Works Volume 4, Book · Psalm 16
The Sixteenth PSALM.
‖Davids Jewel, or Sculpture.MIchtam of David.
Paraphrase. The ſixteenth is a ſpecial, pretious, memorable Pſalm, of Davids compoſure, full of confidence in God (through Chriſt, whoſe reſurrection is therein Prophetically repreſented,) and of reſolved adherence to him, and humble dependance on him.
1. Preſerve me, O God, for in thee do I put my truſt.
Paraphrase. 1. O moſt powerful and moſt gratious God, I am by thy wiſe providence permitted to fall into a great diſtreſs, from whence I am no way able to reſcue or relieve my ſelf: in thee is my full affiance; to thee I reſort, for the ſeaſonable interpoſition of thine hand to my preſervation and deliverance.
2. †or, I have ſaid.O my ſoul, thou haſt ſaid unto the Lord, thou art my Lord; my goodneſs extendeth not to thee.
Paraphrase. 2. When I conſider thy dealings toward me, I have nothing to do, but to admire thy grace and free undeſerved mercy in them; which as I cannot merit, ſo I acknowledge I have nothing to retribute to them, but that which is thine already, all that I have coming firſt from thee.
3. *To the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, all my delight is in them.But to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
Paraphrase. 3. All that I can do to expreſs mine infinite obligation… to thee, is to devolve that love and gratitude, due to thee, to all thy … ſervants upon the earth, to value them, and eſteem of them, above all the greateſt men in the world, upon that … account of being beloved, and prized, and ſet apart by thee. And this I h…tily do, and proclaim to ſuch, that all my …y and delight is in them.
4. ‖Let their Idols be multiplyed; let them haſten after another, or endow, or preſent another.Their ſorrows ſhall be multiplied that haſten after another God; their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their name into my lips.
Paraphrase. 4. If others fall off from the true God, and betake themſelves to the worſhip of Idols, the fa…e heathen gods of the Syrians, Moabites, &c. round about them; yet will not I by any means be brought to partake in their unhumane deteſtable Sacrifices, of the blood not of Beaſts, but Men, nor ever ſwear by any of their falſe gods, nor pay any reſpect unto them.
5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou *holdeſt, ſee note f.maintaineſt my lot.
Paraphrase. 5. The true and only God of Heaven and Earth is he whom I worſhip; his ſervice is profeſt, and, by his own direction, ſet up in that Kingdom which is fallen to me, as my portion, whilſt other Princes of the world live in ignorance of him, and follow their deteſtable Idol-worſhips. 'Tis he that hath honoured and bleſt me exceedingly, giving me a Kingdom, and ſuch a Kingdom: from his ſpecial providence alone it is that I enjoy all that I now enjoy.
6. †The portions.The lines are fallen to me in pleaſant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage.
Paraphrase. 6. I have all joy and pleaſure in that condition wherein thou haſt placed me here, (though it be mixt ſometimes with afflictions and preſſures:) the greateſt Prince in the World, which rules over Heathens, and knows not the true God, is not fit to compare with me.
7. I will bleſs the Lord, who hath given me counſel: my reins alſo ‖chaſtiſe.inſtruct me in the night ſeaſon.
Paraphrase. 7. And for the afflictions that God is pleaſed to permit to fall upon me, and the many ſad thoughts, in reflection thereon, which poſſeſs and exerciſe me whole nights together, I have all reaſon to bleſs and glorifie … name for them, to think it all joy (Jam. 1.2. 1 Pet. 4.13, 16.) that I am thus exerciſed; theſe being the moſt regular and effectual means to inſtruct and admoniſh me, and cure the follies and faults that I have been guilty of.
8. I have ſet God always before me: becauſe he is at my right hand, I ſhall not be *caſt down. foreignmoved.
Paraphrase. 8. And when the ſadneſs or ſharpneſs of my preſſures ſeem moſt to threaten my fall, … utter deſtitution and deſtruction, I have yet my reſerve and refuge, which will ſecure me from all ſuch black deſpairing thoughts. The remembring of God, who is always preſent with me, ready to ſupport me under afflictions, and in his time to deliver me out of them, is to me an anchor of the firmeſt hope, that I ſhall never be finally forſaken by him, caſt down by the enemy, or deveſted of that dignity to which my God hath inveſted me,
9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoyceth; my fleſh alſo ſhall reſt in hope.
