Psalms 7 commentary

David flees to God for succour. But Christ alone could call on Heaven to attest his uprightness in all things. All His works were wrought in righteousness; and the prince of this world found nothing whereof justly to accuse him. Yet for our sakes, submitting to be charged as guilty, he suffered all evils, but, being innocent, he triumphed over them all. The plea is, “For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins.” He knows the secret wickedness of the wicked, and how to bring it to an end; he is witness to the secret sincerity of the just, and has ways of establishing it. When a man has made peace with God about all his sins, upon the terms of grace and mercy, through the sacrifice of the Mediator, he may, in comparison with his enemies, appeal to God's justice to decide.

David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The sinner is described, verses 14–16, as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. Blessed Lord, give us grace to look to thee in the path of tribulation, going before thy church and people, and marking the way by thine own spotless example. Under all the persecutions which in our lesser trials mark our way, let the looking to Jesus animate our minds and comfort our hearts.

PSALM 7

David, loaded with unjust calumny, calls upon God to be his advocate and defender, and commits his innocence to the Divine protection. In the first place, he protests that his conscience did notaccuse him of the wickedness laid to his charge. Secondly, he shows how greatly it concerns the glory of God that he should execute judgment against the ungodly. Thirdly, to inspire his mind with confidence, he seriously reflects upon the goodness and righteousness of God, and sets before him the divine promises. Lastly, as if he had obtained the desire of his heart, he derides the folly and the vain attempts of his enemies; or rather, depending upon the aid of God, he assures himself that all their endeavours against him shall turn to their own destruction.

Shiggaion of David, which he sung unto Jehovah, upon the words of Cush the Benjamite.

With respect to the word Shiggaion, the Jewish interpreters are not agreed. Some understand it to mean a musical instrument. To others it seems to be a tune to which a song is set. Others suppose it to have been the beginning of a common song, to the tune of which David wished this psalm to be sung. Others translate the Hebrew word, delight, or rejoicing. “Delectation, ou Resjouissance.”—Fr. The second opinion appears to me the most probable, namely, that it was some kind of melody or song, as if one should term it Sapphic or Phaleucian verse. “Ascavoir que c’a este une espece de melodie ou certain chant, comme nous scavons que selon la diversite des nations et langues, il y a diverses mesures de vers.”—Fr. “Namely, that it was a kind of tune or song, as we know, that, according to the diversity of nations and languages, there are different measures of verse.” But I do not contend about a matter of so small importance. Again, the psalm is said to have been composed upon the words of Cush. I cannot subscribe to the interpretation, (although it is the commonly received one,) that words here mean affairs, or business. To put word for a matter, or an affair, is, I allow, a common form of speech among the Jews; but as David a little after declares that he was falsely accused of some crime, I doubt not but he here speaks of the accusation or calumny itself, of which, as I judge, Cush, some one of Saul’s kindred, was the author, or, at least, the instrument who preferred and circulated it. The opinion of some who say that Saul is here spoken of under a fictitious name, is not supported by any argument of sufficient weight. According to them, David avoided calling him by his own name, in order to spare the royal dignity. David, I admit, had great reverence for the holy anointing; but as he expressly names Saul in other places where he reprehends him not less severely, and paints him in colours no less black than he does in this psalm, why should he suppress his name here, and not in these passages? In my opinion, therefore, he here expresses by his proper name, and without figure, a wicked accuser, who had excited hatred against him by falsely charging him with some crime, and who had either been bribed by the king to do this, or, currying the royal favour, had calumniated David of his own accord; for David, we know, was very much slandered, as if he had been ungrateful and treacherous towards the king, his father-in-law. Saul, indeed, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. We do not, however, think that he is the person here mentioned, but that it was one of Saul’s relations, one who belonged to the same tribe with him, who falsely accused David.

Psalm 7:1-2

1. O Jehovah, my God, in thee do I trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. 2. Lest he seize upon my soul as a lion, and tear it in pieces, while there is none to deliver it.

At the commencement of the psalm, David speaks of having many enemies, and in the second verse he specifies some one in the singular number. And certainly, since the minds of all men were inflamed against him, he had very good reason for praying to be delivered from all his persecutors. But as the wicked cruelty of the king, like a firebrand, had kindled against him, though an innocent person, the hatred of the whole people, he had good reason also for turning his pen particularly against him. Thus, in the first verse, he describes the true character of his own circumstances—he was a persecuted man; and, in the second verse, the fountain or cause of the calamity he was enduring. There is great emphasis in these words which he uses in the beginning of the Psalms O Jehovah my Godly in thee do I trust. The verb, it is true, is in the past tense in the Hebrew; and, therefore, if literally translated, the reading would be, In thee have I trusted; but as the Hebrews often take one tense for another, “Mais pource que les Hebrieux prenent souvent un temps pour l’autre.”—Fr. I prefer to translate it in the present, In thee I do trust, especially since it is abundantly evident that a continued act, as it is termed, is denoted. David does not boast of a confidence in God, from which he had now fallen, but of a confidence which he constantly entertained in his afflictions. And this is a genuine and an undoubted proof of our faith, when, being visited with adversity, we, notwithstanding, persevere in cherishing and exercising hope in God. From this passage, we also learn that the gate of mercy is shut against our prayers if the key of faith do not open it for us. Nor does he use superfluous language when he calls Jehovah his own God; for by setting up this as a bulwark before him, he beats back the waves of temptations, that they may not overwhelm his faith. In the second verses by the figure of a lion, he represents in a stronger light the cruelty of Saul, as an argument to induce God to grant him assistance, even as he ascribes it to Him as his peculiar province to rescue his poor sheep from the jaws of wolves.

Psalm 7:3-5

3. O Jehovah, my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands: 4 If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me, and have not delivered him that persecuted me without cause: 5. Let the enemy pursue my soul and take it; and let him throw down my life to the ground, “Et foulle ma vie en terre.”—Fr. “And let him trample my life on the ground.” and hold down “Et qu’il mette.”—Fr. “And lay.” my glory in the dust. Selah.

PSALM 7

Psa 7:1-17. Shiggaion--a plaintive song or elegy. Though obscure in details, this title seems to intimate that the occasion of this Psalm was some event in David's persecution by Saul. He prays for relief because he is innocent, and God will be glorified in his vindication. He thus passes to the celebration of God's righteous government, in defending the upright and punishing the wicked, whose malignant devices will result in their own ruin; and, confident of God's aid, he closes with rejoicing.

1-2. Though many enemies set upon him, one is singled out as prominent, and compared to a wild beast tearing his prey to pieces (compare 1Sa 20:1; 23:23; 26:19).

3. if I have done this--that is, the crime charged in the "words of Cush" (compare 1Sa 24:9).

4. If I have injured my friend.

yea, I have delivered, &c.--This makes a good sense, but interrupts the course of thought, and hence it is proposed to render, "if I have spoiled my enemy"--in either case (compare 1Sa 24:4-17; 31:8, 11).

5. This is the consequence, if such has been his conduct.

mine honour--(compare Psa 3:3; 4:2)--my personal and official dignity.

6. God is involved as if hitherto careless of him (Psa 3:7; 9:18).

rage--the most violent, like a flood rising over a river's banks.

the judgment ... commanded--or, "ordained"; a just decision.

7. compass thee--as those seeking justice.

return thou on high--assume the judgment seat, to be honored as a just Ruler by them.

8. Though not claiming innocence in general, he can confidently do so in this case, and in demanding from the Judge of all the earth a judgment, he virtually asks acquittal.

9. the hearts and reins--the affections and motives of men, or the seat of them (compare Psa 16:7; 26:2); as we use heart and bosom or breast.

10. defence--literally, "shield" (Psa 5:12).

11. judgeth--as in Psa 7:8.

the wicked--Though not expressed, they are implied, for they alone are left as objects of anger.

12-13. They are here distinctly pointed out, though by changing the person, a very common mode of speech, one is selected as a representative of wicked men generally. The military figures are of obvious meaning.

14. The first clause expresses the general idea that wicked men labor to do evil, the others carry out the figure fully.

15-16. 1Sa 18:17; 31:2 illustrate the statement whether alluded to or not. These verses are expository of Psa 7:14, showing how the devices of the wicked end in disappointment, falsifying their expectations.

17. his righteousness--(Psa 5:8). Thus illustrated in the defense of His servant and punishment of the wicked.

O Lord my God - יהוה אלהי Yehovah Elohai, words expressive of the strongest confidence the soul can have in the Supreme Being. Thou self-existent, incomprehensible, almighty, and eternal Being, who neither needest nor hatest any thing that thou hast made; thou art my God: God in covenant with thy creature man; and my God and portion particularly. Therefore, in thee do I put thy trust - I repose all my confidence in thee, and expect all my good from thee.

Save me - Shield me from my persecutors; abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices!

Deliver me - From the counsels which they have devised, and from the snares and gins they have laid in my path.

Lest he tear my soul like a lion - These words seem to answer well to Saul. As the lion is king in the forest; so was Saul king over the land. As the lion, in his fierceness, seizes at once, and tears his prey in pieces; so David expected to be seized and suddenly destroyed by Saul. He had already, in his rage, thrown his javelin at him, intending to have pierced him to the wall with it. As from the power of the lion no beast in the forest could deliver any thing; so David knew that Saul's power was irresistible, and that none of his friends or well-wishers could save or deliver him out of such hands. "Lest he tear my soul (my life) like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver." All this answers to Saul, and to none else.

If I have done this - David was accused by Saul of affecting the kingdom; and of waiting for an opportunity to take away the life of his king, his patron, and his friend. In his application to God he refers to these charges; meets them with indignation; and clears himself of them by a strong appeal to his Judge; and an imprecation that, if he had meditated or designed any such thing, he might meet with nothing but curse and calamity either from God or man.

Yea, I have delivered him - When, in the course of thy providence, thou didst put his life in my hand in the cave, I contented myself with cutting off his skirt, merely to show him the danger he had been in, and the spirit of the man whom he accused of designs against his life; and yet even for this my heart smote me, because it appeared to be an indignity offered to him who was the Lord 's anointed. This fact, and my venturing my life frequently for his good and the safety of the state, sufficiently show the falsity of such accusations, and the innocence of my life.

Let the enemy persecute my soul - If I have been guilty of the things laid to my charge, let the worst evils fall upon me.

Arise, O Lord, in thine anger - To thee I commit my cause; arise, and sit on the throne of thy judgment in my behalf.

For their sakes therefore return thou on high - Thy own people who compass thy altar, the faithful of the land, are full of gloomy apprehensions. They hear the charges against me; and see how I am persecuted. Their minds are divided; they know not what to think. For their sakes, return thou on high - ascend the judgment-seat; and let them see, by the dispensations of thy providence, who is innocent and who is guilty. David feared not to make this appeal to God; for the consciousness of his innocence showed him at once how the discrimination would be made.

The Lord shall judge the people - He will execute justice and maintain truth among them. They shall not be as sheep without a shepherd.

Judge me, O Lord - Let my innocence be brought to the light, and my just dealing made clear as the noonday.

The wickedness of the wicked - The iniquity of Saul's conduct.

But establish the just - Show the people my uprightness.

My defense is of God - I now leave my cause in the hands of my Judge. I have no uneasy or fearful apprehensions, because I know God will save the upright in heart.

God is angry with the wicked every day - The Hebrew for this sentence is the following: ועל זעם בכל יום veel zoem becol yom; which, according to the points, is, And God is angry every day. Our translation seems to have been borrowed from the Chaldee, where the whole verse is as follows: אלהא דינא זכאה ובתקוף רגיז אל רשיעי כל יומא elaha daiyana zaccaah ubithkoph rageiz al reshiey col yoma: "God is a righteous Judge; and in strength he is angry against the wicked every day."

The Vulgate: Deus Judex justus, fortis, et patiens; numquid irascitur per sinpulos dies? "God is a Judge righteous, strong, and patient; will he be angry every day?"

The Septuagint: Ὁ Θεος Κριτης δικαιος, και ισχυρος, και μακροθυμος, μη οργην επαγων καθ' ἑκαστην ἡμεραν; "God is a righteous Judge, strong and longsuffering; not bringing forth his anger every day."

Syriac: "God is the Judge of righteousness; he is not angry every day."

The Arabic is the same as the Septuagint.

The Aethiopic: "God is a just Judge, and strong and longsuffering; he will not bring forth tribulation daily."

Coverdale: God is a righteous judge, and Gob is ever threateninge.

King Edward's Bible by Becke 1549, follows this reading.

Cardmarden: God is a righteous judge, [strong and patient] and God is provoked every day. Cardmarden has borrowed strong and patient from the Vulgate or Septuagint, but as he found nothing in the Hebrew to express them, he put the words in a smaller letter, and included them in brackets. This is followed by the prose version in our Prayer Book.

The Genevan version, printed by Barker, the king's printer, 1615, translates thus: "God judgeth the righteous, and him that contemneth God every day." On which there is this marginal note: "He doth continually call the wicked to repentance, by some signs of his judgments." My ancient Scotico - English MS. Psalter only begins with the conclusion of this Psalm.

I have judged it of consequence to trace this verse through all the ancient versions in order to be able to ascertain what is the true reading, where the evidence on one side amounts to a positive affirmation, "God is angry every day;" and, on the other side, to as positive a negation, "He is Not angry every day." The mass of evidence supports the latter reading. The Chaldee first corrupted the text by making the addition, with the wicked, which our translators have followed, though they have put the words into italics, as not being in the Hebrew text. In the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi there is no various reading on this text.

The true sense may be restored thus: - אל el, with the vowel point tsere, signifies God: אל al, the same letters, with the point pathach, signifies not. Several of the versions have read it in this way: "God judgeth the righteous, and is Not angry every day." He is not always chiding, nor is he daily punishing, notwithstanding the continual wickedness of men: hence, the ideas of patience and longsufferiny which several of the versions introduce. Were I to take any of the translations in preference to the above, I should feel most inclined to adopt that of Coverdale.

If he turn not - This clause the Syriac adds to the preceding verse. Most of the versions read, "If ye return not." Some contend, and not without a great show of probability, that the two verses should be read in connection, thus: "God is a just Judge; a God who is provoked every day. If (the sinner) turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready." This, no doubt, gives the sense of both.

He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death - This appears to be all a prophecy of the tragical death of Saul. He was wounded by the arrows of the Philistines; and his own keen sword, on which he fell, terminated his woful days!

He travaileth with iniquity - All these terms show the pitch of envy, wrath, and malevolence, to which Saul had carried his opposition against David. He conceived mischief; he travailed with iniquity; he brought forth falsehood - all his expectations were blasted.

He made a pit - He determined the destruction of David. He laid his plans with much artifice; he executed them with zeal and diligence; and when he had, as he supposed, the grave of David digged, he fell into it himself! The metaphor is taken from pits dug in the earth, and slightly covered over with reeds &c. so as not to be discerned from the solid ground; but the animal steps on them, the surface breaks, and he falls into the pit and is taken. "All the world agrees to acknowledge the equity of that sentence, which inflicts upon the guilty the punishment intended by them for the innocent." - Horne.

Shall come down upon his own pate - Upon his scalp, קדקד kodkod, the top of the head. It may refer to knocking the criminal on the head, in order to deprive him of life. Had scalping been known in those days, I should have thought the reference might be to that barbarous custom.

