Psalm 17

David's thanks to God for his delivery from all his enemies.

1 J will love thee, O Lord, my strength:

2 The Lord is my firmament, my refuge and my deliverer. My God ts my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.

3 Praising I will call upon the Lord: and TI shall be saved from my enemies. 4 The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.

5 The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me. - 6 In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: and he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears. ,

7 Theearth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them.

8 There went up a smoke in his wrath; and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens, and came down: ‘and darkness was under his feet.

10 And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew upon the wings of the winds.

11 And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.

12 At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.

_ 18 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice; hailand coals of fire.

14 And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them; he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.

15 Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were dis-

“covered: at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.

16 He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me,

18 They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.

19 And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.

20 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:

21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.

22 For all his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.

23 And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.

24 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

25 With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent:

26 And with the elect thou wilt, be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.

27 For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.

28 For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord; O my God, enlighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation: and through my God I shall go over a wall.

30 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire-tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.

31 For who 7s God but the Lord? or who is God but our God?

32 God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless.

33 Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.

34 Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.

35 And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation; and thy right hand hath held me up: and thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.

36 Thou hast enlarged my meee under me; aud my feet are not weakened.

37 I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them; and I will not turn again till they are consumed.

88 J will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet,

ON THE PSALMS.

39, And.thoa hast girded me with strength unto battle; ; and hast ‘subdued under me them that rose up against me,

/ 40 And thou hast made. my enemies turn

their back upon me, and. hast destroyed them.

that hated me.

Al They cried, but.there.was none to save

them: to the Low. but he heard them not.

42 And I shall beat them as small as the

dust before the wind; I shall bring them. to nought, like the dirt in the streets.

A3 Thou wilt deliver me from the contra-

dictions of the people; thou wilt make me head of the gentiles.

44 A people, which I knewnot, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.

45 The children that .are strangers have lied to me: str ange children have faded away, and. have halted ‘from their paths.

46. The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God; and let the God, of my ‘salvation be exalted.

47 O God, who avengest me, tnd subdnest the people under me, my, deliverer from my enemies.

48 And thou wilt lift me up. above them that rise. up against me: from the unjust man thow wilt)deliver me. -

49 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and-I will'sing a psalm | to thy name.

50 Giving great deliverance to his king, and showing mercy to David his anointed ; and to his seed jai ever.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

‘ST will love thee’ I have'a right to love thee, having made me beholden to thee, by so many acts of kindness. What these favours were he explains, first in‘one word, then in several, then in detail. In one word, when he says, ‘my strength: :” the source of all the strength that erable me to triumph over my. enemies.

2 “* The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.”

What he expressed in one word, ‘my strength,” he now explains by several words, ic my firmament, my refuge, my deliverer:” as if fie: said, I may justly call him my strength, when he is’all the above named to me. When I lie down, he is my firmament ; when I am in danger, he is my refuge; should I fall into the hands of the enemy, he will deliver me; and

thus, in every respect, he is my strength and my. courage. “ My God is my helper, and in him will I put. my trust: my protector and the horn of my salvation.” In the height of his affection to God, he repeats the epithets he used in the preceding verse,my. helper, my protector, and the horn of my salvation ;” which correspond to “my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer.” His “ helper,” because he keeps him upright, prevents him from falling, (rock being the derivation of the word in Hebrew, ) according to Psalm xxxix., “ He has put my feet ona rock ;” and he therefore most properly adds, “in him will I put my trust,” as being the surest of all foundations. “ My protector,” in the Hebrew, ** my shield,” to protect him from his enemies ; “ the horn of my salvation:” a most familiar expression in the Scriptures, to signify the power or means of salvation; being a metaphor, taken from horned animals, who use. their horns for protection; thus, in Psalm exxxi., “T will bring forth a horn to David.” I will make. David all powerful to conquer his enemies; like a rampant bull, with his horns full grown, and not like a sluggish calf, that has not yet got them. Ezech. xxxix. “ In that day a horn shall bud forth to the house of Israel.” Micheas i. 4., “I will. make thy horn iron.” Luke i., “ He hath raised up a horn of salvation to us.” God, then, is called a “horn of safety” to David, and to all the just, because through him they are powerfully armed against their enemies, by putting their strength not in themselves, but.in the Divine help and: assistance; in the spirit of the apostle, ““Z can do all things in him who strengtheneth me.” The expression, “ horn of safety,” corresponds with, ‘‘ and my deliverer,” for God delivers us through the ‘horn of safety:” that is, through his own saying power. Finally, the word, “my support,” comprises all the rest, and corr esponds to “my strength:” for whosoeyer God supports, he frees, protects, and confirms.

3“ Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.’

A conclusion from the preceding. I will, therefore, constantly praise God for so many benefits received; and in my difficulties, with unbounded confidence, will apply to him, certain of being delivered from all manner of enemies.

4 “The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.

5 “The sorrows of hell encompassed me : and: the snares of death prevented me.”

He now enters, in detail, on God’s favours to ites. He was in manifest danger of death, when Saul was lying in wait for him, to kill him, which danger he describes in various metaphors, “The sorrows of death surrounded me.” I was surrounded by so

many dangers, that I despaired of my corporal safety ; and, therefore, depressed with the grief and trouble of mind, incident to those whose death is at hand; “ and the torrents of iniquity troubled me:”

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS,

the grief and trouble above hamed, from the number , that like a torrent invaded and ‘troubled me,” after \the manner of those who are hurried down, and whirled about by a roaring: torrent. © “ The sorrows of hell encompassed me,” a: repetition of the first part of the preceding verse, with the substitution of “ hell” for “death.”. They are, however; synonymous, for ‘before the death of Christ, all. went to hell, though not the same part of it; and, therefore, death and “hell meant the same ; the sorrows of hell, then, mean such sorrow as those usually suffer who are about to depart from this world to ‘the next; “and the snares of death prevented me:” a repetition of “ the ‘torrents of iniquity troubled. me.” For, as David _was troubled with the “ sorrows of, death,” by reason of the multitude of wicked ones rising up against ‘him, so “the snares of death” that “ prevented” [encompassed | him, was the cause of the pains of hell ‘to him. By the “‘snares of death,” he means the conspiracies of the wicked against him; and thus the meaning of the two verses is, that David, reflecting on his imminent danger of death, from the open invasion of his enemies rushing on him, like a roaring ‘torrent, carrying-everything before it—as well as from the conspiracies’ of the same enemies, in lurk for him, with snares, as for the un wary—was in great trouble. | as “

6 “In my affliction I called upon’ the Lord, and I cried unto my God: and he heard my voice from his holy temple sand my cry before hum\came into his ears.”

Having told, the extent of his danger, he now says that he had recourse to God through prayer, and that he was heard. “Jn my, affection.” In the height of my troubles from Saul’s persecution, and in many similar troubles, “(JZ called upon the Lord,” in whom I am wont to put my entire confidence ; “and I cried to my God.” ‘A repetition in much use with Dayid. “ And. he heard my voice Srom las holy temple.” My prayerreached the very summit of heayen, which is the temple of God ; not made by human hands ; truly holy, and.can neither be violated nor polluted ; ‘and my cry beforehim came into jis ears.” .A repetition, and to some extent an explanation, of the preceding verse; as much as to Bay, my importunity bursting forth with great‘affection, poured forth in his sight; that is, poured forth by me, with God before my eyes, has been'heard. /, 7“ The earth shook and trembled : the foundations of the mountains. were troubled, and were moved, because he was angry with them.” - Don ey ells) on _ The effect of having been heard by. God, ‘for he received such help from him against\ his enemies as enabled, him to, master, and, destroy them) and, get possession again of his kingdom.. ‘The anger of God towards his enemies is; most, poetically described, for as the entire kingdom is.in confusion’ when the king’ is angry, and: makes preparation for war; so; when the

ing of the whole world is angry, the wholé world is: éonfused ; and especially the three visible elements,

earth; air, and'water. He does not mean to imply

though the words seem to mean’ so! much; but he ‘means to'tell us that such'is God’s anger, that it can ‘rock the earth to! its’ very foundations; ‘that it can cause in the air constant storms, dark clouds, thunder-and Jightning ; and lastly, that it can so dry up ‘the fountains, and ‘the rivers, and the sea itself, ‘so as to expose the caverns and the’ sources of the fountains.’ Beginning with the earth. “ The earth shook and trembled ; the foundations were troubled, and were moved, because he was angry with them.” When God is angry with the earth, ‘every bit of it shakes ‘and trembles, not Only on its surface, but to its very centre. And such concussion ensues, ‘not only when God is angry, but aiso when’ he makes known! his presence on éarth, for the earth is then in fearful reverence, acknowledging the majesty of the Creator. Thus, on the resurrection of Christ, ‘there was a great motion of the earth; the same happened atvhis death ; and in another Psalm we read, “¢ At\the pres sence of the Lord the earth was moved.” Becausehe was angry with them ;” not’ with the earth’ and the mountains, but with the people living ‘thereon, and that by reason of their sins. © ae by

8 “ There went up a smoke in ‘his wrath : and a fire flamed from his face : coals were kindled by at."

A further-explanation of God’s action oa theiearth) when he chooses to shew his presence’ thereon, mak+ ing the earth not only to tremble, but even to smoke and to burn, which, Exod. xx. and Hébrews Xii., tell us happened when he gave ‘the law on Mount Sina,’ There went up a smoke in his wrath »’ that is, in his anger he kindled ‘such’ a fire on earth that created an immense smoke, “anda fire flamed from his face ;” heat: and smoke were accompanied by @ destructive fire; “coals were kindled by i ;” the anger of God made it burn so as to turn the whole earth into live coals, as he says in another: place, Psalm ciii., “ Who looketh on the earth, and makes tremble + who touches the mountains, and they smoke.’3

9 “ He bowed the heavens, and came down: and ddrenvss was underhis feel? Wi SOIT OY CANE EES” ‘ Passing from the earth to the air, he shews what happens there when God wishes to manifest his pre~ sence or his anger. God is said to bow the heavens whew he lets dowi a cloud in which he appears. ‘The clouds ordinarily appear a part of the heavens, and it ig in a cloud God was wont to shew himself, as appears from Num. ix,, Kings fii, 8., Matt. xvil., and in other places.’ “¢ He bowed the heavens, and came down this means he let down & dloud, and shewed himself‘in or through it ;“* And darkness was untte his fect.” God divelt inthe cloud, as if he had dares

ness under his feet’; all’ metaphori¢al expressions, tol give us to, understand that God may be presént with~ olltidne seeing Mitty, ee Oe ee eae eee ituan ee

410 “And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew, upon the wings of the winds.” sacle

• discharging his weapons against his enemies,

He goes on describing God’s action on the air, when he means to display his anger to man. He brings before us God in the shape of a man in arms, on a chariot, moving with the greatest velocity, and The clouds are his chariot, according to Psalm ciii. : “ Thou makest the clouds thy charivt, who watkest upon the wings of the winds.” The swiftest winds are

his horses, who carry the clouds hither and thither,

His weapons are the lightning that he shoots from the clouds. A truly wonderful description! No chariot lighter than the clouds, no horse fleeter than the wind, no weapons compared to the thunder of heaven. The chariots, too, fight from a vantage ground, whence they can harm without being harmed, “‘ TTe ascended upon the Cherubim ;” that is, God uses not only the ‘clouds as a house or tent, but he uses them as a chariot, with the Cherubim as charioteers, and the winds as his horses. He is said “to ascend upon the Cherubim,” and ‘to fly on the wings of the winds :” that we may understand that he is not governed by, but that he governs the charioteers; and that he is the principal mover and guide both of the chariot and its driver. These expressions hold too, because God uses the services of the Angels in moving the clouds, which are a sort of aerial and most rapid chariots, as being drawn by the winds, a sort of winged quadrupeds, and, therefore, instead of walking, fly, and that fleeter than any bird.

