6 O Lord my God, great are the wondrous Ps. 139. 17, 18. works, which thou hast done, (like as be also Jer. 31. 3. thy thoughts, which are to us-ward,) and yet there is no man, that ordereth them unto thee. 7 If I should [would] declare them, and speak of them, they should be more than I am able to express. 8 Sacrifice and meat-offering thou wouldst not; but mine ears hast thou opened. 9 Burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required; then said I, Lo, I come, 1 1 Job 5. 9. Sam. 15. 22. Matt. 12. 7. Jer. 7. 22, 23 ability to save, have not resorted for deliverance, either to them that glory in their own strength and power, or to such as, wandering from "the way of God," betake themselves to the lying rites of idol superstition. Psalm cxxxv. 15, &c. By "lies" may be depicted the instability and deceitfulness of riches. Jer. ix. 23, 24. 6 And yet, &c. But no man is sufficiently grateful and devout as to recount them in order, or to attempt duly to commemorate "thy loving-kindnesses, which have been ever of old." Psalm xxv. 5. 7 Speak of. See on Psalm xxxviii. 12. 8 Sacrifice, &c. A comparison is now instituted between the respective merits of sacrifice and obedience. Psalm Lxix. 31, 32. The terms of the passage are sometimes deemed to imply the absolute abrogation of all animal sacrifices by One, who declares, that the very book, which prescribed those sacrifices, had its superior reference to Him; and that He himself was about, in due time, to present the only sacrifice, that would be worthy of the Deity's acceptance. The former portion of the verse is repeated in the ninth; the latter is explained and expanded in the tenth.- -But mine ears, &c. The boring of the ear was, among the Israelites, a mark of perpetual servitude. Deut. xv. 16, 17. Therefore, as the servant, whether male or female, became, in this manner, bound for ever to an earthly master, so does David figuratively represent himself, as equally engaged to do the bidding of his heavenly King. Such is the common mode of interpretation. But another has been adopted by some learned men, who suggest, that God is described, as removing from the ear every obstruction to hearing, and thus rendering the human mind more prompt to obey his revealed will. Job xxxiii. 16: Isai. L. 5. Yet, applicable as this and the two following verses may be to the son of Jesse, they are so in a very inferior sense; for they were designed to refer more immediately to our Saviour, and distinctly to announce his incarnation and obedience. That glorious Person may, indeed, be here himself introduced, as, in a state of existence previous to his appearance among mortals, contemplating with supreme joy the intentions of divine benevolence, glowing with holy ardor to bear His part in the gracious plan, and ready to assume that human form, which, in the appointed time, would be prepared and adapted for this all-important design. John vi. 38. 9 Hast thou not required. If the present verse is applied to the John 4. 34. Rom. 7. 22. Mark 16. 15, 16. Acts 20. 20, 27. 1 Thess. 1.8. John 3. 16, 17. Ps. 57.3. Heb. 5. 7. Isai. 53. 6. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O my God: I am content to do it; yea, thy law is within my heart. 11 I have declared thy righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I will not refrain [I have not refrained] my lips, O Lord, and that thou knowest: 12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: my talk hath been of thy truth [faithfulness], and of thy salvation. 13 I have not kept back thy loving mercy and truth from the great congregation. 14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord: let thy loving-kindness and thy truth alway preserve me. 15 For innumerable troubles are come about me; my sins have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up; yea, they are period when the Mosaic law flourished, and not to the times of the gospel, it must mean, that sacrifices were not exclusively required, nor as though the mere offering of them was conducive to salvation. Psalm L. 13, 14. Hos. vi. 6. It has been asserted, however, that David, (presuming him to speak in his own person,) would never have said what he does, concerning the sacrifices of the law, had he not been led to the subject by the Spirit of God, predicting that their abrogation would take place, when the Messiah should offer his own sacrifice.- -Then. On the supposition, that this word is not redundant, it may express the precise time, when David was impelled, by gratitude for his deliverance, to dedicate himself more completely, than he had before done, to the service of God. We may regard Christ, as having made the same declaration, not only before his incarnation, but also a second time, when, in human form, he actually set himself, "to fulfil all righteousness." Matt. iii. 15. 10 In the volume, &c. The Hebrew books consisted formerly, as they consist now, of long scrolls of parchment rolled upon two sticks, one at each end. The king was commanded to have by him a copy of the law carefully taken from that used by "the priests the Levites," and to read in it daily. Deut. xvii. 18, 19. But, if the inspired writings of the Old Testament were valuable, as describing the duties of a king of Israel, much more valuable were they, as predicting the advent of the future Saviour, and pointing out the attributes, for which he would be remarkable. 11 I will not refrain, &c. See on Psalm cxvi. 10. My lips have not been restrained (see on Psalm xxxviii. 17.) or withheld, as thou well knowest, from publishing, in the full assemblies of thy people, thy great goodness towards me, together with the faithfulness, with which thy promises have ever been fulfilled. 15 They are more, &c. Namely the troubles, which his sins had more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me. 16 O Lord, let it be thy pleasure to deliver me: make haste, O Lord, to help me. 17 Let them be ashamed, and confounded together, that seek after my soul to destroy it: let them be driven backward, and put to rebuke, that wish me evil. Matt. 26. 39. Matt. 21. 41, &c. Acts 9. 4, &c. 21. 23, 24. 18 Let them be desolate, and rewarded with Luke 19. 43, 44: shame, that say unto me, Fie upon thee, fie upon thee [aha, aha]. 19 Let all those, that seek thee, be joyful and glad in thee; and let such, as love thy salvation, say alway, The Lord be praised. 