vealing his gospel to them, and in giving his Son for them: they shall remember the gracious words and glorious works of Christ, what he did and suffered for them; which possibly divers of them had been eye and ear witnesses of. And turn unto the Lord whom this name of Jehovah is often ascribed in Scripture. All the kindreds of the nations--Hebrew, ninh, cal mish pechoth, all the families. Which is not to be understood strictly of every particular persor. and family, but of all sorts, and of great numbers of them; as such universal phrases are often to be understood in Scripture. Verse 28. For the kingdom is the Lord's-This is added as a reason why the Gentiles should be converted, because God is not only the God and Lord of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles, and of all nations. And, therefore, though for a time he thought fit to confine his kingdom or visible church to Israel, yet he had resolved, in due time, to enlarge it, and to set up his throne and government in the Gentile world, which were no less created and redeemed by him than the Jews, Rom. iii. 29, 30; Zech. xiv. 9. of the surety proves the payment of the debt. This is the great subject of praise and thanksgiving in the church of Christ. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation-In the universai church, made up of Jews and Gentiles, as the following verses explain it. I will pay my vows before them that fear-Unto the only true God, and unto Jesus Christ, to him-Those praises and services which, in my distress, I vowed to return unto thee when thou didst deliver me. "The vow of Christ was to build and consecrate to Jehovah a spiritual temple, in which the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise should be continually offered. This vow he performed, after his resurrection, by the hands of his apostles, and still continues to perform, by those of his ministers, carrying on the work of edification in the great congregation of the Gentile Christian Church. The vows of Christ cannot fail of being performed. Happy are they whom he vouchsafeth to use as his instruments in the performance of them."-Horne. Verse 26. The meek-That is, the poor or humble, gentle and teachable, namely, believing and godly persons whose hearts the grace of God hath softened and sweetened, subduing their pride and passion, and their rebellion against God, and fierceness toward men; shall eat and be satisfied-Shall partake of those spiritual blessings which God hath provided for them in his gospel, that grace, and peace, and comfort, which all believing souls enjoy, in a sense of God's love, in the pardon of their sins, and in the influences of God's Spirit. Of these and not of any temporal blessings, this clause is doubtless to be understood. They shall praise the Lord that seek him―That seek his favour, and the true spiritual knowledge of, and communion with, him. Your heart shall live-He speaks of the same persons still, though there be a change from the third to the second person, as is usual in these poetical books. For ever-Your comfort shall not be short and transitory, as worldly comforts are, but everlasting. Verse 27. All the ends of the world--All nations,|| from one end of the world to the other. So this is an evident prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of God and Christ by the gospel, and a clear proof that this Psalm immediately speaks of Christ; to whom alone this and divers other passages of it belong. Shall remember-They shall remember their former wickedness with grief, and shame, and fear; particularly in worshipping dead and impotent idols. They shall remember their great and manifold obligations to God, which they had quite forgotten, his patience in sparing them so long, in the midst of all their impieties, and in re Verse 29. All they that be fat upon the earth—It was said, verse 26, that the meek, the lowly, and poor should eat and be satisfied: it is here foretold, that the fat ones of the earth; the rich and great, the nobles, princes, and kings, should be called in to partake of the feast. And worship-This word is added to show what kind of eating he spoke of, that it is a spiritual eating, a feeding upon the bread of life, a partaking of Christ and his benefits. High and low, rich and poor; all mankind are invited to partake of the gospel-feast. All they that go down to the dustThat is, the whole human race; for none can escape death; shall bow before him--" As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." And none can keep alive his own soul-Can secure or preserve his natural life longer than God is pleased to continue it to him, or can be the author to himself of spiritual and eternal life. It is, therefore, the great interest as well as duty of all to bow before the Lord Jesus; to give themselves up to him to be his subjects and worshippers; for this is the only way, and it is a sure way, to secure happiness when they go down to the dust. Seeing we cannot keep alive our own souls, it is our wisdom, by an obedient faith, to commit our souls to Jesus Christ, who is able to save them, and keep them alive for ever. Observe, reader, all who would partake of the benefits of Christ's pas sion, here or hereafter, must worship, confide in, love and obey him as a Saviour and a king, before they Verse 30. A seed shall serve him-Christ shall not want a seed or posterity, for though the Jewish || nation will generally reject him, the Gentiles shall come in their stead. It shall be accounted for a generation-That believing seed shall be reputed, both by God and men, the generation, or people of the Lord, as the Jews formerly were. t confidence in God. B. C. 1060. 31 They shall come, and shall de- A. M. 2944. clare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. t Psa. Ixxviii. 6; lxxxvi. 9; cii. 18; Isa. lx. 3; Rom. iii. 21, 22. are called to bow before and adore him as a judge. righteousness is often put for mercy or kindness. But the latter part of this verse is understood differ-| Or, 2d, That righteousness which God hath appointently by some. All that descend into the dust, they || ed for the justification of sinners, called the rightsuppose to mean all the poor, who, as well as the eousness of faith, Rom. iii. 21, 22; Phil. iii. 9, which rich, are called upon, and shall have the privilege to the Jews were ignorant of, and would not submit to, worship him. For none can keep alive his own soul Rom. x. 3, but which the Gentiles joyfully embraced. -That is, the greatest, as well as the meanest, must|| Or, 3d, His truth or faithfulness, (which is very freacknowledge that their salvation proceeds from him quently and properly called righteousness,) in the alone. performance of those exceeding great and precious promises made and recorded in the Old Testament, and especially those two concerning the sending of Messias, and concerning the calling of the Gentiles; Unto a people that shall be born-Either, 1st, Spiritually, that is, born again: for conversion to God is sometimes called a birth, and creation, even in the Old Testament. Or rather, 2d, Naturally, that is, Verse 31. They shall come-The seed last men- unto succeeding generations. Whereby David gives tioned, or, some shall come, (for this may be indefi- us a key to understand this Psalm, and teacheth us nitely spoken,) and do the work here mentioned, that he speaks not here of himself, or of the occurnamely, the apostles and ministers of the gospel rences of his times, but of things which were to be shall come from Judea and Jerusalem, from whence done in after ages, even in the spreading of the gosthe gospel was to go forth, to the Gentile world, topel among the Gentiles, in the time of the New Testhe several parts whereof the apostles went upon this errand. And shall declare his righteousness: either, 1st, His wonderful grace and mercy to mankind, in giving them Christ and the gospel: for tament. That he hath done this-They shall declare that this is the work of God, and not of man, and is carried on by his power alone in the world, against all the policy and power of men. PSALM XXIII. We may infer from the matter of this Psalm, that it was composed after, and probably soon after, David was delivered out of his distresses, and quietly settled in his kingdom. In it David expresses his confidence in God, who had thus delivered and exalted him; whom, therefore, he here compares, first to a good Shepherd, who carefully feeds and diligently watches over his flock; and secondly, to a hospitable friend, by whom he was sure of being kindly and liberally entertained. And from the experience he had had of the kind things God had done for him as his Shepherd, 2, 3, 5, he infers, that he should want no good, 1. And that he needed to fear no evil, 4. That as God did not forsake, but was with him, in a way of mercy, so he would never leave nor forsake God in a way of duty, 6. In all this David certainly had a respect, not only to the blessings of God's providence, which made his outward condition prosperous, but to the communications of his grace, which filled his soul with joy and consolation. And as, in the foregoing Psalm, he represented Christ dying for his sheep, so here he represents Christians receiving the benefit of all the care and tenderness of that great and good Shepherd. A. M. 2944. B. C. 1060. A Psalm of David. с B. C. 1060. 2 He maketh me to lie down in A. M. 2944. THE LORD is my shepherd; I green pastures; he leadeth me be shall not want. Isa. xl. 11; Jer. xxiii. 4; Ezek. xxxiv. 11, 12, 23; John x. 11; 1 Pet. ii. 25; Rev. vii. 17.- -b Phil. iv. 19. NOTES ON PSALM XXIII. Verse 1. The Lord is my shepherd-He hath showed himself to be so by his gracious providences toward me; and he hath kindly taken upon himself that office, and condescended to stand in that relation to me, having entered into covenant with me, and thereby engaged to rule, feed, and preserve, and side the 2 still waters. vii. 17. heal me, and do all for me that shepherds do, or are under an obligation of doing for their flocks. David himself had been a shepherd, and, doubtless, well understood, and had carefully performed his duty, as such, to his flock. He knew by experience the cares and tender affections of a good shepherd toward his sheep, and was not unmindful what need God the support PSALM XXIII. of the pealmist. A. M. 2944. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth || 4 Yea, though I walk through the A. M.2944. B. C. 1060. me in the paths of righteousness for valley of the shadow of death, "I his name's sake. will fear no evil: for thou art with me; B. C. 1060. • Psa. v. 8; xxxi. 3; Prov. viii. 20. Job iii. 5; x. 21, 22; Psa. 111 6; xxvii. 1; cxviii. 6.—h Isa. xliii. 