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They are corrupt, their works are vile;
Not one of them doth good.

2 Upon men's sons the Lord from heav'n
Did cast his eyes abroad,
To see if any understood,
And did seek after GOD.

3 They altogether filthy are,
They all aside are gone;

And there is none that doeth good,

Yea, sure there is not one.

4 These workers of iniquity

Do they not know at all,

That they my people eat as bread,

And on GOD do not call?

parent of pride, self-confidence, and infidelity; and these produce corruption in morals, issuing like a stream from its fountain. Paul comments on this passage, Rom. i. 28-32. From the text and comment

we see, that whatever apparently good works men may do, all are essentially wanting in the sight of God, so long as they are devoid of faith in the Mediator, and unrenewed by the grace of his Spirit, without which it is impossible to please Him. When God, from his celestial throne, surveyed the sons of Adam, and their proceedings, such is the judgment which he passeth upon both, as appears from next verse.

Verses 2, & 3. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, Heb. the sons of Adam, &c. This is spoken after the manner of men. That these sons of Adam are here, and often elsewhere, to be viewed as distinct from the faithful, is evident; for none of them had a proper understanding of divine things, or truly sought the Lord. They are all gone aside, i. e. from the path of truth and duty, they are all together become filthy, or putrified, and noisome like an unripe sepulchre, there is none that doth good, no not one, viz. of these sons of Adam. Viewed in this light, Jews and Gentiles are found guilty before God, and every mouth shut in regard of self-justification. Vessels of honour formed out of so corrupt a mass, must be washed in the laver of regeneration, and renewed by the Holy Spirit. See Rom, iii. 11, 12.

Verse 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? &c. Such as slander and misrepresent God's people, or persecute them to the death, are here said to eat them as they eat bread, with a malicious gratification, and keen appetite, and call not upon the LORD, in their disloyalty and treason, refuse to pay him religious homage. Such fight against GoD and their own souls, and work for the wages of death in supreme degree. Be they ever so prudent in worldly concerns, they are fools in the things God, and must feel and confess that they are so, before they become

5 There fear'd they much; for GOD is with
The whole race of the just.

6 You shame the counsel of the poor,
Because GOD is his trust.

7 Let Isr'el's help from Sion come;

When back the Lord shall bring

wise to salvation. By such conduct, men exchange happiness for misery now in possession, and also in reversion hereafter.

Verse 5. There were they in great fear, or shall be greatly afraid; the past time being put for the future, the usual form of predictions.— The reason is added, for or since God is in the congregation of the righteous,—is on their side, and ready to plead their cause; whence their enemies have cause to tremble. In Ps. liii. 5. the clause is added, where no fear was, or as a question,—and was there not a cause to fear? Thus read, it coincides with the sense given; because God, Elohim, the mighty Ones, Father, Son and Spirit, is in the congregation of the righteous. But if we view that clause, where no fear, or cause of fear, was, as referring primarily to Israel's defection from their lawful king, to the standard of Absalom, then it will assign the motive of that revolt in many, fear of the growing power of the rebels, and distrust of David's ability to protect them, arising from the want of faith in God's promises and providence. Such fear and distrust were groundless, as the God of Israel was on his side, and against his enemies.-Many are disposed still to join the party that appear for the time to have power on their side, be their cause right or wrong, without calculating upon consequences, They who are on Christ's side, or are fighting his battles, will finally triumph; be they ever so weak or unworthy in themselves.

As this psalm partly coincides, in sentiment and expression, with the liiid, David, in revising it, may have made the small alteration in the 5th verse there, for the reason assigned above, and added the following clause: For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou (O Zion) hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them, or rejected them because of their rebellious conduct; whence their BONES, their strength and force, were broken and brought to nought.This clause expresses the consequence of God's being in the congregation of the righteous, of those that adhered to David on that occasion, and of all that cleave to his Lord, with full purpose of heart; when many apos-tatize from his truths and ways.

Verse 6. Ye have shamed &c. This is evidently addressed to David's enemies, and represents them as scoffing at the humble dependance which he and his friends expressed on the mournful occasion, as placing their trust in God, as their refuge in the time of danger and trouble. These things apply to Christ and his people, in similar circumstances; the cause of truth, and its enemies, being ever the same.

Verse 7. 0 That the salvation of Israel &c. The state of scattered Israel, after the defeat of Absalom and his party, was a figure of their state, who are in arms against the King of glory, and are dispersed, like.

His captives, Jacob shall rejoice,
And Israel shall sing.

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the Jews, by the breath of his displeasure. David prayed that the salvation of his rebellious people, in every sense, and of his own family and friends in particular, would come out of Zion, which actually took place; and are not our Lord's prayers as extensive and effectual? In consequence of that deliverance, which the LORD sent out of Zion, all the defeated and scattered tribes returned to their allegiance to their lawful prince, according to his supplication in their behalf. The temporary expulsion of king and people from Jerusalem and the temple, was followed with a triumphant return; in which all the tribes of Israel assisted, those that were engaged in the rebellion, as well as David's faithful followers, though not with equal honour and dignity. May we not then view all this as a sure pledge of the future return of all those, who have revolted from Messiah and borne arms against him, in answer to his prevalent intercession?

