"pr r-- -\ KK 0.(1 M-l. \J'-T \ ti 00 tactic v. FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY DMsiou SCt$ *uuo rrmKFST ISABELLA QBE* Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/tetstwitOOgill THE PSALMS OF DAVID, <2\ NOTES DEVOTIONAL AND PRACTICAL, REFERRING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT; EXTRACTED (WITH VERY LITTLE ALTERATION) FROM Br. Hornets Commentary on the Book of Psalms, BY Tpt^TATE PIOUS AND LEARNED J. GILLIES, D. D. MINISTER IN THE BLACKFRIARS (OR COLLEGE) CHURCH, GLASGOW. They s'mg the Song of Moses, and the Song- of the LAMB— Rev. xv. EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY SIR D. HUNTER BLAIR AND M. S. BRUCE, Printers to the King's most Excellent Majesty. 1829. PREFACE FIRST EDITION. 44 xiXL things must be fulfilled, saith our blessed " Lord, which were written in the Psalms concern- " ing me." Beside his own citations mentioned in the Gospel History, we find several others in the sermons and writings of his Apostles. And the primitive Christians seem to have entertained the same opinion with some pious and learned moderns, " That the " Apostles did not quote all the Psalms they could " have quoted, but only gave a key to their hearers, " by which they might open other passages in the " Book." Augustin speaks the sentiments of many of the ancients, when he says, Tunc Psalmos videri sua- vissimos, ac divinissima luce perfusos, cum in his caput et membra, Christum et ecclesiam, sive aperte propa- latos, sive latenter designatos intelligimus. And he pur- sues this plan throughout his Enarrationes in Psalmos. But because there are others who may think this is going too far ; and because the sole design of the fol- lowing Notes is to assist Christian devotion in singing the Psalms, care has been taken when the application of the Psalm, as prophetical or typical, is doubtful, to express the Notes in a manner which avoids all dispute. They are extracted with very little alteration from the two volumes of Dr Home's Commentary on the book of Psalms. It was not intended to give Notes on every Psalm, nor on all the Parts of any ; but chiefly to select from the other pious and useful observations which compose that valuable Commentary, such pas- A 2 iv PREFACE. sages as seemed to have a peculiar aspect to the Re- deemer, or a natural tendency to bring Him to a Christian's mind. Let the serious reader consider them in what light he chooses; whether of exposition, or only of accommodation, or even of occasional medi- tation upon comparing the Psalter with the New Testament : only, may it please God to make them, by his blessing, subservient to Christian piety in this heavenly part of divine worship, by often recalling to the remembrance of the worshippers Him " whom it " is the Father's will that all men should honour, even " as they honour the Father." JOHN GILLIES. GLASGOW, I 2d January 1786. > THE PSALMS OF DAVID. PSALM I. The PSALTER, like the Sermon on the Mount, openeth with a " beatitude" for our comfort and encouragement, directing us imme- diately to that happiness, which all mankind, in different ways, are seeking and inquiring after. 1 rpHAT man * hath perfect blessedness -■- Who walketh not astray In counsel of ungodly men, Nor stands in sinners' way, Nor sitteth in the scorner's chair : 2 But placeth his delight Upon God's law, and meditates On his law day and night. Ver. 1. * Heb. " Adam." O thou second Adam, who alone, since the transgression of the first, hast attained a sinless perfection, make thy servants " blessed," by making them " righteous" through thy merits and grace. Ver. 2. When the law of God is the subject of our studies and medi- tations, we are conformed to the example of our Redeemer himself, who, as a man, while he " increased 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 had more understanding than his teachers. 3 He shall be like a tree that grows Near planted by a river, Which in his season yields his fruit, And his leaf fadeth never : And all he doth shall prosper well. 4 The wicked are not so } But like they are unto the chaff, Which wind drives to and fro. Ver. 3. 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 support, and its leaves for the healing of the nations, Rev. xxii. AS 6 PSALM II. 5 In judgment therefore shall not stand Such as ungodly are ; Nor in th' assembly of the just Shall wicked men appear. 6 For why ? the way of godly men Unto the Lord is known : Whereas the way of wicked men Shall quite be overthrown. Ver. 5. A day is coming, when the Divine Husbandman shall appear with " his fan in his hand," and shall " throughly purge his floor." Then shall there be " an assembly of the righteous" in which " sinners " shall not stand, Matth. xxv. — At present, wheat and chaff lie in one floor ; wheat and tares grow in one field ; good and bad fishes are com- prehended in one net. Let us wait with patience God's time of separa- tion. PSALM II. 1 "11THY rage the heathen? and vain things * * Why do the people mind ? 