1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. Ps. 57. 4, 5. Gal. 2. 19, 20. Josh. 1.7, 8. Ps. 1. 2. John 7. 17. Prov. 2.6,7. Job 32. 7, &c. Rom. 12. 9. Jer. 32. 40. Ps. 56. 10. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Phil. 3. 17. 94 I am thine, O save me; for I have sought thy commandments. 95 The ungodly laid wait for me, to destroy me; but I will consider thy testimonies. 96 I see, that all things come to an end; but thy commandment is exceeding broad. THIRTEENTH PORTION. LORD, what love have I unto thy law! all the day long is my study in it. 98 Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than my teachers, for thy testimonies are my study. 100 I am wiser than the aged, because I keep thy commandments. 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep thy word. 102 I have not shrunk [departed] from thy judgments; for thou teachest me. 103 O how sweet are thy words unto my throat! yea, sweeter than honey unto my mouth. 104 Through thy commandments I get understanding; therefore I hate all evil ways. 95 But I will consider, &c. Nevertheless, meditation upon the certainty of scripture then allayed my fears, and confirmed, as well as comforted, my heart, as it constantly will do in any similar trouble. 96 But thy commandment, &c. Though all earthly good comes to an end and perishes, the law of God has no bound; it is unchangeable and endures to all eternity. Its perfections, too, and characteristics, may equally be said to be without limit. 98 For they are, &c. 66 Thy commandments," which I esteem my only sure guides and directors, are perpetually occupying my mind and engaging my attention. 99 My teachers. It is not improbable, that by "teachers" in this verse, as by "the aged" in the next, are pointed out the doctors or public teachers of the Mosaic law. 101 Refrained. See on Psalm xxxviii. 17. 102 For thou teachest me. For all my instruction comes from Thee, who art the fountain itself of knowledge, and whose injunctions are dictated by very truth; not from man, whose best and wisest laws are often imperfect or unsound. THY THE TWENTY SIXTH DAY. Morning Prayer. FOURTEENTH PORTION. Isai. 57. 18. 2 Chron.15.12, &c. Jer. 50. 5. HY word is a lantern [lamp] unto my | Prov. 6. 23. feet, and a light unto my paths. 106 I have sworn, and am stedfastly purposed, to keep thy righteous judgments. 107 I am troubled [afflicted] above measure: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy word. 108 Let the free-will offerings of my mouth please thee, O Lord; and teach me thy judg ments. 109 My soul is alway in my hand; yet do I not forget thy law. 110 The ungodly have laid a snare for me; but yet I swerved not from thy commandments. 111 Thy testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for ever; and why? they are the very joy of my heart. 1 Ps. 71. 21, 22. Rom. 5. 3, &c. Hos. 14. 2. Sam. 27. 1. Acts 20. 23, 24. Dan. 6. 5, &c. 112 I have applied my heart to fulfil thy Phil. 2. 12. statutes alway, even unto the end. 2 Cor. 10. 5. FIFTEENTH PORTION. I HATE them, that imagine evil things; but Jer. 4. 14. Isai. 32. 2. Amos. 3. 3. 114 Thou art my defence [hiding place] and shield; and my trust is in thy word. 115 Away from me, ye wicked; I will keep the commandments of my God. Rom. 8. 33, 34. Ephes. 5. 11. 108 The free-will offerings, &c. Praise and thanksgivings, proceeding from a devout spirit, are now the only offerings, which can be made by us to God; but the Psalmist may, probably, have alluded also to animal sacrifices. Deut. xxiii. 23. See on Psalm L. 13. 109 My soul, &c. This is by no means an unusual scriptural expression. Judg. xii. 3. 1 Sam. xix. 5. Job xiii. 14. He asserts, that his life was perpetually exposed to danger from violence, and might be taken from him, as easily as any thing could be snatched out of a man's hand. 110 But yet, &c. Still I have never stepped out of the way enjoined by thee, to avoid the snares which they had laid in my path. 112 Unto the end. See on ver. 33. 113 Imagine. See on Psalm iii. 3. Isai. 41. 10, &c. 1 Cor. 15. 10. Matt. 14. 30, 31. Luke 21. 24. Rev. 14. 19. 20. Jer. 6. 30. 116 O stablish me, according to thy word, that I may live; and let me not be disappointed [be ashamed] of my hope. 117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe; yea, my delight shall be ever in thy statutes. 118 Thou hast trodden down all them, that depart from thy statutes, for they imagine but deceit. 119 Thou puttest away all the ungodly of Ezek. 22. 18, &c. the earth like dross; therefore I love thy testimonies. Job 31. 23. Isai. 66. 2. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 12. 1 John 3. 21. Ps. 25. 20. 2 Thess. 1. 4, &c. Ps. 103. 11, &c: 145. 8. Isai. 44. 21. John 12. 26. Ps. 74. 19. Jer. 18. 23. 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. SIXTEENTH PORTION. DEAL with [have done] the thing, that is lawful and right: O give me not over unto mine oppressors. 122 Make thou thy servant to delight in that which is good, that the proud do me no wrong. 123 Mine eyes are wasted away with looking for thy health [salvation], and for the word of thy righteousness. 124 O deal with thy servant, according unto thy loving mercy; and teach me thy statutes. 125 I am thy servant; O grant me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. 126 It is time for thee, Lord, to lay to thine hand, for they have destroyed [made void] thy law. 119 Therefore, &c. Though God shews himself a severe judge by rejecting the wicked, we may nevertheless expect to find him a merciful judge by accepting the righteous. 