ft And theſe Adminiſtrations of Gods Providence ſhall be ſo evi- dent and convincing, that not only good Men ſhall be ſenſ1vle there- of, but any man that ſees them, yea, even ſuch as were apr to dif. pute or doubt of Gods Providence, ſhall upon this eminent occaſi- on, break forth into ſuch Exclamations as this, Nowl ſee that Re- ligion is not a vain and uprofitable thing, and that_ there is a God who doth now obſerve and govern, and when he ſees fir, judgeth the Inhabitants of the Earth, and will hereafter judge the whole World in Righteouſneſs, and recompence every man according to
his works. PSAL AX The ARGUMENT.
He matter and deſign of this Pſalm is the ſamein general, and
for ſubſtance with the former, to wit, a declaration of the
Cruelty and Treachery of his Enemies ; and a Prayer to God to de- liver him out of their hands.
10;, 4. To the chief muſician,||Al-taſchith,Michtam of David:*
*Job-
4 19-
*Tob, Jo 16.
+ Heb. 4s Living 4s Wrath.
t Heb. Fruit 0
they Oc.
0” ION
ty we, when Saul ſent & they watched the houſe to kill him. len David, in danger, prayeth unto God for deliverance from his Enemies, 1,2. of relating his own Innocency and their Cruelty, He truſtethinGod,and pray- ood againſt them, 3 <=15, Promiſeth thankfulneſs to God for being his defence 10am. and refuge, 16, 17. ; | Bu Eliver me from mine enemies «, O my God: | Te 37 defend me from them that riſe up againſt me. "P.18.,9 # He chiefly underſtands Sau!, bur ſpeaks in the Plural Number,
2 Deliver me from all the workers of iniquity, and Gave me from bloody men.
io 3 For lo, they lye in wait for my ſoul ; the mighty ' are gathered againſt me : not for my tranſgreſſion, nor for my ſin, © LORD 5; ;
a
L M S. | Fial. LI 6 Without any provocation, or cauſe given them by me, I am | a ſinner before thee O Lord, but havedone them no injury. | 4 They run c and prepare themſelves 4 without my | fault: awake # to help mee, and behold. + Heb. c To and fro, firſt to receive Sauls Commands, and then fo exe- meet mel cute them with all ſpeed and diligence. d Or, diſpoſe themſelves | here and there round about my Houſe, that they may catch me | | | | | |
|
when I go out of it. e Heb. ro meet me, as I come abroad, and to condutt me away with Safety.
5 Thou therefore, © LORD God of hoſts, the God of Iſrael f, awake to viſit all the heathen ig : be not merciful þ tro any wicked tranſgreſſors 3. Selah,
F A God in Covenant with all true 1ſ-2eliter, whom thou haſt promiſed to prote& and bleſs. g Or, theſe heathens, or Gentiles: Who though they are called and accounted 1ſraelites by their Birth ; yet in Truth, and in their Diſpoſitions and Manners, are meer Hea- thens and Barbarians: In which reſpe& ſuch men are elſewhere cal- led Strangers, Pſal. 54. 3. Men of Sodom and Gomorrah, Iſa. 1. 10. and as Ethiopians, Amos 9. 7. As among us ungodly Chriſtians, are oft cal- led Jews, or Turks, or Heathens, h For indeed thou canſt not with thine Honour,nor according to thy Word be merciful to any ſuch incorrigible offenders. z Or, perfidious Tranſgreſſrs, ſuch as perſe- cute me, and other good men, out of malice,and againſt their own Conſciences,which rellthem thatT am innocent,and with pretences of Friendſhip, He might well pray ſo vehemently againſt ſuch not | only for his own preſervation, but for the juſt and neceffary vindi- | cation of Gods Honour, and for the publick good of Mankind ; whoſe common intereC& it was, that by Miſcreants ſhould be
y
| | | 1 | |
taken out of the way.
6 They return at evening & : they make a noiſe like a dog /, and go round about the city mm. :
k After they have been buſie all day ; either in plotting againſt me, or in hunting after me. In the Evening, when they thould compoſe themſelves to reſt,they return to their 01d trade of watch- ing for me : Which they did at this time all the Night long; 1 Sam. 19. 11. { Either when he is hungry and purſuing his prey, and howls for meat ; or when he is enraged. and grins and ſnarles where he cannot, or dare not bite. » When they did nor find him in his own Houſe, they ſought for him in other Houſes, and parts of the City; where they ſuppoſed him to lurk.
7 Behold, they beich our » with their mouth: ſwords 6 are in their lips ; for * who, ſzy they; doth hear p ?
nz Or, they pour forth ( to wit, words, for what elſe ſhou'd come out of the mouth ? Even ſharp and bitter words, as the next Clauſe explaines it ) abundantly and veh:zmently, as a Fountain doth Wa- ters, as this word ſignifies, ſee Prov. ig. 28. Fer 6. 7- 04. e. Words as keen and miſchievous as Swords, as Pſal. 55+ 21- and 57. 4. ? David doth not hear us, either to diſcover,and ſo to prevent our plots, or to puniſh us for them : and God either doth'not hear, or not regard what we fay and do againſt David: And therefore we may ſpeak and a& what we think fit.
8 But chou, O LORD, * ſhalt laugh at them 94;thou ſhalt have all the heathen in derifion. q Diſappoint their high confidences, and hopeful deſigns, and
_ deride them, and make them ridiculous and contemptible to
9 Becauſe of his ſtrength r will I wait upon thee: for God z> f my defence.
r 2. e. Sauls ſtrength : Becauſe he is too ſtrong for me. Or ra-- 1;5h, place; ther, O my ftrength, as it is v., 179. And all thole antient and vene= * rable Tranſlatois, the LXX, and Chaldee, and vulgar Latin, render it, my firengch. In the Hebrew it is, his ſtrength, i. e. Dawids. For David ſpeaks of himſelf in the third perſon, as he oft doth. And {uch ſudden changes of perſons are utual, both in theſe Poerical Books ( as hath been noted before ) and elſewhere, as Dan, 9. 4.Mithe oy 8
10 The God of my mercy s ſhall prevent mer: God , . . , ſhall let * me ſee my deſire « upon j' mine enemies. |
5 7, e. ) The giver ofall that Mercy and Comfort which I either E - have or hope for. Heb. of his Mercy. But here alſo there is ( as ap- | * _—_ pears by comparing this with ws 17. ) a change of the perſon, as jerocr, there was inthe foregoing Verſe. e To wit, w:th the Bleſſmgs of Good- weſs, as itis more fully expreſſed, Pſal. 21. 3. Thou ſhalt help me, and that ſeaſonably, before it be too late, and ſooner than I expe&.
% In their diſappointment and overthrow, as it follows : Which was very deſirable ro David, no leſs for the publick good, than for his . own ſafety and happineſs. |
11 * Slay them not, left my people y forget z : ſcat- ter them 2 by thy power ; and bring them down þ, O LORD our ſhield.