2 Kings of the earth do set themselves, And princes are combined, To plot against the Lord, and his Anointed, saying thus, 3 Let us asunder break their bands, And cast their cords from us. Ver. 1, 2. These verses are cited, Acts iv. " the rulers were gathered " together against the Lord, and against his Christ." After the ascen- sion 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 in- tended to extirpate Christianity, how many, or how mighty soever they might be, were found only to " imagine a vain thing ;" and equally vain will every imagination be, that exalteth itself against the counsels of God, for the salvation of his people. 4 He that in heaven sits shall laugh ; The Lord shall scorn them all. 5 Then shall he speak to them in wrath, In rage he vex them shall. 6 Yet, notwithstanding, I have him To be my King appointed ; And over Sion, my holy hill, I have him King anointed. Ver. 5, 6. The meaning is, that by pouring out his indignation upon the adversaries of Messiah, as formerly upon those of David, God would PSALM II. 7 no less evidently convict and reprove their folly and impiety, than if he had actually thus spoken to them from his eternal throne. , 7 The sure decree I will declare ; The Lord hath said to me, Thou art mine only Son ; this day I have begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and for heritage The heathen I'll make thine ; And, for possession, I to thee Will give earth's utmost line. Ver. 7. Jesus, for the suffering of death, crowned with honour and immortality, upon the holy hill of Zion, in the new Jerusalem, now " declares the decree," or preaches the gospel of the everlasting co- venant. His part in the covenant was performed by keeping the law, and dying for the sins of men. Nothing therefore remained, but the accomplishment of the promise made to him by the Father, upon those conditions. One part of this promise was fulfilled, saith Paul, " in that " he had raised up Jesus again ; as it is written in the second psalm, " Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." Acts xiii. Another part was fulfilled at the ascension of Christ, and his inauguration to an eternal kingdom, and an unchangeable priesthood, as the true Mel- chizedec, 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, — " Ask of me, u and for heritage the heathen I'll make thine." Ver. 8. That such request was made by Christ, and granted by the Father, the person who writes this, and he who reads it, in a oiice Pagan, but now Christian island, are both witnesses. 9 Thou shalt, as with a weighty rod Of iron, break them all ; And, as a potter's sherd, thou shalt Them dash in pieces small. 10 Now therefore, kings, be wise; be taught, Ye judges of the earth : 1 1 Serve God in fear, and see that ye Join trembling with your mirth. Ver. 9. The irresistible power and inflexible justice of Christ's king- dom 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 manifested in all, by the destruction either of sin or the sinner.. The hearts which now yield to the impressions of his Spirit, are broken only in order to be formed anew, and to be- come vessels of honour, fitted for the Master's use. Those which con- tinue stubborn and hardened, must be dashed in pieces. A 4 PSALM III. 12 Kiss ye the Son, lest in his ire Ye perish from the way, If once his wrath begin to burn : Bless'd all that on him stay. PSALM III. 1 (~\ LORD, how are my foes increas'd ? ^^ Against me many rise. 2 Many say of my soul, For him In God no succour lies. 3 Yet thou my shield and glory art, Th' uplifter of mine head. 4 I cry'd, and from his holy hill, The Lord me answer made, Ver. 1. David is astonished to find, that " the hearts of the men of " Israel are after Absalom;" 2 Sam. xv. 13. 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. Ver. 2. 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 Shimeis afterward, concerning the Son of David, was, " He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if ki he will have him." What therefore hath faith to offer? We shall hear — " Yet thou my shield and glory art, — th' uplifter of mine head." Ver. 3. Such is the answer of David, and of all the saints, but above all, of the King of saints, to the temptation before mentioned. Jeho- vah is a " shield" against this, and all other fiery darts, shot by Satan and his confederates. He is the glory of M Christ" and the church, with which they will one day be seen invested, 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 return of David to Jerusalem. Ver. 4. David, driven from Jerusalem, still looked and prayed to- wards the '« holy hill" of Zron. Christ, when a stranger on the earth, " made supplication, with strong crying," to his Father in heaven. 