Paraphrase. 9. This is full matter of joy to my heart, and of boaſting to my tongue, and of all kind of aſſurance to every part of me.
10. For thou wilt not leave my ſoul in hell; neither wilt thou ſuffer thine holy one to ſee corruption.
Paraphrase. 10. For thy promiſes to me are firm, and oblige thee not to forſake me ſo, as that I ſhall be either killed by Saul, or oppreſt finally by him or any other. Thou haſt deſigned me to be King, and therein favoured me exceedingly, (ſee note on Pſal. 4. d.) and all the malice of men, though they bring me never ſo low, ſhall not finally prevail againſt me: (And this having a firſt literal, but lower completion in Davids perſon, was more fully and ultimately to be for…ified in the ſon of David, the eternal Word of God, the Meſſias of the World, who in the dayes of his fleſh, though he were crucified by the Jews, ſhould yet by the power of his eternal God head be raiſed again from the dead, and that within the compaſs of three days, before his body ſhould naturally tend to corruption. See Act. 2.…0. and xiii.…5.)
11. Thou wilt ſhew me the path of life: in thy preſence is fulneſs of joy; at thy right hand there are pleaſures for evermore.
Paraphrase. 11. Thou ſhalt protect me, and keep me alive from the malicious deſigns and machinations of mine enemies, and refreſh, and comfort me abundantly with thy favour and love, and ſpecial care of me, and by continuing me in that Throne, whereto thou haſt advanced me; give me continual matter of rejoycing. (And this was moſt eminently completed alſo in Chriſt, when by the power of his Father he was more then preſerved from death, reſcued from it; when he was …nder it, raiſed from death to life, and exalted in great triumph to his everlaſting kingdom in heaven; and ſo applied, Acts 2.28.)
Annotations on Pſal. XVI.
foreignTit. Michtam] From foreign ſignare, notare inſculpere, to ſeal, to note, or ingrave, is foreign any pretious thing; either ſuch, as for ſecuring of it is ſealed up, as a foreign, or for preſerving it from forgetfulneſs, is ingraven in Marble, &c. Hence it is, that the Targum renders it …here foreign a right Sculpture, (foreign from the Greek foreign to engrave) and the LXXII. foreign, an inſcription on a Pillar; not reading it foreign as ſome conjecture, from foreign ſcripſit, to write, but foreign from foreign inſculpſit, to ingrave, to denote it a Pſalm fit to be ingraven for everlaſting memory foreign, on an eminent Pillar, ſaith Apollinarius, to be written in golden letters (as foreign alſo ſignifies the fineſt gold, Pſalm 45.9.) and preſerved in our hearts for ever. And this eſpecially, as containing a ſignal prophecy of the reſurrection of Chriſt, recited from hence, Acts 2.25, 26, 27. (three verſes cited from this Pſalm, v. 8, 9, 10.) and again, Acts 13.35. As when Job delivers that notable ſpeech, applyed by the antients generally to the Reſurrection (though, as this here, capable of a firſt interpretation, which was to be verified in his own perſon, in raiſing him from his preſent calamitou… eſtate,) I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I ſhall ſtand in the la…ter day upon the earth; —he introduceth it in this form, Oh that they were printed in a Book, that they were graven with an iron pen and lead, (i. e. the Sculpture filled up with lead, that the letters might continue the longer legible) in the rock (or ſ…nt, or hard ſtone, marble, or other the moſt durable matter) for ever; which is juſt the foreign, the inſcribing on a Pillar here, in order to the preſervation, and ſpecial obſervation of ſuch ſpeeches, which had their farther completion to be expected in Chriſt, over and above what belonged to them in relation to the preſent condition of the ſpeakers.
V. 2. foreignO my ſoul] Where the Hebrew copies read foreign thou haſt ſaid, in the feminine, and the Chaldee paraphraſe foreign, thou, my ſoul, haſt ſaid, 'tis evident the LXXII. and Syriack, and Latine, and Arabick, and Aethiopick, read foreign in the firſt perſon, I have ſaid, for ſo they render it foreign, Dixi Domino, I have ſaid unto the Lord.