120 For fear of thee. Through a constant dread of offending thee, and, therefore, of experiencing the furiousness of thy anger.- -Thy judgments. Those, which, he was aware, had been executed, even in this life, upon the despisers of revelation; but, much more, such, as he knew, were reserved for them in the world to come. 122 That the proud, &c. That, as a recompence for my devotedness to Thee and to Thy law, the open contemners of religion may not be permitted to injure or oppress me. 123 Thy health. See on Psalm iii. 3. The same word occurs, ver. 155, 166, 174. 125 I am thy servant. See on Psalm LXXxvi. 16. 127 For I love thy commandments above | Prov. 3. 14, 15. gold and precious stone, 128 Therefore hold I straight all thy com- Acts 24. 16. mandments, and all false ways I utterly abhor. 1 Thess. 5. 23. THY SEVENTEENTH PORTION. HY testimonies are wonderful; therefore | Deut. 4. 6, 7. 130 When thy word goeth forth, it giveth light and understanding unto the simple. 131 I opened my mouth, and drew in my breath, for my delight was in [I longed for] thy commandments. 132 O look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those, that love thy name. 133 Order my steps in thy word, and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me. 134 O deliver me from the wrongful dealings [the oppression] of men, and so shall I keep thy commandments. Ephes. 3. 17, &c. Luke 10. 21. 1 Cor. 3. 18. John 4. 35. Ex. 4. 31. 1 Cor. 2. 9. John 6. 44. Rom. 6. 14. Isai. 19. 20. 127 For. On the very natural supposition, that our old translators here also used the particle "for" instead of for (that), or because (see on Psalm xvi. 9), this and the following verse will closely depend on each other, and, without, in any way, referring to that, which precedes them, furnish likewise a clear and perspicuous meaning. If such was not the case, they must have joined the three verses together by supplying in their minds adequate connecting links. 128 Therefore hold I straight, &c. Therefore with unshaken resolution, I go on straight forward in the way of thy commandments, avoiding most sedulously every thing, which might entice me to desert it, and to enter upon the crooked paths of wickedness. Ver. 5. Perhaps it is merely,-I strictly observe "all thy commandments." 131 I opened my mouth, &c. The Psalmist now declares, that, whilst in eager pursuit of divine wisdom, he is like a man, who has run himself out of breath. Phil. iii. 13, 14. The comparison may, however, be to a traveller in the East, fatigued through toil, and parched by heat, who vehemently pants and gasps for the refreshing breeze. 133 Order my steps, &c. He prays, that his steps may not only be directed towards the path of religion, but that God would by his grace uphold him, when walking in it, lest he should even then be drawn aside through the blandishments of sin. 134 And so, &c. For thus I shall be able, without interruption or distraction, to attend to thy injunctions. Luke 24. 45. Jer. 9. 19. Mark 3. 5. Ex. 9. 27. Dan. 9. 7, 14. Ps. 19. 9. Matt. 23. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Mark 10. 42, &c. John 17. 17: 18.37. 2 Cor. 1. 8, 9. Phil. 1. 29. Phil. 3, 15. 135 Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant, and teach me thy statutes. 136 Mine eyes gush out with water, because men keep not thy law. EIGHTEENTH PORTION. RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord, and true [upright] is thy judgment. 138 The testimonies, that thou hast commanded, are exceeding righteous and true [faithful]. 139 My zeal hath even consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. 140 Thy word is tried to the uttermost, and [is very pure; therefore] thy servant loveth it. 141 I am small, and of no reputation; yet do I not forget thy commandments. 142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. 143 Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me, yet is my delight in thy command ments. 144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: O grant me understanding, and I shall live. 135 The light of thy countenance. See on Psalm iv. 7. 137 And true, &c. However dark and mysterious many things may often appear to us, it is still most certain, that God rules the world, according to the strict and holy principles of justice. See on Psalm cv. 7. Is revelation meant by the word "judgment?" 138 True. Jehovah's promises and threatenings will infallibly come to pass. 140 Thy word, &c. The reference is to metals, which have been purged from dross by the action of fire. See on Psalm xii. 7. Gold has need to be refined, but the divine word is purity itself. 141 I am small, &c. Faithfulness to religion will frequently bring men into difficulties, and heap upon them the contempt of the world. 142 Thy righteousness, &c. Men may alter their decrees, and with them, what was right to day, may be wrong to-morrow; on the contrary, the rules of righteousness established by the divine law are "the same yesterday, to day, and for ever;" neither can a time come, when they will cease to be equally as salutary and as valuable for the government of our lives, as they are now. God's attributes, too, his justice, his goodness, and his fidelity, are unchangeable, nor will he ever forsake us, unless we first forsake him. 144 I shall live. "I shall live" happily and for ever. See on ver. 77. |
