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2 The Lord is great in Sion, and high above Jam. 4. 7, 8.

all people.

3 They shall give thanks unto thy name, which is great, wonderful, and holy.

4 The King's power loveth judgment: thou hast prepared equity: thou hast executed judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

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Deut. 28. 58.

Job 36. 5, &c.
Rev. 15. 4.

Lev. 19. 2:

26. 21, &c.

Sam. 12. 18.

5 0 magnify [exalt] the Lord our God, and fall down before his footstool; for he is holy. 6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among such as call upon his name, these Jer. 15. 1. called upon the Lord, and he heard them.

obeys, has now placed David firmly on his throne, (as he will hereafter establish the dominion of the Messiah,) notwithstanding the seditious tumults of his adversaries, both among his own people and the neighbouring nations. Psalm ii. 6.– -He sitteth, &c. This part of the verse apparently alludes to the cherubims, which were placed over the mercy-seat, and between which the divine glory was more particularly conspicuous. Exod. xxv. 18, &c. But see on Psalm xviii.

10.

2 The Lord, &c. The Lord, who dwells on mount Sion, is mighty, and possesses supreme dominion over "all people."

4 The King's power, &c. Though the power of our heavenly King is so great and irresistible, it is still never exercised except in righteousness and equity, which attributes are his delight: he is terrible, indeed, to others, but mild and benignant to all his devout servants. The sons of Jacob, therefore, he has constantly governed with exact justice and singular mercy.

5 His footstool. The temple at Jerusalem was usually called the house of God, and the place of his rest or residence. His symbolical presence, styled by the Jews the Shechinah, was seen between the wings of the cherubims in the holy of holies. This, then, came to be esteemed the throne of God, in his character of King over the Israelitish nation; whilst the ark below was regarded in the light of a footstool, which has ever been a necessary appendage to a throne. 1 Chron. xxviii. 2. Psalm cxxxii. 7. Isai. LX. 13. See on Psalm cx. 1. The Israelites are not commanded to bow themselves actually before the ark of the covenant, but before that part of the tabernacle, which enclosed the ark; that is, they were to turn their faces, and to direct their worship, towards the holy of holies (see on Psalm v. 7); for no one, excepting the high priest, enjoyed the privilege of entering so sacred a place, and he only once a year, on the great day of atonement. Lev. xvi. 2, 15.

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6 Moses and Aaron, &c. The names of these three favored servants of God are introduced, because they were 'men of like passions" with themselves, whose petitions, both on their own behalf and on that of others, were yet heard and answered. Though Moses was not in reality a priest, nevertheless the exalted station which he held, as the appointed mediator between Jehovah and his people, may very

Heb. 3. 2.

1 John 3. 21, 22.

Jer. 46. 28.

Ex. 15. 2.

Ps. 118. 28, 29.

7 He spake unto them out of the cloudy pillar; for they kept his testimonies, and the law that he gave them.

8 Thou heardest them, O Lord, our God: thou forgavest them, O God, and [though thou] punishedst their own inventions.

9 O magnify [exalt] the Lord our God, and worship him upon his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.

PSALM C.

THIS was anciently entitled "a Psalm of praise,” which designation it probably obtained from its being admirably adapted, if it was not expressly appointed, to be sung, when the sacrifices of thanksgiving were offered. Lev. vii. 12. The author, whoever he was, invites all the world to join with the Israelites in worshipping Him, who had ever shewn himself, in an eminent degree, kind and gracious to them. Accordingly, we Christians now properly use the Psalm, both in acknowledgment of God's wonderful love to us, as evidenced by the gift of redemption, and in testimony of our gratitude to him for creating us again by his Spirit unto obedience, conformably to his faithful promises.

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BE joyful in [Make a joyful noise unto] the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord

well have caused him to be numbered among that order of men. Samuel, however, was unconnected with the line of Aaron, and a Levite, whence probably he is here said to have been merely one of those, who invoked the divine name.

7 He spake, &c. The Lord, in a most condescending manner, thus made known his will to Moses and Aaron, and through them to the children of Israel. Exod. xix. 3, 7: xxxiii. 8, 9. Num. xii. 4, &c. To Samuel also he revealed himself with great clearness, but in a different way; for there is no necessity to suppose, that "the cloudy pillar" was meant to be applied to all the three persons mentioned in the previous verse.

8 Thou heardest them. The prayers of these individuals were so effectual with God, as to avert the evils, which were destroying the people, and to obtain for them the temporal pardon of their sins. Such was the case, when Moses interceded for the idolaters, Exod. xxxii. 33, &c; Aaron for the schismatics, Num. xvi. 47, &c; and Samuel for the whole nation, 1 Sam. vii. 9.-Thou forgavest them, &c. The people, who obtained forgiveness, were not, of course, Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, but, on the contrary, those who had transgressed, and for whom they pleaded. Yet, as the history likewise informs us, this mercy did not come to them entirely unmingled with judgment. 1 O be joyful, &c. See on Psalm xxvii. 7.

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with gladness, and come before his presence Acts 2. 46, 47% 1 with a song.

2 Be ye sure [Know ye], that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Ezek. 34. 30, 31
Ephes. 2. 10.

30 go your way into his gates with thanks-1 Chron. 29. 20. giving, and into his courts with praise: be Ps. 116. 15, 16. thankful unto him, and speak good of his name. 4 For the Lord is gracious; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

PSALM CI.

Deut. 7. 9.

Heb. 6. 17, &c.