I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness - I shall celebrate both his justice and his mercy. I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. The name of God is often put for his perfections. So here, שם יהוה עלין shem Yehovah Elyon; "The perfections of Jehovah, who is above all." My old Scotico - English MS., mentioned at the conclusion of the introduction, begins at this verse, where are the following words by way of paraphrase: Sang falles til ioy; and he that synges well that name, his ioy es mare than i kan tell. Those who are happy may sing; and he who can duly celebrate the name of God, who knows it to be a strong tower into which he can run and find safety, has inexpressible happiness. That is the sense of the above.

Lest - Mine enemy. Tear - Out of my body.

Hands - Which Cush and others falsely lay to my charge. Iniquity - In my actions.

Deliver - When it was in my power to destroy him, as 1Sam 24:2 - 6.

Lift up - Glorify thyself, and shew thyself to be above them. Commanded - To execute that righteous sentence, which thou hast commanded, appointed, and declared by thy prophet Samuel.

Compass - They will come from all parts to worship thee, and offer to thee praises and sacrifices. High - To thy tribunal, to sit there and judge my cause. An allusion to earthly tribunals, which generally are set up on high above the people.

Every day - Even then, when his providence seems to favour them, and they are most secure and confident.

He will - God will hasten, and speedily execute his judgments upon him.

Him - For the wicked. Ordaineth - Designs or fits for this very use. Of all sinners, persecutors are set up as the fairest marks of Divine wrath. They set God at defiance but cannot set themselves out of the reach of his judgments.

Travelleth - This metaphor denotes his deep design, and vigorous endeavours for doing mischief, and his restlessness and pain 'till he have accomplished it.

1. O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust : save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

All my hope and confidence is in thy Favour and Faithfulness to make good thy Promise made to me.

2. Lest he tear my soul like a lion , renting it in pieces, while there is none to deliver .

(i. e.) Mine enemy, as it is expressed v. 4. even Saul, or any of his followers.

Out of my Body. Or destroy me and my Life, as Psal. 6. 5.

To which he compares him both for Power and Cruelty, and withal intimates his own inability to oppose or escape his Rage without God's almighty help.

Whilest I have no considerable Force to defend myself, but am forced to flee to Mountains and Caves, and Woods for my Safety:

Marginal references: Heb▪ not a deliverer.

3. O LORD my God, if I have done this ; if there be Iniquity in my hands :

(i. e.) That which C[illegible: 1+ letters]sh and others falsly lay to my Charge. If I design or have endeavoured to take away Saul's Crown and Life by Violence, as S[illegible: 1+ letters]s's Courtiers maliciously reported, 1. Sam 24. 9, 10. and 26. 19.

(i. e.) In my actions or carriage towards Saul. The hand is oft put for actions, whereof the hand is a great and common Instrument, as Psal. 78. 42. and 109. 27. Ionah 3. 8. If I design, or have attempted to lay violent hands upon Saul.

4. If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me : (yea , I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy.)

(i. e.) To Saul, when he was peaceable and friendly towards me: For David was charged with evil Designs against Saul, before Saul broke out into open Enmity against him.

This Particle is here used by way of correction or opposition, as it is also Psal. 2. 6. Prov. 6. 16. So far have I been from doing this, that I have done the contrary.

When it was in my power to destroy him, as 1. Sam. 24. and 26.

Without any Provocation on my part.

5. Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it ; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

I am contented, and wish that Saul may so persecute my Life as to overtake it, and take it away.

Either 1. That honourable and royal Estate to which I am chosen and designed. Or 2. My Reputation and Memory. Or rather 3. The same thing which he called his soul and his life in the former branch of the verse, and here his honour; it being very frequent to express one thing in several words or phrases in one verse. And so here may be observed a gradation. Let him 1. Persist to persecute it; 2. Take it; 3. Tread it down, or destroy it, and 4. Lay it in the dust, or bury it, to prevent all hopes of Restitution.

6. Arise, O LORD, in thine anger , lift up thy self , because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded .

Oppose thy just Anger to their causeless and sinful Rage against me.

That thou maist give them a deadly blow. A Metaphor from men who arise and lift up themselves to do so. Heb. Be thou exalted; glorifie thyself, and shew thyself to be above them.

To execute that just and righteous Sentence of Saul's Deposition, and m[illegible: 1+ letters] Advancement, which thou hast commanded. (i. e.) appointed, (as that word is used Psal. 148. 5. 1. Kings 17. 4. and in this very case, 1. Sam. 13. 14.) and declared by thy holy Prophet Samuel.

Marginal references: Isal. 30. 18.; Psal. 35. 23.

7. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about : for their sakes therefore return thou on high .

Either 1. A great number of all sorts of people, who shall observe thy Justice, and Holyness, and Goodness in pleading my righteous Cause against my cruel and implacable Opp[illegible: 1+ letters]essor. Or rather 2. The whole Body of thy people Israel, to whom both these Hebrew Words are commonly ascribed in holy Scripture.

They will, and I as their King and Ruler in thy stead will take care that they shall come from all parts and meet together to worship thee, which in Saul's time they have grosly neglected, and been permitted to neglect, and to offer to thee [illegible: 1 word] and Sacrifices for thy Favour to me, and for the manifold Benefits which they shall enjoy by my Means, and under my Government.

Or, for its sake. (i. e.) For the sake of thy Congregation, which now is wofully dissipated and oppressed, and have in a great measure lost all administration of Justice, and exercise of Religion.

Or, return to thy high place. (i. e.) To thy Tribunal to [illegible: 1+ letters]it there and judg my cause. An Allusion to earthly Tribunals, which generally are set up on high above the people. 1. Kings 10. 19.

8. The LORD shall judg the people : judg me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine Integrity that is in me .

It belongs to thee to judg all persons and people, and to give Sentence between them, especially when they appeal unto thee; which I now do.

If I be guilty of those evil Designs, towards him, wherewith Cush and others charge me, do thou give Sentence against me; but if I be just and innocent towards him, as thou knowest I am and have been, do thou plead my right.

Marginal references: Ps[illegible: 1+ letters]l. 18. 20.

9. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end , but establish the just : for the righteous God trieth the heart and reins .

Let the Malice of mine Enemies cease, put a stop to their wicked Practises, either by changing their Hearts, or by tying their Hands, or some other way: Say to it, as thou dost to the Sea, Hitherto hast thou gon, but thou shalt go no further, and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed. Or, The Wickedness of the Wicked shall have an end, not an end of perfection, which is to be accomplished; but an end of termination, it shall cease; and an end of destruction, it shall be roo[illegible: 1+ letters]ed ou[illegible: 1+ letters], Or, Let, I pray thee, Wickedness consume the wicked. (i. e.) those that are maliciously and incorrigibly such. And so this Prayer is opposed to that following Prayer for the Just. And such Prayers against some wicked Men we find used by prophetical Persons, which are not rashly to be drawn into president by ordinary Persons.

Or, and thou wilt establish, or [illegible: 1 word], or uphold: which is opposed to that coming to an end, or consuming last mentioned.

All just Persons and Causes, and mine in particular which is so.

And therefore he knows that I have not so much as a thought or a desire of that Mischief which Cush and others report I am designing against Saul.

Marginal references: 1. Sam. 16. 7. 1. Chr. 28. 9. Psal. 139. 1. Jer. 11. 20. & 17. 10. & 20. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. Rev. 2. 23.

10. My defence is of God , which saveth the upright in heart .

Heb. My shield is upon God. He doth as it were carry my Shield before me. See 1. Sam. 17. 7. He doth and will protect me against all mine Enemies.

And therefore me, whom he knoweth to be sincere and honest in my Carriage towards him and towards Saul.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] is [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

11. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day .

(i. e.) Defendeth, or avengeth, or delivereth, as this word is oft used, as Deut. 32. 36. Psal. 9. 4. and 10. 18. and 26. 1. &c. To judge, is properly to give Sentence; which because it may be done either by absolving and acquitting from Punishment; or by condemning and giving up to Punishment, therefore it is sometimes used for the one, and sometimes for the other, as the Circumstances of the place determine it.

Which though it may seem a bold Supplement, yet is necessary, and easily fetched out of the next and following verses.

Even then, when his Providence seems to favour them, and they are most secure and confident.

Marginal references: Or, God is [illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

12. If he turn not , he will whet his sword , he hath bent his bow , and made it ready.

(i. e.) The wicked Man last mentioned, either Cush, or Saul.

From this wicked course of Calumniating or Persecuting me.

(i. e.) God, who is often designed by this Pronoun, being easily to be understood from the nature of the thing.

(i. e.) Will prepare, and hasten, and speedily execute his Judgments upon him.

Did I say▪ He will do it, nay, he hath already done it, his Sword is drawn, his Bow is bent, and the Arrows are prepared and ready to be shot.

13. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death ; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors .

Either 1. For or against the Persecutor, as it follows. Or rather 2. For himself, for his own use, to wit, to shoot against his Enemies.

(i. e.) Arrows, or other deadly Weapon.

Heb. maketh or worketh, designeth or fit[illegible: 1+ letters]eth for his very use.

Or, against furious and fiery Persecutors, as the word signifies, and as it is used Gen. 31. 36. Psal. 10. 2. Lam. 4. 19.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word]. Psal. 4[illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters].

14. Behold, he travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood .

(i. e.) The Wicked, as is undeniably manifest from the matter and context.

This Metaphor noteth his deep Design, and continued Course, and vigorous Indeavours for the doing of Mischief, and his restlesness and pain till he have accomplished it.

Marginal references: Job 15. 35. Psal. [illegible: 1+ letters]9. 3. Jam. 1. 15.

15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made .

Hath brought that Evil upon himself which he intended against me. Which may be understood either of Saul, who whilest he plotted against David's Life, ran into apparent hazard of losing his own, 1. Sam. 24. and 26. Or of some Courtier or Courtiers of Saul, in whom this was evidently verified; although the History and Memory of it be now lost.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] digged a pit.; Job. 4. 8. Psal. 9. 15. & 10. 2. & 35. 8. & 141. 10. Prov. [illegible: 1+ letters]. 22.

16. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

Which Phrase may note whence this retribution should come, even from Heaven, or from the righteous and remarkable Judgment of God▪

Marginal references: Ps[illegible: 1+ letters]l. 3[illegible: 1+ letters]. 14▪ 15.

17. I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness : and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Declared and asserted by him in their exemplary Punishment, and my seasonable and wonderful Deliverance.

Appeal to the Judge of the Whole Earth against Slander and Requiting Good with Evil

In the second part of Psa 6:1-10 David meets his enemies with strong self-confidence in God. Ps 7, which even Hitzig ascribes to David, continues this theme and exhibits to us, in a prominent example taken from the time of persecution under Saul, his purity of conscience and joyousness of faith. One need only read 1 Sam 24-26 to see how this Psalm abounds in unmistakeable references to this portion of David’s life. The superscribed statement of the events that gave rise to its composition point to this. Such statements are found exclusively only by the Davidic Psalms.Viz. Psa 7:1, Psa 59:1, Psa 56:1, Psa 34:1, Psa 52:1, Psa 57:1, Psa 142:1, Psa 54:1 (belonging to the time of the persecution under Saul), Psa 3:1, Psa 63:1 (to the persecution under Absolom), Psa 51:1 (David’s adultery), Psa 60:1 (the Syro-Ammonitish war).

The inscription runs: Shiggajon of David, which he sang to Jahve on account of the sayings of Cush a Benjamite. על־דּברי is intentionally chosen instead of על which has other functions in these superscriptions. Although דּבר and דּברי can mean a thing, business, affairs (Exo 22:8; 1Sa 10:2, and freq.) and על־דּברי “in reference to” (Deu 4:21; Jer 7:22) or “on occasion of” (Jer 14:1), still we must here keep to the most natural signification: “on account of the words (speeches).” Cûsh (lxx falsely Χουσί = כּוּשׁי; Luther, likewise under misapprehension, “the Moor”) must have been one of the many servants of Saul, his kinsman, one of the talebearers like Doeg and the Ziphites, who shamefully slandered David before Saul, and roused him against David. The epithet בּן־ימיני (as in 1Sa 9:1, 1Sa 9:21, cf. אישׁ־ימיני   2Sa 20:1) describes him as “a Benjamite” and does not assume any knowledge of him, as would be the case if it were הבּנימיני, or rather (in accordance with biblical usage) בּן־הימיני. And this accords with the actual fact, for there is no mention of him elsewhere in Scripture history. The statement וגו על־דברי is hardly from David’s hand, but written by some one else, whether from tradition or from the דברי הימים of David, where this Psalm may have been interwoven with the history of its occasion. Whereas there is nothing against our regarding לדוד שׁגּיון, or at least שׁגיון, as a note appended by David himself.

Since שׁגּיון (after the form הזּיון a vision) belongs to the same class as superscribed appellations like מזמור and משׂכּיל, and the Tephilla of Habakkuk, Hab 3:1 (vid., my Commentary), has the addition על־שׁגינות, שׁגיון must be the name of a kind of lyric composition, and in fact a kind described according to the rhythm of its language or melody. Now since שׁגה means to go astray, wander, reel, and is cognate with שׁגע (whence comes שׁגּעון madness, a word formed in the same manner) שׁגיון may mean in the language of prosody a reeling poem, i.e., one composed in a most excited movement and with a rapid change of the strongest emotions, therefore a dithyrambic poem, and שׁגינות dithyrambic rhythms, variously and violently mixed together. Thus Ewald and Rödiger understand it, and thus even Tarnov, Geier, and other old expositors who translate it cantio erratica. What we therefore look for is that this Psalm shall consist, as Ainsworth expresses it (1627), “of sundry variable and wandering verses,” that it shall wander through the most diverse rhythms as in a state of intoxication - an expectation which is in fact realized. The musical accompaniment also had its part in the general effect produced. Moreover, the contents of the Psalm corresponds to this poetic musical style. It is the most solemn pathos of exalted self-consciousness which is expressed in it. And in common with Hab it gives expression to the joy which arises from zealous anger against the enemies of God and from the contemplation of their speedy overthrow. Painful unrest, defiant self-confidence, triumphant ecstasy, calm trust, prophetic certainty-all these states of mind find expression in the irregular arrangement of the strophes of this Davidic dithyramb, the ancient customary Psalm for the feast of Purim (Sofrim xviii. §2).

Psa 7:1-2 (Hebrew_Bible_7:2-3) With this word of faith, love, and hope בּך חסיתּי (as in Psa 141:8), this holy captatio benevolentiae, David also begins in Psa 11:1; Psa 16:1; Psa 31:2, cf. Psa 71:1. The perf. is inchoative: in Thee have I taken my refuge, equivalent to: in Thee do I trust. The transition from the multitude of his persecutors to the sing. in Psa 7:3 is explained most naturally, as one looks at the inscription, thus: that of the many the one who is just at the time the worst of all comes prominently before his mind. The verb טרף from the primary signification carpere (which corresponds still more exactly to חרף) means both to tear off and to tear in pieces (whence טרפה that which is torn in pieces); and פּרק from its primary signification frangere means both to break loose and to break in pieces, therefore to liberate, e.g., in Psa 136:24, and to break in small pieces, 1Ki 19:11. The persecutors are conceived of as wild animals, as lions which rend their prey and craunch its bones. Thus blood-thirsty are they for his soul, i.e., his life. After the painful unrest of this first strophe, the second begins the tone of defiant self-consciousness.

