again, and give me liberty to go and sing praises there unto him; from whom alone, as I expect deliverance, so he (who hath always been my most gracious God) will turn my mourning into joy, and let my countenance be dejected no more. PSALM XLIV. To the chief musician, for the sons of Korak, Maschil THE ARGUMENT.-This is the third of those psalms called Maschil, (see Psal. xxxii.), and the second of those directed to the sons of Korah, (see Psal. xlii.), but doth not seem to have been composed by David, as the two foregoing were: for in his days they were not oppressed by foreign enemies, as the psalmist here complains in the name of the whole church, they were to such a degree, that some of them were made slaves, others killed, and all of them became a reproach. Yet I do not think it was composed in the captivity of Babylon, (much less in the persecution by Antiochus, as Theodoret thinks, when these inspirations were ceased); but before that time, though long after David's days, while their kingdom was as yet standing, and they had some forces remaining, though God did not bless them with success, ver. 9. And if we will fix upon any particular time, and not content ourselves to know in general that it was penned when the whole nation was in great distress, I can find none so likely as the days of Hezekiah, who was a pious reformer of that church, and had restored the divine service, according to the law of Moses, and the ordinances of David, (2 Chron. xxix. 3. 4. 12. 25.); and taken care the priests and Levites should not only do their duty, but have their tythes paid them punctually, &c. (2 Chron. xxx.xxxi.), and yet notwithstanding was invaded by the king of Assyria; who did not merely make some inroads upon them, and carry away a great many people, (as had been done before his time, 2 Chron. xxix. 9.); but took all the fenced cities, and came before Jesusalem with a great army, 2 Kings, xviii. 13. 17, Is. xxxvi. 1. In this strait that good king (or some other divine person, 2 Chr. xxix. 25.) indited this psalm; wherein he remembers what God had done for their ancestors; and considering he was still their king, thought they might have hoped for the like victories, of which they could not but still boast and glory. But, alas! it fell out quite contrary; for when they expected his help, he delivered them up into their enemies hands, and that when they were the true worshippers of him, and for his sake were slain all the day long. The consideration of which, he hoped, would move God at length to take compassion upon them, and arise for their deliverance. This is the best account I can give of this psalm, which I shall follow in my paraphrase. And we need not scruple to think there were psalmodists in Hezekiah's days; for after that, we find this gift remained with the prophets. For instance, it is visible in Habakkuk; who composed a prayer after the manner of David's psalms, as we read in the last chapter of his prophecy; where there are several words which are to be met withal no where but in the book of Psalms; such as, Sigioncth, Sela, and Neginoth. Ver. 1. bave heard with our cars, O God, our WE fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.] We have been certainly informed, O Lord, by our fathers, and we believe what they have told us, not only concerning the wonderful works thou didst in their times, but in the ages long before them; as our ancestors that lived in those days have recorded. Ver. 2. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.] How thou didst by thy power expel the seven nations out of the land of Canaan, and settle in their stead thy people Israel, whom thou didst transplant thither from among the Egyptians; upon whom thou inflictedst the sorest plagues, till they were forced themselves to thrust them out, Exod. vi. 1. xii. 33. Ver. 3. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.] This is to be ascribed to thee alone, and not to their strength and valour; such a speedy conquest was not gained by the force of arms, but by thy mighty power and glorious presence; which thou wert pleased to afford them, not because they had obliged thee by their meritorious services, (for they were a mur muring and refractory people), but merely out of thy love and good will towards them. Ver. 4. Thou art my king, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.] And thou, O God, who didst such astonishing things for them, art still the very same Almighty Being; whom I honour as my sovereign, my governor and protector; and humbly beseech thee that thou wilt now in this sore distress vouchsafe to deliver for alas! it is not in my power, though thou canst as easily as speak a word deliver) the posterity of those for whom thou hadst so great a favour. Ver. 5. Through thee will we push down eur enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.] If thou wouldst but appear for us, the most powerful enemies should not be able to stand before us: but (as thy servant Moses foretold, Deut. xxxiii. 17. O fulfil that gracious promise!) we should overthrow and trample under foot all that oppose us. Ver. 6. For I will not trast in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.] It is thou alone must do it, as thou didst for our forefathers, when thou broughtest them into Canaan: For I have not the least confidence (as they slander me, 2 Kings, xviii. 20.) in my arms; no hope to be delivered from this dreadful invasion by any forces that I can raise. 