5 For poor oppress'd, and for the sighs Saith God, and him in safety set 6 The words of God are words most pure; 7 Lord, thou shalt them preserve and keep For ever from this race. 8 On each side walk the wicked, when Vile men are high in place. PSALM XIII. CONSULT the text and the parallels. Messiah, mourning heavily, Compressed with the grievous load Pours out his heart before his God; How sullied would the same appear, How long wilt thou forget me, Lord? Shall it for ever be? O how long shall it be that thou 2 How long take counsel in my soul, 30 Lord my God, consider well, Mine eyes enlighten, lest the sleep 4 Lest that mine enemy should say, And those that trouble me rejoice, 5 But I have all my confidence My heart within me shall rejoice 6 I will unto the Lord my God Because he hath his bounty shown 1 PSALM XIV. CONSULT the text and parallels. The sons of men, gone all astray THAT there is not a God, the fool Doth in his heart conclude: They are corrupt, their works are vile; Not one of them doth good. 2 Upon men's sons the Lord from heav'n Did cast his eyes abroad, To see if any understood, 3 They altogether filthy are, And there is none that doeth good, 4 These workers of iniquity That they my people eat as bread, 5 There fear'd they much; for God is with 7 Let Isr'el's help from Sion come. PSALM XV. In this Psalm, under the notion of a sojourner in Jehovah's tabernacle, and a dweller in his holy hill, who shall never be moved, is described, positively and negatively, the perfect character and righteousness of the Messiah, the Shepherd of Israel, who entered into heaven with his own blood, the Forerunner of all his flock, having thereby, according to the condition of the law, obtained for them eternal redemption for only the man who doth these things shall inherit eternal life, as the reward of his own work. That this is the Messiah alone, and none of all his followers, is evident; for it is written, As many as are of the works of the law,' (that is, who have no works but what themselves perform according to the law,) are under the curse;' but Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,' and hath redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them. 6 6 6 -Moreover, the very person, described by his character in this Psalm, is declared just, and entitled to eternal life, as the equal reward of his own righteousness according to the law; as Jehovah sweareth by his own life, Ezek. xviii. and xxxiii. as Moses also, in Jehovah's words, describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man who doth these things shall live in them,' Rom. x. 5.-Isaiah also describes the same character, and shews the issue thereof in the exaltation of the person to whom it belongeth, chap. xxxiii. 15, 16. He that walketh uprightly,' &c. he shall dwell on high,' &c. Who is this that walketh uprightly, who is exalted, and dwelleth on high? See the solution in the 5th verse of the same chapter: The Lord is exalted; for he ⚫ dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judg'ment and righteousness.'-If any doubt still remain concerning the interpretation of this Psalm, consult Psalm xxiv. and you will find it is the King of glory, who receives the blessing; who shall not be moved; the Lord of glory, whom the rulers murdered, because they knew him not, nor yet the voice of their prophets which were read every day in their synagogues. Thus the builders rejected the stone which was made the head of the corner. This is the doing of the Lord, and marvellous in our eyes!' -See the first Psalm. The grand important question's solv'd, "Who shall the heav'nly kingdom gain?'- The Son of God for sinners giv'n : That they by him might win to heav'n. 1 WT 1 WITHIN thy tabernacle, Lord, Who shall abide with thee? And in thy high and holy hill Who shall a dweller be? 2 The man that walketh uprightly, 3 Who doth not slander with his tongue, 4 In whose eyes vile men are despis'd; 5 His coin puts not to usury, Against the guiltless. Who'doth thus PSALM XVI. THAT the speaker in this Psalm is the Son of God, and there is no other speaker in it, is as evident, as that the Holy Ghost is a true witness; Acts ii. 25. and xiii. 35.—How grossly then have they been imposed upon themselves, and would have imposed upon us, who talk to us in their commentaries, and in their contents of this Psalm, of David flying to God for preservation, &c. Messiah trusteth in the Lord, By whom transgressors are abhorr'd ; |