hated their meetings, where they laid their heads together to contrive some evil thing or other: I never did, nor ever will, sit in consultation with those unquiet and turbulent spirits, who are restlessly hatching mischief.

Ver. 6. I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD.] I never satisfied myself with the mere ceremony of washing my hands, before I went to offer thee any sacrifice; but sincerely endeavoured, O Lord, to keep myself free from all impurity, (as by that token I testified), and so presented myself with due reverence at thy altar.

Ver. 7. That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.] Not merely to pray to thee, when I was in any distress; but to praise thee also, and to give thee thanks; proclaiming to all thy people those stupendous things which thy admirable goodness hath done for me.

Ver. 8. LORD, I have loved the babitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.] And thou knowest, O Lord, with what affection I attended upon this employment; and how glad I was to go into thy tabernacle, (which thou hast been pleased to make the place where thy glory dwells among us), to offer those devout sacrifices unto thee.

Ver. 9. Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:] And therefore, I hope, thou wilt not let me suffer with those, from whose society I have always separated myself: O let me not perish, as if I was a murderer,

Ver. 10. In whose hands is mischief, and their right band is full of bribes.] Or a companion of those that live by rapine and spoil of others, (1 Sam. xxv. 15. 16.), or obtain their ends by bribery and corruption of justice.

Ver. 11. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.] For I am none of that number; but have alway preserved, and will still continue an upright endeavour to keep myself pure in all things: therefore I beseech thee to deliver me, now that they seek to destroy me as an evil-doer, and shew that thou judgest otherwise of

me.

when he was forced to fly from Absalom; or, as some of the Jews think, (which seems most probable, because it agrees very well with several passages in the psalm), when, in fight with the Philistines, he had engaged himself so far among the enemies, that he was in danger of being killed by a giant, if Abishai had not seasonably stept in and relieved him. This was in his declining years, when the same courage remained, but not the same strength, which he had in his youth. And therefore the people came and sware to him, saying, "Thou shalt go out no more with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel," 2 Sam. xxi. 17.

Ver. 1. THE LORD is my light, and my salvation, suhom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?] The Lord still bears a favour to me, and fills me by his wonderful preservation of me. What enemy, then, is so terrible, that I should not dare to engage him? He defends my life in the most dangerous assaults; of whom, then, though he be never so great a giant, should I stand in fear?

Ver. 2. When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled ant fell.] When malicious men, full of hatred and rage, made their approaches so near me, that they hoped, like so many savage beasts, to tear me in pieces and devour me, they quite missed their aim, and fell down dead at my feet.

Ver. 3. Though an bost should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me,. in this will I be confident.] And therefore, though I should see myself besieged with a great army of enemies, it shall not dismay me; though I were to fight a battle with the most numerous forces, 1 shall not, after such a demonstration of God's love and careful. providence over me, despair of victory.

Ver. 4. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.] Not that I am greedy of glory and fame by such marvellous successes; no, I can stay at home, as my people desire me, (2 Sam. xxi. 17.), and give God thanks for what he hath done for me. Nothing in the world agrees so much with my desires; this is the only thing I have sought, (even by my wars), and will still make the end of all my endeavours, that I may per

PSALM XXVI..

A Psalm of David.

THE ARGUMENT.-A psalm composed by David, when he was, or had been lately, in some great distress. It is not easy to resolve, whether it were when he was persecuted by Saul before he was crowned, (as the LXX. now say, though Theodoret could find no such thing in the Hexaplus); or

assemblies, and enjoy the sweet pleasure the Lord is. pleased there to impart to his people, and receive directions from him, when I wait upon him every. morning in his. tabernacle.

Ver. 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in bis pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall be bide me, he shall set me up upon a rock.] For there I shall think myself as secure in troublesome times, as if I was environed with the strongest bulwarks, or lay obscured in the most secret hiding-places; the most impregnable rock I should not take to be a place of. greater safety.

Ver. 3. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their heart.] Let not that destruction seize on me, which is the portion of the wicked, nor suffer me to be involved in the same punishment with those pernicious wretches, who make no conscience what villanies they commit, and yet pretend the greatest friendship to their neighbours, when they design and are contriving their ruin.

