View Psalms 19 in the note window.
The book of the creatures shews us the power and Godhead of the
Creator, ver. 1 - 6.
The book of the scriptures shews us his will; the excellency thereof,
ver. 7 - 11.
A prayer against sin, ver. 12, 14.
To the chief musician, A psalm of David.
1: The heavens - They are as a legible book, wherein he that runs
may read it. The glory - His eternal power and Godhead, his infinite
wisdom and goodness. Firmament - Or, the expansion, all the vast space
extended from the earth to the highest heavens, with all its goodly
furniture.
2: Day - Every day and night repeats these demonstrations of God's
glory. Uttereth - Or, poureth forth, constantly and abundantly, as a
fountain doth water; So this Hebrew word signifies. Knowledge - Gives
us a clear knowledge or discovery of God their author.
3: Heard - Or, understood; there are divers nations in the world,
which have several languages, so that one cannot discourse with, or be
understood by another, but the heavens are such an universal teacher,
that they can speak to all people, and be clearly understood by all.
4: Line - Their lines, the singular number being put for the
plural. And this expression is very proper, because the heavens do
not teach men audibly, or by speaking to their ears, but visibly by
propounding things to their eyes, which is done in lines or writings.
Gone - Is spread abroad. Earth - So as to be seen and read, by all the
inhabitants of the earth. Words - Their magnificent structure, their
exquisite order, and most regular course, by which they declare their
author, no less than men discover their minds by their words.
Sun - Which being the most illustrious and useful of all the heavenly
bodies, is here particularly mentioned.
5: Bridegroom - Gloriously adorned with light as with a beautiful
garment, and smiling upon the world with a pleasant countenance.
Chamber - In which he is poetically supposed to have rested all night,
and thence to break forth as it were on a sudden. Strong man - Conscious
and confident of his own strength.
6: The ends - His course is constant from east to west, and thence
to the east again. So that there is no part of the earth which doth
not one time or other feel the benefit of his light and heat.
7: The law - The doctrine delivered to his church, whether by
Moses, or by other prophets. Having discoursed hitherto of the glory
of God shining forth in, the visible heavens, he now proceeds to another
demonstration of God's glory, which he compares with and prefers before
the former. Perfect - Completely discovering both the nature and will of
God, and the whole duty of man, what he is to believe and practice, and
whatsoever is necessary to his present and eternal happiness. Whereas the
creation, although it did declare so much of God, as left all men without
excuse, yet did not fully manifest the will of God, nor bring men to eternal
salvation. Converting - From sin to God, from whom all men are naturally
revolted. Testimony - His law, so called because it is a witness between
God and man, what God requires of man, and what upon the performance of
that condition, he will do for man. Sure - Heb. faithful or true,
which is most necessary in a witness: it will not mislead any man, but
will infallibly bring him to happiness. Simple - Even persons of the
lowest capacities.
8: Right - Both in themselves, and in their effect, as guiding men
in the ready way to eternal happiness. Rejoicing - By the discoveries
of God's love to sinful men, in offers and promises of mercy.
Commandment - All his commands. Pure - Without the least mixture of
error. The eyes - Of the mind, with a compleat manifestation of God's
will and man's duty: both which, the works of nature, and all the writings
of men discover but darkly and imperfectly.
9: The fear - The law and word of God, because it is both the
object and the rule, and the cause of holy fear. Clean - Sincere, not
adulterated with any mixture. Constant and unchangeable, the same for
substance in all ages. Judgments - God's laws are frequently called his
judgments, because they are the declarations of his righteous will, and
as it were his judicial sentence by which he expects that men should
govern themselves, and by which he will judge them at the last day.
12: Who - Thy law, O Lord, is holy and just and good. But I fall
infinitely short of it. Cleanse - Both by justification, through the
blood of thy son; and by sanctification thro' thy holy spirit. Though
the first may seem to be principally intended, because he speaks of his
past sins. Secret - From the guilt of such sins as were secret either,
from others; such as none knows but God and my own conscience: or, from
myself; such as I never observed, or did not discern the evil of.
Pardon my unknown sins, of which I never repented particularly, as I
should have done.
13: Presumptuous - From known and evident sins, such as are committed
against knowledge, against the checks of conscience, and the motions of
God's spirit. Dominion - If I be at any time tempted to such sins, Lord
let them not prevail over me, and if I do fall into them, let me speedily
rise again.
14: Let - Having prayed that God would keep him from sinful actions,
he now prays that God would govern, and sanctify his words and thoughts:
and this was necessary to preserve him from presumptuous sins, which have
their first rise in the thoughts. Redeemer - This expression seems to
be added emphatically, and with special respect to Christ, to whom alone
this word Goel can properly belong.
