Ps. 69. 17. John 17. 1. Matt. 8. 20. Ps. 56.8. 1 Chron. 29. 15. Matt. 4. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 27. Matt. 27. 39. Ps. 119. 86. Josh. 4. 24. Isai. 65. 14. Dan. 12. 2. Ps. 22. 22, 25. Ps. 38. 15. Acts 5. 30, 31. 20 But deal thou with me, O Lord God, according unto thy name, for sweet is thy mercy. 21 O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor, my heart is wounded within me. and 22 I go hence like the shadow that departeth, and am driven away as the grasshopper [tossed up and down like a locust]. 23 My knees are weak through fasting: my flesh is dried up for want of fatness. 24 I became also a reproach unto them: they, that looked upon me, shaked their heads. 25 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy; 26 And they shall know, how that this is thy hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it. 27 Though they curse, yet bless thou; and let them be confounded, that rise up against me, but let thy servant rejoice. 28 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a cloke. 29 As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth, and praise him among the multitude; 30 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save his soul from unrighteous judges. 20 According unto thy name. God's name seems here to signify his attributes of goodness and mercy. Ver. 25. 22 I go hence, &c. Like a shadow, which, in the afternoon, lengthens as the day advances, so is my life now gradually wearing away, and drawing near the period of its termination. Psalm cii. 11.And am driven, &c. David complains, that his existence consisted only of a series of migrations almost as frequent and as sudden, as those of the grasshopper or locust, which is driven about by the agitation of the wind. Exod. x. 19. Nah. iii. 17. See on Psalm Lxix. 10. 23 Through fasting. 26 How that this, &c. That thine hand, and the might of thine arm, are the sole means of my deliverance. Ver. 30. Exod. ix. 15: xiv. 30, 31. 27 Let them be confounded. See on Psalm xxii. 5. 30 He shall stand, &c. It would almost appear, that, among the Israelites, the advocate, as well as the accuser (ver. 5), occupied a place at the right hand of the person, who was arraigned. But David may, perhaps, have wished to do nothing more, than to represent God, as his constant protector and defender against every enemy. Psalm xvi. 9: cxxi. 5 THE TWENTY THIRD DAY. Morning Prayer. PSALM CX. DAVID here speaks, without the slightest circumlocution, of some one, much greater than himself, whom he calls his Lord, and who, most assuredly, must be the Lord Christ, or Messiah, for no other king but He can be said, in any sense, to sit at God's right hand, nor any other person to have been a priest, “after the order of Melchisedech." We have, then, in this Psalm, a description of the glorious kingdom, and of the eternal priesthood, bestowed by God the Father upon his beloved Son; to whom he also gave the victory over his enemies, as a reward for the sufferings of his humanity. It is quoted in several parts of the New Testament, and our Saviour expressly applied it to himself (Matt. xxii. 43, 44), as some Jews, both of early and of later times, have done to their expected Messiah. THE HE Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on Acts 2. 34, 35. my right hand, until I make thine enemies Heb. 1. 13. thy footstool. 2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy power Rom. 1. 16. out of Sion: be thou ruler, even in the midst | 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24. among thine enemies. 1 The Lord said, &c. David prefaces his address to the Messiah, (which occupies the three following verses,) by reciting the authoritative, and unchangeable determination pronounced respecting him by Jehovah.- -Sit, &c. This implies a participation of sovereign power. The right hand, or the right side, was considered, even in the most ancient times, as the place of honor. 1 Kings ii. 19. Psalm XLV. 10. -Thy footstool. Since, in the East, it has ever been customary, on all common occasions, to sit upon the ground or floor, when we find sitting spoken to as a posture of more than ordinary dignity, as we do here, it means sitting on high (Psalm vii. 6, 7), on a chair of state or throne, to which a footstool constituted a necessary appendage, in order that the person, for whom the seat was intended, might raise himself up to it, and also for supporting his legs, when he was placed in it. A further allusion is designed in this place to the custom of Eastern conquerors, who often planted their feet on the necks of their enemies. Josh. x. 24. Isai. Li. 23. 2 The rod, &c. Thy sceptre, the emblem of thy kingly rule. Ezek. xix. 14. The sound of the gospel went forth from Sion; as, just before he was taken up again into heaven, Christ commanded his disciples to preach it " among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," for thus had it been ordained by the Father. Luke xxiv. 47. Gen. 22. 17. Matt. 28. 18. Zech. 6. 13. Rom. 2. 5, &c. Rev. 11. 18. Ps. 68. 18, 21. Isai. 53. 12. 3 In the day of thy power shall the [thy] people offer thee free-will offerings with an holy worship: the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning. 4 The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedech. 5 The Lord upon thy right hand shall wound even kings, in the day of his wrath 1 6 He shall judge among the heathen: he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; and smite in sunder the heads over divers countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up his head. 3 In the day, &c. The blessed effects of the gospel are now foretold, when Christ should have re-ascended up on high, and have received his mediatorial kingdom. For then, by the influence of divine grace aiding the preaching of the apostles, it would come with power into the hearts of men, and cause them to offer a willing and holy obedience. The dew of thy birth, &c. The converts to thy faith, that people, which, as thy spiritual progeny, will then be born (Psalm xxii. 32), shall equal in number the dew-drops, which appear in the morning, and which are poetically esteemed its offspring. The words "thy birth," may, however, refer to the first publication of the gospel, and to the early days of the glorified Redeemer's kingdom. 