the sore judgments which should befal Judas and the Jewish nation. Ps. cxvii., with Rom. xv. 11, the call of the Gentiles. Ps. lxxii., the final triumph and universal establishment of Messiah's kingdom throughout the earth. Of the Prophetic Psalms, the most remarkable, as applying throughout and exclusively to Christ, is Ps. cx. There are 66 well nigh fifty Psalms quoted several times in the New Testament, which shews how properly our Lord made use of that book to instruct his disciples that He was the Christ (Luke xxiv. 44).” In some of the Psalms, David utters bitter curses against his enemies. The most remarkable in this respect, are Ps. Ixix. and cix.; but these, as is seen above, Peter applies as prophecies fulfilled in the punishment of Judas and of the Jews. This teaches us how we are to understand the curses contained generally in the Psalms, as threatenings uttered, or judgments foretold, by a Prophet of God, against hardened and finally impenitent sinners; and that the feelings with which we should repeat them, should be an awful sense of God's holiness and justice in the punishment of sin. The following TABLE, shewing the probable occasion when each Psalm was composed, is abridged from TOWNSEND'S HARMONY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Psalms. i.... ii......... iii.. V............. viii....... ix.... X...... After what Probable occasion on which each Psalm was B.C. Nehem. xiii. 3....... Written by Ezra as a preface to the Book of Psalms 444 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life... 2 Sam. xvi. 14....... On the reproaches of Shimei... 1044 1023 1015 1023 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life.. 1015 1 Sam. xvii. 4........ On the victory over Goliath..... 1063 Dan. vii. 28...... During the Babylonish captivity. 539 xi...... xii.. 1 Sam. xix. 3......... When David was advised to flee to the mountains.. 1062 1 Chron. xxviii. 1... Inserted towards the end of David's life 1015 Dan. vii. 28........... During the Babylonish captivity.......... xiii....... xiv....... XV........ xvi........ xvii...... xviii.... 1060 2 Sam. xxii. 51...... On the conclusion of David's wars........................ 1019 539 1 Chron. xvii. 27.... On the delivery of the promise by Nathan to David 1044 1 Sam. xxii. 19... ... On the murder of the priests by Doeg.......... Psalms. After what Probable occasion on which each Psalm was xix....... 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life..... xxi........ B.C. 1015 XX........ 2 Sam. x. 19.......... On the war with the Ammonites and Syrians......... 1036 xxiv..... XXV...... Dan. vii. 28........... During the Babylonish captivity...... 1015 539 xxviii...1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life............... 1015 xxxiii...} 2 Sam. xii. 15... xxxiv......1 Sam. xxi. 15.... On David's persecution by Saul..... On the pardon of David's adultery... On David's leaving the city of Gath......................... 1060 1034 1060 1060 539 Dan. vii. 28........... During the Babylonish captivity.... Xxxviii. 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life..... 1015 xlix...... li..... lii.... liii... liv........ xlii........ 2 Sam. xvii. 29...... On David's flight from Absalom................................ xliii...... xliv...... 2 Kings xix. 7.... On the blasphemous message of Rabshakeh.. xlvi.... 1v......... 2 Chron. vii. 10...... On the removal of the ark into the temple... 2 Sam. xii. 15..... 1 Sam. xxii. 19...... 1 Sam. xxiii. 23...... lix........... lx....... ..... Confession of David after his adultery... On David's persecution by Doeg............................................... 1 Sam. xxiv. 22...... On David's refusal to kill Saul in the cave... 1 Sam. xxiv. 22...... Continuation of Ps lvii......... 1 Sam. xix. 17....... On Saul surrounding the town of David... 1 Kings xi. 20........ On the conquest of Edom by Joab.... 1 Chron. xxviii. 21 Inserted towards the end of David's life..... 1023 710 1044 896 1004 515 539 1034 1060 539 2 Sam. xvii. 29...... In David's persecution by Absalom... 1023 Prayer of David in the wilderness of Engedi 1058 lxiv...... 1 Sam. xxii. 19.... On David's persecution by Saul....... 1060 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life. 1015 535 lxvii... Dan. vii. 28........... During the Babylonish captivity. 593 1045 1015 lxxi... lxxii.... 2 Sam. xvii. 29...... On Absalom's rebellion........... 1 Chron. xxix. 19... On Solomon being made king by his father. .... 1023 1015 710 588 lxxvi..... 2 Kings xix. 35...... On the destruction of Sennacherib.............. 710 lxxvii.... Dan. vii. 28..... During the Babylonish captivity... 539 1015 588 539 lxxxi.... lxxxii.. Ezra vi. 22............ On the dedication of the second temple.......... 515 897 Psalms. After what Probable occasion on which each Psalm was lxxxiii...... Jer. xxxix. 10........ On the desolation caused by the Assyrians.....!!!!! Inserted towards the end of David's life........ xcii....... Dan. vii. 28........... During the Babylonish captivity............. xciii...... B.C. 588 535 536 1015 536 1531 1489 1015 539 Jer. xxxix. 10 ....... On the destruction of the city and temple.......... 588 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life.. 1015 xcvi.....1 Chron. xvi. 43..... On the removal of the ark from Obed-edom's house 1051 xcvii... xcviii... 2 Chron. vii. 10...... On the removal of the ark into the temple.... 1004 xcix....... C........... ci... cii... ciii... civ CV cvi..... cvii... cviii. 1 Chron. xvi. 43..... On the removal of the ark from Obed-edom's house 1051 Ezra iii. 7............ On the return from the captivity. 1 Kings xi. 20....... On the conquest of Edom by Joab.... cix........... 2 Sam. xxii. 19...... On David's persecution by Doeg........ 1 Chron. xvii. 27.... On the promise by Nathan to David..... cx..... cxi...... 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life............ Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life............. 1015 1034 1015 $536 1040 1060 1044 cxii. cxiii. cxiv. Ezra iii. 7....... On the return from the captivity...... 