20 Thou fatteft and fpakest against thy brother: yea, and haft flandered thine own mothers fon.

21 These things haft thou done, and I held my tongue, and thou thoughteft wickedly,, that I am even fuch a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and fet before thee the things that thou haft done. 22 O confider this, ye that forget God: left I pluck you away, and there be noneto deliver you.

23 * Whoso offereth me thanks and praise, he honoureth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation right, will I fhew the falvation of God.

H

§ Pfalm 51. Miferere mei, Deus.

Ave mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodnefs: according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine

offences.

2 Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me fin.

from my

3 For I acknowledge my faults: and my fin is ever before me. 4 Against thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight: that thou mightest be justified in thy faying, and clear when thou art judged.

5 Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in fin hath my mother conceived me.

6 But lo, thou requireft truth in the inward parts: and fhalt make me to understand wisdom fecretly.

7 Thou shalt purge me with hyffop, and I fhall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than fnow.

• Whofo offereth me Thanks and Praife, &c. "Public Praifes and Thanksgivings (fays Dr. Clarke) are acceptable to God, as part of our religious Worship "and Adoration of him; but are then only fo, when "the declarations of our mouths are the real figni"fications of the intentions of our hearts, and our de"figns are not to abuse those mercies which we thank

him for."

This is the fourth of the penitential Pfalms, com

pofed by David upon the reproof which he received from Nathan the Prophet, after his Adultery with ButhSheba. 2 Sam. xii. An Act of public penitence which fuch crimes loudly call for !,

Behold I was hapen in Wickedness, &c. Grotius fays the fenfe of this paflage is, "I have not only com mitted a grievous crime at prefent, but have often "finned from my childhood," and is an hyperbolical kind of fpeaking, as appears by comparing it with Job

8 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice.

9 Turn thy face from my fins: and put out all my mifdeeds. 10 Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Caft me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

12 O give me the comfort of thy help again: and stablish 'me with thy free Spirit.

13 Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked: and finners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from blood-guiltinefs, O God, thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue fhall fing of thy righte oufnefs.

15 Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall fhew thy praife.

16 For thou defireft no facrifice, elfe would I give it thee: but thou delighteft not in burnt-offerings.

17 The facrifice of God is a troubled fpirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, fhalt thou not despise.

18 O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build thou the walls of Jerufalem.

19 Then fhalt thou be pleased with the facrifice of righteousness, with the burnt offerings, and oblations: then fhall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

Pfalm 52. Quid gloriaris?

HY boafteft thou thyfelf thou tyrant: that thou canst do mifchief;

WHY

2 Whereas the goodness of God: endureth yet daily?

xxxi. 18. Pfalm xxii. 10. 11, and lviii.. and lxxi. 5. 6. Ifaiah xlviii. 8. When the confcience is deeply wounded with a fenfe of any notorious crime, our other smaller offences will be apt to ftand up in array

against us.

This Pfalm was occafioned by the flaughter of the Priefts through the Calumnies of Doeg the Edomite, as it is related 1 Sam. xxij.

3 Thy tongue imagineth wickedness: and with lies thou cutteft like a fharp razor.

4

Thou haft loved unrighteousness more than goodness: and, to talk of lies more than righteousness.

5 Thou haft loved to fpeak all words that may do hurt: 0 thou falfe tongue.

6 Therefore fhall God destroy thee for ever: he shall take thee, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling, and root thee out of the land of the living.

7 The righteous alfo fhall fee this, and fear: and fhall laugh

him to fcorn.

8 * Lo, this is the man, that took not God for his ftrength: but trufted unto the multitude of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickednefs.

9 As for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: my truft is in the tender mercy of God for ever and ever.

10 I will always give thanks unto thee for that thou haft done: and I will hope in thy name, for thy faints like it, well,

*THE

HE foolish body hath faid in his heart: There is no God. 2 Corrupt are they, and become abominable in their wickedness: there is none that doeth good.

3 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men: to fee if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.