4 After the order, &c. Melchisedech united in himself the dignities of king and priest. Our Saviour, as an eternal High Priest, is also likened to him, because neither his priestly descent, nor any successor to him, is mentioned (Gen. xiv. 18, &c. Heb. vii. 3), whereas the priesthood, which belonged to the family of Aaron, was, in some respects, hereditary. Heb. vii. 15, 16. 5 The Lord, &c. David seems to make a sudden apostrophe to the Father himself, at whose right hand he before represented the Messiah to be sitting. Ver. 1. But some persons assert, that there is no change, and that the words are part of that address to the Messiah, which commenced with the second verse, simply meaning,-Jehovah, who is thy guardian defender. See on Psalm cix. 30. 6 He shall judge, &c. It is by no means unusual to find the Messiah described in scripture under the character of a mighty conqueror triumphing over all opposition. Isai. Lxiii. 1, &c. Rev. xix. 15. He shall execute judgment, that is, he shall take severe vengeance, on his heathen enemies. Psalm ii. 9: XLV. 5, 6. The dead bodies. See on Psalm LXV. 2. 7 He shall drink, &c. The means, by which the Messiah would obtain his universal kingdom and his everlasting priesthood, are, apparently, assigned in this verse. In his way to glory he must drink deep of the waters of affliction, of that "brook" which would assuredly present itself between him and the throne of God. Phil. ii. PSALM CXI. In this Psalm (of which neither the author nor the age can be determined,) are celebrated the majesty and goodness of God, as displayed, in a very conspicuous manner, by the wonderful things, which he had done for the Israelitish nation; and also by the signal blessings which he had bestowed upon them, after their miraculous departure from Egypt. I WILL give thanks unto the Lord with my | 2 Chron. 6. 3, 4. whole heart, secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation. 2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them, that have pleasure therein. 3 His work is worthy to be praised, and had in honor; and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works, that they ought to be had in remembrance. : 5 He hath given meat unto them, that fear him he shall ever be mindful of his covenant. 6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. 8,9. Heb. ii. 10. The phrase "to drink of the brook” may, possibly, signify nothing more, than to partake of those spiritual consolations, by which we know even the Saviour to have been supported during his earthly sufferings. Matt. iv. 11. With respect to the purport of this Psalm it may be remarked, that David, like the other prophets, was, doubtless, unable to form any definite ideas of the specific Person, in whom the predictions uttered by himself would be fulfilled, or of the time when He would be manifested, or of the precise manner and circumstances of His mysterious sufferings, or of the glories that were to follow. Still the Spirit of Christ in him did testify of these things (1 Pet. i. 11), and so influenced his mind, as to prevent his being insensible to their importance. See on Psalm xvi. 12. 3 His righteousness. His benevolence, and the faithfulness with which he always performs his promises towards us. 4 His marvellous works. Judging from the two following verses, the passage through the Red sea, and its attendant circumstances, appear to be particularly meant. 5 He hath given meat, &c. Not only "meat," properly so called, but all things that they needed, were afforded by Jehovah to the Israelites, when wandering in the wilderness; and they were rendered the objects of this distinguished favor, in fulfilment of his intention never to forget the covenant, which he had made with their forefather Abraham. Gen. xv. 7, 13, 14. 6 He hath shewed, &c. This verse refers to the manner, in which Deut. 32. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Isai. 40. 8. Matt. 1. 21. Luke 1. 49, 68. Job 28. 28. 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment: all his commandments are true [sure]. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and equity. 9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they, that do thereafter: the praise of it endureth for ever. PSALM CXII. THE characteristics and rewards of the righteous or liberal man, form the subject of this Psalm, which may almost be deemed a species of commentary upon the last verse of the preceding one. For in it are enumerated the various kinds of happiness enjoyed by those persons, who fear God and keep his commandments; and it concludes with a description of the envy and wretchedness of the ungodly. It has been assigned, as has, indeed, the former Psalm also, to the period of the return from the Babylonish captivity. Matt. 11. 30. Gen. 17. 7. B LESSED is the man, that feareth the Lord; he hath great delight in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the faithful shall be blessed. God wonderfully preserved his people from every danger, until he had fully established them in the possession of Canaan. 7 The works of his hands, &c. Truth and justice shine forth in every dispensation of the Almighty; truth, in accomplishing what he has promised; justice, in executing vengeance only on his enemies. Thus it was, that the Israelites obtained "the heritage of the heathen," and that those heathen were themselves either destroyed, or expelled from their land. Deut. ix. 5.-All his commandments, &c. His appointments and purposes, whether of mercy or of judgment, never fail of their completion. 8 And are done, &c. And, since God's decrees are enacted with a sincere regard to his attributes of faithfulness and equity, it is not wonderful, that in due time, they are most punctually performed. But our translators, by the word "done," alluded, probably, to the mere fact of their being carried into effect, not to the foundation on which they rested. 9 Redemption. Deliverance from Egyptian bondage under the guidance of Moses. 2 His seed, &c. Temporal blessings were naturally esteemed by |