But a Commentary on the Book of Psalms us in the most engaging dress; communiis not to be read all at once;* and it was thought better to give the exposition of each Psalm complete in itself, than to refer the reader elsewhere: which, therefore, is only done, when passages of a considerable length occur in two Psalms, without any material difference.

Such is the method the author has taken, such the authorities upon which he has proceeded, and such the rules by which he has directed himself. If consistency and uniformity in the comment have been the result, they will afford, it is hoped, no contemptible argument on its behalf; since it is scarce possible to expound uniformly, on an erroneous plan, so great a variety of figurative language, as is to be found in the book of Psalms.†

Let us stop for a moment, to contemplate the true character of these sacred hymns.

Greatness confers no exemption from the cares and sorrows of life. Its share of them frequently bears a melancholy proportion to its exaltation. This the Israelitish monarch experienced. He sought in piety that peace which he could not find in empire, and alleviated the disquietudes of state with the exercises of devotion.

cating truths which philosophy could never investigate, in a style which poetry can never equal: while history is made the vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends all its charms to paint the glories of redemption. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the understanding, elevate the affections, and entertain the imagination. Indited under the influence of Him to whom all hearts are known, and all events foreknown, they suit mankind in all situations, grateful as the manna which descended from above, and conformed itself to every palate. The fairest productions of human wit, after a few perusals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fragrancy; but these unfading plants of paradise become, as we are accustomed to them, still more and more beautiful; their bloom appears to be daily heightened; fresh odors are emitted, and new sweets extracted from them. He who hath once tasted their excellencies, will desire to taste them yet again: and he who tastes them oftenest will relish them best.

And now, could the author flatter himself, that any one would take half the pleasure in reading the following exposition, which he His invaluable Psalms convey those com- hath taken in writing it, he would not fear forts to others, which they afforded to himself. the loss of his labor. The employment deComposed upon particular occasions, yet de-tached him from the bustle and hurry of life, signed for general use; delivered out as services for Israelites under the law, yet no less adapted to the circumstances of Christians under the Gospel; they present religion to

*The most profitable way of reading it, perhaps, would be by small portions, often reviewing the text and the comment, and comparing them carefully together at times when the mind is most free, vacant, and calm; in the morning, more especially, to prepare and fortify it for the business of the day; and in the evening, to recompose, and set it in order, for the approaching season of rest.

The student in Theology, who is desirous of farther information upon a subject so curious, so entertaining, and so interesting, as that of the figurative language of Scripture, the principles on which it is founded, and the best rules to be observed in the sober and rational interpretation of it, may find satisfaction, by consulting the following authors :

LoWTH's Preface to his Commentary on the Prophets.

LOWTH, Prælect. de Sacr. Poes. Heb. Prælect, iv. -xii.

PASCHAL'S Thoughts, sect. x.-xiv.
HURD'S Introd. to the Study of the Prophecies.

Serm. ii. iii. iv.

the din of politics, and the noise of folly; vanity and vexation flew away for a season care and disquietude came not near his dwelling. He arose, fresh as the morning, to his task; the silence of the night invited him to pursue it; and he can truly say, that food and rest were not preferred before it. Every Psalm improved infinitely upon his acquaintance with it, and no one gave him uneasiness but the last; for then he grieved that his work was done. Happier hours than those which have been spent on these meditations on the Songs of Sion, he never expects to see in this world. Very pleasantly did they pass, and moved smoothly and swiftly along; for when thus engaged, he counted no time. They are gone, but have left a relish and a fragrance upon the mind, and the remembrance of them is sweet.

-But, alas! these are the fond effusions of parental tenderness. Others will view the production with very different eyes; and the harsh voice of inexorable criticism will too soon awaken him from his pleasing dream. He is not insensible, that many learned and good men, whom he does not therefore value and respect the less, have conceived strong prejudices against the scheme of interpretation here pursued; and he knows how little the generality of modern Christians have

