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Analysis of the

PSALM CL.

preceding psalm.

This honour have all his saints.] They shall all | plicable to the influence of the word of God preached, be supported, defended, and saved by the Lord. may be seen in the following analysis. Israel had this honour, and such victories over their enemies, while they continued faithful to their God. When they relapsed into iniquity, their enemies prevailed against them; they were defeated, their city taken, their temple burnt to the ground, more than a million of themselves slaughtered, and the rest led into captivity; and, scattered through the world, they continue without king, or temple, or true worship, to the present day.

ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINTH PSALM.

In this psalm the saints of God are excited to give due thanks.

I. For the grace and favour received from God, ver. 1—5.

II. For the glory and privileges they shall receive, ver. 5-9.

I. "Let Israel rejoice," &c. The saints. Which he amplifies:

1. The saints: "For praise is not comely in the mouth of sinners."

2. The quality of the song: "A new song." By renewed men.

From the place in which it must be done. The public congregation. With alacrity.

4. From the manner.

5. From the object. God, their Creator and King: "Let Israel rejoice," &c.

And this part he concludes with a strong reason: 1. "For the Lord taketh pleasure, &c. He loves those who most resemble him in holiness and purity. 2. "He will beautify the meek," &c. The people who trust him he will save.

II. And now he describes their future glory. 1. "Let the saints," &c. None others will he beautify.

2. "Let them rejoice," &c. The mansions prepared for them in heaven. There they rest from labour, but not from praise.

"But do not these last verses contain a promise that all the nations of the earth shall be brought under the dominion of the Church of Christ; that all heathen and ungodly kings shall be put down, and pious men put in their places?" I do not think so. I believe God never intended that his church should have the civil government of the world. His church, like its Founder and Head, will never be a ruler and divider among men. The men who, under pretence of superior sanctity, affect this, are not of God; the truth of God is not in them; they are puffed up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Woe unto the inhabitants of the earth, when the church takes the civil government of the world into its hand! Were it possible that God should trust religious people with civil government, anarchy would soon ensue ; for every professed believer in Christ would consider himself on a par with any other and every other believer, the right to rule and the necessity to obey would be immediately lost, and every man would do what was right in his own eyes; for, where the grace of God makes all equal, who can presume to say, I have divine authority to govern my fellows? The church of Rome has claimed this right; and the pope, in consequence, became a secular prince; but the nations of the world have seen the vanity and iniquity of the claim, and refused allegiance. Those whom it did govern, with force and with cruelty did it rule them; and the odious yoke is now universally cast off. Certain enthusiasts and hypocrites, not of that church, have also attempted to set up a fifth monarchy, a civil government by the SAINTS! and diabolic saints they were. To such pretenders God gives neither countenance nor support. The secular and spiritual government God will ever keep distinct; and the church shall have no power but that of doing good; and this only in proportion to its holiness, heavenly- He concludes with an acclamation. This glory of mindedness, and piety to God. That the verses sitting with Christ and judging the world, is the above may be understood in a spiritual sense, as ap- | glory of all saints. Hallelujah.

Their work is twofold: Present and future.

1. Present: "The high praises," &c. The highest that can be thought of.

2. For the future: "Let a two-edged sword," &c. When Christ shall come to judgment, the saints at the last shall be judges.

Then the exercise of this judiciary power shall be, 1. "To execute vengeance," &c. To judge them to punishment.

2. "To bind their kings with chains," &c. The phrase is metaphorical. "Bind him hand and foot," &c.; Matt. xxii. Christ's iron sceptre shall bruise the head of his enemies.

3. "To execute upon them the judgment written," &c. Against evil-doers.

PSALM CL.

A general exhortation to praise God, 1, 2. With the trumpet, psaltery, and harp, 3. With the timbrel and dance, stringed instruments and organs, 4. With the cymbals, 5. All living creatures are called upon to join in the exercise.

An exhortation

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PSALMS.

f

to praise God.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance:

b

PRAISE ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament praise him with stringed instruments and of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the "trumpet: *praise him with the psaltery and harp.

a Heb. Hallelujah. b Ps. cxlv. 5, 6. c Deut. iii. 24. d Or, cornet. Ps. xcviii. 6. ePs. lxxxi. 2. cxlix. 3. Exod. xv. 20. Or, pipe. Ps. cxlix. 3. Ps. xxxiii,

NOTES ON PSALM CL.

