d To wit prattically, ſo as to dire& me to it. e What paths I ſhould chuſe whereby T might eſcape Sau/,vwhen I fled hither and thither 1n deſarts and mountains and w:ods; and which way I ſhould ger our of his hands when he and ll his men were zt the caves mouth, which paſſed my skill. f Wherein I uſed to walk, or they ſuppoſed that I would walk.
4 ||] looked on my rigtt hand g, and beheld, but
failed me : ||no man cared for my foul &
g The place where the Patron or Afiſtant uſed to ſtand. See To wit, in Sauls Court or Camp: none of my former acquaintance and friends and relations. ji Own me, or ſhew any reſpeit or kindneſs tro me. & Or, for my life, to wit, to preſerve it; but they all conſpired to take it away ;
5 Icried unto thee: O LORD, TI faid, thou art my refuge,and * my portion /in the land of the living m. 1 Thou onely art both my refuge to defend me from «ll evil, and
he ſaid Pſal: 27: 13, 6 Attend unto my cry,for I am brovght very law : de- liver me from my perlecutors,forthey are ſtronger than I. | 7 Bring my ſoul out of priſon », that I may praiſe thy Name: the righteous ſhal campaſs me about o ; for thou
Jhalc deal bountifully with me. n Bring me fafe out of this cave wherein I am impriſoned, ard ſet me art perfe& liberty. o Shall flock to me from all parts, part- iy our »f curiolity to ſeeſuch a ſpeGtacle and miracle of Gods power and mercy; and partly trejoyze and bleis God with me and for me,and for all the benefits which they expect from my government. P SAL. GAERE
The ARGUME NT. His Pſalm is much of the ſame nature with the former,and ſeems to have been compoſed much avout rhe ſame time & upon the like occaſion. This :> the laſt of thoſe which are called Penitential Ptalms, the former being P/al: 6. & 32. & 38. & 51.
& 102. & 139.
A Pſalm of David,
The Pſalmiſt prayeth that God in faithfulneſs would hear him, and not enter zuto Juagment with him, 1, 2. Complaineth of his perſecurihg enemies, 3, 4 praying alſo for ſpeedy deliverance ; Inſtrufions in Goas wayes ,and the deſtrutFion of his Enemies, 5 Iz.
|=! Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my fup.
Y plications ; in thy faithfulneſs anſwer me, and
in thy righteouſneſs -. | a Whereby thou art inclined and engaged to favour rigateous
perſons and juſt cauſes —_ ; .
2 || A:hd enter not into judgment with thy ſervant 5:
for * in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified c.
b But when I appeal to thy righteouſnets, I do ir onely with re- ſpe& ro mine enemies, whoſe cauſe as well as their perſons 1s worſe than mine, but not in reference to thee, as if I could abfo-
Juſtice ; for if thou ſhouJdeſt rigorouſly examine all the paſſages of mine heart and life, I dread the thoughts and conſequences of ir. c To wit, upon tzrms of ſtri& juſtice without thy indulgenceand infinite mercy. | 2 For d the enemy hath perſecuted my foul e;he hath {ſmitten my life downrto the ground f: he hath made me todwellin darknefhs g,as thote that have been long dead 6. a This is not a reaſon of what he laſt ſaid, v. 2. bur an argumeat to enforce his p-tition delivered wv: 1. and repeated v: 7, &c. For though I am nor faultleſs, if thou ſhou!gdeſt 1ake an exact ſearch into me, yet mine enemies are more culpable and highly unjui?,
and thereforeI hope for thy he p ageinſt them, from thy juſtice as | that paileth away 2.
well as mercy e z: 6: My I fe ; tor nothing leſs will tarifie him. } He hath bearep me down to the ground where I lie ſtrugling tor life. g He hath furced the to have mine abode in dark vaulrs and caves. h Where I ara our of fight and memory, and in as forlorn and hopeleſsa condition in the eye of man, as thoic that bave lain long rotting 371 the "grave. LE 5 Therefore is my ſpirit overwhelmed within me 2 : my heart within me is deſolate &. _ i See on Pſal: 61. 2. & 142, 3. k Deprived of all hope and com-
But it 1s probable that David ſpoke with a low voice, | |.; ”y | and thar he mighqd»>1o without very great danger,is manifeſt from | hide nor thy face from me *, ||le{t I be like unto chem | Or. for ! that diſcourſe with paſſed between David and his men,even when , ©DAt go down into the pit p. |
or a breath, as Iſs: 57. 13. which is gone in an inſtant. 7 Or, that & 62. 9
7 Hear me ſpecdily, O LORD, my ſpirit faileth +
* *P{. 28:7
am become þ That are dead and buried, of whom there is no hope. like, &C. |
8 Cauſe me to hear thy loving kindneſs in the mor- l ning q, for in thee do I truſt : cauſe me to know the l
way wherin I jhould waik , for * T lift up my foul un- *pC, 2x, rl F: 7; 6: Early - as this phraſe is taken, Pal: go 14. and elſe- | where; ſcatonably and ſpeedily. r So as to pleaſe thee, and to ſe» | cure my 1-]f. | 9 Deliver me O LORD, from mine enemies : I © flee LA | uUnco thee to hide me s. with rhed |
s Without whoſe care theſe caves and rocks can give me no pro- = tection, * PF. 25. |
| Wo * Teach me to dothy will z, for theu artmy God: 4,.5. &: | cliPir It 15 good, lead mewinto the land of uprightneſsx- 139-24
© continue in faithful obedience to thee, notwithſtanding all temptations to the contrary. # Or rather, as it.is exa&tly in the
Hebrew, and as many both antient and modern Tranſlators render
1t,Let thy goodSpirit lead me,Leave me not to my own blind and vain
mind or Corrupt affe&ions, neither give me up to the evil Spirit
as thou didit Saul, but condutt me in all my ways by thy good, 7. 2.
gracious and holy Spirit, x Or, in plain or even land or ground, 'in
a ſtraight and {raooth path, that I may nor fumble nor fall either
into fin or miſchief. This is oppoſed to the crooked and ragged
ways 1n which ſinners are ſaid to walk. Sce Pſa!: 125: 5. Prove 2.
IF. 1/a. 40+ 4-
Ir Quicken me, O LORD, for thy names fake : for thy rightecuſneſs ſake bring tny ſoul our of trouble. 12 And of thy mercy y cut of mine enemies, and de- , {troy all them that aflictmy ſoul: for * I am thy ſervant, = 3 Out of tify mercy to me, whoſe life they ſeek. "8" ES A L CALIY. 5: The ARGUMENT. = matter of this Pſalm is partly gratulatory for mercies re« cerved, and partly petit'onary for further bleſſings.It ſeems to nave been compoſed after Savls death, and in the beginning of
Davias reign, when he was expoſed to many perils borh from his
own rebell:ons Subjects,and from the Philiitines and other foreign
enemies, yet ſo that he had a good profpeC and aſfurance of a more compleat and eſtabliſhed felicity. | | A pfalm of David.