Thou wilt prepare their heart, and thou
to hear wilt bend thine ear:

18 To judge the fatherlefs, and thofe
that are oppressed fore,

That man, that is but fprung of earth,
may them opprefs no more.

To the chief Mufician, A Pfalm of David.

Behold here (1) David, tempted by his timorous friends, to escape to fome mountain, and hide himself from the fury of Saul, or of Abfalom, as if that were his only fafe courfe, now, when his enemies were exerting themselves to the uttermost, and all things were in diforder and confusion, ver. 1,—3. (2) David baffling the temptation by a refolute profeffion of his truft in God, as the obferver of all men as the holy and righteous punither of the wicked, and friend of the godly, ver. 1.4.7 - Let no temptation decoy me from my duty. Let no danger deter me from it. While JEHOVAH, my reconciled God and Father, manageth and judgeth the world, my fafeft courfe is to commit myfelf to him in well. doing. Let the juft vengeance of God upon finners deter my heart from finning, and his kindnefs to his people encourage me to holiness in all manner of converfation.

I

In the Lord do put my truft;
how is it then that ye

Say to my foul, Flee as a bird
unto your mountain high:

2 For do, the wicked bend their bow,
their fhafts on strings they fit,
That those who upright are in heart,
they privily may hit.

3

If the foundations be deftroy'd,
what hath the righteous done?

4 God in his holy temple is,

in heaven is his throne:

His eyes do fee, his eye-lids try 5 Men's fons. The juft he proves: But his foul hates the wicked many and him that vi'lence loves.

6 Snares, fire and brimflone, furious ftorms,
on finners he shall rain:
This, as the portion of their cup,
doth unto thent pertain.

7 Because the Lord moft righteous doth
in righteousness delight,
And with a pleafant countenance
beholdeth the upright.

To the chief Mufician upon Sheminith, A Pfalm of David.

In this Pfalm, which was probably penned, during the reign of Saul, obferve (1) The times rendered extremely bad by the almost univerfal death of the godly, the general decay of piety and honefly, the common prevalence of diffimulation and flattery; and by the prond and daring contempt of God, and oppreflion of the poor; and by the protection and encouragement of wickednefs, by thofe that bare rule, in church or ftate, ver. 1-4. 8. (2) Enough in God to balance the evils of the worst of times. He is ready to help. He will in due time reckon with the wicked, and restrain their infolence. He will feafonably and effectually relieve his oppreffed people. His words are puré, firm and faithful; and he will alway secure a remnant for himfelf, ver. 1. 5,7.In evil times, do thou my foul, live on thy God. Walk humbly with thy God. Hope continually in thy God, and rejoice in his New covenant promifes to men,--to ME.

HEL

TELP, Lord, becaufe the godly man
doth daily fade away,

And from among the fons of men
the faithful do decay.

2 Unto his neighbour ev'ry one doth utter vanity:

They with a double heart do fpeak, and lips of flattery.

3 God fhall cut off all flatt'ring lips, tongues that fpeak proudly, thus,

4 We'll with our tongue prevail, our lips are ours: Who's lord o'er us?

5 For poor oppreft, and for the fighs of needy rife will I,

Saith God, and him in fafety fet from fuch as him defy.

6 The words of God are words moft

they be like filver try'd

In earthen-furnace feven times

that hath been purify'd.

pure,

7 Lord, thou fhalt them preferve and keep for ever from this race.

2 On each fide walk the wicked, when. vile men are high in place.

PSAL M XIII.

To the chief Mufician, A Pfalm of David.

