David promises

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Spirit from me.

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11 Cast me not away from thy || shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. A. M. 2970.
presence; and take not thy Holy 15 O LORD, open thou my lips,
and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else
would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt-
offering.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

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17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

human virtue, and to raise the power and price of humble penitence, to abate the pride of self-suffi

fast disposition or temper of soul, that I may not be shaken and cast down by temptation, as I have been, but that my resolution may be fixed and immoveable.ciency, and support the hope of frailty! Who can He says, wn, chaddesh, renew, because he had had confide in his own strength when he sees a David this good temper, in a great measure, before his late fall? Who can despair of divine mercy when he apostacy, and here prays that it might be restored to sees him forgiven? Sad triumph of sin over all that him with increase. Within me--Hebrew, p, is great and excellent in man! Glorious triumph of bekirbi, in my inward parts. Thus he wisely strikes repentance over all that is shameful and dreadful in at the root and cause of all sinful actions. sin!" Book iv. chap. 24.

Verses 11, 12. Cast me not away from thy presence-That is, from thy favour and care. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me-Thy sanctifying Spirit, by which alone I can have acquaintance and fellowship with thee. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation—The comfortable sense of thy saving grace, promised and vouchsafed to me, both for my present and everlasting salvation. And uphold me -A weak and frail creature, not able to stand against temptation and the corruption of my nature, without thy powerful and gracious succours; with thy free Spirit-Or ingenuous, liberal, or princely, which he seems to oppose to his own base, illiberal, disingenuous, and servile spirit, which he had discovered in his wicked and unworthy practices. And he now desires a better spirit of God, which might free him from the bondage of sin, and incline and enable him freely, cheerfully, and constantly to run the way of God's precepts.

Verses 14, 15. Deliver me from blood-guiltinessHebrew, DD, middamim, from bloods, because he had been the cause of the death, not only of Uriah, but of others of the Lord's people with him, 2 Sam. xi. 17. My tongue shall sing of thy righteousness, of thy faithfulness in making good thy promises; or, rather, of thy clemency and goodness, as the word righteousness often signifies. Open thou my lips-Which are shut with shame, and grief, and horror. Restore unto me the opportunity, ability, and liberty which I formerly had of speaking to thee in prayer and praise, and to my fellow-creatures, by way of instruction, reproof, or exhortation, with freedom and boldness. And my mouth shall show forth thy praise-In thy mercy and thy faithfulness remember thy gracious promises, and accomplish them, notwithstanding my unworthiness, and, as I shall be furnished with new motives and occasions for gratitude and thankfulness, my mouth shall everywhere declare thy goodness, to thy perpetual praise and glory.

Verse 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy way-Thy will and their duty, and the way to eternal happiness; or, rather, the manner of thy dealing Verses 16, 17. For thou desirest not sacrificewith sinners, whom thou dost so severely chastise Which is not to be understood absolutely and unifor their sins, and yet so graciously receive to mercy versally, as appears from verse 19, but comparativeupon their repentance. Both which I will show ly, (see on Psalm xl. 6,) and with particular respect them in my own example, for I will make known to David's crimes of murder and adultery, which unto them my fall and recovery, through thy grace, were not to be expiated by any sacrifice, but, accordalthough I shall thereby publish, not only thy good-ing to the law of God, were to be punished with ness, but my own shame, which I shall most willing- death. Thou requirest more and better sacrifices, ly bear, that I may, in some measure, repair the namely, such as are mentioned verse 17. Else injury which I have done to thy cause and to my would I give it-I should have spared no cost of fellow-creatures, by my public and scandalous that kind. The sacrifices of God-Which God, in crimes. And sinners shall be converted unto thee—such cases as mine, requires, and will accept; are a I persuade myself that my endeavours shall not want broken spirit, &c.-A heart deeply afflicted and success; and that either thy justice and severity on grieved for sin, humbled under a sense of God's disthe one hand, or thy goodness and clemency on the pleasure, and earnestly seeking, and willing to other, will bring some sinners to repentance. Cer-accept of, reconciliation with God upon any terms: tainly, as Dr. Delaney observes in this verse, this instance of David's miserable fall and happy restoration is well "fitted to mortify the vanity and merit of

see Isa. lvii. 15, and lxi. 2, and lxvi. 2; Matt. xi. 28. This is opposed to that hard or stony heart, of which we read so often, which implies an insensibility of

PSALM LII.

In this Psalm, (for the occasion of which the reader is referred to 1 Sam. xxii. 22,) we have, (1,) The character of Doeg, who is represented as glorying in his villany, 1. Of a smooth, but extremely deceitful and mischievous tongue, 2. As delighting in malicious charges, and supporting them by lies, 3. And taking pleasure in acts of wickedness and cruelty, 4. (2) The utter ruin of this man, and of his fortune and family, foretold, and the triumph of good men in that event, 5. (3) The psalmist's assurance of protection and future prosperity from God, whom he determines to praise, patiently waiting for his salvation, 8, 9.

To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, || goodness of God endureth continu- A. M. 2946. 'when Doeg the Edomite came and 2 told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

The psalmist's confidence

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4 Thou lovest all devouring words, || strength; but trusted in the abun- A. M. 2946. O thou deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

dance of his riches, and strengthened
himself in his 5 wickedness.