2. they had of a shepherd, and what advantage it was joys of the Holy Ghost, are those still waters by to them to have one that was skilful and faithful. | which the saints are led, streams which flow from By this, therefore, he illustrates God's care of his the fountain of living waters, and make glad the people, and by this he strengthens his own faith and || city of our God. confidence in him, and assists the faith and confi- Verse 3. He restoreth my soul-Hebrew, w dence of every pious reader. For he that is the, naphshi jeshobeb, my soul he bringeth, or, will Shepherd of Israel, of the whole church in general,|| bring back, namely, from its errors or wanderings. Psa. lxxx. 1, is the shepherd of every particular be- No creature is more ready to go astray than a sheep, liever; the meanest is not below his cognizance. or more at a loss to find its way back. And all we He gathers even the lambs with his arm, Isa. xl. 11;|| like sheep have gone astray, and are still too prone nay, and carries them in his bosom. He takes them so to do; to leave the right way of truth and duty, into the fold of his church, and then takes care of and to turn aside into by-paths. But when God them: he protects and provides for them with more shows us our errors, gives us repentance, and brings care and constancy than any shepherd can his sheep. us back to our duty again, he restores our souls; and If God be to us a shepherd, we must be to him as if he did not do so, we would wander endlessly and sheep, inoffensive, meek, and quiet, silent before the be undone. He leadeth me in the paths of rightshearers; "nay," says Henry, "before the butcher eousness-In the plain, straight, and safe paths, in too;" useful and sociable, we must know the shep- which the sheep of the Lord's pasture are neither herd's voice, and follow him. I shall not want hurt, nor wearied, nor in danger of wandering. By Namely, any thing that is really necessary for me, his word and his providence he directs me to the either for this life, or for the next. But foolish men right ways of truth and holiness, and by his Spirit may think many things to be necessary for them, he inclines and enables me to choose those ways, and which the all-wise God knows to be, not only unne- to continue to walk therein; for his name's sakecessary, but hurtful, and therefore mercifully denies Not for any merit in me, but merely for the demonwhat men ignorantly desire to their hurt. stration and glory of his mercy, faithfulness, and goodness. Verse 4. Though I walk through the shadow of death-Through a dark and dismal valley, full of terrors and dangers, as this phrase signifies, Job xxiv. 17; Psa. xliv. 19; Jer. ii. 6; that is, though I am in peril of death, though in the midst of dangers, deep as a valley, dark as a shadow, and dreadful as death itself: or rather, though I am under the arrests of death, and have received the sentence of death within myself, and have every reason to look upon myself as a dying man: I will fear no evil-I will not give way to my fears, but will confidently rely upon the word and promise of God, persuaded that his grace shall be sufficient for me, and that he will make even death itself work for my good. Observe, reader, a Verse 2. He maketh me to lie down-Not only to feed, but to rest, and enjoy tranquillity, peace, and safety; in green pastures-Where there are both delight and plenty. "The loveliest image afforded by the natural world is here represented to the imagination; that of a flock feeding in verdant meadows, and reposing in quietness by the rivers of water running gently through them. It is selected to convey an idea of the provision made for the souls as well as bodies of men by His goodness who openeth his hand and filleth all things living with plenteousness."-Horne. He leadeth me-Lest I should wander and perish, Hebrew,, jenahaleeni, He leadeth me, commode et leniter, says Buxtorf, fitly and gently; accommodating himself to my infirmities, as shepherds do to their sheep; beside-Or, to the still waters, Hebrew, , mee menuchoth, waters of rests, or refreshments: quiet and gentle waters, running in small and shallow channels, which|| are opposed to great rivers, which both affright the sheep with their great noise, and expose them to be carried away by their swift and violent streams, while they are drinking at them. Such is the differ-dence and comfort, hope and joy. It affords him ence between the gentle waters of the sanctuary, the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and the rapid, muddy, and noisy torrents and overflowing floods of worldly and carnal enjoyments. God provides for his people, not only food and rest, but refreshment also, and pleasure. The waters by and to which he leads them afford them both a pleasant prospect and many a cooling and refreshing draught, when they are thirsty and weary. The consolations of God, the child of God may meet the messengers of death, and receive its summons, with a holy security and serenity of mind. He may bid it defiance, and say with Paul, O death where is thy sting? For thou art with me Here is the ground of a true Christian's confidence when in the valley of the shadow of death, God is with him, and his presence inspires him with confi light amidst the darkness of the valley, and life in the death of it. Thy rod and thy staff-Thy word and thy Spirit; comfort me-His gospel is the rod of his strength, and there is enough in that to comfort the saints, both while they live, even in their greatest troubles, and also when they are dying. And his Spirit is the Comforter himself, and where he is, support and comfort cannot be wanting. His rod of chastisement and correction also ministers to the David rejoices B. C. 1060. me. B. C. 1060. A. M. 2914. thy rod and thy staff they comfort head with oil; my cup runneth over. A. M. 2944. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. i 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou 3 anointest my 3 i Psa. civ. 15.3 Heb. makest fat. 4 Psa. xcii. 10. Heb. to length of days. comfort of his people, and much more his staff of God's favour, and the blessed and comfortable effects support, his upholding grace, which, under all their || of it; shall follow me-Hebrew, 1977, jirdepuni, trials, and even in their last and greatest trial, is suf- shall pursue me, by which emphatical expression he ficient for them. Or the rod may signify his pasto- || signifies God's wonderful freeness and readiness to ral care, and inspection of the flock, (alluding to the do good to his people, and that his blessings not only shepherd's crook, or rod, under which the sheep prevent us, but even pursue them who flee from passed when they were counted, Lev. xxvii. 32,) and || them, or that they follow us in our journey through the staff, the defence, and protection afforded them, || life, as the water out of the rock followed the camp the shepherd with his staff being wont to defend his of Israel through the wilderness. All the days of my sheep from the dogs and wolves that would worry|| life-From the former instances of God's favour to them. Or, as others interpret the words, the rod him, he justly concludes that he would continue to here, in allusion to the rod of Moses, may be consi- show him favour in a similar way; for nothing can dered as an emblem of power, especially as the word separate us from the love of God, if we do not sepaDo, shebet, here translated rod, often signifies a rate ourselves from it: and the experience we have sceptre, or some other ensign of authority. And the had of his goodness and mercy, already so often word translated staff, ny, mishgneneh, properly vouchsafed, naturally tends to beget an assurance of signifies what a person leans upon for support. Thus their being continued to the end. And I will dwell interpreted, the clause means, The sceptre of thy in the house of the Lord for ever-Whereas I have kingdom, or thy power protects me, and thy support formerly been driven from God's house, I rest asupholds me, and so both minister to my comfort. sured that I shall now constantly enjoy that blessed privilege of worshipping and enjoying God in his sanctuary, which I prize more than all my dominions. David's words here, however, look still further, even to a perfection of bliss in a future state: as if he had said, The divine goodness and mercy having followed me all the days of my life, when that is ended, I shall remove to a better world, to || dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, the house of my heavenly Father, in which there are many mansions, where the church of God will constitute one fold, under one shepherd, "the fold into which no enemy enters, and from which no friend departs; where the servants of God rest from all their labours, and see a period to all their sorrows; where the voice of praise and thanksgiving is heard continually; where all the faithful, from Adam to his last-born son, shall meet together, to behold the face of Jesus, and to be blessed with the vision of the Almighty; where they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, or any heat. But the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and lead them to living fountains of waters, Rev. vii. 16, 17."—Horne. Verse 5. Thou preparest a table before me-Thou furnishest me with plenty and variety of provisions and comforts. In the presence of mine enemiesWho seeing, envying, and fretting at it, are not able to hinder it. Thou anointest my head with oil-Or ointment, as the Syriac and Arabic interpreters render it, namely, with aromatic ointments, which were then used in great feasts. The sense is, Thy comforts delight my soul. See Psalm xlv. 7. My cup runneth over―Thou hast given me a very plentiful portion, signified by the cup given to the guests by the master of the feast. Thus "another set of images, borrowed from a feast, is introduced to give us ideas of those cordials and comforts prepared to cheer and invigorate the fainting soul; while, surrounded by enemies, it is accomplishing its pilgrimage through life; during which time its sorrows and afflictions are alleviated and sweetened by the joys and consolations of the Holy One; by the feast of a good conscience; by the bread of life; the oil of gladness, and the cup of salvation still full and running over."Horne. Verse 6. Surely goodness and mercy-That is, PSALM XXIV. This Psalm is generally thought to have been composed by David, upon that solemn occasion of bringing the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom, into the tabernacle which David had built for it, 2 Sam. vi. Wherein he hath a further prospect to the temple, which he earnestly desired and intended to build. Moreover because the tabernacle, and temple, and ark, were manifest types of Christ, and of his church, and of the place and state of heavenly glory, David extended his thoughts to them also; or, at least, the Holy Ghost designed to comprehend them under these typical expressions. Bishop Lowth, in his twenty-seventh lecture, has beautifully delineated the plan of this Psalm. The ark of God is supposed to be moving in a grand and solemn procession of the whole Israelitish nation toward the place of its future residence on God's power PSALM XXIV. over the world. mount Sion. See 1 Chron. xv. On ascending