11 *‘ And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.”

• Lest it may be supposed that God appeared visibly in the clouds, as he would in a chariot, be says he was invisibly present, and for that purpose made use of dark clouds, as a symbol of his being invisible. There is in these words a most elegant and poetic metaphor. ‘ He made darkness his covert.” God so wrapped himself up in the dark clouds, that he lay as if in a hiding place, the dark clouds acting the part. of a screen to him. ‘ Lis pavilion round about him,” the same clouds being like a tent round about him, covering him on all sides. “* Dark waters in the clouds of the air,” the tent above named being a dark cloud, as dark as those fully charged with rain, and when so dense and aqueous, may not improperly be called “ Dark waters in the clouds of the Gir.

12 “ At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.”

A description of the celestial warfare from the clouds, as if they were the armed chariots of the Deity. At the word of God the cloud opens, hail and lightning, like red hot coals, are at once projected. “ At the brightness that was before him, the clouds passed.” Beautiful! The clouds burst by reason of the brightness of the latent Deity, as if they could not stand such brightness, and therefore burst and dissclye in his presence, vanish and pass

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS,

away. ‘ Hail and coals of fire” issue forth in abunidance from the rupture. It happened in Pharaoh’s time, Exod., chap. ix., ‘¢ And the hail and fire mixed with it drove on together.” The same happened in Josue’s wars against the five kings, Jos. x., and on various other occasions.

13 “ And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice : hail and coals of fire.” ~

A repetition of the above in different language. The cloud bursts, the dreadful crash called thunder is heard, generally followed by the thunderbolt. It is elegantly styled “ His voice,” not only because God alone can produce or emit it, but because the sound is so great and so terrific, that to God alone it should be attributed as his own voice. Hence, God himself says to Job, xl., “ [f you have an arm like God, and if you thunder with like voice.” ‘“ And the hiyhest gave his voice,” from which proceeded hail and lightning like red hot coals. ;

14“ And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.”

An explanation of the preceding verses, particularly of the words, ‘‘ Coals of fire.” These coals of fire were sent out on the bursting of the clouds, because God ‘“ Sent forth his arrows,” meaning his lightning. ‘ And multiplied” them, and in such manner “ Scattered and confused his enemies.”

15.‘‘ Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the Joundations of the world were discovered : at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.”

God’s wonderful action on the waters next. They were suddenly and miraculously dried up. It happened in the Red Sea, and in the Jordan, as we read in Exod. xiv., and Josue iv., on which occasions the bottom of the sea and of the river was exposed ; which bottom is called here ‘* The foundations of the world,” because they are so much lower than the surface of the land. “ The fountains of waters appeared.” At God’s bidding, the waters wero dried up, and then appeared the bottom of the fountains, and of the rivers, and of the sea; and thus “ The Soundations,” or the lowest parts of the earth, “Were discovered.” “ At thy rebuke, O Lord.” What dried ~ them? God’s rebuke—his order. How did he rebuke them? ‘“ At the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.” A metaphorical and poetical appellation of the wind, through whose agency, God in his anger, and for the purpose of rebuke, dried up the waters ; for the Scripture tells us, Exod. xiv., that-it was by a scorching wind that the waters of the Red Sea were dried up. Thus, whathe might have simply ex pressed as follows, You, Lord, by a most powerful wind, dried up the waters of the sea; he expresses in a more elegant and figurative manner, when he says, You rebuked the waters for hindering the passage of your people ; you blew on them in the spirit of your wrath, -and at once they fled ; as he expresses it in Psalm exiii., * What ailed thee, O sea, that thou didst flee ?”

COMMENTARY ON THE TSALMs.

16 “‘ He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.” :

He now returns to relate God’s kindness to him in delivering him from his enemies. From the seventh verse to the present, he dwelt entirely on the power of God; and as he commenced by saying, “ Zhe torrents of iniquity troubled me,” and spoke in’ the foregoing verse of God’s spirit drying up the waters, so as to expose the bottom of the sea, and of the rivers, following up the same metaphor, he says now, “© He sent from on high and took me.” He reached out his hand from on high to the very depth of the torrent, and “ Zook me,” and thus brought me out from “* Many waters;” that is to say, rescued me, drowned and overwhelmed in a multiplicity of troubles.

17 “ He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.”

What he said in a metaphorical sense in the last verse, he now explains in ordinary language; the words, ‘* They were too strong for me,” must be taken in an imperfect sense, according to St. Jerome; for he assigns a reason why he had more need of the assistance of God, as his enemies were stronger than Limself.

18 ‘* They prevented me in the day of my afjliction :

_and the Lord became my protector.”

God’s goodness acknowledged again. My enemies, without any provocation, were the first to injure me ; attacked me off my guard, “ prevented,” (that is, surrounded,) me without my knowing it; but the Lord was watching for me, and rendered all their machinations harmless.

19 “And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.”

Again and again he brings up his delivery. To shew how deeply God’s goodness was fixed in his mind. ‘ He brought me into a large place.” When I was angustiated in a place where I may be easily overcome, he brought me into ‘ a large place,” where I may roam about at pleasure, having my enemies at a distance. ‘He saved me because he was well pleased with me.” My salvation from so many imminent dangers was all owing to his immense mercy in so loving me. For though David presently will put his own merits forward, be well knew that these very merits are God’s gratuitous gifts.

20 * And the Lord will reward me according to my justice ; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands :

21 ‘+ Because I have kept the ways of the Lord ; and have not done wickedly against my God.

22 “* For all his judgments are in my sight: and his justices [ have not put away from me.

23 ** And TI shall be spotless before him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.

24.“ And the Lord will reward me according to my justice ; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.”

Having praised God for having delivered him from his enemies, he now adds that bis delivery will bo always sure to him, not only through merey, but even through justice, hecause he not only hitherto did, but for the future will, lead the life of the just. For God, Just in himself, loves, helps, and protects the just, “willrewardme accordingto my justice.” Having dons 80 heretofore, he will continue to reward me according to my merit, ** And according to the cleanness of my hands.” As 1 feel my justice not only in my heart but in my hands; that is, to just within and without, just in my heart, just in my actions, so God will reward me before himself and before men, and will guard me within and without. Is not this presumption? Why trumpet so his own merits ? There is no presumption when the thing is done with sincerity, and God acknowledged to be the author of all our merit. Nehem‘as did so, so did Esdras, Ezcchias, Isaias, and Esther. But how could David make such assertions? He who had been guilty of murder and adultery! He who exclaimed, Psalm xviii, “ Who can understand sins 2 From my secret ones cleanse me, O Lord;” and, in Psalm exiii., “For in thy sight no man living shall be justified.” This objection leads some to think that David does not speak absolutely of his own justice, but of the justice of his cause, as compared with that of his enemies ; others will have it that he limits his justice to his having remained in the true fai‘h, which his enemies did not, but the expressions, “ Because I have kept the ways of the Lord ;? “ All his judgments are in my sight ;” “I shall be spotless with him,” are adveise to these opinions. We ‘must only say, then, that David upholds his justice, inasmuch as ha always had a sincere desire of serving God, anda firm purpose of never violating his law; and shon'd he chance to slip, that he at once repented, ond sincerely returned to God. The expression, “ Who can understand sins 2” may be understood of venial sins that are not inconsistent with justice ; and the words, “* For in thy sight no man living shall be justified,” may be -understood of that justice which man may have independent of grace. For in such manrer can no man be justified, for the just are only so through God’s sanctifying grace.

_ 25 “With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the mnocent man thou wilt be innocent :

26 ‘* And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.”

A reason for his having said be would get according to his justice from God, because God gives to every one according to his works. He speaks to God here, “ Weth the holy thou wilt be holy ;? with the pious and the merciful thou wilt deal kindly anil mercifully. To the man who is innocent, that is, who doeth no injury, thou wilt dono injury, nor permit others to do it. “ With the elect thow wilt be elect; with the sincere and pure-minded, (for such is the meaning of the Hebrew,) you will deal sin-

cerely and candidly ;: ‘* And) with, the perverse\ thou ‘wilt be perverted, ? ” hewho: sheweth, not, mercy shall ‘Dot meet with mercy, from, you; who banms shail be harmed by, you} who acts not honestly, but rognishly, ‘him, will you similarly, deal with, ||.) 0: 504 27 $+ For thou, wilt, save thé humble people But ‘wilt bring « down the eyes of the proud,” ', He explains the two, last verses, as. te he, aide “6 With the holj thou. wilt be. holy op 3 and, with, the i n= ynocent thou will be enmocent .”” because “Thou, wilt save the humble. people 3? thati is, because humility, the guard dian of all yirtues, is most, pleasing. to you, and ‘to all humble souls you, give your. syace. but;..“¢ wath the. perverse ‘thou wilt, be perverted, 3” because | lyou * will bring | down the eyes of, the proud ; ” that.is, ber cause pride, the queen of vices, is, hi, ably displeasing ‘to thee, and, thereforey, yous, always), raise up.the humble, and level all the, prouds, He makes, special mention, ‘of the eyes here,, because it.is in them, and the eyebrows that, ‘pride mostly, shews itself, ees: For thou ligitest my lain, O ede ne? tes a enlighten my darkness.” ....

• Having spoken highly of. his. own, ies. ad purity; he now -points out, their sources; : and, therefore,, praises God, especially as, it, was, from him’ he had light, strength, and every other virtue,’ ‘ For thow lightest my lamp, O. Lord ;?. from. thee I have the beginning. of all good, ‘which, is light to distin guish true, happiness from. false, and, true, evils from false ones 5 for. the first, wound inflicted, on, ‘human nature by. original, sin, was. ignorance of , the real good ; and, therefore, the first cure begins by Divine light; ‘ pe lightest my lamp,” you alone light. up the interior, eye, of my heart.“ Oyny, Gods enlighten my darkness.” Father of lights, the trae light, in whom there. is no ‘darkness, as..you have, hitherto lighted up, the foward eyes of my; heart, pr oceed now to enlighten my darkness by banishing, it completely. For without, the, grace of God to enlighten us,, all\is pare darkness i in our hearts, , 80; fan as, iit mysteries are concerned, . ey ‘ Fon! iby thee shall, he. rag Wak ee tion; and through my. God I shall: go over a wall... | . The, particle & for” is , frequently, redundant in the Psalms, so is the par ticle, * and,” ‘which requires to be noted, that a connexion ‘with something foregoing may not\bé looked for.. ‘The prophet, having said that he had got from God that light, that is, the beginning of good. works and true, justice, now, addg, that he got, also courage and strength to, do, or to avoid those things such light prompted, him, to. “* By, thee I shall be delivered ‘from temptation,” ‘Relying on. thy. assistance, to strengthen me, I will overcome

all temptation, and conquer all evil : “: Thr ough, my, God T shall 92, over a wall,” “Depending. 9 on, the same divine assistance, and strengthened, from the same sout ce, pe will ‘accomplish every. thing, however

difficult, were, it even the surmounting of ajlofty wall.,

ofthe Lord:are firé-tried shew as ‘the acaba of allithat trust in him.”

‘The, reason why he jhas' poeeteed 80, mea light me strength from God, and why he,so) confides. i in ‘him, is because God, is\true,.good, and the protector of, all that confide in-him;,and because he i is the only . true, God, true! Lord, from whom such; things canbe expected: His way As undefiled; :? that God of amine, whose. way. is undefiled, who is most, holy,, and acts, most. justly. * The words) of the Lord are fires tried.” As gold is tried, and proved, in the firg,\ so de promises of the Lord are‘most certain and proved.

Bait For who is scl but the Boras 2 or wito is God’ brut oun God?” {i ft

« Another|reason “for pene in ce for pneu ee light and strength from him, he alone being: our \true .God. . Whenee.we, learn that our God alone is ‘the, true. God, and\as such -that\he is the true, firnt, and solid rock in which we may safely confide’ and rest ;:and ‘all who confide in ‘any other thing ninst of necessity be deceived'and ‘confoundeds (OP 182 * Who! hath girt'» me “with oe and inate my ioe: blameless.” ©)

‘He now comes to: imentiow in nak we ae gifts he got’ from’ Gody by:means: of which he « ‘got freed from his enemies, and got possession again’ of ‘hig kingdom. \ He places strength and innocence first, two virtues rarely ‘united, for the strong are: calmays too neady,to injure, the weak, David, however, was tr uly, strong, : yeti) truly, innocent, .so,, much 80; that even. though it was in his Oar es he wane nob. slay his enemy Saul. Ly

93 «Miho, adh, made my shiloh vibethe et =) hart and who setteth me upon high places... rwek

34 “* Who teacheth. my hands to war: : and thon. hast made my arms liké a brazen bow.”

aud most inaccessible! tops ‘of ‘the ‘mountains, ‘He adds, that his hands’ were trained to battlé; and’ that he-had arms) of brass,: to! signify his' ‘strength and skill in) military matters, ‘of which ' there''can ‘be no doubt, if we only read'the First and Second Bouks ‘of Kings, ‘The stone from ‘his\ sling, fixed in ‘the very head of Goliah, ‘bears’ testimony 'to his’ dexterity, " ag do the bears and the lions milled by. Ree mere, acneygit of his arms: e

89 “And thow hast given me ae protection, of thy. a bation ? and thy right hand hath held.me. ups \and-thy discipline hath, corrected me ‘unto, ‘the: ‘end: and ‘thy dis~ cipline) the same shall teach: me. ie

He declares now his innoeence,. ‘of, ahick, he at dlread “spoken, when he said, ver. 32,.¢ Thou hast made my way “blameless ;” for, as God‘ was pleased,

ASG Le Dio OK

rol give him the grace: of living blaméless, he, ‘therefore, constantly protected him; ‘;Lhow hast | given me the protectionof thy salvation.;” for the,celerity of foot, the dexterity, of hand, and, strength, of, arm against. the king and) his, whole, army, would, haye been of little yalue, had he not had“ The protection -of salvation” too; that is, the divine protection to ‘save him, and * the right hand (of God) to hold hi up,” and support’ him. ' “ And ‘thy’ discipline ‘aul ‘corrected me to the énd, ‘and thy discipline’ the’ same \shalliteach me.” This, t66,g088 to shéw thé ihtioeende or “ the blameless way” of David; I not dnly‘had the benefit of your protection,' but your disciplines 'that is, your knowledge, which ishad from ‘the study df your law, sd, directed: me, that:I could not go astray ; and when theré was fear 1. might stray, by. studying and inspecting it diligently, ‘¢ J; got.cornected,’’ set right, and, so, persevened 'ta'the end. +4 And thy, diserpline the same shall, teach me,” By such discipline we may also understand the-correction) of a father, in whith spirit God-sometimes chastised David, by, temporary éalamities, when, through human frailty, he ‘would fall into some defects, 7) "36 “ Thou hast ‘enlarged my steps under me sand my ect ave nok wearcnen. Syst YUE DE Togis He proceeds to relate his victories, attributing them all to’ God; you have made me advance at a rapid \pace\in enlarging my kingdoms ahd T\aid hot yet tired. ' pS LN \o Ayers sly Nos" ; A , 87 “I will pursue afterimy enemies, and overtake them: and, J will not turnagain till they| ake consumed.? _ 88 “ Twill break them, .and they shall not be able to stand ; they, shall fall under my feet,” 5)... . These expressions, spoken’ in the future! time, do not belong’ to it, but.to;the past.tense, as. will\appeax, from the, following verses); |) byoyod oi

0189.46 And thou hast girded me with strength unto dat

SASAINGS LY VMI SINE

auni my senetie!

tle; \anid, hast ‘subdued under me them that rose :up agawmst me.” aoyiecd iol Joinoaoy omnes GAT Selous

.| Hence'it appears the prophet:in the two preceding verses spoke of the past. ~As JT said, J will pursue after my enemies. and overtake them:” ‘God helped me to, do ity for “He: girdedime with strength’ to‘ fight; and “ subdued’ under ines” that’ is, ‘made those. fall, * that rose upiagainst'me.”, i Girding with strength’ is a common iexpression vim thé: Scripture'; thus; in’ Psalm, Ixiv., “1 Being \gerded: with:power|who troublest the depths of the,.sew ;? andy ini! Psalm ixciis, | Phe Lord.is clothed with strength; and hath girded him» selfs? and, Tsaias li., 4 Put om strength, 0: thow ami of ithe Lord ;” and, finally, im Luke. xxiv.) But stay, you am, the, city till. you, be endued, with power Srom on high.” He gives him to understand that, as, strength and courage ane; of mote value! in a battle than’ the sword and, helmet, the praise cof the \wietory should be given moré to the giver of the former! than of thelatter.: itt a end. tie aha ¥ NF GFE 40! And thou hastimadeimy enemies turn their ‘back ypon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.” .0|

al

-co\He! teturms to the ssame thing ‘over:and over,’ attributing the flight ‘of his enemies to. God's" interiferénve enitirelyy! bovnovs ove hoo) dad) yak 44! (They chic, but there! was none to save them !'to ‘the Lord, but he heard them nov 0 bon os |. Another ceanse® of thé victory assigned)’ for God ‘not only heard his prayers, ‘but he refused ‘to‘listen ‘to those‘of his adversaries, ‘though they put them wp to him, Se eae vali (42 And T shall ‘beat them as small as the dust be- ‘fore the wind; shalt bring chem:to nought, like. the dirt

CWSSV DESMAN OME Se

‘tn the: streets. \ ; wae |! “Heispeaks now of the remnant’ of ‘bis énemies.’ ‘I ‘have’ conytiered them 5‘ but if any handful remain, I will crash them into the smallest pieces, and scatter them ‘As dust is carriedsbefore'the wind; \and sweep ‘them'from ‘the’ earth, a8. the ‘mud ‘of the streets’ is “hurried ‘along by a vebemiett winds)! (uit | «AS Thouwilt deliver ‘ne from'the Contradictions of ‘thd people : thou wilt miike me head of the.gentiles\” ”' ‘| Mat had ‘been done alieady ; ‘for, ‘before he wrote this Psalm, he had been delivered from the “ @ontradictions” and’ rebellion “ofthe people ;and “was ‘made head of the gentiles';” that'is, became’ master of the kingdom. We are, therefore, to suppose bir using the future tense for the past, “a thing ustial in the’ Hebrew, ‘or he insindates a continuation of past totes ciinee se ee | 44 «A people, which Fnew not, hath, served mes. at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed meso)

“45\° The children that dre strangers have lied to me: strange children have faded ‘away, and have halted Srom their paths.”

He had just reason for asking ‘to be delivered Jrom the contradictions of his people,” having met with more fidelity and allégiance' from some of the gentiles, than from, the children of the people of Israel. A prophecy manifestly applying,to Christ, rejected by the Jews, acknowledged by the gentiles. “The people which T knew not :?' the Gabasnites, the Gethei, and others; whem I kmew not! as'brothers) “ served me:” “at the hearing of the: ear they have abeyed, me,” at|euce, niost promptly, «the :montent they heard the command, ,, ‘f, Lhé) children that aré strangers,” that, is, the ,degenerate in. theix| motals, “ied to me;” that. is, ,deceiyed me, , gaye, me sham obedience...“ They have faded away;” fallen’ from me like dried leaves ; that is, they have mot hebaved properly and fairly by me; alluding to the rebellion of Absalom, under the son of Bochrus, and,others,

“ and have halted from their paths.” The childy of adultery, who ‘give stiam service, “ Hale from their paths}? that is, tarn fiom the’ straight path) in’ which they should-have walked. “yodu eek eulipie 46) OTHE LOMG Tideth, Gnd blessed be! my God: and let the God of my saloution be'etalied)7 1") 6)" '|A conclusion of praise | Now, it appears that'the Lord does live, and as he lives, so-may he always live; and * let the God of my salvation be exalted.”

Sans ee

47 “*O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies.”

May that God who avenged the injuries offered me, and subdued the people who rebelled against me, and delivered me from the plots and attacks of my raging enemies, Sanl and Absalom, be exalted.

48 ** And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.”

Aprayer for the continuation of the divine favours; namely, that’ he may be so “‘lifted up above them that rise up against him,” that they may struggle in vain when they cannot possibly reach so high, and thus, that he may be delivered “from the unjust man.”

49 “ Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to. thy name.”

Therefore, for this reason, “J will give glory ;” that is, with praise will I acknowledge thy favours, not privately, but openly, before the whole body ef the people, that all may learn to put their trust in the Lord.

50 ‘ Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.

May God increase and multiply safety of body, soul, and all other things beside, to the king he hath chosen ; and may he deal everlasting mercy to David who has been ordered by him to be anointed as king, and to all his successors for ever. Which prayer was fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord, who reizoeth, and will reign for all eternity. Amen.

PSALM XVIIL

The works of God shew forth his glory : his law is greatly to be esteemed and loved. 1 The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.

2 Day to day uttereth speech, and night »

to night sheweth knowledge.

3 ‘There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.

4 Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth : and their words unto the ends of the world.

5 He hath set his tabernacle in the sun: and he as a bridegroom coming out of his bride-chamber, hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way:

6 His going outis from the end of heaven, and his circuit even to the end thereof : and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.

@ The law of the Lord is unspotted, con-

COMMENTARY ON THE FSALMS,

verting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.

8 The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts : the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is holy, endming for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are trué, justified in themselves.

10 More to be desired than gold and many precious stones ; and sweeter than honey and the honey-comb. .

11 For thy servant keepeth them, and in keeping them there is a great reward.

12 Who can understand sins ? from my secret ones cleanse me, O Lord :

13 And from those of others spare thy servant. If they shall have no dominion over me, then shall I be without spot: and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin.

14 And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please : and the meditation of my heart always in thy sight. O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer.

EXPLANATION OF THH PSALM.

1 “The heavens shew forth-the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.”

Being about to institute a comparison between the law of God and his heavens, and thence to extol his law, he sets out by saying, that such are the grandeurs of the heavens, that they at once proclaim the grandeur of their Maker. “ The heavens shew forth the glory of God;” that is to say, the heavens ~ pre-eminently, beyond all the other works of God, by their grandeur and beauty make his glory known to us; “and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.” The same repeated, for heavens and firmament signify the same thing, namely, the whole celestial display, consisting of sun, moon, stars, &c., for we read in Genesis, that “ God called the firmament heaven,” and in it placed the sun, moon, and stars. The word “ heaven,” and ‘‘ heavens,” are used indiscriminately in the Psalms, and governed by verbs in the plural, as well as the singular number, as are all nouns of multitude. The firmament, comprising all the heavenly bedies, announces and declares to men the work of the hands of God ; tha is his principal and most beautiful work, from which we may form some idea of his greatnessand his glory.

2“ Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.”

What a beautiful announcement is that of God’s glory by the heavens. For three reasons. First, because they announce it ineessantly. Second, because they do it in the language of all nations. Third, because they announce it to the whole world. How do they do it incessantly ? This verse shews us

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

how, for the heavens announce his glory day and night by the beauty of the sun in the day, and that of the stars by night; but as the days and nights pass away, and are succeeded by others, the Psalmist most beautifully and poetically imagines one day hav- Ang performed his course, and spent it in announcing the glory of God, and then hands over the duty to the following day to do likewise; and so with the night, having done her part, gives in charge to the following night to do the same; and thus, ‘* Day to day uttereth speech:” when its course has run, it

warns the following to be ready, “ And night to

night indicates knowledge.’ When the night too has finished her task of praising God, she warns the followivg to be ready for the duty; and thus, without intermission, without interruption, day and night fall in, and lead the choir in chanting the praises of their Creator.

