x Either, r- To pray for mercies. Ask freely and abundantly and boldly (as this phr:{e oft ſignifies) whatſoever you need, or 31 reaſon can delfire. Or, 2. Toreceive the Mercies which I am ready to give you- y Iwill give or grant them all, upon conditi- on of your obcdicnce.
ii But my people would not hearken to my voice ; and Ifrael would none of me z. h
z Or, did not aſſent to me, or acquieſce in me, or obey me, or my commands.
I2 * So0I gave them up ||unto their own hearts luſt a, and they walked'in their own counſels 6.
'Pl. 50. 7-
*Atds 7.42 and 14.16.
of
L M$. Pal. LXXXIF
not note the poſture; but only the being orpreſence of a perſon; ; as Ija- 11+ 10. Dan It. 20+ John 7. 29. hence this Hebrew Word is ty ſome learned Interpreters rendred #s preſent, and by others preſid-th, as thus word is uſed, 'x Sam 19- 20+ and 2+: 9, 6 Or, of the gods, as it is explained and expreiſed in the next Clauſe; The ſingu ar number being here, as it is frequently elſe- where, put for the plural By gods, or the Mighty, he underſtands Kings, or other chicf Rulers, who are ſo called becauſe they have their power and commiſſion from God, and a& as his Deputies in his name and ſtead, and muit give an account to him of all their Actions. And by their Congreg #tion he underſtands not a convention oratſembly of ſuch perſons which ſeldom meet together, bur ei- ther 1. AH Congregations or Aſſemblies of People in which Ma- giſtrares ſit to execute Juſtice, Or, 2. All perſons whatſoever of this high and ſacred Order or Number : For the Hebrew word here rendred C-ngregation, doth not alwavs fignifie aa Afembly of Per- ſuns met together in one place, but ſometimes notes all the parti- cular Perſons of or belonging to 1uch a ſort and body of Men, _ though ditperled in divers places, as Pſalm 26. 5. I have hated*the \ congregat.on of evil doers, 1. e& all evil docrs, Prov. 21. 16. he ſball re= \ main im the congregation of the desd, 1. e&- ſhall be one of that number and ſtate. * See alſo Jo 22. 20. Pſalm 74. 19. Some render it as it isin the HHebre v, In the Congregation of God, in his own Congregati« on, the Noua being pur for the Pronoun, as is uſual in the He- brew Texr, i- e. In the Conventioas or Tribunals of Princes or Rulers, which he rightly calls hs, becauſe their authority is whol- ly derived fr.m him. Bur the former Expoſition ſeems more a- greeable both ro the following words, and to the ſcope and whiole Body of the Pſalm. c Accurately obſerveth all treir carriages, and paſlerh ſentence upon them accordingly. 4 i & Judges and Ma» giſtrates, who are called gods below, verſe 6. and Exod. 12. 12. and 22.28, compared with A#s 23- 5. Pſalm 138. 1. and of whom this is expourided, John 10s 34, 35. L : Re” F 2 How long will ye judge unjuſtly e, and * accept | Deut. 5 the perſons f of the wicked! Selah. be | e The Pfalmiſt ſpeaketh to them in God's Name, arid reproves 19. 7: them for their continued and reſolved unrighteouſneſs in their pub- © lick adminiſtrations. f By over-looking the Merits of the Cauſe, and giving ſ{cntence accor@ing to your reſpett or affeQion to the erlon. |
__ a Upon their obſtinate and oft-repeated Rebellions and RejeCti-
of their Ns of my Grace and Mercy offered to them, I withdrew all the
ears oF T<traints of my Providence, and my holy Spirit and Grace from |
imogingti= them, and whol'y left them to follow their own vain and foolith imaginations and wicked luſts. b They praGiled thoſe things both |
_ in common converſation, and in religious Worſhip, which were moſt agreeable, notto my commands or counſels, but to their own fancies and inclinations, as appeared in the Golden Calf, and many other things.
Deut.32. 73 * O that my people had hearkned unto me, and
Is 8.18, Hrael had walked in my ways : #1" 14 I would ſoon have ſubdued their enemies c, and
turned my hand againſt their adverſaries.
c Thoſe Remainders of the Canaanites whom now for their un- pas and apoſtacy, I have left in the Land to be fnaresand plagues To them. | [Or, yild. IF Thehaters of the LORD &# ſhould || Þ have ſub- ufigned mitted themſelves unto him e : but their time f ſhould
dime. have endured for ever g.
ttleblied. 4 All the haters and enemies of God's People, as the neighbour- ing Nations were ; whom he calls haters of God, partly becauſe they hated the Jſraelires for God's ſake, and for the ſingularity of their Religious Worſhip, as the Heathen oft declared: And partly to {hew the ſtrict League and Union which was betwixt God and them, by vertue whereof God had declared all their Friends and Enemies
to be his own, which was a great aggravation of their wickedneſs. ; e Should have profeſſed and owned their ſubje&ion to them. For ;
the phraſe ſec on Pſalm 18. 44 F 1. e. Iſrael's timez the Relative belonging to the remoter Antecc:dent ; as it 1s in many other pia- ces of Scripture, whereof I have formerly given Inſtances. By their time, he means either, x. Their happy time, as Zife is oft pur for an happy Life or Stare, as Pſalm 34. 12. and 49. 18. Deut. 4. T. and 5. 33, &. Or, 2. The duration of their Common-wealth. g 1.e.-Latted for a very long time; whereas now their latter and
dolefulend is haſtening towards them. © 16 He ſhould have fed them alſo f with the fineft of ai the wheat ; and with honey + out of the rock ſhould I vic, * Dave ſatisfied thee.
hþ Either, 1+ Metaphorically, with all pleaſant and prectous fruits and with all delights, as all neceſſaries may be expreſſed under the name of Wheat. Or rather, 2. Properly : This Land of Canazr be- ing commended for its excellent and plentiful honey ; And the Bees there did oft-times harbour and make their honey 1a the holes of Rocks and ſuch like places, from which it flowed down upon the ground. See Deur. 32. 13. 1 Sam. 14. 25,.26.
PSAL LAXAK The ARGUME NT.
His Pſalm contains an Admonition either 1- To the chief Rulers of Jſ-ael, whether Judges or Kings, or their great Council called the Sanhedrim. Or rather, 2. To all the Rulers of the ſeveral Nations of the World, to whom this word mightcome; as may be gathered partly from the cxprefſions here uſed; which are general and not peculiar to the Governours of Iſrael, and there- fore not raſhly and unneceſlarly to be reſtrained : and partly from the laſt verſe, where he mentions the whole earth and all nations, as
concerned in the Contents of this Pſalm.