. £ So as I have above expreſſed: for this particle ſo taken, doth not belong to what he had now wiſely and piouſly ſaid ia thenexr foregoing Verſes, but to what he had unadviſedly ſpoken in the former Verſes, as is Evident from the following Verſe. Or, Ne- wertheleſs, as this particle is oft uſed, Although I knew very well that the proſperity of ſinners would have afudden and Diſmal end. yet I was ſo fooliſh as to be grieved at it. ' « I was heartily and deeply wounded with diſquieting Thoughts, and tormenting Paſ- ſions, Envy and Sorrow, and Anger.
11. 92.6. . 22 * So fooliſh was I, and 7 ignorant: I was as a Heb. 7 beaſt x Þ before thee 9.
x Heb. Beaſts, which may ſignify a great Beaſt ; a moſt ſtupid
Heb.with and ſotriſh Creature, like one not only void of grace, but of Rea-
ſon too : For Reaſonit ſelf, eſpecially aſſiſted by the Holy Scrip- tures, did ſufficiently diſcover, that all things conſidered, I had no ſufficient. cauſe to envy the Proſperity of wicked Men- I minded
\ only preſent things, as the Brutes do, and did not conſider things
to Come, as reaſonable Creatures do, and ought to do. y In thy
fight or Judgments, and therefore in Truth, Rome 2: 2+ howſoever'
I ſeemed to my ſelf or others, to have ſome degree of Reaſon and
Diſcretion- ; 22 Nevertheleſs = I * am continually with thee 4,
thou haſt holden me by my right hand. 5.
z Notwithſtanding all my Temptations, and my groſs folly in yeilding to them. # Either, r. Ina way of Duty ( Yet I did nor depart from thee, nor from thy ways,butdid at laſt Conquer them and firmly cleave unto thee by Faith. - Or rather, 2. In a way of
ercy and Favour, of which he ſpeaks in the next Clauſe of this, and in the following Verſe. Although I gave thee juſt cauſe ro calt me off, yet thou didſt continue thy gracious Preſence with me, and thy care and kindneſs tome. And this phraſe, with thee ſeems to have ſome Emphaſis in it, as being oppoled to the other with thee, v. 22. T was a Beaſt with thee, ſuch was my folly and Wickedneſs : and yet, I was in Favour with thee, ſuch was thy goodneſs: thou didit pardon and Cure it. b That my Faith mighr not fail, and I might not be overthrown by this,. or any other
Temptations.
24 Thou ſhaltguide me « with thy counſel d, and
1 Or, with afterward receive me || to glorye. So
c As thou haſt kept me hitherto in all my Tryals, ſo I am” aſ-
ſyred thou wiltſt lead me {till into right paths, and keep me from.
wandring or {traying from thee, or falling into Miſchief. d Part- ly, by thy gracious Providence, executing thy purpoſe of Mercy to me, and watching over me : Partly, by thy word which thou wilſt open mine Eyes to underſtand, as P/al. 119. 18. and princi- pally by thy holy Spirit.ſan&ifying and direfting me in the whole Courſe of my Life. e Either, 1. Advance me to honour here. Or rather, 2. Tranſlate me to everlaſting Glory in Heaven» For 1. Thus God doth for his people moſt conſtantly and certainly,whilſt all the Occurrences of the preſent Life, do happen indifferently to good and bad ; which was the common Obſervation of Job, and David, and Solomon, and other Holy men of God in Scripture. 2. This is far more Conſiderable than the former, and the more Sa- tisfaory Relief againſt the preſent proſperity of the wicked, and the Affflitons of good men. 3. This future Glory 1s that Myſtery which was to be learned only in Gods SanQtuary, v, 17. 4. As "the deſtruction of the wicked mentioned, wv. 18, 19, 20, looks beyond this Life, {ſo doth the Glory of God's people.
25 Whom have I in heaven f but thee g ? and there is
none upon earth har I deſire beſides thee.
f Or, in earth, as it follows. There is no other perſon nor thing in the World,from which I can ſeek or hope for Happineſs, or which I am willing to accept as my Portion. Let ſinners have an earthly proſperity, I am ſatisfyed with thee, and with thy Fa- vour. Since thou giveſt me ſupport and Condutt here, and car- rieſt me ſafe from hence to eternal Glory, what do I need more ? Or what can I deſire more ? g Which words muſt neceſſarily be underſtood here from the next Clauſe, where they are expreſſed.
26 My fleſh and my heart faileth h, but God is the
+ ſtrength of my heart; and my portion for ever #-
bh In my ſelf, Iconfeſs Tam a poor weak Creature, and my Body and Spirit may fail, and be ready to faint under ſuch Temptations and Tribulations as theſe, and I know I ſhall ſhortly return to the Duſt, out of which I was taken. z But though I have no ſtrength in my ſelf, I have it in God, my never-failing Refuge, to whom Lwill truſt whilſt I live, and who will be my Portion to Eternity,
27 For lo, they that are far from thee f ſhall periſh:
thou haſt deſtroyed /all them that go a whoring from
thee m,
& They that forſake thee, and thy ways, preferring the proſpes rity of this preſent evil World before thy Love and Favour, and they who eſtrange themſelves from the Love and Life,and Acquaintance of God, that ſay ts God, depart from us, we dcſire not the Knowledge of thy ways, as they did, Job. 21- 14, 7. Thou willt certainly and dreadfully deſtroy them. 2 Thoſe who having pro- feſſed SubjeQion to thee, ſhall afterwards revolt from thee and ſell themſelves to work Wickedneſs ; which 1s called Wheredom in Scrip- ture. For none are more hatefull tc God, than wilful and wicked Apoſtates from the Principles and PraQtic of the true Religion,
which oncethey owned.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God » ;I not to ſuic well with che oppoſition berween this work and
TS = L AMS.
Fial, have put my truſt in the LOR I may declare all thy works p.
» But whatſoever they do, Tam abundantly ſatisfied, that it is a« my Duty, fo my Intereſt and Happineſs ito cleave unto thee, by Faith and Love, and Obedience, and diligent Attendance upon it; thine Ordinances. o I depend upon him alone forall my Comfore and Felicity. p From which I know I ſhall have this benefit, thar T ſhall have many and great occaſions, to declare Gods Ads of Mercy and Kindneſs to me.
PSAL EZXXLYV.
[| Maſchil of Afaph #.
a i.e. Compoſed by 4ſ#ph; Either, 1» By that famous 4ſ#pb, who flouriſhed in David's time, and by the Spirit of God foreſaw and foretold the things here mentioned. But the clear and exaQt, and particular, and moſt patherical Deſcription of the thing} here expreſſed, looks more like a Narritive of what is paſt, than a Prophecy of what is to come ; which uſually 1s delivered more darkly.Beſides ſuch a Prophecy of the Deſtruction ofthe Temple