2 [Let my fentence come forth from thy prefence: and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.] it is thy Act and Deed, and that thou and Integrity.] 3 Thou haft proved, and vifited mine heart in the nightfeafon; thou haft tried me, and fhalt find no wickedness in me: for I am utterly purposed that my mouth fhall not offend. 4 [Because of mens works that are done against the words of thy lips: I have kept me from the ways of the deftroyer.] 5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps flip not. 6 I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me: incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words. 7 Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness, thou that art the Saviour of them which put their truft in thee: from fuch as refift thy [right hand.] 8 Keep me as the apple of an eye: hide me under the fhadow of thy wings, 9 From the ungodly that trouble me: mine enemies compafs me round about to take away my foul. ΙΟ 10 [They are inclosed in their own fat] and their mouth fpeaketh proud things. 2 [Do thou fpeedily pals Sentence on my fide; and let it be done in such a manner, that it may appear that haft regard to Innocence 11 [They are always plotting and contriving our ruine, tho' their Looks are grave and demure.] 11 [They lie waiting in our way on every fide: turning their eyes down to the ground. 12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey: and as it were a lions whelp, lurking in fecret places. 13 Up, Lord, difappoint him, and caft him down: deliver my foul from the ungodly, 13 Wherewith thou which is a fword of thine t. punifheft others. 14 † Whom thou useft as Rods in thy hand, to correct the Faults of thy own People. 14 From the men of thy hand, O Lord, from the ment, I fay, and from the evil world: which have their portion in this life, whofe bellies thou filleft with thy hid treasure. 15 [According to] [The remnants of their Eftates, which their own Luxury, and other Vices have confumed.] 16 Thy Prefence, Jor Face. God was in a peculiar manner gracioufly prefent in his Sanctuary to his People, and his Prefence was fymbolically reprefented by a Cloud of Glory, which stood over the Ark: This is frequently called God's Face, and Prefence; as when mention is made of feeking his Face, coming before his Face, and here beholding his Face or Prefence ('tis the fame Heprem word rendred fometimes Face, fometimes Prefence.) So the Pfalmift's meaning is, 15 They have children [at] their defire and leave [the rest of their fubftance] for their babes. 16 But as for me, [I will behold* thy prefence in righteoufnefs: and when I awake up after thy likeness, I fhall be fatisfied with it.] [I will come to worthip before thy Ark, with an honest and upright Heart; and then I trust that my appearing in this manner before Thee, in this Life, fhall be an earnest of my more perfect enjoyment of Thee in the other Life, when I fhall awake out of the Grave, and be made like Thee; and fhall by this means be fo happy, that I fhall have nothing further to defire.] A Evening Prayer. A Pfalm of David, the Servant of the Lord, who fpake unto the Lord the words of this Song, in the Day that the Lord delivered him from the band of all his Enemies,and from the band of Saul, 2 Sa. xxii. And he faid Diligam te, Domine. Pfal. XVIII. I Will love thee, O Lord, my ftrength; the Lord is my ftony rock, and my defence: my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will truft, my buckler, [the horn alfo of my falvation,] and my refuge. * 2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised: fo fhall I be fafe from mine enemies. 3 The forrows of * death compaffed me and [the overflowings of ungodliness] made me afraid. 4 The pains of * hell came about me: the fnares of death overtook me. 5 In my trouble I will call upon the Lord: and complain unto my God. 6 So fhall he hear my voice ont of his [holy temple]: and my complaint fhall come before him, it fhall enter even into his ears. 7 The earth trembled, and quaked the very foundations alfo of the hills fhook, and were removed, because he was wroth. of God, and David, in a very lofty and figurative Style, which therefore cannot be meant in a literal fenfe: But the brief and plain defign of these Verfes is to exprefs the fence that David had of God's being the Author of all his Succefs and Victories, which he did as fincerely believe, as if he had feen the Divine Majefty interpofing and manifefting itself, as formerly it did at Mount Sinai, when the Law was given, Exod. xix. 18, c. from whence the Pfalmift feems chiefly to have taken this Description. There, as well as here, is mention of an Earthquake, Smoke, Fire, Thunder, Lightning, &c. and fuch Defcriptions are not unusual in Holy Scripture. See Pfal. xcvii. 8 Coals in this place deno:e God's Judg iii.5. Ex.x. 2. * Smoke ments; as likewife Hab. and Fire denote the vehemence of the Divine Wrath. Dr. Ham. and fome others, by the • Coals,underftand Thunderbolts. 10 Cherubims or An gels are called God's faid to furround the place of his Majeftatic Prefence, his Royal Tent, or Pavilion,fig 8 There went a *fmoke out in his prefence: and a confuming * fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it. * 9. He bowed the heavens alfo and came down and it was dark under his feet. 10 He rode upon the * Cherubims, and did fly: He came flying upon the wings of the wind. among the Angels, and in all things uses * II He made darkness his fecret place: his* pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him. nifies the Invifibleness of his Nature, the unfearchableness of his Counfels, and terriblenefs of his difpleasure. 12 [But the fecret Vigour and Brightness of his Prefence, foon made the Clouds to move and be diffolved, from which Hail-ftones and Coals of Fire immediately dropt for the deftruction of his Enemies. * Hailstones and Coals of Fire] falling down in fhowers from Heaven, were the Inftruments 12 [At the brightness of his prefence his clouds removed: *hail-ftones, and coals of fire.] 13 The Lord also thundred out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder: *hail-ftones and coals of fire. 14 He fent out his arrows, and fcattered them: he caft forth lightnings, and destroyed them. where. whereby God executed his Wrath on the Sodomites, Gen. xix. and on the five Kings, Fof. x. 11. and hence, probably, by thefe two, God's Judgments of all forts, how contrary foever they may be to one another, are reprefented not only here, but Zach. xii. 6. Rev. xvi. 21. It may be obferved, that to make the fenfe entire it may be proper in your Mind, to fupply fome word after the mention of Hail-ftones and Coals of Fire, viz, fell down, were difperfed, fcattered, or the like. 15 The * fprings of waters were feen, and the foundations of the round world were difcovered at thy chiding, O Lord: at the blafting of the breath of thy displeasure. * 15 Springs of Waters were feen; Earthquakes do frequently open great Spouts and Streams of Water where none appeared before. And as the Pfalmift began the tra gical Defcription of God's punishing his Enemies with an Earthquake, fo he ends it with the effect of the Earthquake, viz. the cleaving of the Ground to fuch a degree, as if not only great ftreams of Water gushed out, but that it had been rent and torn to the very center, which is in a Poetick fense called its Basis or Foundation. 16 He fhall fend down from on high to fetch me: and fhall take me out of many waters. 17 He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me: for they are too mighty for me.. 17 [They prevented me] in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my upholder. 19 [He brought me forth alfo into a place of liberty]: he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me. 20 The Lord fhall reward me after my righteous dealing: according to the cleannefs of my hands] fhall he recompenfe me. 18 [They were too quick for me.] See Vocabulary. 19 [He fet me free from all my Straits and Difficulties, and made my Condition profperous.] 20 [Actions.] |