20 As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord careth for me. Isai. 65. 13, 14. Acts 19. 17. 2 Cor. 8. 9. 21 Thou art my helper and redeemer [my Heb. 13. 6. deliverer]: make no long tarrying, O my God. Evening Prayer. PSALM XLI. Rev. 22. 20. DAVID was probably the author of this Psalm, but the date of its composition is uncertain. The first part portrays the blessedness of such persons, as compassionate the sick and afflicted; whilst the remainder, like many of the Psalms which are on the same common subject, consists of complaints against the violence of enemies, and of expressions of unhesitating confidence in God. Our Saviour himself has taught us to apply the ninth verse to the traitor Judas. John xiii. 18. B LESSED is he, that considereth the poor Prov. 14. 21. [sick] and needy; the Lord shall deliver Matt. 5. 7. him in the time of trouble. 2 The Lord preserve him, and keep him Luke 22.31 32, alive, that he may be blessed upon earth; and 1 Tim. 4. 8. deliver not thou him into the will of his ene mies. 3 The Lord comfort him, when he lieth sick 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17. brought upon him (see on Psalm xxxi. 12), and which, as he had just asserted, took from him even the sight of his eyes. Psalm xxxviii. 10. 17 My soul. See on Psalm vii. 2. 19 Let all those, &c. The same sentiment occurs twice in this verse, but with different words. Psalm xxxv. 27: cxL. 13. Let such as, in their affliction, come only to Thee for deliverance, be mercifully enabled to celebrate that deliverance with songs of rejoicing. 3 Make thou all, &c. Make thou his bed soft and easy for him to lie Phil. 2. 26, 27. Mark 2. 7. Prov. 10. 7. Ps. 12. 2. Prov. 26. 24, &c. Matt. 22. 15. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Matt. 27. 63, 64. 2 Sam. 15. 12. John 13. 18. Luke 19. 27. Isai. 42. 4. Job 36. 7. upon his bed: make thou all his bed in his sick ness. 4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee. 5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? 6 And, if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; and his heart conceiveth falsehood within himself; and, when he cometh [goeth] forth, he telleth it. 7 All mine enemies whisper together against me; even against me do they imagine this evil [devise my hurt]. 8 Let the sentence of guiltiness, [say they,] proceed against him; and now, that he lieth, let him rise up no more. 9 Yea, even mine own familiar friend, whom I trusted, who did also eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me. 10 But be thou merciful unto me, O Lord: raise thou me up again, and I shall reward them. 11 By this I know thou favorest me, that [because] mine enemy doth not triumph against me. 12 And, when I am in my health, thou upholdest me, and shalt set me before thy face for ever. upon, that his bodily pains may be assuaged. This expression seems to have been suggested to the Psalmist's mind by the condition, in which he was himself placed at the time. Ver. 8. 4 For I have sinned, &c. To complete the sentence may be added, -and my soul requires healing. But see on Psalm xxv. 10. 5 Speak evil of me. "Wish me ill," and long for my death.When shall he die, &c. These, like ver. 8, are the words of David's enemies respecting himself. 6 And, if he come, &c. Whenever any one of them came to visit David in his affliction, he declared, (but it was only in deceit and mockery,) that he was grieved to see him, and much commiserated his wretched condition.- -And his heart, &c. And all the time he is with me, he is inventing falsehoods to my prejudice, which, as soon as he leaves my sick room, he publishes abroad. 8 Let the sentence, &c. May God now pronounce against him the sentence of condemnation for some heinous sin, which he has doubtless committed, nor let him rise up again from this bed of sickness, whereon he is lying. 11 That. See on Psalm xvi. 9. 12. And shalt set me, &c. And wilt condescend to keep me always 13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel world | Ephes. 1. 3. without end. Amen. Rev. 7. 12 PSALM XLII. THIS Psalm is generally believed to have been composed by David, upon his being driven away from Jerusalem into the country to the east of Jordan, by the rebellion of Absalom. 2 Sam. xvii. 22, 24. He very pathetically sets forth the greatness of his distress, which was aggravated by the three following circumstances; his absence from the worship of God in the tabernacle; the insults and blasphemous reproaches of his enemies; and the disheartening comparison, which he could not avoid making, between his then miserable condition and his former happy state: in the conclusion, he expresses a confident expectation, that these afflictions will shortly be terminated. LIKE as the hart desireth the water-brooks, 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God? 1 2 1 Isai. 26. 8, 9. Matt. 5. 6. Phil. 1. 23. John 16, 20, 22. 4 Now, when I think thereupon, I pour out Job 30. 12, &c. my heart by myself; for I went with the multi- Cor. 10. 13. tude, and brought them forth into the house of God, 5 In [With] the voice of praise and thanks- Isai. 30. 29. giving, among such as keep holy-day. Mic. 4. 2. in thy sight, (as a kind parent watches over a beloved child,) that I may take no harm. 13 World. This word, as here used, has no allusion whatever to any thing material, and, consequently, is not to be taken in its ordinary acceptation. The meaning of the sentence will be considerably plainer, if time, or age, be substituted for it.. Bib. ver,-" from everlasting to everlasting." 1 Like as the hart, &c. To feel the full force of this comparison of himself to a deer, "when heated in the chase" over sultry and dry plains, we must bear in mind the distress produced by extreme thirst, as well as the excessive difficulty of relieving it, in the East. 2 The living God. Jehovah is so called, in opposition to the senseless images of the heathen idols.. Hab. ii. 19. 1 Cor. viii. 4. 4 When I think thereupon, &c. When I reflect on my sad state, I retire into solitude, and brood over my gloomy thoughts. For, in days past, I was wont to attend the services in God's house, not only accompanied by the multitude, but at their head, with the voice, too, of solemn praise and thanksgiving, in order to celebrate some joyful festival. F |