40 daughter of babylon t who art to be þ deſtroy-
Here they were either by the appointment of their Lords for the making or repairing of the works beſide the River : or by choice, retiring themſelves thither from the noiſe and obſervation of their enemies, as they had opportunity, that they might disburden their oppreſſed minds before tie Lord 6b The uſual poſture of mourn« ErS, Ezra 9. 4, &c, Job 2. 12. Iſa. 47.1, 5. c Either, 1. our tormer enjoyments in Zion, which greatly aggravared their preſent —; Lamen:, 1. 7, Or, 2, Zions pretent deſolations and pollu- ions. 2 We hanged our harps 4 upon the willows e, inthe midſt thereof. 2 Theſe are not without great probability ſuppoſed to be the words of ſome holy Levices, who had been accuſtomed to muſick, both vocaland inſtrumental, in the ſervice of the Temple. Harps are here put by a Synecdoche for all Inſtruments of Mulick. Ir is turther to be obſerved, That although the harp was uſed by the Grecians in mourning, yet it was uſed by the Hebrews in rejoi- cing, as 1s manifeſt from Gen. 31. 27. 2 Chron. 29. 27, 28 Pſal, 43-4 &c. This paſſage is ro be underſtood either, 1. figuratively, iignifying only that they abandoned all ſigns and means of com- ort : or rather,. 2. properly, as the foll-wing Songs are, which the Babylonians required them to ſing to their Harps And theſe Harps they might either, 1. bring from Jer:ſalem, which they might deſire to do to preſerve thoſe ſacred utenii!s, and their ene. mies might either permit or command-them to do for their own delight : Or, 2. procure in Babylon, that they mighr ſ-metimes ſo. . lace themſelves with the praftice of ſome of the Temple-muſict, which they defired and intended to do; but when they came ro the tryal, they were not able to do it, and*herefore laid them oy. e which commonly grow upon ghe Banks of Rivers as they cid by Euphrates in ſuch plenty, that from thence it is called 5h. Brook * of willows, fa. 15. 7. 3 For there they that carried 'us away captive, re- quired of usF aſong; andthey that F * waſted us, requi- f Heb: red of us mirth, ſaying, Sing us one of the ſongs of Zion f. 294 of f Such Songs as you uſed to ſing in the Temple at Sior. Which 1 __ they required either out of curioſity, to delight their ears, or ra- THer: la: ther by way of ſcoffing and inſultation over them and their Temple {97 **4p and Religion. x Pf: 79. x ; 4 How ſhall we fing che LORD'sſong g in at ſtrange ro and hb? | 2 . . er, Z Thoſe Songs which were appointed by God, and to be ſung Y only to his honour and in his ſervice. þ When we are baniſhed from our own Temple and Land, and amongſt thoſe who are ftran- gers andenemies to God and to his Worthip ? So we ſhould pro- {titute and profane Gods Ordinances. And this Anſwer they ei- ther expreſſed to their enemies, or kept in their own breaſts when they refuſed to comply with their deſire.
5 If T forget thee z, O Jeruſalem, lee my right hand & forget her cunning I.
7 If Ido not retain a deep and ſorrowful ſenſe of thy Ruineand miſery, or if Tindulge my teifin mirth and jollity, as if I had for- gotten thee, &k The chief Inſtrument of playing upon muſical In- ſtruments.and- of other a&@ions. 1 7. e. Loſe irs Skill of playing. In the hebrew it is only , forger, without exprefling what, to in- timat the extent and generality of this wiſh, Ler it forget or be be diſenabled not only for playing, but for every ation in which it was formerly uſed.
6 IfI do not remember thee m, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth » ; if I prefer not Jeruſalem above + my chief joy 0.
» With afection and ſympathy, ſo as to damp my joys. n- Be made uncapable of ſinging or ſpeaking or moving» as itis in ſome diſeaſes. Compare Job 29s 10. Pfal. 22.16. o If 1do not value and defire Jerujalems proſperity more than all other delights, and conſe- quently if Feruſalems miſery doth not fo deeply affe& me asto hin= der my delight in all other things. : n | 7 Remember, O LORD, p * the children of Edom Jer:49: 7. q, in the day r of Jeruſalem ; who faid 5, + Raſe ir,rafe tags "y ir, even to the foundation thereof. Obad: is, Þ Soas to puniſh them. q Our conſtant and inveterate enemies, &c.
who had no regard either to conſanguinity or humanity » In the + Hebs rime of its calamity or deltruQtion, which is oft called a day, as make bare. ob. 18. 20. Pſal. 37.13. Extk. 30. 9. Hy. 11. 11. Obad.v. 12. tHeb: was 5 To the Babylonians, whom they afliſted and provoked againſt F:- Sed. -uſalem : of which ſee Lam. 4 11. Exzek. 25. 12, Obad. v: 11, 129 [|Heb: that recompen= = ſeth unto thee thy
|
+ Heb: ths head of my Jy.
25 * Who giveth food to all fleſh ;: for his mercy en- -
FE Jureth for ever. | i Either to all mankind, or to all living creatures. For which | God deſerves great praiſes, which the Pialoruſt by his example tea- cheth us to render to God for them, becauſe rhote who axe concerned, either cannot or do nor perform this duty,
*P: 16 27. &
78 lWig.
Feke people thereof. « Who art by Gods Righteous and irrevccable
moſt Sentence devoted to certain deſtryction. # As being Gods irftru-
:d#: happy ſpall be be «|| that * rewardeth thee, as thou
haſt ſerved us y. + By which he underſtands the City and Empire of Bbylon, and
deed which thou aiaſt to
®* Jer* 50: 5 E mcnt Makes” p
al. CXXXVIIL. PSA
| ment to vindicat his honour, andexecute his juſt judgments, and | falfil his counſel and word, which Cyrus was to his own great glo- ry and advantage, as appears both from ſacred and profanc Hiſtory. 'F 3 That ſhall uſe thee with equal cruelty. | | o Happy fhall he be that taketh and * daſheth thy little
be.; ones againſt + the ſtones z.
Ie .z As - didft uſe our little ones. So this was but a juſt retalia«
bck. cion foretold here, as alſo I/a. 13, -6. _
EE S A IL. CXXXVII.
E- | The ARGUMENT.
, [ \Frisis a Pſalm of thankſgiving to God for thoſe great dehive- rances which he had granted to David from Sul and other
By the remembrance whereof David ,cncourageth himſclft
his future difhculties.
| A:Pfalm of David,
David praiſeth God for his Goodneſs, and rruth ſhewed to hm, and foretel-
| leth, that the Kings of the Earth ſhall alſo praiſe him, 1: 6. and pro-
feſſerh the fruit of his truſting in God in the midi of troubles, 7, 8.
* PC TA | Will praiſe chee wich my whole heart : * before the
46. gods 4 will I ſing praiſe unto thee.
Gr, before @ Either, 1. before the Angels, who were repreſented by the