This psalm is without title and author in the Hebrew, and in all the ancient Versions. It is properly the full chorus of all voices and instruments in the temple, at the conclusion of the grand Hallelujah, to which the five concluding psalms belong.

organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud 'cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

2. xcii. 3. cxliv. 9. Isai. xxxviii. 20.
19, 28. xvi. 5. xxv. 1, 6.

1 Chron. xv. 16,

means dance; see the note on Ps. cxlix. 3. Crecth signifies a fiddle in Welsh.

Stringed instruments] minnim. This literally signifies strings put in order; perhaps a triangular kind of hollow instrument on which the strings were regularly placed, growing shorter and shorter till they came to a point. This would give a variety of sounds, from a deep bass to a high treble. In an ancient MS. Psalter before me, David is represented in two places, playing on such an instrument. It may be the sambuck, or psaltery, or some such instrument.

Verse 1. Praise God in his sanctuary] In many places we have the compound word haleluyah, praise ye Jehovah ; but this is the first place in which we find halelu-el, praise God, or the strong God. Praise him who is Jehovah, the infinite and self-existent Being; and praise him who is God, El or Elohim, the great God in covenant with man-mouth organ; Pan's pipe; both of the ancients and kind, to bless and save them unto eternal life.

In his sanctuary-in the temple; in whatever place is dedicated to his service. Or, in his holiness through his own holy influence in your hearts.

The firmament of his power.] Through the whole expanse, to the utmost limits of his power. As y rakia is the firmament or vast expanse that surrounds the globe, and probably that in which all the celestial ⚫ bodies of the solar system are included, it may have that meaning here. Praise him whose power and goodness extend through all worlds; and let the inhabitants of all those worlds share in the grand chorus, that it may be universal.

Verse 2. For his mighty acts] Whether manifested in creation, government, mercy, or justice.

Organs.] any ugab. Very likely the syrinx or

moderns. The fistula, septem disparibus nodis conjuncta, made of seven pieces of cane or thick straw, of unequal lengths, applied to the lips, cach blown into, according to the note intended to be expressed. This instrument is often met with in the ancient bucolic or pastoral writers.

Verse 5. Loud cymbals] by tsellselim. Two hollow plates of brass which, being struck together, produced a sharp clanging sound. This instrument is still in use. What the high sounding cymbuis meant I know not; unless those of a larger make. struck above the head, and consequently emitting louder sound.

Verse 6. Let every thing that hath breath] Either to make a vocal noise, or a sound by blowing into pipes, fifes, flutes, trumpets, &c. Let all join together, and put forth all your strength and all your skill in sounding the praises of Jehovah; and then

His excellent greatness.] 1577 kerob gudlo, according to the multitude of his magnitude, or of his majesty. Erren mænigrealonyrre mucelnyrre hir; After the manyfoldness of his mickleness.-Anglo-let a universal burst with HALLELUJAH! close the Saxon. After the mykelnes of his greathede.-Old Psalter. Let the praise be such as is becoming so great, so holy, and so glorious a Being.

Verse 3. The sound of the trumpet] sophar, from its noble, cheering, and majestic sound; for the original has this ideal meaning.

With the psaltery] nebel; the nabla, a hollow stringed instrument; perhaps like the guitar, or the old symphony.

grand ceremony. It is evident that this psalm has no other meaning than merely the summoning up all the voices, and all the instruments, to complete the service in FULL CHORUS.

Of such peculiar importance did the Book of Psalms appear to our blessed Lord and his apostles, that they have quoted nearly fifty of them several times in the New Testament. There is scarcely a state in human life that is not distinctly marked in them; together

And harp.] kinnor, another stringed instrument, with all the variety of experience which is found, played on with the hands or fingers.

Verse 4. Praise him with the timbrel] toph, drum, tabret, or tomtom, or tympanum of the ancients; a skin stretched over a broad hoop; perhaps something like the tambourine. Anglo-Saxon: glig-beam, the glud pipe. Taburne; Old Psalter.

