e Yet I muſt acknowledge this with grief and ſhame concern- ing my ſelf, notwithſtanding all my Knowledge of this Truth,and my own Experience and Obſervation of God's gracious Dealings with me, and other good Men. f My Faith in God's Promiſes and Providence, was almoit overthrown by the force of this T<mpration; and I was almolt ready to repent of my Piety, v. +3. and to follow the Example of ungodly Men. g Heb. Were almoft poured forth, like Water upon the ground which is unſtable, and runs hither and thither, with great diſorder and uncertainty, till it be irrecoverab- ly loſt. So was I almoſt bebo yrs by my own unruly Paſſions, into unworthy thoughts of God, and a ſinful courſe of ife.
© 2 * For 1 was enyious at the fooliſh, when I ſaw the 'Job2-7 proſperity of the wicked þ. | Pat 37*4* þ I grudged and murmured at it, and had a ſecret Deſire to Jelhs 7: partake of their Delicates. : For there are no bands in their death z, but their ſtrength is F firm &. #Heb.Fur. # They are not dragged to Death, neither by the Hand and Sen- tence of the Magiſtrate, which yet they deſerve ; nor by any ling- ring and grievous torments of Mind or Body, which is the Caſe of many good Men; but they enjoy a ſweet and quiet Death, drop- ping into the Grave, like ripe Fruit from the 'Tree, without any violence uſed tot1em- Compare Job 5. 26- and 21- 13+ & Heb. And their Strength is Fat, i- e+ Sound and good : The beſt of any thing being called Far in Scripture, as Gen, 41 2+ Dan. 1. 15--And in their Lifetime they have great Eaſe and Health, and Content, till they expire like a Lamp, meer!y for want of Moyſture. 5 They are not F in trouble as other men /: neither
Hebe in th ads are they plagued Þ like other men. forher #1 Either, 1- As good Men frequently are. Or, 2- As Men ge= Mm, nerally are. They do by a ſecret and favourable Providence of God,
fHeb.with elcape even common Calamiries. 6 Therefore pride compaſſeth them about as a chain 7; violence covereth them as a garment. NEE mw This Phraſe notes both the extent of their pride, which ap= pears on every ſide of them, in their Countenances, Diſcourſes, Geſtures, &c. and their glorying in it. The like may be ſaid of the next phraſe.
M19. +7 * Their eyes ſtand out with fatneſs » ; they have bh 444, NOTE than heart could wiſh. s they n As they do in ſome fat perſons, though not in others- The
Tugke Fmenmngg is: They live in great plenty and proſperity, as the next the , Clauſe explains it. :
#. 8 They are corrupt s, and ſpeak wickedly concerning oppreſſion p : They ſpeak lofeily 9.
o Or, diſſolved in pleaſure. Or, theycorrupt themſelves. 7p Wic- kedly boaſting of their Oppreſſions ; Either,of what they have done; Or of what they intend to do, in that kind. q Arrogant!y preſu- ming upon their own ſtrength,and deſpiſing bothGod and Men.
9 They ſet their mouci againſt the heavens r, and their tongue walketh through the earth 5. S
r 1 e& Againſt God, blaſpheming his Name, denying or derid- ing his Providence, reviling his Saints and Servants. s Uſing all manner of Liberty, introducing and reproaching all ſorts of per- ſons, not caring whom they diſpleaſe, or hurt by it.
10 Therefore his people 7 return hicher «: and wa- ters of a full cup are wrung out to them x.
+ Either, 1- The people of thoſe wicked Blaſphemers ; all their Children and Servants, and Friends, encouraged by their Example. Or rather, 2. The people of God, who is oft under:tood under the pronoun Relative, he or hs, though he be nor expr-ſled, as Pſalm 105- 19. Iſa. 30. 23- See the like, Pſalm $87. r. Cant. 1». 2. But then as God's people are of two ſorts, ſome that are ſo really and fin- cerely, and others that are ſo only in Profeſſion and ſhew, in which Senſe the whole Body of the 729/:tiſh Nation, yea even tte wicked among them, are called his People, as Pſalm $1+ 11+ Iſa 1: 3. Fer. 2. 11. &c. ſo this may be underſtood;Eirher, r. Of thoſe true Iſraelites, verſe 1- Even the Godly were ſtartled and ſtumbled at this, as David was, Pſalm 37. and Jeremy chap. 12. Bur although they might have ſome murmuring thoughts about this Matter, it ſeems bable that they would either give way to ſuch thoughts,
or break forth into ſuch expreſſions as are here aſcribed to them, * verſe 11- nor are ſuch things to be imputed to them without ne- |
ceſlity 3 Nor did either David br Feremy in their Conflicts, utrier any thing of this Narure. | Hyp tical 7ſrazlites, who perceiving the impunity and proſperity of thefe ungodly wretches, were eaſily drawn to the approbaticn and imi- cation of their courſes. And this may ſcem mo# ſuitable ro the context ; For the Deſcription of the Condition, and Carriage, 2nd words of theſe ungodly men, which begins verſe 4. ſeems to be con- tinued to verſe 13: then follows the Plalmiſt's refleftiou and Con- ſideration upon the whole Matter, from verſe 13+to the end. « Or, turs hither, 1. e. To this wicked Company, or to their courſe. x Wa- | Fers in Scripture, do oft-times ſignifice AfiQtions, and as oft Com- forts and Mercies. So the Senſe may be; Either, 1. And whilſt the wicked proſper, God doth wring out Waters out of th: Cup of Tribulation, and cauſeth his holy Ones to drink them up : Com- pare Pſalm 75.8. and 80: 5. Iſa 5t- 17. Jer: 25- 15, &c, Or rather, 2.And thoſe Hypocritical Jraelires find tiemſelves gainers by their - Apoſtacy, and they partake of the ſame proſperity with their Lea- gers,and God ſeems to give them a full Cup of Conſolation, and ta
PS4. 3M 6
Or rather, 2. Of the Carnal Hypocri- |
Pial. LXXII pour forth his Mercies upon them in ſuch abundance, as if he - " would wring or ſqueeze out all his Bleflings, out of his Stores, to
beſtow upon them. And meeting with ſuch ſucceſs to their wic= kedneſs,it is not ſtrange if they pur that queitionvesſe 17.
ir And they y ſay, How doth God know ? and is there knowledge in the moſt High > !