• 8 “ There are no speeches nor languages, where their wotces are not heard.”

He now proves that the preaching of the keavens is delivered in all languages, that is to say, can be understood by all nations, as if the heavens spoke in the language of every one of them: because all nations, when they behold the beauty and the excellence of the heavens, cannot but understand the exeellence and the superiority of him who made them.

4 “ Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.”

The third source of praise of the elcquence of the heavens is, that they announce God’s glory, not only without intermission, and in all languages, but they ‘do it, furthermore, all over the world. By sound is not meant noise, but the announcement of that glory that arises from beholding the beauty of the heavenly bodies. “ Into~all the earth,” and “ Into the ends of the world,” mean the same, and is only a repetition of frequent use in the Psalms. St. Paul quotes this passage in proof of the preaching of Christ having reached all mations; from which we are to understand, that the apostles are allegorically meant here by the heavens. And in truth, the holy apostles and other holy preachers of the word, may deservedly be so compared to the heavens. For, by contemplation they are raised above the earth, ample thrcugh their charity, splendid through their wisdcm, always serene through their peace of mind, through their intelligence quickly moved by obedience, thundering in their reproofs, flashing by their miracles, profuse in their gifts to others ; and, in the spirit of true liberality, seeking nothing from them ; free from the slightest speck, as regards sanctity of life; and, finally, the resting-place of the supreme king, by _reason of their perfect sanctity. ‘‘ Wor the soul of the just is the seat of wisdom.”

5 ‘+ He hath set his tabernacile in the sun: and he as a bridegroom coming out of his bride-chamber, hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way :”

Though the whole heavens declare the glory of

God, the most splendid object in them, the sun, docs © so especially. The sun, then, being the most excellent object in the entire world, there God ‘* Set his tabernacle.” He calls it a tabernacle, not a house, because he dwells there only for a while, during this short time of our peregrination, when we see him “Through a glass,” the glass of creatures, of which the sun is the principal. But when we shall come to our country, we shall see God, not “ Zn his tabernacle in the sun,” but in his own home, the home of eternity. The prophet proves that God “ Set his tabernacle in the sun,” by three arguments: the first, derived from its beauty, the second, from its strength, the third, from its beneficence. “And he as a bridegroom coming out of his bride-chamber.” Here is the argument from his beauty. He rises, beautiful, bright, ornamented as a bridegroom in his wedding garments; and what can be grander, more beamiful, or more striking than the rising sun ?

6 “* His going out is from the end of heaven, and his circuit even to the end_thereof: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.”

A second argument from the sun’s power and strength, which performs an immeasurable journey daily at such speed, without the smallest fatigue. “ He rejoiced as a giant,’ or as a stout, robust. person, full of alacrity, (for such is the force of the Hebrew,) such as is peculiar to thcse who enter on anything with pleasure. ‘‘ His going out is from the end of heaven, and his circuit even to the end thereof.’ By the end of heaven is meant the east, for there he rises, and never stops till he comes there again; and thus, ‘ Hts circuit ts even to the eral thereof: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.’ The last argument, taken from the service rendered unto all created things by the sun. For the sun, by his enlivening heat, so fosters and nourishes all things, that he may be called the common parett of all things, on land and in the sea. Hence, the sua so assiduously and carefully traverses the entire globe, visits all creation, ‘¢ That nothing can hide uself;” that is, lose a share of his wonderful favours.

7 “The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls; the testimony of the Lord és faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.”

The comparison is now applied. Beautiful are the heavens, more beautiful is the sun, but far and away more beautiful is the Jaw of the Lord. Bright are the heavens, more bright is the sun, but. aench more bright is the law of the Lord. Useful are the heavens to man, more useful is the sun, but more useful than any is the law of the Lord. He then enumerates six encomiums of the divine law. First, ‘ The law ofthe Lord is unspotted, converting souls.” Most beautiful is the law of the Lord, without spot, without stain, tclerating nothing sinful, as the laws of man do; and thus, when properly studied and con- - sidered, brings the soul to love it, and consequently

to love, God, its author... The second encomium is in the words, ‘ Lhe testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.” , By “ testimony” we are to understand the same) law, because, in the Scriptures, and, especially in the Psalms, God’s law is not ouly called, the law, the precept, the commandment, and the like, which|.other writers also apply. to it’; but, is further styled the testimony, the|justice, the justification, the judgment, /as!any,one can see,.es> pecially in Psalm cxviii. It is called, the “ testamony,”’ because it bears testimony. to. men, what the, will of God is, what he requires of us, what. punishments he has in, store,for the wicked, what rewards) for 'the just. \He says then, ‘ Zhe testimony of the Lord is Suthful ;? that is, God’s law, that, will most assuredly reward the good and punish the wicked.; \‘* Giving wisdom to little ones;” thatimeans, giving to the poor in. understanding the light of prudence to direct them in doing good,‘ and avoiding evil.’ By’ '** Tittle. ones”? he means those who do not ‘abound i in the wisdom of the world; and by * wisdom” he means that spiritual prudence that helps us. to reform our habits, and - mould them to the shape of the law of God, 8“ The justices. of the Lord. are right, rejoicing hearts : the commandment of the Lord 2 as lightsome, enlightening the eyes.”

The third encomium on’ the divine law i ‘is, that once we begin to love it, of which the first encomium ‘treats, and to observe it, as treated of in the second, it diffuses a most extraordinary j joy in’ the” person, for nothing can be pleasanter ‘than a good conscience. © The justices of the Lord ;” that is, his law, his ‘commandments, being most just, and making. the observer of them just, “are raght” and gladful; that is, “rejoicing the hearts ;? for. upright hearts harmonise with, ¢ right? precepts | and they, therefore, ‘are elad, and rejoice ‘when an occasion offers for the ‘obs or vance of the’ commandments, The fourth en-= comium is, “ The commandment of the Lord ts lightsome, enlightening whe eyes.” | The law of the Lord, through the bright. light of divine’ ‘wisdom, illumin- ‘ates our tntellectial vision, because it makes us understand God’s will, and what § is really. good and really bad. God’s law illuminates also in a preparatory manner, for wisdom will rot approach'the malevolent soul; and nothing. proves such an obstacle to our knowing God, which is the essence of wisdom, as impurity of’ heat. “ Blessed are the clean se heart, for they shall s6e God en “9° The fear of the Lord i holy, enduring for ever and ever : the blac eee a ite nore whe rue,’ Justifi ied

‘The fifth encomium is, that 16s i of the’ Lord causes the above-named goods'to be not only tem: poral’ bat eternal ; for! the ‘fear of the’ Lord, that makes one tremble at: the’ idea ‘of offebding: God) “endures for ever'and ever';” \as\to its reward, ‘the rewards to be! had' from the observance ‘of’ the law do not terminate with death, but hold for ever,’ ashe says in Psalm ix., “Zhe patience of’ thepoor shall not

perish for ever. Both Greek and Hebrew imply, that the fear spoken of here is not that of aslave, but that of a child, without any admixture ef servility; that of which Psalm cxi. speaks, “ Blsssed as the-man that Seareth the Lord ; he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments,” Kor be who works from’ servile fear does not ase the commandments freely, but unwillingly ;, bathe! who (is ‘influenced by. filial fear ‘* Delights exceedingly é in his commandments ; that is, is most anxious and desirous to observe then The last encomium jis, that.the law of ihe Lord, being true and) just in itself) needs no) justification. from any other quarter. “ Zhe judgments of the Lord are true, justyfied an themselves.” .“ The judgments of the Lord’—meaning hiscommandments, because through them God, judges man, and they are the’ standard and the rule whereby, to distinguish virtue. from vice, and good works from bad—“ are justified. in themselves ;” they require no one to. prove they are just, the pure fact of their being God's. commands being quite sufficient for it. Along with that, ithe ten commandments, that are mainly. alluded to hier, being nothing more than the principles of the natural law, so abound in justice, that they hold in alk times, places, and; circumstances, so.as.to admit of no dispensation; wheieas: other laws, ave, supa to: Spied betimes to, cireumstances, |

_ 10 “ More to, be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honey-comb.”

| The conelusion from:the foregoing. ‘Since God’s iw is so, good, so much preferable to all the riches and delicacies of this world, for they are “ More to be desired than. gold. and many precious stones + and sweeter than honey and the honey-comb;” that is, not only sweeter than honey itself, but sweeier than it is in its purest state, when ‘itis, overflowing ‘the honeycomb... The, word: honey-comb: is: introduced to: correspond with: the words, “ many precious stones,” in the first part)of the verse., How! far removed is this truth fromthe ideas of the carnal! ‘What.a number of sueh people to be found who, fora small luche, or a trifling, gratification, are ready to despise: God’s commandments! And yet, nothing can be more true than that the observance of: God’s law is of! more service, and) confers. greater happiness ‘than. any amount of wealth or worldly pleasures «|

11“! Kor thy servant keepeth them; and in keeping them there is a great reward?) 3111)

He: proves “by an’ example, | or‘ rather! by: his own experience, ‘the {ruth of what he ‘asserted, ‘For, says he; ‘your! servant’ knows it by’ his own. experience, having received innumerable favonrs! from ’ you,” 80 long. as he observed: your commandments, a

\12°* Whé can understand sins § 2 2 fr om my secret: ones cleanse me, O Lord :”

Having: stated’ that he: shesied the ‘conimandménts of God, he now corrects himself} and ‘excepts sins of ignorance, which ‘an ‘hardly he. guarded against, sich as’arise from human frarity. [o"?

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

13‘ And from those’ of others spare thy servant. If they shall have no dominion: over me, then shall I be ne spot: and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin.”

The meaning of “« Fr om aie ofrothers spare thy servant,” is not to ask of God to forgive us the sins of others, in which sense this passage ‘is commonly quoted, but-we ask\ God to protect us from the com+ pany of the wicked») For men of: good will, such a3 David was, should especially guard against being i igs norant of their own offences, and especially against being seduced by the wicked; and the meaning of the prayer is, from those of others, that is, from men of other habits, ‘‘ Spare thy servant;” that’ is, by sparing him, keep those ill-disposed people from ‘the friendship of thy servant.’ He next assigns a reason for his fear of. keeping up ‘any familiarity with the wicked, for if those bad men shall have'no'dominion over me,” that.is to say, by their familiarity get no hold of.and master me, and thus bring me to act with them, ‘ then shall I be without spot,” and “cleansed from: the greatest sin ;” namely, mortal sin 3 for every mortal sin may be called “ the greatest Sine” because it turns us away from our good and great, God; . and: direetly leads us to. the ined punishment of hell.

94“ And the words of my mouth shall be. such as may please: and the meditation of my ‘heart always in thy sight.’ Q Lord; my helpér, and my redeemer”

.. Then shall I not' only **\bée without spot,” but'even the words of my mouth will be agreeable; and the hymns I chant to your praise, both with heart and voice, will. be always pleasing to thee, comingyas they will from a clear heart and simple mouth. \ May my canticles, find favour:with thee, through your own grace, and not through my'merits; for, if I am ‘ with: out spot,” “cleansed from. the greatest sin,” and if my) words. are ‘suchas maz. please,” the. whole is thy gift, thy work, thy action, thou who art: ‘ my helper, my Redeemer” my peers in pepenty my Badeomen'i in ady soul i

PSALM XIX, F prayer Gn the; hing.

