into the fire, into deep pits, that they rife not up again. 11. An evil speaker shall not be eftablished in the earth; evil fhall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

The prophet, in these three verfes, predicted those jut judgments, which heaven will inflict on the flanderers and perfecutors of the righteous. Their lips, which uttered mifchief against others, fhall be the means of covering themfelves with confufion, when out of their own mouths they fhall be judged. Those tongues, which have contributed to fet the world on fire, fhall be tormented with the hot burning coals of eternal vengeance: and they who, with fo much eagerness and diligence, have prepared pits for the deftruction of their brethren, fhall be caft into a deep and bottomlefs pit, out of which they will not rife up again any more for ever. Evil speakers and falfe accufers fhall gain no lafting establishment, but punishment shall hunt fin through all its doubles, and feize it at last as its legal prey. Let thefe great truths be firmly rooted in our hearts, and they will keep us fteady, in the worst of times.

12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 13. Surely the righteous fhall give thanks unto thy name: the upright fhall dwell in thy prefence.

That unjust and oppreffive men fhall, in the end, fuffer proportionably to their deferts, we are affured from this confideration, namely, that the Almighty is the patron of the injured and oppreffed. He will plead the cause of the meek and lowly, who are used by the world, as their bleffed Master was used before them. A day will come, when, delivered out of al]

their troubles, they fhall " give thanks unto thy "name," O Lord, and "dwell in thy prefence" for

evermore.

PSALM CXLI.

ARGUMEN T.

David feems to have compofed this Pfalm juft before his flight to Achish king of Gath; when he had a fecond time spared Saul's life, but could truft him no longer. See 1 Sam. xxvi. and xxvii. 1. 1, 2. He prayeth earnestly for help, and entreateth to be heard, as when able to attend the fervice of the tabernacle; 3-5. he petitioneth to be preferved from the fnares of idolatry, in the country whither he was going; 6, 7. he relateth his own conduct toward Saul, and that of Saul toward him; 8, 9. he profeffeth his faith in Jehovah, and redoubleth his prayer to him; 10. he predicteth the destruction of his enemies, and his own deliverance. Many parts of the expofition of this Pfalm, given by the late learned Mr. Peters, in his Critical Differtation on the Book of Job, have been adopted in the ensuing comment.

1. LORD, I will cry unto thee, make hafte unto mes give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 2. Let

3

my

my prayer be fet forth before thee as incenfe; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening facrifice.

The earnest and repeated fupplication for help, in the first of these verfes, fufficiently declares the Pfalmift to have been, at the time, in a fituation of the utmost distress. And the fecond verfe as plainly fheweth, that he was then at a distance from the tabernacle, where all the folemn prayers of the Ifraelites, together with their daily facrifices, were offered up. And, therefore, with his face, probably, directed thither, like Daniel in Babylon, praying towards Jerufalem, he begs that God would accept of all which it was in his power to perform, namely, the devotion of his heart, and the elevation of his hands in prayer; that the one might afcend to heaven, fragrant and well pleasing, as the cloud of "incenfe” mounting from the holy altar; and the other, in conjunction with it, prevail inftead of the "evening 66 oblation," for the deliverance of himself and his companions.

3. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips; or, a guard over the door of my lips. 4. Incline not mine heart, i. e. fuffer not my heart to be inclined, to any evil thing, to practife wicked works with men that work iniquity, or, idolatry; and let me not eat of their dainties.

David was now going to feek a retreat from the perfecutions of his mafter Saul amidst a race of idolaters, who would be curious to obferve all his words and actions, and would attempt to draw him in to be a partaker with them in their idol worship, or to fufpect him as a spy and an enemy, if he refused to

comply

comply with them. He therefore befeeches God to "fet a watch before his mouth, a guard over the "door of his lips," that he might neither endanger his own fafety by his imprudent carriage, nor violate his religion by any weak compliances. He entreats to be preferved from that greatest of all evils, the renouncing Jehovah to follow vain and ftrange gods. He defires that he might not be guilty of this heinous and prefumptuous fin, no not fo much as in thought "Suffer not mine heart to be inclined to any evil thing;" that he might abhor to play the hypocrite, by joining in the abominations of the heathen, "the "men that work idolatry," though but in fhew and appearance only; and that he might never be allured. by the pomp and pleafure of their feafts, by their luxurious meats, and lafcivious rites, to mix in their religious festivals, to eat and drink, and rife up to play" neither let me eaf of THEIR dainties." A Chriftian, living among unbelievers and fenfualifts in the world, hath abundant reason to put up the fame prayers, and to ufe the fame precautions.

5. Let the righteous fmite me; it fhall be a kindnefs: and let him reprove me; it fhall be an excellent oil, which shall not break, or, deprefs my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities, or, against their wickedness.

David continueth his prayer, and beggeth of heaven, as one of it's beft and choiceft bleffings, that if at any time, through the frailty of nature, he fhould be inclined to yield to the above mentioned temptations, he might find, among his attendants, fome "righteous" and faithful friend, who might, with a

kind

kind severity, check and "reprove" him. Such reproof, he fays, would, at that season, be to him as

שטן ראש

the Now the "chief," or moft "precious and ex"cellent oil;" See Exod. xxx. 23. it it would not "de"prefs his head," wx or caufe him to "hang "it down," as people in forrow do, but it would be "the oil of gladnefs," refreshing, enlivening, ftrengthening, and enabling him to lift up his head above the temptation, against which he had been praying, and, with renewed vigour, would ftill continue to pray; "for yet my prayer" fhall be "againft "their wickedneffes." The bleffed effects of reproof, when given and taken as it ought to be, never, furely, were more exactly, or more beautifully described.

6. When their judges are overthrown in ftony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Of this verse, as it ftands in our translation, I know not what can be made. When literally rendered from the Hebrew, it runs thus-" Their judges "have been difmiffed in the fides of the rock, and "have heard my words that they were fweet." David, reflecting on Saul's cruelty, in driving him out of his country, to wander amongst aliens and idolaters, very naturally calls to mind and mentions his own different behaviour towards that implacable enemy, whofe life he had fpared at two feveral times, when he had it in his power to destroy him as he pleased. "Their judges, or princes, leaders, generals," &c. according to the frequent ufage of the word in Scrip ture, ow" have been difmiffed" (the common fignification of the verb on)" in the fides of the rock," when I had them at an advantage there; 1 Sam.

χχίν.