Psa 7:3-5 (Hebrew_Bible_7:4-6) According to the inscription זאת points to the substance of those slanderous sayings of the Benjamite. With בּכפּי אם־ישׁ־עול one may compare David’s words to Saul אין בּידי רעה   1Sa 24:12; 1Sa 26:18; and from this comparison one will at once see in a small compass the difference between poetical and prose expression. שׁלמי (Targ. לבעל שׁלמי) is the name he gives (with reference to Saul) to him who stands on a peaceful, friendly footing with him, cf. the adject. שׁלום, Psa 55:21, and אישׁ שׁלום, Psa 41:10. The verb גּמל, cogn. גּמר, signifies originally to finish, complete, (root גם, כם ,גם t, cf. כּימה to be or to make full, to gather into a heap). One says טּוב גּמל and גּמל רע, and also without a material object גּמל עלי or גּמלני benefecit ormalefecit mihi. But we join גּמלתּי with רע according to the Targum and contrary to the accentuation, and not with שׁלמי (Olsh., Böttch., Hitz.), although שׁלם beside משׁלּם, as e.g., דּבר beside מדבּר might mean “requiting.” The poet would then have written: אם שׁלּמתּי גּמלי רע i.e., if I have retaliated upon him that hath done evil to me. In Psa 7:5 we do not render it according the meaning to הלּץ which is usual elsewhere: but rather I rescued... (Louis de Dieu, Ewald §345, a, and Hupfeld). Why cannot הלּץ in accordance with its primary signification expedire, exuere (according to which even the signification of rescuing, taken exactly, does not proceed from the idea of drawing out, but of making loose, exuere vinclis) signify here exuere = spoliare, as it does in Aramaic? And how extremely appropriate it is as an allusion to the incident in the cave, when David did not rescue Saul, but, without indeed designing to take חליצה, exuviae, cut off the hem of his garment! As Hengstenberg observes, “He affirms his innocence in the most general terms, thereby showing that his conduct towards Saul was not anything exceptional, but sprang from his whole disposition and mode of action.” On the 1 pers. fut. conv. and ah, vid., on Psa 3:6. ריקם belongs to צוררי, like Psa 25:3; Psa 69:5.

In the apodosis, Psa 7:6, the fut. Kal of רדף is made into three syllables, in a way altogether without example, since, by first making the Shebâ audible, from ירדּף it is become ירדף (like יצחק Gen 21:6, תּהלך Psa 73:9; Exo 9:23, שׁמעה Psa 39:13), and this is then sharpened by an euphonic Dag. forte.The Dag. is of the same kind as the Dag. in גּמלּים among nouns; Arabic popular dialect farassı̂ (my horse), vid., Wetzstein’s Inshriften S. 366.

Other ways of explaining it, as that by Cahjúg = יתרדף, or by Kimchi as a mixed form from Kal and Piel,Pinsker’s view, that the pointing ירדף is designed to leave the reader at liberty to choose between the reading ירדּף and ירדּף, cannot be supported. There are no safe examples for the supposition that the variations of tradition found expression in this way. have been already refuted by Baer, Thorath Emeth, p. 33. This dactylic jussive form of Kal is followed by the regular jussives of Hiph. ישּׂג and ישׁכּן. The rhythm is similar so that in the primary passage Exo 15:9, which also finds its echo in Psa 18:38, - viz. iambic with anapaests inspersed. By its parallelism with נפשׁי and חיּי, כּבודי acquires the signification “my soul,” as Saadia, Gecatilia and Aben-Ezra have rendered it - a signification which is secured to it by Psa 16:9; 30:13; Psa 57:9; Psa 108:2, Gen 49:6. Man’s soul is his doxa, and this it is as being the copy of the divine doxa (Bibl. Psychol. S. 98, [tr. p. 119], and frequently). Moreover, “let him lay in the dust” is at least quite as favourable to this sense of כבודי as to the sense of personal and official dignity (Psa 3:4; Psa 4:3). To lay down in the dust is equivalent to: to lay in the dust of death, Psa 22:16. שׁכני עפר, Isa 26:19, are the dead. According to the biblical conception the soul is capable of being killed (Num 35:11), and mortal (Num 23:10). It binds spirit and body together and this bond is cut asunder by death. David will submit willingly to death in case he has ever acted dishonourably.

Here the music is to strike up, in order to give intensity to the expression of this courageous confession. In the next strophe is affirmation of innocence rises to a challenging appeal to the judgment-seat of God and a prophetic certainty that that judgment is near at hand.

Psa 7:6-8 (Hebrew_Bible_7:7-9) In the consciousness of his own innocence he calls upon Jahve to sit in judgment and to do justice to His own. His vision widens and extends from the enemies immediately around to the whole world in its hostility towards Jahve and His anointed one. In the very same way special judgments and the judgment of the world are portrayed side by side, as it were on one canvas, in the prophets. The truth of this combination lies in the fact of the final judgment being only the finale of that judgment which is in constant execution in the world itself. The language here takes the highest and most majestic flight conceivable. By קוּמה (Milra, ass in Psa 3:8), which is one of David’s words of prayer that he has taken from the lips of Moses (Psa 9:20; Psa 10:12), he calls upon Jahve to interpose. The parallel is הנּשׂא lift Thyself up, show thyself in Thy majesty, Psa 94:2, Isa 33:10. The anger, in which He is to arise, is the principle of His judicial righteousness. With this His anger He is to gird Himself (Psa 76:11) against the ragings of the oppressors of God’s anointed one, i.e., taking vengeance on their many and manifold manifestations of hostility. עברות is a shorter form of the construct (instead of עברות Job 40:11, cf. Psa 21:1-13 :31) of עברה which describes the anger as running over, breaking forth from within and passing over into words and deeds (cf. Arab. fšš , used of water: it overflows the dam, of wrath: it breaks forth). It is contrary to the usage of the language to make משׁפּט the object to עוּרה in opposition to the accents, and it is unnatural to regard it as the accus. of direction = למּשׂפט (Psa 35:23), as Hitzig does. The accents rightly unite עוּרה אלי: awake (stir thyself) for me i.e., to help me (אלי like לקלאתי, Psa 59:5). The view, that צוּית is then precative and equivalent to צוּה: command judgment, is one that cannot be established according to syntax either here, or in Psa 71:3. It ought at least to have been וצוּית with Waw consec. On the other hand the relative rendering: Thou who hast ordered judgment (Maurer, Hengst.), is admissible, but unnecessary. We take it by itself in a confirmatory sense, not as a circumstantial clause: having commanded judgment (Ewald), but as a co-ordinate clause: Thou hast indeed enjoined the maintaining of right (Hupfeld).

The psalmist now, so to speak, arranges the judgment scene: the assembly of the nations is to form a circle round about Jahve, in the midst of which He will sit in judgment, and after the judgment He is to soar away (Gen 17:22) aloft over it and return to the heights of heaven like a victor after the battle (see Psa 68:19). Although it strikes one as strange that the termination of the judgment itself is not definitely expressed, yet the rendering of Hupfeld and others: sit Thou again upon Thy heavenly judgment-seat to judge, is to be rejected on account of the שׁוּבה (cf. on the other hand 21:14) which is not suited to it; שׁוב למּרום can only mean Jahve’s return to His rest after the execution of judgment. That which Psa 7:7 and Psa 7:8 in the boldness of faith desire, the beginning of Psa 7:9 expresses as a prophetic hope, from which proceeds the prayer, that the Judge of the earth may also do justice to him (שׁפתני vindica me, as in Psa 26:1; Psa 35:24) according to his righteousness and the purity of which he is conscious, as dwelling in him. עלי is to be closely connected with תּמּי, just as one says נפשׁי עלי (Psychol. S. 152 [tr. p. 180]). That which the individual as ego, distinguishes from itself as being in it, as subject, it denotes by עלי. In explaining it elliptically: “come upon me” (Ew., Olsh., Hupf.) this psychologically intelligible usage of the language is not recognised. On תּם vid., on Psa 25:21; Psa 26:1.

Psa 7:9-10 (Hebrew_Bible_7:10-11) In this strophe we hear the calm language of courageous trust, to which the rising and calmly subsiding caesural schema is particularly adapted. He is now concerned about the cessation of evil: Oh let it come to an end (גּמר intransitive as in Psa 12:2; Psa 77:9).... His prayer is therefore not directed against the individuals as such but against the wickedness that is in them. This Psalm is the key to all Psalms which contain prayers against one’s enemies. Just in the same manner וּתכונן is intended to express a wish; it is one of the comparatively rare voluntatives of the 2 pers. (Ew. §229): and mayst Thou be pleased to establish.... To the termination of evil which is desired corresponds, in a positive form of expression, the desired security and establishment of the righteous, whom it had injured and whose continuance was endangered by it. וּבחן is the beginning of a circumstantial clause, introduced by ו, but without the personal pronoun, which is not unfrequently omitted both in the leading participial clause, as in Isa 29:8 (which see), and in the minor participial clause as here (cf. Psa 55:20): cum sis = quoniam es. The reins are the seat of the emotions, just as the heart is the seat of the thoughts and feelings. Reins and heart lie naked before God-a description of the only kardiognoo'stees, which is repeated in Jer 11:20; Jer 20:12, Rev 2:23. In the thesis the adjective is used with אלהים in the sing. as in Psa 78:56, cf. Ps 58:12. God is the righteous God, and by his knowledge of the inmost part He is fully capable of always showing Himself both righteous in anger and righteous in mercy according to the requirements and necessity of the case. Therefore David can courageously add על־אלהים מגנּי, my shield doth God carry; ל Psa 89:19) would signify: He has it, it (my shield) belongs to Him, על (1Ch 18:7) signifies: He bears it, or if one takes shield in the sense of protection: He has taken my protection upon Himself, has undertaken it (as in Psa 62:8, cf. Jdg 19:20), as He is in general the Saviour of all who are devoted to Him with an upright heart, i.e., a heart sincere, guileless (cf. Psa 32:1 with Psa 7:2). צדּים is intentionally repeated at the end of the first two lines - the favourite palindrome, found more especially in Isa 40:1. And to the mixed character of this Psalm belongs the fact of its being both Elohimic and Jehovic. From the calm language of heartfelt trust in God the next strophe passes over into the language of earnest warning, which is again more excited and somewhat after the style of didactic poetry.

Psa 7:11-13 (Hebrew_Bible_7:12-14) If God will in the end let His wrath break forth, He will not do it without having previously given threatenings thereof every day, viz., to the ungodly, cf. Isa 66:14; Mal 1:4. He makes these feel His זעם beforehand in order to strike a wholesome terror into them. The subject of the conditional clause אם־לא ישׁוּב is any ungodly person whatever; and the subject of the principal clause, as its continuation in Psa 7:14 shows, is God. If a man (any one) does not repent, then Jahve will whet His sword (cf. Deu 32:41). This sense of the words accords with the connection; whereas with the rendering: “forsooth He (Elohim) will again whet His sword” (Böttch., Ew., Hupf.) ישׁוּב, which would moreover stand close by ילטושׁ (cf. e.g., Gen 30:31), is meaningless; and the אם־לא of asseveration is devoid of purpose. Judgment is being gradually prepared, as the fut. implies; but, as the perff. imply, it is also on the other hand like a bow that is already strung against the sinner with the arrow pointed towards him, so that it can be executed at any moment. כּונן of the making ready, and הכין of the aiming, are used alternately. לו, referring to the sinner, stands first by way of emphasis as in Gen 49:10; 1Sa 2:3, and is equivalent to אליו, Eze 4:3. “Burning” arrows are fire-arrows (זקּים, זיקות, malleoli); and God’s fire-arrows are the lightnings sent forth by Him, Psa 18:15; Zec 9:14. The fut. יפעל denotes the simultaneous charging of the arrows aimed at the sinner, with the fire of His wrath. The case illustrated by Cush is generalised: by the sword and arrows the manifold energy of the divine anger is symbolised, and it is only the divine forbearance that prevents it from immediately breaking forth. The conception is not coarsely material, but the vividness of the idea of itself suggests the form of its embodiment.

Psa 7:14-17 (Hebrew_Bible_7:15-18) This closing strophe foretells to the enemy of God, as if dictated by the judge, what awaits him; and concludes with a prospect of thanksgiving and praise. Man brings forth what he has conceived, he reaps what he has sown. Starting from this primary passage, we find the punishment which sin brings with it frequently represented under these figures of הדה and ילד (הוליד, חבּל, חיל), זרע and קצר, and first of all in Job 15:35. The act, guilt, and punishment of sin appear in general as notions that run into one another. David sees in the sin of his enemies their self-destruction. It is singular, that travail is first spoken of, and then only afterwards pregnancy. For חבּל signifies, as in Sol 8:5, ὠδίνειν, not: to conceive (Hitz.). The Arab. ḥabila (synonym of ḥamala) is not to conceive in distinction from being pregnant, but it is both: to be and to become pregnant. The accentuation indicates the correct relationship of the three members of the sentence. First of all comes the general statement: Behold he shall travail with, i.e., bring forth with writhing as in the pains of labour, און, evil, as the result which proceeds from his wickedness. Then, by this thought being divided into its two factors (Hupf.) it goes on to say: that is, he shall conceive (concipere) עמל, and bear שׁקר. The former signifies trouble, molestia, just as πονηρία signifies that which makes πόνον; the latter falsehood, viz., self-deception, delusion, vanity, inasmuch as the burden prepared for others, returns as a heavy and oppressive burden upon the sinner himself, as is said in Psa 7:17; cf. Isa 59:4, where און instead of שׁקר denotes the accursed wages of sin which consist in the unmasking of its nothingness, and in the undeceiving of its self-delusion. He diggeth a pit for himself, is another turn of the same thought, Psa 57:7; Ecc 10:8. Psa 7:16 mentions the digging, and Psa 7:16 the subsequent falling into the pit; the aorist ויּפּל is, for instance, like Psa 7:13, Psa 16:9; Psa 29:10. The attributive יפעל is virtually a genitive to שׁחת, and is rightly taken by Ges. §124, 3, a as present: in the midst of the execution of the work of destruction prepared for others it becomes his own. The trouble, עמל, prepared for others returns upon his own head (בּראשׁו, clinging to it, just as על־ראשׁו signifies descending and resting upon it), and the violence, חמס, done to others, being turned back by the Judge who dwells above (Mic 1:12), descends upon his own pate (קדקדו with o by q, as e.g., in Gen 2:23). Thus is the righteousness of God revealed in wrath upon the oppressor and in mercy upon him who is innocently oppressed. Then will the rescued one, then will David, give thanks unto Jahve, as is due to Him after the revelation of His righteousness, and will sing of the name of Jahve the Most High (עליון as an appended name of God is always used without the art., e.g., Psa 57:3). In the revelation of Himself He has made Himself a name. He has, however, revealed Himself as the almighty Judge and Deliverer, as the God of salvation, who rules over everything that takes place here below. It is this name, which He has made by His acts, that David will then echo back to Him in his song of thanksgiving.

David Prays Against His Enemies; Prayer for Sinners and Saints.

1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O Lord , in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord , according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

Shiggaion is a song or psalm (the word is used so only here and Hab. iii. 1)—a wandering song (so some), the matter and composition of the several parts being different, but artificially put together—a charming song (so others), very delightful. David not only penned it, but sang it himself in a devout religious manner unto the Lord, concerning the words or affairs of Cush the Benjamite, that is, of Saul himself, whose barbarous usage of David bespoke him rather a Cushite, or Ethiopian, than a true-born Israelite. Or, more likely, it was some kinsman of Saul named Cush, who was an inveterate enemy to David, misrepresented him to Saul as a traitor, and (which was very needless) exasperated Saul against him, one of those children of men, children of Belial indeed, whom David complains of (1 Sam. xxvi. 19), that made mischief between him and Saul. David, thus basely abused, has recourse to the Lord. The injuries men do us should drive us to God, for to him we may commit our cause. Nay, he sings to the Lord; his spirit was not ruffled by it, nor cast down, but so composed and cheerful that he was still in tune for sacred songs and it did not occasion one jarring string in his harp. Thus let the injuries we receive from men, instead of provoking our passions, kindle and excite our devotions. In these verses,

I. He puts himself under God's protection and flies to him for succour and shelter (v. 1): "Lord, save me, and deliver me from the power and malice of all those that persecute me, that they may not have their will against me." He pleads, 1. His relation to God. "Thou art my God, and therefore whither else should I go but to thee? Thou art my God, and therefore my shield (Gen. xv. 1), my God, and therefore I am one of thy servants, who may expect to be protected." 2. His confidence in God: "Lord, save me, for I depend upon thee: In thee do I put my trust, and not in any arm of flesh." Men of honour will not fail those that repose a trust in them, especially if they themselves have encouraged them to do so, which is our case. 3. The rage and malice of his enemies, and the imminent danger he was in of being swallowed up by them: "Lord, save me, or I am gone; he will tear my soul like a lion tearing his prey," with so much pride, and pleasure, and power, so easily, so cruelly. St. Paul compares Nero to a lion (2 Tim. iv. 17), as David here compares Saul. 4. The failure of all other helpers: "Lord, be thou pleased to deliver me, for otherwise there is none to deliver," v. 2. It is the glory of God to help the helpless.

II. He makes a solemn protestation of his innocency as to those things whereof he was accused, and by a dreadful imprecation appeals to God, the searcher of hearts, concerning it, v. 3-5. Observe, in general, 1. When we are falsely accused by men it is a great comfort if our own consciences acquit us— ———————- Hic murus aheneus esto, Nil conscire sibi.——————————— Be this thy brazen bulwark of defence, Still to preserve thy conscious innocence.— III. Having this testimony of his conscience concerning his innocency, he humbly prays to God to appear for him against his persecutors, and backs every petition with a proper plea, as one that knew how to order his cause before God.

1. He prays that God would manifest his wrath against his enemies, and pleads their wrath against him: "Lord, they are unjustly angry at me, be thou justly angry with them and let them know that thou art so, v. 6. In thy anger lift up thyself to the seat of judgment, and make thy power and justice conspicuous, because of the rage, the furies, the outrages (the word is plural) of my enemies." Those need not fear men's wrath against them who have God's wrath for them. Who knows the power of his anger?

2. He prays that God would plead his cause.

(1.) He prays, Awake for me to judgment (that is, let my cause have a hearing), to the judgment which thou hast commanded; this speaks, [1.] The divine power; as he blesses effectually, and is therefore said to command the blessing, so he judges effectually, and is therefore said to command the judgment, which is such as none can countermand; for it certainly carries execution along with it. [2.] The divine purpose and promise: "It is the judgment which thou hast determined to pass upon all the enemies of thy people. Thou hast commanded the princes and judges of the earth to give redress to the injured and vindicate the oppressed; Lord, awaken thyself to that judgment." He that loves righteousness, and requires it in others, will no doubt execute it himself. Though he seem to connive at wrong, as one asleep, he will awake in due time (Ps. lxxviii. 65) and will make it to appear that the delays were no neglects.

(2.) He prays (v. 7), "Return thou on high, maintain thy own authority, resume thy royal throne of which they have despised the sovereignty, and the judgment-seat of which they have despised the sentence. Return on high, that is, visibly and in the sight of all, that it may be universally acknowledged that heaven itself owns and pleads David's cause." Some make this to point at the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, who, when he returned to heaven (returned on high in his exalted state), had all judgment committed to him. Or it may refer to his second coming, when he shall return on high to this world, to execute judgment upon all. This return his injured people wait for, and pray for, and to it they appeal from the unjust censures of men.

(3.) He prays again (v. 8), "Judge me, judge for me, give sentence on my side." To enforce this suit, [1.] He pleads that his cause was now brought into the proper court: The Lord shall judge the people, v. 8. He is the Judge of all the earth, and therefore no doubt he will do right and all will be obliged to acquiesce in his judgment. [2.] He insists upon his integrity as to all the matters in variance between him and Saul, and desires only to be judged, in this matter, according to his righteousness, and the sincerity of his heart in all the steps he had taken towards his preferment. [3.] He foretels that it would be much for the glory of God and the edification and comfort of his people if God would appear for him: "So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about; therefore do it for their sakes, that they may attend thee with their raises and services in the courts of thy house." First, They will do it of their own accord. God's appearing on David's behalf, and fulfilling his promise to him, would be such an instance of his righteousness, goodness, and faithfulness, as would greatly enlarge the hearts of all his faithful worshippers and fill their mouths with praise. David was the darling of his country, especially of all the good people in it; and therefore, when they saw him in a fair way to the throne, they would greatly rejoice and give thanks to God; crowds of them would attend his footstool with their praises for such a blessing to their land. Secondly, If David come into power, as God has promised him, he will take care to bring people to church by his influence upon them, and the ark shall not be neglected, as it was in the days of Saul, 1 Chron. xiii. 3.

3. He prays, in general, for the conversion of sinners and the establishment of saints (v. 9): "O let the wickedness, not only of my wicked enemies, but of all the wicked, come to an end! but establish the just." Here are two things which everyone of us must desire and may hope for:—(1.) The destruction of sin, that it may be brought to an end in ourselves and others. When corruption is mortified, when every wicked way and thought are forsaken, and the stream which ran violently towards the world and the flesh is driven back and runs towards God and heaven, then the wickedness of the wicked comes to an end. When there is a general reformation of manners, when atheists and profane are convinced and converted, when a stop is put to the spreading of the infection of sin, so that evil men proceed no further, their folly being made manifest, when the wicked designs of the church's enemies are baffled, and their power is broken, and the man of sin is destroyed, then the wickedness of the wicked comes to an end. And this is that which all that love God, and for his sake hate evil, desire and pray for. (2.) The perpetuity of righteousness: But establish the just. As we pray that the bad maybe made good, so we pray that the good may be made better, that they may not be seduced by the wiles of the wicked nor shocked by their malice, that they may be confirmed in their choice of the ways of God and in their resolution to persevere therein, may be firm to the interests of God and religion and zealous in their endeavours to bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end. His plea to enforce this petition is, For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins; and therefore he knows the secret wickedness of the wicked and knows how to bring it to an end, and the secret sincerity of the just he is witness to and has secret ways of establishing.

As far as we have the testimony of an unbiased conscience for us that in any instance we are wronged and injuriously reflected on, we may, in singing these verses, lodge our appeal with the righteous God, and be assured that he will own our righteous cause, and will one day, in the last day at furthest, bring forth our integrity as the light.

The Persecutor's Doom.

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

David having lodged his appeal with God by prayer and a solemn profession of his integrity, in the former part of the psalm, in this latter part does, as it were, take out judgment upon the appeal, by faith in the word of God, and the assurance it gives of the happiness and safety of the righteous and the certain destruction of wicked people that continue impenitent.

I. David is confident that he shall find God his powerful protector and Saviour, and the patron of his oppressed innocency (v. 10): "My defence is of God. Not only, God is my defender, and I shall find him so; but I look for defence and safety in no other; my hope for shelter in a time of danger is placed in God alone; if I have defence, it must be of God." My shield is upon God (so some read it); there is that in God which gives an assurance of protection to all that are his. His name is a strong tower, Prov. xviii. 10. Two things David builds this confidence upon:—1. The particular favour God has for all that are sincere: He saves the upright in heart, saves them with an everlasting salvation, and therefore will preserve them to his heavenly kingdom; he saves them out of their present troubles, as far as is good for them; their integrity and uprightness will preserve them. The upright in heart are safe, and ought to think themselves so, under the divine protection. 2. The general respect he has for justice and equity: God judgeth the righteous; he owns every righteous cause, and will maintain it in every righteous man, and will protect him. God is a righteous Judge (so some read it), who not only doeth righteousness himself, but will take care that righteousness be done by the children of men and will avenge and punish all unrighteousness.

II. He is no less confident of the destruction of all his persecutors, even as many of them as would not repent, to give glory to God. He reads their doom here, for their good, if possible, that they might cease from their enmity, or, however, for his own comfort, that he might not be afraid of them nor aggrieved at their prosperity and success for a time. He goes into the sanctuary of God, and there understands,

1. That they are children of wrath. They are not to be envied, for God is angry with them, is angry with the wicked every day. They are every day doing that which is provoking to him, and he resents it, and treasures it up against the day of wrath. As his mercies are new every morning towards his people, so his anger is new every morning against the wicked, upon the fresh occasions given for it by their renewed transgressions. God is angry with the wicked even in the merriest and most prosperous of their days, even in the days of their devotion; for, if they be suffered to prosper, it is in wrath; if they pray, their very prayers are an abomination. The wrath of God abides upon them (John iii. 36) and continual additions are made to it.

2. That they are children of death, as all the children of wrath are, sons of perdition, marked out for ruin. See their destruction.

(1.) God will destroy them. The destruction they are reserved for is destruction from the Almighty, which ought to be a terror to every one of us, for it comes from the wrath of God, v. 13, 14. It is here intimated, [1.] That the destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion, for it is threatened with that proviso: If he turn not from his evil way, if he do not let fall his enmity against the people of God, then let him expect it will be his ruin; but, if he turn, it is implied that his sin shall be pardoned and all shall be well. Thus even the threatenings of wrath are introduced with a gracious implication of mercy, enough to justify God for ever in the destruction of those that perish; they might have turned and lived, but they chose rather to go on and die and their blood is therefore upon their own heads. [2.] That, if it be not thus prevented by the conversion of the sinner, it will be prepared for him by the justice of God. In general (v. 13), He has prepared for him the instruments of death, of all that death which is the wages of sin. If God will slay, he will not want instruments of death for any creature; even the least and weakest may be made so when he pleases. First, Here is variety of instruments, all which breathe threatenings and slaughter. Here is a sword, which wounds and kills at hand, a bow and arrows, which wound and kill at a distance those who think to get out of the reach of God's vindictive justice. If the sinner flees from the iron weapon, yet the bow of steel shall strike him through, Job xx. 24. Secondly, These instruments of death are all said to be made ready. God has them not to seek, but always at hand. Judgments are prepared for scorners. Tophet is prepared of old. Thirdly, While God is preparing his instruments of death, he gives the sinners timely warning of their danger, and space to repent and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. Fourthly, The longer the destruction is delayed, to give time for repentance, the sorer will it be and the heavier will it fall and lie for ever if that time be not so improved; while God is waiting the sword is in the whetting and the bow in the drawing. Fifthly, The destruction of impenitent sinners, though it come slowly, yet comes surely; for it is ordained, they are of old ordained to it. Sixthly, Of all sinners persecutors are set up as the fairest marks of divine wrath; against them, more than any other, God has ordained his arrows. They set God at defiance, but cannot set themselves out of the reach of his judgments.

(2.) They will destroy themselves, v. 14-16. The sinner is here described as taking a great deal of pains to ruin himself, more pains to damn his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. His conduct is described, [1.] By the pains of a labouring woman that brings forth a false conception, v. 14. The sinner's head with its politics conceives mischief, contrives it with a great deal of art, lays the plot deep, and keeps it close; the sinner's heart with its passions travails with iniquity, and is in pain to be delivered of the malicious projects it is hatching against the people of God. But what does it come to when it comes to the birth? It is falsehood; it is a cheat upon himself; it is a lie in his right hand. He cannot compass what he intended, nor, if he gain his point, will he gain the satisfaction he promised himself. He brings forth wind (Isa. xxvi. 18), stubble (Isa. xxxiii. 11), death (James i. 15), that is, falsehood. [2.] By the pains of a labouring man that works hard to dig a pit, and then falls into it and perishes in it. First, This is true, in a sense of all sinners. They prepare destruction for themselves by preparing themselves for destruction, loading themselves with guilt and submitting themselves to their corruptions. Secondly, It is often remarkably true of those who contrive mischief against the people of God or against their neighbours; by the righteous hand of God it is made to return upon their own heads. What they designed for the shame and destruction of others proves to be their own confusion. ——————————- Nec lex est jusitior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire sua————- There is not a juster law than that the author of a murderous contrivance shall perish by it. In singing this psalm we must do as David here does (v. 17), praise the Lord according to his righteousness, that is, give him the glory of that gracious protection under which he takes his afflicted people and of that just vengeance with which he will pursue those that afflict them. Thus we must sing to the praise of the Lord most high, who, when his enemies deal proudly, shows that he is above them.

PSAL. VII.

Shigajon of David, which he sang to Iehovah, upon the words of Cush, sonne of Iemini.

IEhovah my God, in thee I hope for safety: save thou me from all that persecute me, and deliver thou me. Lest he teare in peeces my soule like a Lion; breaking, while there is none delivering. Iehovah my God, if I have done this, if there be injurious evill in my hands: If I have rewarded evill to him that had peace with me: (yea, I have released my distresser without cause:) Let the enemie pursue my soule and take it, and tread downe my life on the earth, and my glory let him make it dwell in the dust Selah.

Rise up Iehovah in thy anger, be thou lifted up, for the rages of my distressers, and wake thou up unto me, the judgement thou hast commanded. And the congregation of peoples shall compasse thee about, and for it returne thou to the high place. Iehovah will judge the peoples: judge thou mee Iehovah according to my justice, and according to my perfection in me. Oh let the malice of the wicked be at an end, and stablish thou the just: for thou triest the hearts and reines, just God. My shield is in God, the Saviour of the upright in heart. God is a just Iudge, and God angerly threatneth every day. If he turne not, he will whet his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready. And for him he hath made ready the instruments of death: his arrowes he worketh for the hot persecutors. Lo he shall be in trauell of painfull iniquitie; for hee hath conceived molestation, and shall bring forth a lie. He hath digged a pit and delved it, and is fallen into the corrupting ditch hee wrought. His molestation shall returne upon his head, and upon his crowne shall his violent wrong descend. I will confesse Iehovah according to his justice, and will sing Psalme to the name of Iehovah most High.

Annotations. SHigajon] An artificiall song of David, or Davids delight. The word properly signifieth Aberration, or Ignoration; & is here, and in Heb. 3. 1. onely used in the title of songs, which seeme to be made of sundry variable and wandring verses, which being composed by art, cause the more delight. The Hebrew word (Shagah) whereof this is derived, is used for delight, or wandring in pleasure, Prov. 5. 19, 20. According to which we may name this song, Davids delight, or solace. Or in the other signification, Davids errour; as setting forth the sum of his cares, which made him almost to goe astray. The Chaldee expoundeth it, Davids interpretation of the Law. upon the words] or concerning the words, or matters, affaires. Word, is both in Hebrew and Greeke often used for a thing or matter, Exod. 18. 16. Deut. 17. 1. 1 King. 14. 13. Luk. 1. 65. Of Cush] This may be meant of K. Saul him-selfe, who was of Kish, and of Iemini, 1 Sam. 9. 1. called closely Cush, that is, an Aethiopian, or Blackmoore, for his blacke and ill conditions, his heart not being changed, as the Blackmoore changeth not his skin, Ier. 13. 22. Or else it might be one of Sauls retinue; whose name indeed was Cush, but we find no mention of him elsewhere. The Chaldee saith plainly thus, upon the destruction of Saul the sonne of Kish, which was of the tribe of Benjamin. Vers. 3. Lion] called here in Hebrew, Arjch, that is, a renter or Tearer; and elsewhere, L[illegible: 1 letter]by, that is, hearty and couragious, Psal. 57. 5. and Kephir, that is, lurking, or couchant, Ps. 91. 13. the reason of these names is shewed, Ps. 17. 12. The renting Lion (Arjeh) as greedy to teare; and the lurking Lion (Kephir,) as biding in covert places. Other names are also given to this kind, as Shachal, of ramping, or fierce nature, Ps. 91. 13. and Lajish, of subduing his prey, Pro. 30. 30. my soule] that is, mee, or my life. breaking] this may be referred to the Lion, breaking asunder, or renting his prey: the word also is used for breaking of yokes of affliction, that is, saving, rescuing, redeeming, or delivering; as, Psal. 136. 24. Lam. 5. 8. The Greeke so turneth it here, there being none redeeming nor saving. Thus the deniall none set after in the Hebrew, serveth for both words; (as after in Psal. 9. 19.) And it is the propriety of this tongue sometime to want, sometime to abound with words; as in 1 King. 10. 21. there be two denials, when in 2 Chron. 9. 20. there is but one, in the same narration. Vers. 4. done this] which Cush accuseth me of He speaketh of some common slander. injurious evill in my hands] or, in my palmes, that is, bad, dishonest dealings in secret: the palme or hollow of the hand, being a place where filthinesse may be hidden: the hand also is put for the actions. So Io[illegible: 1 letter]. 3. 8. Psal. 109. 27. and 78. 42. Vers. 5. that had peace with mee] my friend and confederate. Such treachery David much blameth in his foes, that in time of peace made war, Psa. 41. 10. and 55. 13. 15. 21. yea I] Hebr. and I; which may be resolved; yea, or when I released my distresser: which may have reference to his sparing of Saul, & delivering him from death, 1 Sam. 24. 6, 7, 8. 11, 12. and 26. 9, 10, 11, &c. without cause] or without effect, and fruit in vaine. Vers. 6. my life] in Hebrew, lives; so usually called for the many faculties and operations that are in life; the many yeares, degrees, estates thereof. The Apostles in Greeke retaine the singular number life, Act. 2. 28. from Psal. 16. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 10. from Psal. 34. 13. my glory] or honour; meaning either his honourable estate, renowne, and posteritie, as Hos 9. 11. Iob 19. 9. or his soule, as Gen. 49. 6. in the dust] that is, in base estate and ignominie, as Ps. 113. 7. Iob 16. 5. or, the dust of death, the grave, as Psal. 22. 16. Isa. 26. 19. Vers. 7. in the rages] or, because of the outrages, surpassing indignations, so called of the passing out of the heat and choler. wake up] or, raise up, to wit, thy selfe, and come unto me; for judgement thou hast commanded or appointed. It may also be read, raise up to me the judgement which thou hast commanded: so the Chaldee paraphrase here supplieth the word which, saying; Hasten unto me, (or for me) the judgement which thou hast commanded: the Hebrew it selfe somtime doth the like; as 1 Kin. 9. 8. this house is high, 2 Chr. 7. 21. this house which is high. Vers. 8. for it] for the same congregations sake, wch commeth about thee expecting judgement. to the high place, or to the heigth, that is, the throne of Iudgement, for throns were set high, 1 Kin. 10. 19. This word heighth is also used for heaven, Psal. 93. 4. and there Gods throne is, Ps. 11. 4. The Chaldee saith, returne to the house of thy divine habitation (or Maiestie.) Vers. 9. Iehovah] The Chaldee translateth it, The word of the Lord shall judge, &c. judge] two words are here used in Hebrew for judging, 1 Dan, & 2 Shaphat; the first is more speciall to give doom or sentence in controversies: the latter more generall, for judging or doing right in all causes. The Apostles expresse these two by one Greeke word krino, judge, as Heb. 10. 30. from Deut. 32. 36. & Rom. 3. 4. from Psal. 51. 6. my justice] the justice and equitie of my cause, in respect of my persecutors. So Psal. 18. 21,—25. Elsewhere he appealeth to Gods justice, Psal. 35. 24. my perfection] or integritie, the simplicitie of my wayes, and simplicitie of my heart. See Psal. 26. 1. in me] or unto me, to wit, reward thou, as the Chaldee explaineth it. Vers. 10. for thou triest] or, he trieth. God who is possessor of the reines, Psal. 139. 13. doth also trie them as metall in the fire. The heart may signifie the cogitations, and the reines the affections. So Ps. 26. 2. Ier. 11. 20. and. 20. 12. Rev. 2. 23. Vers. 12. angerly threatneth] or detesteth, disdaineth in wrath, namely the wicked, and menaceth their destruction. So the Chaldee paraphraseth, he is mightily angry against the wicked every day. Vers. 13. If he] that is, If the wicked turne not, as the Chaldee explaineth it, If he turne not unto his feare. The Greeke translateth, if ye turne not. Vers. 14. he worketh for the hot persecutors] or polisheth, to wit, to shoot at them that fervently persecute, namely the iust, as the Chaldee addeth. The Hebrew dalak, which signifieth burning, Ezek. 24. 10. is applied to hot persecution: see Psal. 10. 2. Gen. 31. 35. Lam. 4. 19. Vers. 15. he shall be in travell] or, continually travelleth, that is, taketh great paines to accomplish iniquity, as a woman with childe to be delivered. molestation] or moyle, miserie. The Hebrew ghnamal signifieth toilsome labour and molestation, both wch a man endureth himselfe, Psa. 25. 18. and 73. 5. and which he causeth another to endure, Psal. 94. 20. and 55. 11. And thus it is here meant, as the 17 verse sheweth. bring forth a lie] or falshood, meaning either calumnie and slander of others, (which in verse 17 seemeth to be called violent wrong;) or a deceit of himselfe, frustrating his owne expectation. This similitude of the conception, travell, and birth of sin, is memorable, mentioned also in Iob 15. 35. Isa. 59. 4. Iam. 1. 15. much like another similie of ploughing, sowing, and reaping iniquitie, Iob 4. 8. Vers. 16. is fallen] to wit, unto his owne perdition, as Prov. 26. 27. Eccles. 10. 8. or, to lurke there for the perdition of others: See Psal. 10. 10. the corrupting ditch he wrought] or, pit of corruption which he made. The originall Shachath signifieth corruption, Psal. 16. 10. and is applied to any pit or ditch where one perisheth and corrupteth, Psal. 57. 7. and 94. 13. and sometime the word pit is plainly added, as in Psal. 55. 24. the pit of corruption. Vers. 17. his crowne] the scalp, or heads top: meaning also abundantly, and apparantly in the view of all. See Esth. 9. 25. Violent wrong] The word Chamas signifieth injurie done by force and rapine, violation of right and justice. Vers. 18. sing Psalme to] or praise with Psalme, and this importeth a song artificiall and skilfully composed. See Psal. 3. 1.

PSAL. VII.

SHiggaion of David] i.e. Davids delight, or ſolace, ſay ſome: his mixt Song, or Synodee, ſay others.

Which he ſang unto the Lord] He could ſing away care, and puniſh his Reproachers with a merry contempt, as knowing his own innocency; the property whereof is to throw off ſlanders, as Paul did the Viper, yea in an holy ſcorning, it laughs at them, as the wilde Aſſe doth at the Horſe, and his Rider.

Concerning the words of Cuſh the Benjamite] which ſome take to be ſome Couſen and Courtier of Sauls, who had falſly accuſed good David (far from any ſuch thought, Pſal. 131.1.) of affecting the Kingdom, and ſeeking Sauls life. See 1 Sam. 24.10. But I rather underſtand with the Chaldee Paraphraſt, Sauls ſelf, who was of Kiſh, and of Jemini, 1 Sam. 9.1. and that by a diſguiſe of name; he is called Cuſh the Benjamite, that is an Aethiopian, becauſe of his obſtinate impenitency, according to Jer. 13.23. So Am. 9.7. Rebellious Iſrael is to God as Aethiopia. Profeſſors ſhall be as deep in Hell, and deeper than Turks and Infidels, becauſe of their diſſembled ſanctity, which is double iniquity, Wrath ſhall bee upon the Jew firſt, Rom. 2. and when the foul ſinner goes to Hell, what ſhall become of the fair Profeſſor? may ſuch be asked, as are both in one. In the Aethiopian is nothing white but his teeth: ſo in an Hypocrite, &c.

Verſ. 1. O Lord my God, in thee do I put my truſt] Or, I betake me to thee for ſafety. David found it always beſt to run to the old Rock, Iſa. 26.4. and to cry, O Lord my God, pleading the Covenant. This, no wicked man can do; but, being beaten out of earthly comforts, he is as a naked man in a ſtorm, and an unarm'd man in the field, or as a ſhip toſſed in the Sea without an Anchor, which preſently daſheth on the Rocks, or falleth upon the Quick-ſands. Saul for inſtance, who being in diſtreſs, and forſaken of God, ran firſt to the Witch, and then to the Swords point.

Save me from all them that perſecute me] Where the Prince is a Perſecutor (as in the Primitive times, and here in the Marian days) many will be very active againſt Gods people, O ſancta ſimplicitas, ſaid John Huſſe Martyr, when at the ſtake he obſerved a plain Country-fellow buſier than the reſt, in fetching Faggots.

Verſ. 2. Leſt he tear my Soul like a Lion] i. e. put me to a cruel and tormentful death; exerciſing againſt me both cruelty, and alſo craft; by taking me at ſuch a time, as there is none to deliver me?

Verſ. 3. O Lord my God] See on Verſ. 1.

If I have done this] i.e. This treachery and treaſon, whereof Saul doth cauſeleſly ſuſpect me, and wherewith his pick-thank Partiſans unjuſtly charge me. As for Sedition, ſaith Latimer, for ought that I know, methinks I ſhould not need Chriſt, if I might ſo ſay. But where malice beareth maſtery,Serm. 3. before K. Ed. 6. the doing of any thing, or of nothing, is alike dangerous.

If there be iniquity in my hands] Heb. in the palms of my hands, where it may bee concealed. If I have ſecretly acted againſt my Soveraign.

Verſ. 4. If I have rewarded evil, &c.] If I have broke the conditions of our reconciliation, or betrayed my truſt.

Yea I have delivered him that, &c.] This was true Chriſtianity, to overcome evil with good, Matth. 5.44, &c. Rom. 12.17, &c. O quam hoc non eſt emnium! O how few can skill of this! Eliſha made the Syrians a Feaſt, who came to make him a Grave. David ſpared Saul, and delivered him, not without the hazard of his own life. Bradford conducted Bourn from the Pulpit at Pauls Croſs, (where hee had cried up Popery at the coming in of Queen Mary) ſafe to his Lodging. A certain Gentleman ſaid unto him, Ah, Bradford, Bradford, thou ſaveſt him that will help to burn thee. I give thee his life, if it were not for thee, I would run him thorow with my ſword. And it proved as the Gentleman had Propheſied. There he ſits, I mean my Lord of Bath, Mr. Bourn (ſaid Bradford in his third Examination before Stephen Gardiner) which deſired me himſelf for the Paſſion of Chriſt, I would ſpeak to the people. Upon whoſe words, I coming into the Pulpit, I had like to have been ſlain with a Dagger which was hurled at him, I think, for it touched my ſleeve. He then prayed me I would not leave him, and I promiſed, that as long as I lived I would take hurt before him that day: And ſo went I out of the Pulpit, and intreated with the people, and at length brought him my ſelf into an houſe. Beſides this, in the afternoon I preached in Bow Church, and there going up into the Pulpit, one willed me not to reprove the people; For, quoth hee you ſhall never come down alive if you do it. And yet in that Sermon I did reprove their Fact, and called it Sedition at leaſt twenty times. For all which my doing I have received this recompence, Priſon for a year and half, and more, and Death now, which you (my Lord of Bath among the reſt) go about.Acts and Mon. fol. 146[illegible: 1 letter] Let all men bee judge where Conſcience is. Thus Maſter Bradford, like another David in his own defence.

Verſ. 5. Let the enemy perſecute my Soul, and take it] Thus he cleareth himſelf by an holy imprecation. (The Spaniſh Bible hath for Shiggaion Davidis in the Title, Purgatio Davidis, as the ſame Hebrew word [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſignifieth both Sin, and Purification from ſin, Pſal. 51.) taking God to witneſs of his innocency and good Conſcience, and wiſhing evil to himſelf, if it were otherwiſe. This he did from a good cauſe, in a good manner, and for a good end. And not as many prophane ones do now adays, who taxed, though never ſo truly, with ſome evil they have done, ſeek to juſtifie themſelves by appealing to God, and calling for his Curſe upon them, if guilty, who therefore ſtriketh ſuch impudent imprecatours immediately, as Anne Averies and others. See Mr. Clarks Mirrour.

And tread down my life] Heb. My lives; ſo uſually called, ſaith an Interpreter, for the many faculties and operations that are in life, the many years, degrees, eſtates thereof.

And lay mine honour in the duſt. Selah] Let him brand me for a moſt treacherous ignominious wretch, and let me lye buried in a bog of indeleble infamy.

Verſ. 6. Ariſe O Lord in thine anger] Here David repeateth, and re-inforceth his Suit, filling his mouth with Arguments for that purpoſe, ſuch as he well knew would be of avail.

Lift up thy ſelf, &c.] Wherein they deal proudly be thou above them, to controle and over-top them.

And awake for me] Sometimes God ſeemeth to be aſleep, we muſt awake him; to forget, we muſt in-mind him; to have loſt his mercy, we muſt finde it for him. Where is thy zeal, and thy ſtrength? &c. Iſa. 53.

To the Judgment that thou haſt commanded] That is, promiſed, viz. that thou wilt command deliverances out of Zion. Or, which thou haſt commanded to men in caſe of wrong done, to releeve the oppreſſed, and wilt no[illegible: 1 letter] thou for me, great Judge, much more do it?

Verſ. 7. So ſhall the Congregation of the people compaſs thee about;] As people love to flock to Aſſizes, or ſuch places of Judicature where Sentence is paſſed upon Great ones that have offended. Or thus, then ſhall the publick ſincere Service of God be ſet up, and people ſhall fly to it, as the Doves do to their windows.

For their ſakes therefore return thou on high] Seat thy ſelf upon thy Tribunal, and do juſtice; q. d. Thou haſt ſeemed to come down from the Bench, as it were, and to have no care of Judgement; but go up once again, and declare thy power. Reverteid eſt oſtende manum tuam eſſe altam, return, that is, ſhew that thou haſt an high hand, ſaith R. Solomon.

Verſ. 8. The Lord ſhall judge the people] The Aethiopian Judges leave the chief Seat ever empty, as acknowledging that God is the chief Judge.