1 May the Lord hear thee | in, the day of tribulation: may the name. of. the, God of Jacob protect thee...»

_2 May he send. thee help fom the sanetuary: and: defend thee out of Sion. (09 , 3 May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices, and may ‘thy whole burnt:-offering be made fat. A May he: give thee according thy own heart; and confirm all’ thy ddiuvivels!t 5: We will rejoice in thy salvation; ‘and in the name of our God we shall be exalted, 6. The Lord: fulfil ‘all thy petitions: now

45 have I known that the Lord hath ‘saved: his anointed: He will hear him “from his holy heaven: the salvation of his right hand is in powers.

7 Some, trust in charigis ona some .in horses: but we will call upon the name Be the Lord our,God.,,,.:.;

8 .They.are bound, and. have fallen: but we are risen, and.are set upright. .O Lord, save the king: and hear usin: the sate es we shall call upon thee.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM).

44 May the Lord, hear thee in the day of tribulations may the name of the God of Jacob. protect thee.”

Whereas David does not mention any one’s name, there is no doubt, but he addresses himself to bim on whom all the longings of the just and the predictions of the, prophets were centred. And, as if be were beholuing Christ, on the approach of his passion, arms ing himself with prayer, on coming forward. to fight with the devil, he .exclaims,.: ‘| Maythe Lord hear thee in the day. of tribulation;” that.is, in your passion, when, ,as the apostle has it; Hebiv.,."\Who offering.up prayers and supplications, witha strong ery and, tears,,to, him. that, was, able} to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.”..| He was heard, however, not: by,escaping, death, but by dying that he may destroy, death ;, and \by rising, restore life ; and) so:that shame may;be turned. into glory, and mortality ‘into, immortality, as. he osays' himself; John. xvil.,.“‘ Mather, the ‘hours come, glarify thy Son;” and this, is the hearing, of which the prophet. speaks, on which. the following. bears,“ May. the name of the God of Jacob protect thee.” By the:word “name,” we are, to \understand, ‘the: invosation, as we, have in the last chapter of Mark. ‘Jn my name they will cast. out devils.”. It may also signify power or authority, as John y.,.“{ 1 have come ini the name: of my Father.” Ox ‘it may: simply mean, God himself; for in the Scriptures the word: “mare” is used for the person to, whom. it belongs, as when’ St: Peter, Acts iv., says,, “ Mor there is no other name under heaven, given, to. men: whereby we. must be saved, .He adds, “the name of the God of Jacob,” to signify the peopleiof God, of whom \Christ:is the head ; as if he said, May the.God.of, his people’ protect thee ; for if the head..\be: protected, the whole body. of the people! will: be consequently-saved.' We seek protection from the enemies’ weapons,’ for fear we. may be burt by them ;)and ‘then, indeed, they would, have! been truly -hurtful, could’ they ‘have obstructed, Christ’s resurrection, hisname, or his re+ ligion, or the extension of. propagation, of his Church:

26 May he send thee help ‘fom the sanctuary : and defend thee out of Sion.” ©

The sanctuary means Sion, as will presently ap-

pear, and was called ho!y by reason of the Ark of the Testament being placed on it. But another Sion, the heavenly one, would seem to be intended here, that of which the apostle speaks, Heb. xii. “¢ But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, that heavenly Jerusalem.” Sion is introduced here to shew that_God bebolds every thing, as if from some elevated look-out, (for such is the meaning of the word Sion,) whence he can easily behold Christ in his struggles, and supply him with reinforcements; and a place so high, from whence every thing can be so easily seen, is not the mountain bearing that name, but the celestial Sion: and thus, ‘“¢ May he send thee help from the sanctuary,” means from the highest heavens whence he beholds all things; “ And defend thee out of Sion,” that is, from his lofty watch-tower, from which he observes you,

3 “ May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices : and may thy whole burnt-offering be made fat.”

Since our Lord, when about to combat the enemy of the human race, had recourse not only to prayer, but also to sacrifice; that is, not only prayed in words, but sacrificed in reality, and, as he had al- Juded to his prayer .by the expression, “* May the Lord hear thee ;” he now touches on the sacrifice by saying, ‘May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices.” May he not despise them, but may he remember and regard them; “and may thy whole burnt-offering be made fat.” May it be acceptable, as acceptable as the holocaust of fatted animals, for the fatter the better ; and the more perfect an animal is, the more valuable is the holocaust. Hence, Daniel, cap. iii., s* And as in thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacri-+ jice be made in thy sight this day that it may please thee.” Now, Christ offered many sacrifices, and at Jast a holocaust; and therefore the prophet says, “ May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices.” The many sacrifices are his numerous sufferings for the glory of God, whilst among us; the holocaust is that in which he ultimately offered himself up entirely, by dying on the cross; and thus, the meaning is, may the Lord always remember the passion and death of Christ. This would appear to, be rather a prophecy than a prayer ; in God’s sight, the passion of Christ, even from the beginning of the world, was always before him; is now, and ever will be before him ; and is the source of infinite blessings to us.

4 “* May he give thee according to. thy own heart; and confirm all thy. eounsels.”

The object of both prayer and sacrifice declared, that is, may God hear thee, and accept of thy sacrifice ; that you may come’ at the end you seek, and accomplish what you desire, and that there may be no one to mar you therein, “ May he give thee according to thy own heart.” Give you your wish, your heart’s desire, “ And confirm all thy counsels :” carry out all your plans, further all your wishes, confirm all your desires; thus the meaning will be, may

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

God hear thee, and receive thy sacrifice; that you — may upset. the machinations of the devil, redeem man from bondage, and give eternal life to those that believe in thee ; for that such was the desire of Christ’s heart, on such did his whole wisdom and. deliberations turn, is evident from the gospel, John i. 3., ‘For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil:” and St. Paul, 1 Timothy i., “ Christ came into this world to save sinners:” and the Lord himself-says, Luke xti., ““ The Son of Man came to seck and save what was lost.”

5 ‘+ We will rejoice in thy salvation ; and in the name: of our God we shall be exalted.”

When our prayer shall haye been granted, when you shall have conquered the enemy, “ We will rejotce’”’ interiorly as well as exteriorly, “ In thy salvation; that is, for your safe return from the war, in which safety we also share. ‘* And in the name of our Lord,” who granted such a victory, “ We shall be exalted,’ we shall consider and look upon ourselves as great and wonderful, not by reason of our own merit, but by reason of the great God to whom we belong.

6“ The Lord fulfil all thy petitions: now have I known that the Lord hath saved his: anointed. He wilt hear him from his holy heaven : the salvation of his right hand is in powers.”

Avother repetition of his good wishes. ** May the Lord,” therefore, “ fulfil all thy petitions,” from which so many blessings are to follow. “‘ Now have £ known that the Lord hath saved his anointed. He will hear him from his holy heaven ; the salvation of his right hand ts in powers.” lam, therefore, emboldened in asking again, that the Lord may hear thee, may grant all your petitions; because, bya divine revelation, | now know that they will all be granted. “. For I have known that the Lord hath saved,” that he certainly will save his Christ, and by predestination, has already saved him, raised him from the dead, placed him in heaven, and stretched his enemies under his feet, “ He will hear him from his holy heaven.” Having stated that he saved him, he now explains, that he meant by salvation, a previous decree, not yet put into execution, but one that will certainly be carried out; ‘* For he will hear him from his holy heaven,” and thus “ The Lord will save his Christ.” “ The salvation of his right hand ws im powers.” This may be explained in two senses. The word “‘powers” may mean power and strength, (and the Hebrew favours such meaning,) and then it will read, Christ, “ Zhe salvation of his right hand,” will appear in great power; or the word powers may mean, princes and kings, (and the Greek and Latio favour such meaving,) and then the meaning would be, ‘He will hear him from, his holy heaven, and in his powers ;” because, in appointing princes and rulers, or protecting them afters wards, ‘“ The salvation of his right hand” is pecus

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

Hiarly necessary. For though princes may seem to have many safeguards, such as horses, chariots, arms and soldiers, fortresses and munitions, all these are nothing, if “ Zhe salvation of the right hand” of God be not there too with them: and he, therefore, with great propriety, adds in the next verse,

7 * Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God.”

He goes on with the account of Christ’s victory, as he had foreseen, saying; “‘ Some trust in chariots and some in horses.” Some of the enemy trusted in armed chariots, some in ferocious horses, by which he comprehends all the instruments or weapons that were formerly used in war or for fight. “‘ But we,” with Christ for our head and king, do not confide so much in horses or in chariots, as we do “ Jn the name of the Lord our God.”

8 ‘* They are bound, and have fallen: but we are risen, and are set upright. OQ Lord, save the king : and hear us in the day that we shall call upon thee.”

He shows how much more profitable it is to put one’s trust in God, than in horses and chariots. They who did, “ Ave bound, and have fallen; we who trusted in God are risen, and sel upright.” See the wonderful change! Before the victory of Christ, the enemy of the human race bore himself aloft, as if in chariots and horses, and trampled on man, prostrate through original sin; in like manner, the princes of the Jews, Herod and Pilate, and other visible enemies of Christ, in their insolence, insulted the suffering Christ and his humble disciples; but soon after, * The former were bound, and have fallen ;” while the latter “* Have risen, and set upright,” and will remain for ever,

“ O Lord, save the king, and hear us in the day, that we shall call upon thee.” He concludes, by uniting the first and last verses. Having commenced with * May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation,” he confirms it, by directing his prayer to God, “ O Lord, save the king’ from his tribulation ; and us too, “Jn the day we shall call upon thee ;” that is, in our tribulation, when we shall invoke none but thee.

PSALM XX. Praise to God for Christ’s exaltation after his passion,

1 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly,.

2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire: and hast not withhelden from him the will of his lips. .

3 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.

4 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him Jength of days for ever and ever.

5 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him. *

6 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.

7 For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8 Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find eut all them that hate thee.

9 Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them,

10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among thechildren of men.

11 For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.

12 For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face. —

13 Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy awn strength; we will sing and praise thy power,

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 “In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy ; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.”

Having obtained a victory, “‘ The King,” Christ, ° “ Shall joy in thy strength,” for the strength and power he got from you to triumph so successfully over his enemies ; “ And in thy salvation,” the salvation you gave him, ‘‘ shall rejoice,” nay, even “‘ rejoice exceedingly,” Qne part of the verse thus explains the other.

2 “ Thou hast given him his heart’s desire; and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.”

Words eorresponding to “ May he give thee according to thy own heart,” in the last Psalm, a Hebrew idiom, by which granting a petition means, giving the thing asked for, as we read in 1 Kings i, 18. The priest Heli says to Anna, “ Zhe God of Israel grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him;” thus, “ Thou hast given him his heart’s desire” means, thou hast given him what he desired; ‘‘ And hast not withholden from him the will of his lips; you have not refused him what he, by the expression of his lips, shewed he wished for and desired. In one word, that Christ. got all he wished for in his heart and expressed with his lips.

3 ‘' For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness : thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.”

How justly Christ must have rejoiced to find he

not only got what he/asked; but that God even antieipated his: wishes,| and, bestowed the greatest favours On, | him, | without: his even. asking them.:o Thou hast prevented him, (anticipated), with, ‘Weasseas) of sweetness ;” andthe meaning jis, that Christ, without his asking. them, was liberally endowed wilh God’s gifts, such as being, conceived by, the, Holy Ghost, ‘the being united in person with the Word, the infusion of all knowledge and virtue, and, the beatific vision, a all of which he got at the + very ‘instant | ‘of his éonception, atid was therefore.“ prevented (anti. a with the blessings of: sweetness.”

\ Phow hast set on his head! a crown’ of: precious stones,” ‘would seem to ‘refer'to bis) royalty and ‘his priesthood, which, | too, she had from ‘his ‘conception, and hence the name Christ; for a crown of gold marks the king) as'well: ds the, priests. cod’ (

ii 4: “\ Ele) asked life :ofithee: and thowihasti Lei ie length of days for ever and ever.”

