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9 They in the wilderness that dwell
Bow down before him must;
And they that are his enemies
Shall lick the very dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish, and the isles,
To him shall presents bring;
And unto him shall offer gifts
Sheba's and Seba's king.

11 Yea, all the mighty kings on earth
Before him down shall fall;

And all the nations of the world

Do service to him shall.

12 For he the needy shall preserve,
When he to him doth call;
The poor also, and him that hath
No help of man at all.

13 The poor man and the indigent
In mercy he shall spare;
He shall preserve alive the souls
Of those that needy are.

14 Both from deceit and violence
Their soul he shall set free;
And in his sight right precious
And dear their blood shall be.

15 Yea, he shall live, and giv'n to him
Shall be of Sheba's gold:

For him still shall they pray, and he
Shall daily be extoll'd.

16 Of corn an handful in the earth

On tops of mountains high,

With prosp'rous fruit shall shake, like trees
On Lebanon that be.

The city shall be flourishing,

Her citizens abound

In number shall, like to the grass

That grows upon the ground.

17 His name for ever shall endure;

Last like the sun it shall:

Men shall be bless'd in him, and bless'd
All nations shall him call.

18 Now blessed be the Lord our God,
The God of Israel,

For he alone doth wondrous works,
In glory that excel.

19 And blessed be his glorious name
To all eternity;

The whole earth let his glory fill,
Amen, so let it be,

PSALM LXXIII.

THE paraphrase* of this Psalm, the reader will perceive to be full and explicit, I trust, in every particular, exactly squared according to the parallels, and the analogy of the common faith of God's elect.-If that does not satisfy, the writer has no more to say but this only, that, as the Psalm is all spoken in one person, this interpretation must be allowed, or that of several of the parallels, such as Psalm xvi. xvii. xxvi. xxxv. xxxvii, &c. (which by the New Testament, I suppose, is put beyond all controversy) must be rejected. The structure of the Psalm is what may be called hypothetical, consisting of a series of conditions, the supposing any one whereof to be true, would be to land the argument in a manifest absurdity: a method of reasoning, which is exceedingly common, not only in the Holy Scriptures, but also in all writings and discourses whatsoever. The objections they bring against the application of this Psalm, as spoken in the person of the Messiah, they think unanswerable; as from ver. 2. But, as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well

See Note, page 94,

nigh slipt.' But what can be inferred from these words, but that the speaker, in the circumstances supposed and described, was in great anxiety and pressure of spirit, almost overwhelmed and overcome by the consideration of the matter in his view?Which is really confirmed and demonstrated by the next words, properly understood; although the translators, filled with nothing in their minds but the persons, situations, and frailties of the penmen, as appears from their contents of all the Psalms, as well as of this, have accommodated the turn of the words to the state of their fancied speaker, and have made him say, 'I was envious,' &c. which, upon any occasion but the present, where they most deserved, would have been rendered thus, I was moved with ⚫ zealous indignation,' or, I was exceedingly griev⚫ed at the foolish,' &c.-It would look very like affectation, and an useless display of what the most part of my readers would call pedantry, to endeavourto justify, by quotations from the critics, this observation upon ver. 3. which I shall leave to every honest and wise heart to consider; and pass on to ver. 16. • When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me'-or rather as the margin* tells us, according to the Hebrew reading, 'It was labour in mine eyes.' Now what can be understood by this plain, Hebrew reading, but that it was painful or grievous to behold?--And how remarkably was this fulfilled, when Jesus saw the buyers and sellers in the temple, and in him was fulfilled this saying, The zeal of ⚫ thine house hath eaten me up?' John ii. 17.-Ver. 21. explains the whole in plain terms, Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. -But what shall be made of the next verse,

‹ So

foolish was I, and ignorant;' (Heb. as the margin, • I knew not'); 'I was as a beast before thee;' (Heb. marg. 'with thee') ?-Psal. xcii. 6. is by no means parallel to this, although quoted on the margin. *If the paraphrase of this verse should fail of giving

* Prose Psalms of the Bible.

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satisfaction to our bold objectors, I would ask them what good consistent sense they will put upon these words of the prophet, which the Holy Ghost is witness, are spoken of the Lord Jesus Christ? Who is blind but my Servant? or deaf as my Messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he 'heareth not!' Isa. xlii. 19, 20. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb be'fore his shearers, so opened he not his mouth ;' Isa. liii. 7.—and, I am a worm, and no man!' Psal. xxii.-Meaning, in all these passages, the appearances he made in his estate of humiliation among men, and the estimation wherein he was held of them as a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; without form or beauty, in their eyes, why he should be desired, &c.

1

How zealously his spirit burn'd,
When he their bold deeds saw,
And was to indignation turn'd
At breakers of the law!
Yet, patient as a lamb he lay,
Suff'ring his Father's will,
Until for us he pav'd the way
Unto his holy hill.

YE

ET God is good to Israel,
To each pure-hearted one.

2 But as for me, my steps near slipp'd,

My feet were almost gone.

3 For I envious was, and grudg'd
The foolish folk to see,

When I perceiv'd the wicked sort
Enjoy prosperity.

4 For still their strength continueth firm;
Their death of bands is free.

5 They are not toil'd like other men, Nor plagu'd, as others be.

6 Therefore their pride, like to a chain,
Them compasseth about;
And, as a garment, violence

Doth cover them throughout.

7 Their eyes stand out with fat; they have More than their hearts could wish.

8 They are corrupt; their talk of wrong Both lewd and lofty is.

9 They set their mouth against the heav'n's In their blasphemous talk;

And their reproaching tongue throughout
The earth at large doth walk.

10 His people oftentimes for this
Look back, and turn about;
Sith waters of so full a cup
To these are poured out.

11 And thus they say, How can it be
That God these things doth know?
Or, Can there in the Highest be
Knowledge of things below?

12 Behold, these are the wicked ones,
Yet prosper at their will

In worldly things; they do increase
In wealth and riches still.
13 I verily have done in vain
My heart to purify;

To no effect in innocence

Washed my hands have I.

14 For daily, and all day throughout,
Great plagues I suffer'd have;
Yea, ev'ry morning I of new
Did chastisement receive.

15 If in this manner foolishly
To speak I would intend,
Thy children's generation,
Behold, I should offend.

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