According to my righteouſneſs] viz. In this particular Crime, whereof I am accuſed; great is the confidence of a good Conſcience toward God. Such only can abide by the everlaſting burnings.

Verſ. 9. O let the wickedneſs, &c.] Put a ſtop to their rage and rancour.

But eſtabliſh the juſt] The overthrow of the one will be a ſtrengthening to the other; as it was betwixt the Houſe of Saul and David, 2 Sam. 3.1. But who are juſt?

The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins] i. e. The thoughts and affections or luſts of people,Gogitarlonum & cupiditatum. Junius. and accordingly eſteemeth of them: for Mens cujuſ que is eſt quiſ que and God judgeth of a man according to the hidden man of his heart.

Verſ. 10. My defence is of God] Heb. My Buckler is upon God. See the Note on Pſal. 3.3.

Which ſaveth the upright in heart] Of which number I know my ſelf to be one; and do therefore look for his Salvation.

Verſ. 11. God is angry with the wicked every day] Or, all day long, they are under the arreſt of his wrath, and liable to the wrath to come. Children they are of wrath, becauſe of diſobedience. One rendreth it, God troubleth them; ſcil. by laying continually ſome Judgement or other upon them; and yet there is no cauſe to fear (as the Heathen did of his Jupiter) that he ſhould bee exhauſted. Si quoties peccent homines, &c.

Verſ. 12. If he turn not] ſcil. Inspius ab impietate ſu[illegible: 2 letters] ſaith R. Salomon. If the wicked turn not from his wickedneſs, by true and timely repentance.

He will whet his Sword, he hath bent his Bow] i. e. God will, God hath; and mark that he whets before he ſtrikes, and is bending his Bow, ſetting his Arrows, preparing his Inſtruments of death; all which muſt needs take up ſome time, and ſo give fair warning to theſe foul Sinners, if they have grace to make uſe of it. See the like Deut. 32.41, 42. God firſt whets his Sword, before he devours fleſh, and firſt takes hold on Judgment, before his Judgement take hold of men. But if this bee not obſerved and improved, Patientia Dei qu[illegible: 1 letter] diuturnior [illegible: 1 word] est minaci[illegible: 1 letter]r; and what ſhall wicked men plead for themſelves, when God ſhall ſay to them as Reuben once did to his Brethren, Gen. 42.22. Did not I warn you, ſaying, Sin not?

Verſ. 13. He hath alſo prepared, &c.] The puniſhment of ungodly perſons is here elegantly ſet forth by Three Similitudes.

1 From Warfare.

2 From Child-birth, verſ. 14.

3 From Hunting, verſ. 15, 16. Well might the Lord ſay, I have uſed Similitudes by the Miniſtery of the Prophets, Hoſ. 12.10. See the Note there.

He ordaineth his Arrows againſt the Perſecutors] Heb. Ardemes, Importing [illegible: 1 word] haſt to perpetra[illegible: 2 letters] miſchief. The hot burning Perſecutors, that are ſet on work by the great red Dragon. Such were Felix of Wartemburg, who ſwore that ere he dyed he would ride up to the Spurs; and Forneſius, who vowed that he would ride up to the Saddle-skirts in the bloud of the Lutherans. The Arch-biſhop of Toures made ſute for the erection of a Court called Chambre Ardent, wherein to condemn the French Proteſtants to the fire.Act., & Mon. 1911. But ere he dyed he had fire enough, for he was ſtricked with a Diſeaſe called The Fire of God; which began at his feet, and ſo aſcended upward, that he cauſed one Member after another to be cut off, and ſo he dyed miſerably. This was Gods burning Arrow againſt a hot burning Perſecutor. The like may be ſaid of Diocleſian that bloudy Tyrant, who had his houſe burnt over his head with fire from Heaven;Euſeb. l. 5. wherewith he was ſo affrighted that he dyed ſoon after. The above-mentioned Count Felix of Wartemburg was, the ſame night that he had ſo vowed and vaunted,Illyric. choaked in his own bloud. So he rode not, but bathed himſelf, not up to the Spurs but Throat, not in the Lutherans bloud, but in his own, before he dyed. And the like we read of Charls the ninth of France.

Verſ. 14. Behold he travelleth with iniquity] Heb. He ſhall travel, or hee continually travelleth; he taketh as great pains to go to Hell, as a travelling woman doth to be delivered.

And hath conceived miſchief] See Job 15.35. with the Note.

And brought forth falſhood] Or, a Lye, that is, a diſappointment. See Iſa. 26.18.R. Solom. The Jews have a Proverb, Quicquid genuit mendacium, diſpellit maledictio.

Verſ. 15. He made a Pit, and digged it, &c.] This Simile ſhews, that the wicked ſhall not only be fruſtrated, but undone by their own doing; as was Abſolom, Haman, our Powder-Papiſts, Pope Alexander the Sixth, and his Son Caeſar Borgia; Bucholcor. who, by a miſtake of the attendants at Table, drank up the impoyſoned Wine which they had prepared, and ſet ready for ſome Princes of Italy whom they had invited, and for whoſe Dominions they thirſted. Hic aut Caeſar aut nullus, ſaith Pontanus, who relateth the Hiſtory.Pentan. de prud. Herodot.

Verſ. 16. His miſchief ſhall return upon his own head] As the Thracians Arrows did, which they in a rage (becauſe it rained upon them unſeaſonably) ſhot up againſt Heaven.

And his violent dealing upon his own pate] i.e. abundantly, and apparently. Divers inſtances might be given hereof. Henry the Third of France was ſtabbed in the ſame Chamber, where he had helped to contrive the French Maſſacre. His Brother Charls the Ninth, had bloud given him to drink, for he was worthy: Quem ſitiit vivens ſceleratâ mente cruor[illegible: 1 letter]m, Perfidus hunc moriens Carolus ore vomit.

John Martin of Briquer as in France, vaunted every where,Act. & Mon. fol. 871. that he would ſlit the Miniſters Noſe of Angr[illegible: 1 letter]gne; But he was ſhortly after aſſaulted by a Woolf, which bit off his Noſe, ſo that he dyed thereof mad. Diſpatch the Knave, have done, (ſaid Sir Ralph Ellerken Governour of Callice, to the Executioner of Adam Davilip Martyr) for I will not away till I ſee the Traytors Heart out. But ſhortly after;Ibid. 112[illegible: 1 letter]. the ſaid Sir Ralph in a Skirmiſh betwixt the French and us at Bulloin, was among others ſlain, and had his Heart ript out by the enemy. That was a very remarkable one of Dr. Story, who eſcaping out of Priſon in Queen Elizabeths days, got to Antwerp, and there thinking himſelf out of the reach of Gods Rod, he got Commiſſion under Duke D• Alva, to ſearch all Ships coming thither for Engliſh Books. But one Parker an Engliſh Merchant trading to Antwerp, laid his Snare fair,Speed, 1174. (ſaith our Chronicler) to catch this foul Bird, cauſing ſecret notice to be given to Story, that in his Ship wereſtore of Heretical Books, with other intelligences that might ſtand him in ſtead. The Canoniſt conceiving that all was cock-ſure, haſted to the Ship, where with looks very bigge upon the poor Mariners, each Cabin, Cheſt, and corner above-board were ſearched, and ſome things found to draw him further on; ſo that the Hatches muſt be opened, which ſeemed to bee unwillingly done, and great ſigns of fear was ſhewed by their faces. This drew on the Doctor to deſcend into the Hold, where now in the Trap the Mouſe might well gnaw, but could not get out; for the Hatches were down, and the Sails hoiſed up, which with a merry gale were blown into England, where ere long he was arraigned, and Condemned of High Treaſon, and accordingly executed at Tiburn, as he had well deſerved.

Verſ. 17. I will praiſe the Lord according to his righteouſneſs] i.e. His faithfulneſs in keeping promiſe with his people, and with my ſelf in particular. I will ſay to his honour, as Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and without iniquity, juſt and right is he. And will ſing praiſe to the name, &c.] Where the Pſalmiſt mentioneth the overthrow of the wicked. Laus praecedit & ſequitur (ſaith R. Joſhua Ben Levi here) as in this place, and Pſalm 9.

David appears before God to plead with him against the Accuser, who had charged him with treason and treachery. The case is here opened with an avowal of confidence in God. Whatever may be the emergency of our condition we shall never find it amiss to retain our reliance upon our God. "O Lord my God," mine by a special covenant, sealed by Jesus' blood, and ratified in my own soul by a sense of union to thee; "in thee," and in thee only, "do I put my trust," even now in my sore distress. I shake, but my rock moves not. It is never right to distrust God, and never vain to trust him. And now, with both divine relationship and holy trust to strengthen him, David utters the burden of his desire —"save me from all them that persecute me." His pursuers were very many, and any one of them cruel enough to devour him; he cries, therefore, for salvation from them all. We should never think our prayers complete until we ask for preservation from all sin, and all enemies. "And deliver me," extricate me from their snares, acquit me of their accusations, give a true and just deliverance in this trial of my injured character. See how clearly his case is stated; let us see to it, that we know what we would have when we are come to the throne of mercy. Pause a little while before you pray, that you may not offer the sacrifice of fools. Get a distinct idea of your need, and then you can pray with the more fluency of fervency.

"Lest he tear my soul." Here is the plea of fear co-working with the plea of faith. There was one among David's foes mightier that the rest, who had both dignity, strength, and ferocity, and was, therefore, "like a lion." From this foe he urgently seeks deliverance. Perhaps this was Saul, his royal enemy; but in our own case there is one who goes about like a lion, seeking whom he may devour, concerning whom we should ever cry, "Deliver us from the Evil One." Notice the vigour of the description —"rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver." It is a picture from the shepherd-life of David. When the fierce lion had pounced upon the defenceless lamb, and had made it his prey, he would rend the victim in pieces, break all the bones, and devour all, because no shepherd was near to protect the lamb or rescue it from the ravenous beast. This is a soul-moving portrait of a saint delivered over to the will of Satan. This will make the bowels of Jehovah yearn. A father cannot be silent when a child is in such peril. No, he will not endure the thought of his darling in the jaws of a lion, he will arise and deliver his persecuted one. Our God is very pitiful, and he will surely rescue his people from so desperate a destruction. It will be well for us here to remember that this is a description of the danger to which the Psalmist was exposed from slanderous tongues. Verily this is not an overdrawn picture, for the wounds of a sword will heal, but the wounds of the tongue cut deeper than the flesh, and are not soon cured. Slander leaves a slur, even if it be wholly disproved. Common fame, although notoriously a common liar, has very many believers. Once let an ill word get into men's mouths, and it is not easy to get it fully out again. The Italians say that good repute is like the cypress, once cut it never puts forth leaf again; this is not true if our character be cut by a stranger's hand, but even then it will not soon regain its former verdure. Oh, 'tis a meanness most detestable to stab a good man in his reputation, but diabolical hatred observes no nobility in its mode of warfare. We must be ready for this trial, for it will surely come upon us. If God was slandered in Eden, we shall surely be maligned in this land of sinners. Gird up your loins, ye children of the resurrection, for this fiery trial awaits you all.

The second part of this wandering hymn contains a protestation of innocence, and an invocation of wrath upon his own head, if he were not clear from the evil imputed to him. So far from hiding treasonable intentions in his hands, or ungratefully requiting the peaceful deeds of a friend, he had even suffered his enemy to escape when he had him completely in his power. Twice had he spared Saul's life; once in the cave of Adullam, and again when he found him sleeping in the midst of his slumbering camp: he could, therefore, with a clear conscience, make his appeal to heaven. He needs not fear the curse whose soul is clear of guilt. Yet is the imprecation a most solemn one, and only justifiable through the extremity of the occasion, and the nature of the dispensation under which the Psalmist lived. We are commanded by our Lord Jesus to let our yea be yea, and our nay, nay: "for whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil." If we cannot be believed on our word, we are surely not to be trusted on our oath; for to a true Christian his simple word is as binding as another man's oath. Especially beware, O unconverted men! of trifling with solemn imprecations. Remember the woman at Devizes, who wished she might die if she had not paid her share in a joint purchase, and who fell dead there and then with the money in her hand. Selah. David enhances the solemnity of this appeal to the dread tribunal of God by the use of the usual pause.

From these verses we may learn that no innocence can shield a man from the calumnies of the wicked. David had been scrupulously careful to avoid any appearance of rebellion against Saul, whom he constantly styled "the Lord's anointed;" but all this could not protect him from lying tongues. As the shadow follows the substance, so envy pursues goodness. It is only at the tree laden with fruit that men throw stones. If we would live without being slandered we must wait till we get to heaven. Let us be very heedful not to believe the flying rumors which are always harassing gracious men. If there are no believers in lies there will be but a dull market in falsehood, and good men's characters will be safe. Ill-will never spoke well. Sinners have an ill-will to saints, and therefore, be sure they will not speak well of them.

We now listen to a fresh prayer, based upon the avowal which he has just made. We cannot pray too often, and when our heart is true, we shall turn to God in prayer as naturally as the needle to its pole. "Arise, O Lord, in thine anger." His sorrow makes him view the Lord as a judge who had left the judgment-seat and retired into his rest. Faith would move the Lord to avenge the quarrel of his saints. "Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies" —a still stronger figure to express his anxiety that the Lord would assume his authority and mount the throne. Stand up, O God, rise thou above them all, and let thy justice tower above their villainies. "Awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded." This is a bolder utterance still, for it implies sleep as well as inactivity, and can only be applied to God in a very limited sense. He never slumbers, yet doth he often seem to do so; for the wicked prevail, and the saints are trodden in the dust. God's silence is the patience of longsuffering, and if wearisome to the saints, they should bear it cheerfully in the hope that sinners may thereby be led to repentance.

"So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about." Thy saints shall crowd to thy tribunal with their complaints, or shall surround it with their solemn homage: "for their sakes therefore return thou on high." As when a judge travels at the assizes, all men take their cases to his court that they may be heard, so will the righteous gather to their Lord. Here he fortifies himself in prayer by pleading that if the Lord will mount the throne of judgment, multitudes of the saints would be blessed as well as himself. If I be too base to be remembered, yet, "for their sakes," for the love thou bearest to thy chosen people, come forth from thy secret pavilion, and sit in the gate dispensing justice among the people. When my suit includes the desires of all the righteous it shall surely speed, for, "shall not God avenge his own elect?"

If I am not mistaken, David has now seen in the eye of his mind the Lord ascending to his judgment-seat, and beholding him seated there in royal state, he draws near to him to urge his suit anew. In the last two verses he besought Jehovah to arise, and now that he is arisen, he prepares to mingle with "the congregation of the people" who compass the Lord about. The royal heralds proclaim the opening of the court with the solemn words, "The Lord shall judge the people." Our petitioner rises at once, and cries with earnestness and humility, "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me." His hand is on an honest heart, and his cry is to a righteous Judge.

He sees a smile of complacency upon the face of the King, and in the name of all the assembled congregation he cries aloud, "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just." Is not this the universal longing of the whole company of the elect? When shall we be delivered from the filthy conversation of these men of Sodom? When shall we escape from the filthiness of Mesech and the blackness of the tents of Kedar?

What a solemn and weighty truth is contained in the last sentence of the ninth verse! How deep is the divine knowledge! —"He trieth." How strict, how accurate, how intimate his search! —"he trieth the hearts," the secret thoughts, "and reins," the inward affections. "All things are naked and opened to the eyes of him with whom we have to do."

The judge has heard the cause, has cleared the guiltless, and uttered his voice against the persecutors. Let us draw near, and learn the results of the great assize. Yonder is the slandered one with his harp in hand, hymning the justice of his Lord, and rejoicing aloud in his own deliverance. "My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." Oh, how good to have a true and upright heart. Crooked sinners, with all their craftiness, are foiled by the upright in heart. God defends the right. Filth will not long abide on the pure white garments of the saints, but shall be brushed off by divine providence, to the vexation of the men by whose base hands it was thrown upon the godly. When God shall try our cause, our sun has risen, and the sun of the wicked is set for ever. Truth, like oil, is ever above, no power of our enemies can drown it; we shall refute their slanders in the day when the trumpet wakes the dead, and we shall shine in honour when lying lips are put to silence. O believer, fear not all that thy foes can do or say against thee, for the tree which God plants no winds can hurt.

"God judgeth the righteous," he hath not given thee up to be condemned by the lips of persecutors. Thine enemies cannot sit on God's throne, nor blot thy name out of his book. Let them alone, then, for God will find time for his revenge. "God is angry with the wicked every day." He not only detests sin, but is angry with those who continue to indulge in it. We have no insensible and stolid God to deal with; he can be angry, nay, he is angry to-day and every day with you, ye ungodly and impenitent sinners. The best day that ever dawns on a sinner brings a curse with it. Sinners may have many feast days, but no safe days. From the beginning of the year even to its ending, there is not an hour in which God's oven is not hot, and burning in readiness for the wicked, who shall be as stubble.

"If he turn not, he will whet his sword." What blows are those which will be dealt by that long uplifted arm! God's sword has been sharpening upon the revolving stone of our daily wickedness, and if we will not repent, it will speedily cut us in pieces. Turn or burn is the sinner's only alternative. "He hath bent his bow and made it ready."

Even now the thirsty arrow longs to wet itself with the blood of the persecutor. The bow is bent, the aim is taken, the arrow is fitted to the string, and what, O sinner, if the arrow should be let fly at thee even now! Remember, God's arrows never miss the mark, and are, every one of them, "instruments of death." Judgment may tarry, but it will not come too late. The Greek proverb saith, "The mill of God grinds late, but grinds to powder."

In three graphic pictures we see the slanderer's history. A woman in travail furnishes the first metaphor. "He travaileth with iniquity." He is full of it, pained until he can carry it out, he longs to work his will, he is full of pangs until his evil intent is executed. "He hath conceived mischief." This is the original of his base design. The devil has had doings with him, and the virus of evil is in him. And now behold the progeny of this unhallowed conception. The child is worthy of its father, his name of old was,"the father of lies," and the birth doth not belie the parent, for he brought forth falsehood. Thus, one figure is carried out to perfection; the Psalmist now illustrates his meaning by another, taken from the stratagems of the hunter.

"He made a pit, and digged it." He was cunning in his plans, and industrious in his labours. He stooped to the dirty work of digging. He did not fear to soil his own hands, he was willing to work in a ditch if others might fall therein. What mean things men will do to wreak revenge on the godly. They hunt for good men, as if they were brute beasts; nay, they will not give them the fair chase afforded to the hare or the fox, but must secretly entrap them, because they can neither run them down nor shoot them down. Our enemies will not meet us to the face, for they fear us as much as they pretend to despise us. But let us look on to the end of the scene. The verse says, he "is fallen into the ditch which he made." Ah! there he is, let us laugh at his disappointment. Lo! he is himself the beast, he has hunted his own soul, and the chase has brought him a goodly victim. Aha, aha, so should it ever be. Come hither and make merry with this entrapped hunter, this biter who has bitten himself. Give him no pity, for it will be wasted on such a wretch. He is but rightly and richly rewarded by being paid in his own coin. He cast forth evil from his mouth, and it has fallen into his bosom. He has set his own house on fire with the torch which he lit to burn a neighbour. He sent forth a foul bird, and it has come back to its nest.

The rod which he lifted on high, has smitten his own back. He shot an arrow upward, and it has "returned upon his own head." He hurled a stone at another and it has "come down upon his own pate." Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost. Ashes always fly back in the face of him that throws them. "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him." (Psalm 109:17.) How often has this been the case in the histories of both ancient and modern times. Men have burned their own fingers when they were hoping to brand their neighbour. And if this does not happen now, it will hereafter. The Lord has caused dogs to lick the blood of Ahab in the midst of the vineyard of Naboth. Sooner or later the evil deeds of persecutors have always leaped back into their arms. So it will be in the last great day, when Satan's fiery darts shall all be quivered in his own heart, and all his followers shall reap the harvest which they themselves have sown.

We conclude with the joyful contrast. In this all these Psalms are agreed; they all exhibit the blessedness of the righteous, and make its colours the more glowing by contrast with the miseries of the wicked. The bright jewel sparkles in a black foil. Praise is the occupation of the godly, their eternal work, and their present pleasure. Singing is the fitting embodiment for praise, and therefore do the saints make melody before the Lord Most High. The slandered one is now a singer: his harp was unstrung for a very little season, and now we leave him sweeping its harmonious chords, and flying on their music to the third heaven of adoring praise.

Title. "Shiggaion," though some have attempted to fix on it a reference to the moral aspect of the world as depicted in this Psalm, is in all probability to be taken as expressing the nature of the composition. It conveys the idea of something erratic ((Heb.), to wander) in the style; something not so calm as other Psalms; and hence Ewald suggests, that it might be rendered, "a confused ode," a Dithyramb. This characteristic of excitement in the style, and a kind of disorder in the sense, suits Habakkuk 3:1, the only other place where the word occurs. Andrew A. Bonar. Whole Psalm. Whatever might be the occasion of the Psalm, the real subject seems to be the Messiah's appeal to God against the false accusations of his enemies; and the predictions which it contains of the final conversion of the whole world, and of the future judgment, are clear and explicit. Samuel Horsley, LL.D., 1733-1806.

"O Lord, my God, in thee do I put my trust." This is the first instance in the Psalms where David addresses the Almighty by the united names Jehovah and my God. No more suitable words can be placed at the beginning of any act of prayer or praise. These names show the ground of the confidence afterward expressed. They "denote at once supreme reverence and the most endearing confidence. They convey a recognition of God's infinite perfections, and of his covenanted and gracious relations." William S. Plumer.

"Lest he tear my soul like a lion," etc. It is reported of tigers, that they enter into a rage upon the scent of fragrant spices; so do ungodly men at the blessed savour of godliness. I have read of some barbarous nations, who, when the sun shines hot upon them, they shoot up their arrows against it; so do wicked men at the light and heat of godliness. There is a natural antipathy between the spirits of godly men and the wicked. Genesis 3:15. "I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed." Jeremiah Burroughs, 1660.

"O Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands." In the primitive times the people of God were then a people under great reproach. What strange things does Tertullian tell us they reproached them withal; as that in their meetings they made Thyestes suppers, who invited his brother to a supper, and presented him with a dish of his own flesh. They charged them with uncleanness because they met in the night (for they durst not meet in the day,) and said, they blew out the candles when they were together, and committed filthiness. They reproached them for ignorance, saying, they were all unlearned; and therefore the heathens in Tertullian's time used to paint the God of the Christians with an ass's head, and a book in his hand to signify that though they pretended learning, yet they were an unlearned, silly people, rude and ignorant. Bishop Jewel in his sermon upon Luke 11:5, cites this out of Tertullian, and applies it to his time: —"Do not our adversaries do the like," saith he, "at this day, against all those that profess the gospel of Christ? Oh, say they, who are they that favour this way? they are none but shoemakers, tailors, weavers, and such as were never at the university;" they are the bishop's own words. He cites likewise Tertullian a little after, saying, that the Christians were accounted the public enemies of the State. And Josephus tells us of Apollinaris, speaking concerning the Jews and Christians, that they were more foolish than any barbarian. And Paulus Fagius reports a story of an Egyptian, concerning the Christians, who said, "They were a gathering together of a most filthy, lecherous people;" and for the keeping of the Sabbath, he says, "they had a disease that was upon them, and they were fain to rest the seventh day because of that disease." And so in Augustine's time, he hath this expression, "Any one that begins to be godly, presently he must prepare to suffer reproach from the tongues of adversaries;" and this was their usual manner of reproach, "What shall we have of you, an Elias? a Jeremy?" And Nazianzen, in one of his orations says, "It is ordinary to reproach, that I cannot think to go free myself." And so Athanasius, they called him Sathanasius, because he was a special instrument against the Arians. And Cyprian, they called him Coprian, one that gathers up dung, as if all the excellent things that he had gathered in his works was but dung. Jeremiah Burroughs.

"If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands." I deny not but you may, and ought to be sensible of the wrong done to your name, for as "a good name is a precious ointment" (Canticles 1:3), so to have an evil name is a great judgment; and therefore you ought not to be insensible of the wrong done to your name by slanders and reproaches, saying, "Let men speak of me what they please, I care not, so long as I know mine own innocency," for though the testimony of your own innocency be a ground of comfort unto you, yet your care must be not only to approve yourselves unto God, but also unto men, to be as careful of your good names as possibly ye can; but yet you are not to manifest any distemper or passion upon the reproachful speeches of others against you. Thomas Gouge, 1660.

It is a sign that there is some good in thee if a wicked world abuse thee. "Quid mali feci?" said Socrates, what evil have I done that this bad man commends me? The applause of the wicked usually denotes some evil, and their censure imports some good. Thomas Watson.

"If there be iniquity in my hands." Injustice is ascribed to the hand, not because injustice as always, though usually it be, done by the hand. With the hand men take away, and with that men detain the right of others. David speaks thus (1 Chronicles 12:17), "Seeing there is no wrong in mine hands;" that is, I have done no wrong. Joseph Caryl.

A good conscience is a flowing spring of assurance. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." 2 Corinthians 1:12. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." 1 John 3:21. A good conscience has sure confidence. He who has it sits in the midst of all combustions and distractions, Noah-like, all sincerity and serenity, uprightness and boldness. What the probationer disciple said to our Saviour, "Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest," that a good conscience says to the believing soul; I will stand by thee; I will strengthen thee; I will uphold thee; I will be a comfort to thee in life, and a friend to thee in death. "Though all should leave thee, yet will I never forsake thee," Thomas Brooks.

A good conscience is a flowing spring of assurance. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." 2 Corinthians 1:12. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." 1 John 3:21. A good conscience has sure confidence. He who has it sits in the midst of all combustions and distractions, Noah-like, all sincerity and serenity, uprightness and boldness. What the probationer disciple said to our Saviour, "Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest," that a good conscience says to the believing soul; I will stand by thee; I will strengthen thee; I will uphold thee; I will be a comfort to thee in life, and a friend to thee in death. "Though all should leave thee, yet will I never forsake thee," Thomas Brooks.

"Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy." Meaning Saul, whose life he twice preserved, once in Engedi, and again when he slept on the plain. John Gill.

"If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me." To do evil for good, is human corruption; to do good for good, is civil retribution; but to good for evil, is Christian perfection. Though this be not the grace of nature, yet it is the nature of grace. William Secker.

Then is grace victorious, and then hath a man a noble and brave spirit, not when he is overcome by evil (for that argueth weakness), but when he can overcome evil. And it is God's way to shame the party that did the wrong, and to overcome him too; it is the best way to get the victory over him. When David had Saul at an advantage in the cave, and cut off the lap of his garment, and did forbear any act of revenge against him, Saul was melted, and said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I." 1 Samuel 24:17. Though he had such a hostile mind against him, and chased and pursued him up and down, yet when David forbear revenge when it was in his power, it overcame him, and he falls a-weeping. Thomas Manton.

"Let him tread down my life upon the earth." The allusion here is to the manner in which the vanquished were often treated in battle, when they were rode over by horses, or trampled by men in the dust. The idea of David is, that if he was guilty he would be willing that his enemy should triumph over him, should subdue him, should treat him with the utmost indignity and scorn. Albert Barnes, in loc.

"Mine honour in the dust." When Achilles dragged the body of Hector in the dust around the walls of Troy, he did but carry out the usual manners of those barbarous ages. David dares in his conscious innocence to imprecate such an ignominious fate upon himself if indeed the accusation of the black Benjamite be true. He had need have a golden character who dares to challenge such an ordeal. C. H. S.

"The judgment which thou hast ordained." In the end of the verse he shows that he asks nothing but what is according to the appointment of God. And this is the rule which ought to be observed by us in our prayers; we should in everything conform our requests to the divine will, as John also instructs us. 1 John 4:14. And, indeed, we can never pray in faith unless we attend, in the first place, to what God commands, that our minds may not rashly and at random start aside in desiring more than we are permitted to desire and pray for. David, therefore, in order to pray aright, reposes himself on the word and promise of God; and the import of his exercise is this: Lord, I am not led by ambition, or foolish headstrong passion, or depraved desire, inconsiderately to ask from thee whatever is pleasing to my flesh; but it is the clear light of thy word which directs me, and upon it I securely depend. John Calvin.

"The congregation of the people:" either, 1. A great number of all sorts of people, who shall observe thy justice, and holiness, and goodness in pleading my righteous cause against my cruel and implacable oppressor. Or rather, 2. The whole body of thy people Israel, by whom both these Hebrew words are commonly ascribed in Holy Scripture. "Compass thee about;" they will, and I, as their king and ruler in thy stead, will take care that they shall come from all parts and meet together to worship thee, which in Saul's time they have grossly neglected, and been permitted to neglect, and to offer to thee praises and sacrifices for thy favour to me, and for the manifold benefits which they shall enjoy by my means, and under my government. "For their sakes;" or, for its sake, i.e., for the sake of thy congregation, which now is woefully dissipated and oppressed, and has in a great measure lost all administration of justice, and exercise of religion. "Return thou on high," or, return to thy high place,i.e. to thy tribunal, to sit there and judge my cause. An allusion to earthly tribunals, which generally are set up on high above the people. 1 Kings 10:19. Matthew Poole, 1624-1679.

Believers! let not the terror of that day dispirit you when you meditate upon it; let those who have slighted the Judge, and continue enemies to him and the way of holiness, droop and hang down their heads when they think of his coming; but lift ye up your heads with joy, for the last day will be your best day. The Judge is your Head and Husband, your Redeemer, and your Advocate. Ye must appear before the judgment-seat; but ye shall not come into condemnation. His coming will not be against you, but for you. It is otherwise with unbelievers, a neglected Saviour will be a severe Judge. Thomas Boston, 1676-1732.

"The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." As common experience shows that the workings of the mind, particularly the passions of joy, grief, and fear, have a very remarkable effect on the reins or kidneys. (See Proverbs 23:16; Psalm 73:21), so from their retired situation in the body, and their being hid in fat, they are often used to denote the most secret workings and affections of the soul. And to "see or examine the reins," is to see or examine those most secret thoughts or desires of the soul. John Parkhurst, 1762.

Verse 9 (last clause). "The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins."

"I that alone am infinite, can try

How deep within itself thine heart doth lie.

Thy seamen's plummet can but reach the ground,

I find that which thine heart itself ne'er found. Francis Quarles, 1592-1644.

"The heart," may signify the cogitations, and the "reins" the affections. Henry Ainsworth.

