soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine;

14 From the men of thy hand (s), O Lord, from the men, I say, and from the evil world : which have their portion in this life (t), whose bellies (u) thou fillest with thy hid treasure.

15 They have children at their desire and leave the rest of their substance (x) for their babes.

16 But as for me, I will behold (y) thy presence in righteousness and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it.

(s)" The men of thy hand," i. e. probably those whom thou usest as instruments to execute thy vengeance; the same as in verse 13. " the ungodly, who "are a sword of thine." So Ps. lxxx.17. and in Is. x. 5. God calls the Assyrian "the rod of mine anger, and the staff in "their hand is mine indignation ;" and in Is. xxxvii. 26. in answer to the haughty vaunts of the messengers of the king of Assyria, stating what places he had destroyed, God tells him, that he (i. e. God)" had brought it to pass, that he" (the king of Assyria)" should be to lay "waste defenced cities into ruinous "heaps," and that this was the reason their inhabitants were dismayed and confounded, &c.

(t)" Their portion in this life," i. e.

EVENING PRAYER.

Psalm xviii. (z)

I WILL love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence: my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.

2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.

3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the overflowings of ungodliness (a) made me afraid.

4 The pains of hell came about me the snares of death overtook

(z) The Song of David, in the day "that the Lord had delivered him out of "the hand of all his enemies, and out of "the band of Saul." It is recorded also, Sam. ii. 2 2. Some parts seem to refer to some signal assistance from God, by thunder and lightning, which is described with great poetic magnificence. There is great confusion in the translation, by putting the verbs sometimes in the past tense, and sometimes in the future. As the Psalm refers to what had happened, the past is in general the right tense. .3. (a) Overflowings of ungodliness," or, as it is in the Bible translation, and in 2 Sam. xxii. 5. " the floods of ungodly men." The same image is used in that fine Is. lix. 19. passage, "when the << enemy shall come in as a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a stan"dard against him."

7.5,6. (b) For "will call," "complain," "shall hear," "shall come," and "shall "enter," read "called," "complained," "heard," " came," and

en

"The Lord descended from above "And underneath his feet he cast "On cherubs and on cherubim

"And on the wings of mighty winds

"tered." This is the translation in the Bible and in Samuel, and is necessary to connect the passage with what went before, and what follows.

(c)" The earth trembled," &c. This probably refers to some extraordinary interposition of God's assistance by thunder, lightning, hail, &c. Similar interpositions are noticed in fine animated language in the 29th and 97th Psalms, but it may be questioned, if the sublimity and majesty of this passage are any where equalled. Is there any thing in any classic writer which comes near it? Dr. Blair says of it, "The descriptions of the "Deity in the Psalms are wonderfully "noble, both from the grandeur of the "object, and the manner of representing "it. What an assemblage, for instance, "of awful and sublime ideas is presented "to us in that passage of the 18th "Psalm, where an appearance of the

Almighty is described, verse 7, &c." And even in Sternhold's version of it much of its spirit and magnificence is retained: and bow'd the heavens most high, the darkness of the sky.

full royally he rode, came flying all abroad."

S

cret place his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him.

v.12.

12 At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed : hail-stones, and coals of fire (d).

13 The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder: hail-stones, and coals of fire (e).

14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them (f): he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.

15 The springs of waters (g) were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered at thy chiding, O Lord: at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.

16 He shall send (b) down from on high to fetch me and shall take me out of many waters (i).

17 He shall deliver me from

"ut

(d) For his clouds removed hailstones and coals of fire," the passage in Samuel is, "were coals of fire kindled." . 13. (e) For "gave his thunder, hailstones, "and coals of fire," the passage in the Bible translation and in Samuel is, "tered his voice," which introduces a new idea: saying that the Highest "gave "his thunder," after stating that he "thundered out of heaven," is only repetition.

v. 14.

v.15.

v. 16.

17.

a 16.

(f) "Them," i.e. " the hosts of the ungodly."

(8) "The springs of waters," i. e. the very bowels of the earth, down to the lowest water springs. In Samuel the reading is, "the channels of the sea," which contrasts better with "the founda"tions of the world," or earth: the inner parts of earth and sea were both laid open to view.

(b) For shall send," "shall take," and "shall deliver," read 66 sent," "took," and "delivered ;" and verse 17. for "hate" and "are" read "hated' and "were."

(i)" Many waters," i. e. the greatest troubles or danger. The same expres

my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me for they are too mighty for me. 18 They prevented (k) me in the day of my trouble but the Lord was my upholder.

19 He brought me forth (1) also into a place of liberty he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.

20 The Lord shall reward (m) me after my righteous dealing: according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompence me;

21 Because I have kept (n) the ways of the Lord and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doeth.

22 For I have an eye (0) unto all his laws and will not cast out his commandments from me.

23 I was also uncorrupt before him and eschewed mine own wickedness.

sion is used in the same sense, Ps. lxix. 15.-cxxiv. 3, 4.-cxliv. 7.

(k) "Prevented," i. e. " surprized," came upon me unawares : he may perhaps allude to his situation when Saul came upon him at the cave at Engedi. See I Sam. xxiv.

(1)" Brought me forth," &c. This may be from the cave, enabling me to reach a place where I might easily elude my pursuers; or it might be a common expression to denote any deliverance. So he says, Ps. xxxi. 9. "Thou hast not "shut me up into the hand of the enemy, "but hast set my feet in a large room!" So Job xxxvi. 16. where Elihu is stating what God would have done for Job had he conducted himself differently, he says, "He would have removed thee out of "the strait into a broad place, where

"there is no straitness."

(m) For "shall reward" and "shall "he recompence," read "rewarded" and did he recompence."

(n) Read "I kept," and "did not "forsake."

(0) Read" had an eye," &c. and

"did not cast out."

31 For who is God, but the or who hath any strength

Lord

except our God?

32 It is God that girdeth me with strength of war and maketh my way perfect.

33 He maketh (z) my feet like hart's feet (a) and setteth me up on high.

34 He teacheth (b) mine hands to fight and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel (c).

35 Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation: thy right hand also shall hold (d) me up, and thy loving-correction shall make me great.

36 Thou shalt make (e) room (ƒ) enough under me for to go that my footsteps shall not slide.

37 I will follow (g) upon mine enemies, and overtake them : neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.

38 I will smite (b) them, that they shall not be able to stand: but fall under my feet.

39 Thou hast girded (i) me

with strength unto the battle: thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.

40 Thou hast made (k) mine enemies also to turn their backs (1) upon me and I shall destroy

them that hate me.

41 They shall cry (m), but there shall be none to help them : yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.

42 I will beat (n) them as small as the dust before the wind: I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.

43 Thou shalt deliver (o) me from the strivings of the people: and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.

44 A people whom I have not known (p) shall serve me.

45 As soon as they hear (q) of me, they shall obey me : but the strange children shall dissemble with me.

46 The strange children shall fail (r) and be afraid out of their prisons.

fly.

(k) Read "madest," and stroyed."

(1)

"de

"To turn their backs," i. e. to

(m) Read" cried," "was none," "did they cry,” and “ did not hear." (n) Read "I beat," and "I cast." (0) Read" didst deliver," and "madest me."

(p) Read" had not known," and "did serve me."

(9) Read "heard," and "obeyed," and for "but," &c. read " and even the

(s) On the glory of the heavenly system, the excellency of God's law, the grounds they afford for acknowledging and prais ing God, with an acknowledgement of man's frailty, and a prayer against falling into sin. David is considered as the author. It is one of the proper Psalms for Christmas Day.

T

(t)" Declare," &c. The works of the creation are elsewhere referred to as proving the power, wisdom, goodness, &c. of God. In Acts xiv. 17. Barnabas and Paul told the people of Lystra, that though God" in times past suffered all "nations to walk in their own ways, "nevertheless, he left not himself without "witness, in that he did good, and gave us "rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, "filling our hearts with food and glad.

ness. So Rom. i. 20. ; and in Ps. xxviii. 6. it is assigned as a ground for pu