David imploreth God's help.

1023.

a Ps. 31. 1.

+ Heb. Be thou to me

habitation.

fusion.

2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

3 Be thou my strong habitation, for a rock of whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel

7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak against +Heb.watch, me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

or, observe.

11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my

tion of the Sick, as the greatest part of it is proper for a dying person, to express his trust in God, the want of his help, &c. Bp. Wilson.

Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, &c.] The promises of salvation are made to those, who, renouncing all confidence in the world, "trust" in God alone for it. For this reason the Psalmist so often begins his prayer with a declaration of his faith, which is to the soul in affliction, what an anchor is to a ship in distress. Bp. Horne.

2. Deliver me in thy righteousness,] A second argument here used is the "righteousness" of God, who cannot but be faithful and just to his own gracious word. Bp. Horne.

7. I am as a wonder unto many;] That is, My deplorable miseries have made many consider me as a prodigy of wretchedness. Travell.

20. Thou, which hast shewed &c.] Great and numberless as my distresses have been, I have ever found

14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

16 I will go in the strength of the LORD God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

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 Heb. unto old age and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; grey hairs. until I have shewed thy strength + Heb. thine unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

arm.

the instru

22 I will also praise thee + with Heb. with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my ment of God: unto thee will I sing with the psaltery. harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

relief from thy goodness; and I doubt not that Thou wilt again draw me out of this extreme danger, which has brought me to the brink of the grave. Travell, Bp. Patrick.

We may learn from hence, 1st, That those who trust in God are never confounded; and that they may betake themselves to Him under all their wants, with a perfect assurance of his help; but that this confidence cannot be well grounded, unless they have the same pious sentiments that David discovers in this Psalm. 2ndly, As this prince, for his comfort and encouragement to praise God, called to mind the favours he had received from Him in time past, so should we preserve the remembrance of the mercies God has vouchsafed us from our youth, and through the whole course of our lives. 3rdly, It is the duty of those who have been exposed to great afflictions, and whom God has happily delivered, to join with this holy Prophet in admiring and celebrating his great goodness towards them. Ostervald.

1 David, praying for Solomon, sheweth the goodness and glory of his, in type, and in truth, of Christ's kingdom. 18 He blesseth

God.

A Psalm for Solomon. LIVE the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces oppressor.

the

5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace + so long as the moon endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from

Psalm LXXII. David seems to have composed this Psalm on his having appointed Solomon to be his successor. Travell.

This Psalm describes, in the most beautiful imagery, and most lively colours, the peaceful glories of the Messiah's future reign; his righteousness, or impartial | administration of justice; the universal homage and worship to be paid to Him; the perpetuity of his dominion, “whose name shall endure for ever," "in whom mankind shall be blessed, and whom all nations shall call blessed" magnificent predictions, utterly inapplicable to Solomon, but truly characteristick of Christ. Dr. Hales.

In this Psalm there is such a variety and beauty of imagery, such a splendour of diction, such elegance in the composition, that I believe it will be impossible in the whole compass of literature, sacred or profane, to find such an union of sublimity with sweetness and grace. Bp. Lowth.

Ver. 1. Give the king thy judgments,] That is, cause him to govern the kingdom according to thy precepts. Rosenmüller.

the king-the king's son.] The king and the king's son are the same person, a character that belongs to none before Solomon, who was the first prince in Israel that was at the same time king and son of a king. Mudge.

3. The mountains shall bring &c.] In other words, Peace, manifested by its consequence, plenteousness, shall be upon the mountains and little hills of Judea, by means of that righteous judgment, which Solomon will execute in the land. Bp. Horne.

5. They shall fear thee &c.] His righteous administration shall redound to his everlasting honour, and shall gain him the esteem and reverence of his people, through all generations: so that he shall be a lively

sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the needy when 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.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

emblem of the great King, Christ Jesus, whose dominion shall endure as long as the world remaineth. Travell, Bp. Patrick.

8. He shall have dominion &c.] "From sea to sea," that is, with reference to the Messiah, over all the earth.

9. They that dwell &c.] The most barbarous nations shall do him homage, and his enemies shall be constrained to prostrate themselves at his feet with the most abject submission. Travell.

10. Tarshish] For Tarshish, see note at 1 Kings

x. 22.

Sheba-Seba] For the former see the note on 1 Kings x. 1; the latter was also probably in Arabia Felix. Consult the " map of the world" for their probable situations.

14. He shall redeem &c.] He shall preserve them from being ruined either by the deceitful wiles or violent attacks of their enemies; nor shall he, to gratify his own ambition, be prodigal of their precious lives. So shall the Saviour of the world redeem the souls of his people from their most cruel enemies, sin and death; and so valuable in his sight shall their blood be, that He shall shed his own for it! Bps. Patrick and Horne, Travell.

16. There shall be an handful &c.] The country shall be so fruitful in his days, that even a handful of corn, sown upon the lofty hills, shall produce a crop that shall shake with a loud noise, like the cedars upon mount Lebanon: and the people in the city shall be fruitful and populous, like the innumerable blades of grass in a field, which the Lord hath blessed. Such, under the reign of the Messiah, shall be the amazing increase of the word, when sown in hearts that before were barren; such the astonishing multiplication of citizens in the Christian church. Travell, Bp. Horne.

The fearful end of the wicked.

+ Heb. my chastisement

was.

+ Heb. it was labour in

mine eyes.

+ Heb. I knew not.

nocency.

14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and + chastened every morning.

15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.'

16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O LORD, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

22 So foolish was I, and + ignorant: Heb. with I was as a beast + before thee.

thee.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

26 My flesh and my heart faileth:

15. If I say, &c.] But, if I persevere in such discourse, and speak like these men, I shall betray the cause of all those who are thy true children, O God. Travell.