Ver. 4. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours; give them after the work of their hands, render to them their desert.] It is fit that they suffer as they have done, and reap the fruit of their manifold wickedness; dispense a reward to them according to their works, and deal with them (which is the measure whereby I desire thou wilt proceed with me) as they have dealt with others.

Ver. 5. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of bis hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.] I know thou wilt, because they regard not the wonderful things thou hast done for me, and by me; particularly that great work (which is to be ascribed to thy power alone) of making me their king; thou wilt utterly overturn them without any hope of their being raised up again.

Ver. 6. Blessed be the LORD, because he hath beard the voice of my supplications.] And I ought never to forget (that which they neglect) the singular providence of the Lord over me; whom I therefore bless and praise, because he heard my prayer when I was in distress, and desire all ages may ever praise him.

Ver. 7. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my beart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise him.] The Lord is to me instead of a fortress and shield, when my enemies assault me; I heartily confided in him, that he would defend me, and behold, he sent seasonable succour to me, (2 Sam. xxi. 17.); which fills my heart with such exceeding joy, that (as I cannot express it, so) I am not able to contain myself, but I must compose a hymn in his praise, and say,

Ver. 8. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.] It is the Lord that gives courage and strength to those that are on my side; he is the fortress that preserves in safety him whom he hath appointed to be the king of his people.

Ver. 9. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance; feed them also, and lift them up for ever.] Whose good and happiness I seek, beseeching thee, O Lord, to preserve thy people, and to pour down thy bless ings upon those whom thou hast appropriated to thyself out of all other nations; take care of them, as a shepherd doth of his flock, and make them victorious over all their enemies, both now and in all future generations.

VOL. III.

PSALM XXIX.

A Psalm of David.

THE ARGUMENT. This psalm seems to have been composed by David after some extraordinary great thunder, lightning, and rain; whereby (it is probable) God had so discomfited his enemies, and put their forces into such disorder, that he easily got the victory over them. Whereupon he exhorts them in this psalm to submit to that glorious majesty, from whom that thunder came, and who can so easily strike a sudden terror into the hearts of his stoutest and most resolved opposers. Theodoret applies it to the destruction of Sennacherib's army, in Hezekiah's time; for which I see no foundation, nor for the title which is now in the LXX. (but Theodoret could not find in the Hexaplus), which makes the occasion of it to be, David's bringing the ark to the place he had prepared for it.

Ver. 1.

GIVE

E unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.] O ye princes and rulers of the world, who so readily receive the lowest prostrations from your subjects, give unto the Lord of all, that honour which he justly expects from you; acknowledge his supreme power, which yon have so lately felt, and submit to his authority.

Ver. 2. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.] Do him honour suitable to the excellence of his majesty; and, as a sign you have him in great veneration, come and cast down yourselves before him in the sanctuary, where he hath fixed his glorious residence among us.

Ver. 3. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters ; the God of glory thundereth; the LORD is upon many waters.] Whose voice was it but his, which you heard in the clouds? (whither the voice of no earthly monarch can reach); from thence his glorious majesty thunders, and makes not only the earth, but the great ocean, tremble at that token of his pre

sence.

Ver. 4. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.] You think there is great power in your words; but, as they can be heard but a little way, so they are of little force, in comparison with this mighty voice, wherein the Lord expresses how potent he is, and strikes a dread and horror into all that hear it.

Ver. 5. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.] It makes the strongest trees of the forest quake, nay, breaks them into shivers; the cedars, as hard and tall as they are, even the cedars of Libanus, which are famed for their durableness and goodly bulk, are thrown down and shattered by it.

Ver. 6. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.] It lifts them up into the air when it hath torn them in pieces, and makes the mountains themselves leap like the young creatures which live upon them.

Ver. 7. The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire:] Flashes of fire break out together with it, and, cutting their way through the clouds, are scattered, with a wonderful swiftness, into all quarters.

