Let them confume away like a fnailt, and be like the [untimely fruit] of a woman: and let them not fee the fun.. 8 [Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns: fo let indignation vex him, even as a thing that is raw. 7+ Which, where-ever it goes, wets its path; and by this means waftes and spends its felf. [Abortive or imperfeet Birth.] 8 [In as fhort a time as a Por can be heated with a blaze of Thorns, fo fuddenly let the Wrath of God feize him: And let him feel the Judgments of God, and be as fenfible of them, as if he were all over raw and fore, being but one entire Wound.] 9 The righteous fhall rejoyce when he feeth the vengeance: he fhall wash his footsteps in the blood of the ungodly t Lo So that a man fhall fay, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth. Evening Prayer. 9 † Like a great Conqueror, who returning, with an abfolute and compleat Victory,from the flaughter of his Enemies, dips his Feet in Blood, as be paffes over their Car cafes. Michtam of David, (See Title of Pfalm LVI.) when Saul fent, and they watched the House to kill him, 1 Sam. xix. Eripe me de inimicis. Pfal. LIX. Eliver me from mine ene Demies, O God: defend me from them that rife up againft me. 2 O deliver me from the wicked doers: and fave me from the blood-thirsty men. 3 For lo, they lie waiting for my foul: the mighty men are gathered againft me without any offence or fault of me, O Lord. I 4 They s [Thofe Men who call themselves thy People, but are as barba rous and falfe as Hea thens. Ham. Patr. 4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: arife thou therefore to help me, and behold. 5 Stand up, O Lord God of hofts, thou God of Ifrael, to vifit all [the heathen]: and be not merciful unto them that *Them that offend of offend of malicious wickedness. malicious wickedness;] i. e. Obftinate, wilful, impenitent Sinners. See [Malicious] in the Vocabulary. 6+In order to feize me. See the Title. 6 They go to and fro in the evening: they grin like a dog, and run about through the city f. their mouth, and fwords are in 7 [Behold, they fpeak with their lips: for who doth hear? for they who are in Authority will take no notice of what they fay, fo as to prevent their doing what they threaten; no more than if they had never heard of their Intentions.] 8 See ver. si 8 But thou, O Lord, fhalt have them in derifion : and thoù fhalt laugh all the [hea then] to scorn. 9 My ftrength will I afcribe unto thee: for thou art the God of my refuge. 10 God fheweth me his goodnefs plenteously: and God fhall let me fee my defire upon mine enemies. II Slay them not, left my people forget it: but fcatter them abroad among the people, and put them down, O Lord our defence. 12 For the fin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips, they 1 they fhall be taken in their pride: [and why? their *preaching is of curfing and lies.] * Preaching, talking, or fpeaking at large, for the Hebrew word does not only fig nifie to speak, but to rehearse, or reckon up: So does the English [Preaching.] See Vocabulary. [And there is good reafon for what I now fay; for all their Difcourfe in Publick, as well as Private, is in order to encourage, and justify themselves in Perjury and Falfhood.] 13 Confume them in thy wrath, confume them, that they may perifht: and know that it is God that ruleth in Jacob, and unto the ends of the world. 14 And in the evening they will return: grin like a dog, and will go about the city. 15 They will run here and there for meat †: [and grudge if they be not satisfied.] 16 As for me, I will fing of thy power, and will praise thy mercy betimes in the morning: for thou haft been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 Unto thee, Omy strength, will I fing for thou, O my God, art my refuge, and my merciful God. 13 † As to their Power, Defigns, and Parties, against me. For 'tis ewhich they have formed vident, that he does not pray for the deftruction of their Per-. fons, from what goes before, ver. 11. and what follows,ver.14,15. Ist Like Dogs. [And grievously Complain and Murmur, if they be disappointed of their Prey.] Michtam of David, to teach when he ftrove with Aram Neharaim, that is, Syria of the Rivers, and with Aram Sobah, that is, with Sobah in Syria: And Joab returned and fmote of Edom, in the Valley of Salt, Twelve Thoufand, 2 Sam. viii. 3, 5. 2 Chron. xviii. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13. 'Tis fuppofed that David compofed this Pfalm before his Engaging with thefe Armies, and foretels his Succefs against them. Deus, repulifti nos. Pfal. LX. It During the latter part of Saul's Reign, 1 Sam. xxxi. 2 + After Saul's Death, before David was fully fettled in his Kingdom, 2 Sam.ii, iii, iv. God, thou haft caft us out, and fcattered us abroad: thou haft also been difpleafed †, O turn thee unto us again. 2 Thou haft moved the land and divided itt: heal the fores thereof, for [it fhaketh.] [It is yet fcarce come to a ftate of perfect and fettled Peace.] 3 [We have been like Men bereft of their Reason by fome intoxicating Liquors; and we are fcarce come to our fenfes again.] 4 [But now thou haft given a fignal to all good Men to refort to me, and be of my fide, because of thy 3 Thou haft fhewed thy people heavy things: [thou haft given us a drink of deadly wine.] 4 [Thou haft given a token for fuch as fear thee: that they may triumph because of the truth.] Faithfulness in so eminent a manner shewed toward me, in making me King of all Ifrael, according to thy Promife.] 2 Sam. v. 5 ['Tis for this purpofe that God hath given fuch Success and Deliverance to me, and loved delivered]: help me with 5 [Therefore were thy bethy right hand, and hear me. thofe that were with me, whom he has own'd by this means for his beloved People.] 6 [God hath folemnly fworn it, viz. that he would make me King of all Ifrael, 2 Sam.iii.g. and has, in effect, alrea 6 [God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoyce and divide Sichem: and mete out the valley of Succoth.] dy dy performed it; for he has given me the Country round about Samaria, which I will measure, in order to distribute it among my Officers and Servants.] 7. [Gilead is mine, and Manaffes is mine: Ephraim alfo is the strength of my head; Juda is my law-giver.] 7 [* Gilead and Manaffes, the remoteft have now quitted Ifhpart of the Country, bofbeth's Caufe, and are become my Subjects. Ephraim is to me what the Horns are to the Bullock, my main Strength and Security, Deut. xxxiii. 17. Fuda is that Tribe which was always true to me, and which I fhall always make use of for the moft honourable Employments in my Government. From thence I fhall have a conftant fupply of able Statefmen, to help me in making and adminiftring Laws.] Pfal. Ixviii. 27. 8 [Moab is my wafhpot, over 8 [The Moabites are Edom will I caft out my fhoe: my Conqueft, and I will treat them accordingly; Philiftia be thou glad of me.] they fhall perform the most base and flavish Offices for me, and my People; they fhall wash our Feet. I will tread Edom under my Shoes, or fet my Feet on the Necks of that People. And you, O Country of the Philiftines, ought to be ready to congratulate my Victories, and meet me as your Conqueror.] 9 [Who will lead me into the, ftrong City: who will bring me into Edom?] 9 But what makes me fo confident of Suc cefs, and of overcoming, particularly the ftrong City of Edom? To [Haft not thou caft us out, 10 [I may well ask O God]: Wilt not thou, O this Queftion, for haft not thou, (v. 1.) in the God, go out with our hofts? time of my Predeceffor Saul, given thy People great Difcouragements, and permitted us to be routed by our Enemies?] Here the Reader is to obferve a full Stop, as if David almost despaired of Succefs: But then in the next words he begins to take Courage again, after fome confideration. *Wilt not thou, O God, go out with our Hofts? that is, I have reafon to hope thou wilt. II O be thou our help in trouble: for vain is the help of |