ought to do that stand up between God and the people, but they seek the increase of their own power.

By this word, therefore, he strikes at the arrogance and ambition of those who command over the people only to aggrandise their own power: and that this may not be done is what the man after God's own heart prays for. But this evil most certainly increases in the church at this day beyond all bounds, and that by the wrath of God, for our fearing the censures of men far more than the threatenings of God, and for our losing sight of God altogether by having respect to the persons

of men.

And then, with respect to these words, "For their sakes therefore go thou back on high," or as the Hebrew has it, "return thou, &c."-He does not say, Put me again on high, but, "Return thou on high." Nor does he say, For my sake, but, "For their (the people's) sake.” "For (says he) it is them that I pity, it is their calamity and their being seduced that fills me with so much grief. It is for them that I pray, not for myself. Behold, therefore, as before in the love of God he prayed for the judgment which God had commanded: so here, in the love of the brethren, he prays for their salvation: thus, equally anxious in both respects, lest the judgment of God should not be satisfied, and that men may not perish on his account: that the office of ruling the people which God has commanded, and the obedience of the people who submit themselves to it, may stand, that there may never be a people without a God nor a God without a people. O what a scripture is this to be held in the memory and to be observed faithfully by all bishops, pastors, rulers, and potentates!

But when is it that God leaves his seat on high, so as to make it necessary for him to return unto it? Why, it is as often as any proud and ambitious one sits in the place of God. For, while such an one subjects the people of God unto himself, rather than unto God, he certainly, as far as lies within his power, is "exalted (as Paul saith, 2 Thess. ii. 4,) above all that is called God or that is worshipped." And such an one as this is ANTI

CHRIST! And as this is a time in which all these popes and high-priests in the church are thus ambitious and subject the people unto themselves and not unto Christ, who can doubt that Antichrist is reigning? But God returns on high, when, casting down all these Absaloms, he again restores his judges as of old, who gather together people unto God, teach the commandments of God, as of old, and set aside all the traditions of men.

And let no one wonder that the returning of God on high, is his reviving his judgment, his power, his office, and his ministry: for the prophet, as we know, speaks in the spirit: and therefore he is to be understood as speaking of a spiritual exaltation of God: who is exalted, when we are brought to submit to him, when we hear his word, and when we see his works; and when all these are wrought by the ministration of man.

Wherefore, this Psalm is a most effectual prayer; and I wish that we all prayed it at this day with feelings of heart equal to the words, for there never was a time when such a prayer was more needed. But what do we see at this day in the church that at all answers to these words? Where are to be found the men who gather people together unto Christ, with the same anxiety as they gather them together unto themselves? Who is now anxious to see the people fear Christ, as to see them fear the power of the pope? We unconcernedly smile at those who offend God by their sins, but when any offend the pope, we vent all our fury against them. We compel them to observe our pomps, ceremonies, ordinances, and laws but so far are we from gathering them together to the observance of the words of Christ and to the love of the Spirit, that we labour with all our endeavours to prevent the people of Christ from understanding the truth, and to hinder the believers in Christ from being in peace and union with each other, especially kings and princes; until we have dared even to teach such things as these; that it is an offence to teach the true godliness of Christ; that is, we teach, that, in our estimation, it is a matter of no small peril for the people to be admitted to a true knowledge of the gospel, to prefer the

Wordof God to the words of men, and to value the works of true godliness above all the foolish outside show of works. For we begin to think that if such knowledge prevails, we shall meet with famine on the one hand and poverty on the other, and that all the pomp which we have scraped together from out the whole world, will fall to the ground. In a word, in such perilous times do we live at this day, that we are compelled to adore, not God, but man.

Ver. 8.-The Lord judgeth the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

Here he plainly shows himself, and discovers to us what he meant by God's returning on high, by the judgment commanded of God, and by the congregation of the people which compass God about.-Why, (says he) should I not speak thus? It is not we that rule, that judge: it is the Lord that judgeth the people, and the judgment of the people belongeth to him alone: it is he that speaks, that judgeth and does all things in us. Thus Gideon saith, Judges viii. 23, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, the Lord shall rule over you." Behold the holy man! he will not permit the people to be gathered together unto himself, even though requested to do it; he gives all over unto the Lord. On the other hand, 1 Kings viii. 7, the Lord said unto Samuel, "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." Not that there was any evil in asking a king, or in having one, (for afterwards God gave them kings,) but they, by a blinded heart and affections, were more anxious about a king than about God: for they did not desire the king that by him they might be brought nearer unto God and therefore they were just such as ought to be under such a tyrant as would subject them to himself and not to God: and this is what happened unto them in Saul whom they desired for their king.

From all which things it is manifest, that it is an evident sign of the wrath of God when he himself does

not reign, but permits ambitious Absaloms to hold the place of judgment: considering us unworthy to hear the Word of God, or to see his works: as he himself foretold, Luke xvii. 22, saying, "The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and shall not see it."

In the Hebrew the verb is in the future, " he shall judge the people:" which, by the optative, may be understood in a petitionary sense, in this way.-I pray thee that thou wouldst be the judge of the people, and that thou wouldst not suffer men to judge, nor thy people to be seduced by the words of men, nor by the burthens which they may lay upon them. Or it may be understood assertatively, and in a way of hope, from his feeling a confidence that his prayer was heard; which is how I should rather understand it ; in this way.-I feel a confidence and am certain that I am heard, in praying, that thy Word, thy work, and thy judgment, may gather thy people together again, whom these ungodly ones have scattered by their words and works, and have drawn them from thee, on account of me.

After, therefore, he had expressed his concern for the cause of God and of the people, he at last begins upon his own cause; praying that his innocence might be made manifest: because the cause of God and of the people could not be restored in this instance, unless the ungodly were cast down and his innocence were defended. Therefore, the necessitous state of the glory of God and of the safety of the people, compels him to pray that his own cause might be justified. For as long as he is condemned unjustly, so long, of necessity, it must appear, that neither the judgment of God nor the obedience of his people are true, because he is not heard, though the accusations and condemnations of his ́accusers and persecutors must of necessity be heard.

Hence we see, that it is not enough that any one, in a just cause, suffer for the truth and commit the matter unto God, and be prepared to yield and to be brought down to the dust together with all his glory; but he must pray anxiously that God would judge and justify

the cause of truth; not for his sake and advantage, but for the vindication of the ministry of God and for the salvation of his people; whose salvation is not without peril, nor without thy fault, if, from a foolish humility, thou dost not pray most fervently for the preservation and manifestation of the truth and of thine own righteousness. For thou oughtest not so much to care about how humble and abject thou mayest be, as to fear about the people being drawn away from the truth and from righteousness by lies and iniquity. Thou art indeed to bear evils and injustice; but so, that thou mayest not throw away thy love upon others; for love ought to be solicitous about, not how thou mayest thyself rise, but how the godly may be prevented from offences and from perishing. "For my brethren and companions' sakes (says David, Psalm cxxii. 8,) I will now say, Peace be within thee." And thus Paul also gives thanks unto God, that his bonds had not caused any impediment to the gospel, but had even furthered it. Phil. i.

David says, therefore, as thou art about to judge the people, as that belongs to thee alone, and as it is thus that the people shall compass thee about again, and that thou shalt be again in the middle of them, as I have prayed thou mayest be: now, therefore, that this may be brought about more effectually, judge me according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me; and thereby show how false and lying these curses of the Ethiopian, the son of Jemini, are, lest my righteousness being falsely accused should in any way hinder this thy judgment and the salvation of the people.

And we have before shown, Psalm iii. that in the scriptures, the righteousness of man and the righteousness of God are different things; that a man's righteousness is that whereby he is unblamable before men and in his own conscience, though that righteousness sufficeth not before God. But the righteousness of God, is the grace and mercy of God which justify us even before God. Hence David most carefully adds "my righteousness," that he might distinguish it from that of which he speaks at the end of the Psalm, saying, "I