Here we have the Pfalmift fowing in tears, but reaping in joy. Obferve (1) Ilis extreme diftrefs, occafioned by God's apparent unkindnefs, and by inward anguifh of foul, and infolence of enemies, ver. 1, 2. (2) His fervent fupplications, that God would confider his cafe, ffrengthen his faith, direct his goings, and comfort his heart, ver. 3. 4. (3) Sudden deliverance, flowing from a fixed truft in God, and inducing to a triumphant joy in Him, ver. 5, 6.- Think, my foul

how divine withdrawments, fenfibly perceived, fting a renewed heart! How changeable the faints fpiritual frames are, while they continue in this world: Weeping endures for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And, behold, how quickly the prayers of faith are answered, and its expectations fulfilled!

HOW long wilt thou forget me, Lord?

fhall it for ever be?

O how long fhall it be, that thou

wilt hide thy face from me?

2 How long take counfel in my foul,
ftill fad in heart, shall I?

How long exalted over me
fhall be mine enemy?

3 O Lord my God, confider well,
and answer to me make:

Mine eyes enlighten, left the fleep

of death me overtake:

4 Left that mine enemy fhould say, against him I prevail'd;

And those that trouble me rejoice, when I am mov'd and fail'd.

5 But I have all my confidence thy mercy fet upon :

My heart within me shall rejoicein thy falvation.

6 I will unto the Lord my God fing praises chearfully,

Because he hath his bounty fhown to me abundantly..

PSAL M XIV..

To the chief Mufician, A Pfalm of David.

This Pfalm reprefents the fearful finfulness and mifery of mankind, and the marvellous method of deliverance therefrom Behold here (1) AH mankind fearfully infected with the Goddishonouring, the foul-debafing and defiting, the world-disturbing, malady of fiaful corruption in heart and life, ver. 1,-3. (2) Warm expoftulations for the conviction, awakening, and reclaiming, of wicked men, ver. 4,-6. (3) Confolations exhibited to the righteous, from God's being among them," and being a refuge to them, and from his fending his Son to fave and redeem them, ver. 5-7- While I fing

1

thefe lines, let me have a deep fenfe of my corruptions. Let me be ashamed of them before God, Let me, with a broken heart and weeping eye, confefs my filthinefs and crimes. Let me groan after and flee to Jefus, the Saviour, the falvation of God. O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from this abominable life;-from this inward body of death!-Thanks to the Redeemer, who is come to Zion to turn away ungodlinefs from Jacob!-Let 'therefore Jacob rejoice, and the Gentiles fing.

HAT there is not a God, the fool

THA

doth in his heart conclude:

They are corrupt, their works are vile not one of them doth good.

2. Upon men's fons the Lord from heav'n
did calt his eyes abroad;
To fee if any understood,
and did feek after God.

3 They altogether filthy are,
they all afide are gone;
And there is none that doeth good;
yea, fure there is not one..
4 Thefe workers of iniquity,
do they not know at all,

That they my people cat as bread,
and on God do not call?

5 There fear'd they much for God is with the whole race of the juft..

7

poor;

6 You fhame the counfel of the
becaufe God is his truft..
Let Ifra'l's help from Zion come:
when back the Lord thall bring
His captives, Jacob fhall rejoice,.
and Ifrael thall fing.

A. Pfalm of David.

Here let me (1) With wonder, obferve the happy state of prefent fellowship with God, in his church on earth, and of everlafting fellowship with him, in the temple above; and how fixed the faints are in this their new-covenant, ftate, ver. 1. 5. (2) Let me with felf-examination, remark the difcriminating characters of fuch as are admitted to that happy ftate. They are fincere, upright, and honest, in all their ways; are kind to neighbours; they esteem others in proportion to the appear. ance of Chrift's image on them; and they prefer a good con fcience to every earthly advantage, ver. 2,-5.While

fing, let me think of my perfect and all-fufficient Saviour, who is paffed into the heavensis entered for me, as the fore-runner. And, having received him into my heart as my fanctifying furniture, let me walk-in him as my way, and follow him as my pattern, denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, and living foberly, righteously and godly in this, prefent world. Thus fhail the Father and the Son come unto me on earth, and take up their abode with me: And fo fhall I in heaven, be for ever with the Lord,