17 Thy name remember'd I will make Through ages all to be; The people, therefore, evermore Another of the same. 1 My heart inditing is Good matter in a song: I speak the things that I have made, 2 Thou'rt fairest of all men; Verse 17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations; &c. By this view, and this alone, can we see how Messiah's glorious name shall be gratefully remembered in, to, or by all generations of mankind, though they should extend to a thousand, having declared, He hath remembered, the style of proph. y, his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, Ps. cv. 8. That word or oath includes the grant of a land of promise on earth to those who shall not inherit above; whence, as in Ps. lxxii. 17. Messiah's name shall be con tinued, Heb. propagated in a new race, as long as the sun, or before the sun; and men shall thence be blessed in him, or mankind; and all nations shall call him blessed, having been previously blessed by him. This carnot consist with all the nations that forget God being cast into hell, if to remain there without end, Ps. ix. 17. See also Ps. lxxii. 8. It is evident to a demonstration, that this Psalm celebrates a connection infinitely more interresting to mankind than that of Solomon to Pharoh's daughter, from which his people derived as little benefit as a modern nation from the affinity of their Ruler to an ancient idolatrous house. The whole human race are concerned in this divine song; which thence concludes; therefore shall the people, or mankind, praise Thee for ecer and ever, Amen. 3 Thy sword gird on thy thigh, Thou that art most of might: And in thy glory bright. 4 For meekness, truth, and right, And thy right hand shall teach to thee 5 Thy shafts shall pierce their hearts The people thou shalt bring. 6 Thy royal seat, O LORD, The sceptre of thy kingdom doth For God, thy God, most high, 8 Of myrrh and spices sweet. Whereby they made thee glad. 9. And in thy glorious train Kings' daughters waiting stand; 10 O daughter, take good heed, Thou must forget thy kindred all, 11 Thy beauty to the King Shall then delightful be: And do thou humbly worship him, 12 The daughter then of Tyre 13 The daughter of the King 14 She cometh to the King In robes with needle wrought; 16 And in thy fathers' stead, Thy children thou may'st take, Therefore the people evermore PSALM XLVI. THE writer's name is not prefixed to this Psalm, but it is supposed to refer to David's great success mentioned 2 Sam. vii. and the happy state of things which succeeded. If so, he himself may be the writer of it. It is inscribed to the chief musician, to be used by the sons of Korah in the service of the sanctuary. It contains a lively expression of the fiducial trust, and safe condition of the church under the care of her deliverance from the formidable attempts of surrounding nations, that are exhorted to acknowlege his interposition in behalf of his people, to the glory of his name. He is still the God of Zion, 1 GOD is our refuge and our strength, In straits a present aid; 2 Therefore although the earth remove, 3 Though hills amidst the seas be cast; 4 A river is, whose streams do glad The holy place, wherein the LORD Notes on Psalm XLVI. Verse 1. God is our refuge and strength c very present, or sufficient help in trouble. The significant import of this verse is best learned, by attending to the privileges granted to the cities of refuge. Yet these could not afford strength, or exemption form trouble and death. But all this in the noblest sense, and much more, is found in Messiah, our official refuge, whose gates are ever open to all that flee to him for shelter from their enemies, of whatever kind they be. Verses 2, 3. Therefore will we not &c. In the literal sense, mountains will at last be lost in the midst of the sea, to rise no more; and this also is fulfilled, when the mystical mountains are carried into the midst of the sea, or the kingdoms of the world perish by the commotions of the people, and the earth, or what constitued the ancient Roman empire, called the earth and the world, shall be removed, to give way to Messiah's millennial kingdom, which shall be succeeded by no other. In either case, the faithful, so far from having cause of alarm, are elsewhere exhorted to rejoice, and give glory to God, when they see these things realized. See, Ps. xcvii. 8. In the present day, and still more in those that are coming, there is much need of such an anchor, to preserve the true ark when the waters of the seas roar and are troubled, and the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Verses 4, 5. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God: &c. This promise plainly imports, that when the above terrible commotions take place, the blessings of gospel grace shall be widely diffused, to the unspeakable joy of all the faithful, called God's city, in allusion to Jerusalem of cld. The reason assigned for her secu rity, amidst the universal wreck, is, that God resides in her as his capital, and shall help her right early, Heb. when the morning appeareth. While the earth or the world are troubled, and subjected to dread cen:motions, 23 R 5. God in the midst of her doth dwell; Nothing shall her remove: The Lord to her an helper will, 8. Come, and behold what wondrous works Come, see what desolations He on the earth hath brought. above, the church too will have her night; during which, however, his. song shall be with the true fearers of his name, Ps. xlii. 8. But her darkness shall be succeeded by returning light, when the Sun of Righte ousness, the Day spring from on high, shall break forth upon her with healing in his wings, and, like the light of the morning, reach the ends of the earth, and illume all nations. Verse 6. The heathen or nations raged, &c. That was remarkably the case at the period to which this psalin is supposed to refer; when the idolatrous kingdoms, round about Judea, were moved with indignation at God's chosen people: but when he uttered his voice, by some remarkable interposition of his power, the earth melted, and all its bonds of confederacy against the Jews were dissolved. As the 21st of Luke primarily referred to God's terrible judgments on the impenitent Jews, and the total dissolution of their civil and religious polity; so, they being a typical people, what was executed upon them, is a pledge and pattern of God's terrible judgments upon corrupt and degenerate Christians, before the coming of the Son of man, and the promulgation of his gospel to the ends of the world. Verses 7, and 11. form the chorus of this psalm, and is put into the mouth of the truly faithful, to whom Messiah, The Loan of hosts, the God of Jacob, will be a refuge, an high place for them, where they shall be secured from the reach of enemies. Of whom then need they be afraid? Blessed are they who can by faith draw comfort from that soulcheering chorus! Whosoever takes refuge here, shall in no wise be cast out, or left at the mercy of any foe. |