V. 2. foreignMy goodneſs] There is difficulty in this phraſe foreign The literal rendring is, My goodneſs in no wiſe to, or, with thee, which the LXXII. (and ſo the Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick) render paraphraſtically, foreign, thou haſt no need of my good things. But the Chaldee read foreign my goodneſs is not given but from thee; and the Syriack more ſimply, my good is from thee. In which readings either the negative particle ſeems to be omitted (for ſo the Syriack reads it foreign &c. and my good from— without any) or elſe to be doubled (for ſo 'tis in the Chaldee,) and that is all one as if it were omitted, the two negatives or [non niſi] being all one with the bare affirmative. In this variety, the ſafeſt way of reconciling the interpretations, is, to ſuppoſe them on all ſides to be rather paraphraſtical explications, than literal rendrings. The LXXII. by reading, thou haſt no need of my good things, whether my good works, or my liberalities, thought to expreſs the ſenſe of [my goodneſs not to, or, with thee,] i. e. tend not to thy avail or advantage, are not prized by thee, and the Chaldee and Syriack, by another phraſe, ſeem to have meant the ſame thing, My good is all from thee, I am ſo far from meriting any thing of thee by any good works of mine, that indeed thoſe good works are not mine, but thine only, as flowing, and being given to me by thee. And both theſe together ſeem to make up the full ſenſe; my goodneſs, or (as foreign and the Greek foreign critically ſignifies) my liberality is ſo far from meriting from thee, or being any conſiderable return unto thee, that it is thy right, and ſo a meer mercy received from thee.
V. 3. But to the Saints] The difficulties of this third verſe may beſt be removed, by obſerving the dependance of foreign to the Saints, foreignon what preceded v. 2. That began with foreign I ſaid, or thou (my ſoul) haſt ſaid unto the Lord, with which fairly connects foreign to the Saints; i. e. I ſaid, or (again) my ſoul thou haſt ſaid to the Saints. What Saints he ſpeaks of, he ſpecifies in the next words, foreign who they, i. e. (by an Hebraiſme) they who are on the earth. Then regularly follows in conſtruction, foreign and to the excellent, Gods choſen people, dignified and advanced by him. To the Saints—and to theſe I ſaid, foreign all my delight is in them. To the firſt part of this interpretation the LXXII. accord, foreign, to the Saints that are in the earth; only they add foreign inſtead of foreign (which they ſaw to be a pleon…ſine, and unſignificant,) and thereby more diſtinctly connect it to the foregoing words, thus, I ſaid unto the Lord, my goodneſs, &c. To the Saints on his earth, or to his Saints on the earth, &c. One ſpeech apportion'd to the Lord, that of an humble reflection on himſelf, another to the Saints of the Lord, favouring of charity and kindneſs to them. But for the latter part of the verſe, the LXXII ſeem to have read it otherwiſe; not foreign and to the excellent, foreignbut foreign in Hiphil, he magnified (as the word is uſed, Iſa. 42.21.) for ſo they read foreign, (applying it to God) he hath magnified all his pleaſures (as if it were foreign his, not, my pleaſures) in them. But the Chaldee and the Syriack agree to the vulgar reading throughout, and ſo the ſenſe and context require. The Jewiſh Arabick tranſlator would have the words of theſe two verſes thus diſtinguiſhed▪ I ſaid to the Lord, thou art my Lord; not unto you, or from you, ſaid I to the Saints, &c. i. e. my good is not from you, but from the Lord.