*Lo this is the Man that took not God, &c. "The Leffon, (fays Dr. Young) that this example does moft genuinely teach us is this. That when a man once ceafes to take God for his ftrength (which was Dorg's firft fault) when he once neglects to apply himself to heaven for conduct and fupport, that man naturally falls from one fin to another, and there is "no Security of stopping betwixt indevotion and the bottomless Pit."

The Prophet here defcrites the extreme impiety and general corruption of the time in which he lived he threatens the wicked with divine vengeance, and

promises the righteous help and deliverance from the Almighty.

The foolish Body bath faid in bis Heart, &c. This does not imply that all Sinners actually believe there is no God; but the meaning is that the impiety of the people in the Prophers time was fo great and general that wicked men lived as if they denied the Being of a God. Well were it if this Complaint might not bewith too much juftice applied to a great number of Christians, who profefs to know God, but in Works deny him, giving themfelves up to all manner of Wickedness,

4 But they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become abominable: there is alfo none that doeth good, no not one. 5 Are not they without understanding, that work wickedness: eating up my people as if they would eat bread? they have not called upon God.

6 They were afraid where no fear was: for God hath broken the bones of him that befieged thee; thou haft put them to confufion, because God hath despised them.

7 Oh that the falvation were given unto Ifrael out of Sion: Oh that the Lord would deliver his people out of captivity.

S

8 Then should Jacob rejoice: and Ifrael fhould be right glad." | Pfalm 54. Deus, in nomine.

AVE me, O God, for thy Names fake; and avenge me in thy ftrength.

2 Hear my prayer, O God: and hearken unto the words of my mouth.

3 For ftrangers are rifen up against me: and tyrants which have not God before their eyes, feek after my foul.

4 +Behold, God is my helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my foul.

5 He fhall reward evil unto mine enemies: deftroy thou them in thy truth.

6 An offering of a free heart will I give thee, and praise thy Name, O Lord: because it is fo comfortable.

7 For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble: and mine eye hath seen his defire upon mine enemies.

HEAR

|| Pfalm 55. Exaudi, Deus.

[EAR my prayer, O God: and hide not thyself from my petition.

The treachery of the Ziphues and the artifices of Saul to take David gave occafion to this Pfalm fee 1 Sam. xxiii and xxvi. David therefore, tho' in great danger, commends himself with firm confidence to God's protection foretells the punishment which should fall upon his enemies, and makes a grateful acknow

ledgement to God for his deliverance.

Bebeld God is my Helper, the Lord, &c. This fudden change in David's language might perhaps be occafioned by his being told amidst his Prayer that Saul was called off from the purfuit of him by the Philiftines 1 Sam. xxiii, 27. and he therefore fuddenly.

2 Take heed unto me, and hear me: how I mourn in my prayer, and am vexed.

3 The enemy crieth fo, and the ungodly cometh on fo fast: for they are minded to do me some mischief, fo maliciously are they set against me.

4 My heart is difquieted within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me: and an horrible dread hath overwhelmed me.

6 And I faid, Oh that I had wings like a dove: for then would I flee away, and be at rest.

7 Lo, then would I get me away far off: and remain in the wildernefs.

8 1 would make hafte to efcape: because of the ftormy wind and tempeft.

9 Deftroy their tongues, O Lord, and divide them: for I have fpied unrighteoufnefs and ftrife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about within the walls thereof: mifchief alfo and forrow are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is therein: deceit and guile go not out of their freets.

12 For it is not an open enemy, that hath done me this difhonour: for then I could have borne it.

13 Neither was it mine adverfary that did magnify himself against me: for then peradventure I would have hid myself from him.

14 But it was even thou, my companion: my guide, and mine own familiar friend.

15 We took sweet counfel together: and walked in the houfe of God as friends.

16 Let death come haftily upon them, and let them go down

broke forth intothese words. Fervent Prayer seldom is uttered in vain.

This Pfaim was probably composed by David after

Achitophel had forfaken him, and joined Abalom in his rebellion against him.

Let Death come haftily upon them, &c. This feem