book.' He declares the pleasure he had in doing the Father's will, or in accomplishing the law; which had taken possession of all his powers and faculties; having been admitted by the understanding, retained in the memory, and rendered operative in the will. I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.' 9. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness Nor sacrifice thy love can win, Nor offerings from the stain of sin then a Mr. Pierce of Exeter proposed a conjectural alteration of the word ', ears,' into the two words, body,' &c. in which case, a learned friend suggests, ', must likewise be altered to ',hast thou prepared, or finished.' Bishop Lowth wishes to adopt Mr. Pierce's emendation, in order to render the original conformable to St. Paul's citation from the LXX. And I must confess, if the apostle's argument turned on the word owμa, such an emendation might seem necessary. It is true, owua Xplor8 occurs in the succeeding verse; but I think it not essential to the argument, which seems to stand clear and full, whatever be the meaning of owμa karnoτισω μοί - 'When he said, Sacrifice, &c. thou wouldest not-then he said, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.' The author of the anonymous notes in Mr. Merrick's Annotations, I find, is of this opinion. It is not certain that the apostle argues from the word owμa at all. "He quotes the translation of the LXX. as he found it in his copy; lays a stress on what is in the Hebrew, but none on the rest; either knowing it not to be there, or being restrained, by the Spirit of God, from making use of it." See Appendix to Mr. Merrick's Annot. p. 294. and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. As the preceding verses described the priestly office of our Lord, in the execution of which he offered himself, and his all-perfect obedience, for us; so, in the passage now before us, he declares himself to have acted up to the prophetical part of. his character, by 'preaching' the doctrines of truth, righteousness, and salvation to the people, without concealing aught through negligence, fear, or favour. Happy the minister of Christ, who, on his deathbed, is able to say the same! 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy loving kindness and thy truth alway preserve me. The beloved Son of God here prayeth for the continuation of that mercy, and the accomplishment of those gracious promises, to his body, the church, which made the subjects of his heavenly discourses, in the days of his flesh. Such ought to be the subjects of our discourses, and of our prayers. 12. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. If these words, as well as the foregoing, are supposed to be spoken by our Lord, (and indeed there doth not appear to be any change of person,) they must be uttered by him, considering himself (for so the primitive writers suppose him in the Psalms frequently to consider himself) as still suffering in his body mystical, the church; and lamenting, as head, both the transgressions and the afflictions of VOL. II. H the members, accomplishing their warfare in the world. Thus much at least we know, that, after his ascension, when the members were persecuted on earth, the head complained from heaven, as sensible of the pain, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? Some critics think the word, ', in the text, may be translated my punishment.' But the author of the anonymous notes, mentioned below, observes, that all "punishments, properly speaking, presuppose sin; and especially when they are represented, as here, to overtake and seize a person. Therefore, to understand this of Christ, it must be interpreted of imputed sins, or punishments for them." Merrick's Annotat. p. 295. 13. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. This short, but forcible prayer, for help and deliverance, in God's good time, and according to his good pleasure, continues, and must continue, to be the prayer of the church, and of all her children, until the day of final redemption. 14. Let them, or, they shall, be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it: let them, or, they shall, be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil. 15. Let them, or, they shall, be desolate for a reward of their shame, that say unto me, Aha, aha! The shame, confusion, and desolation to be brought on the Jews by the resurrection, exaltation, and power of him whose blood they thirsted after, and whom they mocked and insulted when in his last agonies on the cross, are here foretold; and the prophecy hath been punctually fulfilled. But a more horrible confusion and desolation awaiteth them, and all other impenitent sinners, at the future revelation of the righteous judgment of God; when vengeance must destroy those, whom mercy cannot reclaim. And, to this ultimate issue of things, the church directeth her views. 16. Let all those that seek thee, or, all those that seek thee shall, rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation, or, such as love thy salvation shall say continually, The Lord be magnified. As the last verses predicted the calamities which should befal the enemies of Messiah, this describeth the unfeigned joy and gladness, springing up in the hearts of such as love the salvation of Jesus, and evermore magnify his holy name in the church, for the blessings of redemption, eating their meat,' as the first Christians are said to have done, 'with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God.' Acts, ii. 46. 17. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and deliverer ; make no tarrying, O my God. The church, like her Redeemer, is often poor and afflicted in this world, but Jehovah thinketh upon her, and is solicitous for her support; she is weak and defenceless, but Jehovah is her help and her deliverer. With such a Father and such a Friend, poverty becometh rich, and weakness itself is strong. In the meantime, let us remember, that he who once came in great humility, shall come again in glorious majesty. Make no tarrying, O our God; but come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.' Rev. xxii. 20. Eighth Day.-Evening Prayer. PSALM XLI. ARGUMENT.-The application made of the ninth verse of this Psalm, John, xiii. 18. showeth, that the prophet is speaking in the person of Messiah. 1-3. He declareth the blessedness of the man that considereth the poor; 4. he prayeth for mercy and favour; 5-9. describeth the behaviour of his adversaries, and of one person in particular; 10. petitioneth for deliverance; 11, 12. rejoiceth in hope; and, 13. breaketh out into thanksgiving. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble: Heb. in the day of evil. As Christ considered us, in our state of poverty, so ought we most attentively to consider him in his; to consider what he suffered in his own person; to discern him suffering in his poor afflicted members; and to extend to them the mercy which he extended to us. He who was blessed' of Jehovah, and delivered in the evil day,' by a glorious resurrection, will bless' and 'deliver,' in like manner, such as, for his sake, love and relieve their brethren. 6 2. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive, or, revive him; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The compassionate and charitable disciple of the holy Jesus is often wonderfully preserved,' and rendered prosperous, even in this world; but his greatest comfort is, that like his Master, he shall one day be revived,' to inherit the blessing,* |