foreignV. 4. Sorrows] In what notion foreign is to be taken, is uncertain among the antient interpreters. From the two notions of foreign, one for doluit, to grieue, the other for elaboravit, to labour, or form, or make any thing, there are two ſignifications of the Noun: the firſt for ſorrow or pain, and in that ſenſe the LXXII. here take it, rendring it foreign, their weakneſſes, and the Latine, infirmitates (in the notion of weakneſs for ſickneſs or pain) and ſo the Syriack foreign (and to the ſame ſenſe the Arabick) their pains. The ſecond for an Idol, or Image, ſo Hoſ. 8.4. their ſilver and gold they have made foreign images; the Chaldee render it foreign the LXXII. foreign, idols. So 2 Sam. 5.21. and Mich. 1.7. And thus the Chaldee underſtand it here, and render it foreign their Idols. And this is moſt agreeable to what follows, foreign either let them haſten a contrary way, or after another, (i. e. another God, for which the LXXII. have foreign, either reading foreign afterward, for foreign another, or elſe meaning by foreign, haſtening after theſe] following, or worſhipping of Idols) which ſure refers to their idol-worſhip, or in another notion of foreign in Kal to endow, or ſend gifts, or preſents (ſee Kimchi in Radic.) for ſo to endow another] is, in the prophetick ſtile, to marry the daughter of a ſtrange God, Mal. 2.11. and by that means to be brought to their Idol ſacrifices, Num. 25.2. And to give gifts to another] is in like manner to preſent the falſe Gods, as Ezech. xvi. 18. thou tookeſt thy broidred garments, and coveredſt them, (the idols, v. 17.) thou haſt ſet mine oyl and incenſe before them, my meat alſo, &c. and ſo to this fitly connects, their drink-offerings will I not offer; and ſo doth alſo the not taking their names into his lips, viz. as that literally ſignifies, the avoiding the names of falſe Deities, and ſubſtituting, as the Jews did, words of deteſtation in ſtead of them; or elſe not ſwearing by them, as foreign to take the name ſignifies to ſwear by it, in the third Commandment, Exod. 20.7. and Deut. 5.20. and ſo Pſal. 24.4. foreign to take his ſoul, is to ſwear by his ſoul, and Pſal. 50.16. and takeſt my covenant into thy mouth, the Chaldee render it foreign and ſweareſt by my name, and remembreſt my covenant. But Abu Walid prefers the notion of foreign for haſtening, and ſo doth Kimchi alſo in his Comment on this place, though in his roots he reject it.
V, 5. foreignCup] The frequent and proverbial uſe of the word foreign cup, or pot, among the Hebrews, may here deſerve to be taken notice of. It ſignifies by metaphor any thing that befalls any man, good, or bad, So Matt. 20.22. Can ye drink the Cup that I ſhall drink of, i. e. indure the afflicted condition that expects me? and ſo c. 26.39. Let this Cup paſs from me, i. e. the ſorrow that was then approaching. For as thoſe that are of the ſame family, or at the ſame table, drink of the ſame Cup, the wine in the pot, or cup is diſtributed among them, and every one hath his part, or portion of it, one the top, another the middle, another the bottom of it; and if there be any bitter mixture in the cup, (as in the myrrhate wine) then he that drinks the bottom, is ſaid to ſuck out the dregs of that cup:] ſo in the diſtributions and diſpenſations of Gods providence, every man hath his portion, either ſweet or bitter, and this, from this analogy, is called the portion of his cup, that part, which in the diſtribution comes to him; foreign, ſaith Apollinarius, the lot, or part, or portion of his cup. So Pſal. 11.6. See note d.foreign And thus it is moſt fitly joyned with foreign portion of mine inheritance, or diviſion, (from foreign diviſit) i. e. of any poſſeſſion or land, divided among many, diſtributed in like manner, as the cup among the gueſts, every one his portion. And thus doth David (raiſed by God to be the King of the Jews, that people to whom God had in a ſpecial manner revealed himſelf, and by whom he was worſhipped) very fitly ſay, that God in oppoſition to the many falſe heathen gods, was the portion of his diviſion, worſhipt by that people over whom he was King. foreignAs for foreign] that follows in the end of the verſe, it is beſt rendred, thou holdeſt my lot,] meaning thereby thou giveſt me mine inheritance, the portion of worldly wealth and greatneſs, that I have, comes all from thee. For the old way of ſortition was by ſtaves, or rods, as appears by the choiſe of the tribe of Levi to the ſervice of the altar, Numb. 17.2. Take of every one of them a rod, &c. and write his name upon the rod, and Aarons name upon the rod of Levi, v. 3. and the mans rod whom I ſhall chooſe, ſhall bloſſome, v. 5. and Aarons rod bloſſoming, Levi was choſen. And by this means 'tis ſaid, that the Land of Canaan was divided, Joſh. 18. The ſeveral ſhares or portions, and alſo the names of the ſeveral tribes being written on ſtaves or rods, Eleazar the Prieſt having put on the Ʋrim and Thummim, took up in one hand a rod of ſhares, in the other a rod of tribes, and thereby aſſigned to all their portions. So that for God to hold in his hand the lot, is, in reference to that cuſtome, to give, or aſſigne a portion to him whoſe lot it is. See Schindlers Pentagl. p. 342. B. And to this critically agrees the word foreign here, from foreign to hold, or take into the hand. And by this of ſortition by rods I ſuppoſe may be explained that of Pſal. 125.3. The rod of the wicked ſhall not reſt on the lot of the righteous, (the word foreign here) i. e. the wicked ſhall not continue to proſper in this world; that portion which is promiſed and aſſigned good men, felicity in this world, (though with a mixture of perſecutions, yet godlineſs hath the promiſe of this life,) ſhall not be laſting or durable to the wicked, leſt the righteous be thereby tempted to do as they do, to put their hand unto wickedneſs, as there it follows.
