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13 From secret faults. Thy servant keep
From all presumptuous sin:

And do not suffer them to have
Dominion over me:

Then, righteous and innocent,
I from much sin shall be.

14 The words which from my mouth proceed,
The thoughts sent from my heart,

Accept O LORD, for thou my strength,
And my Redeemer art.

Verse 13. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins, &c. As we have our secret sins of ignorance and infirmity, against which we should watch and pray; so we need restraining grace to keep back from presumptuous sins, or sins that are committed with knowlege, deliberation, and in the face of admonitions, convictions, the remonstrances of conscience, and the reproofs of Providence; such as were those of David in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba. By repeated acts of sin evil habits are induced, the sinner loses all power of resisting temptation, becomes a slave to his indulged lusts, and in the direct road to the great transgression of open rebellion against God, and final apostacy from his ways. Would we avoid this sin, we must study not to indulge in any, and carefully attend to the observance of every known duty.

Verse 14. Let the words of my mouth, &c. David here prays that his words, whether in religious worship, or social intercourse, might be so ordered as to find divine acceptance; and that the thoughts and pious meditations of the heart, whence they spring, might ever be such as to meet God's approbation. In the last clause he calls Jehovah, My strength, or Rock, and my Redeemer, or near kinsman to whom the right of espousing the brother's widow, raising a seed to the deceased to bear his name, and restore his forfeited inheritance, belonged. This is Messiah's appropriate work, ascribing of which to the Father would be blasphemous; and hence we have here an undeniable proof that he is Jehovah, David's strength and Redeemer, and the God of Israel, who saves his people from all evil-To exalt him in our esteem, and recommend him to the supreme affection of our heart, and unreserved obedience of our lives, let the sublime view given of Him in this beautiful and comprehensive psalm, be kept ever in our eye, and frequently engage the pious meditations of every heart. Believing that God's word and works harmonize, let us so understand the first as in no instance to make it contradict the last, or give a less glorious view of his character and ways. Thus used, the visible heavens present a key of knowlege.

6 Now know I GOD his king doth save:
He from his holy heav'n

Will hear him, with the saving strength
By his own right hand giv'n.
7 In chariots some put confidence,
Some horses trust upon:

But we remember will the name
Of our LORD God alone.

8 We rise, and upright stand when they
Are bowed down and fall.

to be displayed in his name, and in dependance on the promised aid of his Spirit. The banner is displayed in the king's name, and here in his name, all whose petitions they pray Jehovah would fulfil; and will he not do so without a single exception?

Verse 6. Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; &c. The Jewish church built her assurance of the salvation of Messiah, personal and mystical, upon the predictions of old given concerning him; and ours may firmly rest on those already accomplished as a pledge of the full completion of what remains to be fulfilled. The resurrection and subsequent exaltation of Christ, is to be viewed as a first fruit and earnest of the whole. When the church militant and triumphant are all along thus exercised; and the Redeemer giving efficacy to the whole by his own prevalent intercession, may we not confidently conclude, that Jehovah will fulfil all the petitions that are thus inforced, from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand? Christ is the arm and right hand of Jehovah, and with him dwells everlasting strength for this very purpose.

Verse 7. Some trust in chariots, &c. The verb remember might be better supplied from the next clause. The original verb signifies to make mention of, that is, in the way of boasting of their number and strength, and confiding in them in the time of danger. The wisdom and strength of nature are as chariots in which Christians are as prone to trust as Jews and Heathens; but such false confidence proves fatal to those who indulge it. But let us ever remember that in the name, by the merits, through the power, and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, we come off more than conquerors in the Christian warfare; and that this is the more excellent way which secures strength in battle, and complete triumph at the close of the warfare

Verse 8. They are brought down and fallen, &c. While such as trust、 to refuges of lies are defeated and perish, the faithful shall rise from every conflict, and from death and the grave, and stand upright at the bar of future judgment, and in the courts of heaven, there singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb.

2 O let him help send from above,
Out of his sanctuary:
From Sion, his own holy hill,

Let him give strength to thee.

3 Let him remember all thy gifts,
Accept thy sacrifice:

4 Grant thee thine heart's wish, and fulfil,
Thy thoughts and counsel wise.

5 In thy salvation we will joy;

In our God's name we will
Display our banners: and the LORD
Thy prayers all fulfil.

"

Verse 2. Send thee help &c. That Messiah as the God of Jacob, should be prayed to by the ancient church, to help the man Christ Jesus in the days of his flesh, and also his people in every age, who are his mystical body, corresponds perfectly to his revealed character and work. The ark in Sion, from which they pray help may be sent, was the stated visible emblem of Messiah himself, and so this farther corroborates the sense given. Help in the time of trouble and danger must be sought from and through him, by the prayer of faith, and waited for by the patience of hope.

Verse 3. Remember all thy offerings, &c. Heb. turn to ashes, in token of acceptance, as Lev. ix. 24. 1 Kings xvii. 38. This includes all our Lord's acts of devotion, his sacrifice of himself on the cross, and intercession in heaven; and also all the prayers of his people in every age. As assuredly as the Lord heard those of David and his people on such emergencies, will he fully answer in due time all the supplications thus presented.

