6 From heav'n's end is his going forth, And there is nothing from his heat 7 God's law is perfect, and converts 9 Unspotted is the fear of God, 10 They more than gold, yea, much fine gold, To be desired are: Than honey, honey from the comb 11 Moreover, they thy servant warn 12 Who can his errors understand? And do no suffer them to have 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 PSALM XX. THIS Psalm, it is allowed on all hands, is spoken in the person of the church, glorying in, and sympathising with, her King in the day of his calamity; while she breathes forth, at the same time, her fervent hope-inspired desires for his deliverance from all his troubles.-That not David, but his Lord, is the King, is certain from the last words of the Psalm, Save, Lord let the King hear us when we call.' To clothe his saints around with praise, 1 And raise them glorious by his fall, Lo, Jesus fights their battles all- And plead for him the vict'ry due. JEHOVAH hear thee in the day When trouble he doth send : 20 let him help send from above, 3 Let him remember all thy gifts, 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 6 Now know I God his king doth save: Will hear him, with the saving strength 7 In chariots some put confidence, But we remember will the name 8 We rise, and upright stand, when they 9 Deliver, Lord; and let the King Us hear, when we do call. PSALM XXI. SEE the last Psalm, whereof this is evidently a continuation; with this difference only, that here the prayers of the church are wholly turned into triumph and praise.-Consult all the parallels, and especially from the 2d to the 8th verse of the Psalm itself; which no considerate person, either Jew or Gentile, ever yet thought of applying to any but the Messiah alone. For how could they, without falling directly under the charge of blasphemy, and high treason against the King of heaven? The battle fought, the vict'ry won, And hails him home from all his toil :, 1HE king in thy great strength, O Lord, Shall very joyful be: In thy salvation rejoice How veh'mently shall he! 2 Thou hast bestowed upon him All that his heart would have; And thou from him didst not withhold Whate'er his lips did crave. nd 3 For thou with blessings him prevent'st And thou hast set upon his head 4 When he desired life of thee, 5 In that salvation wrought by thee 6 Because that thou for evermore 7 Because the king upon the Lord And through the grace of the most High 8 Thine hand shall all those men find out Ev'n thy right hand shall find out those 9 Like fiery ov'n thou shalt them make, God shall them swallow in his wrath, 10 Their fruit from earth thou shalt destroy, Their seed men from among: 11 For they beyond their might 'gainst thee Did plot mischief and wrong. 12 Thou therefore shalt make them turn back, When thou thy shafts shall place Upon thy strings, made ready all 13 In thy great pow'r and strength, O Lord, So shall we sing with joyful hearts, PSALM XXII. If the Lord and his apostles knew how to interpret this Psalm, what better than blasphemy, let the honest reader say, is the talking of the commentators, and those who have devised what they call the contents, concerning David complaining, praying, or praising in this place?-Those who desire to know the mind of Christ, will diligently compare with the New Testament not only this, but also all the parallel Psalms, as referred to in the margin,* which, on account of their number, for brevity's sake are here omitted. The song of Christ, the Well-belov'd, 1 MY God, my God, why hast thou me Art thou from helping me, and from 2 All day, my God, to thee I cry, 3 But thou art holy, thou that dost * Prose Psalms of the Bible. |