And dance] machol, the pipe. The croude or crowthe: Old Psalter; a species of violin. It never

not merely among pious Jews, but among Christians, the most deeply acquainted with the things of Christ.

The minister of God's word, who wishes to preach experimentally, should have frequent recourse to this sacred book; and by considering the various parts that refer to Jesus Christ and the Christian church, he will be able to build up the people of God on their most holy faith; himself will grow in grace, and in

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the knowledge of God; and he will ever have an abundance of the most profitable matter for the edification of the church of Christ.

ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH PSALM. This psalm is the same with the former. In the hundred and forty-eighth, all creatures are invited to praise God; in the hundred and forty-ninth, men especially, and those who are in the church; but in this, that they praise him with all kinds of instruments. I. An invitation to praise God, which word he repeats thirteen times, according to the thirteen attributes of God, as the rabbins reckon them.

II. That this be done with all sorts of instruments, intimating that it is to be performed with all the care, zeal, and ardency of affection.

I. Throughout the psalm he calls on men to praise God.

1. "Praise God in his sanctuary." Or in your hearts, which are the temples of the Holy Ghost.

2. "Praise him in the firmament," &c. His magrificence when he sits on his throne. Some understand the church by it, in which his saints shine as stars in the firmament.

3. "Praise him for his mighty acts," &c. The works of his power.

4. "Praise him according," &c. Whereby he excels all things; he being absolutely great, they only comparatively so.

II. The prophet desires that no way be omitted by which we may show our zeal and ardency in praising him.

1. "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet," &c. An instrument used in their solemn feasts.

2. "Praise him with the psaltery," &c. And with these they sing, so that there is also music with the voice.

preceding psalm.

3. "Praise him with the timbrel," &c. In the choir with many voices.

4. "Praise him with stringed instruments," &c. Lutes, viols, organs, &c.

5. "Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals," &c. An instrument which yields a loud sound, as bells among us.

His conclusion is of universal reference, "Let every thing," &c.

1. "Every thing that hath breath," &c. That hath faculty or power to do it.

2. Every thing that hath life," &c. Whether spiritual, as angels; or animal, as man and beasts. Or, metaphorically, such as, though inanimate, may be said to praise God, because they obey his order and intention. Thus, all things praise God, because all things that have life or being derive it immediately from himself.

MASORETIC NOTES ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS. Number of verses, two thousand five hundred and twenty-seven. Middle verse, Ps. lxxviii. 36. Sections, nineteen.

At the end of the Syriac we have this colophon :— "The hundred and fifty psalms are completed. There are five books, fifteen psalms of degrees, and sixty of praises. The number of verses is four thousand eight hundred and thirty-two. There are some who have added twelve others; but we do not need them. And may God be praised for ever!"

The first

At the end of the Arabic is the following:
The end of the five books of psalms.
book ends with the fortieth psalm; the second, with
the seventieth psalm; the third, with the eightieth
psalm; the fourth, with the hundred and fifteenth;
and the fifth, with the last psalm, i. e., the hundred
and fiftieth.

4

PSALM CLI.

Besides these hundred and fifty psalms, there is one additional in the Syriac, Septuagint, Æthiopic, and
Arabic, of which it will be necessary to say something, and to give a translation.

1. The psalm is not found in the Hebrew, nor in the Chaldee, nor in the Vulgate.

2. It is found, as stated above, in the Syriac, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic; but not in the AngloSaxon, though Dom. Calmet has stated the contrary. But I have not heard of it in any MS. of that Version; nor is it in Spelman's printed copy.

3. It is mentioned by Apollinaris, Athanasius, Euthymius, Vigilius Tapsensis, and St. Chrysostom.

4. It has never been received either by the Greek or Latin church; nor has it ever been considered as canonical.

5. It is certainly very ancient, stands in the Codex Alexandrinus, and has been printed in the Paris and London Polyglots.

6. Though the Greek is considered the most authentic copy of this psalm, yet there are some things in the Syriac and Arabic necessary to make a full sense. The Arabic alone states the manner of Goliath's death.

