Let this psalm be compared with any hymn, composed by any Heathen poet in honour of their gods, and the striking superiority of the sentiments in this must convince. any reasonable person that David, and the Israelites in general, had advantages for religious knowledge which the rest of mankind had not. The supposition of the divine origin of the religion of the Hebrews will account for the remarkable fact; but on any other supposition, these psalms are a greater miracle than any of those that are recorded by Moses. No other people, though more enlightened in other respects, ever wrote in this strain, nor were possessed of these sentiments. No man whatever, in the whole compass of profane history, appears to have felt as the writers of these psalms did, or to have had the sublime views of the Divine presence, character, and moral government, that they had. Let unbelievers account for this difference if they can.*

14. The ancient versions have, Thou hast done terrible (or great) things.

CXL. This psalm was probably composed by David, during his persecution by Saul, at the instigation of Doeg, the Edomite. He prays for deliverance from the malice of his enemies, and implores the Divine vengeance against them. In this respect, the spirit of this psalm is not to be breathed by Christians; but the disposition of David to acknowledge God in all his ways, and on all occasions to refer himself to him, is highly worthy of our imitation. It is the great principle of religion, and the foundation of all virtue.

CXLI. This psalm of David† was probably composed by him during his persecution by Saul, and the sentiments of it are similar to those of many other psalms composed by him in the same state of his affairs. He refers himself to God for protection, and prays for the disappointment of his enemies.

6. This seems to allude to the advantage that David had over Saul in the cave of Engeddi, [1 Sam. xxiv. 10,] when, with great generosity, he spared his life. Mr. Durell translates it, Their rulers were let go in the sides of the rock, and heard my words which were kind.

CXLII. This is the last of the psalms that are called penitential. It contains such sentiments of humility, sub

See a free translation and paraphrase of this psalm, Theol. Repos. III. pp. 291-301.

This psalm by Jeremiah, on the death of Gedaliah and his company." Mudge, in Kennicott, p. 278.

mission, and trust in God, as David always shewed in situations of danger and distress.

CXLIII. This is another of the many psalms of David, which he composed during his persecution by Saul, or the rebellion of Absalom. He casts himself on the mercy of God, and expresses his hope of protection.

CXLIV. This psalm must have been composed by David after the beginning, and before the completion, of his success, in the wars in which he was engaged on his accession to the throne. He expresses the strong sense that he had of his dependence upon God, and his hope of the continuance of his favour.

2. In the Syriac it is, My refuge and my deliverer.

CXLV. This psalm has always been considered as one of the most excellent in the whole collection, both for sentiment and composition. It is a general hymn of praise, celebrating the perfections and providence of God; and every verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, arranged in their proper order. It is in vain to look for any thing like this psalm, as well as many others, in the compositions of any Heathen writers.

14. The verse beginning with the letter N, is wanting in the Hebrew, but is supplied in some of the ancient versions with this, The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works.

CXLVI. This psalm, and all the remaining ones, begin and end with Hallelujah, which signifies, Praise ye the Lord. This seems to have been composed after some disappointment in looking for assistance from princes, though the exhortation to put confidence in God, rather than in any man, might be advanced without any such experience.

CXLVII. This psalm must have been composed in a prosperous state of the country, after some great calamity; and therefore it has been thought to suit the time of the return from Babylon. But the greater part of the sentiments relate to the providence of God in general.

10. Legs mean strength. God prefers men for their moral qualities only.

CXLVIII. In this psalm, the author calls upon all the parts of nature to join him in praising God. It must have been composed in a time of national prosperity.

7. Great serpents, and the caverns in which they dwell. CXLIX. This psalm was probably composed on occasion of some signal victory, or in the course of a successful war, to animate those who were engaged in it.

5. This may mean, they will sing aloud from the heart, as the bed, or seat, of thought.

CL. This short invitation to all creatures to praise God, and to make use of all kinds of musical instruments for that purpose, is a proper conclusion to this collection of psalms. It was, no doubt, particularly intended to be sung by the Levites, in the national worship, in which all the instruments here mentioned were used.

1. Praise God on account of his holiness, praise him on account of the extent of his power.

PROVERBS.

WHAT is commonly called the wisdom of the ancients, consists chiefly of short sentences, and generally contains directions for the conduct of life. Such are the sayings of the seven wise men of Greece, and such are the greater part of these of Solomon; but they are of much superior value, recommending the duty of piety, as well as those duties which relate to common life and manners. The first nine chapters are a kind of regular composition, the parts having a connexion with each other, having probably been composed by Solomon in this form. From Chap. x. to xxv. the observations are miscellaneous, the several sayings having no connexion. From Chap. xxv. to xxx. the book contains other sayings of Solomon, collected by the servants of Hezekiah; and the two last chapters contain the sayings of other persons, and none of Solomon's.

CHAP. I. 1. This has the appearance of a regular beginning of a work avowedly Solomon's; and it was probably designed to be of considerable extent; but it does not seem to have been finished according to his original intention, farther than the end of the ninth chapter. From this place, however, to the end of the twenty-fourth chapter, these proverbs were probably written by himself; but not being regularly arranged, or illustrated like those in the first chapters, they look like loose materials for a more complete work than he lived, or found leisure to finish.

2. It is evident that by wisdom, Solomon meant both useful knowledge of every kind, and a good disposition of mind, the foundation of happiness to a man's self and others; and that the terms rendered knowledge, instruction, &c. &c. are used promiscuously; it being reckoned a great beauty in

composition to express the same thing in different words, or words which signify nearly the same thing.

7. A respect to the authority and commands of God is here made the foundation of all true wisdom. The Hebrew nation was under the immediate government of God; their laws and moral precepts were dictated by him, and committed to writing by his especial order. It was natural, therefore, for a person of this nation to make obedience to God, the hope of his favour, and the fear of his displeasure, the leading principle of human conduct. But it is a sentiment that would not occur to Heathens, who knew little or nothing of God, or of the relation they bore to him, and who had no certain knowledge of his interference in the affairs of

men.

8. Next to a respect to God, Solomon inculcates that which is due to parents, on which the greatest stress was always laid by the ancients in general. When there were few or no books, all the knowledge that a child had the means of acquiring, was from the instruction of its parents; so that these precepts were of more consequence in those early times than they are now, though it will always be of great use to the peace and happiness of families, that the dispositions and sentiments of all the members of it be agreeable to each other.

16. Bands of robbers were very frequent in early times, and especially on the borders of small states, as those to the east of Palestine, where they could commit depredations in one country, and take refuge in another.

17, 18. To engage with such lawless persons is so evidently hazardous, that it resembles a bird going into a snare which she sees to be laid for her. It is as if they laid wait for their own lives, and not for those of others.

20. This is a beautiful personification of wisdom, inviting men to attend to her.

II. 6. To the Hebrews the most valuable knowledge was that which they had immediately from God, in the laws and precepts which he gave them.

12-19. The great object of the wisdom recommended by Solomon was to preserve men from vice. Robbery is mentioned in the first place, and fornication and adultery in the second.

21, 22. There are many express promises to the Israelites that they should remain in the possession of their country so long as they kept free from idolatry, and observed the precepts delivered to them by Moses; and they were threatened

with expulsion from it in case of apostacy and disobedience. It may be to promises and threatenings of this kind that both David and Solomon allude; though, as they must have seen that virtue is not always rewarded, or vice punished, in this life, and they frequently speak of a future righteous judgment, it is not improbable that in such language as they frequently use, they had a view to a future state of this earth, after the resurrection, which the Israelitish nation appear never to have been ignorant of, though it might not be much upon their minds; and therefore there are not so many plain allusions to it as we might expect. Things that are very distant are always apt to be overlooked, whatever be their importance.

III. 2. This could only be in the general course of things. He must have known that there were many excep

tions to it.

6. An habitual regard to God is the foundation of all virtue, and it is no where inculcated but in the Scriptures. What is here said must, however, be understood with some latitude, for by applying to God, men do not receive particular instructions how to conduct themselves in the safest and best manner. But to be governed by the rules of piety and virtue is certainly the safest, and therefore the wisest course that a man can take. He will find it to be so in general in this life, and assuredly in another.

8. In the East medicines are often applied externally, particularly to the stomach and belly.*

9. This precept is peculiar to the Hebrew nation their offerings were considered as given to God, who would not fail to make them an abundant recompence.

12. This relation of God to mankind as a father, frequently occurs in the Scriptures, and it is a peculiarly pleasing and useful sentiment. This leads us to consider afflictions as not sent in anger, but in love, in order to correct and improve us.

19, 20. Here wisdom is used in a sense different from that of moral virtue; so that these two verses have no connexion with what goes before or after them.

35. These are excellent moral precepts, delivered in language peculiarly forcible.

IV. 3. Solomon seems to have had great affection for his mother, as well as for his father, and to have received the best instruction from them both.

• See Chardin (MS.) Harmer, II. p. 488; Bishop Lowth on Isaiah (i. 6), p. 7.