servants, parents, children, &c. Probably Solomon collected the first 24 chapters, and left them in writing; Hezekiah appointed some to copy out the rest, chap. xxv. 1. Probably Solomon wrote the Proverbs in his middle age, when his son Rehoboam was young, and in danger of seduction by whorish women and bad companions, if not rather after he repented of his apostacy occasioned by his naughty wives. The latter part of chap. i. exhibits the gospel-call, and the terrible calamities brought on the Jews or others by their rejecting the same. The 8th and beginning of the 9th. contain a representation of Jesus Christ in his person, office, and benefits. The rest of the book generally

tions, natural, civil, virtuous, or sinful, to the glory of his name and the good of his people, Rom. xi. 36. Dan. iv. 34, 35. Providence extends to every creature, but is chiefly versant about rational creatures, in giving them laws, enabling them to obey, and permitting sin, and in rewarding or punishing in time and eternity, as is meet; and Christ and his church are the most peculiar objects thereof, Psal. cvii. Isa. I. lii. and liii. The events of providence are either common, wherein things are produced by second causes in an ordinary manner;

but the established order of the agency and operation of the Author of nature.

relates to moral virtues, and their conGod's preserving created things in betrary vices. Young people may hereing, is perfectly equivalent to a continued learn much more relative to true behaviour, than in 10,000 romances, novels, plays, &c. The Greek interpreter, and such as followed him, have used intolerable freedom with this book, adding a variety of hints not in the original.

PROVIDE; to look out, prepare, Acts xxiii. 24.

PROVIDENCE; prudent foresight, and tender care in managing affairs, Acts xxiv. 2. God's providence is his holy, wise, and powerful management of his creatures, supporting them in their being and form,* and governing them in all their ac

creation; or to his creating those things out of nothing at each moment of their existence. If the continued existence of created things be wholly dependent on God's preservation; then those things would drop into nothing upon the ceasing of the present moment, without a new exertion of the Divine power to cause them to exist in the following moment.

Edwards on Original Sin.

Among all that are called laws of nature there is none more universal and invariable than gravitation, or the tendency of bodies to some centre; and particularly the tendency of those about this earth, to move in that direction which we call downwards; and this law, says one of the writers in the Guardian, "cannot be explained any other way, than by resolving it into the immedi ate operation of God; who never ceases to dispose and actuate his creatures, in a man. ner suitable to their respective beings.”

God has endued the different parts of matter with different properties; and has settled an ordinary com se of his operation

The existence of created substances, in each successive moment, must be the effect of the immediate agency, will and power of God. If any shall say, that thereby them, in conformity to thes properties. is no need of any immediate Divine power || But then the various parts of matter so to produce the present existence of created qualified, can be of no more avail for prosubstances; but that their present exist. ducing any effect out of his hand, than a ence is the effect or consequence of their tool can be of, out of the hand of the work. • past existence, according to the nature of || man. The true God could not make any things; and that the established course of piece of workmanship which he would nature is sufficient to continue existence, have to bestow no further labour upon; where it is once given; I allow it: But because he cannot deny himself. That a then it should be remembered what nature machine of human workmanship, when once is in created things, and what the establish- || set up, should go without the maker, or ed course of nature is; that it is nothing, one deputed by him, having still a hand at separate from the agency of God; nothing it, does not so much argue the perfection

or miraculous, wherein the powers of concern about salvation, Rom. xi. 18; second causes are exceeded or coun- or to love and good works, Heb. x. teracted. To imagine that the pur- 24. PROVOCATION, is what tends to poses of God are, in respect of their make one angry, as sin does God, object and plan, different from the Neh. ix. 18; and the idolatrous ofevents of providence, is blasphemous-ferings of the Hebrews were such to ly to suppose that God acts without design, and is obliged to do things as he can when he cannot as he would. A careful observation of providence tends much to increase our knowledge of the scriptures and of the divine perfections, and to render our minds composed amidst the various conditions we may be in, Psal. civ-cvii. PROVINCE; a country, or part of a kingdom or empire, Ezra iv. 15. The Romans called these places provinces which they had conquered and reduced under their form of civil government, Acts xxv. 1.

PROVISION; victuals, and other things necessary for maintaining a person or thing. Zion's provision is not chiefly the sacred food of the Jewish priests, but God's word and ordinances assigned for the spiritual food of the church, Psal. cxxxii 15. Provision for the flesh, is what tends to strengthen our inward corruption, and to excite sinful thoughts, words, and deeds, Rom. xiii. 14.

PROVOKE; to stir up, whether to anger, Psal. cvi. 26; or to careful

him, Ezek. xx. 28. Jerusalem was a provocation to God, because of the much sin there committed, Jer. xxxii. 31. Job's eye continued in his friend's provocation; he was wearied and angry with seeing and hearing them sneer at him, and charge him with hypocrisy; and even in the night, the grief thereat restrained his eyes from closing in sleep, Job xvii. 12.

PRUDENT; wise; skilful in finding out truth, or managing matters to the best advantage, 1 Sam. xvi. 18.

PRUNE; to cut off superfluous branches from trees and vines, that they may not waste the sap, and so render the tree less fruitful, Levit. xxv. 3.

PSALM; a song consisting of short sentences, where every thing luxurious is lopt off, and the manner of composure renders it fit to be sung. When psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, are mentioned together, psalms may denote such as were sung on instruments; hymns, such as contain only matter of praise; and spiritual songs, such as contain doctrines, history, and prophecy, for men's instruction, Eph. v. 19. The book of PSALMS is one of the most extensive and useful in scripture, suiting every case of the saints; and indeed like their con-` dition, which is at first much mixed with complaints and sorrows, and at pendence on him at all. Besides, it consists not with the nature of such a machine, last issues in high and endless praise. or of its maker, that he should still be in it. That David composed the most of the and in every part of it. But the case is psalms, is beyond doubt; Heman quite otherwise with God's word. There composed the 88th, Ethan the 89th, is nothing in or about it but what has an absolute dependance on himself; and it Moses the 90th. Whether these unmust be always full of him. All the beau-der the name of Asaph were penned ty and perfection of which it is capable, consist in its having nothing but what it is continually deriving from him, and in the glory of his being, wisdom and power shining through the whole.

of the machine, as the imperfection of the maker; while many properties of the materials, and the momentary continuance of the form, in which he sets it up, have no de

Sec a Discourse of Liberty and Necessi

ty by Adam Gib.

by one of that name, or whether they were only assigned to be sung by him as others were to the sons of Korah, we cannot positively determine. Some, as the 74th, 79th, and 137th, appear to have been composed after the be

ginning of the Babylonish captivity. I struments, Psalm v. Gittith, a kind of instrument invented at Gath, viii. Alamoth, the virginals, or a song to be sung by virgins, xlvi. Shiggaion or Shigionoth, may denote that the psalm is to be sung with diversified tunes, or has a very diversified matter, vii. Hab. iii. 1. The 120th, and 14 following, are entitled songs of degrees, probably because they were sung on the stairs of the temple, or sung at certain halts made by David and the Israelites when they brought up the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim. The Hebrews divided the Psalms into five books, ending with xli. lxxii. lxxxix. cvi. and cl. the four first of which are concluded with AMEN. By joining the ix. with the x. and civ. with cv. and again dividing the cxvi. and cxlvii.

Vulgate Latin differ one or two in their reckoning from us. Some arrogant Greek, too, has added one at the end.*

The rest, including these two marked with the name of Solomon, might be composed by David, who on that account is called the sweet psalmist of Israel, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1. In their matter, some psalms are doctrinal, as Psal. i; some historical, as Psal. Ixxviii. and cv. and cvi; some prophetic, as Psal. cx; some consist of prayer and complaints, as Psal. vi. and xxxviii. &c. others consist of praise and thanksgiving, as Psal. cxlv-cl. In some, most or all of these subjects are connected, Psal. Ixxxix. Whether the titles of the psalms are of divine authority, is not agreed. The Hebrew words therein mentioned are by some considered as names of instruments of music, or first words of some song, or to denote the subject-into two, the Greek version and the matter of the psalm. We think, Maschil always signifies that the psalm is designed for instruction, l's. xxxii; that Michtam denotes the precious or golden nature of the psalm; and perhaps all the psalms so marked relate to Jesus Christ, as Gussetius observes, xvi. Ivi.-lx. Al-taschith The hymn which our Saviour sung may denote, that the scope of the psalm was to with his disciples at the conclusion of the last supper, is generally supposed to have deprecate destruction, Ivii. lviii. lix. consisted of the Psalms that are contained Muthlabhen may denote, that the between the cxiii. and the exviii. inclusive. psalm was composed on the occasion This was called by the Jews the great of the death of his son, or of Goliath Hallel or Hymn, and was usually sung by the dueller, ix. Aijeleth Shahar, that Christ also on the cross breathed forth his them at the celebration of the Passover. its subject is Jesus Christ the hind of last sentiments of expiring piety in the the morning, xxii. Jonathelem-recho- words of the xxii. Psalm. No tongue of kim, that David is therein represented man or angel, says Dr. Hammond, can as a mute dove among foreigners, lvi. convey an higher idea of any book, and of Shoshanim, Shoshanim-eduth, or Shu-their felicity who use it right. The Chrisshan-eduth, may either signify that the APPOINTMENT, used the Psalms in pubsubject of the psalm is Christ and hise worship, and from its first institution people, who are lilies, or lilies of the celebrated the praises of God in the lantestimony, or congregation, or mayguage of scripture; these sacred hymas signify a harp of six strings, as She-being, indeed, admirably calculated for minith does one of eight, Psal. xlv. lx. lxxx. and xii. Mahalath may either Psalms may seem to some persons to have The expressions and descriptions of the signify the disease, and Mahalath been appropriate and peculiar to the Jewish leannoth the afflicting disease, or Ma- circums ances; and David, indeed, emhalath may signify a wind-instrument, ploys figures and allusions applicable to the Psal. liii. lxxxviii. Neginoth or Negiold dispensation. But as in recording tem nath, signifies stringed instruments, to the Jews, we commemorate spiritual adporal deliverances and blessings vouchsafed Psal. iv. and ki. Nehiloth, wind in-vantages thereby signified, we