The title is, “A Psalm in the hand-writing of David, beyond the number of the psalms, composed by David, when he fought in single combat with Goliath." I shall make it as complete as I can from the different Versions.

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An apocryphal psalm

PSALMS.

I WAS the least among my brethren; and the youngest in my father's house; and I kept also my father's sheep.

not found in the Hebrew.

5 My brethren were taller and more beautiful than I; nevertheless the LORD delighted not in them.

2 My hands made the organ; and my fingers 6 I went out to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols.

joined the psaltery.

3 And who told it to my LORD? [Arab.: And who is he who taught me ?] The LORD himself, he is my Master, and the Hearer of all that call upon him.

4 He sent his angel, and took me away from my father's sheep; and anointed me with the oil of his anointing. [Others, the oil of his mercy.]

NOTES ON PSALM CLI.

If we were sure this was David's composition, we should not be willing to see it out of the number of the Psalms, or standing among the apocryphal writings. As a matter of curiosity I insert it; as, if a forgery, it is very ancient; and I leave it to the intelligent reader to add his own notes, and form his own analysis. The subscription to the Syriac says some add twelve more. The Codex Alexandrinus has fourteen more. They are the following:

1. The Song of Moses and the children of Israel, Exod. xv. 1, &c.

2. Ditto, from Deut. xxii. 1, &c.

3. The Song of Hannah, 1 Sam. ii. 1, &c.
4. The Prayer of Isaiah, Isai. xxvi. 2, &c.
5. The Prayer of Jonah, Jonah ii. 3, &c.
6. The Prayer of Habakkuk, Hab. iii. 2, &c.

7. The Prayer of Hezekiah, Isai. xxxviii. 10, &c. 8. The Prayer of Manasseh, see the Apocrypha.

7 [Arab.: In the strength of the LORD I cast three stones at him. I smote him in the forehead, and felled him to the earth.]

8 And I drew out his own sword from its sheath, and cut off his head, and took away the reproach from the children of Israel.

as the Codex Alexandrinus, for it has added several similar pieces, after the hundred and fiftieth psalm, where we read, Explicit Psalmos, incipit canticum Ysaie.

1. The Hymn of Isaiah, Isai. xii. 1, &c.

2. The Prayer of Hezekiah, Isai. xxxviii. 10-20, inclusive.

3. The Prayer of Hannah, 1 Sam. ii. 1, &c. 4. The Song of Moses at the Red Sea, Exod. xv. 1-19.

5. The Prayer of Habakkuk.

6. The Song of Moses, Deut. xxii. 1-43.

7. The Magnificat, or Song of the Blessed Virgin, Luke i. 46-55.

8. The ten commandments.

9. There are several curious maxims, &c., which follow the commandments, such as Seven werkes of Mercy; Seven gastely werkes of Mercy; Seven Virtues; The keeping of the five senses; Fourteen

9. The Prayer of Azarias, or of the Three Chil-points of trouthe. Another head, which is torn off. dren.-Apocrypha.

Lastly, Some godly advices in poetry, which terminate

10. The Hymn of our Fathers, see the Benedicite the book. omnia opera in the Liturgy.

11. The Magnificat, or Song of the Blessed Virgin, Luke i. 46, &c.

I suppose these hymns were added on the same principle that the general assembly of the Kirk of 12. The Nunc dimittis, or Song of Simeon, Luke Scotland added, by an act in 1479 and 1750, a numii. 29, &c.

13. The Prayer of Zacharias, Luke i. 68, &c.

14. The 'Yuvos voc, or Morning Hymn as used in the service of the Greek church.

My old Psalter seems to have copied such authority

ber of verses and portions of the sacred writings, among which are several of the above, to their authorized Version of the Psalms of David in metre, to be sung in all kirks and families.

SKETCH

OF THE

LIFE AND CHARACTER OF DAVID.

David slung a stone with such force as to break through the helmet, pierce the skull, and beat out the Philistine's brains.

