said, "O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." And perhaps he did the same at other times also which are not recorded. For, as I said, it is not in the tribulation, but after the tribulation, that we are to suppose the Psalm was written. A strong faith! which can speak unto an angry God, call unto him when persecuting you, flee unto him when driving you back, praise him as your helper, your glory, and the lifter up of your head, when you feel him deserting, confounding, and oppressing you! This is a memorable example of Christian faith indeed! "I (says he) will go whither I am to go," 2 Sam. xv. 20. As if he had said, I know not whither I am going:' and this is to believe, and to commit one's self into that darkness where you are utterly ignorant what will become of you, and yet have a good hope for the best, and doubt not that you are heard.

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"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me."-Which, according to my bold way, I would understand in this manner. David might say, I was in that state that I despaired of my life, of my glory, and of my all. I was like unto one dead and descending into the pit, as to all external appearance in the sight of men: nor was there any thing left alive in me but faith: and it appeared to me that if I should be again re-instated in my kingdom, it would be nothing less than as if I were raised from the grave and from the sleep of death.' For into this state of things, and down to these gates of hell, it is that the Lord is wont to bring those whose faith he designs to try: and indeed, the man that is put into this state of things differs little from one dead.—Or if this do not please, let the acceptation be this, I was overwhelmed with this tribulation. And, as those who are sunk into a deep sleep know not that they are alive, and are like unto men dead; so I, from the exceeding greatness of my affliction, and from being put to the very extremity of my faith, had no enjoyment whatever of this external life, and was almost dead after which manner, it is said concerning Jacob, Gen. xlv. 27, that,

when he heard that his son Joseph was reigning in Egypt, he was as one awaking from a deep sleep, and did not believe them; that is, because he had been in such utter despair concerning Joseph; but that, when he saw the waggons, and all the things that Joseph had sent, his "spirit revived." And thus, David also says, that he revived and arose from the deep sleep of his heart, and, as it were from death. For as I have confessed, I cannot understand it concerning natural sleep and rest. And David himself also, 2 Sam. xix. 22, when he returned, "Do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?" wherein he plainly shows his former feelings of despair concerning the kingdom, as to all sent appearances.

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"I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God."-This is what he said upon his being recalled—' I shall no more fear evil if thou be with me. (Psalm xxiii. 4.) Do thou only arise and save me, as thou didst lately, and be my God; then I will fear nothing.'

"For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone, thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly."— For the people and Absalom were slain, and there was a great slaughter that day of seventy thousand men, 2 Sam. xviii. 7. And thus were all who devoured and afflicted him smitten and slain.

"Salvation is of the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people. Sela."-As if he had said, "Although Shimei with his followers gnashed their malicious teeth at me, saying "There is no help for him in his God," &c. ; yet, it is of God alone to bless and save: to whom alone be glory for ever and ever. Amen.'

PSALM IV.

A PSALM OF DAVID, ON THE ORGANS, FOR
VICTORY.

This Psalm is, according to my views, most obscure: and there is no other so variously expounded: which diversity is a proof of the real scope of it not being yet fully understood.

Let us first consider the title, as we shall frequently have the same hereafter. LAMNAZEAH, was, before the translation of Hieronymus, rendered by the antients 'to the end' which they all unanimously interpreted to signify Christ, whom the apostle calls "the end of the law," Rom. x. 4, saying, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Which "end" they again interpret two ways,-that Christ is the end and sum intended by the law; and that he himself put an end to the law. But what these things have to do with the title of the Psalm, I do not see: it is only violently taking from one place, and adding to another. For all the Psalms which have this title do not speak of Christ: excepting it be in this way that it is by the grace of God only that we speak of any work, and that we have nothing either great or small without Christ. But in this way, every Psalm ought to have the same inscription.

Hieronimus, again, has translated it for the conqueror:' and then was introduced, 'for victory:' because Lyranus from Rabbi Tal, supposed that it should be understood in this way :-that the Psalm was written for this end that the Levite singers, contending_in alternate choirs, should strive to excel each other. But this he said, perhaps, measuring that divine melody of David, instituted for the praising of God, according to the custom of those bawling men in our cathedrals, who are called choristers. But to whom such men sing I am sure I know not: I can only hear the beams and

stones roar with their noise. And then, comparing this with the interpretation to the end,' which some have given; he says, that the 'end' meant was the victory (that is, of the noise in singing) which the choir sought after in singing this Psalm.-Such ludicrous things as these will men teach in a matter so serious!

We read 1 Chron. xv. 16, that David appointed three kinds of singers: one to sing to the NABLIS, that is psaltery; another to sing to harps, or, (as the interpreters variously render it) the lyres; and another to sound on cymbals: and to these, for a time, were added the trumpet and the cornet. And the third kind of singing there mentioned, verse 21, is the singing on harps upon LENAZEAH, which they have rendered by victory: that is, ' a song of victory.' And hence perhaps it is, that LAMNAZEAH is translated 'for victory; because the Psalm that bears this title is a signal song of victory.

But here I confess my ignorance. For if these things be so, I know not why all the other Psalms are not entitled 'for victory,' which contain a subject matter equally, if not more, applicable to that title than this Psalm and others like it. And then again, there will be a difference of opinion about what victory it is that is sung in the Psalm because, some Psalms celebrate the victory of Christ, others the victory of any Christian placed in the midst of suffering and temptation.

John Reuchlin, in his Septena, translates it 'for invitation: because, he will have it, that Psalms of that kind are certain incitements to awaken and encourage the spirit of man. And to this rendering the root of the word admirably agrees. For, as he says, NAZA signifies 'he was instant,' 'he stirred up,' he forced,'' he urged:' as in Ezra iv. 8, "To set forward the work of the Lord." And moreover, the subject itself of the Psalm does not at all disagree with this interpretation: for this Psalm, according to my judgment, is merely exhortative to the work of the Lord: that is, to the enduring of the cross and death. But whether this acceptation of the title will uniformly and universally apply

to all these Psalms, that I leave to the consideration and judgment of the reader.

I willingly receive this Psalm as being both a song of victory, and an invitation: because, all triumphal songs of this kind are wont to rouse and animate the spirit to war in a wonderful manner: and so also do the Psalms wonderfully animate the faithful of Christ both to the battles and the trophies of the cross. And thus, I can reconcile all things: making the title to signify, 'to victory,'' to the conqueror,' for an invitation." And, in a word, this seems to be the true meaning of the title, because the whole Psalms tend to this,-that, being animated by their incitements of the spirit, we may conquer and gain the great object over all our enemies and sins; that nothing may be left us but the triumph of glory.

By organs," we are undoubtedly to understand, that a general kind is put for a particular: that is, that we are to receive it as signifying harps: because it is said 1 Chron. xv. 21, that the songs of victory should be sung to harps. For organ, in this passage, is a noun which, in the Hebrew, signifies any kind of musical instrument.

But concerning the effect of music and the praises of it, I shall say nothing here, for they have been abundantly treated on by others: excepting that, it here appears, that the use of music was of old held sacred, and applied to divine things: but in the lapse of time, it has, like every thing else, been abused to the service of luxury and lust. It was by music that the evil spirit was made to depart from Saul, 1 Sam. xvi. 23. And by the same a spirit of prophecy was communicated to Elisha, 2 Kings iii. 15.

This most obscure Psalm, as I have already observed, is variously expounded. Augustine believes, that they either are the words of Christ after his resurrection, or of a member of his church who is possessed of faith and hope. Of Lyra and Burgensis I shall say nothing: the former of whom interpreted in a way that made against the Saulites, the latter against idolatries.