The captivity of God's people must respect those of them that have actually been in a state of captivity, after they had so long, like the Jews, enjoyed the privileges of his visible church; else it cannot correspond to the typical captivity. The Church gratefully commemorates that event as past, though in its evangelical sense it is yet future and distant, Ps. lxxxv. 1. When those are here called JACOB, that designation denotes them in their supplanting and beguiling state, above which too few rise in this life; wandering, like Jacob, to and fro, harrassed and afraid, as distinguished from ISRAEL in the other clause, in their faithful and triumphant state; of whom the patriarch became at last an expressive figure, having so long-prefigured the first. Both, we see, are to rejoice together, like Esau and Israel, now so called, his former degrading name being taken away; and this mutual joy and gladness will be great and endless. This salvation, like the other, will come out of Zion, as we see, Ps. xxii. 31, 32. compared with Rev. xxi. 2. JEHOVAH of hosts, the God of Israel, will thus bring back the captivity or captives of Jacob, when he shall appear as the Bridegroom, and the Church as a royal bride prepared for her Divine Husband, or made an help meet in restoring the rest of human kind; whence she will become, in a more noble sense than the first Eve, the mother of all living. All this will be realized at the Manifestation of the sons of God, Rom. viii. 18—23. John refers the accomplishment of these things till the old heavens and the old earth have passed away, and there shall be no more sea in any sense. The Jewish Targums, or paraphrases on the Old Testament, expound this verse in the Evangelical sense, as may be seen by consulting Poole on this text.

Whatever may have been the primary occasion of this psalm, we cannot err in applying it to Christ, in regard of his enemies, and those of his faithful people, as also in respect of Zion's captives, with the race of Ishmael, and that too in the noblest sense, as their circumstances may require. Messiah is the Shiloh, by whom, and to whom, the gathering together of the people, Jews and Gentiles, or all mankind, shall be, when the fulness of the times is come. As mankind, unenlightened by divine truth, and unrenewed by grace, are the same corrupt mass still,

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PSALM XV.

THIS Psalm of David furnishes a contrast to the last, and very properly follows it. Though practical Atheists abounded in ancient, as in modern Israel; yet were there some to whom the character here described, justly applied; who are accounted true citizens of Zion. The Psalmist makes no reference to the observance of the Mosaic ritual, as formalists in religion ever rely on outward forms and rites. Messiah alone ascended to the heavenly Zion, by virtue of the perfection of his character and obedience; that in and by HIM all his faithful people might obtain an abundant entrance in due time. To HIM, therefore, belongs the character drawn by David, in the highest and most complete sense; though all that shall dwell before his face, and reign and officiate, as spiritual priests in his presence, must be conformed to him in their measure.

1 WITHIN thy tabernacle, LORD,

Who shall abide with thee?
And in thy high and holy hill
Who shall a dweller be?

which they are here described, does not their mournful case loudly claim the faithful's prayers of faith, and labours of love, that, in their recovery to God, to purity and happiness, the Redeemer may see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied? The firm faith, and lively hope, that the captivity of mankind however long and dismal, shall be turned again, like streams in the south, will add energy and effect to such prayers; being inforced by Messiah's all-prevalent intercession, of whom David, praying for his rebellious people, was an eminent type or figure.

NOTES ON PSALM XV.

Verse 1. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle! Who shall dwell in thy holy hill! To this twofold question the whole psalm is the answer. That the allusion is made to ancient Zion, the tabernacle there, and the officiating priest, is evident. But all these being typical, are to be transferred to the sacred originals; and the inquiry as terminating in Him who exerciseth an unchangeable priesthood within the veil. Since Christians become righteous in a state of uniondo Him, and are by his Spirit formed into his moral image or likeness; thence the character which belongs to him alone, essentially and inherently, is derived to them also in their respective measure, who follow him in the path of duty here, and shall have the honour and happiness to reign with him hereafter, as fellowworkers in completing his beneficent schemes of grace and mercy.

The verb rendered abide, is on margin, sojourn; whence to dwell, in

2 The man that walketh uprightly,
And worketh righteousness,

And as he thinketh in his heart,
So doth he truth express.

3 Who doth not slander with his tongue,
Nor to his friend doth hurt;

Nor yet against his neighbour doth
Take up an ill report.

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the next clause, may refer to the future abode in heaven; to which real connection with God's house here happily leads every pious worshipper. The state and exercise of the priests, officiating in their proper court, was the figure of the latter; that of the Levites or, perhaps, of the people, worshipping without the temple, the type of the former.

Verse 2. He that walketh uprightly, &c. perfectly, or sincerely, without guile or hypocrisy, with constancy, pleasure and perseverance, as the phrase imports. He makes true religion, in its life, power and practice, the great business of life, or the one thing needful. Setting his Lord always before him, as his witness, example and Judge, as he did the Father, he approves himself a true citizen of Zion. Acting fully up to this character, our Lord could challenge his enemies to convict him of sin; and in him the great accuser, when he came, found NOTHING, on which to graft his temptations, or on account of which to accuse HIM; what cannot be applied to any mere man. Christ walked uprightly in the fullest sense, worked complete righteousness, so as to magnify the divine law and make it honourable; and being Truth itself, spake nothing but truth in his public ministry, and private intercourse, Ps. xl. 7—10. As all truth proceeds from him as the great prophet; so to him is commited the performance of all the divine promises. By treading in his steps, we become more than conquerors through his love.

Verse 5. He that backbiteth not with his tongue. &c. The negative part of his character, given here, and in the two following verses, includes the positive. The true Christian, so far from dealing in detraction and slander, will not speak of the evil conduct of any, but when he apprehends duty calls for it; and instead of doing evil to his neighbour, or injuring any fellow creature, or taking up, receiving, or propagating an evil or false report, to the hurt of his character, he will not suffer another to defame him in his presence, without expressing his disapprobation.— What he would not chuse to be imputed to himself, will he not ascribe to another; except where the cause and interest of truth require it, and the force of evidence substantiates the charge. David commended what was laudable in Saul's conduct, though an enemy. Our Lord, esteeming e

very son of Adam as his neighbour, or brother, went about doing good to all, and employing the powers of speech for the noblest purposes. His last act in the body was prayer for his very murderers, expressing, same time, the most charitable construction of their conduct; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

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