r The Eternity of God looks both backward and forward, it is both without beginning and: without end. The former is affirmed and 1]luſtrated v.24.26,27-the latter is clearly implyed ia this Verſe«
Thou hadit a being before the Creation of the World when there was nothing but Ererniry, but the Earth and Heaven had a bg- ginning given them by thy Almighty Power.
26 * [hey ſhall periſh {/ bur chou ſhalt endure: yea, *Ifire.6 all of them ſhall wax old * like a garment « ; asa vel- , Heb. : ture ſhalt thou change them, and they ſhal be changed: and.
[Either 1. As to the ſubſtance of them, which ſhall be annihi- lated. Or 2. As to their preſeat nature and uſe. See 1/a: 65. 17. and 66. 22, 2 Pete 3+ 7, 10, 11. The Heavens and the Earth, als though they be the moſt permanent of all viſible beings, and their continuance 1s oft mentioned to fignifie the ſtabihty and immu- tability of things, yer if compared with thee are as nothingy they had a begining and fhal have an end. & z. e: Decay and periſh. - z Which 1s worn out and laid aſfide,and exchanged for another. And ſo ſhall this preſent frame of Heaven and Earth be,
27 But thou «rt the ſame, and hy years ſhall have no end. | |
28 The children ofthy ſervants ſhall continue x, and their ſeed fhalibe eſtablithed before thee y.
x Though the Heavens and the earth periſh, and though we thy ſervants pine away in our iniquzties, according to thy righteous ſentence and threatning, Lev. 26- 39. and dye in Captivity, yet by vertue of thy eternal and unchangeable Nature and Covenant, we relt aſſured that our Children, and their Children after then ſhall enjoy the promiſed Mercies, an happy reſtitution to, and ſets tlement in their own Land,and the preience of our and their Meſ- fias, whom, being not to come till after 49o years, , we ſhallno live to ſee. The expreſſion here uſed is general, not. without d ſign, partly to ſhew that this promiſed bleſſing belongs to the Jews not upon the account of any carnal relation to Abraham, but to whom therefore he addreflerh himſelf for relic: m Either, 1. }as they are and continue to be Gods ſervants, from whom if they In the midit of our expe&ations, Whilſt we are expeCing the ac-' revolt, they loſe this and all their other priviledges ; and partly compliſhment of thy promile, either of bringing us out of Babylon, : to imply that ir belongs to all Gods faithful Servants, aad to theiy or of ſending the Meſflias, we faint and one of us periſh after ano-| Children, whether they be Jews, or Gentiles, of whole coverſion ther and our hope is like the giving up of the Ghoſt, Or rather, ' he ſpoke v. 22. y In the place of thy gracious preſence. either 2. In the midſt of the courſe of our lives. Which ſenſe is confir- | here in thy Church, or hereafter in Heaven, from wh.ch we are med, 1, From the following clauſe. Which afrer the manner | now baniſhed, And this phraſe further intimates that their happi- explains the former, he ſhortned my days 3 as alſo from the next|neſs did not contift in the enjoyment of rhe ourward Bleſfings of Verſe where he begs relief from God againſt this miſery in theſe |the Land of Canaan, but in the preſence and fruition of God there, words, take me not away in the mdf of my aays: 2, From the uſe of | which he mentions as the top and upſhor of all his deſires and their this word way, Which is uſed for the courſe of a Mans Life, P/al.| feliciries. : 2+ 12+ and ( which comes to the ſame thing) for the curſe of a journey as it is oppoſed to the end of the Journey, - Gen: 24+ 27. Exod. 23: 20. and clſewhere ; the life of man being oft compared to a journeying or travelling and death to his journeys end. And the Pſalmiſt here ſpeaks ( as ether ſacred Writers do elſewhere, and as all ſorts of Writers frequent!y do ) of the whole Common-weal!th as of one man, and of its continuance as of the life of one man. And ſo this ſeems to be the matter of his complaint and hum'e expoſtulation with God; O Lord, thou didſt chuſe us out of all the world to be thy peculiar people, and didſt plant us in Canaan, and cauſe a glorious Temple to be built to thy Name to be the on- Iy place of thy publick and ſolemn wo: ſhip inthe World, and didſr make great and glorious promiies, that thine eyes and heart ſhould be «port Perpetually, 1 Kings 9, 3. and that thy people ſhould be Planted inthy land ſo as not to be moved any more or afflicted as they had been in the days of the Judges, 2 Sam. 7: 10, 11. From whence we promiſed to our ſelves a long and ſertied proſperigy. But
HABIT yt AIP AN HE PIR DE Ergo Y 97 j
} Heb. offliea.
PF SAL | CH: The ARGUMENT. His Pſalm contains a thankful Commemoration and celebra« tion of Gods Mercies to the Plalmiſt himſelf, and to the people of Iſrael, and to all good men.
APlalm of David. David ftirreth up him ſelf to bleſs God, 1, 2. who forgtueth his Sins, 3, Redeemeth and ſatisfieth his Soul, 4, 5. For o:ner manifold Mercies to himſelf and the Church, 6 14+ He confidcreth the freilty of Man, 15. and ſhewerh Gods Everlaſting Mercy to his Coyenanted ones, 17 = 19», He exhorteth all Creatures to praiſe him, 20 EE Lefs the LORD, O my foul:and all chat is with- | in me, bleſs his holy name. = _ =o « Let all my thoughts and affeQions be engaged, and united and &* 149; &+ ſticred up to the higheſt pitch in and for this work, 5 A 3 2 Bleſs
*
*P[.78.39.
as Pſ:9o; F.
FIfa:go: 7:
3 4 > Blef the LORD, O my ſoul, and forget not all his
benefits. * Who fergiveth all thine iniquities : who healeth
all thy diſcaſes 6. | r.2.11. & Either, 2. Spiritual Diſeaſes, Luſts or Corruptions which he £.7.47, ſubducs and purgeth out by his Grace ; as the phraſe is uſed P/a/. 41. 4. 1a: 6. 10- and 53- 5* Or 2, Corporal Diſcaſes or Miferics, of which this word is uſed, 2 Chroz- 21. 18: 19+ Jer. 14+ 18+ and 16. 4- ;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from deſtruction c ; who crowneth thee d with loving kindneſs & tender mercies.
c Both temporal and eternal, from deadlie dangers and muſerics. # i. e. Encompaſſeth and adorneth thee, as a Crown doth,
5 Who fatisfieth thy. mouth with good rhings e,ſo 7hat
* thy youthis renewed like the eagles f.