WHEN the historical books of the Old Testament | his helmet alone weighed three hundred; nevertheless were under consideration, I formed the resolution to say but little on those parts where the history of David is concerned, till I should come to the end of the Psalms, where, if I did not give a general history of his life, I might at least draw his character. But so many facts in David's history were found to require illustration, I was obliged often to anticipate my design, and enter into discussions which I had hoped to be able to produce with good effect at the end of his writings. I must therefore refer back to several particulars in the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, that concern the history of this most extraordinary man; and the objections produced against his spirit and conduct by persons not friendly to divine revelation.

"God gave him the gift of prophecy, and the Book Ziboor (Psalms); and taught him to make hair and sackcloth, which was the work of the prophets; and instructed him in the language of birds, which, with the stones of the field, were obedient to him, and iron was softened by his hands. During the forty days which he spent in bewailing his sins, plants grew where he watered the ground with his tears."

or

The Mohammedans all allow that the Ziboor, or Book of Psalms, was given to David by immediate inspiration, and that it contains 150 sourats chapters. His skill in music is also proverbial among the Mohammedans. Hence some verses in the Anvari Soheely, which are to this effect: "You decide the greatest difficulties with as much ease as Daoud touched the chords of his lyre when he chanted his psalms."

If we could persuade the Mohammedans that the Book of Psalms which we now possess was the real work of David, something would be gained towards their conversion. But they say the Jews have corrupted it, as the Christians have the Anjeel (Gospel), and the book which they produce as the psalms of David consists of extracts only from the psalms, with a variety of other matters which have no relation either to David or his work.

In the sacred writings David is presented to our view-1. As a shepherd; 2. A musician; 3. A skilful military leader; 4. A hero; 5. A king; 6. An ecclesiastical reformer; 7. A prophet; 8. A type of Christ; 9. A poet; and 10. A truly pious man.

Where I have found David to blame, I have not palliated his conduct; and though it is with me a | maxim to lean to the most favourable side when examining the characters of men, yet I hope I have nowhere served the cause of Antinomianism, which I abominate, nor endeavoured to render any thing, morally evil, venial, because it was found in the conduct of a religious man or a prophet. Vice must never be countenanced, though individuals, on the whole highly respectable, suffer by its disclosure, which disclosure should take place only when the interests of religion and truth absolutely require it. David, Doud or Daoud, the son of Jesse, of an obscure family in the tribe of Judah, and of the inconsiderable village of Bethlehem, in the same tribe, was born, according to the best accounts, A. M. 2919, B. C. 1085. He was the youngest of eight sons, and was keeper of his father's sheep. David was descended from Jacob by his son Judah, in that line which united both the regal and sacerdotal functions; 1. David stands before the world in his history and in his own person were conjoined the regal and and writings as a private person destitute of ambition, prophetic offices. It is supposed he was anointed by apparently in a low, if not mean, situation in life, Samuel, about A. M. 2934, when he was but about contributing to the support of a numerous family, of fifteen years of age; and that he slew Goliath in which he formed a part, by keeping the sheep of his A. M. 2942, when he was in the twenty-third or father in the wilderness or campaign country in twenty-fourth year of his age. He became king of the vicinity of Bethlehem. In those times, and in Judah after the death of Saul, A. M. 2949; and king such a rocky and mountainous country as Judea, of all Israel, A. M. 2956, when he was about thirty- this situation required a person of considerable adseven years of and died A. M. 2989, B. C. 1015, dress, skill, courage, and muscular strength. age, when he was about seventy-one years old. flock must not only be led out and in to find the He is often mentioned by the Asiatic writers, and proper pasture, but their maladies must be skilfully by Mohammed, in the Koran, in these words: treated, and they defended against the attacks of "Daoud slew Geealout (Goliath); and God gave him wild beasts, than which none could be more fora kingdom and wisdom, and taught him whatsoever he midable for rapacity and strength than the lion and wished to know." the bear. These were among the savage inhabitants of the country of Judea, and were the destroyers of the flocks, and the terror of the shepherds. The land was also infested with banditti, or lawless solitary rovers who sought by depredations among the flocks

Hussain Vaez, one of the commentators on the Koran, observes on the above passage: "That Goliath was of such an enormous size that his armour, which was of iron, weighed one thousand pounds; and that

The

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