my statutes, and keep my command. "ments and do them, I will give peace " in the land, &c. and ye shall chase 66 your enemies, &c. and I will walk

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among you, and will be your God, "and ye shall be my people." See Jer. xi. 3.

(9) "Give praise," i.e. have occasion to give praise; from thy interposition to deliver them.

(r)" Thine own cause." The Israelites were the only worshippers of the true God, and when they were oppressed, their calamities were urged by the heathen as a proof that their God was not the true God: their welfare therefore, and the estimation of God among the heathen nations, were reciprocal and identified, and on that account their success is called God's "own cause." See note on Ps. xxv. 10. See also Ps. lxxix. 9.

(s) A thanksgiving after some deli verance or success, looking up to God as the great disposer of events, and as one who would be sure to take vengeance upon the ungodly. The time or occa sion of writing it is not known, ner the author. It has the appearance of being written by some king who had met with considerable opposition, and who was scarcely seated in the throne, and at a time when the people had been consider ably reduced. Perhaps in the early time of David's reign, either before the ten tribes of Israel submitted to his govern ment, or just upon their submission. See 2 Sam. i. to v. and ante 314. Ps. lx.

()" Thy Name," i. e. thy aid, thy

assistance.

(u)" Receive the congregation." If the Psalm was written when the tribes of Israel submitted to David, and the elders of Israel made a league with him, (See 2 Sam. v. 1. 3.) this may mean, when the people, all the congregation of them, come in under my dominion, I will govern them with justice, &c.

high "stiff neck."

and speak not with a

7 For promotion cometh neither from the east (x), nor from the west nor yet from the south.

8 And why? God is the Judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

9 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup (y), and the wine is red it is full mixed (z), and he poureth out of the same.

10 As for the dregs thereof: all the ungodly of the earth shall drink them, and suck them out.

11 But I will talk of the God of Jacob and praise him for

ever.

(x) From the east," &c. i. e. (probably) from any quarter of the earth, is not obtained by human means, nor conferred by human hands. It is the gift of God alone. David had been anointed by Samuel under God's express command as the person God chose to reign over Israel long before he was invested with the actual government. See I Sam. xvi. 1. 13.

(y) "A cup." The calamities God inflicts are often mentioned under this similitude. Thus, Is. li. 17. "Awake, "awake, stand up O Jerusalem, which "hast drunk at the hand of the Lord. "the

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cup of his fury, thou hast drunken "the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out ;" and verse 22. Be"hold, (saith the Lord) I have taken out "of thine hand the cup of trembling, even "the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou "shalt no more drink it again: but I "will put it into the hand of them that "afflict thee." So Jer. xxv. 15. "Thus "saith the Lord God of Israel unto me, take the wine cup of this fury at

my hand, and cause all the nations, to "whom I send thee, to drink it." See also Ez.xxiii.32.33. So our Saviour puts it to Zebedee's children," Are ye able "to drink of the cup that I shall drink "of." (that is, to bear the sufferings I must undergo), Matt. xx. 22. and in his agony in the garden just before he was betrayed, his prayer was "Father, if it "be possible, let this cup pass from

"me." Matt. xxvi. 39.—Luke xxii, 42. Homer has the same idea,

Δοιαι μὲν κρήτηρες, &c.

(x)" Full mixt.” It was the prac、 v.9. tice in antient times to mix other powerful ingredients with wine to add to its strength. Thus Prov. xxiii. 30. The idea is raised from "tarrying long at the wine" to "going to seek mixed wine." So Is. v. 22. Woe is denounced " upon "them that are mighty to drink wine, "and men of strength to mingle strong "drink." So Homer says, Odyss. iv. 220.

