest,
that all my faith, my charity, and my devotion, all
my watching, and fastings, in short, all the labour
and pains I have taken in the way of goodness, have
been altogether vain and fruitless ; since, while the
rebellious enemies of God enjoy the world and them
selves at pleasure, I, who continue his servant, am
in perpetual tribulation and affliction.
15. If I say, I zvill speak, or, declare, or, preach,
thus ; behold, I should offend against the generation
qf thy children.
The Psalmist, having thus particularized the dis
ease, proceeds now, like a skilful physician of the
soul, to prescribe a medicine for it, Avhich is com-

Day 14. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 441
pounded of many salutary ingredients. And first, to
the suggestion of nature, grace opposes the examples
of the children of God, who never fell from their
hope in another world, because of their sufferings in
this. For a man, therefore, to distrust the divine
goodness on that account, is to belie their hope,
renounce their faith, and strike his name out of
their list.
16. JFhen I thought' to knoze this, it was too
painful for me.
A second reason Avhy a man should not be too for
ward to arraign God's dispensations of injustice, is
the extreme difficulty of understanding and compre
hending the Avhole of them, Avhich indeed is not to
be done by the human mind, unless God himself
shall vouchsafe it the necessary information. " It
" Avas too painful for me," says the Psalmist;
17. Until I ivent into the sanctuary of God; then
understood I their end.
The third argument, Avith which Ave may repress
the spirit of murmuring and distrust, so apt to be
excited by the prosperity of the wicked, is one com
municated to us by the word of God, which alone
can acquaint us Avith what is to be the " end," the
final portion of sinners at the last day. This is an
arroAv from the heavenly quiver, Avhich brings down
our enemy at once, and lays Dagon prostrate before
the ark.
1 8. Surely thou didst, or, dost, set them in slippery
places : thou castedst them dozen into destruction.
Worldly prosperity is as the narrow and slippery
summit of a mountain, on which, to answer the de-

442 A COMMENTARY Psal. 73.
signs of his providence, God permits the Avicked,
during his pleasure, to take their station; till at
length the fatal hour arrives, Avhen, by a stroke un
seen, they fall from thence, and are lost in the
fathomless ocean of sorrow, torment, and despair.
19- Hozv are they brought into desolation as in a
moment ! they are utterly consumed zvith terrors.
The sudden alteration which death makes in the
state of a powerful and opulent sinner, cannot but
affect all around him, though they behold but one
part of it. How much more would they be astonished
and terrified, if the curtain between the two worlds
Avere undrawn, and the other half of the change
disclosed to vieAv ! Let faith do that which sight
cannot do ; and then the ungodly, however Avealthy
and honourable, -will surely cease to be the objects
of our envy.
20. As a dream zvhen one azvakcth, so, O Lord,
zvlien thou awakest, or, causest them to azeake, thou
shalt despise their image.
The life of the ungodly is a sleep ; their happiness
a dream, illusive and transitory ; at best a shadow ;
afterwards, nothing. At the day of death, the soul
is roused out of this sleep, and the dream vanishes.
When God shall thus awaken them, he will "despise
" their image," he will bring to nought, and render
utterly contemptible, even in their own sight, as
Avell as that of himself, of his holy angels, and the
spirits of the righteous, those imaginary and fantastic
pleasures, for Avhich they have lost the substantial
joys and glories of his heavenly kingdom. Noav,
therefore, Avhile it will not be in vain, " AAvake,