Verse 4. Grant thee according to thine own heart &c. Messiah's heart's desire and counsel was, that God might be glorified by his labours and sufferings, and in the complete salvation of his people, whether elect, or non-elect, and both will be fulfilled in due time to their full extent. The Church may ever plead the merits of his obedience and sacrifice in arrest of judgment, in one stage or other of its progress, and that for herself and all her children; for the judgments of God are still at work in the Church and in the world. We therefore act in character, when we pray, that what yet remains unaccomplished of the desire of our Lord's heart, and the wise counsel of his plan, may be all realized in due time.

Verse 5. We will rejoice in thy salvation &c. The joy of Israel in the victories of David, was an emblem and pledge of the consolation of the Church in her Lord's salvation, and in the application of it to herself, and all its objects. Because of Truth, personal and doctrinal, God hath given his Church a banner; and when the enemy comes in as a flood, this i

And thou from him didst not withhold
Whate'er his lips did crave.

3. For thou with blessings him prevent'st
Of goodness manifold;

And thou hast set upon his head
A crown of purest gold.
4 When he desired life of thee,
Thou life to him didst give;
Ev'n such a length of days, that he
For evermore should live.

5 In that salvation wrought by thee
His glory is made great;
Honour and comely majesty
Thou hast upon him set.

the prayer which he offered up for his murderers on the cross; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. We see his acknowleged relation to such, and declared purpose to bless them, Psal. xxii. 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren. May we not then conclude, that such requests for the conversion and salvation of sinners, will be granted to the full, and in no case withheld?

Verse 3. For thou preventest him, &c. with the blessings, of goodness, or as some render it, with abundance of good, or happiness, and all the pre-requisites of it; were bestowed upon Christ, not so much for himself, as for his people. With this God is represented as preventing him, just as he prevented David with the promise of the kingdom, Psalm ii. 8. 2 Sam, xvi. 12. A crown of gold is the most enviable object on earth, and the very summit of human ambition. As supreme King and Priest, Christ's crown will infinitely exceed that of Aaron and Solomon. His saints are regarded as jewels in this crown; and who would not be ambitious of this honour? Other crowns are perishing things; but his and theirs shall be unfading. As the Father crowned Christ, so will he all his faithful followers.

Verse 4. He asked life of thee, &c. Of all blessings, life is the most precious, and that which was bestowed upon Christ concentres in it whatever can be called life. He asked this not merely for himself, but to bestow it upon all his obedient people, as the gracious reward of fidelity. Do these act like Christ's disciples, who would live here always, and have no desire to depart, and to be with him, which is far better?

Verse 5. His glory is great in or by thy salvation, &c. The glory, boncur and majesty bestowed upon our Lord, by means of that salvation which he hath procured, and will finally confer on all his subjects, exceed

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6 Because that thou for evermore

Most blessed hast him made;
And thou hast with thy countenance
Made him exceeding glad.

7 Because the king upon the Lord
His confidence doth lay;
And through the grace of the most High
Shall not be mov'd away.

8 Thine hand shall all those men find out
That en'mies are to thee;

Ev'n thy right hand shall find out those
Of thee that haters be.

9 Like fiery ov'n thou shalt them make,
When kindled is thine ire;

God shall them swallow in his wrath,
Devour them shall the fire.

what men and angels can conceive. For a view of his glory and fame let the reader consult Rev. iv. vii. xix. xxi. and xxii.

Verse 6. For thou hast made him most blessed. Heb. Thou hast made him a man of blessings, or thou hast set or appointed him to bless, viz. mankind, for ever, Gen. xii. 2. In him it is therefore more blessed to give than to receive. His saints shall enter into the joy of their Lorn. Verse 7. For the king trusteth in the LORD &c. As David trusted in Messiah, so he trusted in the Father, and as the former was not removed, like Saul, from his kingdom, through the mercy of the Most High towards him; so neither shall the latter, or any of his faithful seed.

Verse 8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies &c. This has been literally verified in the unbelieving Jews; and will it not also be realized upon all his incorrigible enemies in every age? Poole renders itThine hand shall be sufficient for all thine enemies, to conquer them, no doubt, as he adds, but then in the most favourable sense, as that rendering plainly imports. May his hand be upon us to bless and save us, but on our spiritual foes to waste and destroy them! Those that continue to hate bim, cannot long escape unpunished.

Verse 9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven &c. Malachi employs the same figure, but compares those who shall be cast into this oven to stubble, Mal. iv 1. An oven is closely shut up on every side, and so bespeaks the sad state of the Jews pent up in Jerusalem during the Roman siege, and of the wicked in hell. The same author renders it, Thou shalt put them as it were into a ficry oven. That the other phrases in this verse mean a great destruction, appears from 2 Sam. xx. 19, 20. Psal. lvi. 1, 2. Prov. i. 12.

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