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8 But I i am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it and I will wait on thy name; for it

7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his is good before thy saints.

3 Or, and the deceitful tongue.- -Heb, beat thee down. - Prov. ii. 22. Job xxii. 19; Psa. xxxvii. 34; xl. 3; lxiv. 9; Mal.

displayed in sparing thee, amidst thy complicated crimes, who art continually doing evil; while he is continually doing good.

Verse 2. Thy tongue deviseth mischief--That is, expresses what thy wicked mind had devised. Thus skilfulness is ascribed to those hands which are governed by a skilful man, Psa. lxxviii. 72. Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully--Wherewith a person, pretending only to shave off the hair, doth suddenly and unexpectedly cut a man's throat. So Doeg, pretending only to vindicate himself from the imputation of disloyalty, 1 Sam. xxii. 8, really intended to expose the priests, who were friends to David, to the king's fury and cruelty.

i. 5. Psa. lviii. 10.-h Psalm xlix. 6.-3 Or, substance. i Jeremiah xi. 16; Hosea xiv. 6.-k Psalm liv. 6.

will carefully observe; and observe, though with awe, yet thankfulness; not that they rejoice to see the punishments and miseries of mankind, separately considered; no person of humanity taking pleasure in the execution of criminals as such; but as the administration of justice is always a right, and, so far, a pleasant thing; as instances of God's vengeance are sometimes necessary to keep men in tolerable order; and as the cutting off such kind of incorrigi ble offenders prevents them from doing further mischiefs, and is so far a public and common blessing to mankind. It was therefore impossible that any good man, who had seen the crimes of this treacherous and bloody Edomite retaliated on him by Divine Providence, should do otherwise than approve so righteous a retribution, and when he observed it, forbear to say, as in verse 7, Lo, this is the man, &c." -The great and famous man, that made not God his strength--That trusted in and feared Saul more than God, and was willing to purchase Saul's favour with God's displeasure; but trusted in the abundance of his riches--Thought himself secure in his great and growing wealth without God's protection or bless"Observe the fate of this haughty slanderer and murderer! Where now are all his boasted riches and prosperity?" He and they are separated for ever! See Dodd and Chandler.

Verses 4, 5. Thou lovest all devouring wordsHebrew, 77, dibree balang, all the words of devouring, or destruction; that is, such calumnies as are the most pernicious in their nature, and as may most effectually involve others in utter destruc- || tion: such as might swallow up and destroy a whole family at once. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever--That is, totally and unavoidably, as thou didst destroy the priests. He shall pluck thee-Violently, irresistibly, and suddenly remove thee, as the wording. 772, jissachacha, signifies; out of thy dwellingplace-From thy house and lands, and all the wages of thy unrighteousness. Or, out of his, that is, the Lord's tabernacle, from which thou didst cut off the Lord's priests. Therefore God shall excommunicate thee from his presence, and from the society of the faithful. And though thou seemest to have taken very deep root, and to be more firmly settled in this barbarous cruelty; yet God shall root thee out of the land of the living, out of this world; shall pluck thee up by the very roots, and destroy thee, both root and branch. Which must have been very terrible to him who had his whole portion in this

life.

Verses 6,7. The righteous also shall see--Namely, thy remarkable downfall, and, consequently, shall survive thee, in spite of all thy malice and violence against them; and fear-Shall reverence God's just judgment upon thee, and be afraid of provoking him. And shall laugh at him-Not taking pleasure in his ruin, considered in itself, but only in the glory of God's justice vindicated thereby, (Rev. xviii. 20,) and deriding his vain and carnal confidence in his wicked courses. "The peculiar judgments of God, executed upon exemplary offenders, who have been guilty of treachery, rapine, and murder, good men

Verse 8. I am like a green olive-tree-When Doeg and his brethren shall wither and perish, I, who have made God my refuge; I, whom he despised and persecuted, and thought to be in a desperate condition, shall be established and flourish; in the house of God--In God's church, and among his people; or, in God's tabernacle, from which Doeg shall be plucked away; but to which, I doubt not, I shall be restored. "One principal part of the happiness David promised himself was, that he should have a constant admission to the house of God, and the solemnities of his worship there; notwithstanding he was now driven from it by the malice of his enemies." As "the olive-tree is an evergreen, and therefore of long duration," and as it also "propagates itself by fresh shoots, being thus far, as it were, immortal; hence the psalmist compares himself to it, to denote the stability and perpetuity of his prosperity, and that of his family; adding, I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever-His promises shall never fail; nor shall those who hate me rejoice over me in my destruction."

