In a plain path, because of those

That hatred bear to me.

12 Give me not to mine en'mies will;
For witnesses that lie

Against me risen are, and such
As breathe out cruelty.

13 I fainted had, unless that I
Believed had to see

The LORD's own goodness in the land
Of them that living be.

14 Wait on the LORD, and be thou strong,
And he shall strength afford

Unto thine heart; yea, do thou wait,
I say, upon the LORD.

of old. He must also lead us in a plain path, made so by his grace else we soon err or stumble; and for all his we earnestly and daily pray because of our enemies, that ever watch for an opportunity to do us hurt.

Verse 12. Deliver me not over into the will of mine enemies, &c. David's prayer and complaint here might be often that of his and our Lord; for against him false witnesses rose, and breathed out cruelty, Those that would be faithful in their day must lay their account with a similar treatment from the world, or Christians in their carcase state. But as the prayer of David and our Lord obtained complete deliverance in due time; so will it also be with all who suffer in the like cause; for their prayers will obtain an answer of peace.

Verse 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. The earth is the land of the dying, but the Church, and heaven especially, is the land of the living, where his people shall see or enjoy the goodness of Jehovah, or that fulness of bless which Christ possesses, and lives and reigns in heaven to bestow.

Verse 14. The Psalmist excites himself to wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and adds, he shall strengthen thine heart. He repeats the exhortation-wait, I say, on the LORD. The contents of this psalm naturally led to the conclusion, and will all those who have like precious faith, till their warfare be accomplished, and the cares and sorrows of time shall terminate in the full fruition of eternity. In this exercise our Lord hath set us an example all the days of his life; and blessed is the servant who is found so doing when his Master cometh.

THIS psalm, like the XXII. appears to be spoken in the person of Christ. Like that it consists of two parts,-a description of a state of great danger, distress and affliction, exciting to corresponding prayers; and an expressive song of triumph, which concludes with intercession for the Church.

1 To thee, I'll cry, O LORD my rock;

Hold not thy peace to me;

Lest like those that to pit descend

I by thy silence be.

The voice hear of my humble

When unto thee I cry;

When to thine holy oracle

I lift mine hands on high.

pray'rs,

3 With ill men draw me not away

That work iniquity;

That speak peace to their friends, while in

Their hearts doth mischief lie.

4 Give them according to their deeds.

And ills endeavoured:

Notes upon Psalm XXVIII. Verse 1. Unto thee will I cry, OLORD, &c. The literal David may be viewed here as praying for protection from his enemies, who sought his life and Messiah as deprecating in his own behalf, and that of his mystical body, the dominion of death. and the grave.

Verses 2, 3. Hear the voice of my supplications, &c. What he here so earnestly supplicates may be seen in the 3d verse, Draw me not away with the wicked, or, in other words, Let me not die the death of the wicked, or let them not triumph over me in death. The wicked are described as workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbour, while. mischief is in their hearts; which makes it the more necessary to pray to God to preserve from their flatteries and snares.

Verse 4. As the Hebrews often use verbs of the imperative mood for the future, whence they are not proper imprecations, but predictions; as this verse might be rendered-Thou shalt give them according to their deeds, and to the wickedness of their endeavours: thou shalt give them after the works of their hands shalt render to them their desert.

Se such

And as their handy works deserve,

To them be rendered.

5 God shall not build, but them destroy,
Who would not understand

The LORD's Own works, nor did regard

The doing of his hand.

6 For ever blessed be the Lord,

For graciously he heard

The voice of my petitions,

And prayers did regard.

7 The LORD's my strength and shield; my heart:
Upon him did rely;

8

And I am helped: hence my heart

Doth joy exceedingly ;

And with my song I will him praise..

Their strength is God alone:

He also is the saving strength.

Of his anointed One.

passages only fortel the just retribution of Messiah's vengeance upon the unbelieving Jews, and on all impenitent sinners in every age of the world, who make their crimes their own..

Verse 5. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, &c. Because the Jews did not regard Messiah's works or Miracles among them, nor the works of his mercy and judgment after his ascension, these opera, tions of his hands, he destroyed them and did not build them up as a nation or a church; and so fulfilled this prophecy These things are written and have been done for the admonition of Gentile Christians; and there is not a revealed work of God but demands our attention upon the same penalty, and sure not the Restoration.