5 I laid me down and slept, I wak'd ; For God sustained me. 6 I will not fear though thousands ten Set round against me be. 7 Arise, O Lord ; save me, my God ^ For thou my foes hast stroke PSALM IV. 9 All on the cheek-bone, and the teeth Of wicked men hast broke. Ver. 5. Behold David, in the midst of danger, sleeping without fear ; secure, through the divine protection, of awaking to vanquish his ene- mies. Behold the Son of David composing himself to his rest upon the cross, that bed of sorrows ; and commending his spirit into the Father's hands, in full confidence of a joyful resurrection, according to the pro- mise at the time appointed. O Christian, let faith teach thee how to sleep, and how to die. Ver. 7. The church, through Christ, prayeth in these words of Da- vid, that Jehovah would arise, that he would finally break the power of Satan, and work that glorious deliverance for the members which, is already wrought for the Head. 8 Salvation doth appertain Unto the Lord alone : Thy blessing, Lord, for evermore Thy people is upon. PSALM IV. 1 /^ IVE ear unto me when I call, ^-" God of my righteousness : Have mercy, hear my pray'r j thou hast Enlarg'd me in distress. 2 O ye the sons of men 1 how long Will ye love vanities ? How long my glory turn to shame, And will ye follow lies ? Ver. 2. If the Israelitish monarch conceived he had just cause tc expostulate with his enemies, for despising the 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 everlasting truth ; all is " vanity and falsehood," transient and fallacious, but the love of thee ! 3 But know, that for himself the Lord The godly man doth chuse : The Lord, when I on him do call, To hear will not refuse. 4 Fear, and sin not ; talk with your heart On bed, and silent be. 5 OfPrings present of righteousness, And in the Lord trust ye. Ver. 3. Be the opinions, or the practices of men what they will, tht counsel of the Lord that shall stand. Is D-avid ifc set apart" for the A5 10 PSALM V. 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. Our Intercessor is already on high ; and, for his sake, " the Lord will hear us when we call upon him." Ver. 5. The Jews are no longer to offer the shadowy sacrifices 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 returning sinners, whether Jews <>r Gentiles, are to offer the same " sacrifices" of evangelical " righ- teousness;" not "putting their trust" in them, but " in the Lord kt Jesus," through whose Spirit they are enabled to offer, and through whose blood their offerings are acceptable unto God. Heb. xiii. 16. 6 O who will shew us any good ? Is that which many say : But of thy countenance the light, Lord, lift on us alway. 7 Upon my heart, bestow'd by thee, More gladness I have found Than they, ev'n then, when corn and wine Did most with them abound. Ver. 6. How many are continually asking the question in this verse ? How few applying to Him, who alone can give an answer of peace and omfort ! 8 I will both lay me down in peace, And quiet sleep will take ; Because thou only me to dwell In safety, Lord, dost make. PSALM V. 1 /~^ IVE ear unto my words, O Lord, ^T My meditation * weigh. 2 Hear my loud cry, my King, my God ; For I to thee will pray. 3 Lord, thou shalt early hear my voice : I early will direct My pray'r to thee ; and, looking up, An answer will expect. Ver. 1. * Heb. Or, my dove-like mournings. Christ, his church, and the believing soul, are all in Scripture styled "doves," from their possessing the amiable properties of that bird of meekness and inno- cence, purity and love. The " mournings" of such are always heard and attended to in heaven. Ver. 2. The voice of the suppliant's cry will be in proportion to the sense which he hath of his sin. Let us often think upon the strong PSALM V. 11 dyings of Him who suffered for the sins of the world, and upon that intercession by which the pardon of those sins was procured. Ver. 5. What is a slothful sinner to think of himself, when he reads, concerning the holy Jesus, that " in the morning, rising up a great •' while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and u there prayed !" Mark i. 35. 4 For thou art not a God that doth In wickedness delight ; Neither shall evil dwell with thee, 5 Nor fools stand in thy sight. All that ill-doers are thou hat'st ; 6 Cutt'st off that liars be : The bloody and deceitful man Abhorred is by thee. 7 But I into thy house will come In thine abundant grace j And I will worship in thy fear Toward thy holy place. 8 Because of those mine enemies, Lord, in thy righteousness Do thou me lead ; do thou thy way Make straight before my face. 9 For in their mouth there is no truth, Their inward part is ill ; Their throat's an open sepulchre, Their tongue doth flatter still. 10 O God, destroy them; let them be By their own counsel quell'd : Them for their many sins cast out, For they 'gainst thee rebell'd. Ver. 10. 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 of the opposers of God and his Anointed ; nor of any among these, but the irreclaimable and finally impenitent ; and this by" way of prediction, rather than imprecation ; which would appear, if the original verbs were translated uniformly in the future tense. The fate of Ahithophel and Absalom, of Judas and the Jews, should warn others not to offend after the same example. 