Day 14. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 443
" thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and
" Christ shall give thee light :" Ephes. v. 14. See
Job, xx. 4. &c. Isa. xxix. 8.
21. Thus my heart zvas grieved, Heb. ///• a ferment,
and I zvas pricked in my reins. 22. Sojbolish was /,
and ignorant : I zvas as a beast before thee.
The Psalmist, fully satisfied with the conduct of
providence, reflects upon the folly of his former
uneasiness, and humbly ovrns, that his doubts were
occasioned solely by his ignorance of God's ways;
while he formed his judgement of them without
having duly taken into consideration the final issue
of things. The last day, Avhen it comes, will bring
with it a solution of all difficulties. He who bears
impressed upon his mind such an idea of that day, as
the Scriptures can give him, may solve them noAv.
23. Nevertheless, I am continually zvith thee; thou
hast holden me by my right hand.
The remainder of the Psalm contains the most
dutiful and affectionate expressions of a mind perfectly
at ease, and reposing itself, with comfortable assur
ance, on the loving kindness ofthe Lord,, of which it
had experienced a fresh instance, in its support under
the late temptation, and complete victory OA-er it. "I
" am continually with thee," as a child under the
tender care of a parent; and, as a parent, during
my danger of falling, in a slippery path, " thou hast
" holden me," thy child, " by my right hand."
24. Thou shalt guide mc zvith thy counsel, and
afterwards receive me to glory.
He Avho, but a little while ago, seemed to question

444 A COMMENTARY Psal. 73,
the providence of God over the affairs of men, now
exults in happy confidence of the divine mercy and
favour tOAvards himself, nothing doubting but that
grace Avould ever continue to guide him upon earth
till glory should crown him in heaven. Such are
the blessed effects of " going into the sanctuary,"
and consulting the "lively oracles" in all our doubts,
difficulties, and temptations.
25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there
is none upon earth that I desire beside, Heb. zvith, or,
in comparison of, thee.
The believing soul seems here to speak in the per
son and -witli the affection of a spouse, declaring,
that not only earth, but heaven itself, would be
unsatisfactory and comfortless, without the presence
of her beloved Redeemer, the God of her salvation.
But there is a pathos in the words themselves, Avhich,
though the Christian feels, the commentator cannot
express. 26. My flesh and my heart failetk : but God is
the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
None of these things, in the abundance of Avhich
the wicked place their happiness, can deliver us in the
day of death. " Flesh" must revert to dust, and the
" heart" must cease its beating. He alone, therefore,
is the proper object of our faith and love, who can
support, and carry us through the dreadful hour,
and then raise us again, to be our " portion for ever."
Lord Jesu, who hast so graciously promised to be
come our portion in the next world, prevent us from
choosing any other in this.

Day 14. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 445
27- For, lo, they that are far from thee shall
perish .- thou hast destroyed, or, zvilt destroy, alt them
that go a zvkoring from thee.
They who are " far from God," are just so far
from salvation ; and of course, if they remain in that
situation, must " perish." Nor have they reason to
expect any other fate, who in their hearts depart from
the holy Jesus, after he has betrothed them to himself
in righteousness ; and prefer to him the vilest and
basest of his enemies, the w-orld and the flesh, by
whose wicked hands he Avas crucified and slain.
28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I
have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may
declare all thy zvorks.
As if the Psalmist had said, in other words — -Hear,
therefore, the conclusion of the Avhole matter. Let
others, dazzled by the blaze of worldly prosperity,
forsake God, to obtain a share of it; or murmur
against him, because they cannot obtain it. I am
persuaded, it now is, and finally will be, " good,"
delightful, profitable, and honourable, " for me to
"draw near," and join myself "to him;" Avhich,
in this life, I can do no otherwise, than by believing
and hoping in his holy name ; "I will put my trust
" in the Lord God," and excite others to do the
same by " declaring his works," and dispensations ;
that all may perceive what an amazing difference
will one day be made, between him who lusteth after
the creature, and him Avho loveth the Creator.

446 A COMMENTARY Psal. 74.
PSALM LXXIV.
ARGUMENT.
Upon Avhatever occasion this Psalm might have been
originally composed, it is plainly intended for the
use of the church in time of persecution. 1. She
bemoans herself as deserted by God; the return
of whose favour she entreats, 2. on account of his
having-redeemed her ; 3 — 9. of the ravages made,
and, 10. the reproaches throAvn out, by the ene-
iny ; 1 1 — 1.5. she reminds him of the wonders for
merly wrought in her behalf, and, 16, 17- of his
power and goodness, manifested in the common
course of nature ; 19. of the relation in Avhich she
stands to him; 20. of his covenant; 21, 22. of
the honour of his name, and, 23. the increasing
fury of her adversaries, just ready to swalloAv
her up.
1. O God, zvhy hast thou cast us off for ever?
why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy
pasture ?
God not only permits, but, by his prophet, who
indited this form of words, directs the church, under
persecution, to expostulate with him for having,
to all appearance, finally deserted her. And that, in
such deplorable circumstances, she may move his
compassion, and, as it Avere, revive his love towards
her, she is taught to remind him of that endearing

