PSALM 90 Who, considering that terrible but righteous sentence of God concerning the cutting off all that sinful generation in the wilderness, of which see NUM 14, takes that occasion to publish these meditations concerning mans mortality and misery in this life, which might be useful both to that a... [ Continue Reading ]
_ The mountains_; which he mentions as the most fixed and stable part of the earth. _Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world_, i.e. from eternity; which is frequently described in this manner, as PROVERBS 8:25,26 JOH 17:24 EPHESIANS 1:4, because there was nothing before the creation of the... [ Continue Reading ]
But as for man, his case is far otherwise, his time is short; and though he was made by thee a happy creature, and should have been immortal, yet upon and for his sin thou didst make him mortal and miserable. SAYEST, or, _didst say_, i.e. pronounce that sad sentence here following, RETURN, O men, to... [ Continue Reading ]
A THOUSAND YEARS, if we should now live so long, as some of our progenitors well nigh did. As he compared man's duration with God's in respect of its beginning, PSALMS 90:2, so here he compareth them in respect of the end or continuance. IN THY SIGHT; in thy account, and therefore in truth; which is... [ Continue Reading ]
THEM, i.e. mankind, of whom he spake, PSALMS 90:8. AS WITH A FLOOD; unexpectedly, violently and irresistibly, universally, without exception or distinction. AS A SLEEP; short and vain, as sleep is, and not minded till it be past. Or like a dream, when a man sleepeth, wherein there may be some real p... [ Continue Reading ]
The whole space of man's life is compared to one day, and his prosperity is confined to a part of that day, and ended in the close of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE; either, 1. We men; or rather, 2. We Israelites in this wilderness. CONSUMED; either naturally, by the frame of our bodies; or violently, by extraordinary judgments. Thou dost not suffer us to live so long as we might by the course of nature. THINE ANGER, caused by our sinful state and lives.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou dost not now cover, or blot out, or pass by our sins, as thou hast usually done to thy people; but thou dost diligently search them out, and accurately observe them, as a severe but righteous Judge, and art now calling us to an account for them. OUR SECRET SINS thou dost not only punish us for... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE PASSED AWAY; or, _turn away themselves_ or _their face_ from us. They do not continue with us, but quickly turn their backs upon us, and leave us. AS A TALE THAT IS TOLD; which may a little affect us for the present, but is quickly ended and gone out of mind, Or, _as a word_, as JOB 37:2, which... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAYS OF OUR YEARS; either, 1. Of the Israelites in the desert, who being twenty years old, and some, thirty, some forty, some fifty years old, when they came out of Egypt, and dying in the wilderness, as all of that age did, NUMBERS 14:29, a great number of them doubtless died in their seventie... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO KNOWETH? few or none sufficiently apprehend it, or stedfastly believe it, or duly consider it, or are rightly affected with it. For all these things are comprehended under this word _knoweth_. THE POWER OF THINE ANGER; the greatness, and force, and dreadful effects of thine anger conceived again... [ Continue Reading ]
SO TEACH US, by thy Spirit and grace, as thou hast already taught us by thy word. Or, _teach us rightly_ (as this word is used, NUMBERS 27:7 2 KINGS 7:9) TO NUMBER, & c., as it follows. _To number our days_; to consider the shortness and miseries of this life, and the certainty and speediness of dea... [ Continue Reading ]
RETURN, O LORD, to us in mercy; for thou seemest to have forsaken us and cast us off. HOW LONG; understand, _wilt thou be angry_; or, _will it be ere thou return to us_ ? CONCERNING THY SERVANTS; i.e. of thy severe proceedings against us, and change thy course and carriage to us.... [ Continue Reading ]
EARLY; speedily or seasonably, before we be utterly consumed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Our afflictions have been sharp and long, let not our prosperity be small and short.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let that great and glorious work of giving thy people a complete deliverance, which thou hast long since designed and promised, be at last accomplished and manifested unto us, and in the sight of the world.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD, i.e. his favourable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence. UPON US; or, _in us_. Do not only work for us, but in us. And because the glorious work of thy hands is hindered by the evil works of our hands, be thou pleased by thy Holy Spirit to direct or est... [ Continue Reading ]