11 But let all joy that trust in thee, And still make shouting noise ; For them thou sav'st : let all that love Thy name in thee rejoice. A6 12 PSALM VI. 12 For, Lord, unto the righteous man Thou wilt thy blessing yield : With favour thou wilt compass him About, as with a shield. Ver. 12. The " blessing" of God descends upon us through Jesus Christ u the righteous," or "just one," as of 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 righte- ous 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 thy church. PSALM VI. 1 T ORD, in thy wrath rebuke me not ; ■*-* Nor in thy hot rage chasten me. 2 Lord, pity me, for I am weak : Heal me, for my bones vexed be. 3 My soul is also vexed sore ; But, Lord, how long stay wilt thou make ? 4> Return, O Lord, my soul set free ; save me, for thy mercies' sake. 5 Because those that deceased are Of thee shall no remembrance have ; And who is he that will to thee Give praises lying in the grave ? 6 I with my groaning weary am, 1 also all the night my bed Have caused for to swim *, and I With tears my couch have watered. 7 Mine eye, consum'd with grief, grows old, Because of all mine enemies. 8 Hence from me, wicked workers all ; For God hath heard my weeping cries. 9 God hath my supplication heard, My pray'r received graciously. 10 Sham'd and sore vex'd be all my foes, Sham'd and back turned suddenly. Second Version. ] TN thy great indignation, A O Lord, rebuke me not : PSALM VI. 13 Nor on me lay thy chast'ning hand In thy displeasure hot. 2 Lord, I am weak, therefore on me Have mercy, and me spare : Heal me, O Lord, because thou know'st My bones much vexed are. Ver 1. 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, en- dued with a sensibility peculiar to itself, sustained the sins of the world, and the displeasure of the Father. Ver. 2. How happy is it for God's people, that they have a Physician, who cannot but be "touched with a feeling of their infirmities ; seeing that he himself once took them upon him, and suffered, even unto the death of the cross, under which he " fainted," and on which " his bones u were vexed." 3 My soul is vexed sore : but, Lord, How long stay wilt thou make ? 4 Return, Lord, free my soul ; and save Me, for thy mercies' sake. 5 Because of thee in death there shall No more remembrance be : Of those that in the grave do lie, Who shall give thanks to thee ? Ver. 5. His strength is supposed to fail him, and the sentence is left imperfect. What, blessed Jesus, were thy " troubles" 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 u sore troubled ; but thou, O Lord, how long ?" 6 I with my groaning weary am. And all the night my bed I caused for to swim ; with tears My couch I watered. 7 By reason of my vexing grief Mine eye consumed is •, It waxeth old, because of all That be mine enemies. Ver. 6. The all-righteous Saviour himself wept over sinners : sinners read the story, and yet return again to their sins ! Ver. 7. Grief exhausts the animal spirits, dims the eyes, and brings on old age before its time. Thus it is said, concerning the Man of sorrows, that u many were astonished at him, his visage was so marred more ** than any man, and his form more than the sons of men." 14 PSALM VII. 8 But now, depart from me all ye That work iniquity : For why ? the Lord hath heard my voice, When I did mourn and cry. 9 Unto my supplication The Lord did hearing give : When I to him my prayer make, The Lord will it receive. 10 Let all be sham/d and troubled sore, That en'mies are to me; Let them turn back, and suddenly Ashamed let them be. Ver. 10. Many of the mournful psalms end in this manner, to instruct the believer, that he is continually to look forward, and solace himself with beholding that day, when his warfare shall be accomplished, when *in and sorrow shall be no more. PSALM VII. 1 r\ LORD my God, in thee do I ^^ My confidence repose : Save and deliver me from all My persecuting foes ; 2 Lest that the enemy my soul Should, like a lion, tear, In pieces rending it, while there Is no deliverer. Ver. 1. To a tender and ingenuous spirit, the " persecution" of the tongue is worse than that of the sword. 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. 3 O Lord my God, if it be so That I committed this ; If it be so that in my hands Iniquity there is : 4 If I rewarded ill to him That was at peace with me ; (Yea, ev'n the man that without cause My foe was I did free ; ) Ver. 3. 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. But Christ only could call upon heaven to attest his uni- PSALM VII. 15 versal uprightness. 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. Ver. 4. David probably alludes to the life of Saul. Of the Son of David 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." 