12 And at the brightness of that light, His thick clouds pass'd away, hailstones, 13 The Lord God also in the heav'ns And there the Highest gave his voice, 14 Yea, he his arrows sent abroad, 15 The waters' channels then were seen, 16 And from above the Lord sent down, 17 He me reliev'd from my strong foes, Because he saw that they for me 18 They me prevented in the day But even then the Lord himself 19 He to a place where liberty And room was hath me brought; 20 According to my righteousness He me repaid according to M 21 For I God's ways kept, from my God Did not turn wickedly. 22 His judgments were before me, I 23 Sincere before him was my heart, 24 After my righteousness the Lord After the cleanness of my hands 25 Thou gracious to the gracious art, 26 Pure to the pure, froward thou kyth'st Unto the froward wight. 27 For thou wilt the afflicted save But wilt bring down the countenance 28 The Lord will light my candle so, 29 By thee through troops of men I break, And them discomfit all; And, by my God assisting me, 30 As for God, perfect is his way He is a buckler to all those Who do in him confide. 31 Who but the Lord is God? but he Who is a rock and stay? 32 'Tis God that girdeth me with strength, And perfect makes my way. 33 He made my feet swift as the hind's, Set me on my high places. 34 Mine hands to war he taught, mine arms Brake bows of steel in pieces. 35 The shield of thy salvation Thou didst on me bestow: Thy right hand held me up, and great 36 And in my way my steps thou hast That I go safely, and my feet. Nor did I turn again till I 38 I wounded them, they could not rise ; 39 Thou girdest me with strength for war; My foes thou brought'st down all ; 40 And thou hast giv'n to me the necks That I might them destroy and slay, 41 They cried out, but there was none 42 Then did I beat them small as dust, And I did cast them out like dirt 43 Thou mad'st me free from people's strife, And heathen's head to be: A people whom I have not known 44 At hearing they shall me obey, To me they shall submit. 45 Strangers for fear shall fade away, Who in close places sit. 46 God lives, bless'd be my Rock; the God Of my health praised be. 47 God doth avenge me, and subdues The people under me. 48 He saves me from mine enemies ; Above my foes; and from the man 49 Therefore to thee will I give thanks And to thy name, O Lord, I will 50 He great deliv'rance gives his king; To David, his anointed one, * PSALM XIX. To a person entering into the New-Testament view of the Psalms, this one will appear perfectly plain, according to what is attempted in the paraphrase, as exactly parallel to Psalm xcvii. with all those of the same spirit and expression, wherein the Godhead and glory of the Son of God, the universal Lord and King over all, are described by the Holy Ghost as declared from heaven; and filling the whole earth, not with regard to creation and providence ; which operations of his also are abundantly described elsewhere); but, with regard to the manifestation of the everlasting gospel, and of the character and glory of God, shining in the face of Jesus, as held forth in See Note, page 94. the light of the apostolic testimony. As the apostle Paul has actually interpreted this Psalm, Rom. x. 18. -So that the matter is for ever decided with those, who will be determined by the account given by the Holy Spirit of inspiration himself. As to the strong poetical colourings used in this Psalm, drawn from the grandest objects in the world, the heavens, the sun, and the glory of warriors, &c. according to those times and places, they are the very mother-tongue. so to speak, of all the prophets.From the 11th verse, and downward to the end, the form of the discourse begins naturally to slide into the first person. -And that Messiah is the person, will appear manifest to him who considers the meaning of the parallels quoted in the margin; as the same shall be demonstrated in the proper places. * Like fire descending down from heav'n, 1 THE HE heav'ns God's glory do declare, 2 Day utters speech to day, and night 3 There is no speech nor tongue to which Their voice doth not extend: 4 Their line is gone thro' all the earth, Their words to the world's end. 5 In them he set the sun a tent; Who, bridegroom-like, forth goes *Prose Psalms of the Bible. |