"Bless the Lord in the congregations: even the Lord from the fountains of Israel."

Whether, therefore, we understand the passage of the living apostles, or of their books, it is all the same. For as no one would ever judge that the apostles and prophets were such and so great persons, unless the Lord had revealed it to them by the ministry of the Word, and by the power of his miracles, and had magnified those his servants thereby; so neither would any one judge their books and their contents such and so great, unless by the revelation of the Spirit of Christ, nor would they ever consider them to be the fountains and foundations of the world. But the mind and understanding of the apostles, was the best thing that was in them, and we are to believe it was the best thing in them; so that the relics of their garments, their bones, the places where they taught, which nourish not the faith of the deluded commonalty, are nothing in comparison of the relics of their mind and spirit, which can be left in no books, but can be preserved only, by the assistance and work of the Spirit, in the hearts of believers. These are the foundations of which Paul speaks, Ephes. ii. 19, 20, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone."

Hence, this verse is a part of the argument and proof that the prophet in this Psalm is speaking in the Spirit, and that he is taking up the allegory of the history, in reference to Christ. And he says and proves that all this was done not by human will or by any prudence of ours. For who ever could say that his own word could do all these things which have been wrought by the preaching of the Gospel throughout the whole world, those incredible and wonderful works of God, which were foretold in this Psalm, and have now been fulfilled? These things were done therefore, "at thy rebuke, O Lord," (as David says); because thou hast rebuked the nations, and the wicked have fallen under it, and, being savingly reproved, have been changed into better men: as John says, xvi. 8, "He shall convince the world of sin." And Rom. xi. 32, "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. And again, chap. iii. 19, "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God : for by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified before him."

In the other part of the verse, by the inspiration of the breath of thine anger," (for this is how it is in the Hebrew) he couples the breath of the anger of God, with that inspiration of his which giveth life unto man, or animal life: as we have it, Gen. ii. "And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. But does not the breath of anger rather kill than breathe life into the man? It is so. It is the Spirit which convinceth the world of sin, and reveals the wrath of God against all flesh: as we have it, Rom. i. But when sinners are humbled by this wrath, they are in that very work quickened by the life of grace. Hence, Isaiah saith, xi, 4, "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked."

We have then in these passages described the ministry of preaching in the church, and the fruit of the resurrection of Christ crucified; all which David shews is wrought by the Spirit of holiness; as Paul shews, Rom. i. in his introduction to the Epistle to the Romans: in which introduction he most briefly and beautifully describes all the work of the ministry of the Word, and all the fruit of the resurrection of Christ which is set forth in this Psalm; as every one who observes and compares both those parts of the scripture may easily perceive.

Ver. 16. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

As Christ confessed in the preceding part of the Psalm, that he had suffered, had cried, and was heard, and afterwards spoke of the miracles of his resurrection which were wrought throughout the world by the ministry of the Word, it may justly be asked, why he now after all boasts that he was delivered out of many waters? For he was not delivered out of many waters after he was risen and was preached throughout the world. I consider that Christ does not here revert to that which he had before said of his deliverance; but I think he now, as a simple consequence, speaks in the person of his church. For, after the Word of the cross was preached, and alarmed sinners were converted to the faith, immediately persecution began; and, first of all, among the Jews, until the apostles were compelled to turn unto the gentiles, on account of the fury and unbelief of the Jews.

Wherefore, he here sings that history which Luke gives us in his Acts concerning the apostles and believers. And to this all that follows beautifully agrees, where he compares the humble people with the proud people of the Jews, and the obedience of the gentiles with their disobedience, and shews the difference; and he declares that he will confess unto the Lord among the gentiles; which cannot be understood of Christ as speaking in his own person. And this also makes towards the establishing of the truth of my observation, -because all the words from this verse almost to the end of the Psalm speak of the future time: whereas, hitherto, he had been speaking in the past tense. So that we are here to understand, that it is Christ speaking of his church, and in the person of his church, which is the same as himself in these respects. For Acts ix. Christ spoke to Paul from heaven, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Whereas it was the church of Christ that he was persecuting.

Christ says, therefore, in the person of his church collected out of the Jews: "He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters." And this he did when he sent his Holy Spirit down from heaven, and collected into one out of the raging Jews as many as he had ordained unto eternal life. And the word

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many," in this passage signifies the people of the Jews. As we have it, Rev. xvii. 15, "And the waters

which thou sawest are peoples and multitudes." And in many other places of the scriptures, "waters" allegorically signify people. For these words are not to be received as signifying a deliverance from evils: and this the following verse will shew, but they signify an election and a separation from others. And the prophet seems to allude to that of Exod. ii. 10, "And she called his name Moses: and she said, "Because I drew him out of the water." For the word MOSA in this passage is the same as that in Exodus. And Moses was a figure of them who are taken out of the waters; that is, who are chosen out of the rest. And hence Moses' name is interpreted as not being derived from MOYS (water) as some dream, but from the verb which signifies to take out,' because he was taken out of the waters.

Ver. 17. He delivered me from my very strong enemies, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

As I observed, all these verbs are in the future in the Hebrew, he will deliver:' so that this is the voice of the church spoken by Christ in a way of prediction. They are the_words of confidence and hope in God: for she confesses that her enemies are more powerful, and her haters more strong than herself. Whereby, we are to know that we must ever despair of all human help who wish to be under the protection of Christ. For the true and real church is not defended by the secular arm, nor by the all-vain thunderings of our present idols, who shew forth and pretend to the name of church, but deny the power thereof. And we read in the Acts of the Apostles how furious and powerful the people of the Jews were, together with all their princes, against the apostles and disciples of the Lord. But they were delivered from their persecutors and glorified God.-And indeed, the adversaries fulfilled this verse in their rage against Paul only after his conversion.

Ver. 18. They prevented me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my protector. Here he tells us the manner of his deliverance, how

it was. Because, in the midst of persecution the Lord did not forsake his church, but stood by to protect it, lest the enemies being more powerful should destroy it. Nor did he this only, but he brought her out into a large place, as the following verse shews. And this is what David means when he says, "in the day of my calamity:" that is, the Lord did not forsake me even in the very time of my persecutions, when I seemed to be utterly deserted, and my enemies appeared to be stronger than I, but he stood by me and defended me. And herein faith is again commended, as being the evidence of things not seen:---that we ought then to believe ourselves the most strong, by the presence of God, when we appear to be the most weak and inferior to all: as Paul saith, "When I am weak then am I strong." And Joel iii. "Let the weak say, I am strong." But the wisdom of the flesh does not receive nor understand this.

Ver. 19. He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

He brought me forth out of the straits of affliction into the broad place of consolation. Thus Paul saith, 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation," &c. For this broad place and these straits, are used allegorically, to signify consolation and tribulation: as we have it, Psalm iv. 1, "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress." For tribulation contracts, and joy expands the heart, and makes the face to shine : as we have it, Prov. xv. 13, " A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." And again, Prov. xvii. 22, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Again, 'A merry heart is a continual feast.'

"He saved me." Hieronymus has it better, " he delivered me.' "Because he delighted in me:" Hieronymus, 'because I pleased him. The sense is, His pleasure and good-will was towards me. As it is said