» Becauſe for thy ſake ; I have born reproach: ſhame hath covered my face &.
7 For my truſt in thy Promiſe, and obedience to thy Commands, and zeal for thy Glory, and againſt all wickedneſs: All which they turn into matter of derifion and reproach. & In which Man's Majeſty and Glory is moſt evident, which I am in a manner albamed to ſhew amongſt men-
P[33.11. 8 I * am become a ftranger unto my brethren, and
an alien unto my mothers children /.
I My neareſt Kinſmen eſtranged themſelves from me ; partly, out of fefr, leſt they ſhould be involved in my ſufferings ; and chiefly out of diſlike of his Piety and exceſſive Zeal in Religion, as it here follows.n
*alnr9. g*Formthe zeal of thine houſe » hath eaten me up o,
139- * and the reproaches of them that reproached thee p,
pays are fallen upon me 9.
*R0.15 3' 2 This is the Reaſon of that alienation of my Brethren and others from me, becauſe there is a vaſt difference and contrariety in our Tempers. They mind not the concerns of God and of Re- ligion, but are wholly intent upon Wealth and Honour, and Worldly greatneſs. » That fervent Paſſion which I have for thy Houſe and Service, and Glory and People, o Exhaufted and walt- ed my Natural Moiſture, and Vital Spirits, which is oft effe&ed by grief and anger, and fervent Love and Deſire ; Of which Paſſh- ons Zeal is compoſed. p That ſpeak contemptuoufly or wickedly of thy Name or Providence, or Truth, or Worſhip and Service. q Either, 1. By Imputation : They refle& uppn me becauſe I am engaged: in the defence of thy Cauſe and Glory, which wicked men oppoſe and deſpiſe, and therefore mult needs ſuffer th ir, and withit. Or, 2. By Choice and AffeQtion. I have been as deeply affeted with thy reproaches, as with mine own. This whole verſe, tho truly belonging to David, yet was alſo dire&ed by him, or at leaſt by the Spirit of God in him, to an higher uſe, ro repreſent the diſpoſition and condition of Chriſt, in whem this was more truly and fully accompliſhed than in David, ro whom therefore it is appli:d in the New Teſtament, the firſt part of it, John 2+ 17. and the latter, Rom. I5.3.
fHeb. and xo + When I wept r, and chaſtened 5 my ſoul # with
Ivf faſting, that was to my reproach «, th Joſs r For their impiety and reproaches, which they caſt upon God pu has and Godlineſs. s Which word is here underſtood, out of Pſalm " _ 35-13. avit 1s alſo in 2 Chron. 10. 114 14. out of I Kings 12. It. ” where it is expreſſed. # Either my Body ; or my lelf, the Soul be- ing oft uſed both ways. » They derided me for my Piety and Devotion, and for my Faith in God's Promiſes, and hopes of afliſt-
ance from him:
11 I made ſackcloth alſo my garment x, and I be-
came a proverb to them y.
* Wearing it nextto my Skin, in token ofmy Humiliation and hearty Sorrow, as the manner then was in days of Faſting. y They uſed my Name 'proverbially of any perſon, whom they thought vainly and tooliſhly Religious. :
12 They that ſit in the gate z, ſpeak againſt me, Mal..35- and * I was the ſong of the | drunkards
Few z Either, 1. Vain and idle perſons, that ſpend their time in the FE ; " + Gates and Mackets, in which there uſed to be a confluence of peo- bn = | ple. Or rather 2. The Judges and Magiſtrates, who uſed to ſit mg arms ( which was their poſture, Exed. 18. 14. Prove 20.8, &c: ) in the Gates of Cities, the uſual places of Judicature, For David oft com- plains of his hard uſage from theſe men, as Pſalm 5 8. 1, 2. and 119. 23 and elſe-where; which was the more grievous, becauſe theſe who were obliged by their Office to prote& and right him, did joyn with others in reproaching and oppreſſiing him. #« Of the ſcum of the people; of all lewd and debauched perſons. Thus
both high and low conſpired againſt him. I. 49.8- 13 But as for me, my prayef is unto thee 6, O LORD, lor.6. » * jn an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of
thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy ſalvation c.
b But whilſt they ſcoffI will pray, and not be driven from God, and from my Prayers and other Duties, by all their Reproaches or other diſcouragements. c Heb. In a vime of Acceptation, or Grace ; or thy good Will, or good Pleaſure. Thele words may be joyned ; Either 1. With the following words, by way of limitation : Hear
| ne in thy accepted time, e» I do nor limit thee to a day or time, but when thou ſeeſt fir, hear and help me. Or rather 2. With the foregoing, as an Argument to enforce his Prayer, I pray in 4 time of Grace or Acceptation, I ſeek thee, when thou wayeſt be found, as Pſalm 32.6. Iſa. 55. 6. In a good Day, as they faid,. 1 Sam. 25.8. in the Day of Grace and Mercy, in a time of great trouble, which is the proper ſeaſon for Prayer, Pſalm 50. 15. and whilſt I have thee engaged to me by Promites, which thy Honour and Truth oblige
thee to perform, I come not too late, and therefdre do thou hear
ſ me. e Or for, or according to thy ſaving Truth, or Faithfulneſs; where. by thou art obliged tro yu? unto me that Salvation which thou haſt graciouſly promiſed.
14 Deliver. me out of the mire, -and let me not ſink: let me be delivered from them that hate me «4, and out of the deep waters.
d Whereby he explains his meaning in theſe Metaphors of Mire, and Waters, and Deep, and Pit Rs 15 Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let 2,523. the deep ſwallow me up, and let not * the pit ſhut her mouth upon me.
16 Hear me, O LORD, for thy loving kindneſs zs
good es, turn unto me according to the nuultitude of thy
render mercies. | | 74, e i. e;: Is eminently and unſpeakably good ; The poſitive degree being pur for the ſuperlative, asit is Zuke 1. 28s 1 Cor, 12. 23, &C-
Ir is moſt ready to communicate it {elf ro indigent and milerable
Creatures,
_
i
LM. 17 And hide not thy face from thy ſervant, for I am
18 Draw nigh unto my ſoul f, and redeem it: deliver ,,7.. me becauſe of mine enemies gp.
f To ſupport and relieve it, O thou who ſcemeſt to be departed far away from me, g Partly, becauſe they perſecute ir, and gree- dily ſeck to deſtroy it; And partly, becauſe they are thine as well as mine Enemies, and if they ſucceed, will triumph not only over me, but in ſome ſort over thee, and over Religion.
19 Thouhaſt known * my reproach,and my ſhame, an