tian church has, therefore, by DIVINE

every purpose of devotion

use the

and pick-pockets. As they were at once cruel oppressors and badges of slavery, the Jews detested them to the last degree. If either farmer or publicans were convicted of oppres

PSALTERY; a musical instrument much used by the Hebrews. It was made of wood, with strings fixed thereto. It is said to have been of a triangular form, with a hollow belly, and with strings from top to bottom,sion, the Roman law ordered them to which being touched with the finger restore fourfold, Luke xix. 8. Our or bow, gave a very agreeable sound, Saviour shewed a compassionate reand to have differed little from the gard to the publicans; and told the harp, only it was played on below, and Pharisees, who were enraged hereat, the harp above. In Josephus's time, that publicans and harlots, being more the psaltery or nablion had 12 strings. ready to receive conviction, stood fairOur modern psaltery is a flat instru- er to enter into the kingdom of God ment of a triangular form, strungthan themselves. Matthew, Zaccheus, from side to side with iron or brass wire, and played on with a kind of

bow.

and perhaps other publicans, became his disciples, Luke xv. 2. Mat. xxi. 31. Luke xviii. 10-14. and xix. 1-10. PUBLIC; known to many, Matt. 19.

PUBLISH; to make known to many, Deut. xxxii. 3.

PTOLEMAIS. See AсCHO. PUBLICAN; an inferior collec-i. tor of the Roman tribute. The principal farmers of this revenue were men of great credit and influence; but the under-farmers, or publicans, were accounted oppressive thieves

PUBLIUS. See MELITA.

To PUFF at one, is to hiss and make mouths at him, Psal. xii. 5. To

which are objected to on this score, are either prophetic threats, or general denunciations of God's wrath against sin, as it were, personified. It is the Spirit, rather than David, that utters these imprecations against the unrighteous enemies of the church. David was no stranger to the ex. ercise of mercy and forgiveness towards the persons of his own enemies: See very beautiful instances of it in 1 Sam. xxiv. 4,

Psalms with the greatest propriety in our worship. We need but consider the ceremonies and sacrifices of the law as the emblems of spiritual service, of which every part hath its corresponding figure. They must be blind or inattentive indeed to the matter of the Psalms, who say that, in singing them, we do not sing of Christ; since his sufferings, his death, resurrec tion, ascension are rather spoken of, in the 10. xxvi. 7-13. 2 Sam. i. 17-27. xix. Psalms, as past or present, than as future events, See Psalm xxii. Thou hast brought || 16-23. Psal. xxxv. 12, 13, 14. David, me to the dust of death; they pierced my apprised, that the Messiah should spring hands and feet: they part my garments from his own immediate family, looked among them, Te. Ixviii. Thou hast ascend-forward with peculiar interest to his chaed on high, thou hast led captivity captive,racter and afflictions. In the foreknowc. cx. The Lord said unto my Lord, &c. ledge of those sufferings, which Christ It is impertinent to urge, that we may use should experience from his "familiar our own words in singing as well as in friends," and from the numerous adversaprayer; until it be shewn, that a particu-ries of his church, David speaks with the lar form of words is no more necessary in highest indignation against those enemies joint singing than in joint prayer; and who prefigured the foes of Christ, and imthat we have as little any divinely approv-precates or predicts the severest vengeance ed example of the church's singing the against them. Psalms given by Divine inspiration in her ordinary solemn worship, as we have of her reading forms of prayer in that worship.

