Yea, the work. Each in particular. Roman Septuagint, &c., omit this sentence, which Houbigant improperly deems useless. (Berthier) --- Charity must direct all. (St. Augustine) (Worthington) PSALM LXXXIX. (DOMINE .) A prayer for the mercy of God; recounting the shortness and miseries of the days of man. David. Septuagint add, "it has no title in Hebrew," and hence the Jews refer it to the preceding author, with St. Jerome, &c. But this rule is very uncertain. (Calmet) (Berthier) --- Some suppose that Moses composed it when he led the Israelites out of Egypt, or in the wilderness; while others think that it is the work of David under some imminent danger. The Fathers apply it to Jesus Christ. Yet it may be considered simply as a moral instruction, (Calmet) superior in elegance to any Greek or Latin poem. (Muis) --- Aid. Hebrew, "secret place." Of heaven. Is not in Hebrew shaddai, which means, (Haydock) "the almighty self-sufficient, or destroying God." (Calmet) --- We must keep close to God by mental prayer, if we would enjoy the divine protection. (St. Gregory, Mor. vii. 7.) (Berthier) Delivered me. Hebrew and Septuagint, "shall deliver thee." Yet the Alexandrian copy has me. (Haydock) --- The psalmist addresses his own soul. (Berthier) --- Word, verbo: we sometimes find "sword," printed by mistake. Hebrew dabar, signifies "word, thing, pestilence, &c." (Haydock) --- The devil employs human respect to draw many into his nets. (St. Augustine) (Berthier) --- Neither subtle craft, nor the cruelty of tyrants will disturb those who trust in Providence. (Worthington) With. Septuagint, "upon." St. Augustine, "between," as the Lord carried Israel, Deuteronomy xxxii. 11. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "he will cover thee with his feathers," (Haydock) like an eagle. (Menochius) Shield. God's fidelity, or word, affords the best protection, Proverbs xxx. 5. (Calmet) --- Having the spirit of faith, a man is secure. But he whose heart is hardened, (Berthier) is covered with the buckler of God's affliction, (Lamentations iii. 64.; Haydock) abuses every thing, and seems bewitched with self-love, Galatians i. (Berthier) --- Night. Devils, spectres, &c., (Canticle of Canticles iii. 7.; Calmet) and treacherous insinuations, that people are not bound to confess the truth, in time of danger. (Worthington) Day. Neither open attacks, nor unforeseen accidents prevail. (Calmet) --- Business. Hebrew dabar, "thing," ver. 3., "the pestilence." (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- The Hebrews suppose, that one angel presides over death in the daytime, and another during the night; or that various demons send maladies at these different times. --- Invasion. Septuagint and old Italic, have, "ruin." --- St. Jerome, after Aquila, "from the bite of him who rageth, Greek: damonizontos, at noon. Keteb, (Haydock) according to the ancient tradition of the Jews, denotes one of the bolder devils, who attacks in open day, and seeks no aid from nocturnal craft. (Genebrard) The psalmist may allude to those popular notions, (Theodoret; St. Jerome) which were prevalent among the pagans. (Theocrit. Idyl. i.; Lucan iii.) (Calmet) --- Thou shalt fear no danger of the day or night, (Bellarmine) nor any which disturbs the life of man. (Scaligers, ep. i. p. 95.) --- This author mistakes, when he supposes that Keteb is rendered devil. (Amama) --- He might also ask how the Chaldean, Aquila, and Symmachus came to discover, that the devil is here mentioned, as well as the Septuagint? (Berthier) --- These seem to have read ussod, "and the devil," instead of issud, "from destruction which ravages," (Amama) vastabit. (Montanus) (Haydock) --- But allowing that the Septuagint, &c., are accurate what is meant by this devil? St. Peter seems to explain the idea, when he exhorts us to sobriety, 1 Peter v. 8. (Berthier) --- Violent temptations of sloth, (St. Athanasius) or impurity, (Theodoret) or the persecutions against the faithful, may be meant. Four different sorts of attacks seem to be designated. 1. Such as assult the ignorant with the fears of the night, tempting them to secure their temporal estates, while they think not of eternal woe impending. 2. Others are attacked with the arrows in the day, and threatened with death, which they know they ought rather to endure, than abandon their faith. 