In this Psalm is contained a pious resolution of David, (who had lately become king,) to govern, first himself, then his houshold and his subjects, with diligent care: he promises also, that, during his reign, good men may expect favor from him, but declares, that no wicked person whatsoever shall have the least countenance or encouragement. We can learn, it is said, from the last verse, that the Psalm was written immediately after all the tribes had submitted themselves to David's authority, since he there announces his intention of rooting out the wicked doers "from the city of the Lord," and seems by this expression to mean Jerusalem, of which he did not gain possession until the event just mentioned had occurred. 2 Sam. v. 1, &c.

MY song shall be of mercy and judgment: | Rom. 9. 15. unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing.

2 O let me have understanding in the way of godliness.

3 When wilt thou come unto me? I will walk in my house with a perfect heart.

1 Tim. 3. 4, 5.

1 Sam. 18. 14.

Tim. 18. 19.

1 Kings 9. 4.

2 That hath made us. See on Psalm cxLix. 2. Here, however, gospel privileges and blessings are more particularly intended, to the enjoyment of which God alone, in his mercy, would eventually raise them.

1 My song, &c. The subject of this my song, which I dedicate to Thee, O Lord, shall be the conduct, which I design to pursue in the government of my dominions; what mercy I will extend to the righteous, what punishment I will inflict upon the wicked. From the tenor of the following verses, it appears much better to understand the present verse in this way, than to consider David, as desiring to celebrate that mercy, which Jehovah had so pre-eminently shewn to himself, and that judgment, of which his enemies had been rendered such conspicuous victims.

3 When wilt thou, &c. It is common throughout the scriptures to suppose God to be personally and actually present with his wor

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4 I will take no wicked thing in hand: I hate the sins of unfaithfulness; there shall no such cleave unto me.

5 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

6 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I destroy.

7 Whoso hath also a proud look and high stomach, I will not suffer him.

8 Mine eyes look upon such as are faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me.

9 Whoso leadeth a godly life, he shall be my servant.

10 There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house: he, that telleth lies, shall not tarry in my sight.

11 I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the land, that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

THE TWENTIETH DAY.

Morning Prayer.

PSALM CII.

THE thirteenth verse is thought to prove, that the present Psalm was composed about the time, when God had promised to his people a restoration from their captivity in Babylon, namely, after the full term of seventy years. Jer. xxix. 10. The author, who writes on behalf of the whole nation, pours out his complaints to heaven in very affecting strains, representing, under a variety of images, the greatness of his affliction. His chief cause of lamentation appears to arise from the desolate state of Jerusalem; still he comforts himself with the expectation, that Jehovah, who is ever faithful to his promises, will take compassion upon her: he then foretels her complete re-establishment, together with

shippers. Exod. iii. 12: xxxiii. 14. Psalm cxxxix. 9. David, therefore, piously asks, when he would vouchsafe to come and behold, as well his own integrity, as the purity of life, which was cultivated by every one within his palace.

4 I will take, &c. The Psalmist may by this expression declare his fixed determination of persevering in the true religion.The sins of unfaithfulness. Sins, which arise from wilful disobedience to God and his law.

5 I will not know, &c. No ungodly man shall obtain from me so much favor, as to be included among the number of my friends and acquaintances.

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her vast enlargement by the accession of the gentile nations, who
were, in due time, to come and enrol themselves among the wor-
shippers of the Messiah. Perhaps the Psalm was appointed to
be used, as a form of prayer, by every individual in the cap-
tivity.

EAR my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry-
ing come unto thee.

Mark 10. 47

Job 34. 29.

Acts 12. 5, &c.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble: incline thine ear unto me, when I call: O hear [answer] me, and that, right soon. 3 For my days are consumed away like Lam. 1. 13. smoke; and my bones are burnt up, as it were a fire-brand.

4 My heart is smitten down, and withered, like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 For [By reason of] the voice of my groaning my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh. 6 I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, and like an owl that is in the desert.

7 I have watched, and am even, as it were, a sparrow, that sitteth alone upon the house-top.

Ezra 10. 6.

Acts 9. 9.

Job 19. 20.

Lam. 4. 8.

Job 30. 29.

Isai. 38. 14.

Deut. 28. 66, 67.

3 For my days, &c. For my life is rapidly drawing to an end; my days have almost as completely passed away, as smoke disappears, when dispersed by the action of the wind. Hos. xiii. 3. Jam. iv. 14.

-My bones, &c. All my strength, too, is gone; for my bones have lost their natural moisture, and may be said to resemble fagots, which the fire has dried and blackened. Job xxx. 30.

4 Like grass. Grass, in the East, soon becomes withered and brown, under the extreme heat of the sun's rays. Ver. 11.

5 My bones, &c. The Psalmist had wasted away and grown lean from the intensity of his grief, which was, indeed, so intense, that his whole frame appeared to be dissolved, and his remaining flesh hung loosely about his bones, or, in other words, was scarcely firm enough to adhere to them. The Bible version is more literal, since our old translators have, on their own authority, inserted the particle "scarce:" -"my bones cleave to my skin."

6 A pelican. The pelican is naturally very fond of the water; yet, being provided with a large pouch, or bag, for the purpose of holding its sustenance, it was, perhaps, sometimes found far "in the wilderness," in most remote and desolate places. But see on Psalm LXV. 13.- -An owl, &c. The place, which this bird is here said to frequent, would not seem to signify the desert, properly so called, but some lonely and ruined building, in which it is well known to make its ordinary haunt. The mournful sounds emitted by the pelican and the owl, form, in this verse, the chief point of comparison, not their solitary and retired habits.

7 I have watched. Cares and griefs so press upon and disturb my mind, that they "will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eye

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