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See

V. 1.

V. 2.

Εις δινον βάλε φάρμακον ἔνθεν επινον. (a) A spirited triumphal hymn, supposed to have been written upon the miraculous destruction of the army of the Assyrians which went up against Jerusa lem in the time of Hezekiah, about 710 years before the birth of Christ, when the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in their camp 185,000 persons. 2 Kings xix. 35. and Is. xxxvii. 36. (b) Jewry," i. e. Judea. (c) "Salem," i. e. Jerusalem. (d)" Of more honour," &c. i. e. (pro- v. 4. bably) of more service than all the advantages of natural situation, inaccessible mountains, &c. According to Psalm xcvi. 4. "The strength of the hills is his "also;" and according to Jer. iii. 23. "in vain is salvation hoped for from the "bills, and from the multitude of moun"tains: truly in the Lord our God is "the salvation of Israel."

(e) "Robbed," i.e. (perhaps) spoiled, v.5.

all the men, whose hands were mighty, have found (ƒ) nothing. || 6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse are fallen.

7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight, when thou art angry?

8 Thou didst cause thy judgement (g) to be heard from heaven: the earth trembled, and was still,

9 When God arose to judgement and to help all the meek upon earth.

10 The fierceness of man shall turn to thy praise (b) and the fierceness of them shalt thou refrain (i).

11 Promise unto the Lord your God, and keep it, all ye that are round about him: bring presents (k) unto him that ought to be feared.

12 He shall refrain the spirit of princes and is wonderful among the kings of the earth.

with my voice, and he shall hearken unto me.

2 In the time of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran, and ceased not in the night-season; my soul refused comfort.

3 When I am in heaviness, I will think upon God when my heart is vexed, I will complain.

4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking (m): I am so feeble, that I cannot speak.

5 I have considered the days of old and the years that are past.

6 I call to remembrance my song and in the night I com mune with mine own heart, and search out my spirits.

7 "Will the Lord absent him. "self for ever: and will he be 66 no more intreated?

8" Is his mercy clean gone "for ever and is his promise(n) "come utterly to an end for "evermore?

9 "Hath God forgotten to be "gracious and will he shut "up (0) his loving-kindness in displeasure?"

10 And I said, "It is mine "own infirmity (p): but I will

January 15.

April 15.

EVENING PRAYER.

Psalm lxxviii. (u) HEAR my law (*) ; law (x); O my people incline your ears unto the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable (y) I will declare hard sentences of old;

3 Which we have heard and known and such as our fathers have told us;

4 That we should not hide them from the children of the generations to come: but to shew the honour of the Lord, his mighty and wonderful works that he hath done.

5 He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Israel a law: which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children (z);

6 That their posterity might know it and the children which were yet unborn;

7 To the intent, that when they came up they might shew their children the same;

8 That they might put their

(u) A short account of some of the signal instances of God's interference on behalf of the Israelites from the time of Moses to that of David, of some of the instances of their disobedience and of the punishments God inflicted in consequence upon them, and of the readiness with which God again took them into favour. The pointing out what God had before done for them, and how great had been his forbearance, was calculated to raise in their minds the warmest impressions of gratitude and adherence; to attach them to him, as he had shewn such strong attachment towards them. It was probably written in David's time. By referring, as it does, to facts recorded by Moses, it shews that the Jewish church which used it esteemed the books of Moses the foundation of true history as well as of true religion. I Newt. Diss. 9.

:

trust in God and not to forget the works of God, but to keep his commandments;

9 And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn generation a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God;

10 Like as (a) the children of Ephraim who being harnessed, and carrying bows, turned (b) themselves back in the day of battle.

II They kept not the covenant of God and would not walk in his law;

12 But forgat what he had done and the wonderful works that he had shewed for them.

13 Marvellous things did he in the sight of our forefathers, in the land of Egypt: even in the field of Zoan (c).

14 He divided (d) the sea, and let them go through he made the waters to stand on an heap.

15 In the day-time also he led them (e) with a cloud : and all

(b)" Turned," &c. This probably .1 refers to some instance then well known, in which the Ephraimites disgraced themselves by fleeing from before their enemies.

(c) “Zoan," a city in Egypt. Numb...

xiii. 22.