} He. got. the, above-named. gifts: by’ } jantielpation, without asking | them; 3 but, corporeal glory, and | ima}

Cae

got. “ He Added life,” spies he did, on the ‘eve : his passion, (4 He offered, up prayers « and s supplica-| tions to him that was able to save hint from death,” Heb. v., “but God gave him length of days, for ever nl eder, en meaning life everlasting, that, “rising again Froal the' dead, he: ‘may die'no more,’ death shall have no more dominion over him,” Roti: Vil Jansenius would have David alluded to here ; Euthymius and Theodoret, before ‘hivh;. ‘say Bhechias was meant; but this. verse , disproves -both,,. for neither

avid nor Ezechias got, that Hength of days bes oe Saar : raga inh waive ll Oe tees jlor as gr att th salvation lory, and gqieat Lge Pee oes Bak se

. God, not only gave. ‘him, life § “fon ever and, ever,” but, he also, <6 enalted, him, and. gave him a, name, which is above, every name,” hil, ii, 5; for: that was, truly é the great glory he had in thy, salvation,” the, salvation through which God saved, him ; and hence, “thou wilt lay’ upon him glory . and ‘great beauty,” in lieu of the i ignominious crown of thorns his enemies put upon him; ae him, as Isaias, chap. iii), has:it, without Bedluty oF comeliness. sha

6 Hop thou’ shalt give him to be a a blessing. forever and ever : thou. shalt make’ vag 503 ofl in gipaness, with, thy countenance,” \

Fathers” with “a\name above every ls me an'univer | ' sal benediction of those'| “that are tn "heaven, ‘on! earth, and in hell,” will follow, ‘ “Dhow ‘shalt give: him’ to be a blessing’ ;” you'wil¥ set hith up as'a ‘coms mon, ‘an universal subject for thanksgiving, that’ all’ may bless hin! | Phow ‘shalt: make ‘hii joyful in’ gladness with thy countenance 2” signifying thé joy® consequent on the ‘enjoyment: of all those’ blessings ; “With thy countenance” means, in thy’prescnde, or” before thee.

Hy OF hoping owed Jani dain Mane weed

COMMENTARY ON THE! PSALMS:

i ThFor the king hopeth tn the! Lord: er through the merey of the Most High he shall.not, be, moved, 4

The afotesaid blessings willbe, fixed and firm ‘for eternity, Mor the king. hopeth inthe Lord;” inthe infinite power'of God, and not jnithe stren eth! ofman; “ And through themerey ofithe Most Righs ? through the infinite goodness, of him who is, above, ally, and to whom ‘allaresubjecti; “Ae,” therefore, ‘$ shall not a moved” he ie) mot brineele but remain secure | for abornityy 05 vais oso? : guises ol bed od es

(8) St Let thy ‘gad be found. ty ll, ‘ai enemies set, thy, right hand find: out all them, that hate thee.” ,..|

. Proving that neither Christ nor his, king; jom will be, distur bed; ,;because, all, his, enemies (will , be. destroyed, Let, thy hand, be found, by all thy enemiesy to\punish them, which he repeats,in the second part of the verse. He would seem) nowy, to, addyess Christ, rather, than. the Father,, because \Christ. was the special. object.of the hatred of the. J ews, and, of , his. other persecutors as and» it sis \of\ hin -Psalm), cix.\ speaks, ‘Seton my, right hind, until make: we come thy footstool.”

‘Thou shalt make themas an oven of fire, in the’

seal of thy angen :\the Lord, shall\trowble them: mM - wrath, and fire, shall devour them, rics al hp, punishment, of jhis, enemies described, « game shalt, make, them,” namely,,his, enemies, ‘ as an, oven of fine? sto, burn, on all; ‘sides, | like ‘4 a, lighted oven,” “an the time, of thy anger ;” jin the, day; of thy; wrath,, Vids »the, day of; judgment, For \Christ) our, Lord,

“ Shall, tr ouble, them injhis wrath, and, then, at. his , command, everlasting, fine, will devour them, and, make them ‘‘Weke an, aven, af fire.”

10 “ Their Srut shalt thou destroy from ithe: ie jj and ‘their seed fromiamong the childrenef men.” °°

, For.fear,any one may object. thatthe, pase ita of; @hrsis enemies, would, one time or another, stand , up fox their fathers, and, offeriviolence, to,Christ, the, prophet. now, adds, that not only will, his, enemies be \ destroyed;; but the same, destruction will extend to) their, ehilduen, andi toi vall, their’ posterity. 4,)

od; 4 For, they have intended evils against thee : thea kane devised counsels which they have not been. able to | establish.”

Most justly shall they be punished, because they unjustly sought to injure You. | With great propriety and accuracy David says, “* They have intended evils against: thee.” They:could: only intend ‘them, for\ Christ, “in whom there was no stn,” could, not be divectly” subject to punishment 5 but. these wicked, men **dnéended,” ‘and, ‘a8 it’ were; distorted such evils against him, such as contumeljes. ‘wounds, stripes; death ‘itself! ‘seeking to’ turn’ ‘the’ ‘innocent Christ from) his: pathy “t They have devised counsels’ which they have not been able to establish.” They’ had the évil, intention’ of destroying ‘Christ, and of obstructing his |kingdom a. thing) they, cotild not accomplish, because God: converted all these perse~; cutions, to; the, good, of Christ, himself), ye of his faithful sexvants,,

at asd (bed ot dann

rr Agtyel od obey

lymcegi CITE tO.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

12 “ For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.”

The great misfortune of the wicked is here described; scourging alone is to be their lot ; and, to add to their misfortune, they will have a view of God’s elect, in the highest glory and happiness. “ Thou shalt make them turn their back.” Nothing but their back shall be seen; they shall be all back, to be scourged all over. “ In thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face ;” the word “ prepare” signifies ‘ to dwrect,” in the Hebrew; and then the meaning is, you will direct their countenance, that is, of the wicked, to look “‘aé thy remnants;” that is, the elect, whom you have left to yourself, and of whom it is written, Rom. ix., ‘‘ Zhe remnants will be saved,” This is a very difficult passage. Theodoret and Euthymius explain it thus: ‘ ZThow shalt make them turn their back:” rout them, make them fly, turn their back. ‘Jn thy remnants:” that is, in those that remain after them, their children. ** Thou shalt prepare their face :” thou shalt satisfy thy anger. Let the reader choose between tke two interpretations.

13 ‘ Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.”

The Psalm concludes with a pious effusion of praise to Christ our King, with a prediction of what is to happen after the final destruction of all the wicked. *- Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength.” You that once appeared so humble, so infirm even, as to suffer crucifixion, now, in your strength and power, after subduing your enemies, and shoving them into Gehenna, “be exalted” to the very highest heavens; meanwhile, ‘‘ we,” thy elect, ‘well sing,” with our voice, and with all manner of musical instruments will celebrate thy power and glory, inthe hope of one day coming to thy kingdom, there to praise thee for ever and ever.

PSALM XXII. Christ's passion: and the conversion of the gentiles.

1 O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.

2 O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.

3 But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.

4 In thee have our fathers hoped; they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.

5 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.

7 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.

8 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.

9 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my God.

11 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me.

12 Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me.

13 They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring.

14 Iam poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.

16 For many dogs have encompassed me; the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet.

17 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked up and stared upon me.

18 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.

19 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look toward my defence. ;

20 Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.

23 Ye that fear the Lord praise him: all

ye the seed of Jacob glorify him. " 94 Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.

25 With thee is my praise in a great church: I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him.

26 The poor shall eat and shall be filled; and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.

27 All the ends of the earth shall re-

member, and shall be converted to the Lord: and all the kindreds of the gentiles shall adore in his sight.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s; and le shall have demon over the nations:

29 Allthe fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.

30 And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him.

31 There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 “0 God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.”

David speaks here in the person of Christ hanging on the cross, in the height of his suffering, as appears from Matt. xxvii., in which we read that the Redeemer, just before he expired, exclaimed: ‘ O God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ The words, ‘* Look upon me,” are not in the Hebrew; they were added by the Septuagint, for explanation sake. When Christ complains of having been forsaken by God, we are not to understand that he was forsaken by the Second Person, or that there was a dissolution of the hypostatic union, or that he lost the favourand friendship of the Father; buthe signifies to us that God permitted his human nature to undergo those dreadful torments, and to suffer an ignominious death, from which he could, if he chose, most easily deliver him. Nor did such complaints proceed either fromimpatience orignorance, as if Christ wereignorant of the cause of his suffering, or was not most willing to bear such abandonment in his suffering ; such complaints were only a declaration of his most bitter sufferings. And whereas, through the whole course of his passion, with such patience did our Lord suffer, as not to let a single groan or sigh escape from him, so now, lest the by-standers may readily believe that he was rendered impassible by some superior power ; therefore, when his last moments were nigh, he protests that he is true man, truly passible ; forsaken by his Father in his sufferings, the bitterness and acuteness of which he then intimately felt. ‘ O God, my God ;” looking wpon himself as a mere servant, he addresses the Father as his God, because, at that very moment, he was worshipping him as the true God, offering to him the most perfect sacrifice that ever had been offered, the sacrifice of his body. “* Look upon me ;” he asks him to behold how he suffers for his honour, to acknowledge, therefore, the obedience of his Son, and to accept the sacrifice so offered for the human race. “ Why hast thow forsaken me ?” As if he were surprised! Is it possible

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

you could allow your beloved and only begotten Son to be overwhelmed in such an abyss of pain and sorrow? Similar expressions are met in John iii., ““ God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son ;” and, Rom. viii., “‘ He did not spare his

own Son, but delivered him up for us all.” “ Far from my salvation are the words of: my sins.” Many,

afraid of imputing sin to Christ, give a very forced explanation of these words. Some read them by way of interrogation, without any authority whatever. Others explain thus, ‘‘ AZy sins,” having none, “are far from my salvation ;’ that is, are no obstacle to it. Without entering into other interpretations, mere gratuitous ones, inconsistent with the punctuation, the meaning simply is: with justice I said I was forsaken in my sufferings, because my exemption from them would be incompatible with my satisfying for the sins of the human race, which I have taken upon me, and which I mean to wipe away. And that Christ could take the sins of the human race upon himself, as if they were his own, is plainly shewn in the Scripture, 1 Peter ii., “ Who his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree:” Isaias liii., “And the Lord hath lad on him the iniquity of us all?’ and, 2 Cor. v., “ Him who knew no sin he hath made sin for us ;” that is, a victim for sin. As a victim for sin, then, must be immolated, in order to cleanse from the sin, so Christ, having undertaken to become the victim for the sins of the world, with much propriety says, “ Far from my salvation are the words of my sins ;” that is, I cannot avoid death, since the sins of the whole world are upon me to satisfy for them. ‘‘ Zhe words of my sins’ is a Hebraism, meaning the sins themselves. ‘* Are far from my salvation,” are inconsistent with my salvation, and I must, therefore, needs suffer.

2“ O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly im me.”

He assigns another proof of his being forsaken by God, and without any hope of temporal salvation. Though I may cry out day and night to be delivered from this death of the body, you will not hear me. He alludes to his two prayers, one at night in the garden, the other by day on the cross. “ And zt shall not be reputed as folly in me.” Though I may cry, and though I know you will not hear me, so far as my escaping temporal punishment or suffering is concerned; still, it will “ not be folly in me,” because my principal object, the redemption of the human race, will be effected, and I will not be kept in death, but will rise to life everlasting.

3 “ But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.”

He proves that it was not folly in him to cry out at night, even though he was not heard by day, and that for four reasons. First, because God is holy and merciful. Secondly, because he is wont kindly

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

to hear those that call upon him. Thirdly, because he is in the greatest straits. Fourthly, because, from his nativity, he has confided in God, and in him alone. The present verse contains the first reason. You, O Lord, will certainly hear me, for you “ dwell in the holy place ;” you are all sanctity and piety ; malice or cruelty cannot come near you, and, therefore, you are “ the praise” of thy people “ Zsrael ;” both because the people of Israel praise thee, and they are praised on your account. Jor the greatest praise thy people can have is their having a God so holy in every respect.