the mountain the Psalm is sung, declaring, 1, 2, The sovereignty of Jehovah over all the earth; describing, 3-6, What the character ought to be of that people whom he had more peculiarly selected to serve him in the house where his glory was to dwell; and of which, 7–10, it was now about to take possession. All this is by us to be applied to the Christian Church, and the ascension of our Lord into heaven; for which reason this Psalm is one of those appointed to be used on Ascension Day. NOTES ON PSALM XXIV. mount Gerizim, and the other six on the opposite Verse 1. The earth is the Lord's-The psalmist mount, Ebel. And Nehemiah mentions two compabegins with a representation of God's dominion over nies of them that gave thanks, Neh. xii. 31, whereof this world in general, and his providential presence one went to the right hand, verse 38, and the other in every part of it. After which follows a declara- over against them, verse 40. In like manner he tion of his special presence in his tabernacle. And thinks, at the solemn placing of the ark in Zion, the the fulness thereof-All the creatures are the Lord's, two choirs of singers might stand, one on one side and especially the inhabitants wherewith the earth of the tabernacle, and the other on the other, and is replenished. God's general dominion over, and repeat this Psalm. Dr. Delaney, improving on this interest in, all persons and places, seem to be here idea, imagines that the king began the concert premised and asserted, 1st, To show his right to choose "with a solemn and sonorous recitative" of the first any nation that he pleased to be his peculiar people: || verse. The chorus, he thinks, was then divided, 2d, To set forth his singular kindness and mercy to and each sung in their turns, both joining in the Israel, whom he chose out of all the nations of the close, For he hath founded it upon the seas, &c. world to be near to him, and to have a special ac- This part of the music, he supposes, lasted till the quaintance with him, although, otherwise, he had no procession reached the foot of the hill of Sion, and other relation to them than what he had to all man- that then the king stepped forth, and began in a kind, namely, that of Creator and Governor: and, 3d, solemn tone, Who shall ascend, &c. Then the To demonstrate the excellence of the Jewish reli- first chorus of singers answered, Even he that hath gion above all others, because the God whom they clean hands, &c. The second chorus, That hath served was the God and Maker of the world, whereas not lift up, &c., to the end of the 6th verse. "Let the gods of the Gentiles were but dumb and deaf this part of the music," says he, "be supposed idols, and esteemed even by themselves to be but local have lasted till they reached the gates of the city. and confined deities. Then the king began again in that most sublime and heavenly strain, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, &c., which all repeated in chorus. The persons appointed to keep the gates (or, perhaps, the matrons of Jerusalem, meeting David there, as they did Saul, upon his return from the conquest of the Philistines, 1 Sam. xviii.) are supposed next to have Who sung, is the king of glory? and the first and second chorus to have answered, It is the Lord, strong and mighty, &c. And now let us suppose the instruments to take up the same airs, (the king, the princes, and the matrons moving to the measure,) and to continue them to the gates of the court of the tabernacle: then let the king again begin: Lift up your heads, O ye gates, &c., and be followed and an Verse 2. For he hath founded it-Justly have I said, that the earth is the Lord's, for he made it, and laid the foundation of it, and that in a wonderful manner; upon the seas-By the seas and floods he means the whole collection of waters, as well the sea and rivers running into it as that great abyss of waters which is contained in the bowels of the earth. This is here mentioned as an evidence of God's wise and gracious providence, that he hath erected so vast a building upon so weak a foundation as the waters are: for "the waters which, at the creation, and again at the deluge, overspread all things, being, by the power of God, driven down into the great deep, and there confined, the earth was, in a wonderful manner, constructed and established as a kind of cir-swered as before: all closing-instruments soundcular arch upon, or over them."-Horne. Verse 3. Who shall ascend, &c.-Dr. Hammond infers from the composition of this Psalm, that it was intended to be sung by two companies or choirs, the one answering the other. To strengthen his conjecture that it was actually performed so, he observes, that upon very solemn occasions (and such this was) it was usual with the Jews to separate themselves, to divide into two companies, one standing on one side, and the other on the other. Thus, so long ago as Moses's time, six tribes stood on ing, chorus singing, people shouting-He is the King of glory. How others may think upon the point," adds he, "I cannot say, (nor pretend to describe,) but for my own part I have no notion of hearing, or of any man's having seen or heard, any thing so great, so solemn, so celestial, on this side the gates of heaven." Leaving the reader to judge of this hypothesis as it shall appear to him, we return to the consideration of some of the expressions occurring in the verses thus referred to. The hill of the Lord, mentioned in this verse, (verse 3,) was Sion, or Mo |