Lord, as being preferable to the splendid dwellings of the

wicked.

LXXXV. 10.-"Righteousness and peace have kissed

each other." (Ezek. iii. 13. "touched one another." Heb. "kissed.")

Dr. Boothroyd, "Righteousness and peace have embraced."

In the Hindoo book called Iraku-Vangesham, it is said, the “ lotus flowers were kissing each other." When the branches of two separate trees meet, in consequence of strong winds, it is said "they kiss each other." When a young palmirah tree, which grows near the parent stock, begins to move (by the wind), the people say, "Ah! the mother is kissing the daughter."

A woman says of the ornaments round her neck, "Yes, these embrace my neck." Has a female put on the nose-ring,

it is, said it is, kissing her. The idea, therefore, is truly oriental, and shows the intimate union of righteousness and peace,

LXXXVII. 2.-" The Lord loveth the gates of Zion,

more than all the dwellings of Jacob."

"Truly I love the gates of Chinna Amma more than the gates of Pun-Amma." "No, no; he does not love the gates never marry her." ،، He is angry

of that woman; he will
with my gates; he will not pass them."

"Love his gates!

ay, for a good reason; he gets plenty of help from them."

7.-"All my springs are in thee."

A man of great charities is said to have many springs: "His heart is like the springs of a well." ،، Where are my

springs, my lord; are they not in you?"

Tears also are spoken of as coming from springs in the body: thus the mother of Ramar said to him, in conse quence of great sorrow, "The waters of my eyes have dried up the springs of affection."

LXXXIX. 1.—"To all generations." The margin

has, "generation and generation."

This emphatic repetition is exceedingly natural to the languages of the East. The ancients seemed to have an idea that all important commands or declarations should be repeated, in order to prevent misapprehension or forgetful

ness.

14.

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne."

Dr. Boothroyd, "Are the basis of thy throne." The Hebrew," the establishment of thy throne."

"What was the foundation of his throne?" "Justice! Truly righteousness is the atte-vāram, foundation or basis, of all his ways."

XC. 9. "We spend our years as a tale that is told." "This year has been to me as a fabulous story: like the repetition of a dream, my days pass away. The beginning of life is as the dew-drop upon the tender herb: in ten moons it assumes its shape, and is brought forth; it lies down, crawls, prattles, walks, and becomes acquainted with science. At sixteen he is a man; goes forth in the pride of his youth, gets a wife, and becomes the father of children. The husk of his rice he refuses to part with, and his wish is to enjoy all. He thinks, by living cheaply, by refusing to support charities, or to dispense favours, he is of all men the most happy. He is regardless of the writing on his forehead (fate), and is like the lamp which shineth, and ceaseth to shine; pour in oil, and there will be light; take it away, and there will be darkness. In old age come the rheumatics, the jaundice, and an enlarged belly; the eyes are filled with rheums, and the phlegm comes forth. His body becomes dry, his back bends, his wife and children abhor him, and in visions he sees the

deathly car and horse.

The place of burning says, 'Come,

come;' and his family say, 'Go, go.' His strength is gone,

his speech falters, his eyeballs roll, and his living soul is taken away. The people then talk of his good and evil deeds, and ask, Is this life?' The funeral rites follow; the music sounds forth, and the DYING carry the DEAD. to its place of burning." Thus sang the devoted Aruna-Kiriyār.

14.-"O satisfy us early with thy mercy."

Ainsworth, "Satisfie us in the morning with thy mercie." Afflictions and sorrows are spoken of as the " night of life;" and the deliverance from them, as the "morning of joy." "Yes, the night has been long and gloomy, but the morning has at last come." “Ah! morning, morning, when wilt thou come?"

XCI. 1.-" Shall abide under the shadow of the

Almighty." Isa. xxx. 2. Judg. ix. 15. Ps. xvii. 8. xxxvi. 7. lxiii. 7. Cant. ii. 3. Isa. xlix. 2. Lam. iv. 20. Ezek. xvii. 23.