4 “ In thee have our fathers hoped ; they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.

5 ‘* They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.”

Reason the second, from the instances of his kindness, numbers of which are to be found in Judges. As often as the children of Israel appealed to him, so often did he send them one of the judges to deliver them, such as Gedeon, Samson, Samuel, &., &e.

6 “ But Iam a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.

7 ‘* All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.

8 ‘‘ He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.”

The third reason, derived from the straits in which Christ is placed. ‘* But Iam a worm, and no man :” Tam just now in that position that I am not only “made less.than the Angels,” but even made less than man. ‘ Despised and the most abject of men,” Isaias liii., nay, even beneath them, when even Barabbas and the robbers were preferred to me, and thus, | am now become so wretched, more “ a worm than a man ;” * the reproach of men;” at whom men blush, as they would at some opprobrious character, as did Peter, when he swore a solemn oath, ‘he knew not the man;” and ‘‘ the outcast of the people ;” one so rejected by the very scum of the people, that they called out, ‘ Mot this man but Barabbas.” “* All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn:” When they saw me in that state they all mocked me, all manner of persons, high and low, priests and laics, Jews and gentiles; which was fulfilled when, as St. Luke xxiii., writes, “And the people stood bcholding, and the rulers with them derided. And the soldiers also mocked him.” ‘‘ They have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head,” ‘This, too, was accomplished, as St. Matthew writes, cap. xxvii. “ They blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, Vah, thou who destroyest the temple of God.” “ He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.” St. Matthew testifies in the same place that the Jews made use of the very words, saying, “‘ He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will.” Wonderful prophecy, predicting not only the facts, but the very words that would be used on the occasion.

_ breasts, I learned to hope and confide in thee.

9 “For thou art he that hast drawh me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

10 “I was cast upon thee from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my God.” :

The fourth reason, drawn fromthe eternal innocence of Christ. The word “ For” does not imply a consequence ; if is very often used in the Scriptures as a mere copulative; sometimes it is quite redundant. “ Thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb.” I am thine from my birth; specially so, because I have not been born like others; but, through thy singular favour, have been both conceived and born, my mother’s virginity remaining intact. “ My hope Jrom the breasts of my mother.’ Not content with having “ drawn me out of the womb,” it is you who principally nourishedme; for, though apparently onthe breast of my mother, I know milk from heaven was supplied by you; and, therefore,*from her very WE was cast upon thee from the womb;’ The moment I left my mother’s womb, I fell into thy: bosom, where I was cared with such singular love and affection. “ From my mother’s womb thou art my God.” As well as you, from the moment of my birth, so providentially protected me, so I, from the earliest dawn of my life, began to serve and to love you as my God.

11 “Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me.”

“Depart not from me,” according to some, is a part of the preceding verse, a matter of no great moment; it means, since ‘‘ 7was cast upon thee from the womb,” since ““thow art my God,” I may with justice ask you to ‘depart not from me,” especially when my most grievous and my last ‘‘ tribulation is very near ;” that is, my death. ‘ Yor tribulation is very near.” This verse may, perhaps, apply to his agony in the. garden, when he was so overwhelmed with fear at the idea of his approaching passion; but, I am more inclined to think it should be understood of his actual passion at hand, both because he uses the perfect tense, when he says, “ They have dug my hands and feet.” ‘* They parted my garments amongst them;” and because he, before that, quoted the language of the Jews, boasting of their having nailed him to the cross; and, finally, because the very first verse of this Psalm was quoted by our Saviour, when hanging on his cross. According, then, to his expression in the 2nd verse, “zt shall not be reputed as folly in me.” I will not cry to thee to deliver me from death, but not to detain me therein.

12 “* Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me,”

An account of the cruelty of his enemies, whom he compares to bulls, lions, and dogs. He alludes to the High Priests and Pharisees, who insult him like bulls, goring him, as it were, with their horns, saying, ‘* Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God ;” or, like lions with their mouths open, hunger-

ing for him; thirsting for his blood, and bellowing, “ Away with him, away with him, crucify him,” or like dogs gnawing and biting him when they belied him, saying, “ We have found this man perverting our nation;” and again, “ If he were not a malefiuctor we would not have delivered him up to thee:” which calumnies and detractions were the cause of our Lord’s immediate crucifixion ; and, therefore, he says presently, “ They have dug my hands and feet.” To come now to particulars. “ Many calves have surrounded me.” We are not to understand young weak calves, but grown, with horns, almost bulls ; for the following, “fat bulls have besieged me,” is only a repetition. The High Priests and Pharisees are called “ strong” and “ fat,” because they were powerful and rich. Some will have it that by the * calves” he meant the populace; by the “ bulls,” the Pharisees ; not at all improbable; but I prefer the first explanation. .

13 ‘ They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring.”

The High Priests and Pharisees panting for his death. 14 ‘Tam poured out like water; and all my bones

are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.

15 ‘* My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.”

He tells in these verses how he dealt with the cruelty of his enemies. He offered no opposition to their violence, but always exhibited the humility, patience, and mildness, spoken of in Isaias, cap. |., “ I have not turned away my face from them that rebuke me and spit upon me ;” and by 1 St. Peter, ii., “* Who when he was reviled, did not revile ; when he suffered he threatened not, but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly.” He, therefore, says, “ [ am poured out like water ;” I made no resistance, allowed myself to be turned, driven in all directions, as one would turn a stream of water. “ And all my bones are scattered ;” Thave lost all my strength, not in reality, but { do not wish to exercise it. I let my enemies use theirs, according to St. Luke xxii., “ This is your hour and the power of darkness.” I have, therefore, shewn myself weak and feeble in my resistance, as if I were flesh entirely ; “ And all my bones are scattered ;” and thus incapable of resistance. “ My heart is become like wax, melting in the midst of my bowels;” I have patiently borne, and meekly borne, all those injuries-before man, but I have been also interiorly ‘“ hawmble of heart;” which heart has not been swollen with anger, nor hardened with rage, in a spirit of vengeance, but has been, on the contrary, like “ melted waa,” in the spirit of affection and love to them, in the spirit of mercy for their blindness, by virtue of which I prayed of you, “ Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” “ In the midst of my bowels ;” a usual phrase

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

in the Scripture, to express our internal feelings; thus, John vii., “ Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water :” and, Cant. v., “ My bowels were moved at his touch:” “ My strength is dried up like a potsherd.” My whole strength has dwindled away, dried up like a brickbat, when I allowed myself to be

tied and beaten as if I were incapable of resisting

them. “ And my tongue adhered tomy jaws:” I did not choose to say an offensive word to my enemies, or to complain of their wrongs. “ And thow hast brought me down into the jaws of death.” In consequence of their persecutions, and my non-resistance, you have, my God, without whose permission nothing can happen, brought me to my death and burial.

16 ‘ For many dogs have encompassed me ; the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet.

17 ‘* They have numbered all my bones. have looked up and stared upon me.”

He tells us how he was ‘ brought to the dust of death :” ‘* For many dogs encompassed me ;” meauing many detractors, namely, the High Priests and Pharisees, who, by accusing me falsely of seducing the people, of refusing to pay tribute, of aiming at the sovereignty, and similar charges, forced Pilate to give me up to the soldiers for crucifixion. ‘ The council of the malignant hath besieged me ;” an explanation merely of the last passage ; for ‘ the many dogs” are no other than the council ; that is, the assembly “of the malignant.” The same malignant set, though they did not so with their own hands, did it-through others. ‘ They have dug my hands and feet.’ They drove the nails through. “ They have numbered all my bones,” a thing they could easily do, when his blessed hands were stretched out, and the strain on his whole body rendered his ribs and other bones so visible and so easy of counting. © And they have looked and stared upon me.” To add to the punishment of the cross, there was the ignominy of his nakedness. They inspected my whole person with the greatest curiosity, there being nothing to cover it.

18 “ They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.”

All which was fulfilled to the letter, as may be read in St. John, chap. xix.

19 ‘* But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me ; look toward my defence.”

He returns to the prayer with which he commenced the Psalm, and to which he recurred again in verses 10. and 11., and now resumes it here. Having gone through the details of his passion, he now prays to God for a speedy resurrection, as it is it that will deliver him perfectly from the persecution of his enemies. ‘* But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me.” My enemies have arrived at the height of their malice, have put out all their strength against me; it is, therefore, your part to look to me now, to defer your help no longer, but kindly to defend me against their machinations.

And they

20 ‘ Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog. 21 “ Save me from the lion’s mouth ; and my lowness Srom the horns of the unicorns.” He tells the sort of assistance he requires. “ Deliver my soul from the sword.” Deliver me from the instrument of death, making use of the word sword for any instrument, a thing common in the Scriptures, 2 Reg. xii., “* Zhe sword shall not depart Jrom thy house ;’ Ezechiel xxxiii., “ And see the sword coming upon the land ;’ Rom. viil., Who, then, shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation ? or distress ? or famine ? or nakedness ? or persecution 2 or the sword 2” In like manner, the word soul is used here for life, a thing not uncommon in the Scriptures. ‘‘ Ay only one from the hand of the dog;” by ‘‘ the dog,” he means those dogs he had already spoken of; but he makes use here of the singular number by a figure, to shew that the malice of them all appeared to be now concentrated in one, and, therefore, so much the more violent and malignant. ‘‘ My only one;” he means his own life, which he loved in a singular manner, as being that of the incarnate Word. ‘ Save me from the lion's mouth ;” that lion of which ver. 13. says, ** They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring ;? “and my lowness from the horns of the unicorn.” He said before, “ Mat bulls have besieged me.” Unicorns are now substituted for bulls, being much more fierce and wild, to shew that the cruelty and ferocity of his enemies, so far from being softened by his many sufferings, was only excited and increased. Now, in all these petitions the Lord does not ask to have his temporal life spared; but, as we have repeatedly explained before, he asks that his life may be repaired quickly, and so repaired that he shall be no longer exposed or subject to the bite of the dog, the claws of the lion, or the horn of the bull or the unicorn. 22 “ Twill declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.” He now begins to tell the fruit of his resurrection, the conversion of the world to God. “ [will declare thy name to my brethren. When I shall have risen, I will send my apostles through the entire world, and through them, “7 will declare thy name ;” that is, I will impart the knowledge of thy name and of thy Godhead to all men through them; all being my brothers, by reason of the flesh I assumed ; and thus, “in the midst of the church will I praise thee;” no longer in a corner of Judea, but in the midst of the immense church, composed of Jews and gentiles, through the mouths of my ministers will I praise thee. St. Paul, writing to the Hebrews, quotes this passage, chap. ii, ‘Lor which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church I will praise thee.” 23 “+ Ye that fear the Lord praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob glorify him.

24 “ Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.”

Having said that he would “praise God in the midst of the church,” which was to be effected by getting his faithful to do so, he now exhorts the faithful to praise God, ‘* Ye that fear the Lord ;” ye who know and worship him ; for fearing God, in the Scriptures, issynonymous with worshipping him; thus, Jonas, when questioned about his people, says, ‘ I an a Hebrew, ang I fear the God who made the heavens and the earth ;’ and Daniel says, ‘ Let all fear the God of Daniel ;” and it is said of Judith, “that she feared God exceedingly.” The meaning, then, is, you who know and worship the true God, praise him ; and, lest we should imagine this exhortation was addressed to a few, the Jews, for instance, he adds, ‘‘ All ye seed of Jacob, glorify him. Let all the seed of Israel fear him; that means, glorify, praise, and fear God, all ye children of Israel, and not only ye who are children in the flesh, but ye who are children according to the promise, namely, all the gentiles converted to Christianity ; ‘‘ Because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man.” He assigns a reason for wishing God to be praised by all, namely, because he heard the prayer he put up to him for his resurrection and glory, for his victory over the devil, and for the redemption of the human race. He calls himself “ @

poor man,” as, in truth, he was, when, in his agony,

hanging on the cross, he hung naked, deserted, and suffering from hunger and thirst. ‘‘ Wether hath he turned away his face from me, and when I cried to him he heard me.’ A repetition of the preceding sentences.