5 Then let the foe pursue and take My soul, and my life thrust Down to the earth, and let him lay Mine honour in the dust. 6 Rise in thy wrath, Lord, raise thyself, For my foes raging be ; And, to the judgment which thou hast Commanded, wake for me. Ver. 5. Christ, for our sakes submitted to the imputation of guilt, suffered all this ; but being innocent in himself, he triumphed over it all. Ver. 6. How did God " awake," and " arise," and " lift up himself »< to judgment," on the behalf of his Anointed, in the day of the resur- rection of Jesus, and the subsequent confusion of his enemies ! 7 So shall th* assembly of thy folk About encompass thee : Thou, therefore, for their sakes, return Unto thy place on high. 8 The Lord he shall the people judge ; My judge, JEHOVAH, be, After my righteousness, and mine Integrity in me. Ver. 7. Thus the determination of the cause between Jesus and his adversaries, brought " the congregation of the nations" around him, and effected the conversion of the world. Ver. 8. 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 have seriously and deliber- ately considered, whether the sentence of that day is likely to be in their favour ! 9 O let the wicked's malice end ; But stablish stedfastly The righteous : for the righteous God The hearts and reins doth try. 10 In God, who saves th' upright in heart, Is my defence and stay. 11 God just men judgeth, God is wroth With ill men ev'ry day. 16 PSALM VIII. Ver. 9 & 10. The righteous cause hath already triumphed in Christ ; let us not doubt, but that it will do so in his church. Happy the man whose hope is in God, " who saveth the upright in heart." 12 If he do not return again, Then he his sword will whet ; His bow he hath already bent, And hath it ready set : 13 He also hath for him prepar'd The instruments of death \ Against the persecutors he His shafts ordained hath, 14; Behold, he with iniquity Doth travail, as in birth ; A mischief he conceived hath, And falsehood shall bring forth* 1 5 He made a pit, and digg'd it deep, Another there to take -, But he is fall'n into the ditch Which he himself did make. Ver. 15. All the world agrees to acknowledge the equity of that sentence which inflicts upon the guilty the punishment intended by them for the innocent. 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. 16 Upon his own head his mischief Shall be returned home j His vi'lent dealing also down On his own pate shall come. 17 According to his righteousness The Lord I'll magnify ;, And will sing praise unto the name Of God that is most high. Ver. 17. Whatever doubts may at present arise concerning the way* 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 determinations, will be the subject of everlasting hallelujahs. H PSALM VIII. OW excellent in all the earth, Lord, our Lord, is thy name! PSALM VIII. 17 Who hast thy glory far advanc'd Above the starry frame. 2 From infants' and from sucklings' mouth Thou didest strength ordain, For thy foes cause, that so thou might'st Th' avenging foe restrain. Ver. 1. The Prophet beholds in spirit the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow ; the sight fills his heart with wonder, love, and devotion, which break forth in this address to " JEHOVAH," a* *' our Lord ;" for such he is by the twofold right of creation and re- demption, having made us, and purchased us. On both accounts, " how excellent," how full of beauty and honour is his name, diffused by the gospel through " all the earth !" — May we not also take occa- sion from this expression, " who hast set thy glory above the heavens," to admire and adore God for the exaltation of that divine Person, who is styled the brightness of his glory, high " above the heavens," and all created nature, to the throne prepared for him before the foundation of the world. Ver. 2 This verse is cited by our Lord, Matth. 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 and power which nothing can withstand; they can abash infidelitv, when at its greates* height. 3 When I look up unto the heav'ns, Which thine own fingers fram'd^ Unto the moon, and to the stars, Which were by thee ordain'd ; 4 Then say I, What is man, that he Remember'd is by thee ? Or what the son of man, that thou So kind to him should' st be ? 5 For thou a little lower hast Him than the angels made ; With glory and with dignity Thou crowned hast his head. 6 Of thy hands' works thou mad'st him lord, All under's feet didst lay ; 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and beasts That in the field do stray ; Ver. 5 & 6. On the 4th, 5th, and 6th verses of this psalm, the apostle Paul has left us the following comment: " One in a certain place •>' testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? or the " son of man, that thou visitest him ? Thou madest him a little lower 18 PSALM IX. " than [marg. a little while inferior to] the angels ; thou i " him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the woi i crownedst works of thy t 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. li But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for " the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour." Heb. ii. 6, &.c. See also 1 Cor. xv. 27. 