© of the Goſpel. g Which is ſincere and ſtedfaſt in the Profeſſion > Heb: and PraQice of the True Religion. Eace, Peace. Thou wilt keep bimin | perfe& peace, whoſe || r, - Mind is ſtaid on rhe h:becauſe he truſteth in thee. be,or, h Heb. the fixed thought or mind (i. e. the Man whoſe Mind and ination Thoughts are fixed and ſettled upon thee by Faith,as the next Clauſe explains it, the Qualifications being put for the Perſon ſo qualified, as folly and w:i/dom are put for a Fool and a Wile man, Prov: 24: 9: Mic: 6. 9. and peace fora Man of Peace, Pſal: 120: 7. ehog wilt keep in peace, 7: e. in all manner of peace, in conſtant and perfe& peace- In the foregoing Verſe the Righceous were admit- ted into the City, and here they were preſerved and defended in it | by Gods Almighty Pow:r. | — Heb: zh 4 Truſt ye in the LORD for ever 5: for in the ackef 2227." | ORD JEHOVAH 3s Þ everlaſting ſtrength &. Leu: 32:4 ; Tir all Times and Conditions. k Heb. the rock of ages, a ſure Refuge to all thoſe that truſt in him, through all generations therefore you may ſafely truſt is him, and thar ſor ever. 5 For he bringeth down / them that dwe)jl on high
h: x5: 72, the * lofty city »,he layeth it low, he layeth it low, n2:& 32. even to the ground, he bringeth it ever to the duſt. 19, 1 Heb. he heth brought down, which yet may be put for the future
ar
he will bring down, &c. You may truſthim; for he can and doth be raiſe ſome,and throw down others,according to his own good plea-
ſure. m He ſpeaks not ſo much ofheighth of Place, as of Dignity and Power; in which ſenſe alſo he mentions zhe lofty city in the next Clauſe, » Which may be underſtood either of proud Babylor ; or colieQively, of all the ſtrong and ſtately Citics of Gods Enc-
mies. - :6.:The foot hal tread it down, evez the feet of the
poer, and the ſteps of the needy 0, © God will bring it under the Feet of his poor and weak and de- ſpiſed People. | 7.-The way. of the juſt ;s uprightneſs p: thou moſt u- »pright, doſt weigh the path of the juſt q. 7, Þ Or, moſt even orplain, "Heb. evenneſs or plainneſs. Which is underſtood either, 1..of the ReCtitude or Goodneſs of his AQtions Ry "8 Gaul : or rather, 2- ofthe good Succeſs ofhis Affairs: for this - {Wits os wh the Coherence. When the way of the Wicked is rugged, in which they eaſily ſtumble and fall inte milchief, of which he ſpoke v;, 5: 6: the path of juſt men is plain and ſmooth, and they walk ſafely . and comfortably in ir. q The ſenſe of the rds thus rendred- 1s, Thou, O God, who art moſt upright in a] th "Ways, and therefore a Lover of Uprightneſs, and of all upright Mei, deft weigh (7. e. examine ) mw of thejuſt, the courle of his Aftions, and, Which is implied, doſt approve of them, and therefore dire& them to an happy iſſue, But the Words are 0= therwiſe rendred by ſome late Learned Interpreters, to this purpoſe, Thog .doft level or anake plain ( as this very. Word ſignifies Pſal: 78:50 ) rhepareaf the juſt *exaF#ly;: Heb. with ewvenneſe, or evenly, ſo as to make it veryeven; - Thus the firſt Clauſe declares thar ir was even or
Wealth which they have gained by Rapine, and ſpoiling of God's| ;, ;þ, ,,m ans: RT m_ | People, and others. But the Words are otherwiſe rendred by c+| ;, 4 hs wor be was ee. — : mar = - —_ £ _ EO thers with or by ( as this Hebrew Particle 15 uſed, Efth: 9: 25. ) rhe of God is here, as it is in many other = <ens at for God him; If as arms of his h ands ; which he may mention,becauſc the Strength of a | py hath mage himſelf known by bis Word 5g nan cp . - Man, and of his Hands, conſiſteth in his Arms ; whence alſo the gg nc this Clone Ix. Dy Ms a a ens ok abs arm 1n Scripture, is oft put for ſtrength : or, by the motion or froke| py, thy Judgments, but we ſtill continue to deſire thy Prefenee a. 4 of his hands,as all the ancient Tranſlators do in effe&t rendec it-And | ggygyr and we ſupporrand-comorront felves with the remer.
this ſeems to agree beſt wich the Metaphor here borrowed from | brane of whar thoy te, and IN one, cn wh __
12 And the* fortreſs of the high fort of thy wal's o (hal he bring down, lay low, 4nd bring to the ground,
o All thy Walled Cities and Fortifications,to which thou truſteſt.
A Song of Praiſe and Confidence in Gd : for the bleſſmgs of Righteouſneſs : comparing this with the foregoing Verſe. & Either, 1. figurative-
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haſt promiſed to be and to do to thy People,
9 *With my ſoul z have I « deſired thee in the night x,...... x,yea, with mylſpiric within me will Heek theey early z; NOI for when thy judgments arein the carth, the inhabi- tants of che world will learn righteouſneſs a,
t Sincerely and moſt affeQionately, as P/al. 63. 1. and elſewere. , The Prophet ſpeaks this in the name of all God's People, by
Iy, inthe time of Affflition, which is often called mght or darkn:ſs : or rather, 2. properly, as appears from the next Clauſe, wherein early or in the morning is oppoſed ro it. When others are ſleeping, my T houghts and Deſires are working towards God. ) By fervent Prayer for thy Loving=kindneſs, g Betimes in the morning, as the Word ſignifies; & And good reaſon it is that we ſhould thus deſire and ſeek thee in the way of thy Judgments, becauſe this is the ves ry deſign of thy Judgments, that men ſhould thereby be awaken ed to learn and return to their Duty ; and this is a common eff:& ofthem, that thoſe who have been careleſs in Proſperity, are made wiſer and betrer by Afffidtions. The inhabitants of the world ſeem to be here taken not in oppoſition to Gods People, as if not they only
but even the wicked World would do thus ; but in a general Noti- on, ſo as to include, yea principally to deſign Gods People as may be gathered both from the former part of tuls, and the foregoing Verſe, in which he deſcribes their pious Carriage under Affffi@ion:
as alſo from the two following Verſes, in which he ſpeaks of che wicked, whom he ſeems to oppofe to theſe inhabitants of the world
becauſe theſe learn Righteouſneſs, whilſt thoſe wicked men remain 1ncorrigible both under Mercies and Judgements, v.
10, I. |
10 * Let favour be ſhewed to the wicked,zer will he * tc:8:11, not learn righteouſneſs b: in che land of uprightneſs c | will he deal unjuſtly, and will not behold the majeſty