3. The business, &c., imitates some grievous but latent temptation, as when the faithful are persuaded to take some unlawful oath. 4. But the greatest and most manifest attack, is styled, invasion, &c., when persecutors assail those who adhere to the true faith with a succession of torments, and subtle arguments, which have been the occasion of the fall of many, who had resisted the former attacks. Yet none of these yield, but by their own fault, trusting in themselves, and not in God. (St. Augustine) (Worthington) --- Noon day. Grotius explains this of the heat of the sun, which is very dangerous to travellers in Palestine. (Calmet) Fall. Or "attack,....but shall not come nigh to thee." (Eusebius) (Calmet) --- How great soever may be the number of thy adversaries, they shall not be able to do thee any harm. They shall at thy feet, and their dart shall not reach thee. (Haydock) --- More forsake God in prosperity, than under adversity. (Worthington) Because. Saying, Thou, &c. (Worthington; ver. 1.) (Calmet) --- High. Hebrew helyon is a title of God, (Calmet) not the adjective to refuge, (Berthier) as Chaldean, Aquila, &c., have taken it. "Thou hast placed thy dwelling most high." So that there, &c., ver. 10. It is evident that the following promises relate not to the Lord, (Calmet) but to the just man. Protestants, "because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high thy habitation." This transposition is not authorized by the text. (Haydock) Scourge. Aquila has Greek: Aphe, "the leprosy," (Calmet) or any stroke of distress. (Haydock) --- What the saints have suffered were not real evils, and they will be amply rewarded in heaven. They never complain, having God with them, (Calmet; ver. 15.; Haydock) and his holy angels. (Menochius) Angels. Many seem to be assigned to the just, to whom St. Hilary, &c., would restrain this privilege. But it is more generally believed, that each person has an angel guardian. This was the opinion even of the pagans. (Porphyrius,Ap. ii.; Clement of Alexandria, Strom. v.) (Calmet) --- To keep. Instead of this, the tempter substituted and, (Matthew iv. 6.) finding it would not answer his purpose, (Haydock) and shed that the question was about walking, and not about precipitating oneself. (St. Bernard, ser. xv. p. 90.) --- To attempt such unusual courses, is the way of Lucifer, (Worthington) and tempting God, as our Saviour replied. (Berthier) --- From the father of lies, heretics have learnt how to curtail and misapply the holy Scriptures. (Haydock) --- God has highly favoured man, by intrusting him to the care of these sublime ministers of his court, (St. Bernard) and surely it is lawful for us to implore their assistance, as we may apply to our fellow-creatures for redress in our temporal necessities. To refuse to do so, on the plea that we expect all immediately from God, would be going contrary to his appointment. Else why has God given them for our guardians, since He could have done all without them? In vain is it objected, that this invocation is a religious worship. It may be so styled, because they are blessed, and help us to obtain salvation. But we only honour in the the gifts of God. (Berthier) --- They protect us by his ordinance, (Worthington) and the very form of praying, shews in what light we regard them. Who durst say to God, pray for us? (Menochius) Stone. He alludes to nurses. (Calmet) --- All these expressions are metaphorical, to shew the assistance given by angels, to remove the obstacles which impede our progress towards heaven. Asp. Which kills in eight hours time at farthest, making the blood congeal.--- Basilisk. "The little king" of serpents. What is related of it seems fabulous. (Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 21.; Solin xxx.) (Calmet) --- Yet there might be some species known by this name, possessing fascinating qualities like the rattle-snake. (Berthier) --- The sight of it alone could not destroy a man; otherwise how could any account of it have been given? Hebrew ssel means a lion in Job, (Berthier) and phethen, "an asp," (Calmet) or basilisk. (Bochart) --- Dragon. Crocodile. (Calmet) --- The most noxious animals, both of sea and land, shall prove quite harmless to the true servants of God, when he intends to prove the truth of his religion, as he did in the cases of Daniel, and of the disciples of Christ, Mark xvi. If they be suffered to kill the saints here, it is in order that they may be glorified in heaven, ver. 15. (Haydock) --- The devil is styled an