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PSALM XXXIV.

THE title refers the composing of this psalm to the occasion when David changed his behaviour before Abimelech, called Achish; (1 Sam. xxi. 10.) but upon what ground we know not. This song of praise for the deliverance vouchsafed, upon whatever occasion, is expressed in language very proper to be employed by every Christian in celebrating the deliverance of a greater than David, from far more formidable foes and dangers, and of himself from all his fears, his troubles and adversaries through faith in his name.

1 GOD will I bless all times; his praise

My mouth shall still express.

2 My soul shall boast in God: the meek
Shall hear with joyfulness.

3 Extol the LORD with me, let us
Exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, he heard, and did
Me from all fears deliver.

5 They look'd to him, and lightened were:
Not shamed were their faces.

6 This poor man cry'd, God heard, and sav'd
Him from all his distresses.

Notes on Psalm XXXIV. Verses. 1-7. David here, delivered from his enemies, records a song of praise in language adapted to the use of Christians, in celebrating the triumphs of Messiah and his people over far more formida! le adversaries; of which the former was a figure and pledge. Here, as in other psalms, he may be viewed as the chief speaker, and the royal prophet as only his organ. As Messiah delivered David from all his fears, so was he delivered by the Father. They that leck to the Sun of Righteousness, shall be enlightened by his rays; and their faces shall not be ashamed. However destitute David occasionally was, yet Christ was emphatically the poor man, who became so for cur sakes, that he might make many rich. As a peor man, He cried to the Father, who heard Him, and saved him out of all his troubles; that the poor, miserable, wretched, blind and naked sens of Adam might obtain a gracious audience, and be saved out of all their troubles.-The case of Elisha 2 Kings vi. 17. affords a comment on the 7th verse; but the angel of the LORD here denotes, by way of eminence, Messiah, who encamps round about them that fear him, and delivereth them as their Almighty Saviour. As he was present in the camp of Israel, in the pillar of cloud

7 The angel of the LORD encamps,
And round encompasseth

All those about that do him fear,
And them delivereth.

8 O taste and see that God is good:
Who trusts in him is bless'd.

9 Fear God his saints: none that him fear
Shall be with want oppress'd.

10 The lions young may hungry be,
And they may lack their food;
But they that truly seek the LORD,
Shall not lack any good.

11 O children, hither do ye come,
And unto me give ear;

I shall you teach to understand How ye the LORD should fear. 12 What man is he that life desires, To see good would live long? 13 Thy lips refrain from speaking guile, And from ill words thy tongue.

and fire; so is he still in the Christian church; and where He thus is, his angels are as ministering spirits, to minister to the heirs of salvation, as in the case of the prophet. How safe and honourable are they who have such life guards, though invisible to eyes of flesh!

As in the preceding verses, the prophet invites his brethren to rejoice with him, and magnify the LORD for the favour and protection he had granted him, in the time of danger and trouble; so in verses 8-10. he exhorts us to come and experience his goodness to those that fear him, and assures us that such as trust in him are blessed. The mystical lions, the cruel oppressors of the earth, as well as the natural ones, may lack and suffer hunger; but they that fear the LORD shall not want any good thing, shall enjoy whatever he sees to be conducive to their happiHe who is the Everlasting Father, and the great prophet of his Church, for the above purpose, addresses us here in character.-Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. How mournful to reflect, that so many reject his kind offer to teach them the good and right way, and to guide them in it!

ness.

In verses 11-14. He instructs us in the nature and blessed effects of God's fear, or of that holy filial reverence which is the beginning of wisdom, or the source of true religion in the inward man.

14 Depart from ill, do good, seek peace,
Pursue it earnestly.

15 God's eyes are on the just; his ears
Are open to their cry.

16 The face of God is set against
Those that do wickedly,`

That he may quite out from the earth
Cut off their memory.

17 The righteous cry unto the LORD,
He unto them gives ear;

And they out of their troubles all
By him deliver'd are.

18 The LORD is ever nigh to them,
That be of broken sp'rit;

To them he safety doth afford
That are in heart contrite,

19 The troubles that afflict the just
In number many be;

But yet at length out of them all
The LORD doth set him free.