The severity with which David inveighs against the wicked, has been erroneously considered as inconsistent with the spirit of true religion. The passages, however,

Some have observed, that the book of Psalms is exactly such a work as the Hea then Philosopher Plato wished to see for the instruction of youth; but conceived it impossible to be executed, as above human abilities: "This," said he, " must be the work of some Divine person."

See Gray's Key to the Old Testament.

be puffed up, is to be filled with selfconceit, as a blown bladder is with wind, 1 Cor. v. 2. and viii. 1.

his neighbour, stripe for stripe, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, c. but this might be changed into PUL; (1.) The first king of As- some other satisfaction, as of money, SYRIA who invaded Canaan, and, by &c. Exod. xxi. 23, 24, 25. Deut. xix. a present of 1000 talents of silver, was 21. (2.) Fining in a certain value or prevailed on by Menahem to with- sum of money : He that hurt a wodraw his troops, and recognize the man with child, but not so as to make title of that wicked usurper, 2 Kings her miscarry, he that reproached his xv. 19.-But who he was, the learn- wife with unchastity before marriage, ed are not agreed. Usher, Rollin, and he that hurt his servant or neighCalmet, and Prideaux, reckon him bour, was fined, Exod. xxi. Deut. the father of Sardanapalis; and Paxxii. 13-19. To this may be re trick is no less confident that he was duced whatever part of restitution the same with Baladan or Belesis the was above the value of the principal, Chaldean. Sir Isaac Newton, and Exod. xxii. Lev. xxvii. and confisca-the authors of the Universal History,|| tion of goods to the king's use, Ezra reckon him the first founder of the vii. 26. (3.) Scourging; so the whorish Assyrian empire. His name is a pure slave was to be punished: But among Assyrian word, without the least tinc- the Jews, one was never to receive ature of the Chaldean idiom; and is bove 40 stripes at once, Deut. xxv. 1, plainly a part of the compound names 2, 3. 2 Cor. xi. 24. (4.) Imprisonof Tiglath-pul-assur, Nebo-pul-assur, ment; sometimes, indeed, this was and Sardan-pul, his successors. It is not a proper punishment, but used as probable he was worshipped under a means to retain persons; so Joseph the name of the Assyrian Belus. (2.)|| imprisoned all his ten brethren three A place where the gospel was preached in the apostolic age. The vulgate | version calls this Africa; others will have it Lybia; but I suppose Bochart and Vitringa are more in the right, who reckon it the same as Philas, an Island of the Nile on the north border of Abyssinia; only I think it is put for the whole country thereabout, Isa.

lxvi. 19.

PULL; to draw with force, Gen. xix. 10.

PULSE; coarse grain, as pease, - beans, and the like, Dan. i. 12.

PUNISHMENT, denotes something disagreeable inflicted upon one for his faults, whether in a way of proper wrath, or of kind correction, Lam. iii. 39; but, properly taken, it denotes the infliction of deserved wrath, Matth. xxv. 46. It also denotes church-censure for correcting and reforming offenders, 2 Cor. ii. 6. In scripture, we find a variety of civil punishments, as, (1.) Retaliation, according to which the offender was served as he had injuriously served

days, and Simeon much longer, Ger, xlii. 17. to 24. The blasphemer, and the gatherer of sticks on the Sabbathday, were imprisoned till the Lord should declare their punishment, Lev. xxiv. 12. Numb. xv. 34. Sometimes it was proper punishment, especially when attended with severities of another kind. Joseph was imprisoned and put in chains by Potiphar, Gen. xxxix. 20. Psal. cv. 18. Samson was imprisoned by the Philistines, and meanwhile had his eyes put out, and was obliged to grind at their mill. Hoshea, Manasseh, Jehoahaz, Jechoiachin, and Zedekiah, were all shut up in prison by their conquerors, and the latter had his eyes put out, 2 Kings xvii. 4. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11. 2 Kings xxiv. 12. and xxv. 7-27. The prophet who rebuked Asa, Micaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, John, Paul, &c. were all put in prison for their faithfulness. Sometimes there was an imprisonment at large; as when Paul had leave to dwell at his own hired house, with a soldier that kept