foreignV. 6. Lines] From foreign to bind is foreign a cord. With cords they uſed to meaſure their grounds in ſurveighs, Amos 7.17. thy land ſhall be divided foreign by cord, and Zach. 2.5. in his hand was foreign a cord of meaſure, or meaſuring cord; ſo 2 Sam. 8.2. And from hence, by metonymy, it comes frequently to ſignifie any ſpace or portion of land, that belongs to any. So Deut. 3.4. foreign the LXXII. render it foreign, All the territories of Argob; the Syriack read, all the tract; the Vulgar, all the region; the Chaldee, all the places of the Provinces of Argob. So Z…ph. 2.6. Woe to thoſe that inhabit foreign the LXXII. render it foreign; the Vulgar, funiculus maris, the cord of the Sea; but the Chaldee, foreign the ſhore of the Sea, and ſo the Arabick; but the Syriack, the Maritime tract, or region by the Sea ſide, i. e. Palaeſtine. This therefore is the fitteſt rendring of the word, not literally, lines, but in the figurative ſenſe, portions: and ſo the Targum reads it, foreign lots, or portions; and ſo we read it Joſ. 17.14. foreign not, one line, but one portion, as that is all one with one lot, foregoing; and ſo v. 5. foreign ten portions.
V. 7. Reins] This verſe hath ſome obſcurity in it, which perhaps may be beſt removed by conſidering the importance of foreign my reins inſtruct me. From foreign in the notion of hoping, expecting, foreigndeſiring, comes the noune foreign reins or kidneys, as the ſeats of deſire. Theſe by metonymy ſignifie not only deſires, but the ſecret or inward thoughts: as Pſal. 7.10. when God is ſaid to try the hearts and reins, i. e. all the deſires and thoughts of the heart of any; ſo Jer. 12.2. thou art neer in their mouth, and far from their reins, i. e. frequently ſpoken of, but ſeldom conſidered, or thought of by them. And in this ſenſe, I ſuppoſe, it is to be taken here,foreign for thoughts of the heart. Then for foreign it ſignifies to chaſten, to puniſh, to rebuke: ſo 1 King. 12.14. my father foreign chaſtened you with rods, but I foreign will chaſten you with ſcorpions: ſo Pſal. 6.1. neither foreign Chaſten me in thy diſpleaſure: ſo Deut. 22.18. the Elders of the City ſhall take him, foreign and ſhall chaſtize him. And thus, I conceive, it is to be taken here, not for inſtructing ſimply, but for chaſtizement which is deſigned for inſtruction. The Chaldee reads foreign which the Latine renders, caſtigant me, but 'tis hard to gueſs, how that word ſhould ſo ſignifie, unleſs from the notion of foreign, to deal as with a child, to lead gently: but the Syriack read foreign (which makes it reaſonable to conjecture the Chaldee reading to be miſtaken foreign for foreign from foreign to chaſten) my reins chaſten'd me; and ſo the LXXII. have foreign, chaſtened me, the Latine corripuerunt, rebuked, the Arabick, commo…nerunt me, and Apollinarius paraphraſes it by foreign, I was tamed, wich is relative to chaſtizement. And then the meaning will be, my thoughts puniſh me, I have many afflicting thoughts in the night ſeaſon, when I conſider, and reflect upon my preſent ſtate of diſtreſs, the difficulties that incompaſs me. For