To say a person is under the SHADOW of a great man, means he is under his PROTECTION. "Oh, my lord, all the people are against me; they are pursuing me as the tiger: let me come under your unnel," i. e. SHADOW. "Ay, ay, the fellow is safe enough, now he has crept under the SHADOW of the king." "Begone, miscreant, thou shalt not creep under my shadow." "Many years have I been under the shadow of my father; how shall I now leave it?" "Gone, for ever gone, is the shadow of my days!" says the lamenting widow.

5, 6. "Thou shalt not be afraid

--for the

pes

tilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the de

struction that wasteth at noonday."

The Septuagint has, instead of destruction that wasteth at noonday, daiμovíov μeonμdpivou, "the noonday devil.” And Theocritus and Lucan, as quoted by Dr. A. Clarke, also allude to the demons who were destructive at the meridians of day or night.

The Hindoos believe in the same thing.

When the cholera rages, no one will go out whilst the sun is at its zenith, because it is believed that the demon of the pestilence is then actively engaged. "The hot exhalations of noonday are the chariots of the fiends." The demons of darkness are said to have the most power at midnight.

XCII. 10." I shall be anointed with fresh oil." Montanus has, instead of FRESH oil, given the literal meaning of the original virido oleo, with GREEN oil. Ainsworth also says, "fresh or green oile." Calmet, "As the plants imparted somewhat of their colour, as well as of their fragrance, hence the expression GREEN oil." Harmer, "I shall be anointed with GREEN oil." Some of these writers think the term GREEN, as it is in the original, means “ precious fragrant oil;" others, literally green in COLOUR; and others, FRESH or NEWLY made oil. But I think it will appear to mean COLD DRAWN oil, that which has been expressed or squeezed from the nut or fruit without the process of boiling. The Orientals prefer this kind for anointing themselves to all others; it is considered the most precious, the most pure and efficacious. Nearly all their medicinal oils are thus extracted; and because they cannot gain so much by this method as by the boiling process, oils so drawn are very dear. Hence their name for the article also thus prepared is patche, i. e. GREEN oil! But this term in eastern phraseology is applied to other things which are unboiled or raw: thus unboiled water is called, patche, green water: patche-pal, also, green milk, means that which has not been boiled, and the butter made from it is called green butter; and uncooked meat, or yams, go by the same name.

I think, therefore, the Psalmist alludes to that valuable article which is called GREEN oil, on account of its being expressed from the nut, or fruit, without the process of boiling.

12.-"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree." "The wicked spring as the grass, but good men endure like the palm tree, and bear much fruit." "A grateful man is like the palmirah tree; for small attentions he gives much fruit."

14.—“ In old age they shall be fat and flourishing." The Hebrew, instead of flourishing, has "GREEN!"

Ainsworth," shall be fat and green."

Of a very old man who has retained his strength, the Hindoos say, "he is a GREEN veteran." "See that patchekillaven (green old man), how strong he is." "My friend, if you act in this way, you will never be a green old man.”

A man who has been long noted for roguery is called a pache kallan, a green rogue; and a well known utterer of falsehoods, a green liar.

"Ah! my lord!" the relieved mendicant, "in your

says

old age you will be fat and flourishing; or, "You will be a green old man."

CII. 3.-"For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth."

A person believing himself to be near death, says in the bitterness of his soul, "Alas, my days have passed away like smoke my bones are as a firebrand."

11." My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass."

66

"My days are like the declining shadow," says the old man: my shadow is fast declining:" siyanthu, siyanthu, declining, declining.

"I am withered." Indran, the king of heaven, said of himself and others, they were withered by the mandates of Sooran. "Alas! his face and heart are withered." "My heart is withered, I cannot eat my food." "Sorrow, not age, has withered my face." Alas! how soon this blossom has withered."