536 cxv.......... 2 Chron. xx, 26...... On the victory of Jehoshaphat........................... cxvi......Ezra iii. 7............. On the return from the captivity..... 896 536 cxvii.... oxviii.... 1 Chron. xvii. 27.... On the promise by Nathan to David................................................... 1044 cxix......... Neh. xiii. 3........... Manual of devotion by Ezra........... 444 ¢XX;...*** cxxi. 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life... 1015 During the Babylonish captivity........................... 539 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life......... Ezra iii. 7............. On the return from the captivity..... cxxvi....... Ezra i. 4............... On the decree of Cyrus....... cxxvii... ....... Ezra iii. 7...... On the return from the captivity................................................ cxxxi. 1 Chron. xxviii. 21. Inserted towards the end of David's life. CXXXV... 1015 536 536 536 535 539 1015 1051 1015 536 539 519 2 Chron. vii. 10...... On the removal of the ark into the temple.......... 1004 cxxxvi.. S cxxxvii.... Dan. vii. 28........... During the Babylonish captivity....................................................................... cxxxviii... Ezra vi. 13... On the rebuilding of the temple..... cxxxix.....1 Chron. xiii. 4...... Prayer of David when made king over all Israel..... 1048 cxl..........1 Sam. xxii. 19... ... On David's persecution by Doeg.......... cxli.... 1 Sam. xxvii. 1...... Prayer of David when driven from Judea... cxlii.. 1 Sam. xxii. 1........ Prayer of David in the cave of Adullam... cxliii....... 2 Sam. xvii. 29...... During the war with Absalom.... cxliv........ 2 Sam. xvii. 29. On the victory over Absalom..... cxlv...... 2 Chron. xxviii. 10. David, when old, reviewing his past life........... cxlvia to On the dedication of the second temple............... The general design of this book is to instruct especially the young at their entrance into public and active life: that they may "know wisdom and instruction; perceive the words of understanding; receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion." (Prov. i, 2-4.) It is very important to observe, that Solomon, the writer of this book, lays down this rule as the foundation of all his instructions; "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" thus teaching us there can be no virtue in our intercourse with our fellow creatures, where this is wanting as the motive of action. We are not, says Bishop Hopkins, generally to expect any connection, either of sense or sentences, in this book of Proverbs. Other parts of Scripture are like a rich mine, where the precious ore runs along in one continued vein; but this is like a heap of pearls, which, though they are loose and unstrung, are not therefore the less excellent and valuable. This book has however been thus divided into five parts. Part I., containing the first nine chapters, is a sort of preface the teacher giving his pupil a connected series of admonitions, cautions, and encouragements to the study of wisdom. Part II., extending from chap. x. to xxii. 16, comprises what may be strictly called Proverbs—namely, unconnected sentences, expressed with much neatness and simplicity. Part III. reaches from chap. xxii. 17 to xxv. inclusive, in which the tutor renews his connected admonitions to the study of wisdom. Part IV. contains proverbs supposed to have been selected from some larger collection of Solomon, by the men of Hezekiah-that is, by the Prophets whom he employed to restore the service and writings of the Jewish Church; as Eliakim, and Joah, and Shebna, and probably Hosea, Micah, and even Isaiah. This part, like the second, consists of unconnected sentences, and extends from chap. xxv. to xxix. Part V. consists of the last two chapters; the first of which contains the wise observations and instructions delivered by Agur to his pupils Ithiel and Ucal; and the other the excellent lessons addressed to king Lemuel by his mother. With regard to the interpretation of proverbs, it is important to remark, that not unfrequently that is expressed without any limitation which yet is to be understood as generally, but not universally, true. Thus, Prov. x. 15. The destruction of the poor is their poverty; exposing men to injuries and abuses. But sometimes poverty is a protection, as appears in the tremendous judgment inflicted on the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings xxv. 9); where, we are told, he burnt every great man's house, taking all that had property captive, but leaving (see ver. 12) the poor of the land to be vinedressers, &c. Prov. x. 27. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. This is true, as a general remark, that piety contributes both to the enjoyment and length of life; but Abel was murdered, and Cain's life prolonged. Abijah (1 Kings xiv. 13-17) meets an early death, and his wicked father's life is prolonged to a reign of twenty-two years. Pious Jonathan and apostate Saul perish in the same battle; "the corn is cut down with the weeds, but to a better purpose." God inflicts some judgments here to show he governs the world, but not in all instances to shew that he will judge it. Prov. xi. 15. He that hateth suretyships is sure (see also xvii. 18); but this is not a condemnation of suretyships under any circumstances, but a strong mode of warning against becoming so rashly. Prov. xvi. 7. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.—Under the Old Testament dispensation, to which temporal prosperity was more immediately annexed as the reward of obedience, this was, as a general truth, remarkably illustrated in the history of the Israelites (Exod. xxxiv. 24), Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Asa, &c. Yet, though David's ways pleased the Lord, Saul was never at peace with him, and this applies with still more force to the enemies of David's son and David's Lord. The Apostle also warns Timothy that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. iii. 12). Yet |