4. The satisfaction arising from a consciousness of our integrity, should engage us to retain it, and never give it up, v. 11. Let us be careful not to lose what is so noble a source of consolation, but till we die, hold fast our integrity, and never let it go on any consideration. In order to this, let us with David continue in prayer, that God would redeem us; redeem us from the power of sin, and the temptations of Satan; and that wherein we come short of our duty, he would be merciful unto us. Then will our feet stand in an even place; we shall not fall, but shall have reason in the congregation to bless the name of the Lord. It was probably composed during his persecutions by Saul, as he com plains so feelingly of false accusers, speaks with such earnest desires of the house of God, and mentions his father and mother forsaking him. THE HE LORD [is] my light and my salvation; my guide and my protector; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? he keeps me alive, notwithstanding all my dangers; I can look round, and find nothing to terrify me, while I have confidence in the divine support. 2 When the wicked, [even] mine enemies and my foes, came upon me, like a savage beast, to eat up my flesh, as Goliah did, they stumbled and fell; were disappointed in their designs. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear though war should rise against me, in this [will] I [be] 4 confident, that is, in the divine assistance and blessing. One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; this is the great object of my desire and ambition, what I will continue to pray for with the utmost importunity, and use all proper methods to obtain, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, have constant access there at the seasons of religious worship, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple; to contemplate his perfections and glory, and inquire 5 his will. For in the time of trouble, or rather, nevertheless, while deliverance is delayed, he shall hide me in his pavilion; he shall secure me from danger in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me ; he shall set me upon a rock ; the most secret retirement, or the most impregnable rock, would not render me more secure, 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; I am confident, not only that they shall be disappointed, but that I shall be victorious; therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto 7 the LORD, in the most exalted strains. Hear, O LORD, [when] I cry with my voice, in a most affectionate and fervent manner; 8 have mercy also upon me, and answer me. [When thou saidst,] Seek ye my face, that is, my favour and protection; my heart 9 said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face {far] from me; put not thy servant away in anger, as an angry master may do to a servant; thou hast been my help; leave me 10 not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up; he will then be my guide and guardian, and will not suffer me 11 to perish. Teach me thy way, O LORD, the way of duty and prudence, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies ; that I may not stumble, and they take occasion to lay hold on me, 12 or to insult me. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty; who discover bloody intentions in their dis13 courses and threatenings. [I had fainted,] unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living; I should have been quite undone, had I not firmly believed that I should enjoy the good things God has promised me before I die. 14 Wait on the LORD, therefore: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; give not way to despondency and fear, but stir up holy courage, and God will add fresh supplies of it: and though he should not immediately appear for thy deliverance, wait, I say, on the LORD. 1. REFLECTIONS. ROM this psalm we learn cheerfully to trust in God, amidst have many enemies, though through the divine goodness, none that can be called oppressors and persecutors. We wrestle not only with flesh and blood, with inward corruptions and ill examples, but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. Let us then commit ourselves to the divine protection; if omnipotence be our guard, we have nothing to fear; if God be for us, who can be against us? 2. Let us delight in public worship, from the same principle that David did; and make it our earnest desire that we may not be deprived of the privileges and comforts of God's house. We live under a more excellent dispensation; have a brighter display of the beauty of the Lord, see it reflected from the face of Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, and in the scheme of our redemption by him. In gospel ordinances we enjoy his presence, and are instructed in his will. This is a great satisfaction to a pious mind, and the want of it is the chief lamentation of a good man. May we value and improve this privilege while we enjoy it; and cheerfully and steadily obey the will of God, as well as diligently inquire after it. 3. We should labour to secure an interest in the divine friendship, and live on the comforts of that, when earthly friends forsake • See 1 Sam. xxii. 3. where it is said, he left his father and mother, for security, with the king of Moab. us. God invites us to this; he says by his providence and his word, Seek ye mu face; may our hearts reply, Thy face, Lord, will we seek. Father and mother may forsake us: our dearest friends and relations may die; or Providence may remove us to a distance from them, and we may lose the benefit of their conversation, counsel, and examples; but God is every where present, and always ready to hear and help us. In him the fatherless find mercy. Let us there fore wait on the Lord; and endeavour to keep up our courage. He hath said to every believer, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee i therefore we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount as on eagles' wings; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. PSALM XXVIII. [A Psalm] of David. This psalm was probably composed after his accession to the throne, (as he calls himself the Lord's anointed) when a party was raised against him by Ishbosheth, Saul's son, conducted by Abner. " 'UNT INTO thee will I cry, O LORD, my rock, my shelter and security; be not silent to me: lest, [if] thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit, quite helpless 2 and undone. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle; the mercy seat in the most holy place, from whence the oracles were 3 delivered. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity; let me not be drawn into their practices, nor involved in the same punishment, for they are treacherous men, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief [is] in their 4 hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render t them their desert; this expresses his confidence in the goodness of his cause; as if he had said, I desire I may have but justice; and his assurance that God would thus 5 punish them, rather than his desire that it might be so. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, the works he hath wrought for me and by me, in slaying Goliah, and saving me from Saul, choosing me king, and fixing • me upon the throne, he shall destroy them, and not build them up; they shall never recover. And he had such confidence that the Lord would appear for him, that he breaks out in the language of .6 praise; Blessed [be] the LORD, because he hath heard the voice 7 of my supplications. The LORD, [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; he is still my strength, he hath helped, and will help me : therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 8 The LORD [is] their strength, that is, the strength of his people, and he [is] the saving strength of his anointed, by whose strength 9 alone he has been delivered. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance feed them also, and lift them up for ever; take care of them, as a shepherd does of his flock, and advance them to a state of security and honour, in which they shall continue through succeeding generations. REFLECTIONS. 1.TN imitation of David, let us earnestly pray that we may not be of the quicked, that no temptation may lead us to follow their example, to enter into their confederacies, or to join our interests with theirs. We should especially dread the ways of the worst sort of wicked men, that is, deceitful men, who speak peace, while mischief is in their hearts; imposing on those for whom they profess friendship and affection. Let us be cautious, that we never turn aside into these crooked ways. God will give wicked men according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours. A very remarkable, and indeed a very awful phrase; he will punish them for the wickedness they intended, though they had not an opportunity of doing it. May we therefore never learn their ways, nor enter into their counsels; for it is said, Partake not of their sins, lest ye partake of their plagues. 2. Let us carefully observe the schemes and designs of Providence, that we may reverence and follow them, and not attempt to oppose them. Many live in a constant forgetfulness of God, because they regard not his works. This is the cause why so many that know God, in works deny him; affront him, and rebel against him; they overlook the evidences of his authority and power, and the displays of his wrath against sinners. This was the case with Pharaoh of old; and whether this disposition be found in the rich or the poor, in princes, or common people, it is the sure way to destruction. Let it therefore be our resolution, that we will meditate on God's works; we will consider the operations of his hands. 3. We learn from hence, to cultivate a deep concern for the good of the public, and to offer fervent prayers for its prosperity. That is a short, excellent, and comprehensive prayer in the conclusion of the psalm, which we should often adopt, viz. that God would save his people, and bless his inheritance; those who profess his pure religion, and are devoted to his service; that he would save them from their enemies, and bless them with victory and prosperity; feed them with plenty of earthly and spiritual blessings; lift them out of their troubles into a state of security, honour, and triumph; and do it for ever, for the race of his people through all succeeding generations. This is a very proper prayer for our country at all times, and should be offered up with great earnestness; then may we hope that God will be the strength of his people, and the saving strength of his anointed. Apparently composed in a violent storm of thunder; and some have supposed that it was used in the temple during thunder storms. 1 GU IVE unto the LORD, O ye mighty, ye princes and potentates of the earth, give unto the LORD glory and strength; acknowledge the strength and glory of God, and ascribe to him the 2 perfections of his majesty. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name, the honour which he deserves; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; in his tabernacle, which was beautiful 3 and holy. The voice of the LORD [is] upon the waters ; among the thick clouds, which then usually pour down abundance of rain: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD [is] upon many waters; 4 upon the great ocean itself, which trembles at his voice. The voice of the LORD [is] powerful in its operations; the voice of the LORD [is] full of majesty; his thunder produces great and 5 wonderful effects. For instance, The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; when he speaks in thunder, and sends forth his lightnings, he shivers to pieces the cedars, which are so tall, thick, and durable; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon, which 6 for stateliness, strength, and bulk, surpass all others. Yea, He maketh them also to skip like a calf: Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn ; the mountains on which the cedars grow, tremble before their God; are thrown into strange commotion, and, with all their load, of woods and rocks, appear like some affrighted 7 animal. The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire; 8 thunder and the forked lightnings break out of the clouds. The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh; its force is felt in the most desert 9 places, and affrights the beasts of the wilderness. The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve; though at other times they bring forth with difficulty, the thunder terrifies them so as to hasten their delivery. Some ancient versions better render it,' the Lord shaketh the oaks,' and discovereth the forests; penetrates into the most secret places, breaks down the trees, and lays the ground bare: and in his temple doth every one speak of [his] glory; his temple remains unmoved, and there it is that he receiv10 eth public honour for all these wonderful appearances. The LORD sitteth upon the flood; he rules all the elements; or rather, as the word is used concerning Nouh's flood,' the Lord did sit king upon the flood' presided over the universal deluge, and therefore particular storms are undoubtedly under his command; yea, the LORD sitteth king for ever; he always possesses the same power which he then manifested: here is our comfort, that storms can 11 never shake his throne. Yea, The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace: this mighty God will strengthen his people amidst all their dangers and enemies and this glorious Being will bless them with peace: and make them secure and happy. |