asp, &c. (Berthier) --- He sometimes attacks the Church, by craft, and at other times by open violence. But she [the Church] remains secure, (St. Augustine) and her children can only be preserved by continuing in her bosom. To know which is the true Church; "see, says St. Gregory, (Mor. xx. 29.) which are the most recent sects." (Berthier) --- Methodists may now wrest this honour from the rest of Protestants. (Haydock) Because. God speaks the rest. (Worthington) --- Known. In practice. (Calmet) Tribulation. The just are not exempt from it. --- Glorify him, with eternal salvation. Days. Eternity alone can satisfy the heart. --- Salvation. Or Jesus, who promised to manifest himself, John xiv. 21, 25. (Berthier) --- Abraham saw him afar off; Simeon at hand, John viii. 56., and Luke ii. 30. God insures the just a long life in this world, and an eternal one in the next. (Calmet) --- That life is long enough which ends in happiness. (Haydock) PSALM XC. (QUI HABITAT.) The just is secure under the protection of God. Day. The Jews say, that Adam sung this at his creation, (Chaldean) or that it refers to the reign of the Messias, which shall lost one thousand years after this world is ended. (Kimchi) --- Others think it is a thanksgiving after the defeat of Sennacherib, (Ven. Bede) or Absalom. (Ferrand) --- It might be sung by the sons of Moses, who expected to be shortly delivered from Babylon, (Calmet) or by the people on the sabbath, (Berthier) though many of the Fathers think, that this word denotes "the repose of the life to come." The occasion or author of this psalm cannot be clearly ascertained. (Calmet) --- When we enjoy rest from labour, we ought particularly to praise God's works. (Worthington) Praise. Literally, "to confess," (Haydock) as we must be free from sin before we can worthily proclaim God's praises. (Eusebius) (St. Jerome) --- But here to confess means to praise, (Calmet) or give thanks. (Worthington) Night. Of adversity, and at all times, (Berthier) as well as in prosperity. (Worthington) --- Morning and evening prayer must not be neglected. (Haydock) --- These times were particularly pointed out, Psalm liv. 18. Strings, upon. Hebrew, "on the hasor, and on the nabel, on the higaion with the cinnor." Yet the ten stringed instrument seems to have been the same with the psaltery, or nobol. (Haydock) --- Bellarmine thinks and is redundant, and was not in the copies of the Septuagint, or it is only explanatory, as we know that the psaltery had ten strings, Psalm xxxii. 2., and cxliii. 9. (Menochius) --- The matter is of small consequence. (Berthier) --- Eusebius seems to insinuate, that instruments were not used in the Church of his time. (Calmet) --- The observance of the commandments, and mortification, signified by the harp are requisite. (Worthington) Rejoice. Admiring thy providence, (Calmet) or the Messias. "What are all things compared with thee, O Lord!" (St. Augustine; Conf. x. 4.) Deep. We cannot easily explain thy ways, (Menochius) in exalting some, and depressing thy people. (Calmet) (Romans xi. 33.) Things. Pretended sages hence take occasion to blaspheme whatsoever things they know not, Jude 10. The wise adore God in silence, (Haydock) and confess, that the misery of the just here proves a future life, while the wicked prosper, to be more tormented. (Eusebius) --- Carnal men, who think only of present things, see not this. (Menochius) Appear. Hebrew, "flourish." Still they are but as grass, (Haydock) short-lived, and of small utility. The just resembles the palm-tree, ver. 13. (Calmet) Enemies. The Babylonians, (Calmet) or all the wicked at the last day. (Berthier) --- This shews God's power, and insures the exaltation of the just. (Menochius) Mercy. Hebrew and some copies of the Septuagint have "oil," an emblem of mercy, Proverbs xxi. 20. (Berthier) --- "I shall be anointed with fresh oil." (Protestants) --- "My old age shall be like a verdant olive." (Houbigant) (Symmachus) --- Those who have a good conscience, expect final happiness. (Worthington) Me. I shall live to hear of the vengeance which God will take, Psalm cxi. 9. (Calmet) --- The just pray for sinners here; but must approve of God's judgment. (Berthier) Palm-tree. Septuagint Greek: phoinix, means also a "Ph\'9cnician, or the Ph\'9cnix" bird, of which the ancients have said so much, Job xxix. 18., (Calmet) and of which Tertullian, (de Res. xiii.) and St. Ambrose, (de fid. Res.) seem