Ver. 8. The voice of the LORD shuketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.] The force of it is felt in the most desert places, even in that vast and horrid wilderness of Kadesh, which, by overthrowing trees and rocks, it renders still more horrid.

Ver. 9. The voice of the LORD maketh the binds to calve, and discovereth the forests; and in his temple doth every one speak of bis glory.] It opens the wombs of hinds, which otherwise bring forth with the greatest difficulty; and it lays bare the covers of the wild beasts in the forest, whom it frightens into their dens; while his temple remains unshaken by these tempestuous blasts, and all his pious worshippers there securely sing the praises of his glorious majesty and power, saying,

Ver. 10. The LORD sitteth upon the food; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.] The Lord is the great King, who governs even the clouds, and orders the thunder-showers to do what execution he pleases. When all other monarchs fail, the Lord still remains the same throughout all generations; and the thunder doth not more easily tear the trees and rocks, than he can break in pieces the proudest princes; who ought therefore to tremble before him, and to dread his judgements.

:

THE ARGUMENT.-The title of this psalm differs from all the foregoing, it being the first that is called a Fsalm and Song, or a Psalm-Song; Psalm-Song; as others, we shall see in due place, are called a Song and Psalm, or a Song-Psalm; the difference of which it is hard to find out, (See Arg. of Psalm lxvii.) But here the words may be otherwise construed, for they run currently enough in the Hebrew; thus, A Psalm, A Song of Dedication of the House made by David, who would not eat in his house, till he had first, in a solemn manner, addressed himself to God at his entrance into it; either after it was newly built, (2 Sam. v. 11.), or (which a

grees best with a great part of the psalm) when he returned to it again, after he had been driven from it by the rebellion of Absalom, who defiled it, (2 Sam. xvi. 21.) Then he gave God thanks for his being restored to a peaceable possession of his palace; and made a feast for his friends, (as the manner was, at their coming to dwell in a new-built house), with extraordinary piety and devotion, acknowledging God's goodness, who had graciously reinstated him in his throne. The Thalmudists generally understand by the house here mentioned, the house of the sanctuary, (see Mr Selden, 1. iii. de Synedr. Cap. 13.); but I see no ground for it; for David did not build God a house, nor do the words of the psalm (as Theodoret observes) agree

to that matter.

Will extol thee, O LORD, for thou hast

Ver. 1. lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.] O Lord, to whose powerful providence I ascribe my late wonderful deliverance, I will give thee the highest praises, and never cease to magnify thy name, who hast drawn me up out of that depth, of misery into which I was plunged, and filled me with that joy, which my enemies hoped to have had in my destruction.

Ver. 2. O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.] O Lord, my gracious God, I was in a most forlorn and languishing condition, like a sick man who cannot help himself; but I addressed myself in earnest prayer to thee, and thou hast restored me to my former estate again.

Ver. 3. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.] Which mercy is the more to be admired, because there seemed to be no more hope of my restoration, than there is of the resurrection of a dead man out of his grave; or, at best, of a sick man's recovery, that is just at the point of death.

Ver, 4. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.] Join with me, then, all ye that are sensible of the divine benefits, in this duty of praise to him, who hath called me from death unto life again; give thanks together with me, (for my single praises and thanksgivings are not sufficient), and gratefully commemorate his power, and goodness, and wisdom, and truth, which he hath shewn in my restitution.

Ver. 5. For bis anger endureth but a moment; in bis favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy. cometh in the morning.] Wherein you may see his clemency towards his faithful servants, whom he may correct very sharply for a little time, but is soon reconciled, and then extends his favour to them without any end; and sends them deliverance so unexpectedly and suddenly, as well as seasonably, that where nothing but lamentations were heard over night, there nothing but shouts of joy are heard in the morning.

Ver. 6. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.] Yet that must not make them secure, nor confident in any thing but his goodness alone. For

therein I was to blame, that when I was delivered from the persecution of Saul, and settled peaceably in my kingdom, I fancied vainly, that now I should never be any more disturbed.

