.1:t g8 Thou, through thy commandments, haſtmade me tae: Wiſer than mine enemies 0: for F they are ever with'me p. mine jo” ©, Becauſe by that means havethy Wiſdom to guide me, and thy ver, $OUr. power engaged to protett and ſave me ; which is a more certain ; and effettual way to obtain my deſires and ends, than all the poli- cy and craft of mine enemies 1s to hinder them, as I have found by experience: # —_ are continually before mineeyes, as a Rule by which to govern all my a&ions, whereby [ am kept from ſplit- ting upon thoſe Rocks, whereby others are ruined. 99] haye more underſtanding 4 than all my teachers 7:
for thy teſtimonies are my meditations 5. |
| te
and experimental knowledge. r Than all or moſt ( for that gene- ral word is oft ſo underſtood ) of thoſe who taught:m2 to Y, or of the publick teachers.in Sau/s time ; which probably Tb -4 the generality of them, neither ſo knowing, nor fo "good, ey ſhould have been. 5s The matter of my conſtant and-moſt Yiligent ſtudy. . J, |
..,100 TI underſtand more'tha#the an keep thy precepts *, . £ By which Reaſon he intimates, that the! praftice of Religion 3s the beſt way to underſtand ir, and that mens vicious chearts and lives are the greateſt hindrances of all true. and ſalid knowledge of at; "88 24
357+
cients; becauſe I
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ror T have refrained my feet from every evil way s, that I might keep chy word x, | |
"'u Or, way of evil, which either-is evil or leads to it; fin and the temptations or occaſions of ſin. x I did this not for any carna} Reaimns, as ſome mer. abain from divers fins for their credit or
* haft taught me y. 3 To wit, by, thy blefſed Spirit, illuminating my mind, and working upon my heart, which other teachers cannot do.
Mig:ro 103 How. tweet are thy words unce my Þ taſte!
Pr:8: u, yea, ſweeter than ioney to my. mouth &.
t Heb: = The ſtudy and obeaience of thy words yields me more fatis-
palate, fation and delight than any wocid!ly men find in their ſenſual plea- ſures.
| 104 Through thy precepts I get underſtanding a 3
Ner:rg therefore b *'I hateevery falle way c.
; a True and uſeful and powerful knowledge, b Becauſe that diſcovers to me, as the wickedneſs, ſo the folly and miſchief of ſuch practices. c Every thing which is contrary to that Rule of truth and Right, all falſe doctrine and worſhip, and all ſinful or
Vicious courſes. | NUN [| a lamp unto my feet 4, and a
ob 26. 2:
52,
[0r, cay. To5 Thy words is light unto my path.
4 To direct me in all my doubts and difficulties, to preſerve me from fin and miſery, both which oft come under the name of darkneſs, and to comfort me in all my fears and diſtreſles.
106 I have ſworn e,and I will perform t f,that Iwill keep * thy righteous judgments.
e Obliged my ſelf by ſeri6us purpoſe and ſolemn vow, or by a formal oath, which was not unuſual amonglt Gods people, as 2 Chron. r5. 15. Nehem, 10.29. f I do not repent of it, but by Gods Grace I will fulfil it.
107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me,O LORD, according. unto thy word.
108 Accept, I beſeech thee, the free-will-offerings of my mouth g, O LORD, and teach me thy judg- ments. |
g Either, -1. thoſe which I have promiſed with my month, though I am not now in a capacity of performing my promiſes, as being banithed from. thy houſe. Or, rather, 2. the Sacrifices of Prayer and Praiſes, which I do freely and frequently offer unto thee ; which are called Sacr:fices, as Pjal. 50. 15. and calves of our lips, Hoſ. 14. 2.
og My foul is continually in my hand h: yet do I not forget thy law.
h Expoſed to perpetual and extream danger, as any precious and frail thing is which a man carrieth openly in his hand, whence it may ealily fall or be ſnatched away by a violent hand See the ſame or like phraſe, Judg. 12. 3. 8 Sam. 19. 5. Job #3. 14.
Ito The wicked have laid a ſnare for me yet Ter- red not from thy precepts.
Peary; 328 Thy reſtimonies haveI taken as an * heritage for *Feveri: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. 7 T have choſen them for my chief portion, from which I will never part. : Fa. ,, 722 1 have inclined my heart k + to perform thy ſta- #4, tutes alway, even|[|unto the end. IGt:for 2h, & As I prayed to thee to incline mine heart fo them, above wv. Wampnce 36. ſo TI did not neglect my duty, bur cheerfully complied with rar, the motions of thy Spirit, and yielded up my mind and heart to the ſtudy and practice of them. |
S AiMEC YH.
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PSALM
q He ſpeaks not here of notional, but ef ſpiritual and--praftical | ,:
ferring their own wil's and Iuſts before it, trampled upon thy plain Commands, and deſpiſed both tiy promiſes and thy threataings, They have not only ſinned through ignorance and mnfirmity, bug prefumpruouſty and maliciouſly,
gold, yea, above fine gold.
are diſliked by the vileſt of men ; partly ourof a juſt indignation and oppoſition againſt my ſworn <cnemies ; and partly becauſe the great and general Apoitaite of others mak-s this duty more neceſ- iary to prevent their own and other mens relapſes.
S; Plal. CX ;
Law is oppoſed to theſe, and & ſome both Jewiſh and Chriſtian Expoſitors underſtand it, Nor is it unuſual in. the Hebrew Text for one and the ſame word to be taken both in a-good and an ill ſenſe in ſeveral places : whereef we have one inſtance in a word of the ſame fignthcation with this, mezimmah, which ſignifies a_t40ug9t, and is tomerimes taken in a good fenſe;' as Prov. 1. 4. and 3, 8. and 8. 12. and 13. 16. Fer. 51. 11. but elſewhere in a bad ſenſe; as . Job 21. 27. Pſal. 10. x, 4. Prov. 12.2. and 14. 17.-| The like harh | been oblerved concerning another Hebrew word ef the ſame or near fignification, hormah, which is taken in a good ſenſe; Prov. 1. 4. and 13. 16, Q&c. and in an ill ſenſe, as Exod. 21. 14. Joſh. 9.14. Job 5.13. And the like may be ſaid concerning this word alſo... Bur , the Ancient Interpreters underſtand #his wgrd not of rhings, . but of perſons, and ſo it may be underſtoad of men that think evil, 1 that devife wicked devices, or that, have falſe andevil opinions, i oppoſite to Gods Law, or tending to ſeduce men from it, ;*_ + . [14 * Thou art my hiding place, and my ſhield ; I'*PC gr:4lf hope in thy werd. +45 TE TEN * Mat: 5 j
I15 * Depart from me, ye evil doers; for I will keep-,,. = 7Y the commandments of my God ». 5 NE 2 q
» And therefore will avoid your ſociety and converſation, left”
I thould be hindred from that which is good, and drawn to ſin by * your evil counſel or example. SE EET