The coming of Christ is expressed.

e Matt. 21. 42.

Mark 12. 10. Luke 20. 17. Acts 4. 11.

1 Pet. 2. 4.

+ Heb. This is from the LORD.

f Matt. 21. 9.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go in to them, and I will praise the LORD:

20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

Sundry prayers,

29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

PSALM CXIX.

salvation.

22 The stone which the builders

and professions of obedience.

ALEPH.

corner.

23+ This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

:

19.the gates of righteousness:] The gates of the sanctuary. Dr. Wells.

22. The stone &c.] No text of the Old Testament is quoted by the writers of the New so often as this, which we meet with in five different places: see the margin. The sum and substance of the New Testament applications and expositions is, that Jesus Christ is the stone here mentioned; that He was rejected and set at nought by the chief priests and Pharisees, the then builders of the Church; but that, being chosen of God, and precious to Him, this most valuable stone, thus despised and rejected of men, was at length exalted to be the chief corner-stone in the building, and a centre of union for the Jew and Gentile, the two parts of which it consisted; that this was the work of God, and the admiration of man. Bp. Horne.

24. This is the day &c.] Of the day on which Christ arose from the dead, it may with more propriety than of any other day be affirmed, "This is the day which the Lord hath made." Then it was that the rejected stone became "the head of the corner:" a morning then dawned which is to be succeeded by no evening. Bp. Horne.

27.bind the sacrifice &c.] Bind the sacrifice, or lamb, with cords; (which was done previous to slaying it;) offer it up at the horns of the altar. See Exod. xxx. 10. Dimock.

even unto the horns of the altar.] The meaning of this passage probably is, that the sacrifices offered would be so great that the accustomed place for the victims would not be large enough to hold them, but from their number they would press even to the very "horns of the altar."

This Psalm, which the Jews sang at their feasts, should be made use of by Christians in giving thanks to God, not only for the favours and deliverances,

in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

50 that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

or, sincere.

+ Heb.

7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned + thy righteous judgments. 8 I will keep thy statutes: O for- thy righteoussake me not utterly.

judgments of

ness.

whether publick or private, which He grants them; but, above all, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God signifies in this Psalm, that the Messiah should be rejected by the chief of the Jews; and that, notwithstanding, He should become the King and Head of the Church; which was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was crucified, and when, after his resurrection, He ascended into heaven, and his Kingdom was established in the world. Ostervald.

Psalm CXIX. This Psalm consists of twenty-two staves of eight verses each, beginning with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and ending with the last. All the verses of each single stave begin with the same letter, from which it is denominated, so that the first eight verses begin with Aleph, the next with Beth, and so on. Fenton. It was probably written for the instruction of youth. Every division of it expresses the excellence of the law; a resolution to keep it, under all circumstances, particularly of distress, when his piety exposed him to danger of reproach; and a petition for grace. The words "laws," "statutes,' ""testimonies," "judgments," "precepts," &c. which occurso constantly, seem here to be used promiscuously. Bp. Patrick, Green.

Ver. 3. They also &c.] "For they commit no iniquity who walk in his ways.' Green.

6. — when I have &c.] All the commandments have the same Author, and the same sanction. He who thinks to atone for the breach of one, by the observation of another; he who reserves to himself a licence of indulging any favourite darling lust, while in general he preserves the appearance of an exemplary conduct, is an hypocrite; and, unless he repent, will be brought to shame, if not before men here, yet before men and angels hereafter. Bp. Horne.

praises, and professions

+ Heb. Reveal.

a Gen. 47. 9.

15.

BETH.

9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander

from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. GIMEL.

of obedience.

I

18+ Open thou mine eyes, that may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

19 I am a stranger in the earth; Chron. 29. hide not thy commandments from

Ps. 39. 12.

Hebr. 11. 13.

me.

Have I treasured up. Green. 12. Blessed art thou, &c.] The meaning seems to be this, Thou, O Jehovah, art blessed, that is, art the Supreme God, to whom I acknowledge all blessing and adoration to be due; teach me therefore thy statutes, as being the only laws to which we owe all obedience. Mudge.

30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before

18. that I may behold &c.] That is, that I may be able to comprehend the Divine mysteries contained in thy law. Dimock.

19. I am a stranger &c.] I am a stranger, unacquainted with the way; give me thy commandments to guide me.

20. My soul breaketh &c.] That is, my soul is wasted with a continual longing after thy judgments. Edwards.

21. Thou hast rebuked &c.] Thou rebukest the proud; cursed are they that stray from thy commandments. "The proud" always mean, the contemptuous disregarders of God and his laws. Mudge.

25. My soul cleaveth &c.] I am brought exceeding comfort me, as Thou hast graciously promised. Bp. low by thy afflicting hand: oh, do Thou raise and

riches

VOL. II.

The benefit

e Ps. 19. 10. Prov. 8. 11.

62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

64 The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy teach me thy statutes. TETH.

65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.

66 Teach me good judgment and good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word.

68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy

70. Their heart is as fat &c.] The "fatness of the heart" implies, in this place, two things in those of whom it is affirmed; luxury, and its consequence, insensibility to those spiritual and divine truths, which are not only the study, but the "delight" of temperate and holy persons. Bp. Horne.

71. It is good for me &c.] There is a class of most important duties, which can only be practised in affliction; namely, patience and composure under distress, pain, and affliction: a stedfast keeping up of our confidence in God, and our dependence upon his final goodness, even at a time that every thing present is discouraging and adverse; and, what is no less difficult to retain, a cordial desire for the happiness and comfort of others, even then, when we are deprived of our own. The possession of this temper is almost the perfection of our nature. But it is then only possessed when put to the trial: tried at all it could not have been in a life made up only of pleasure and gratification. It is in the chambers of sickness; under the strokes of affliction; amidst the pinchings of want, the groans of pain, the pressures of infirmity; in grief, in misfortune; through gloom and horrour, that it will be seen, whether we hold fast our hope, our confidence, our trust in God; whether this hope and confidence be able to produce in us resignation, acquiescence, and submission. Archdeacon Paley.

of afflictions.

comfort me.

74. — when they see me ;] When they see me delivered out of all these troubles. Dr. Wells.

75. I know, &c.] From whatever quarter afflictions come upon us, they are the "judgments of God," without whose providence nothing befalls us. His judgments are always "right," or just, duly proportioned to the disease and strength of the patient; in sending them God is "faithful" and true to his word, wherein He hath never promised the crown without the cross, but hath, on the contrary, assured us, that one will be necessary in order to our obtaining the other; and that they who are beloved by Him shall not sin with impunity, nor go astray without a call to return. Bp. Horne.

turn unto me,] Turn to my side, and become my friends. Bp. Patrick.

81. My soul fainteth &c.] My soul languisheth with a longing desire of thy salvation; yet still I am sustained by an assured hope of thy merciful performances. Bp. Hall.

83. like a bottle in the smoke ;] Bottles, among the Jews, were made of skins. One of these, if exposed to heat and "smoke," would become shrivelled and useless. Such a change will labour and sorrow cause in the human frame; and the Psalmist here represents, that his beauty and strength were gone, and the natural moisture dried up; in consequence of which the skin