Day 14. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 447
relation which once subsisted between him and his
people, the relation of a " shepherd " to his " sheep."
The soul, Avhen led into captivity, and detained in
it, by a prevailing lust or passion, may make her
prayer likeAvise in these Avords, adapted to her case.
2. Remember thy congregation Avhieh thou hast
purchased qf old ; the rod, or tribe, or portion, of
thine inheritance, Avhich thou hast redeemed, this'
mount Sion, wherein thou kast dzvelt.
The Israelitish church pleads for mercy, upon
these considerations, that God had formerly vouch
safed to redeem her from the Egyptian bondage, and
to fix his residence on mount Sion, all which Avould
prove to have been done in vain, should he leave
her, at last, in the hands of her enemies. The re
demption by Jesus Christ, and his habitation in the
church Christian by his Spirit, are the correspond
ing arguments to be urged, on similar occasions, by
her, and by the believing soul.
3. Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations:
even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the
sanctuary. God is represented as having withdraAvn himself,
and departed afar off; he is therefore entreated to
return Avithout delay, to view the long lasting deso
lations of the once highly favoured city, and the
ravages made by aliens in the sanctuary; which
could not but excite in him compassion for his peo
ple, and indignation against their enemies. The
outward calamities of a persecuted church 0should
cause us to reflect on the sad havoc and devastation

448 A COMMENTARY Psal. 74.
made by sin and Satan in the soul, which before was
the city and temple of the living God..
4. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congre
gations, or, places of worship ; they set up their
ensigns for signs.
No sound can be more shocking than the con
fused clamours of an Heathen army sacking the tem
ple ; no sight so afflicting, as that of " the abomina-
" tion of desolation standing in the holy place."
Turbulent passions are the enemies, which raise an
uproar of confusion in the heart; Avealth, power,
and pleasure are the idols which profane that
sanctuary. 5. A man zvas famous according as ke had If ted
up axes upon the thick trees^ 6. But nozv they break
down the carved zvork thereof at once with axes and
hammers. The difficulty of these verses lies altogether in the
first Avord, m>, without which, their literal construc
tion is as follows — " As he Avho lifted up axes in
" the thick wood, so noAv they," the enemies above-
mentioned, " break down the carved work thereof,"
of the sanctuary, " with hatchets and hammers."
Some interpreters render vm> impersonally; not " He
" was famous," but " It is Avell knoAvn," it is ma
nifest, O God, to all the world, " that as he who
" lifteth up axes, so noAv," &c. Or, may not the
sense be — " as vn>, a knowing, skilful person, one
" who understands his business, lifted up the axe in
" the thick wood, so now men set themselves to
" work to demolish the ornaments and timbers of

Day 14. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 419
" the sanctuary." The words suggest another rea
son why God should arise and have mercy upon
Sion, lest his name should be blasphemed among the
nations, when they saw and heard of the sacrilegious
and horrible destruction Avrought by the enemy ;
whom neither the majesty of the temple, nor the
reverence of its divine inhabitant, could restrain from
defacing the beauty of holiness. The ornaments of
the internal and spiritual temple, sometimes suffer
as much from the fury of inordinate affections, as
the carved Avork of the sanctuary ever did from the
armies of Nebuchadnezzar or Antiochus.
7- They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they
have defiled, or, desecrated, by casting down, the
dwelling-place qf thy name to the ground.
The gates of the second temple . were set on fire
by Antiochus; see 1 Mac. iv. 3S. but the Avhole
fabric of the first Avas burnt by Nebuchadnezzar.
When animosities break forth, and contentions are
raised in the church, " fire is cast into the sanctu-
" ary:" when the soul sinks under a temptation, the
" dwelling-place of God's name is desecrated to the
" ground." 8 .They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them
together : they have burnt up all the synagogues of
God in the land.
Such is the rage of infidels, Avhen it pleases God,
for the sins of his people, to let them loose upon the
church as beasts -of prey. From scenes like these,
Ave learn the temper and disposition of that raging
adversary of mankind and his associates ; av}io, if
permitted, would root Christianity out of every heart.
vor. i. 2 g

