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6 There be some that put their trust in their goods and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.

7 But (b) no man may deliver his brother : nor make agreement unto God for him ;

8 For it cost more to redeem their souls so that he must let that alone for ever;

9 Yea, though he live long : and see not the grave.

10 For (i) he seeth (k) that. wise men also die, and perish together as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other.

II And yet they think (1) that their houses shall continue for ever : and that their dwellingplaces shall endure from one generation to another, and call the lands after their own names.

12 Nevertheless (m), man will not abide in honour seeing he

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tives occurs Ezek. xiv. 14. 16. 20. and 1 John v. 16. In Ezekiel God declares, that when he sends his visitations on a land, “though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter, they shall but deliver their own "souls by their righteousness." And in John the passage is, "If any man see "his brother sin a sin which is not unto "death, he shall ask" (i.e. of the Son of God)" and he shall give him life for ،، them that sin not unto death."

(i)" For," &c. So that if a wise v. 10. man cannot deliver himself from death, how can it be expected he should deliver his brother?

(k)" He seeth," i.e. all men see, it is v. 10. evident.

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v. 14.

v. 14.

v. 15.

may be compared unto the beasts that perish; this is the way of

them.

13 This is their foolishness: and their posterity praise their saying.

14 They lie in the hell like sheep (n), death gnaweth upon them, and the righteous shall have domination (0) over them in the morning their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of their dwelling.

15 But (p) God hath delivered my soul from the place of hell : for he shall receive me.

16 Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich or if the glory of his house be increased;

17 For he shall carry nothing away with him, when he dieth: neither shall his pomp follow him.

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18 For (9) while he lived, he counted himself an happy man : and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee.

19 He shall follow the gene

ration of his fathers and shall : never see light.

20 Man (r) being in honour hath no understanding: but i compared unto the beasts tha perish.

MORNING PRAYER.

Psalm 1. (s)

THE Lord, even the most migh ty God, hath spoken and calle the world, from the rising (t) q of the sun unto the going dow thereof.

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2 Out (u) of Sion hath God ppeared in perfect beauty.

3 Our God shall come, and hall not keep silence (x): there hall go before him a consuming ire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him.

4 He shall call the heaven From above and the earth, that ne may judge his people.

5 "Gather my saints (y) to. "gether unto me those that "have made a covenant with me "with sacrifice."

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.

"Hear, O my people, and I 7 " will speak : I myself will testify "against thee, O Israel; for I "am God, even thy God.

8 "I will not reprove thee, be

(u) Read (as it is in B.T.) "Out of "Sion the perfection of beauty, hath God "appeared." God's appearing "in "beauty" falls greatly below the majesty of the succeeding verse, and "the

perfection of beauty" was one of the names or characters of Sion. In Ps. xlviii. 2. "The hill of Sion is described as a "fair place, the joy of the whole earth;" and in Lament. ii. 15. Jeremiah says, "They hiss and wag their heads at the "daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this "the city which men call the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?" 3. (x) For. "keep silence" read "de"lay."

5.

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(y) "My saints." There are evidently two addresses, one to those who have the appellation given them of "my "saints," from verse 7. to the end of verse 15.; and the other to those who are stiled the ungodly," from verse 16. The former may apply to those who are well disposed, and entertain a proper reverence for God, and mean to do their duty, but lay too great a stress upon ceremonial performances, and too little upon internal devotion, the religion of the heart; and the latter to those who, though they profess the true religion, are

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perfect reprobates in their conduct, and practise all kinds of iniquity.

(x)" Alway before me," i. e. regu- v. 8. larly offered: a defect in this respect shall not be the ground of my reproof.

(a) "Thinkest thou," &c. The in- v.13. efficacy of sacrifice alone is well pointed out, Isaiah i. 11 to 16. "To what pur

pose is the multitude of your sacrifices "unto me saith the Lord: I am full of "the burnt offerings of rams, and the "fat of fed beasts: and I delight not "in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs,

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or of he-goats wash you, make you "clean; put away the evil of your do"ings from before mine eyes: cease to "do evil, learn to do well: seek judg

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ment, relieve the oppressed, judge the "fatherless, plead for the widow." And upon another occasion the question is put, "Hath the Lord as great delight "in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in

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obeying the voice of the Lord? Be"hold to obey is better than sacri"fice, and to hearken, than the fat of "lambs." 1 Sam. xv. 22.

(b)" Offer," &c. So Ps iv. 5. v.14. "Offer the sacrifice of righteousness;" and see Ps. li. 16, 17.

v.15.

7. 17.

v. 18.

V.21.

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(e) "Partaker," i.e. " associate," giv ing them countenance, making common cause with them: the same as in Prov. i. 14. "casting in thy lot among them."

(f) "Thoughtest," &c. God's forbearance, in not punishing as soon as a sin is committed, may have a tendency to make sinners think less of the consequences of their sins and persist in evil: "Because sentence against an evil "work is not executed speedily, there

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fore the heart of the sons of men is ແ fully set in them to do evil." Eccl. viii.

II.

And it is chiefly "when God's judgments are in the earth, that the "inhabitants of the world will learn " righteousness." Isaiah xxvi. 9. But we may learn from the parable of the Tares (Matt. xiii. 29.) that God thinks right to leave man to the workings of his own conscience, and not too strikingly to interfere with his free will. God's

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forbearance and long-suffering is intended to lead sinners to repentance, but to those who despise it, it will bring wrath in the day of wrath. Rom. ii. 4, 5

(g) "Thanks and praise." Perhaps in opposition to sacrifice and ceremonies of form; to imply that the former, when sincere, was more acceptable and effica cious than the latter.

(b) The salvation of God," ie. *** (probably) what transcendant preserva tion he can afford.

(i) This Psalm is supposed to be been written by David, after Nathan th prophet had reproached him for his s with regard to Bathsheba and Uriah See 2 Sam. xii. He probably intended it as a public acknowledgment of his crimes, as a proof of the bitter anguish they had occasioned him, and as a memo rial of the earnestness with which he had importuned God for forgiveness.

(k) For "against" the reading should perhaps be "before," and the meaning may be, "It was before thee only, in "thy sight only that I committed these

sinned, and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.

5 Behold, I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

6 But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts(): and shalt make (m) me to understand wisdom secretly.

7 Thou shalt purge me with hyssop (n), and I shall be clean : thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones (o), which thou hast broken, may rejoice.

9 Turn thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.

10 Make me a clean heart (p), O God and renew (q) a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

12 O give me the comfort of

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v. 6.

0.7.

v.8.

(m) "Shalt make," &c. Query, if the meaning be not," expectest wisdom" (i. e. righteousness) " in our secret "thoughts?"

(n) With hyssop." According to Numb. xix. 18. where persons were defiled, hyssop was to be dipped in water, and they were to be sprinkled with it, to purify them, and make them clean.

(o)" The bones," &c. This is a figurative expression; the meaning is, that my

thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit.

13 Then (r) shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness (s), O God, thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.

15 Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord and my mouth shall shew thy praise.

16 For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

17 The sacrifice(t) of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

18 O be favourable and gracious unto Sion (u): build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou be pleased (x) with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

misery may be ended, that I may again be able to enjoy delights.

(p)" Clean heart," i. e. right within; v. 10. not externally only.

(9) "Renew." See ante 161. note on v. 10. John iii. 3.

(r) "Then," &c. i. e. then shall I v. 13, have additional grounds for teaching sinners: what is exemplified in me may influence them; and the comforts I receive from repentance, will induce other sinners to repent also.

(s)" Blood-guiltiness," i, e. bringing v. 14. about Uriah's death.

(t) "The sacrifice," &c. See Ps. 1. v. 17. 13, 14. ante 303. and note there.

(u) "Unto Sion," &c. that his v. 18. country might not suffer for his sins. (x) "Be pleased," &c. i. e. there v. 19. shall be the sacrifice of the heart, and a great number of other offerings, to express our gratitude, &c.

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