Ver. 7. LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.] But I soon found that that was more than I could promise myself, and that it depended solely on thy favour, O Lord, by whom my throne was established in the strong fortress of Sion, (2 Sam. v. 7. 9.); for thou, being offended with me, didst withdraw thy gracious presence from me, and presently I was involved in new troubles and dangers;

Ver. 8. 1 cried unto thee, O LORD: and unto the LORD I made supplication.] And had no way to relieve myself, but by making my addresses to thee, O Lord; and earnestly beseeching thee to pardon me, and restore me to thy favour.

Ver. 9. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth ?] For what service, said I, can I do thee when I am dead? shall my ashes be able so much as to praise thy goodness, or declare thy faithfulness to thy promises? Will they not rather seem to fail, and lose their credit, together with me? Spare me therefore, O Lord, and deliver me from those that seek my life let me live, to tell how good and how true thou art.

Ver. 10. Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.] Do not deny me, O Lord, but take compassion upon my sad estate. Lord, be thou my helper, who art able to restore me to my former happiness, without any other assistance: as thou alone, I am sensible, not the strongest guards, canst preserve me in it.

Ver. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.] In this manner I humbly besought thy mercy, and obtained a gracious answer: for joy and gladness is returned again, after a short time of sadness and sorrow.

Ver. 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.] Which engages me to do thee all the service I am able; and in the most magni-, ficent manner to sing thy praises without ceasing. O Lord, my most gracious God, I will be as good as my resolution, and spend my whole life in giving thanks unto thee, for thy faithful mercy towards me.

PSALM XXXI.

To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. THE ARGUMENT.-A psalm composed by David, and delivered to the master of music in the tabernacle; wherein he describes his confidence in God, notwithstanding a grievous strait wherein he was; when (as I understand it) after his escape from Keilah, Saul, with three battalions, (as we now speak) pursued him so close in the wilderness of Maon, that without an extraordinary providence of

God over him, he had certainly fallen into his hands. To that strange deliverance, and not that from Absalom, (to which Theodoret refers it), it is the more probable he hath respect in this psalm, (in the latter of which it is thankfully commemorated), because the haste, which the Psalmist here saith (ver. 22.) he made in that sore distress, is expressed by the very same word, (and used no where else in any other part of David's history), when the great fright he was in, and his sudden speedy flight from one place to another, is described, 1 Sam. xxiii. 26.

Ver. 1. IN thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righ teousness.] Thou seest, O Lord, that in all these persecutions which I endure, I have no confidence in any thing, but only thy power and goodness; which it they should fail me, I should be lamentably ashamed: prevent that confusion, O Lord, and magnify thy own mercy and fidelity, by preserving me in, and delivering me out of these dangers, which now encompass me.

Ver. 2. Bow down thine ear to me, deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.] Graciously incline to favour my request, now that I am so sorely pressed by my enemies, that they are ready to seize on me; haste my relief, for it is not this rock or strong hold wherein I am, (1 Sam. xxiii. 25.), that can protect me, but only thou, O Lord, to whom I resort as a more sure defence, than the most impregnable fortress in the world.

Ver. 3. For thou art my rock and my fortress: therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.] For so I have hitherto found thee in all my distresses, and therefore I still flee to thee for safety; beseeching thee to glorify thyself (I have no other argument whereby to move thee) in leading me out of this strait, and guiding my steps so, that I may not fall into the hands of my enemies;

Ver. 4. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.] Who have now so circumvented me, and, by the secret treachery of the Ziphites, brought me into such perplexities, (1 Sam. xxiii. 19. 20. &c.), that I am undone unless thou extricate me: as I hope thou wilt; for I profess again, that I depend on thee alone for help and deliverance.

Ver. 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.] Unto thy care and custody I commit myself, and deposit my very life with thee*: who hast so often rescued me, when I was like to lose it; and wilt still, I doubt not, shew thyself my most gracious God, as well as powerful Lord, who never deceivest those that rely upon thy faithful word.

(* Our Saviour used these words in a more proper and literal sense than they can be applied to David.)

Ver. 6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.] There is nothing else that I rely upon; for I never inquired of diviners, wizards, soothsayers, or fortune-tellers; nor consulted