The prayers of David—are ended— The whole book of Psalms is one continued proof that there is no regular order preserved in them. It is highly probable, that this is the last psalm which David composed, as he died soon after his son's coronation. But it by no means follows that there are no other psalms after this in the present collection composed by David. There are certainly many such; perhaps more than is generally thought; and it appears matter of great doubt, whether many of those which are inscribed, Psalms of, or for Asaph, were not written by David. The second book of psalms, according to the Hebrew division, ends here. Instead of The Prayers of David, the LXX read, The Psalms, or Hymns of David. The third book of Psalms contains seventeen.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The psalm opens,
1. With a short prayer, which may be considered as David's request for his son Solomon, that he might be qualified for the work of governing his kingdom with equity and righteousness; or rather it is his prayer, in the person of all the faithful, for the Messiah, that he might appear, be exalted to his glorious throne, having all judgment in heaven and earth committed to him, and be qualified for the perfecting of the redemption of his faithful people, by such a fulness of gifts and graces, as might enable him to work out for them, and in them, an everlasting salvation.
2. He prophetically describes the excellence and glory of the Messiah's government, wherein, though some things may be applicable to Solomon, others are only true of him whom Solomon prefigured, and therefore to him the whole may be best referred.
(1.) He shall rule with righteousness, and be the protector of the poor or afflicted ones from their oppressors. When, sensible of their spiritual wants and wretchedness, they cry to him, under the strivings of Satan, their great enemy, or of wicked men who persecute them, being in themselves helpless and destitute, he will deliver and save them, redeeming their souls, and rescuing them by his grace from the snares of the wicked one, and the deceitfulness of sin. And if they suffer unto blood, he will keep a precious memorial of it, and reward their martyrdom with a crown of glory.
(2.) Under his government peace shall be diffused, abundance of peace; peace with a reconciled God, peace in our guilty consciences, peace in our dispositions renewed by Divine grace, peace within preserved, when all without is most threatening, and this effected by him who is the great meritorious cause of all our mercies.
(3.) His enemies shall feel his arm, and the rebels against his government be broken in pieces: whether Satan, the arch-rebel, or those antichristian powers which have long persecuted and harassed his church, their end will be to be destroyed for ever.
(4.) His government shall be most desirable and blessed. Like the rain on the new-mown grass, the graces and consolations of his Spirit shall descend on his people, to refresh them; and, flourishing under these heavenly influences, the souls of the righteous shall bring forth those fruits of holiness abundantly, which are to the praise and glory of God. Does it appear then that we are the subjects of his kingdom by these flourishing fruits of peace within, and piety without?
(5.) His dominion shall be universal, from sea to sea, from one end of the earth to the other. The inhabitants of the most desolate parts of the earth shall some time or other have his gospel preached to them, and yield obedience to the faith; and his enemies, whether Jews or Gentiles, be brought to lick the dust, laid low in deepest humiliation at his feet. The richest kings of the earth shall bring their presents, and the distant monarchs, in the farthest isles of the sea, offer their tribute, as a token of subjection. They shall worship before him, as their God and king, and all nations serve him, when the kingdoms of the world at last shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ.
(6.) All his subjects shall honour and praise him; he shall live the joy of his people; and the gold of Sheba, the most precious offerings, even the bodies, souls, and spirits, of his faithful people, infinitely more precious than gold that perisheth, shall be presented to him: prayer shall be made for him, for the prosperity and increase of his kingdom, or through him, as the mediator between God and man, through whom alone we can be accepted; and daily shall he be praised in his church, and by his faithful subjects, happy under his gracious sway.
(7.) His increase will be wonderful and great. There shall be a handful of corn, which may denote Christ himself, upon the top of the mountains, on Calvary, sown in his death as corn in the earth, or it may refer to the word of gospel-grace, which at first was but as a handful, and seemed as unlikely to flourish as seed sown on a mountain; but great was the effect; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon, inestimably rich and precious shall be the fruits which spring from the death of Christ; or it refers to the vast increase of converts which should be made to the truth, as soon as it was preached; and they of the city, the inhabitants of the spiritual Jerusalem, shall flourish as the grass of the earth.
(8.) His kingdom shall be everlasting. While sun and moon endure, he will have a people upon earth; and when sun and moon shall fade and fail, still he shall reign, his throne abiding as the days of eternity, blessing for ever his faithful people, and the subject of their everlasting praises.
2nd, The Psalmist concludes with enlarged praises, excited by the glorious prospect that he had before him.
1. He blesses the Lord God, the Redeemer, the God of his Israel, whose wonders of creation, providence, and especially of grace in his incarnation, death, and sufferings, were so stupendous, and deserving to be had in everlasting remembrance.
2. He prays for the manifestation of his glorious kingdom upon earth, when he shall take to him his great power, and reign; and, while he breathes the longings of his heart, professes his confident expectation of it in due time; Amen and amen, so let it be, so shall it be. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. In such a prayer, may every dying believer well desire to employ his parting breath, and, pouring forth his soul into the bosom of his Saviour, cry, Come quickly, Lord Jesus!