been accustomed to speculations of this kind; | continue such, can have neither lot nor part which, it may likewise, perhaps, be said, will in this matter; for giving no credit to the give occasion to the scoffs of our adversaries, Scripture account of things, either in the Old the Jews and the deists. Yet, if in the preced-Testament or the New, to discourse with ing pages it hath been made to appear, that the them concerning a connection and analogy application of the Psalms to evangelical sub- subsisting between the one and the other, is jects, times, and circumstances, stands upon to reason about a fifth sense with a man who firm ground; that it may be prosecuted upon has only four. For the conviction both of a regular and consistent plan; and that it is the Jews and deists, other arguments are to not only expedient, but even necessary, to be urged; arguments from undeniable mirarender the use of them in our devotions rational cles openly wrought, and plain prophecies and profitable; will it be presumption in him literally fulfilled. Such proofs are "for them to hope that, upon a calm and dispassionate that believe not." And such have been rereview of the matter, prejudices may subside, peatedly urged, in their full force, by the and be done away? If men, in these days, many able champions, who have stood forth have not been accustomed to such contempla- (success evermore attend their labors!) in detions, is it not high time they should become fence of the evidences of Christianity. Exso? Can they begin too soon to study, and positions and meditations, like those in the make themselves masters of a science which subsequent pages, serve not, nor are intended promises to its votaries so much entertain- to serve, "for them who believe not, but for ment, as well as improvement; which recom- them who believe :"* who will exercise their mends the Scriptures to persons of true taste faculties in discerning and contemplating the and genius, as books intended equally for our mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and delight and instruction; which demonstrates who are going on unto perfection; to increase the ways of celestial wisdom to be ways of their faith and inflame their charity; to depleasantness, and all her paths to be peace light them in prosperity, to comfort them in indeed? From the most sober, deliberate, adversity, to edify them at all times. Such and attentive survey of the sentiments which effects, the author doubts not, will be experiprevailed upon this point, in the first ages of enced by believers, who will read his book the church, when the apostolical method of with an honest and good heart, with seriousciting and expounding the Psalms was fresh ness and attention; for though he humbly upon the minds of their followers, the author trusts it will not be deemed altogether unworcannot but be confident, that his Commentary, thy a place in the libraries of the learned, he if it had then made its appearance, would builds chiefly on that approbation which he have been universally received and approved, is solicitous it should receive in the closets of as to the general design of it, by the whole the devout; as considering, that it is LOVE, Christian world. And, however the Jews, heavenly LOVE, which "never faileth; but in their present state of alienation and unbe- whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; lief, may reject and set at naught such applications of their Scriptures to our Messiah and his chosen people, as they certainly will do; he is not less confident, that, whenever the happy and glorious day of their conversion shall come, and the veil shall be taken from their hearts, they will behold the Psalter in that light in which he has endeavored to place it. As to the deists, they, while they

whether there be tongues they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part: but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." They who find not the wished-for satisfaction in one portion, will find it in another; they who disapprove of an interpretation at the first reading, may, perhaps, approve of it at the second; and they who still continue to disapprove of some particu lars, will not therefore disdain to accept the

"If this appears to be the case in so many of the Psalms (namely, that they are predictive of MESSIAH) how strongly does it justify our Lord's appeal to them as treating of him! And what a noble argument may hence arise, for the conviction and con-haps, as his Lordship intimates, in the words of the version of that extraordinary people, to whom they fifty-first Psalm: "Deliver me from BLOOD GUILTIwere originally communicated, when once the veil NESS, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my that is on their hearts, shall be taken away, as by tongue shall sing aloud thy righteousness. O Lord, the same spirit of prophecy we are assured it shall!" open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth The Bishop of CARLISLE's Theory of Religion, p. thy praise. For thou desirest not SACRIFICE, else 176, 6th edit. With what transports of zeal and would I give it; thou deiightest not in BURNT-OFdevotion, of faith and love, will they recite these FERING. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; holy hymns, in the day when the whole body of the a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not Jews, returning to the Lord their God, shall acknow-despise. O do good in thy good pleasure to Zion; ledge their unparalleled crime in the murder of their build thou the walls of JERUSALEM!"

King, and their penitential sorrow for the same, per

1 Cor. xiv. 22.

† 1 Cor. xiii. 8.

benefit of the rest. He has written to gratify | whether they see them shadowed out in the no sect or party, but for the common service Psalms or not. Such will enjoy their own of all who call on the name of JESUS, where- liberty, and permit their brethren to do the soever dispersed, and howsoever distressed, same. Or, if they shall think it necessary to upon the earth. When he views the innumerable unhappy differences among Christians, all of whom are equally oppressed with the cares and calamities of life, he often calls to mind those beautiful and affecting words which Milton represents Adam as addressing to Eve, after they had wearied themselves with mutual complaints and accusations of each other :

But rise, let us no more contend, nor blame
Each other, blam'd enough elsewhere; but strive
In offices of love, how we may lighten
Each other's burden in our share of woe.

