ment of Gods former Mcrcies, and a petition for Mercy, And
{o this and other words in Hebrew and Greek which properly fig-
nifie righteouſneſs, are oft uſed for mercy or kindneſs, as 1/a: 58: 8 P/al.
31-1. and 36.10» 2 Cor. 9. 9. and in many other places 47: e. Freed
me from my former ſtraits and troubles. So he urgeth God and
ſtrengtheneth his own Faith with his former Experiences. e Thou
maiſt juſtly deſtroy me for my many and great fins, and therefore
I flee from thy Juſtice ro thy Mercy, on which all my hopes are
people that , oY
31:7,8
ks
[| Or,outre ee,
9
2 * Oye fons of menf;,how long will ye turn my glo-* 2664 ry into ſhame g ? how long will ye love vanity b,and1cek after leaſing 5? Selah.
f 7. & Princes and Potentates, as this Hebrew Phraſe ſeems, and is thought ro ſignifie, who are engaged with Saul or Abſalom againſt me. g Or, ſhall my Glory be for a ſhame, ( 7: e. ) be made by you matter of reproach and ſcorn ? By his Glory probably he means that high Honour and Royal Majeſty which God had c1- ther promiſed ro him, or conferred upon him ; wherewith, when he was in great ſtraits and. dangers, tl;ey might poſſibly reproach him in ſome ſort as this, Is this the Man, whom God ſo highly loves and honours and willexalt who now flees from one Mountain or Cave to another, who runsaway to the Philiftines whom his own Son hath baniſhed out of the Land'? Is this the effe&t of his glory- ing and boaſting of Gods favour and promiſes ? h #: e, Affett and purſue theſe courſes and deſigns of oppoſing me and my King- dom. which you will certainly find to be vain and to no purpole. : Or, lying, the fame thing with vanity; theſe two words being promiſcuouſly uſed, as Pſal. 62. 9: Only this ſeems to add ſome
Emphaſis, aud to intimate the fair bopes and promuting probabili- | c1ES
Lad
fs
5 0
ef . = x w- ; | av . | Pal. IV - i Ll
*Pal.gr,
eceſs which they had, and which aygravate their diſap- vm mg Or, by hing, he may deſign thoſe horrid me yo which the Partiſons either of Saul or Ablalom had raiſed ag pres and which they joyned with their other indeavours to make him odious toall the people, and ſo the better to eff:-& his Ruine.
But know that the LORD &, hath ſet apart } him that is godly m for himſelf » : the LORD will hear
zhen I call unto him 0. | 7 You fight not againſt me but againſt the Lord. 1 Or, hath wonderfully ſeparared me ; hath rejected the other Royal yp : Family, and hath called me by Name, and choſen me out © b: the Tribes and Families of 1/-ael, and out of my Fathers Family» though I was the youngeſt of them, and thought by Samu#l and by my Father to be moſt remote from this Honour. m (i: e- ) Me, whom, though you traduce and cenſure, as if I were an egreg10us Hypocrite and Impoſtor,who only pretended Religion for my own ambitious ends, God hath pronounced to be a man after his own heart, 1 Sam: 13: 14. And that Iamſuch in ſome good meaſure, both my own Conſcience and the general courſe of my life bear me witneſs : Which teſtimony David gives to himſelf not out of a vain glorious humour, but meerly becauſe he was conſtrained to to it by the Calumnies of his Enemies; for his own juſt and neceſſary Vindication. Or, his favourite, as this word of ſignifies : Him, whom he hath been pleaſed to chuſe and advance, not for any worth or merit ofmine, but out of his free grace and kindneſs to me ; who therefore will maintain the work of his own hands and grace, although TI cannot deny that I have been guilty of diverſe frailties and miſcarriages, for which God might juſtly reje& me, if he ſhould deal with me according to the rigours of his Juſtice. » Either 1. Inhis ſtead, or to be his Vicegerent, as all Kings are, and eſpecially the Kings of Gods own People. Or rather 2.For his own ſervice and glory, to fulfil all his will, as it is exprefſed 4s 13. 22.Whbich may be ſpoken by way of oppoſirion to Saul,who had no regard to God, norto his Willand Glory, but minded only his own honour and advantage. o Therefore I am aſſured that God will hear my Prayersand ſave me out of your hands.
4 Stand in aw p, and fin not 9: commune with your
own heart upon your bed r, and be ſtill s. Selah.
> Tremble therefore and be afraid, if not of me, yet at leaſt of God, who hath engaged himſelfin my Cauſe or Quarrel, and wall be an Adverſary to my Adverfariess or, be angry, as this word 1s here rendred by all the antient and ſome modern Tranſlators, and as it is thought by the Apoſtle, Eph, 4.26. Or, 4reyou angry. For It may be taken interrogatively ; Admit you be angry or difpleaſcd that God hath pine ws me an obſcure Perſon and of a mean Famt- ly,before ſo many noble and mighty men, et or bur ( as it follows) fn not;(# e«) do not ſo far indulge your anger as to break. forth into murmuring againſt God, or rebellion againſt me bur ſeaſonably ſuppreſs and mortifie your unadviſed and ſinful Paſſion, leſt it break forth to your own Ruine This Hebrew word ſignifies 1a general 2 vehement commotion of the mind or heart, whether through grief, as 2 Sam: 18' 33. or fear, as Exod. 15: 14. Deut. 2: 25. or anger, as Gen. 45, 24. 2 Kings 19, 27, 28. Prov. 29. 9. Exek.16. 43. q By cheriſh- Ing and proſecuting your anger and malice againft me, and your Rebellion againſt Gods Authority» r Calmly and deeply conſider theſe things in your ewn Breaſts in the ſilent night, when you are at leaſure from the croud of diſtrating buſineſs, and free from the company of crafty and dawbing Paraſites. 5s Either 1. As to your outward A&ions;for this Verb oft ſignifies a ceſſstion of Affi- Ons, as Joſh. 10: 13. Job 30: 27. Proceed no further in your wicked ſpeeches and contrivances againſt me. Or rather 2. As to your in- ward paſſions. Compoſe your tumultuous minds ; as this Verb is uſed, Pſal: 37: 73 and 62:2. and 137: 2. Suppreſs your anger arid rage, which tho' dire&ed againſt me only, yet 1s indeed againſt God and againſt his Counſel and Providence.
5 Offer t * the ſacrifices of righteouſneſs : and pur
y your truſt in the LORD x. Wn; #£ To wit, unto God, that he may be reconciled to you, and 4 27, may pardonall your Murmurings and Inſurre&ions againſt him and
againſt me. For it ſeems plain that this, as well as the former