it is certain this Pſalm was made by him in a time of diſtreſs, and that makes him begin with calling on God for preſervation: and though the following verſes are ſpent on another ſubject, yet what now ſucceeds, v. 8.9, 10. is all to this matter; his confidence that he ſhall not be left in foreign which we render hell, being an evidence, that he conſiders himſelf, as in that melancholy ſtate at the preſent▪ So Job 19.27. where he refers to his preſent calamitous condition, his expreſſion is foreign my reins within my boſome fainted, or are conſumed. And then we may probably reſolve,foreign what ſort of counſel it was, that, in the beginning of the verſe, he ſaith God hath given him, and for which he praiſes or bleſſes him, even ſuch as beſt agrees with chaſtiſing, ſuch as he gives thoſe children which he loves beſt, and for which our Saviour and his Apoſtles command us to rejoyce, and bleſs and glorifie God, and of which David himſelf acknowledgeth, that it gave him underſtanding (which is the meaning of counſelling here, and accordingly the LXXII. render it foreign, making him wiſe or intelligent;) and that is affliction: not that the Hebrew foreign ſignifies puniſhing, or indeed any thing but counſelling; but becauſe affliction ſent from God is expreſly a doctrine, or leſſon, or counſel, or admonition to them that are thus afflicted, and a means very proper to bring them to the moſt wiſe and ſober thought, that in time of proſperity have forgotten themſelves, and ſo wanted ſuch kind of counſel.
V. 9. foreignGlory] Where the Hebrew reads foreign my glory, and the Chaldee foreign my honour, (and the Syriack in the ſame word foreign) the LXXII. renders foreign, my tongue, and ſo the Latine and Arabick, and Aethiopick; and ſo Apollinarius, foreign, my tongue rejoyced. This ſome learned men attribute to their reading foreign my tongue, inſtead of foreign my glory, words which have little affinity one with another in the letters of them. 'Tis more reaſonable to reſolve, that David in a Poetick writing ſhould uſe the word foreign glory, by metonymy, for thoſe parts whereby God is glorified or praiſed; i. e. either the ſoul, or eſpecially the tongue. So Pſal. 36.12. that my glory may ſing praiſe to thee, the LXXII. there render literally foreign, my glory; but ſure it ſignifies either the ſoul, or tongue. So Pſal. 57.8. Awake foreign the LXXII. render literally foreign, my glory; but in all reaſon, that ſignifies my tongue, ſo as to connect with ſinging, praecedent, and the Harp and Pſaltery, following. So Pſal. 108.1. I will give praiſe even with my glory, i. e. my tongue: and ſo, I ſuppoſe, Pſal. 149.5. Let the pious or holy ones rejoyce foreign, ſay the LXXII. in glory, i. e. in or with the tongue, that ſo it may connect with what follows, Let them rejoyce in their beds, Let the praiſes of God be in their mouths. And thus no doubt it ſignifies here; and the praecedent mention of the heart] reſtrains it in this place to the tongue. And this being diſcerned by the LXXII. it was no fault in them to render it (according to the ſenſe not letter) foreign, my tongue.