450 A COMMENTARY Psal. 74.
" Watch, therefore, and pray," saith the Captain of
our salvation to all his soldiers.
9- We see not our signs, there is no more any pro
phet, neither is there among us any that knoweth
how long.
Darkness is horrible in itself, and adds horror to
every thing else. The church therefore complains,
that, in the midst of all her other troubles, she was
deserted by the light of heaven. No " signs," or
miracles, Avere exhibited for her comfort ; there Avas
no " prophet," to inform her concerning the will of
God, or to promise her an " end" of her afflictions,
as Daniel did when she was a captive in Babylon.
Sin darkens the understanding, taking from it that
light, the direction of which it then stands most in
need of.
10. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?
shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? 11.
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right
hand? Pluck it out of thy bosom.
To an enumeration of calamities succeeds a. pray
er for deliverance, grounded on the necessity of
God's vindicating the honour of his name from tbe
insolent and blasphemous reproaches . and scoffs of
the enemy : see Ezek. xx. 19. He is, . therefore,
entreated to make bare his arm in the sight of the
nations, and to let his right hand become glorious in
the vindication of his name, and the defence of his
inheritance. 12. For God is my King of old, working salvation
in the midst ofthe earth.
And that he will do so, there is always reason for

Day 14. e.p. ON THE PSALMS. 451
the afflicted church to hope; because, as her " King,"
he conducted and protected her of old, and wrought
" salvation" for her upon the earth ; temporal sal
vation by the hand of Moses ; eternal salvation by
the power of Christ.
13. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength;
thou brakest the heads ofthe dragons in the waters.
The first part of this verse alludes to that marvel
lous act of omnipotence, which divided the Red Sea,
for Israel to pass over ; the second part, to the re
turn of its waves upon the heads of the Egyptians,
Avho, like so many sea monsters, opening their mouths
to devour the people of God, were overwhelmed,
and perished in the mighty Avaters. The Christian
church is taught to contemplate, under this figure,
the salvation of her children, and the destruction of
their spiritual enemies, by the waters of baptism :
see 1 Cor. x. 2. and the Office for Baptism in the
Church of England. Parallel to this passage in our
Psalm, is that most sublime one, Isa. li. 9, 10, 11.
"Awake, aAvake, put on strength, O arm of the
" Lord ! awake, as in the ancient days, in the gene-
" rations of old. Art thou not it, that hath cut
" Rahab, and wounded the dragon ? Art thou not
" it, that hath dried the sea, the waters of the great
" deep; that hath made the depths ofthe sea a Avay
" for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore, the re-
" deemed of the Lord shall return, and come with
" singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be
" upon their heads ; they shall obtain gladness and
" joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee aivay."
14. Thou brakest the heads of the leviathan in
2 g 2

452 A COMMENTARY Psal. 74.
pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people in
habiting tke wilderness.
" Leviathan" stands for Pharaoh, or the Egyp
tian power, represented by the Egyptian animal,
the crocodile of Nile, the Egyptian river. The
" heads of leviathan" are the princes of Egypt, the
leaders of the Egyptian armies. And " the people,
" or inhabitants, of the Avilderness," to whom they
were giA'en for a prey, are not men, but a species of
wild beasts, hunting the deserts, for which the Avord
c=»y is used, Isa. xiii. 21. and xxxiv. 14. The sense
therefore is, that tlie bodies of Pharaoh and his cap
tains were thrown on shore by the sea, and so be
came food for the wild beasts of the neighbouring-
deserts. The final destruction of the adversaries of
Messiah's kingdom, is described at large under alike
image, Rev. xix. 17, &c.
15. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood — ¦
that is, draw forth the fountain and the flood, by
cleaving the rock— thou driedst up mighty rivers.
Two otiier remarkable exertions of the divine
power in favour of the Israelites, are here referred
to. Water w as brought- out of the rock, to satisfy
their thirst in the time of drought; and the river
Jordan Avas- dried up, to open the passage for thcin
into Canaan. In the former of these transactions,
faith beholds the Avater of life springing from the
Rock of Salvation ; in the latter are discerned the
mystic death arid resurrection of Christians, as a pre
lude to the corporeal; Avhen rising from the depths
of the grave, they shali enter into the kingdom of
heaven.