8 Fowls of the air, fish of the sea, All that pass through the same. .9 How excellent in all the earth, Lord, our Lord, is thy name ! Ver. 7 & 8. What the first Adam lost by transgression, 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." Matth. xxviii. 18. See also Phil. ii. 8, &c. Vex*. 9. O Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ, King of Righteousness, Peace, and Glory : King of kings, and Lord of lords, how excellent, how pre- cious, how lovely, how great and glorious 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. PSALM IX. 1 T ORD, thee I'll praise with all my heart, -*-^ Thy wonders all proclaim. 2 In thee, most High, I'll greatly joy, And sing unto thy name. 3 When back my foes were turn'd, they fell, And perish' d at thy sight : 4 For thou maintain'dst my right and cause ; On throne sat'st, j udging right. Ver. 3. The grand enemy of our salvation was first vanquished by Christ in the wilderness, and " driven back," with the words, " Get " thee behind me, Satan." The same blessed person afterward com- pletely triumphed over him upon the cross, when the u prince of this '* world was cast out." This is that great victory which his people celebrate in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, from generation to generation ; and, through faith in him who achieved it, they likewise are enabled to fight, and to overcome. Ver. 4. The same important transaction may be conceived, as here described in forensic, as before it was in military terms. Satan 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 PSALM IX. 19 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 were we re- scued from the oppressor, and he who *' sat on the throne judged righ- u teous judgment." Something of this sort may be supposed to pass. concerning each individual, between the Accuser of the brethren and the eternal Intercessor, in the court of heaven. 5 The heathen thou rebuked hast, The wicked overthrown ; Thou hast put out their names, that they May never more be known. 6 O en'my ! now destructions have An end perpetual : Thou cities raz'd, perish'd with them is their memorial. Ver. 5. " The heathen 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 judgment ; u the wicked were destroyed, M and their name put out for ever," when the ancient idolatry sunk, to rise no more. A day is coming, when all iniquity shall perish in like ;nanner. Ver. 6. The Christian church, when repeating these words, may be supposed to take a retrospect of the successive fall of those empires, with their capital " cities," in which the u 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 Babylo- nian, the Persian, and the Grecian monarchies. All these vanished away, and came to nothing. Nay, the very " memorial" of the stupendous Nineveh and Babylon is so " perished 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 de- " structions of the enemy are completed to the utmost !" How lovely will this song be, in the day when the last 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 God shall endure for aye ; he doth For judgment set his throne; 8 In righteousness to judge the world, Justice to give each one. 9 God also will a refuge be For those that are oppress'd ; A refuge will he be in times Of trouble to distress'd. Ver. 7 & 8. In opposition to the transient nature of earthly king, doms, the eternal duration of Messiah's kingdom is asserted ; as also its universality, extending over the whole «« "world;" together with the 20 PSALM IX. consummate rectitude of its administration. To him, as supreme Judge in an unerring court of equity, lies an appeal from the unjust deter- minations here below ; and by him in person shall every cause be re- heard, when that court shall sit, and all nations shall be summoned to appear before it. ver. 9. In the mean time, and until he returneth to judgment, 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 findeth 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, in thee Their confidence will place : For thou hast not forsaken them That truly seek thy face. 1 1 O sing ye praises to the Lord That dwells in Sion hill ; And all the nations among His deeds record ye still. 12 When he enquireth after blood, He then rememb'reth them : The humble folk he not forgets That call upon his name. 13 Lord, pity me ; behold the grief Which I from foes sustain ; Ev'n thou, who from the gates of death Dost raise me up again. Ver. 13. The church of Christ, after having, in the former paru strengthened her faith by commemoration of the mighty works God had wrought for her, proceeds in this, to pour forth a prayer for far- ther and final deliverance. She speaks, as still militant upon earth, still in an enemy's country, surrounded by them that hate her, and suffer- ing much from them. To whom therefore should she address herself, but to Him, whose high prerogative it is literally to " raise from the kt gates of death;" to Him who is, in every sense, " the resurrection " and the life ?" 