PSALM LI.

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AFTER all that has already been advanced at great length in the general preface concerning the penmen of the Psalms, the times and occasions whereon they were penned, &c. and concerning this Psalm in particular, the reader may sum up the whole process of the argument for its interpretation, and application to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator and Surety of the better Testament, as attempted in the following paraphrase, * in this manner :-The Psalm is evidently, every word of it, spoken by one person: the words in ver. 16. Thou desirest not sacrifice,' &c. clearly importing the same meaning with ver. 8. of the last Psalm, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices,' &c. and with ver. 6. of Psalm xl. Sacri⚫fice and offerings thou didst not desire,' &c. are expressly (as observed in the illustration of Psalm xl. which is the key to this one and all its parallels) applied by the Holy Ghost, the alone witness of those things, as spoken by Christ coming into the world, Heb. x. 6, &c.—If any man, now, pretend to give another turn to those words, he says thereby, that he is wiser than God and he who provokes him to jealousy, should consider, if he be stronger too!The subsequent paraphrase is made particularly large and full upon every sentence in the Psalm, to shew, that there is no blasphemy (as many have most blasphemously alleged there is) in this manner of interpretation; which must either be admitted, or the New Testament made void! See particularly the whole Epistle to the Hebrews.

N. B. From ver. 5. to 18. of the Psalm, those sentences, which in our version stand in the form of petitions or prayers, are in the paraphrase turned into the form of predictions of things, which were to be fulfilled in the Son of God. Thus, Create in me,'

See Note, page 94.

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or rather, ‹ Thou shalt create in me a clean heart, O God,' &c. respect the human nature in its perfection, prepared or created for the eternal Son of God, who behoved to be made in all things, respecting that nature, like unto his brethren, except sin.This liberty of changing the form of the above sentences, all the commentators allow, when they tell us the curses or imprecations in the Psalms should rather be rendered predictions. However, either way, the sense is the same: so that there needs be thought no occasion of stumbling here upon that account. God hath made Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,' 2 Cor. v. 21. Isa. liii. Gal. iii. 13. 1 Pet. ii. 24.-See all the parallels of these passages, and of this Psalm; and then judge, and say, 'Let God be true, and every man a liar.' Amen.

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When David sinn'd with Bathsheba,
And shed Uriah's blood;

As Nathan did the sim'le draw,
The king corrected stood:

Thou art the man,' the prophet said;
On thee the sword shall be:

Thy neighbour thou hast murdered;
• His wife debauch'd by thee :

• But yet thy sin is put away;
Thy guilt is covered:

Thy son Messiah, in his day,

For thee his blood shall shed.'-
Then David, moved by the Lord,
Prophetic, breath'd this Psalm;
Messiah's labours to record

His sin-struck soul to calm.

AFTER thy loving-kindness, Lord,

Have mercy upon me:

For thy compassion's great, blot out
All mine iniquity.

2 Me cleanse from sin, and throughly wash From mine iniquity:

3 For my transgressions I confess; My sin I ever see.

4 'Gainst thee, thee only, have I sinn'd,
In thy sight done this ill;

That when thou speak'st thou may'st be just,
And clear in judging still.

5 Behold, I in iniquity

Was form'd the womb within ;
My mother also me conceiv'd
In guiltiness and sin.

6 Behold thou in the inward parts
With truth delighted art;

And wisdom thou shalt make me know
Within the hidden part.

7 Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me,

I shall be cleansed so;

Yea, wash thou me, and then I shall
Be whiter than the snow.

8 Of gladness and of joyfulness
Make me to hear the voice;
That so these very bones which thou
Hast broken may rejoice.

9 All mine iniquities blot out,

Thy face hide from my sin.

10 Create a clean heart, Lord, renew A right sp'rit me within.

11 Cast me not from thy sight, nor take Thy Holy Sp'rit away.

12 Restore me thy salvation's joy; With thy free Sp'rit me stay.

13 Then will I teach thy ways unto
Those that transgressors be;

And those that sinners are shall then
Be turned unto thee,

14 O God, of my salvation God,
Me from blood-guiltiness

Set free; then shall my tongue aloud
Sing of thy righteousness.

15 My closed lips, O Lord, by thee
Let them be opened;

Then shall thy praises by my mouth
Abroad be published.

16 For thou desir'st not sacrifice,
Else would I give it thee;
Nor wilt thou with burnt-offering
At all delighted be.

17 A broken spirit is to God
A pleasing sacrifice :

A broken and a contrite heart,
Lord, thou wilt not despise.

18 Shew kindness, and do good, O Lord,
To Sion, thine own hill:

The walls of thy Jerusalem

Build up of thy good will.

19 Then righteous off'rings shall thee please, And off rings burnt, which they

With whole burn-off'rings, and with calves, Shall on thine altar lay.

PSALM LII.

THIS Psalm with all the following to the Ixv. being exactly parallel in subject, spirit, and expression, to Psalm ix. x. xxxv. &c. as well as those cited in the margin,* whose respective illustrations may be consulted, especially that of Psal. xxxv. it would be using labour in vain to be more particular.

Behold the boasts of foolish men,
Converted into pain and shame!

Prose Psalms of the Bible.

For short and slipp'ry is their reign,
Arrested by the fiery flame.

The righteous glory in their God;
And God, their glory, is their screen :
Messiah is the Olive Good,

And they the branches ever-green!

WE

1 WHY dost thou boast, O mighty man, Of mischief and of ill?

The goodness of Almighty God

Endureth ever still.

2 Thy tongue mischievous calumnies
Deviseth subtilely,

Like to a razor sharp to cut,
Working deceitfully.

3 Ill more than good, and more than truth Thou lovest to speak wrong;

4 Thou lovest all-devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

5 So God shall thee destroy for aye,
Remove thee, pluck thee out

Quite from thy house; out of the land
Of life he shall thee root.

6 The righteous shall it see, and fear,
And laugh at him they shall :
7 Lo, this the man is that did not
Make God his strength at all;
But he in his abundant wealth
His confidence did place;
And he took strength unto himself
From his own wickedness.

8 But I am in the house of God
Like to an olive green :
My confidence for ever hath
Upon God's mercy been.

9 And I for ever will thee praise,
Because thou hast done this: