latter, ſo the Pſalmiſt looks through that mercy of the rebuilding of the City of Jeryſalem and the Temple, to the. further progreſs, and to the end and perfection of that work, which was in the co« ming of the Meſsiah, by whom it was to be compleated, and by whom the Gentiles were to be brought to the knowledge and wor. ſhip of the true God.
The Church prayeth for audience, x, 2. and maketh a grievous complaint of her heavy affiiions, 3 11. comforteth her ſelf inthe Eter- nal Mercy of God, 12 17. which is to be recorded for ſuture gea nerations, 18, Deliwerance fromthe Babylonian Captivity, and the re fauration of Jeruſalem pred.Fed, 19
28. hs my prayer O LORD, and let my cry come & unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day whe» I am in trouble, inclining thine ear unto me : inthe day wher [ call, anſwer me ſpeedily.
3 For my days are conſumed [|| like ſmoke b, and my bones c are burnt as an hearth d.
b Which paſfſeth away in obſcurity and ſwiftly and irrecovera- bly. Or, znto ſmoke, as Wood or any combuſtible matrer pur into the fire, waſteth away in ſmoak and aſhes. c The moſt ſtrong and ſolid parts of my body which ſeemed ſafeſt from the fire. 4d Either as an Hearth is heated or burnt up by the Coals which are laid upon
upon it.
that I forgor to eat my bread f.
e Which is ſmitten and withered by the heat of the Sun, either whilſt it ſtands, or after it is cut down. f Becauſe my mind is wholly ſwallowed up with the contemplation of my own miſcrics. 5 By reaſon of the voice of my groaning, * my bones cleave to my || skin g.
g My fleſh being quire conſumed with exceſsive ſorrows.
6 * I am like apelican b in the wilderncis : I am like an owl of the deſert,
h Or, bittern, as the ſame word is tranſlated, Tſa. 34+ 11. Zeph. 2. 14 It isaſolitary and mournful_Bird, as alſo the ow! here follows ing 1S»
7 I watch, arid am as a.ſparrow 7 alone upon the houſe-top.
# Which hath loſtits Mate, and then is very ſad and ſolitary, as ſome report, although that be uncertain and improbable. Bur this Hebrew word doth not only ſignifie a Sparrow, but in general any Bird, as Livit. 14. 4. Deut. 14. 11. Dan. 4. 9,1, 30. And ſo itmay here deſign any one or more ſort of Birds, which uſed to fit a« lone watching and mourning upon houſe-tops.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day : azd they that are mad againſt me, are ſworn againſt me &,
k Or, and being mad or enraged at or againſt me, they ſwear azainft me, they ſwear they will do me yet more miſchief: Or, they ſwear by me, they make uſe of my name and miſery in their forms of ſwea- ring and imprecation 3 as when they would expreſs their malicious and miſchievous intentions againit another, they fwear thar they will uſe him or make him as miſerable as a Jew. See the like ex- preſsions Numb. 5, 21: 1ja: Git 15: Jer: 29: 22.
9 For / I have eaten aſhes like bread »z, and * ming- led my drink wich weeping ».
I So this Verſe gives a reaſon cither of his great ſadneſs, ex- preſſed v. 6, 7 or why they ſwore by him in the ſenſe laſt given. Or, Szrely, as this particle 1s oft uted. Or, Therefore, becauſe of thoſe bitter reproaches Iaſt mentioned. » theſenſe is, duſt and Alhes are as conftant and familiar to me as the cating of my Bread I cover my head with them ; I ſit, yealy down and roll my ſelf in them, as Mourners oft did, 2 Same. 13. 19. Job 2; 8, 12. and i6. 15. Tja. 47. 1 Mic: 1, 10. by which means the Aſhes mizht eaſily be mingled with their meat, as Tears were with their Drink in the next clauſe. » He alludes to the cuſtom of mingling their wine with water.
Io Becauſe of thine indignation and thy wrath o ; for thou haſt lifred me up, and caft me down p. _
o Becauſe I do not only conflict with men, but with the Almigh» ty God, and with his anger. . p As a man lifts up a perſon or thing as high as he can, that he may caſt it down to the ground with greater force. Or, he aggravates his preſent reproach and miſery by the conſideration of that great Honour and Happineſs to which God had formerly advanced him, as Job did, c. 29, and 30. and theChurch, Lame 1. 7.
11 * My days q are like a ſhadow that declineth r * and I am * withered like graſs.
q Our Hopes and Comforts and Happineſs ; Jays being oft put for Happy Days, or an Happy State, as Pſal. 37. 18. Lam, 5. 21.4s elſewhere they are put more generally for the events which happen in thoſe days : 1a both which caſes it is a Metonymy of the Ad- juacr. 7 Or, that is extended or ſtretched out to its outmoſt length, as it is when the Sun is ſetting, whenat ſpeedily and totally vani-
we have, are quickly cut off and diſappointed.
12 But * thou, O LORD, ſhalt endure for ever 5, and * thy remembrance ? unto all generations. 5 But this is my comfort, although we dye, and our hopes va- niſh, yet our God is everlaſting and unchangeable, and thersfore invincible by all his and our Enemies, conſtant in his Counſels and
poureth our his complaint before the LORD 4. a This Pſalm contains a form of Prayer and expoſtulation with God, compoſed for the uſe of all true Iſraelites, in the name and behalf of their Mother the Church of Iſrae/. It ſeems to have been compeſed in the time of their Captivity, and near the end
purpoſes of Mercy to his Church, ſtedfait and faithful in the per- formance of all his promiſes; and therefore he both can and will deliver his people. # Either, x: the Fame and Memory of thy wonderful works. Or rather, 2. Thy Name, Jehovah, mentioned. in the former Clauſe, which is called by this very word, Gods re- memrance or memorial, and that unto at generations, Exod. 3h P
g us
it : or asthe Hearth being ſo heated, burns up that which is put
Pal. CI.
of it, wv. 13, 14. But as the literal Jeruſalem wag a Type of the ſpiritual, or of the Church of God and of Chriſt, and the rebuil- ding of the former, a Type of the reviving and edification of the
} Or, (a lome
read) intg ſmoke. Pr
37- 23,
4 My heart is ſmitten; and withered like graſs e; ſo
E Job 19. 20, Lam. 4.8, || Or, fe F Job, JN. 29,
Fpſe 243 & $0. 5.
* Pf, 109, & 144 4 Ecc1.6.'2- fI[{3 40- 6 Jam-1. 19, Pſ.109i5
ſheth. And jult ſo the hopes of our reſtriction, which ſometimes
P Lam. 5«
19. * Pf, 135 13.
Plal, CIE.
P-$ 4
Thus this clauſe exaQly anſwers to the former ; and both of them deſcribe the eternity of Gods exiſtence, whereby the Pſalmiſt re- lieves and ſupports himſelf under the confideration of his own and and his peoples frailry and vanity. |