B. x. V. 958.

take up the polemical pen, he desires only to receive that treatment, which he has himself shown to every writer, cited or referred to by him.* Instead of engaging in a tedious, and, perhaps, unprofitable altercation upon the subject, he feels himself at present much rather inclined, in such a case, to follow, at his proper distance, the amiable example of his greatly respected Diocesan, who reprinted in England the objections made by a foreign professor, to some parts of his Lectures on the Hebrew Poetry, and left the public to form its own judgment between them. From that public, the author of the Enough has been given to the arts of contro- mination of his fate. Should its sentence be following work is now to expect the deterversy. Let something be given to the studies in his disfavor, nothing further remains to be of piety and a holy life. If we can once said, than that he has honestly and faithfully unite in these, our tempers may be better endeavored to serve it, to the utmost of his disposed to unite in doctrine. When we power, in the way, in which he thought shall be duly prepared to receive it, " God himself best able; and to give the world may reveal even this unto us." To increase some account of that time, and those opporthe number of disputes among us, is, there-tunities, which, by the providence of a grafore, by no means the intent of this publica- cious God, and the munificence of a pious tion. The author having, for many years, Founder, he has long enjoyed in the happy accustomed himself to consider and apply the retirement of a college. Psalms, while he recited them, according to the method now laid down, has never failed to experience the unspeakable benefit of it, both in public and in private; and would wish, if it so pleased God, that death might find him employed in meditations of this kind.* He has likewise frequently taken occasion, in the course of his ministry, to explain a Psalm, upon the same plan, from the pulpit; and whenever he has done so, whether the audience were learned or unlearned, polite or rustic, he has generally had the happiness to find the discourse, in an especial manner, noticed and remembered. But still many may be of a different opinion, who may conscientiously believe the doctrines, and practise the duties of the Gospel,

"I have lost a world of time," said the learned SALMASIUS, on his death-bed; "if I had one year more, I would spend it in reading DAVID'S PSALMS, and PAUL'S EPISTLES."

Detur igitur erratis meis venia: ipse demum exemplo meo mihi prosim, qui neminem eorum, a quibus dissenserim, contumeliis affeci; qui non, acriter invectus sum; qui denique eam veniam vitio criticorum, in diversæ sententiæ propugnatores antecessoribus meis libens tribui, quam ab iis, qui hæc in manus sumturi sint, velim impetrare. PEARCE in Præfat. ad edit. Cic. de Oratore.

66
'Au-

"In his quæ sunt, quæ mihi minus persuasit nostrorum judicio permittere, quam in disceptaVir Clarissimus, ea malui hoc modo libero lectorum tionem et controversiam injucundam, et fortasse infructuosam, vocare." LoWTH, in Præf. ad edit. 2dam Prælect. de Sacra Poesi Hebræorum. thors should avoid, as much as they can," says the usual consequences of which are, loss of time, another very learned critic, "replies and rejoinders, and loss of temper. Happy is he who is engaged in controversy with his own passions, and comes off superior; who makes it his endeavor, that his follies and weaknesses may die before him, and who daily meditates on mortality and immortality." JORTIN'S Preface to his Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, p. xxxiv.

THAT the reader may the more easily turn to such Psalms as will best suit the present state of his mind, according to the different circumstances, whether external or internal, into which, by the changes and chances of life, or the variations of temper and disposition, he may, at any time, be thrown, the common Table of Psalms, classed under their several subjects, is here subjoined.

VIII. Prayers of INTERCESSION. Psalm 20, IV. Advice to Magistrates. Psalm 82, 101. V. The Virtue of Humility. Psalm 131.

34, 40, 75, 103, 108, 116, 118, 138, 144. Psalm 2, 16, 22, 40, 45, 68, 72, 87, 110, 118.

II. Thanksgivings for mercies vouchsafed to

the Israelites in general. Psalm 46, 48,

65, 66, 68, 76, 81, 85, 98, 105, 124, 126, | Psalm 78, 105, 106. 129, 135, 136, 149.