f They are a burdentoo heavy for me, as he Complains, Pſ 38.4. They are ſo many and great, thar for them thou mighteſt juſtly re- je& my Prayers, and deſtroy my Perſon. g But this is another glo- rious Priviledge granted to thy people, and that,in Anſwer to their prayers, thou doſt graciouſly pardon and purge away their fins.
4 Bleſſed is the man how thou chootelt h,and cauſeſt ; to approach wnto thee k,that he may dwell in thy courts /: * we ſhall be ſatisfied z with the goodnels of thy houſe
», even of thy holy temple. |
h Out of the Lump of Mankind, to be one of thy peculiar peo- ple. 7 5. e, Permitteſt and Commandeſt, and - by the diſpoſal of thy Providence, and the Influences ' of thy Grace, procureſt and ordereſt, k To draw near to God in his Houſe and Ordinances,by Prayer and praiſes, and other A&s of Acquaintance and Commu- nion with him. 1 In the Courts of thy Houſe. He mentioneth Conrts, becauſe the people were permitted to go no further into God's Houſe. » For they only get that ſolid Sarisfaftion which all Men deſire, but no other perſons or people can find elſewhere. » With the ſpiritual and everlaſting Blefings there conferred upon thy people, the Grace and Favour and fellowſhip of God,Remittion of ſins, Renovation of Hearr and Life, the know'edge of God, and of our ſelves, and of our Duty, and true Inteteft, Joy and peace, and well-grounded Hopes or afſurance of eternal Life : In Compa. riſon whereof all the Enjoyments of this Worid,are but Droſs and
ung.
5 By terrible things o in righteouſneſs p wilt thou an- wer us q, O God of our ſalvation : who ars the confi- dence 7 of all the ends of the earth s, and of them that a afar off pox the ſea 7,
|
S,
o Or, In a Terrible manner ; i. e. So as to ſtrike thy people with an holy Awe and Reverence of thee and of thy Judgments, and thine Enemies with Dread and Horror. Or, i a wondcrful manner,as this Word. is rendred in the Chaldee, Deut. 10: 24. things wonderful and Terrible, being put together, as expreſſing the ſame thing, Pſal 106. 22+ þp4,e. By vertue of thy Juſtice, or Faithfulneſs, or Goodne's; whereby thou art inclined, and engaged to help thy people when they arc in Diſtreſs, and reſort untotheeby prayer. q Thou wilt graciouſly Anſwer and grant our prayers and Defires. r i. e. The only Objett of a ſafe and undeceiving - Confidence ; for there is no other perſon, or thing in the Wor1d, that any man Living can truſt ro without Fear and certainty of Diſappointment. Or, Thou art the ſtay and ſupport of all Mankind, by thy powerful and gra= cious Providence, Pſal. 104. 27+ As 17. 18. Heb, 1. 3- Others refer this to the Calling of the Gentiles, But that ſeems not to ſuit with the following Verſes, which manifeſtly ſpeak of God's general Pro- vidence. s Notonly of thy people Iſrael, but of all perſons and Nations, even as far asto the End of the Earth,or of this vaſt Con- tinent in which we Live. # Or,in the Sea, 7 e. In the Ilands of the Sea, which are here diſtinguiſhed from the Continent ; and under
thoſe two Heads, - are Comprehended all the Inhabitants of the World.
6 Which by his ſtrength ſetteth faſt the mountains «; being girded with power x.
# That they are not overthrown by Floods or Winds, or Earth- quakes, or other natural or violent Cauſes : Which Rability they have only from God's Providence, which ſuſtains all perſons, and all things. x This our God being able to do it, and that with one ſingle Word-
7 * Which ſtilleth the noiſe of the ſeas, the noiſe of their waves, and the tumulr of the People z.
y When the Sea is Tempeſtuous, and Threatens to ſwallow up Ships and Men that are in it, or to overflow the Earth. z And as he ſtills the Natural,ſo alſo he quiets the Metaphorical Seas, Tumul- tuous and unruly people, for multitudes of people are oft called Seas,1p propherical Writings, as 1ſ. 17- 12, 13. Jer. 5 1.42 Revel7.15.
8 They alſo that dwell in the uttermoſt parts a are afraid atthy tokens b3 thou makeſt the out-goings of the morning and evening c || to rejoyce.
a To wit, of the Earth, which is added to this Word, w- 5. b Or Signs : Either, 1- At the Sun and Moon and Stars,which are called Signs, Gen: 1+ 14. But theſe are not Matter of Terror, but of de- light to Men;and the Commonneſs and Conſtancy of their Courſes, makes moſt Men neither fear nor much regard them. Or,2. Atthe great an d terrible Judgments, which God inflits upon wicked Men,and particularly upon the Enemies of bis people. Or rather, 3. At thoſe terrible Thunders and Lightning, and Earthquakes, and Comets, or other ſtrange Meteors.o: Works of God in the Air; For he is here ſpeaking of the natural Works of God. c By which he underſtands ; Either, 1. The Eaſt, from whence the Morning or the Sun, tae cauſe of it, goeth forth, as it is expreſſed, Pſ. 19. 6. and the Weſt, from whence the Evening or Night, is Poetically ſuppoſed to come forth. So the meaning is, That God gives all the People of the World from Eaft to Weſt, occaſion to rejoyce in the Effects of his Bounty and Goodneſs to them. Burt if the Pſalmiſt had meant this, it is not probable that he would have expreſſed ir in ſuch a dark and doubtful Phraſe, which is never uſed in that Sence, but rather by thoſe known and uſual Expreſſions, from Eaſt to We, or, from the riſmg of the Sun, to the going dewn thereof, which Phraſe he uieth, Pſal. 50. 1. and 113+ 3. Or rather,2.The ſucceſſive Courſes of the Morning and Evening ; Or of the Sun and Moon which go forth at thoſe times, thereby making the Morning and Evening ; both which are faid to Rejoyce poetically, becauſe they give Men occaſion of Rejoycing, which the Sun or the Morning doth, becauſe it gives them Opportunity for the diſpatch"of Buti- neſs, and for the Enjoyment of manifold Recreations andDelights; and the Moon or Evening doth ſo, becauſe it invites men to thac reſt and ſleep, which is both refreſhing and neceflary for them. Thus this whole Verſe ſpeaks of the natural Works of God, the fors mer Clauſe of ſuch as are extraordinary and Terrible, the latter of ſuch as are ordinary and delightful,
9 Thou viliteft 4 the earth e and |] * watereſt itfthou
greatly enricheſt it with the riverof God g which 3s full