14 That I, in Sion's daughters' gates, May all thy praise advance ; And that I may rejoice always In thy deliverance. 1 5 The heathen are sunk in the pit Which they themselves prepar'd ; And in the net which they have hid Their own feet fast are snar'd. PSALM X. 21 16 The Lord is by the judgment known Which he himself hath wrought : The sinners' hands do make the snares Wherewith themselves are caught. ] 7 They who are wicked into hell Each one shall turned be ; And all the nations that forget To seek the Lord most high. 1 S For they that needy are shall not Forgotten be alway ; The expectation of the poor Shall not be lost for aye. 1 9 Arise, Lord, let not man prevail ; Judge heathen in thy sight : 20 That they may know themselves but men, The nations, Lord, affright. PSALM X. The tenth psalm may be accommodated to the case of Christ's church, suffering from the spirit of antichrist in whomsoever existing and acting, from time to time, in the world. How amiable the temper of the Christian, set in opposition to the antichristian character here drawn ! 1 TTTTHEREFORE is it that thou, O Lord, ' " Dost stand from us afar ? And wherefore hidest thou thyself When times so troublous are ? 2 The wicked in his loftiness Doth persecute the poor : In these devices they have fram'd Let them be taken sure. 3 The wicked of his heart's desire Doth talk with boasting great; He blesseth him that's covetous, Whom yet the Lord doth hate. 4 The wicked, through his pride of face, On God he doth not call ; And in the counsels of his heart The Lord is not at all. 22 PSALM X. 5 His ways they always grievous are ; Thy judgments from his sight Removed are : at all his foes He puffeth with despight. 6 Within his heart he thus hath said, I shall not moved be ; And no adversity at all Shall ever come to me. 7 His mouth with cursing, fraud, deceit, Is filFd abundantly ; And underneath his tongue there is Mischief and vanity. 8 He closely sits in villages \ He slays the innocent : Against the poor that pass him by His cruel eyes are bent. 9 He, lion- like, lurks in his den; He waits the poor to take ; And when he draws him in his net, His prey he doth him make. 10 Himself he humbleth very low, He croucheth down withal, That so a multitude of poor May by his strong ones fall. 1 1 He thus hath said within his heart, The Lord hath quite forgot ; He hides his countenance, and he For ever sees it not. 12 Lord, do thou arise ; O God, Lift up thine hand on high : Put not the meek afflicted ones Out of thy memory. 13 Why is it that the wicked man Thus doth the Lord despise ? Because that God will it require He in his heart denies. 1 4 Thou hast it seen ; for their mischief And spite thou wilt repay : PSALM XI. 23 The poor commits himself to thee ; Thou art the orphan's stay. 1 5 The arm break of the wicked man, And of the evil one - 7 Do thou seek out his wickedness, Until thou findest none. 16 The Lord is king through ages all, Ev'n to eternity ; The heathen people from his land Are perish'd utterly. 17 O Lord, of those that humble are Thou the desire didst hear ; Thou wilt prepare their heart, and thou To hear wilt bend thine ear ; 18 To judge the fatherless, and those That are oppressed sore ; That man, that is but sprung of earthy May them oppress no more. PSALM XI. 1 T IN the Lord do put my trust ; -*- How is it then that ye Say to my soul, Flee, as a bird, Unto your mountain high ? 2 For , lo, the wicked bend their bow, Their shafts on string they fit, That those who upright are in heart They privily may hit. 3 If the foundations be destroy'd, What hath the righteous done ? 4 God in his holy temple is, In heaven is his throne : His eyes do see, his eyelids try 5 Men's sons. The just he proves : But his soulAhates the wicked man, And him that vi'lence loves. 6 Snares, fire and brimstone, furious storms^ On sinners he shall rain : 25 24 PSALM XII. This, as the portion of their cup, Doth unto them pertain. 7 Because the Lord most righteous doth In righteousness delight ; And with a pleasant countenance Beholdeth the upright. PSALM XII. 1 TTELP, Lord, because the godly man -*-A Doth daily fade away \ And from among the sons of men The faithful do decay. 2 Unto his neighbour ev'ry one Doth utter vanity : They with a double heart do speak, And lips of flattery. 3 God shall cut off all flatt'ring lips, Tongues that speak proudly thus, 4 We'll with our tongue prevail, our lips Are ours : who's lord o'er us ? 