Verses 6, 7. Blessed be the LORD, &c. As David, so Christ, lifted up his head in triumph, and celebrated the praises of his God. His whole mystical body will do so in due time. What Messiah was to David, his strength and shield, that was the Father to our Lord, and that will he be to all his people, strength to their inner man, and a shield to defend them from every danger. Their heart may therefore greatly rejoice, and with their song will they praise him.

Verse 8. The LORD is their strength, &c. Here the singular, all along used, passes into the plural. The last clause literally rendered is, He is the saving strength of his Christ, in and by whom all others obtain salvation; He being emphatically the salvation of Israel, See Rom. xvii. 11.

9 O thine own people do thou save,
Bless thine inheritance;

Them also do thou feed, and them
For evermore advance.

PSALM XXIX.

Ir this psalm was written, as some think, upon the occasion of a thunder storm, in the time of battle, by which David's enemies were intimidated, and his victory over them facilitated, this may help us to the true sense. The rulers of the world are here exhorted to give glory to God, in the manifestation of his power and majesty by thunder, lightning, earthquake, and other effects of it. This leads him to advert to his protection and blessing of his people. As thunder and lightning in the natural world, and the word of God in the spiritual, are equally called his voice, and accompanied with similar effects; what is said here of the former ought to be applied to the latter, in order to understand the full import of this Psalm.

1 GIVE ye unto the LORD, ye sons

That of the mighty be,

All strength and glory to the LORD
With cheerfulness give ye.

Verse 9. Save thy people, &c. This prayer from the lips of David included all bis subjects. But the faithful are called kings and priests, and in their collective capacity-the Lamb's wife. When we speak of the king's people, do we mean only the nobles, the princes of the blood, and the queen?-Are not even subjects in rebellion included in that character? The next clause-and bless thine inheritance shews who they are when compared with Ps. ii. 8. and cxxvii. 3. even all nations, and the whole fruit of the womb. Ps. lxxxvi. 9. deprives Christians of the common use of their pruning knife, in taking from, and so adding to the word of God, making his promises partial and limited, and bis threatenings unbounded. We hence infer that the LORD will save his people, and bless his inheritance; feed them also, and lift them up for ever; which may he graciously hasten in its season.

Notes on Psalm XXIX. Verse 1. Give, or ascribe unto the LORD, &c. 0 ye mighty, Heb. ye sons of Elohim, or the mighty Ones. As the rulers of Israel are to be understood in the first instance, who had Messiah for their immediate official king; he is therefore the Jehovah, whose sons and subjects they were, and who are therefore here commanded repeatedly to pay him divine homage. The reasons are assigned. Here also we have a plain proof of a plurality in Deity, and that Messiah is Jehovah,

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2 Unto the LORD the glory give
That to his name is due;

And in the beauty of holiness
Unto JEHOVAH bow.

3 The LORD's voice on the waters is;
The God of majesty

Doth thunder, and on multitudes
Of waters sitteth he.

4. A pow'rful voice it is that comes
Out from the LORD most high;

The voice of that great LORD is full
Of glorious majesty.

5 The voice of the Eternal doth

Asunder cedars tear;

the object of religious worship, to whom glory and strength are to be ascribed by his subjects, the kings and rulers of the earth, who are called the sons of the mighty Ones. From this we infer their future recovery to God without exception.

Verse 2. Give unto the LORD the glory due to his name; Heb. the honour of his name &c. And is not glory due to Messiah's saving name? Here the persons addressed are commanded to worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness, or in his glorious sanctuary, as on margin. This is a farther proof that Messiah is intended, who is represented as sitting between the cherubims, and over the mercy seat. Elsewhere the command is given, Let all the angels of God worship him, Ps. xcvii. 7. Ps. lxxxii. 6. Heb. i. 9. See, Ps. xcvi.

Verse 3. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters, &c. In the watery clouds the voice of his thunder is heard; upon the great sea of this world his voice is also heard and felt; and the Church knoweth what his voice can effect upon the waters of the sanctuary. Upon these many waters Jehovah shall sit as King; and therefore rulers and people should praise and adore him.

Verse 4. The voice of the LORD is powerful; &c. Of the power and majesty of his voice, when he speaks in thunder in the clouds, few men are insensible; and the beasts of the field, and the fish of the sea, appear to be impressed by it. When he utters his voice, as he is doing at this day, the earth, or its inhabitants, is said to melt.

When he spoke to Jews and Gentiles by his apostles, these sons of thunder, his voice was found by millions to be powerful and full of majesty, even the gospel, that voice of Jesus.

Verse 5. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars, &c. Thunder often breaks in pieces the strongest trees in a moment. As fruit-bearing