F$SA LCF A pſalm or ſong for the ſabbath-day 4. 8 To be ſung upon the Weekly Sabbath. To which the matter of this Pſalm very well agrees. For it celebrates the works of God, both thar firſt and great work of Creation, and that ſucceding and no leſs wonderful work of his Providence, by which he up- holds and governs all his Creatures,and eſpecially that by which he ruleth all ſorts of men, both good and bad, and that by which he preſerveth and manageth his Church and People. The Prophet exhorteth to praiſe God, 1 3. for hu great works, 4, 5. Hi Judgments on the wicked. 6 9. Gracious Promiſes to the righteous, 10 12. They ſball be fruitful, 13 5. PC 147-1- 7 is a * good thing b to give thanks unto the LORD. ; and to ſing praiſes unto thy name, O moſt High.
b It is a good work and a juſt debt to God. Tp
2 To thew forth thy loving kindneſs in the morning, and thy faichfulneſs + every night e. -
c T'o adore and celebrate thy goodneſs and truth continually, and eſpecially at thoſe two ſolema times of Morning and Evening, which on every day, and eſpecially upon the Sabbath-day, were devored to the worſhip and ſervice of God.
2 Upon an inſtrument of ten ſtrings, and upon the
JOr, »po1 pſaltery ; || upon the harp + with a ſolemn ſound.
+ Heb. 77: the nights .
' theſolemrn For thou, LORD, haſt made me glad through —_— thy work : I will triumph in the works of thy hands 4.
4 Which thou didſt create by thine Almighty Power, and doft
rented ſtill govern with Infinite Wiſdom ; one inſtance whereof we have
y_ in the following Verſes. '
*Pſyo.5, 5 * O LORD, how great are thy works ! and *thy
*Rom. thoughts e are very deep.
H. 34- e Thy Counſels and Methods in the Government of the World and of thy Church. :
*Pl.948. 6 * A brutiſh man f knoweth not : neither doth a fool underſtand this g.
f Who cannot or doth aot ſeriouſly conſider things, whoſe mind
is corrupted by his ſenſual atid brutiſh appetites; who is led by Senſe, and not by Reaſon and Faith. g The depth of Gods Coun- ſelsand Works mentioned, v. 5. or that particular work of God
Z deſcribed, wv, 7.
pony 7 * When the wicked ſpring as # the graſs,and when
er. 12.
RE. all the workers of Iniquity do flouriſh, z: is that they Mal. y.15. {hall be deſtroyed for ever þ.
$ Heb. h Their preſent worldly proſperity is a preſage and occaſion of erbs. their utter and eternal ruine. ; ; Pſ.104.14 8 But thou, LORD, «rt moſt High for evermore 3.
7 So this Verſe is added by way of oppoſition to the former, They ſhall periſh, but thou ſhalt endure, as is faid in a like compariſon Pſalm 102. 26 they flouriſh for a ſeaſon, but thou ruleſt for ever to judge and puniſh them. Or, for (as this Hebrew Particle is nor ſcl- dom uſed, whereof inſtances have been formerly given ) :hou, Lord, art, &c. So this Verſe gives a reaſon of the former, as wellas the firſt branch of it, why God ſuffers the wicked to flourith ſo long, becauſe he is not like Man, of ſhort and uncertain continuance here, to whom a little time is long and tedious, who therefore 1mpatt- ently expe&s the time of vengeance, and fears leſt the offender ſhould eſcape it ; whereas God is unchangeable and everlaſting,and therefore long-ſuffering without any inconvenience, and the longeſt time of the proſperity of the wicked is but ſhort and inconſiderable in his Eyes, a thouſand years being in his {ht but as yeſterday, when it is pa#, Pſal. go. 4. and they can never eſcape out of his hands: as alſo of the latter branch ofthe Verſe, why the wicked ſhall be deſtroyed for ever, becauſe God lives and reignsfor ever to execute that juſt ſentence of everlaſting puniſhment which ns hath pronounced a- gainſt them. |
9 For lo &, thine enemies, O LORD, for lo, thine
enemies ſhall periſh : all the workers of iniquity ſhall be ſcattered.
k He repreſents their deſtruK&ion as preſent, and as certain which the repetition of the words implies: ;
Io Burt my horn ſhalt thou exalt / like the horn of an unicorn #2 : I ſhall be anointed » with freſhoil 0.
/ But as for me, and other righteous perſons ( of whom he faith. the ſame thing, wv. 12. ) we: ſha!] be advanced to the height of ho- nour, and true and laſting felicity» m Of which ſee on Deut. 33» T7. 7 I ſhall have great cauſe of rejoycing and teſtifying my joy Þy anointing my ſelf, as the manner was in Feaſts and all joyful Sv- lemnities. o Sweet and uncorrupted-
1iMine eye alſo fhall ſee my defire p on mine enemies;
and mine ears ſhall hear q my defire of the wicked that riſe up againſt me.
p To wit, in the ruine of thine and mine incorrigible Enemies.
q9Whar 1 do nortſee my felf,E thaitunderſtand by the certain reports of others
12 * The righteous ſhall flouriſh like the palm-tree z: he ſhalt grow like a cedar s in Lebanon. : r Which 1s conſtantly green and flouriſhing, and fruitful, © Car. !
'H ofig..
| and Glory of thy Houſe. Or it becometh thee who dwelleft in
| fulfil all thy Promiſes:
L M $ Pal:
7- 8. and growing even when it is preſſed down; and- ſo is a fit emblem. oft a juſt mans perſon and condition. See Revel. 7. 9» s Which ſpreads it ſelf wide, and grows very high and ſtrong, and is very durable, and in ſome fort incorruptibles.
13 Thoſe that be planted # in the houſe of the LORD « ſhalt flouriſh inthe courts x of our Gods ... © + : Wham God by his Gracious Providence and Holy Spirit hath planted or fixed there. - & 7: 8- In its Courts, . which are a part of tlie Houſe, and oft come under that name in Scripture. And by this Houſe he means the Church. of God, ; whereof -all juſt perſons are real and living members., » Which he mentions rather than the Houſe, becauie he ſpeaks. nor here of the Prieſts, bur of all juſt men, who were permitted to come no further than into the Courts. BEET i ing nee | | 14 They ſhall ſtill brip forth fruit in old agey : they. © +l ſhall be fat, and | flouriſhing: _ © - © | + Heb: Y Whea their natural ſtrength decayeth, it-ſhall be renewed ; 84%. | their laſt days ſhall be their beſt days, wherein as they ſhall grow i in grace, ſo they ſhall increaſe in comfort and bleſiedneſs.
15 To ſhew that the LOR D #s upright z : he js my rock, and there is no- unrighteoufneſs in him. |
z This glorious work of God in compenſating the ſhort proſpe- rity of the wicked with everlaſting punithments, and of exchang- ing the momentany Aflitons of the Juſt with Eternal Glory and. Happinels, doth clearly demonſtrate that God is juſt and blamele(s in allthe ditpenſations of his Providence in the World.