Day h. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 453
16. The day is thine, the night also is thine, thoic
hast prepared the light and the sun. 17. Thou hast
set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made sum
mer and zvinter.
From the miraculous interpositions of God, in be
half of his people, the church passes to those ordi
nary and standing evidences of his goodness towards
us, the sweet vicissitudes of light and darkness, and
the grateful succession of times and seasons ; by
which man is taught, in the most sorrowful night, to
look for a joyful morning ; and, during the severest
winter, to expect a reviving spring. Thus is the
revolving year our constant instructor and monitor;
incessandy inculcating the duties of faith and hope,
as well as those of adoration, gratitude, and praise.
18. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproach
ed, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blas
phemed thy name. 19-0 deliver not the soul of thy
turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked, forget
not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
After endeavouring to support her own faith, and
excite the zeal ©f God for his inheritance, by. a re
hearsal of former mercies, the church again urges
the argument of "reproach," touched on before at
ver. 10. and then reminds her Saviour of that en
dearing appellation of his " turlle-davc," by which
he had not disdained to address her in times past.
This turtle-dove, simple, defenceless, solitary, meek,
timid, and mournful, Avas in danger of being speedily
devoured by her inveterate and implacable enemies ;
who, like birds of prey, beset her on all sides, thirst-

454 A COMMENTARY Psal. 74.
ing impatiently for her blood. What an irresistible
force do these circumstances give to the Avords —
" O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the
" multitude of the Avicked ; and forget not the con-
" gregation of thy poor for ever !" Let us not fail, in
the hour of temptation, to use them, and try the suc
cess of them.
20. Have respect unto the covenant : for the dark
places of the earth, or, the land, are full of tlie habi
tations qf cruelty.
The main anchor of the holy ark, in storms and
tempests, is faith in the covexaxt of grace, made
from the beginning in Messiah ; communicated to
Noah, Abraham/ David, &c. as his illustrious repre
sentatives, and in them to the house of Israel ; ac
complished (as Zacharias beareth Avitness by his
song, Luke, i. 72, &c), at the birth of Christ, and
then extended to the Gentiles. To this covenant,
and the promises made therein, the church here ap
peals, at a time Avhen the enemy ravaged, tlie pro
mised land at pleasure, and every thing seemed to
forebode the utter extirpation of the law and people
of God. Hither, therefore, the soul is to fly for re
fuge, when nothing else seems capable of affording
any. 21. O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let
the poor and needy praise thy name.
It 13 for the honour of God, that they Avho have
recourse to him for help, should not, by " returning"
Avithout it, suffer " shame" and confusion, in the pre
sence of their insulting adversaries. And another

Day 14. e. p. ON THE PSALMS. 45.5
motive to engage his assistance is, that, for every lost
soul, there will be a voice the less in that choir,
which is to " praise his name" to all eternity.
22. Arise, O God, plead thine ozvn cause: re
member kozv the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily.
23. Forget not the voice of t hine enemies : the tumult
of those that rise up against thee increaseth conti
nually. The church, growing more importunate in her
petitions, as the danger increases, beseeches God to
appear in her cause, as being in effect his own, on
account of his promises, his attributes of righteous
ness and truth, and the reproaches cast on Him,
through his people. While speaking, she seems to
hear the tumultuous clamours of the approaching
enemy, growing every minute louder as they ad
vance; and we leave the " turtle-dove," Avithout the
divine assistance, ready to sink under the talons of the
rapacious eagle.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

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