q This and the next Verſe are the words, either, r. Of God 3 eye thallbe whom Dav!d brings in as returning this Anſwer to his Prayers, and upon thee, the profefiion of his truſt 'in God. Or rather, 2 Of David him» telt!: who having received ſingular favours from God, and having declared what the Godly would do upon that occaſion, v: 6. he now undertakes to inſtru& the wicked what they ſhould do- Which he doth, partly ro expreſs his thankfulneſs to God, for delivering himſelf, and his Zeal to advance the Honour and ſervice of Godin the World 3 partly as an a& of Juſtice, that he might make fome amends to thoſe whom he had injured, and provoke them to Re« pentance, whom by his fins he had ſcandalized ; and either drawn :0 fin, or incouraged and hardened in fin, which he was obliged and «id promiſe ro do, upon this, or the like occaſion, Pſa. 51. .3- and partly for the diſcharge of his Office and Duty as he was »oth a King and a Prophot, and a good Man; in all which capa- cities he was obliged no indeavour the Converſion and Salvation of Sinners. r Thee O Sinner, whoſoever thou art, who haſt no un- derſtanding, but art a wicked man, as the two following Verles explain it. He ſpeaks this to the generality of impenitent Sinners, as the next Verie ſhews, which begins in the plural number, Be nor ye, &c, Only he expreſleth it here 1ingularly, as appealing and ap- plying himſelf particularly to the Conſcience of every individual perſon, which he thought the moſt effetual way of proceeding, as he had found to himſelf, when Nachan applyed his indcfinite Diſcourſe to him, ſaying Thou art the Man. 51, e, In which thou oughteſt to walk ; the Future Tenſe oft noting a mans duty, as Gen. 20, 9. Val. 1.6. t I will lend thee the Eyes of my Mand : Or, I will be to thee in Fead of Eyes, as the phrale is, Numb. 10» 31+ to adviſe and dirett, and caution thee 3 whichTI am able to do, not only by thoſe Gifts and Graces which God hath given me, but alſo from my own experience. I will guide thee as the Rider doth his Horſe, ro which the perſon to be guided is compared, wv. g. Or, as a Maſter doth his Schollar 3 or as a Guide doth him who knoweth not the right way. Or, the words may be thus rendred, 1 wif give thee Counſel, mine Eye ſhall be upon thee, as it is more fully expreſſed, Gene 44+ 21. Jer. 24. 6+ and 4oe 4. I will watch over thee, and in« ſtruct or admonifh thee, as I have occaſion. :
9 Beye not.as the horſe, Or as the mule which-have , pr.26.3; no underſtandings: whoſe mouth muſt be heldin with ' bir and bridle, left they comenear unto thee x.
« Be not ſuch brutiſh and ſortiſh Creatures as I have been, not having Reaſon or Grace to govern your ſelves, nor hearkening to the Counſcls and Admonitions of others, x Leſt they ſhould come
c0S
{Heb. gs
time of fin ding.
* Pſag.gi & 27+ 5+
Pſal.
»Pſ:94 | Or, be guill
{Pl.97
.3,
Plal. KXXV.
P $4 r i.e. All the parts and members of their Bodies, which are Synecdochically expreſſed by the Bones, which are the ſtay and ſtrength of the reſt. 5 God will not ſuffer any miſchief to befal him : though he may be oft afflicted, yer he ſhal not be deſtroyed- But theſe words, though they are here ſpoken of the Righteous men in general, of whom they are true in a Metaphorical Senſe 3 yet they had a further meaning in them, being deſigned by rhe Spirit of God (which diQated ro David, not oply the matter, but the very words and expreſſions ) to ſignifie a great Myſtery, that x none of Chriſts Bones ſhould be bruken ; to which purpoſe they 4P(:94.23-are alledged, John 19. 36. : 1 Or, jþ#/ 21 * Evilt ſhal ſlay the wicked, and they chat hate gully. the righteous «, || ſhall be deſolate. t Either, 1. The evil of fin : his own wickedneſs, though de- ſigned againſt others, ſhall deſtroy himſelf. Or, 2. The evil of Mi- ſery, When the afflitions of good men ſhall have an happy iſſue, theirs ſhall end in their total and final deſtruction. » Thar perlſe- cute them, and plot their ruinez which is an evidence that they zPſ g7:10+hate them, whatſoever they may pretend to the contrary, 22 * The LORD redeemeth the ſoul of his ſervants
x ; and none of them that truſtin him ſhall be deſolate. x 7, e. Their Lives or their perſons, from the malicious De- ſigns of all their Enemies, and from deſolation or utter ruine, as
it follows. PSATL. $XXXV.
The ARGUMENT. Wig Pſalm was Penned by David, when he was ſlandered and perſecuted by Saul and his Servants, as is manifeſt from the whole body ofit- A Pſalm of David.
David prayeth for his own ſafety, 1, 2, and his Enemies deftruftion, 3 10. ſheweth their falſhnod, and unthankfulneſs and malice, II 24, He prayeth for their confuſion, 42 26. but for the preſervation and joy of the godly, 27, 28,
& 119: Lead * my cauſe, O LORD #4, with them that
154 + ſtrive wich me : fight againſt them that fight a-
lan-3:58--2inſt me.
fHeb.im-" , Seing Iam unable to right my ſelf, and rhe Magiſtrates refuſe
fd Me. 10 do me juſtice, be thou my patron and proteCtor.
2 Take hold of ſhield and buckler b, and ftandupfor mins help.
b Therewith to cover and defend me. Prov. 2; 7.
3 Draw out alſo the ſpearc, and ſtop the way d a- gainſt them that perſecure me ; ſay unto my foul e,lem thy ſalvation.
c Thy offenſive Weapons. He alludes to the praftice of Soldiers in Battel. d In which they are marching dire&ly and furiouſly a- gainit me.' But divers Interpreters, both Hebrews and others, take this Hebrew word for a Noun, and render it # Sword ; or as the word may ſignifie, s cloſe Weapon ; For the pſalmiſt here repreſen- ting God as a Man of War, and accordingly furniſhing him with other Weapons, it ſeems not probable that he would omit this Weapon, which was moſt conſtantly and univerſally uſed. e 3: e, Unto me ; either, ». By thy Spirir aſſuring me ofit: Or 2. By
"P(.43-14
Compare Pſalm g1. 4.
L o £ M<- . Pal. XXXY » Out of meer malice, without any injury or provocation on a my part, and without any neceſlity on their partss They are no ti common, bur the worſt of enemies; and therefore I may juſtly Pray againfr them, asI do. » Theſe Expreſſions aggravate their ftas, and ſignifie that their perſecution of him was nor the effe&t of a ſudden Paſſion, bur of a deep and habitual Hatred and Malice, and of an evil deſign,carried on in a conſtant and continued courſe with deliberation, and cunning, and deceit, and that againſt his Soul or Life ; for nothing leſs would farisfie them. * "my