1 Ver. 8. In God we boast all the day long and praise thy name for ever. Selab. In this we glory, and make our boast continually, that we have such a King, such a mighty Saviour and deliverer, who hath wrought wonderful things for us, and for our fore. fathers: this is our only comfort and security, which give us hope that we shall praise thee for relieving us in this distress, and that all posterity shall praise thy power and goodness. Ver. 9. But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.] But for the present thou art so far from being our defender, that thou hast exposed us to the will of our enemies: the shame which was wont to fail on them, (v. 7.), is now our portion; and thou hast withdrawn that gracious presence (v. 3.) wherewith thou wast wont to conduct and accompany our armies. Ver. 10. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.] We have lost the courage wherewith thou didst formerly inspire us, and cannot defend our cities and fortresses; but instead of pushing down our enemies, (v. 5.), are forced to flee before them, and shamefully leave our camp, to be a spoil to them that hate us. Ver. 11. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat: and hast scattered us among the heathen.] And some of us they kill in the pursuit without any mercy, like sheep appointed for the shambles: others they carry captive, and disperse them among strange people, 2 Chron, xxix. 9. Ver. 12. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.] Where, being disowned by thee, they are become so contemptible, that they are sold as the vilest slaves, who are nothing worth thou hast parted with them very easily, and their lords look upon them as unprofitable wretches; by whose sale they do not enrich themselves, but only seek to be rid of an useless burden. Ver. 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neigh bours; a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.] This hath made us that remain to be so cheap in the eyes of all our neighbours, who do not only despise, but reproach and vilify us; for we are grown ridiculous to them that are round about us, and they make a scoff of us. Ver. 14. Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen; a shaking of the head among the people.] Thou hast brought upon us the curse pronounced by thy servant Moses, (Deut. xxviii. 37.), for we are be come a by-word among the heathen; who, when they would express the wretchedness of any person, say, He is viler or more miserable than a Jew; and, when they say nothing, they signify, by the VOL. III. R scornful motion of their heads, their contempt and derision of us. Ver. 15. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face bath covered me: I cannot open my eyes, but the tokens of our disgrace present them. selves before me; which hath made me so ashamed, that, to hide it, I do not willingly shew my face. Ver. 16. For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth by reason of the enemy and avenger.] For I can hear nothing neither, but reproachful words against us, and blasphemous words against thee, (2 Kings, xix. 3. 23.), from that insolent enemy, whose very countenance is full of disdain and scorn, and threatens farther mischief to us. Ver. 17. All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.] This great heap of calamities is fallen upon us, and certainly we have deserved them all: though this comfort is still remaining, that we are not so wicked as to be movel by all this to desert thee, and violate that covenant, whereby we are engaged to worship thee alone. Ver. 18. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way.] We adhere still to thy religion, though both it and we be thus vilified and persecuted, (2 Kings, xviii. 22.); we have such an hearty affection to it, that we have not hitherto proved apostates from it: Ver. 19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. No, though thou hast so shattered and broken in pieces all our forces, that we are in the most dismal and forlorn condition, little short of utter destruction. Ver. 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;] Thou knowest the truth of this: for if there have been so much as a design in our hearts to revolt from thee; or we have made prayers, when we spread out our hands towards heaven, unto any other god, whose worshippers we saw so prosperous; Ver. 21. Shall not God search out this? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.] How is it possible for us to conceal it from thee? or how should we escape thy vengeance for it, who art privy to the most secret motions that are in our souls? Ver. 22. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.] And that which thou seest in secret, our sufferings testify openly to all others; for our constancy to thee exposes us to continual slaughters; we prefer a shameful death before prosperous impiety; and rather than sacrifice to any other god, chuse to fall ourselves a sacrifice to thee. Ver. 23. Awake; why sleepest thou, O LORD? arise, cast us not off for ever.] And therefore we hope aj last thou wilt take notice of our fidelity; and no longer seem to neglect those that have not deserted. thee. Give us leave, O God, to beg this of thee most earnestly, and to ask why thou dost not send re lief to thy afflicted servants. Make no farther delay; but though for our sins we have been exposed to the cruel contempt of our enemies, (v. 9), own us now at length for thy people; and shew that we are not such abjects as they account us. Ver. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face? and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?] It is very grievous to us to think that they look upon us as deserted by thee; which provokes us to expostulate with thee, and to demand (in an humble manner) wherefore is it that thou givest us no countenance; nor expressest the least regard to our intolerable affliction, wherewith we are oppressed? Ver. 25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.] For the load of it is so great, that it hath sunk us into the most dejected condition; wherein we lie dismayed, as men without life and soul, having no strength at all to help our selves. Ver. 26. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies sake.] Therefore do thou appear for our deliverance, now that we can neither do any thing for ourselves, nor deserve any thing of thee: let not thy goodness, which hath been so famed, suffer together with us; but, for the sake of that, which we and our fathers have so often experimented, rescue us from our miseries. PSALM XLV. cipally I shall direct the psalm to Christ; it being so apparent, that no Christian can deny it, that the mind of the prophet, while he was writing some part of this psalm, was carried quite beyond King Solomon, to the great King, the Lord Chrift: Or at least he was guided to use words so high, that they proved too big for Solomon: and we must say, as our Saviour doth in another case, "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here." And so the best of the Jewish interpreters acknowledge. Ver. 1. MY beart is inditing a good matter: 1 speak of the things which I have made touching the king my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.] My heart is full of a festival-song, which I have meditated, and am ready to utter in praise of King Solomon, who is but a shadow of that great King which we expect in honour of whom chiefly, I will recite what I have composed, with such fluency as shall equal the style of the most skilful writer. Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.] Thou, O king, art lovely above all other persons, thy speech is most acceptable and persuasive; because the Lord loves thee, (2 Sam. xii. 24.), and hath therefore promised long blessings to thee; which yet do but faintly represent the truly eternal blessings, which he hath bestowed on that great King, who when he comes, it shall be said that he is in favour with God, as well as man, (Luke, ii. To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of ult.), and speaks as never man spake, (John, vii. 46.), Korah, Maschil. A Song of Loves. THE ARGUMENT.-The foregoing psalm is not more sad and mournful, than this (as Theodoret observes) is joyful and comfortable; promising the most glorious things to them. The author of it is not named: but it was delivered, as the former, to the mas ter of music, for the use of God's service in the tabernacle; to be sung upon Shoshannim (by which we may understand all those instruments that had six strings) by the sons of Korah, to the known tune of Maschil, (see psalm xxxii.); and being a song of Loves, as the title tells us, (alluding plainly to the name of Jedidiah, given to Solomon by Nathan the prophet, 2 Sam. xii. 25.), most interpreters conclude it was composed upon the occasion, at least, of Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter; who, it is most probable, was a proselyte to the Jewish religion. Some few, indeed, will not allow so much as this, that there is any respect to Solomon at all in this psalm; but only to Christ. And the truth is, many of the expressions in it are so magnificent, that they can but in a very poor and low sense be applied to Solomon and his bride; and some of them scarce at all. Though, on the contrary side, other expressions seem so plainly to belong to him, that they can no other way, but by allegory, be applied to our Saviour. Therefore, I believe that I ought not wholly to omit all respect to Solomon and his marriage in my paraphrase; though prin so that all wonder at the gracious words which proceed out of his mouth, (Luke, iv. 22.) Ver. 3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.] Put on thy royal ornaments, and the ensigns of thy power, O most mighty prince; and appear like thyself, in such splendour and majesty, as may serve for an emblem of that most illustrious power and sovereign authority, wherein the omnipotent Lord of all the world shall shew himself among men. Ver. 4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness: and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.] And may thy kingdom so prosper every way, in the planting all virtue among thy subjects, and terrifying thy enemies, that it may prove a lively type of the hap py government of the Lord Christ; whose kingdom shall prevail over all, when he goes forth like a great conqueror, (Revel. xix. 11.), not to enslave men's persons, or to spoil them of their goods, but to settle the true faith among them, to make them humble and meek, just and charitable: and for the furtherance of this glorious work, thy mighty power, O Lord, shall instruct thee to do miraculous and amazing things, Luke, iv. 36. v. 26. Ver. 5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.] Which shall make thy word pierce, like sharp arrows, into the hearts of all those that oppose thy royal authority; and make the nations of the earth more than shall obey King Solomon, though he should far reign over many kingdoms, 1 Kings, iv. 21.) humble themselves, and become subject to thee. Ver. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.] O great Lord, the God of King Solomon, and of all those that are called gods in heaven or earth, the Judge of the whole world, how weak and tottering are the thrones of all other princes in comparison with thine, which shall never be subverted! It is the glory of King Solomon, that God hath promised his kingdom shall continue many ages, 2 Sam. vii. 13.; but thou shalt reign for ever and ever; and of thy kingdom there shall be no end, Luke, i. 33. Thy laws are so just and so good, thy government so equal and fit, that they shall be subject to no alteration. Ver. 7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.] For thou thyself also immutably lovest all righteousness and goodness, (from which other princes may swerve, and so bring their kingdoms to ruin, 1 Kings, ix. 4. 5. 6.), and perfectly hatest all impiety and wickedness: for which cause God the Father hath highly exalted thee, O God, above all others whom he calls his sons; and conferred on thee such supereminent gifts, as make a joy among thy subjects far exceeding that by whose sound the very earth was rent, when Solomon was anointed king, and preferred above all his brethren, 1 Kings, i. 39. 40. Ver. 8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.] That, indeed, was a joyful day; and so is this, wherein thou didst appear with great gladness in thy wedding-garments, brought out of the stately wardrobes: the odour of which is so fragrant, as if they were made of the richest perfumes among us; and yet nothing so grateful as the knowledge of Christ, which shall be spread as a sweet odour in every place, when he goes to espouse a church unto himself, 2 Cor. ii. 14. 15. 16. Ver. 9. Kings daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Opbir.] Thou wast most honourably attended by many princely virgins, the daughters of kings, (though far inferior in their descent to the true disciples of Christ, who are all born of God); and next to thyself was placed the royal bride, in a vesture of the purest gold, as an image of the church of Christ, which shall sit with him in heavenly places, Eph. ii. 6. having the glory of God upon her, Rev. xxi. 9. 11. Ver. 10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's bouse.] O royal bride, understand and consider seriously the happiness to which thou art advanced, by being married to such a prince; and never think more of the religion of thy country in which thou wast born and bred; but become a true proselyte, and consent to the law of God, (as we ourselves and all the world must do to Christ, when he calls us to incline our ears to his heavenly doctrine; and not only renounce all our former rites, but father and mother, and all things else that are dearest to us, for his sake, Luke, xix. 26. Eph. v. 31. 32.) Ver. 11. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy LORD, and worship thou him.] So shalt thou be most beautiful and amiable in the eyes of the King thy husband, (as Christ by that means shall present to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, Eph. v. 27.), who is now become thy Lord; and therefore see thou beest subject unto him, (as the church must be unto Christ, whom God will highly exalt, that at his name every knee shall be bound to bow, and every tongue confess that he is the Lord, Phil. ii. 9. 10.) Ver. 12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.] The people of Tyre, as rich and as proud as they are, shall come with their neighbouring countries, and bring thee presents; the most powerful among them shall make suit unto thee for thy friendship, (as the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into the church, Rev. xxi. 24.) Ver. 13. The King's daughter is all glorious within; her cloathing is of wrought gold.] For King Pharaoh's daughter, the wife of our prince, is no less adorned with all excellent qualities of mind, than her body is with rich attire, wherein she now appears in a splendid manner, (as the ornaments of those that are born of God in the Christian church shall not be so much the outward adorning of wearing of gold, as the hidden man of the heart, which is in the sight of God of great price, 1 Pet. iii. 3. 4.) Ver. 14. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.] She shall be brought home unto the king with magnificent pomp, in embroidered raiment; and the virgins, her maids of honour, that attend upon her, shall come along with her, (as the church, being owned by Christ for his spouse in a solemn manner, and being pure and holy, Rev. xix. 7. 8. there shall be many chaste virgins among us, who shall make a part of it, and follow Christ whithersoever he goes, Rev. xiv. 1. 4.) Ver. 15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the King's palace.] They shall express their inward gladness by all the outward tokens of joy, as they go along in that pomp, and so shall enter into the royal palace; (a figure of the church, into which men shall enter with far greater joy, and say, Allelujah, let us rejoice and be glad, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, Rev. xix. 6. 7. Acts, ii. 46.) Ver. 16. Instead of thy fathers shall be the children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.] And may this be the happy fruit of this marriage, that instead of thy royal ancestors in Egypt, whom thou hast forsaken, thou mayest be the mother of children whom thou mayest make rulers in all the countries which are subject to King Solomon, 2 Kings, iv. 21. 