17. Until I went &c.] Until I applied to Thee by prayer and meditation on thy word. See Ps. lxxvii. 13. 20. As a dream &c.] Their prosperity is but as a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when Thou seest fit to punish them, Thou shalt cause all their glory and prosperity quickly to vanish. Dr. Wells. 21.-I was pricked in my reins.] I was deeply wounded with disquieting thoughts and tormenting passions, envy, sorrow, and anger. Poole.

23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee:] Notwithstanding these foolish thoughts, I am under the care of thy good providence. Bp. Patrick.

27.-thou hast destroyed &c.] Thou hast destroyed those who, forsaking thy service, have devoted themselves to the worship of other gods. Bp. Patrick. See the note on Exod. xxxiv. 16.

This Psalm teaches us how we ought to judge of the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous. We ought never to believe that wicked men, who live in mirth and plenty in this world, and who enjoy all their wishes, are truly happy, or that the rightcous, because they are afflicted, serve God in vain. Asaph has taught us, that to resist this temptation we

27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

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 works.

PSALM LXXIV.

The prophet complaineth of the desolation of the sanctuary. 10 He moveth God to help in consideration of his power, 18 of his reproachful enemies, of his children, and of his covenant.

|| Or, A Psalm for

¶ Maschil of Asaph. GOD, why hast thou cast us Asaph to give off for ever? why doth thine instruction. anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou | Or, tribe. hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick

trees.

6 But now they break down the

must meditate upon the word of God, and the ways of Providence: then we shall find that the felicity of worldly men is vain, and of short duration; and that they are set in slippery places, from whence they fall suddenly. Ostervald.

Psalm LXXIV. This Psalm was occasioned by the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple, and the rest of the country of Judea, made by Nebuchadnezzar, or the Babylonish forces. Dr. Wells.

Ver. 2.—the rod of thine inheritance,] The "tribe" or portion "of thine inheritance," as in the margin. Bp. Horne. See the note on Jer. x. 16.

3. Lift up thy feet &c.] God is represented as having withdrawn Himself, and departed afar off; He is therefore entreated to return without delay, to view the long lasting desolations of the once highly-favoured city, and the ravages made by enemies in the sanctuary. Bp. Horne.

4. Thine enemies roar &c.] That is, they send up shouts of triumph in those places where thy people used to praise thy name. Bp. Patrick.

they set up their ensigns for signs.] They erect their standards in token of victory. Bp. Patrick. 5, 6. A man was famous &c.] It was formerly thought an employment of much honour, to cut down and prepare trees for the building of thy holy sanc

of the desolation of the sanctuary,

+ Heb. They have sent thy sanctuary

carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by castinto the fire. ing down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

8 They said in their hearts, Let + Heb. break. us +destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

+ Heb. rivers of strength.

16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light

and the sun.

tuary. But now every man thinks himself most deserving, that can do the greatest havock in thy temple. Bp. Hall.

9. We see not &c.] We see not any token of thy Divine presence with us, nor is there so much as a Prophet to give us advice or comfort, or to tell us when these calamities will have an end. Travell.

11.-pluck it out of thy bosom.] That is, Exert thy power again for the destruction of thy enemies. Travell. The hand, when unemployed, was usually inserted in the folds of the garment on the bosom. See note at Ps. lxxix. 12.

13. thou brakest &c.] Thou didst confound the great and mighty enemies of Israel, in the Red sea. Bp. Hall.

dragons] See the note on Ps. xliv. 19. 14. Thou brakest the heads &c.] "Leviathan" stands for Pharaoh, or the Egyptian power, represented by the Egyptian animal, the crocodile. The "heads" of leviathan are the princes of Egypt, the leaders of the Egyptian armies. And the "people inhabiting the wilderness," to whom they were given for a prey, are the wild beasts haunting the deserts. Bp. Horne.

17.-borders of the earth:] The boundaries of the earth, so that the sea cannot overwhelm them. See Jer. v. 22; Job xxxviii. 8. 11. Rosenmüller.

19.thy turtledove] Thy church, which like a turtledove, simple, defenceless, solitary, meek, timid,

and prayeth for help.

17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast + made sum- + Heb. made mer and winter.

18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

them.

23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee † increaseth con- + Heb. tinually.

PSALM LXXV.

The prophet praiseth God. 2 He promisetk to judge uprightly. 4 He rebuketh the proud by consideration of God's providence. 9 He praiseth God, and promiseth to execute justice.

ascendeth.

not.

Asaph.

¶ To the chief Musician, || Al-tas- || Or, Destroy chith, A Psalm or Song || of Asaph. Or, for Unks, unto thee do we give NTO thee, O God, do we give thanks,

UN

and mournful, was in danger of being speedily devoured by her inveterate enemies. Bp. Horne.

20. Have respect unto &c.] Have regard unto the promises into which Thou didst enter with thy people: for now the land is full of rapine and cruelty, and every dark corner of it is a den of thieves and murderers. Bp. Patrick.

This Psalm engages us to make these four principal reflections: 1. That the Church has been in all ages exposed to persecution; and therefore we ought not to wonder, if the Christian Church has been, and still is, sometimes persecuted. 2. That as God, to punish the Jews for their abuse of his service, suffered them to be led into captivity; for the same reasons He has often delivered his church into the hands of persecutors, with a design to try it, and to purify it. 3. When God appears the most provoked with his people, He does not quite forsake them, but always remembers his covenant, and delivers them at last. 4. As the Prophet was grieved for the calamities of the Jews, and prayed for their restoration, so Christians ought to be sensibly affected with the misfortunes of the church, and to pray continually for its deliverance and prosperity. Ostervald.

Psalm LXXV. It is not improbable that this Psalm was composed by Asaph on the destruction of the Assyrian army under Sennacherib. Travell.