20. He carefully his bones doth keep,
Whatever can befall;

That not so much as one of them.

Can broken be at all.

The

From verse 15. to the 22d, the Psalmist descants on the certainty of redemption from all the tribulations of the faithful in the present state, and of the rest of mankind in the state to come. The happiness of the righteous, and the misery of the wicked are here contrasted. face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. This, no doubt, includes their death as a prelude to future misery. As the venerable Translators did not see the prospect of any deliverance after death, they supply, the righteous, next verse, which hath nothing corresponding to it in the original, which is, They cry, and the LORD heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles. This is to take place after the remembrance of them is cut off; which cannot be while human records are kept. The original verb includes its relative pronoun they, they cry, and the Lord heareth; whence it is quite improper to overleap a verse for an antecedent. This is the language of his Spirit, and is therefore to be preferred to the supplement of er

21 Ill shall the wicked slay; laid waste
Shall be who hate the just.

22 The LORD redeems his servants' souls;
None perish that him trust.

PSALM XXXV.

THAT the slanders and persecutions of David, by Saul and his servants, led to compose this psalm, appears from the subject of it, and from the history of that monarch's life. But here, as ever elsewhere in this Book, a greater than David is to be found, whom the mystical Saul and his servants have ever slandered and persecuted, in his person, while on earth, and in his character and members to this day. It therefore presents us, with an example of faith, patience, and prayer in such cases, as a pattern or our imitation, and encouragement to persevere, from the joyful issue of such trials.

1 PLEAD, LORD, with those that plead; and fight,

With those that fight with me.

2 Of shield and buckler take thou hold,

Stand up mine help to be.

3 Draw also out the spear, and do
Against them stop the way
That me pursue; unto my soul,
I'm thy salvation, say.

ring men, be they ever so learned and pious. Are we to reject that language, because it holds forth a doctrine, which is, unhappily unpopu➡ lar among Christians? Though evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate; yet is it Messiah's province to heal and make alive those who are wounded and slain; and also to repair the ruins and desolations of the many generations. The execution of threa❤ tenings was not intended to supersede the accomplishment of promises in their season; nor can they have any such effect under the Divine govern

ment.

Notes on Psalm XXXV. King David in this Psalm, as in the xxiid, which it resembles, personates Messiah, in his state of humiliation and sufferings. In verses 1-3. he beseeches the LORD to interpose in his behalf, and makes use of military terms and phrases; whence we may infer that it is Jehovah Messiah whom he addresses, the Father sustaining ne character to which such language or figures can apply.

4 They shall confounded be and sham'd
That for my soul have sought:

Who plot my hurt turn'd back shall they,
And to confusion brought.

5 They shall be like unto the chaff
That flies before the wind;
So shall the angel of the LORD
Pursue them hard behind.

6 With darkness thou shalt veil their way,
And it shall slipp'ry prove;

Then shall the angel of the Lord

Pursue them from above.

7 For without cause have they for me
Their net hid in a pit';
They also have without a cause
For my soul digged it.

8 Him seize shall ruin unawares;
His net he hid withal

Himself shall catch; and in the same

Destruction shall he fall.

9 My soul in God shall joy; and glad

In his salvation be:

In verses 4-8. he foretels the confusion of his enemies; for the verbs might be more properly rendered in the future. They are represented as chaff driven before the wind, and their way as dark and slippery; while the angel of the LORD chases, and closely pursues them. The reason is assigned in the 7th verse, and the 8th predicts the destruction that should overtake them at unawares, the very destruction which they intended for others. Here the plural passes into the singular, though to be understood collectively, probably with particular eye to Saul, Ahitophel, Judas, and the great destroyer, Abaddon. Were not these things awfully executed by Messiah, that great Angel of the LORD, upon the impenitent Jews? and have not all false Christians, individually and collectively, reason to dread the terrible execution of the like judgments? Saul lost the kingdom which he thought to have secured by persecuting David, and also his life;. and the Jews who pleaded the necessity of Christ's death, to prevent the Romans from taking away their place and nation, for that reason were deprived of both by these very Romans.

In verses 9, 10. the Psalmist predicts his own triumph and consequent joy, as a figure and pledge of those of Messiah, and of his faithful fol