"My defense is of God." Literally, "My shield is upon God," like Psalm 62:8, "My salvation is upon God." The idea may be taken from the armour-bearer, ever ready at hand to give the needed weapon to the warrior. Andrew A. Bonar.

"God judgeth the righteous," etc. Many learned disputes have arisen as to the meaning of this verse; and it must be confessed that its real import is by no means easily determined: without the words written in italics, which are not in the original, it will read thus, "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry every day." The question still will be, is this a good rendering? To this question it may be replied, that there is strong evidence for a contrary one. AINSWORTH translates it, "God is a just judge; and God angrily threateneth every day." With this corresponds the reading of COVERDALE'S Bible, "God is a righteous judge, and God is ever threatening." In King Edward's Bible, of 1549, the reading is the same. But there is another class of critics who adopt quite a different view of the text, and apparently with much colour of argument. BISHOP HORSLEY read the verse, "God is a righteous judge, although he is not angry every day." In this rendering he seems to have followed most of the ancient versions. The VULGATE read it, "God is a judge, righteous, strong, and patient; will he be angry every day?" The SEPTUAGINT reads it, "God is a righteous judge, strong, and longsuffering; not bringing forth his anger every day." The SYRIAC has it, "God is the judge of righteousness; he is not angry every day." In this view of the text Dr. A. Clarke agrees, and expresses it as his opinion that the text was first corrupted by the CHALDEE. This learned divine proposes to restore the text thus, "(Heb.), el, with the vowel point tseri, signifies God; (Heb.), al, the same letters, with the point pathach, signifies not." There is by this view of the original no repetition of the divine name in the verse, so that it will simply read, as thus restored, "God is a righteous judge, and is NOT angry every day." The text at large, as is intimated in the VULGATE, SEPTUAGINT, and some other ancient versions, conveys a strong intimation of the longsuffering of God, whose hatred of sin is unchangeable, but whose anger against transgressors is marked by infinite patience, and does not burst forth in vengeance every day. John Morrison, in "An Exposition of the Book of Psalms," 1829.

"God is angry." The original expression here is very forcible. The true idea of it appears to be, to froth or foam at the mouth with indignation. Richard Mant, D.D., 1824.

God hath set up his royal standard in defiance of all the sons and daughters of apostate Adam, who from his own mouth are proclaimed rebels and traitors to his crown and dignity; and as against such he hath taken the field, as with fire and sword, to be avenged on them. Yea, he gives the world sufficient testimony of his incensed wrath, by that of it which is revealed from heaven daily in the judgments executed upon sinners, and those many but of a span long, before they can show what nature they have by actual sin, yet crushed to death by God's righteous foot, only for the viperous kind of which they come. At every door where sin sets its foot, there the wrath of God meets us. Every faculty of soul, and member of body, are used as a weapon of unrighteousness against God; so every one hath its portion of wrath, even to the tip of the tongue. As man is sinful all over, so is he cursed all over. Inside and outside, soul and body, is written all with woes and curses, so close and full, that there is not room for another to interline, or add to what God hath written. William Gurnall.

God hath set up his royal standard in defiance of all the sons and daughters of apostate Adam, who from his own mouth are proclaimed rebels and traitors to his crown and dignity; and as against such he hath taken the field, as with fire and sword, to be avenged on them. Yea, he gives the world sufficient testimony of his incensed wrath, by that of it which is revealed from heaven daily in the judgments executed upon sinners, and those many but of a span long, before they can show what nature they have by actual sin, yet crushed to death by God's righteous foot, only for the viperous kind of which they come. At every door where sin sets its foot, there the wrath of God meets us. Every faculty of soul, and member of body, are used as a weapon of unrighteousness against God; so every one hath its portion of wrath, even to the tip of the tongue. As man is sinful all over, so is he cursed all over. Inside and outside, soul and body, is written all with woes and curses, so close and full, that there is not room for another to interline, or add to what God hath written. William Gurnall.

The idea of God's righteousness must have possessed great vigour to render such a representation possible. There are some excellent remarks upon the ground of it in Luther, who, however, too much overlooks the fact, that the psalmist presents before his eyes this form of an angry and avenging God, primarily with the view of strengthening by its consideration his own hope, and pays too little regard to the distinction between the psalmist, who only indirectly teaches what he described as part of his own inward experience, and the prophet: "The prophet takes a lesson from a coarse human similitude, in order that he might inspire terror unto the ungodly. For he speaks against stupid and hardened people, who would not apprehend the reality of a divine judgment, of which he had just spoken; but they might possibly be brought to consider this by greater earnestness on the part of man. Now, the prophet is not satisfied with thinking of the sword, but adds thereto the bow; even this does not satisfy him, but he describes how it is already stretched, and aim is taken, and the arrows are applied to it as here follows. So hard, stiff-necked and unabashed are the ungodly, that however many threatenings may be urged against them, they will still remain unmoved. But in these words he forcibly describes how God's anger presses hard upon the ungodly, though they will never understand this until they actually experience it. It is also to be remarked here, that we have had so frightful a threatening and indignation against the ungodly in no Psalm before this; neither has the Spirit of God attacked them with so many words. Then in the following verses, he also recounts their plans and purposes, shows how these shall not be in vain, but shall return again upon their own head. So that it clearly and manifestly appears that to all those who suffer wrong and reproach, as a matter of consolation, that God hates such revilers and slanderers above all other characters. E. W. Hengstenberg, in loc., 1845.

"If he turn not," etc. How few do believe what a quarrel God hath with wicked men? And that not only with the loose, but the formal and hypocritical also? If we did we would tremble as much to be among them as to be in a house that is falling; we would endeavour to "save" ourselves "from this untoward generation." The apostle would not so have adjured them, so charged, so entreated them, had he not known the danger of wicked company. "God is angry with the wicked every day;" his bow is bent, the arrows are on the string; the instruments for their ruin are all prepared. And is it safe to be there where the arrows of God are ready to fly about our ears? How was the apostle afraid to be in the bath with Cerinthus! "Depart," saith God by Moses, "from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, lest ye be consumed in all their sins." How have the baskets of good figs suffered with the bad! Is it not prejudicial to the gold to be with the dross? Lot had been ruined by his neighbourhood to the Sodomites if God had not wrought wonderfully for his deliverance. Will you put God to work miracles to save you from your ungodly company? It is dangerous being in the road with thieves whilst God's hue and cry of vengeance is at their backs. "A companion of fools shall be destroyed." The very beasts may instruct you to consult better for your security: the very deer are afraid of a wounded chased deer, and therefore for their preservation thrust him out of their company. Lewis Stuckley.

"If he turn not, he will whet his sword," etc. The whetting of the sword is but to give a keener edge that it may cut the deeper. God is silent as long as the sinner will let him; but when the sword is whet, it is to cut; and when the bow is bent, it is to kill; and woe be to that man who is the butt. William Secker.

"He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." It is said that God hath ordained his arrows against the persecutors; the word signifies such as burn in anger and malice against the godly; and the word translated ordained, signifies God hath wrought his arrows; he doth not shoot them at random, but he works them against the wicked. Illiricus hath a story which may well be a commentary upon this text in both the parts of it. One Felix, Earl of Wartenberg, one of the captains of the Emperor Charles V., swore in the presence of divers at supper, that before he died he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans. Here was one that burned in malice, but behold how God works his arrows against him; that very night the hand of God so struck him, that he was strangled and choked in his own blood; so he rode not, but bathed himself, not up to the spurs, but up to the throat, not in the blood of the Lutherans, but in his own blood before he died. Jeremiah Burroughs.

"He ordaineth his arrows," This might more exactly be rendered, "He maketh his arrows burning." This image would seem to be deduced from the use of fiery arrows. John Kitto, 1804-1854.

"Behold he travaileth with iniquity," etc. The words express the conception, birth, carriage and miscarriage, of a plot against David. In which you may consider: —(1.) What his enemies did. (2.) What God did. (3.) What we all should do: his enemies' intention, God's prevention, and our duty; his enemies' intention, he travaileth with iniquity, and conceiveth mischief; God's prevention, he brought forth a lie; our duty, Behold. . . . . Observe the aggravation of the sin, he conceiveth. He was not put upon it, or forced into it: it was voluntary. The more liberty we have not to sin, makes our sin the greater. He did not this in passion, but in cold blood. The less will, less sin. Richard Sibbs.

"He travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief." All note that conceiving is before travailing, but here travailing, as a woman in labour, goeth first; the reason whereof is, that the wicked are so hotly set upon the evil which they maliciously intend, that they would be immediately acting of it if they could tell how, even before they have conceived by what means; but in fine they bring forth but a lie, that is, they find that their own hearts lied to them, when they promised good success, but they had evil. For their haste to perpetrate mischief is intimated in the word rendered "persecutors" (verse 13), which properly signifieth ardentes, burning; that is, with a desire to do mischief —and this admits of no delay. A notable common-place, both setting forth the evil case of the wicked, especially attempting anything against the righteous, to move them to repentance —for thou hast God for thine enemy warring against thee, whose force thou canst not resist —and the greedy desire of the wicked to be evil, but their conception shall all prove abortive. J. Mayer, in loc.

"And hath brought forth falsehood." Every sin is a lie. Augustine.

"Earth's entertainments are like those of Jael.

Her left hand brings me milk, her right, a nail." Thomas Fuller.

"They have digged a pit for us" —and that low, unto hell —"and are fallen into it themselves."

"No juster law can be devised or made,

Than that sin's agents fall by their own trade."

The order of hell proceeds with the same degrees; though it give a greater portion, yet still a just proportion, of torment. These wretched guests were too busy with the waters of sin; behold, now they are in the depth of a pit, "where no water is." Dives, that wasted so many tuns of wine, cannot now procure water, not a pot of water, not a handful of water, not a drop of water, to cool his tongue. Desideravit guttam, qui non dedit micam. (Augustine Hom. 7) A just recompense! He would not give a crumb; he shall not have a drop. Bread hath no smaller fragment than a crumb, water no less fraction than a drop. As he denied the least comfort to Lazarus living, so Lazarus shall not bring him the least comfort dead. Thus the pain for sin answers the pleasure of sin. . . . Thus damnable sins shall have semblable punishments; and as Augustine of the tongue, so we may say of any member. . . . If it will not serve God in action, it shall serve him in passion. Thomas Adams.

"They have digged a pit for us" —and that low, unto hell —"and are fallen into it themselves."

"No juster law can be devised or made,

Than that sin's agents fall by their own trade."

The order of hell proceeds with the same degrees; though it give a greater portion, yet still a just proportion, of torment. These wretched guests were too busy with the waters of sin; behold, now they are in the depth of a pit, "where no water is." Dives, that wasted so many tuns of wine, cannot now procure water, not a pot of water, not a handful of water, not a drop of water, to cool his tongue. Desideravit guttam, qui non dedit micam. (Augustine Hom. 7) A just recompense! He would not give a crumb; he shall not have a drop. Bread hath no smaller fragment than a crumb, water no less fraction than a drop. As he denied the least comfort to Lazarus living, so Lazarus shall not bring him the least comfort dead. Thus the pain for sin answers the pleasure of sin. . . . Thus damnable sins shall have semblable punishments; and as Augustine of the tongue, so we may say of any member. . . . If it will not serve God in action, it shall serve him in passion. Thomas Adams.

"He made a pit, and digged it." The practice of making pitfalls was anciently not only employed for ensnaring wild beasts, but was also a stratagem used against men by the enemy, in time of war. The idea, therefore, refers to a man who, having made such a pit, whether for man or beast, and covered it over so as completely to disguise the danger, did himself inadvertently tread on his own trap, and fall into the pit he had prepared for another. Pictorial Bible.

That most witty of commentators, Old Master Trapp, tells the following notable anecdote, in illustration of this verse: —That was a very remarkable instance of Dr. Story, who, escaping out of prison in Queen Elizabeth's days, got to Antwerp, and there thinking himself out of the reach of God's rod, he got commission under the Duke of Alva to search all ships coming thither for English books. But one Parker, an English merchant, trading for Antwerp, laid his snare fair (saith our chronicler), to catch this foul bird, causing secret notice to be given to Story, that in his ship were stores of heretical books, with other intelligence that might stand him in stead. The Canonist conceiving that all was quite sure, hasted to the ship, where, with looks very big upon the poor mariners, each cabin, chest, and corner above-board were searched, and some things found to draw him further on: so that the hatches must be opened, which seemed to be unwillingly done, and great signs of fear were showed by their faces. This drew on the Doctor to descend into the hold, where now in the trap the mouse might well gnaw, but could not get out, for the hatches were down, and the sails hoisted up, which, with a merry gale, were blown into England, where ere long he was arraigned, and condemned of high treason, and accordingly executed at Tyburn, as he had well deserven.

The story of Phalaris's bull, invented for the torment of others, and serving afterwards for himself, is notorious in heathen story. . . . . It was a voluntary judgment which Archbishop Cranmer inflicted on himself when he thrust that very hand into the fire, and burnt it, with which he had signed to the popish articles, crying out, "Oh, my unworthy right hand!" but who will deny that the hand of the Almighty was also concerned in it? William Turner in "Divine Judgments by way of Retaliation", 1697.

To bless God for mercies is the way to increase them; to bless him for miseries is the way to remove them: no good lives so long as that which is thankfully improved; no evil dies so soon as that which is patiently endured. William Dyer.

The necessity of faith when we address ourselves to God. Show the worthlessness of prayer without trust in the Lord.

Viewed as a prayer for deliverance from all enemies, especially Satan the lion.

Viewed as a prayer for deliverance from all enemies, especially Satan the lion.

Self-vindication before men. When possible, judicious, or serviceable. With remarks upon the spirit in which it should be attempted.

"The best revenge." Evil for good is devil-like, evil for evil is beast-like, good for good is man-like, good for evil is God-like.

How and in what sense divine anger may become the hope of the righteous.

Fire fought by fire, or man's anger overcome by God's anger.

The congregation of the people."

1. Who they are.

2. Why they congregate together with one another.

3. Where they congregate.

4. Why they choose such a person to be the centre of their congregation.

The gathering of the saints around the Lord Jesus.

Verse 7 (last clause). The coming of Christ to judgment for the good of his saints.

The character of the Judge before whom we all must stand.

Verse 9 (first clause). (1) By changing their hearts; or (2) by restraining their wills, (3) or depriving them of power, (4) or removing them.

Show the times when, the reasons why, such a prayer should be offered, and how, in the first sense, we may labour for its accomplishment.

This verse contains two grand prayers, and a noble proof that the Lord can grant them.

The period of sin, and the perpetuity of the righteous. Matthew Henry.

"Establish the just." By what means and in what sense the just are established, or, the true established church.

Verse 9 (last clause). God's trial of men's hearts.

"Upright in heart." Explain the character.

The believer's trust in God, and God's care over him. Show the action of faith in procuring defence and protection, and of that defence upon our faith by strengthening it, etc.

The Judge, and the two persons upon their trial.

Verse 11 (second clause). God's present, daily, constant, and vehement anger, against the wicked.

See "Spurgeon's Sermons," No. 106. "Turn or Burn."

None.

Verses 14, 15, 16. Illustrate by three figures the devices and defeat of persecutors.

The excellent duty of praise.

View the verse in connection with the subject of the Psalm, and show how the deliverance of the righteous, and the destruction of the wicked are themes for song.