Psalms 138

A Psalm of David.. AHGUMBNT. * This is one of David’s Psalms (as the title assures us), wherein he thankfully acknowledges God’s goodness to. him, in advancing him from a low and afflicted condii tion to the royal dignity; which remarkable change would invite, he thought, other kings and princes to have a very great regard to his Divine Majesty: who, he hoped therefore, would support and defend him in his new-gotten kingdom, by the same almighty power which raised him unto it. *

Psalms 138:1

x WILL praise thee with my whole heart: before, the gods will I sing praist ttnto thee.* I will make thee my thankful acknowledgments, O Lord, with the devoufost affections of my heart: thy holy angels shall be witnesses of my gratitude, which I will express in psalms and hymns, in the.presence of the greatass’cmbly of the’judges, (Exod* xxii. 9. Psal. lxxxii. 1. 6.) thatthey may remember to whom they owe their power and authority.

Psalms 138:2

1 will xvorship towards thy holy temple, andpraise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast?nagnified thy word above all thy name. I will prostrate myself in the humblest adorations of thee, towards the place where the monument of thy Divine presence is; and acknowledge how much I am indebted to thy almighty goodness: first, for promising me, out of thy mere grace and favour, the royal dignity; and then for performing thy promise most faithfully: for thoa hast manifested thy most excellent power, and goodness to mc, in nothing so much, as in punctually fulfilling thy promise, (1 Sam. xvi. 13.) notwithstanding all the opposition which was made to it; nay, in raising me higher than I expected.

Psalms 138:3

In the day ivhen I cried thou ansrveredst nie, and stre?igthencdst me with strengthin my soul. I had long ago fallen short of thifrhonour to which I am advanced, hadst not thou, during all the time of Saul’s persecution, as rea- 2H