24. As instead of the patriarchs of our descent, from whom we are apt to boast, shall be the twelve apostles and their successors, sitting upon thrones, and judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Matth. xix. 28.; by whose means the church shall bring forth children unto Christ, whom he shall make kings and priests unto God, and they shall reign upon the earth, Rev. v. 10. Ver. 17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.] By this very song I will make thy name to be mentioned with honour throughout all ages, who shall learn from hence to give thee thy deserved praises, as long as the world shall last; and much more to propagate the Christian name (prophesied of so long before) to the latest posterity, and celebrate their worth with perpetual praises, who forsook all to follow Christ, and rather chose to lose their life than quit his service, Jam. v. 11. PSALM XLVI. motions; though we should see the most dreadful confusions, (such as there are in an earthquake), and alt things tumbled upside down, as if the earth and sea were blended together, we will still immoveably trust in him. Ver. 3. Though the waters thereof roar, and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selab.] Though the times should prove very tempestuous, and our enemies should storm like the troubled sea; though they should threaten utter destruction to us, and rush upon us with such ȧ violence as its raging waves do (when it is swollen to the greatest height) against the shore, the mountainous cliffs shall sooner shake than we be disturbed. Ver. 4. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.] Our hearts shall be quiet and still, like the river that runs through our city, from whence the inhabitants draw, by trenches, de To the chief musician, for the sons of Korah. A song lightful streams to water their gardens. The small upon Alamoth. THE ARGUMENT.-It is not known to what time this psalm belongs, (about which there are several conjectures), nor who was the author of it. I shall suppose it to have been made by David, or some of the sons of Korah, after those great victories which he won over several nations, mentioned 2 Sam. viii. 10. For any one may see that it is a pious triumph in God, after some remarkable de liverance from very powerful enemies; and there are none we can find in the historical books to whom it can more probably relate, than to those there recorded. Of which great victories it was very fit there should be some thankful monument left to posterity, whereby they might be encouraged to hope in God, and not suffer themselves to be dismayed at the sight of the most numerous armies that might be gathered against them, if they adhered faithfully to their duty. And therefore this psalm was de-livered to the master of music, to be sung in the tabernacle upon Alamoth, of which mention is made, Chron. xv. 20. and is thought to be either some tune then in comnion use, or some kind of musical instrument unknown to us, in which young virgins, as some fancy, took a peculiar delight, and were wont to learn to play upon it; which they make the reason and original of its name. forces that guard this place, which make no more noise than those waters, (Isa. viii. 6. 7.), shall, by the help of the Most High God, who in a special manner dwelleth here, be too hard for the greatest armies, which in their number and their boasts imitate the waves of the roaring sea. Ver. 5. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.] Let them not think to prevail against him, who, by a singular token of his presence, is in the midst of this city: other mountains may be shaken, but Mount. Sion is immoveable, because God, when there is any danger, will send us a seasonable and speedy relief against those that invade us. Ver. 6. The beatben raged, the kingdoms were moved: be uttered his voice, the earth melted.] So we have lately seen, that when many nations combined against us, (2 Sam. x. 6.), they only shewed their rage and fury, but could not hurt us, for they were remarkably overthrown by the power of God, who declared. himself against them, and utterly discomfited them, as he did the Philistines, sometimes by thunder and lightning from heaven, 1 Sam. vii. 10. (See Psal. xviii. 13. 14.) Ver. 7. The LORD of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selak.] Why, then, should we be afraid, since it is apparent the Lord, who commands all the armies of heaven as well as earth, is on our side? that God who preserved our forefather Jacob Ver. 1. GOD is our refuge and strength; a very pre- in all his distresses, and hath made a gracious cove sent help in trouble.] God is the most powerful protector, in whom we may safely confide; he inspires us with courage, and gives us strength to meet our enemies; we were in great danger, but found him exceeding ready to send us help, and give us a safe deliverance when we were sorely distress ed. Ver. 2. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.] For which cause we will never hereafter be dismayed, but stedfastly hope in God in the midst of the greatest tumults and dangerous com nant with his posterity, defends us in an impregnable fortress, where we need never fear any danger. Ver. 8. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations be hath made in the earth.] Draw near, all ye that doubt of it, and consider seriously the wonderful victories, which it had been impossible for us to win without the help of God; mark, I beseech you, how many cities we have taken, and what desolations we have made by his assistance in the enemies' country, who thought to have laid us waste, 2 Sam. viii. 1. 2. 1 Chron. xviii. 1. Ver. 2. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the |