foreignV. 10. Hell] That foreign ſignifies the condition or ſtate of the dead, there is no queſtion, and ſo foreign in, or rather to that ſtate: and in that ſenſe the leaving his ſoul in it, or to it, is applyed by the Apoſtle St. Peter, Acts 2.27. to the abiding of Chriſt in the ſtate of ſeparation of his ſoul from his body, from whence he aroſe or returned the third day, and ſo was not left in it, or to it. And in this ſenſe both …. Peter there, v. 29. and S▪ Paul, c. 13.36. duly reſolve, that this verſe, of not being left in ſ…eol, and not ſeeing corruption, was not applyable to David, for that he was dead and buried, and his Sepulchre remained with them till that day, c. 2.29. and again, he fell on ſleep, and lay with his fathers, and ſaw corruption. This then being ſuppoſed, in reſpect of the grand and principally deſigned ſenſe (the prophetical myſtical, completed onelyonly in Chriſt, and not in David) there may yet be a firſt, but leſs eminent ſenſe, wherein it was alſo true of David, that his ſoul ſhould not be left in ſcheol, nor this holy one of Gods (ſo David is oft called) ſee foreign corruption, foreignviz. ſo as foreign ſometimes ſignifies extreme diſtreſs, here in this life: ſo Pſal. 116. 3. foreign, the diſtreſſes of ſcheol] ſignifies exceeding great diſtreſſes, interpreted by what follows, I ſhall find trouble and heavineſs: and ſo as (in like manner) foreign, which we render corruption, from the LXXII. foreign, doth ſometimes ſignifie no more than great weakneſs, Dan. 10.8. (where 'tis oppoſed to vigor, and expounded by having no ſtrength;) ſometimes a pit, as that differs from death, Ezek. 19.4. where the Lion taken in their pit, foreign (where the LXXII. render foreign, in their corruption,) was carried into Aegypt, taken, but not killed; and ſo Prov. 28.5. Jer. 15.3. And then the meaning is, that he ſhall be certainly delivered by God from all thoſe diſtreſſes. Or again, as foreign ſignifies death, or final deſtruction, or deprivation of that ſtate wherein any one is; as when of Capernaum 'tis ſaid, thou ſhalt be brought down to foreign, (the Greek for foreign) which we render hell, Mat. 11.23. the meaning is, that it ſhall be deſtroyed from being a City; and in proportion with that, to be left foreign in or to ſcheol, and to ſee corruption (in the ſenſe that the word is uſed, Pſalm 107.20. when 'tis ſaid of God, that he ſaved the Iſraelites foreign, out of their corruptions or deſtructions) will ſignifie to be killed by his enemies, &c. to be turned out of that Kingdom, which God had deſigned him. This Saul earneſtly endeavoured, but prevailed not: the ſame did Abſalom afterwards: But Gods promiſe to David, that he would bring him to the throne, and ſet of his ſeed on the throne after him, was certainly to be fulfilled, and in ſtrength of that, he thus reſolved, that his ſoul ſhould not be left in this diſtreſs, to be ſwallowed up by it, or left foreign to it, to be thus deſtroyed: neither of which import either his not coming to the grave, not dying at all, for, as St. Paul ſaith of David, after he had ſerved the counſel of God in his generation, he fell aſleep, and was laid with his fathers; nor that he ſhould riſe from the dead again, without rotting in the grave, for there he did thus continue ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, and ſaw corruption, and his ſepulchre is with us to this day, ſaith St. Peter, Act. 2.29. And ſo this more eminent completion of the words, reſpecting reſurrection from the dead, is reſerved onelyonly for Chriſt, who lay not in the grave ſo long, as that by the courſe of nature his body ſhould putrifie, which it would have done, if it had continued in the ſtate of death above three days, according to that which Lazarus's ſiſter ſaith of him, by this time he ſtinketh, foreign, for he hath been dead four days. To the ſame purpoſe the laſt verſe of the Pſalm is applyed by St. Peter, Acts 2.28. and ſo, though it have one literal ſenſe belonging to David (ſo as the way of life] may denote means uſed by God for his preſervation, and Gods preſence or countenance] his favour and providence, and his right hand] the regal power conferred on him, and ſecured to him by God;) yet it muſt be reſolved to have another, more principal, ultimate, and withal more literal ſenſe alſo, reſpecting the raiſing of Chriſt to life, aſcenſion to Heaven, the place of Gods peculiar preſence and viſion, and the ſetting him at Gods right hand, in equality of power and glory with him, and that ſimply to indure for ever; which cannot, but in a limited ſence, be affirmed of David. Theſe three verſes being ſo expreſly applied by the Apoſtle to this prophetick ſenſe, there can be no doubt of it: But the former part of the Pſalm, no way appearing to be throughout interpretable of Chriſt, yet fitly belonging to David, it was neceſſary thus to aſſign a firſt literal ſenſe to the whole Pſalm, wherein it might connect and accord every part with other, and not ſo to ſever the three laſt verſes from the reſt, as that thoſe ſhould belong to Chriſt only, and not to David, whereas the former part (at leaſt ſome branches of it) belong to David only, and not to Chriſt.