to understand this passage. (Amama) --- But it must be explained in the sense of the Vulgate, as the Hebrew Tamar evinceth. This tree, and the cedar, were the most famous in those countries; the former for its fruit, and the latter for buildings and duration. The palm-tree will shoot forth again, after it has been cut down or burnt, (Pliny, [Natural History?] xiii. 14.) so the just will rise up from oppression. (Calmet) Courts. In the Church triumphant, as well as in the militant. (Worthington) --- The piety of the faithful induces strangers to embrace the truth. (Berthier) Well treated. Or affected. (Worthington) --- Bene patientes, Greek: eupathountes, "flourishing," (Grotius) tranquil, (St. Augustine) or in a prosperous condition. (Berthier) --- Erasmus, to shew the utility of consulting the originals, informs us, what a multiplicity of authors he consulted in vain, to know the import of this word. (Amama) --- "They shall be fat and covered with leaves," (St. Jerome) alluding to the aforesaid comparison. PSALM XCI. (BONUM EST .) God is to be praised for his wondrous works. In him. The general judgment will set this in the clearest light. At present, the ways of Providence may be mysterious, ver. 6. (Haydock) Founded. Septuagint, "inhabited." This title occurs not in Hebrew (Theodoret) nor are the copies of the Septuagint uniform, which shews that it is a later insertion, intimating perhaps, that it was sung on Friday, when the works of creation were completed, (Berthier) and the world redeemed. (Worthington) --- It seems to refer to the translation of the ark, (Muis; 1 Paralipomenon xvi. 30.) and the establishment of the Church, the house of God, though the universe may be so styled, (Berthier) or it speaks of the return from captivity, (Ven. Bede) as well as the preceding and following psalms. --- Himself. As if to perform some great work, the liberation of his people from the captivity of Babylon, and of the devil, (Calmet) or to create the world. (Berthier) --- Established. "Weighed." (Houbigant) --- Moved, or disturbed in the order established by him. (Haydock) --- This does not prove that the earth moves not on its own axis daily, and round the sun every year. (Berthier) --- The Church shall not fail, (Menochius) which Christ has redeemed by his own blood, and with great power. In it He reigns, and will draw all to himself, John xii. 31. (Worthington) Of old. Literally, "that time," ex tunc, (Worthington) alluding to some distant period, Isaias xvi. 13. (Calmet) --- God's throne is established over creatures, as soon as they exist. (Haydock) --- Yet he is eternal, (Menochius) as Christ is likewise. At his ascension, He placed his sacred humanity on the throne. (Calmet) --- His kingdom, the Church, continues for ever. (Worthington) Floods. The apostles, (Eusebius; St. Augustine) or persecutors. (Worthington) --- Waves. This sentence is not in the Roman Septuagint, &c. (Calmet) --- But it is in the Alexandrian and Aldine editions. Storms and tides fill all with awe and astonishment. (Calmet) --- The motion of waters, when they were first confined to their channels, and the persecutions of the Church, and rebellions against God, are described. (Menochius) On high. In heaven, more to be admired than all the phenomena of nature, and more powerful than all the vast armies of the Babylonians, Isaias xl. 15. (Calmet) --- The conversion of many nations, (Apocalypse xvii. 5.) is the work and glory of God, (Haydock) and his preserving the Church in the midst of the most violent attacks, shews his power. (Worthington) Credible. St. Jerome, "faithful." --- Protestants, "very sure." (Haydock) --- A person must shut his eyes not to see the prophecies fulfilled concerning Christ, and his Church. (Eusebius) --- The majesty of God should strike us with a holy fear, and teach us to observe his commandments, and to behave with the utmost respect in his house, (Calmet) which is the whole world, or the society of the faithful. (Berthier) --- Articles of faith are perfectly credible to those whose hearts are moved by grace, (Worthington) though they cannot be understood. (Haydock) --- All the members of the Church should carefully approve themselves to God, who is her spouse, (Worthington) and protector, (Menochius) to the end of the world. (Worthington) --- Days. Since thy power and fidelity are so great, suffer not thy temple to be any longer in ruins, or profaned. (Calmet)