(e) A spirited song of triumph and thanksgiving, extolling God's justice, and the protection he affords. St. Augustine thinks it looks forward to the Messiah, and describes the success of his kingdom, and the nature of his superintendance, by putting down or converting unbelievers, and affording protection and comfort to the meek and humble. Pole considers it as referring to the destruction of Antichrist.

(g) v. 6. " O, &c." rather, thine enemies "are utterly destroyed: they are become "an everlasting desolation: thou hast "overthrown their cities: their memorial "(i. e. every trace and remembrance of "them) is perished for ever." See Jerome and Edwards.

(h) v. 9. A refuge, &c." In what classic writer can we find such comfortable and spirited assurances as in the

tions are come to a perpetual end: even as the cities which thou hast destroyed; their memorial is perished with them.

7. But the Lord shall endure for ever he hath also prepared his seat for judgement.

8. For he shall judge the world in righteousness and minister true judgement unto the people.

9. The Lord also will be a defence for the oppressed even a refuge (h) in due time of trouble. 10. And they that know thy (i) Name (k) will put their trust in thee for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee.

11. O praise the Lord, which dwelleth in Sion: shew the people of his doings.

12. For when he maketh inquisition (1) for blood, he remembereth them and forgetteth not : the complaint of the poor.

13. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider the trouble which I suffer of them that hate me : thou that liftest me up from the gates of death;

14. That I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the

scriptures? "Look at the generations of "old, and see, did ever any trust in the "Lord, and was confounded? or did any "abide in his fear, and was forsaken? or "whom did he ever despise that called upon "him? Eccles. ii. 10." Be not afraid "of sudden fear, neither of the desolation "of the wicked when it cometh, for the "Lord shall be thy confidence, and "shall keep thy foot "Prov. iii. 25-26." "shall come in like a "the Lord shall lift up a standard against "him. Is. ix. 19."

from being taken. "When the enemy flood, the Spirit of

(i) v. 10. "Thy Name." How spirited is this sudden turn to God!

(k) Thy Name," i. e. "thy properties and attributes."

(l) v. 12. "Inquisition, &c." See Gen. ix. 5. $ 3

ever.

19. Up, Lord, and let not man have the upper hand let the heathen be judged in thy sight. 20. Put them in fear, O Lord: that the heathen may know themselves to be but men.

Psalm x. (n)

WHY standest thou so far off, O Lord and hidest thy face in the needful time of trouble?

2. The ungodly for his own lust doth persecute the poor : let them be taken in the crafty wiliness that they have imagined.

3. For the ungodly hath made boast of his own (o) heart's de

(m) v. 17. "Be turned into hell," i. e. "be cut off: come to an untimely end."

(n) Upon the oppressions of the wicked, and their atrocities and contempt of God. It appeals to God for deliverance, and concludes triumphantly, as if God had instantly heard the appeal, and granted the deliverance. In some writers, St. Augustine for instance, it is considered as part of the preceding Psalm.

(o) v. 3. "Own heart's desire," i. e. "his sinful inclinations: boasting of what "he ought to be ashamed: so bold is his " impiety !" (p) v. 5. " "wise."

Alway," i. e. never other

and speaketh good of the covetous, whom God abhorreth.

4. The ungodly is so proud, that he careth not for God: neither is God in all his thoughts.

5. His ways are alway (p) grievous (q) thy judgements are far above (r) out of his sight, and therefore defieth he all his enemies.

6. For he hath said in his heart, "Tush, I shall never be cast "down there shall no harm happen unto me.”

7. His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud under his tongue is ungodliness and vanity. 8. He sitteth lurking in the thievish corners of the streets : and privily in his lurking dens doth he murder the innocent; his eyes are set against the

poor.

9. For he lieth waiting secretly; even as a lion lurketh he in his den that he may ravish the poor.

10. He doth ravish the poor: when he getteth him into his net.

11. He falleth down (s), and humbleth himself that the congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his captains.

66

12. He hath said in his heart, Tush, God hath forgotten: he

(q) "Grievous," i. e. "mischievous." (r) "Far above." The distance to which God's judgments are removed is elsewhere described as influencing man's conduct: "because sentence against an " evil work is not executed speedily, "therefore the heart of man is fully set in "them to do evil. Eccles. viii. 11." But "when God's judgments are in the "earth, the inhabitants of the world will "learn righteousness. Is. xxvi."

(s) v. 11. "Falleth down, &c." Omitting no means which may advance his

purpose.

ay his face, and he e it."

Lord God, and forget not the

should the eme (t) God : say in his heart, Mou, God, carest not

Surely thou hast seen it; thou beholdest (u) ungodliness and wrong.

16. That thou mayest take the matter into thy hand the poor committeth himself unto thee for thou art the helper (a) of the friendless.

17. Break thou the power of the ungodly and malicious take away his ungodliness, and thou shalt find none. (y)

18. The Lord is King for ever

(t) v. 14. "Blaspheme." By insinuating that God regardeth not his acts.

(u) v. 15. "Beholdest, &c." i. e. "there "is no ungodliness or wrong thou dost "not see.

(x) v. 16. "The helper, &c." The Scriptures abound with comfort to the poor: one of God's injunctions to the Israelites was, Ye shall not afflict any "widow or fatherless child: if thou af "flict them in any wise, and they cry at "all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; "and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will "kill you with the sword, and your wives "shall be widows, and your children fa"therless. Exod. xxii. 22 to 24." Solo

mon says, "Rob not the poor, because "he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted; "for the Lord will plead their cause, and "spoil the soul of those that spoiled

them, Prov. xxii. 22, 23.;" and again, "Enter not into the fields of the father"less, for their Redeemer is mighty, "Prov. xxiii. 10.:" and Isaiah gives as a reason for God's entering into judgment with the antients of his people, and the princes thereof, "The spoil of the poor "is in your houses. What mean ye that "ye beat my people to pieces, and grind

and ever
are perished out of the land.

and (2) the heathen

19. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the poor: thou (a) preparest their heart, and thine ear hearkeneth thereto;

20. To help the fatherless and poor unto their right that the man of the earth (b) be no more exalted against them.

Psalm xi. (c)

In the Lord put I my trust : how say ye then to my soul, "That "she should flee as a bird unto "the hill?

2. (d)" For lo, the ungodly "bend their bow, and make ready "their arrows within the quiver : "that they may privily shoot at "them which are true of heart.

3. For (e) the foundations

"the faces of the poor? saith the Lord of "Hosts. Is. iii. 14, 15." See also Ps. xii. 5, 6.—xxxv. 10.-cxl. 12.-cxlvi. 6 to 9. (y) v. 17. "And thou shalt find none," "till thou leave none remaining ; "taking it away utterly."

i. e.

(z) v. 18. "The heathen," i. e. "the "wicked;" such as knew not God, neither had God in all their thoughts; v. 4.

(a) v. 19. "Thou preparest, &c." or, "thou hast prepared thine ear, to hearken "unto their prayer." Jerome.

(b) v. 20. The man of the earth," i. e. "the oppressor, the man who careth not "for God."

(c) A spirited hymn of David's, disdaining to seek safety by flight, because of his confidence in God. It was perhaps written, when Saul first began to conceive ill-will against him. (See 1 Sam. xviii. 9. 11. &c.)

(d) v. 2, 3. The arguments used to induce him to fly. In the following verses he states his grounds for rejecting the advice.

(e)" For, &c." or "the foundations are "cast down, and what can the righteous "do?" The meaning probably is, If the foundations (i. e. of Justice and Govern

"will be cast down and what "hath the righteous done ?" 4. The Lord is in his holy temple the Lord's seat is in hea

ven.

5. His eyes consider the poor: and his eye-lids try the children of men.

6. The Lord alloweth (g) the righteous but the ungodly, and

ment) are so disregarded that the ungodly bend their bow, &c. at them that are true of heart, what can the righteous do, but fly? In Ps. lxxxii. 5. where the conduct of the judges is arraigned, it is said, "all "the foundations of the earth are out of "course," as if " the foundations" were a

him that delighteth in wickedness, doth his soul abhor.

7. Upon the ungodly he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest: this shall be their portion to drink.

8. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance will behold the thing (h) that is just.

known expression "for law and justice," the basis of all government.

(g) v. 6. "Alloweth," i. e. " favoureth," "loveth," in opposition to " abhor." (h) v. 8. "Thing," or 66 man ;" ." "God "will watch, and countenance, and pro"tect the upright man."

EVENING PRAYER.

Psalm xii. (i)

HELP me, Lord, for there is not one godly man left: for the faithful are minished from among the children of men.

(2) An appeal to God for protection against the wicked, and a spirited introduction of God, with a promise from him

2. They (k) talk of vanity every one with his neighbour: they do but flatter with their lips, and dissemble in their double heart.

3. The Lord shall root out all deceitful lips: and the tongue that speaketh proud things;

to give it. It is supposed to have been written by David.

(k) v. 2. “They,” i. e. "men in general."

5. Now for the comfortless troubles sake of the needy and because of the deep sighing of the poor;

6. "I will up," saith the Lord: "and will help every one from "him that swelleth against him, "and will set him at rest.'

7. The words of the Lord are pure (7) words: even as the silver, which from the earth is tried, and purified seven times in the fire.

8. Thou shalt keep them (m),

in my heart? how long shall mine enemies triumph over me?

3. Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death ;

4. Lest mine enemies say, "I "have prevailed against him :" for if I be cast down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it.

5. But my trust is in thy mercy: and my heart is joyful in thy sal vation.

6. I will sing of the Lord, because he hath dealt so lovingly with me yea, I will praise the Name of the Lord most Highest. Psalm xiv. (9)

ever.

(m) v. 8. "Them," i. e. "the poor and "needy, mentioned in v. 5.”

(n) "Him, or "them."

(o) v. 9. Put to rebuke," i. e. (probably)" discouraged from turning to thy "worship, from putting their trust in thee." It was very common with David to press upon God's consideration the influence the success of his worshippers and the failure of the wicked was likely to have upon the conduct of others.

(p) An earnest prayer to God for deliverance, apparently commenced in great distress, with a triumphant conclusion, as if God had acceded to his prayer. It is supposed to have been written by David. (9) Upon the blasphemy, wickedness,

"There is no God."

2. They (r) are corrupt and become abominable in their doings: there is none that doeth good, no,

not one.

3. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men: to see if there were any that would understand (s), and seek after God.

4. But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether be

and other vices, of the persons against whom the Psalm is written, with an allusion to some discomfiture God had given them. The occasion of writing it is not known; some suppose it was written by David upon Absalom's rebellion; others refer it to the time of the captivity in Babylon. It is nearly verbatim with Psalm liii. except that the 53d omits the 5th, 6th, and 7th verses, and they are probably an addition transcribed from Rom. iii. 13, &c. where the 4th verse is cited. These verses are not in the Hebrew MSS. nor in the Syriac or Chaldee versions, nor in the Bible translation, nor in several copies of the Septuagint.

(r) v. 2. They," i. e. "men in general." (s) v. 3. "Would understand, &c." i. e. "had understanding and wisdom to seek "after God."