Verse 9. I will praise thee because thou hast done

The occasion of this Psalm, which varies but little from the fourteenth, and for which variation it is not easy to account, is supposed to have been the next revolt which the Israelites in general made, immediately after the rebellion of Absalom, before David had quite recovered Jerusalem, and upon the quarrel which arose between the men of Judah and the men of Israel, about precedency in bringing back the king. 2 Sam. xx. 2. See the contents of Psalm xiv., and the notes upon it. To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, 4 Have the workers of iniquity no A. M. 2981. A Psalm of David. knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called

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a fool hath said in his heart, 1021. THE There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Title. Upon Mahalath-This also seems to be the name of a musical instrument or tune. It is rendered, by Dr. Waterland, upon the hollow instruments; and by Houbigant, upon the chorus. With respect to many of such titles, it is better to confess our ignorance, as the Jewish doctors themselves do, than to give way to groundless conjectures about them. Verse 5. Where no fear was-Where there was no great or sufficient cause of fear. They who designed to secure themselves from all fear and danger, by their contempt of God, and by the persecution of good men, and by other wicked courses, were, by these means, filled with the terrors which they sought to avoid. For God hath scattered the bones, &c.-Hath not only broken the bones, that is, their strength and force, which are often signified by bones; but also dispersed them hither and thither,

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so that there is no hope of a restoration. Of him that encampeth against thee-That is, against thy people, expressed verse 4, or Israel, or Zion, as it is in the next verse. Many refer this to Sheba, who blew the trumpet of rebellion afresh, 2 Sam. xx. 2, and who, being left at last to shift for himself, was shut up in the city of Abel, and there taken and beheaded; after which, it is thought, his body was exposed to the fowls of the air, or the wild beasts, insomuch that his bones were at last scattered. Thou hast put them to shame-Thou, O Zion, or Jerusalem, or thou church of God, for the great and strange disappointment of their hopes and confidence; because God hath despised them--Or rejected them. Therefore it is no wonder if they could not stand before thee.

Verse 6. O that the salvation, &c.-See on Psalm xiv. 7.

PSALM LIV.

The psalmist prays to God for protection, 1, 2. Represents his danger from lawless and oppressive men, who sought after his life, 3. Encourages himself by faith and hope in God, 4, 5. Declares his resolution to render a sacrifice of thanks

giving, 6, 7.

Title. When the Ziphims came-When they convenience to themselves; but with a willing and sought to betray him a second time.

Verses 1-3. Save me by thy name-That is, by thy own strength, as the next words explain it, because I have no other refuge. Or, for thy name, for thy own glory, which is concerned in my deliverance. And judge me-Give sentence for me, or plead my cause. For strangers are risen up against me-The Ziphites, whom, though Israelites, he calls strangers in regard of their barbarous and perfidious conduct toward him, by which they showed themselves to be estranged from God, as the wicked are said to be, Psa. lviii. 3, and from the commonwealth of Israel, and from all the laws of piety and humanity. For which causes he calls such persons heathen, Psa. lix. 5, and elsewhere. They have not set God before them-They have cast off all regard to his presence and authority, and all fear of his judgments.

Verses 4, 5. Behold, God is my helper-Consider it, and see the vanity of all your wicked practices against me. The Lord is with them that uphold my soul-He fights for them, and on my behalf, and therefore against all mine enemies. He shall reward evil to mine enemies-He shall bring upon themselves the mischief they intended for me. Cut them off in thy truth-For, or according to, thy truth; whereby thou art engaged to fulfil thy promises made to me, and thy threatenings denounced against thine and mine implacable enemies.

Verses 6, 7. I will freely sacrifice, &c.-Not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to

cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices. I will praise thy name, for it is good— Thy name is not only great, but good, and therefore to be praised. And to praise thy name is not only our duty, but our interest and our happiness. It is pleasant and profitable; good for us, as well as reasonable, just, and good in itself. For he hath de livered me out of all trouble--Hebrew, 173 422, michal tzarah, from every strait. Or, as the Seventy render it, ex maons hopews, out of every affliction. He speaks of his deliverance as already effected, either to express his assurance of it, or because this Psalm was made after it was wrought. And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies--Not seen them cut off and ruined, but forced to retreat; tidings being brought to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land, 1 Sam. xxiii. 27, 28. All that David desired was to see himself safe: and when he saw Saul draw off his forces, he saw his desire. The words, his desire, however, are not in the Hebrew, which may be properly rendered, mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies, that is, "mine enemies came near enough to be seen by me, and that was all. God kept them from coming near me, so that they have all been disappointed of their prey." This was the very case with David. He saw his enemies with pleasure at a distance, and he enjoyed the sight; especially when they marched off and left him to escape. His deliverance was great, and was manifestly the work of God, and he gave God the glory of it.

PSALM LV.

From the complaint which the psalmist makes in the middle of this Psalm, that his greatest confidant proved treacherous to him, it seems probable that it was composed when Absalom's rebellion broke out, and he was forced to flee suddenly from Jerusalem, and as he was going barefoot up the mount of Olives, (he and all his company weeping,) to increase his sorrow, was informed that Ahithophel also was among the conspirators, 2 Sam. xv. 31. Immediately he had recourse to God in prayer for support and relief, beseeching him to turn the counsel which Ahithophel might give Absalom into foolishness, and disappoint the conspirators. And it is probable, as soon as he came to a place where he could rest and retire himself, he spread before God his distressed condition more largely in this Psalm, in which there are many excellences. description of his own distress is very pathetic, and the occasion of it such as must deeply affect any man of real virtue and

His