V.11.

10 As for you, ye have made a mock at the counsel of the poor because he putteth his trust in the Lord.

11 Who shall give salvation unto Israel out of Sion? When the Lord turneth the captivity (u) of his people: then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

MORNING PRAYER.

Psalm xv. (x) LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle (y) or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?

2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart.

3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour and hath not slandered his neighbour.

9.1.2.

4 He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes:

is perhaps the inference intended to be

here drawn.

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(u) Turneth the captivity," i. e. (perhaps) bettereth the condition. See Ps. cxxvi. 1. 5:

(x) An outline of the qualities for approaching towards God. David is supposed to have been the author; and it was probably used upon some solemn procession with the ark of God, (which was the symbol of God's presence,) to the top of mount Sion, which was considered the symbol of heaven. It is one of the Psalms for Ascension Day, and was probably selected, either because the character of a good man, which it delineates, comes nearest to that of our Saviour, or because the carrying up the ark to the top of mount Sion was considered a type or figure of our Saviour's Ascension.

(y) The same question with nearly the same answer occurs again, Ps. xxiv. 3, 4.

which was also composed upon the carrying up of the ark.

(2)" He that sweareth," &c. i. e. v. 5. he that disappointeth not his neighbour, after having sworn to him: the merit is, not in having sworn, but in disregarding his own interest to falfil his oath.

(a) A Psalm of David's, expressing his trust in God, his attachment to the godly, his abhorrence of idolatry and idolaters, his thankfulness for the peculiar blessings he had received, and his assurance that he should never be without posterity, because God would never suffer the Messiah, who was to be lineally descended from him, to see corruption; or, David may be considered as having written it as a type of Christ, speaking in his own person what really applied to Christ only.

(b) "My goods," &c. The meaning perhaps is, I set no value on my

V.2.

v.5.

v. 6.

v 8.

v.9.

v.10.

v.10.

make mention (c) of their names within my lips.

6 The Lord himself is the portion (d) of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou shalt maintain my lot.

7 The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground: yea, I have a goodly heritage.

8 I will thank the Lord for giving (e) me warning: my reins also chasten me in the night

season.

9 I have set God (ƒ) always before me for he is on my

goods in comparison with that I set on thee.

(c) "Make mention," &c. It was part of the Jewish law, that they should "make no mention of the name of other "gods, neither let it be heard out of "their mouth." Exod. xxiii. 13. See also Josh. xxiii. 7. and Ps. lxxi. 14.

(d) "The portion," &c. So Numb. xviii. 20. "the Lord spake unto Aaron, "thou shalt have no inheritance in their "land, neither shalt thou have any part them I am thy part and thine among "inheritance among the children of Is"rael." So Ps. Ixxiii. 25. "God is "the strength of my heart, and my

portion for ever;" and Ps. cxix. 57. "Thou art my portion, O Lord, I have "promised to keep thy law.

(e) "For giving," &c. i. e. probably, for the warnings he gives me.

(f) For "I have set God," read “I "foresaw the Lord."

(g) "My glory," i. e. probably, my "tongue," called in Ps. cviii, I. " the "best member that I have."

(b) "Shall rest," &c. i. e. (perhaps) II. I shall be easy at my death under this hope, that my descendants shall continue till the coming of the Messiah, and in him the memorial of me will be continued for ever, because thou will not leave his soul in hell, nor suffer him, thy Holy one, to see corruption. St. Peter, in his bold address, immediately after the gift of tongues was conferred, considers, v. 11. as written prophetically of Jesus Christ, "God hath raised up Jesus, having "loosed the pains of death; because it

was not possible that he should be "holden of it: For David speaketh "concerning him," (or rather, it is of him that David speaketh) "I foresaw "the Lord always before my face, for "he is on my right hand, that I should "not be moved: therefore did my heart "rejoice, and my tongue was glad

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:

moreover also, my flesh shall rest in "hope because thou wilt not leave my "soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer "thine Holy One to see corruption. "Men and brethren, let me freely speak "unto you of the Patriarch David, that "he is both dead and buried, and his "sepulchre is with us unto this day. "Therefore being a prophet, and know"ing that God had sworn with an oath "unto him, that of the fruit of his loins "according to the flesh he would raise

up Christ to sit on his throne; (See Ps. Íxxxix. 20 to 36.-cxxxii. 11, 12.) "he, seeing this before, spake of the "resurrection of Christ, that his soul

was not left in hell, neither his flesh "did see corruption." Acts ii. 24 to 31. St. Paul also considers the latter branch of the 11th verse as looking to the Messiah; for after citing the words "thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One "to see corruption," he adds, " for "David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, "and saw corruption: but he whom "God raised again" (viz. Jesus) "saw no corruption." A&s xiii, 35 to

kr

Psalm xvii. (k)

HEAR the right, O Lord, consider my complaint: and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence: and let thine eyes look upon the thing (1) that is equal.

3 Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night-season; thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me: for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.