25 ‘+ With thee is my praise in a great church: Iwill pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him.”

Having encouraged his faithful to praise God, he now. predicts the certainty of it. The praise I will chant to thee through my faithful will not be from a corner, nor from a handful of the Jews, but from the church of all nations. ‘ J well pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him.’ Vows here signify sacrifices and oblations, as Isaias ix. has it, “* They shall worship him in victims and offerings, and they shall make vows to the Lord, and perform them ;” fur when Christ saw how agreeable was the holocaust of his death to the Almighty, he promises now that, through his ministers, he will, in the best manner he can, most frequently renew the same holocaust, which he says, in the words, “ J will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him ;? through my mivisters, the priests of the New Testament, I will most constantly immolate that most agreeable of all sacrifices to God; ‘in the sight of them that fear him; of those that acknowledge, worship him, for the sacrifice may not be performed before infidels.

26 “ The poor shall eat and shall be filled ; and they

‘shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.”

Of this sacrifice “the poor shall eat,” when they acknowledge their spiritual neediness and poverty ; ‘‘ and shall be filled, because they will taste of the good, exceeding all good; “ and they shall praise the Lord,” thanking him for such au immense favour: “ that seck him ;” those that hunger for and eagerly seek him; “ their hearts shall live for ever.” Such will be the fruit of this reflection, that the hearts nourished by such excellent and noble food will lead a spiritual life—a life of grace here, and of glory for ever; for so the Truth speaketh, in John vi., “* Whosoever eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” For, as perishable food supports the body for a time, so the imperishable food confers life everlasting.

27 * All the ends of the earth shall remember, and

shall be converted to the Lord: and all the kindreds of the gentiles shall adore in his sight.”

He shews how it will happen that he shall have to praise God ‘‘in a great church,” because all nations will be converted to God through the merits of the sacrifice on the cross. ‘* They shall remember” ‘their first origin, how they were formed in their first parent, a thing they had quite forgotten, through original sin; and, therefore, they said to the wood and the stones, “ Thou” art my father,” Jerem. iii. “ They shall remember” their first creation, ** and all the ends of the earth shall be converted to the Lord ;” that is, all the nations on the face of the globe, even to its remotest ends; that is to say, some from every nation, ‘‘ And. all the kindreds of the gentiles shall adore in his sight.” An explanation of the preceding verse; because, ‘‘ adoring” the Lord, and being converted to the Lord, imply the same thing ; namely, the abandonment of idolatry by the whole human race all over the world.

28 “* For the kingdom is the Lord’s; and he shall have dominion over the nations.”

They will deservedly be converted to and adore the Lord, because he, not the infernal spirits, being the true and natural king of all, will justly ‘‘ have dominton over the nations.”

29 “ All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored : all they that go down to the earth shall fall be- Sore him.”

Haying stated that “ The poor shall eat and shall be filled, and shall praise the Lord;” and that “ All the kindreds of the gentiles shall adore in his sight,” for fear any one may suppose it was only the poor and the hungry would be called and converted, he now introduces the rich and the powerful. ‘‘ AJ the Jat ones have eaten, and have adored.” The very “¢ fat ones” of this world, who abound in its blessings, such as princes, emperors, kings, they, too, shall eat of the Lord’s table, and will adore and praise the common Lord, whose sway is over all nations. In the style of the prophets, the perfect tense is used here for the future. Finally, the words “ that go

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

down to the earth,’ mean all mortals who to earth must return. “ Shall fall before him;” shall bend their knees, and adore; and thus the conversion of the gentiles, the fruit of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, will be truly general.

30 “ And to him my soul shall live : and my seed shall serve him.”

He concludes by saying, that he and his posterity would thenceforward live for God’s glory alone, and for his faithful service; the soul is put here for the entire man, which is often done in the Scripture.

31 ‘ There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall show forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.”

An explanation of the expression, ‘“ My seed shall serve him,” for “the generation to come ;” meaning the people, under the new dispensation, will get good news concerning the Lord and his justice, the justice of Faith. ‘“* Then shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come;” that means, the generation to come shall get the news ; it shall be announced to them, for it is a Greek phrase, like the expression, “The poor have the gospel preached to them ;” whereas, literally translated, it would mean, the poor preached the gospel: the meaning, then, is, not that the Lord will be declared to the generation to come, but the generation to come will be declared, as enlisted to the Lord ; this is plain from the following, where he says, ** The heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born ;” now, ‘that shall be born,” and ‘ the generation to come,” are one and the same. The Lord, then, will be declared to the coming generation, for the heavens, that holy people, will do it. The justice of faith is called the justice of God, which makes men truly just, and which God gratuitously gives to those who believe in Christ. For the gospel strongly inculcates that we are all sinners, that we cannot be justified of ourselves, but that through faith in Christ we are to expect justice from God alone.

PSALM XXII. God's spiritual benefits ‘to faithful souls.

1 The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.

2 He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refresliment:

3 He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’s sake.

4 For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.

5 Thou hast prepareda table before me,

against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me how goodly is it!

6 And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, unto length of days.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM,

1 “ The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.” The happiness of the elect, under the figure of sheep in charge of some excellent shepherd, is described in this Psalm. David, one of such sheep, exclaims, ‘‘ The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want nothing ;” I am one of God’s sheep, and he being a most wise, powerful, and good shepherd, I may confidently assert, ‘ Z shall want nothing.” This is the language of one of the happy, “ on the road,” and “in hope.” For the happy, actually so, and “ at home,” do not use the future tense, but the present, because they are done with labour and grief, and have already “ entered into the joy of their Lord.” But the blessed on the road, and in hope, cannot say, 1 want nothing, being subject to many passions ; but they can justly say, “ Z will want nothing;” because, when they will want they will get ; when they shall be hungry, they will not fail to be supplied with food; when they shall be sick, they will be sure of a physician. The words, “J sha!l want nothing,” come to be explained by him after. Sheep require, first, rich pasture ; secondly, pure water; thirdly, one to bring them back when they stray; fourthly, to be brought through easy passages; fifthly, to be protected from wolves and wild beasts; sixthly, to be supported when tired and weary; seventhly, if cut or maimed by passing through cliffs or rocks, to be cured ; and, lastly, at the close of day, at the end of their journey, to have a home wherein they may securely rest. All these matters God gives in abundance to his elect, and they can, therefore, justly say, “I shall want nothing.” David takes up the first in these words, ‘‘ He hath set me in a place of pasture ;” not ina barren or desert spot, but in prairie land, where an abundance of the choicest and most wholesome grass is to be had; where the sheep - have food in abundance ; the food, in a spiritual sense, being the knowledge of God, his sacraments, especially the Eucharist, Truth himself, for these are what support, nourish, and increase the spiritual life within us, 2 “* He hath set me in a place of pasture. brought me up on the water of refreshment :” The second necessary for the sheep, viz., to have not only plenty of wholesome pasture, but to have plenty of pure water at hand, to be cooled in the heat and the thirst. The spiritual water that extinguishes the thirst of us sheep, is the grace of God, of which Christ himself speaks in the Gospel, John iv., ‘© Whosoever shall drink of the water I will give him, shall not thirst for ever.” Nothing is so effectual

He hath

in curbing our carnal desires, as a taste of the love - of God ; to the soul who once tastes of it, every thing else seems insipid.

3 ‘‘ He hath converted my soul, He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’s sake.”

The third want of the sheep, the being brought back when they stray; for man, though he may by his own strength turn from God, cannot by his own strength return to him. He says. then: The good shepherd sought me out when I strayed, brought me back, and, more than that, never allowed me to stray again—a peculiar privilege to the elect. ‘‘ He hath led me on the paths of justice.” The fourth duty of the shepherd, made me walk in the narrow path of his commandments; aud, thereby, lead the life of the just. That he effected by taking from the power and strength of the tempter, by an increase of charity, by additional sweetness, by illuminating with his justice, by enticements, by excitement, by endearment, by terror, and other innumerable ways, on which, if we would only reflect for a moment, we would never cease, during our whole lifetime, to return thanks to so sweet a Pastor ; the more so, when all this has been done, not by reason of our previous merits, but ‘on account of his own name, that he may make known the riches of his mercy to the praise of the glory of his grace.”

4 “ For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.”

The fifth service rendered the sheep, is their protection from wolves and other wild beasts. ‘“* For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death ;” through dark, dreary places, exposed to all manner of dangers from wild beasts, robbers, precipices, “J will fear no evils, for thou art with me.” And, in truth, no one can well imagine the security a faithful soul feels when they bring to mind that God, who cannot be resisted, accompanies them. “ The shadow of death” is of frequent recurrence in

THE PSALMS.

. the Scripture; the proper meaning of which is that

dense darkness, which shuts out all light, and is caused by death. The blind are said to be in darkness, because they see nothing; and with much more reason are the dead said to be so, because they feel nothing. Hence, the poets make the dead to dwell in shady places, wrapped up in darkness; and hence, the Scripture promiscuously uses darkness for the shadow of death, to explain one through the other, as in Job iii., * Let darkness and the shadow of death cover it;’ and x., ‘* To a land that ws dark, and covered with the mist of death;” Isaias ix., ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen;” in each of which passages “‘ dwelling in darkness,” and ‘ dwelling in the region of the shadow of death,” are used to signify the same thing. And as dark places are exposed to a great many dangers, and we generally go through them with no small amount of fear, David, therefore,

says, “ Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death:” in dense darkness, surrounded by danger, ‘J will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.” The sixth benefit conferred on the sheep, their being supported when weary. He now drops the simile of the sheep, and takes up the shepherd, for sheep are not supported, when weary, by a staff, but are carried on the shoulders of the shepherd ; which God is always ready to offer his faithful souls when weary.

5 ‘ Thou hast prepared a table before me, against them that afflict me. Thow hast anointed my head with oil ; and thy chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is Gal

The seventh favour, namely, the wonderful consolation extended by God to his elect, in the troubles incidental to them in this world. The meaning of this verse is, not that God has prepared a table, wine and oil, against his enemies, as if they were the weapons wherewith to fight; but the meaning is, that God provides great consolations to meet great tribulations ; and, as the enemy seeks to do us much injury, so God pours upon us many consolations, which are pictured as if we were enjoying a feast, where the table was overspread with the choicest meats, with the rarest wines, and the most precious perfumed ointments, such as we read'of Mary Magdalen having poured on the head of our Saviour. “ Against them that afflict me.” ‘This is clearer in the.Greek, and the meaning of it is, that out of the persecution and trouble prepared for me by my enemies, you have extracted great consolation—a wellfurnished table for me. “Zou hast anointed my head with oil.” Thou hast poured precious ointment on my head, and thus ‘‘ made my face cheerful with oi :” nor was there wanting the cup of wine, inebriating me with thy grace, so “ goodly,” and so ‘ gladdening to the heart.” Such another passage occurs in Psalm xciii., ‘‘ According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.” And in 2 Cor. vii. “Zam filled with comfort: I excezdingly abound with joy in all our tribulation.”

6 ‘And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, unto length of days.”

This is the last good, that brings to the supreme good. ‘ Thy mercy will follow me,” not for a time, but for ever, which is the peculiar privilege of the elect. ‘ And that I may dwell; that is, it will follow me for that purpose, ‘to dwell in the house of the Lord, unto length of days;” that is, for ever.