5 For poor oppress'd, and for the sighs Of needy, rise will I, Saith God, and him in safety set From such as him defy. 6 The words of God are words most pure ; They be like silver try'd In earthen furnace, seven times That hath been purify 'd. 7 Lord, thou shalt them preserve and keep For ever from this race. 8 On each side walk the wicked, when Vile men are high in place. Ver. 8. Such is often the state of things here below ; and a reflection, made upon the subject by our Lord, when his enemies drew near to apprehend him, may satisfy us how it comes to be so; " It is your * c hour, and the power of darkness." But that hour will quickly pass with his people, as it did with him, and the power of darkness will be overthrown ; the Lord will be their everlasting light, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. 24 PSALM XIII. 25 1 TTOW long wilt thou forget me, Lord ? AX Shall it for ever be ? O how long shall it be that thou Wilt hide thy face from me ? 2 How long take counsel in my soul, Still sad in heart, shall I ? How long exalted over me Shall be mine enemy ? Ver. 1. 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 circum- stances, is this psalm intended ; and consequently, it suits the different cases of the church universal, languishing for the coming of her 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 sorrows, may likewise perhaps have made it a part of his devotions, in the day of trouble. 3 O Lord my God, consider well, And answer to me make : Mine eyes enlighten, lest the sleep Of death me overtake : 4 Lest that mine enemy should say, Against him I prevaiFd ; And those that trouble me rejoice, When I am mov'd and fail'd. Ver. 4. 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 God, 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 all my confidence Thy mercy set upon ; My heart within me shall rejoice In thy salvation. 6 I will unto the Lord my God Sing praises cheerfully, Because he hath his bounty shown To me abundantly. Ver. 5 & 6. It is observable, that this, and many other psalms with a mournful beginning, have a triumphant ending ; to shew us the pre- vailing power of prayer. B 26 PSALM XIV. 1 rpHAT there is not a God, the fool -*- Doth in his heart conclude : They are corrupt, their works are vile j Not one of them doth good. 2 Upon men's sons the Lord from heav'n Did cast his eyes abroad, To see if any understood, And did seek after God. Ver. 1. Infidelity is the beginning of sin, folly the foundation of in- fidelity, and the heart the seat of both. " Their foolish heart" (says the apostle Paul of the heathen, Rom. i. 21.) " was darkened." The sad consequence of defection in principle, is corruption in practice. " They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none " that doth good." On these words the reader may see a full comment, Rom. i. 28—32. 3 They altogether filthy are, They all aside are gone ; And there is none that doeth good, Yea, sure there is not one. 4 These workers of iniquity Do they not know at all, That they my people eat as bread, And on God do not call ? Ver. 2 & 3. Such is the scripture account of man, not having re- ceived grace, or having fallen from it ; of man without Christ, or in arms against him. See Rom. hi. 11, 12. 5 There fear'd they much ; for God is with The whole race of the just. 6 You shame the counsel of the poor, Because God is his trust. 7 Let Isr'el's help from Sion come : When back the Lord shall bring His captives, Jacob shall rejoice, And Israel shall sing. Ver. 7. The consideration of the apostasy and corruption of mankind, described in this psalm, makes the prophet express a longing desire for the salvation of Israel, 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 in- deed rejoice, and Israel be glad. And how doth the whole church of Christ, at this time, languish for the consummation of her felicity, looking, even until her eyes fail, for that glorious day of final redemp- tion, when every believing heart shall exult, and all the sons of God shout aloud for joy ! PSALM XV. 27 1 Tl^ITHIN thy tabernacle, Lord, * » Who shall abide with thee ? And in thy high and holy hill Who shall a dweller be ? 2 The man that walketh uprightly, And worketh righteousness, And as he thinketh in his heart, So doth he truth express. Ver. 1. The prophet alludes to the hill of Zion in the earthly Jeru- salem, to the tabernacle of God which 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 Zion, a true Tabernacle, and an eternal Priest. To the great originals therefore we must trans- fer our ideas, and consider the inquiry as made after Him, who should fix his resting place on the heavenly mount, and exercise his unchange- able 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. Ver. 2. The man, therefore, who would be a citizen of Zion, and there enter into the rest and joy of his Lord, sets that Lord always be- fore him. Renewed through grace, endued with a lively faith, and an operative charity, he considers and imitates the life of that blessed Per- son, who walked amongst men, without partaking of their corruptions ; who conversed unblameably with sinners ; who could give this chal- lenge to his inveterate enemies,