4 Because of men's works that are done against the words of thy lips (m): I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.

5 O ́hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not.

6 I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me in

cline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.

7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, thou that art the Saviour (n) of them which put their trust in thee: from such as resist thy right hand.

8 Keep me as the apple (0) of an eye hide me under the shadow (p) of thy wings,

9 From the ungodly that trouble me: mine enemies compass me round about to take away my soul (q).

10 They are inclosed in their own fat (r) and their mouth speaketh proud things.

11 They lie waiting in our way on every side turning their eyes down to the ground;

:

12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a lion's whelp lurking in secret places.

13 Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down : deliver my

(p) "Under the shadow," &c. or v.8. "covering." A highly poetical idea. It is to be met with Ps. xxxvi. 7.-lvii. 1. -lxi. 4-lxiii. 8.-Is. xxxiv. 15. and more particularly in our Saviour's affectionate lamentation over Jerusalem : "How often would I have gathered thy "children together, even as a hen ga"thereth her chickens under her wings, "and ye would not." Matt. xxiii. 37. Luke xiii. 34. The same idea occurs Ps. xci. 4. where, in speaking of the protection God will afford to those who trust in him, it is said, " he shall defend "thee under his wings, and thou shalt "be safe under his feathers." (q) "Soul," i. e. life.

"Inclosed in their own fat." An expression to denote their arrogance. So Ps. lxxiii. 7. "their eyes swell with fatness ;" and Ps. cxix. 70. "their heart " is as fat as brawn."

v. 9.

v. 10.

soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine;

14 From the men of thy hand (s), O Lord, from the men, I say, and from the evil world: which have their portion in this life (t), whose bellies (u) thou fillest with thy hid treasure.

15 They have children at their desire and leave the rest of their substance (x) for their babes.

16 But as for me, I will behold (y) thy presence in righteousness and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satis fied with it.

(s) "The men of thy hand,” i. e. probably those whom thou usest as instruments to execute thy vengeance; the same as in verse 13. "the ungodly, who

are a sword of thine." So Ps. lxxx.17. and in Is. x. 5. God calls the Assyrian "the rod of mine anger, and the staff in "their hand is mine indignation ;" and in Is. xxxvii. 26. in answer to the haughty vaunts of the messengers of the king of Assyria, stating what places he had destroyed, God tells him, that he (i. e. God)" had brought it to pass, that he" (the king of Assyria)" should be to lay "waste defenced cities into ruinous "heaps," and that this was the reason their inhabitants were dismayed and confounded, &c.

(t)" Their portion in this life," i. e.

EVENING PRAYER.

Psalm xviii. (z)

I WILL love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.

2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.

3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the overflowings of ungodliness (a) made me afraid.

The pains of hell came about me: the snares of death overtook

me.

5 In my trouble I will call (6)

(2) "The Song of David, in the day "that the Lord had delivered him out of "the hand of all his enemies, and out of "the band of Saul." It is recorded also, Sam. ii. 22. Some parts seem to refer to some signal assistance from God, by thunder and lightning, which is described with great poetic magnificence. There is great confusion in the translation, by putting the verbs sometimes in the past tense, and sometimes in the future. As the Psalm refers to what had happened, the past is in general the right tense. 3. (a) Overflowings of ungodliness," or, as it is in the Bible translation, and 2 Sam. xxii. 5. "the floods of ungodly men." The same image is used in that fine passage, Is. lix. 19. "when the enemy shall come in as a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a stan"dard against him."

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(b) For" will call," "complain,” "shall hear," ," "shall come," and "shall enter," read "called," "complained," "heard," "came," and

"

en

"The Lord descended from above "And underneath his feet he cast "On cherubs and on cherubim "And on the wings of mighty winds

upon the Lord unto my God.

and complain

6 So shall he bear my voice out of his holy temple: and my complaint shall come before him, it shall enter even into his ears.

7 The earth trembled (c) and quaked the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth.

8 There went a smoke out in his presence and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down and it was dark under his feet.

10 He rode upon the cheru bims, and did fly he came flying upon the wings of the wind.

II He made darkness his se

"tered." This is the translation in the Bible and in Samuel, and is necessary to connect the passage with what went before, and what follows.

(c) "The earth trembled," &c. This probably refers to some extraordinary interposition of God's assistance by thunder, lightning, hail, &c. Similar interpositions are noticed in fine animated language in the 29th and 97th Psalms, but it may be questioned, if the sublimity and majesty of this passage are any where equalled. Is there any thing in any classic writer which comes near it? Dr. Blair says of it, "The descriptions of the "Deity in the Psalms are wonderfully "noble, both from the grandeur of the "object, and the manner of representing "it. What an assemblage, for instance, "of awful and sublime ideas is presented "to us in that passage of the 18th "Psalm, where an appearance of the "Almighty is described, verse 7, &c." And even in Sternhold's version of it much of its spirit and magnificence is retained: and bow'd the heavens most high, the darkness of the sky.

full royally he rode, came flying all abroad."

S