him, as they sat and rode in their chariots; when at
their tables, conversing together; or at their council-
boards, forming schemes against him: the phrase de-
notes their constant practice, as Kimchi observes; see
Psal. 1. 20. herein David was a type of Christ, whom
the princes of this world conspired against, and whose
life they took away, Psal. iS. 2. l Cot. iS. 8. But 'th!!
servant did .reedState in thy statutes; what the princes
did or said against him did not divert his mind, or
take off his thoughts from the word of God, and the
ordinances of it; he thought of them, he spoke and
discoursed of them; he declared them, as the word '{w}
sometimes signifies, an{t so the Targum takes it here;
he was not afraid nor ashamed to profess his regard
unto them: as Daniel, when he knew that the presi-
dents and princes had obtained a royal decree, and the
writing was signed; yet went into his chamber, as at
other times, and kneeled down and prayed to God,
Dan. vi. 10.
Ver. e4. Thy testimonies also are my delight, &c.]
Or delights {x}; exceeding delightful to me. The whole
of Scripture is so to. a good man; he delights in
the !aw of God, after the inward man; the Gospel is a
joyful sound to him; the doctrines of peace, pardon,
righteousness, and salvation by Christ, are very plea-
sant; the promises of it give more joy than the finding
of a great spoil; and the precepts and ordinances of it
are not grievous, but ways of pleasantness and peace.
And my cou,sellors ; or, the men of my counsel {y} ;
though David took counsel with men about affairs of
state; yet concerning spiritual ones, or what related
to his soul, and the concerns of that, not they, but
the Scriptures, were the men of his counsel. The
Gospel is the whole counsel of God relating to salva-
tion; in it Christ, the wonderful Counsellor, gives
advice to saints and sinners: the whole word of God
may be profitably consulted on every occasion, and in
every circumstance in which a child of God may be; all
Scripture, being divinely inspired, is profitable for doc-
trine, for correction, and instruction in righteousness,
2 Tim. iii. 16.
     \^d\^ 'L D.~Lv.~H.---The Fourth Part.
Vet. 0_5. My soul cleaveth unto the dust, &c.] Either
to the dust of death, having the sentence of it; being
almost in despair of life, upon the brink of the grave
seemingly, and free among the dead: or in a very low
estate of mind, in great dejection and humiliation,
rolling himself in the dust, and putting his mouth in
it; if there might be any hope of deliverance; but
despairing of it, unless the Lord appeared; or finding
a proneness in him to the corruption of nature, the
body of sin and death, which was very powerful and
prevalent, inshating and captivating; and particu-
larly to worldly things, comparable to dust, for their
lightness, emptiness,  and unprofitablehess; which
often have an undue influence on good men, and to
which their affections are too much glued; and which
greatly affect the exercise of grace and religious dutieS,
and bring a deadness upon the soul, and make the fol
lowlug petition necessary: quicken thou me according
to thy word; such who are quickened together with
Christ, and who are quickened by his spirit and grace,
when they were dead in trespasses and sins, have often
need to be quickened again, and to have the work of
grace revived in them; which is done when grace is
drawn forth into lively exercise, and which is necessary
to the performance of duty; and this is done both by
means of the word of God, which, as it is used for the
quickening dead sinners, so for the reviving of droop-
ing saints; see ver. 50. And according to his word of
promise, who has promised never to leave his people,
nor forsake the work of his hand, but perform it until
the .day of Christ; Jarchi and Kimchi think reference
is had to the promise in 2 Sam. xii. 13. and Aben Ezra
to Deut. xxxii. 39.
Ver. 26. I have declared my ways, &c.] That is, to
the Lord; either the ways he had chose and desired to
walk in, and not wander from, and theretbre entreated
help and assistance, guidance and direction, in them;
or his sinful ways and actions, which he acknowledged
and confessed, lamented and bewailed, and eatrented
the forgiveness of; or all his counsels and cares, his
affairs and business, in which he was concerned, and
which he declared and committed to the Lord, to be
directed and assisted in; or all his wants and necessi-
ties, which he spread before him at the throne of
grace; which he did not as though the Lord was igno-
rant of these things, but partly as knowing it was the
will of God that he should be inquired of by his peO-
ple, to do the things for them they want; and partly
to ease his own mind, and encourage his faith and hope
in the Lord. A.d thou heardes, me: and directed him
in the way he should go, and what he should do; for-
gave him his sins, and supplied his wants. Teach me
thy statutes; which he desired to learn and obey, in
gratitude for being heard arid answered by him; see
the note on ver. 12.
Ver. c27. Make me to understand the way of th?! pre-
cepts, &c.] The meaning of them, to have a more
comprehensive, clear, and distinct knowledge oft hem;
and to be led into the way they direct unto, and walk
therein. So shall I talk of thy wondrous works; the
works of creation, providence, redemption, and grace;
with more knowledge and understanding, with more
spirit and cheerfulness, with more readiness and li-
berty, more to his own satisfaction, and for the good
of others: or, .mealState on thy wondrous works ú; being
in the ways of God, and freed from the distractions of
the world and business of it.
Ver. o.8. My soul melteth for heaviness, &c.] Like
wax before the 8tin or fire; or flows like water; drops {a},
as the word signifies, and dissolves into tears, through
grief and sorrow for sins committed; or by reason of
Satan's temptations, or divine desertions, or grievous
troubles and afflictions; which cause heaviness, lie
heavy,. and press hard. Strengthen thou me according
unto thy word; to oppose corruptions, withstand temp-

{w} \^xyvy\^ disserit, Tigurine version, Vatablus, Musculus; loquitur,
Piscator, Gejerus.
{x} \^yevev\^deliciae meae, Montanus, Tigurine version, Gejerus, Mi-
chaelis; delectationes meae, Pagninus; oblectationes meae, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator.
{y} \^ytue yvna\^ viri consilii mei, Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus.
{z} \^hxyva\^ meditabor, Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Michaelis;
ut mediter, Junius & tremellius, Cocceius.
{a} \^hpld\^ stillavit; Pagninus, Montanus; distillet, Vatablus; stillat,
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis.