John Wesley

When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul.

“Thoughts - While my heart was filled with various and perplexing thoughts, as this Hebrew word signifies. Comforts - Thy promises, and the remembrance of my former experience of thy care and kindness.”

For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice,

“Pasture - Whom he feeds and keeps in his own pasture, or in the land which he hath appropriated to himself. The sheep - Which are under his special care.”

For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.”

“Do err - Their hearts are insincere and bent to backsliding. Not known - After all my teaching and discoveries of myself to them; they did not know, nor consider, those great things which I had wrought for them.”

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

“O sing - Upon this new and great occasion, not the removal of the ark, but the coming of the Messiah.”

Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.

“Beauty - Cloathed with all the gifts and graces, which are necessary in God's worship.”

Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!” The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.

“Reigneth - God hath now set up his kingdom in the world. Established - The nations of the world shall by the means of it enjoy an established and lasting peace.”

Zion hears and rejoices, and the towns of Judah exult because of Your judgments, O LORD.

“Zion - Thy people dwelling in Zion or Jerusalem, to whom Christ came. Heard - The fame of thy judgments, and the setting up the kingdom of the Messiah.”

The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations.

“Salvation - The redemption of the world by the Messiah: which was hitherto reserved was a secret among the Jews, yea was not throughly known by the most of the Jews themselves. Righteousness - His faithfulness in accomplishing this great promise.”

The mighty King loves justice. You have established equity; You have exercised justice and righteousness in Jacob.

“Judgment - Though his dominion be absolute, and his power irresistible, yet he manages it with righteousness. The king's strength is by a known Hebraism put for the strong, or powerful king.”

I will ponder the way that is blameless— when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with integrity of heart.

“I will - I will manage all my affairs with wisdom and integrity. When - God is often said in scripture to come to men, when he fulfills a promise to them.”

For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears

“Bread - The sense is, dust and ashes are as familiar to me as the eating of my bread; I cover my head with them; I sit, yea, lie down in them, as mourners often did.”

I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.

“I said - Do not wholly destroy thy people Israel. In the midst - Before they come to a full possession of thy promises and especially of that fundamental promise of the Messiah.”

Bless the LORD, all His hosts, you servants who do His will.

“His hosts - A title often given to the angels, in regard of their vast numbers, mighty power, unanimous concurrence, and exquisite order. Ministers - This Hebrew word is commonly used of the highest and most honourable sort of servants,”

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

“Devils - They did not worship God as they pretended, but devils in their idols; for those spirits, which were supposed by the Heathen idolaters to inhabit in their images, were not good spirits, but evil spirits, or devils.”

The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

“Garment - Which a man wears constantly. Like water - Water in the cavity of the belly, between the bowels, is almost certain death. And oil soaking into any of the bones, will soon utterly destroy it.”

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

“The Hebrew word Adon is one of God's titles, signifying his power and authority over all things, and therefore is most fitly given to the Messiah, to whom God hath delegated all his power Matt. xxviii, 18.”

The LORD extends Your mighty scepter from Zion: “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”

“The rod - Thy strong or powerful rod, and the rod is put for his scepter, or kingly power: but as the kingdom of Christ is not carnal, but spiritual, so this scepter is nothing else but his word.”

Your people shall be willing on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.

“The day - When thou shalt take into thy hands the rod of thy strength, and set up thy kingdom in the world. In the beauties - Adorned with the beautiful and glorious robes of righteousness and true holiness.”

He will drink from the brook by the road; therefore He will lift up His head.

“Waters in scripture frequently signify sufferings. To drink of them, signifies to feel or bear them. Therefore - He shall be exalted to great glory and felicity.”

Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever.

“Work - Either all his works, or that eminent branch of those works, his providence towards his people. Righteousness - His justice or faithfulness in performing his word.”

The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy.

“The works - All that he doth on the behalf of his people, or against their enemies. Truth - Are exactly agreeable to his promises, and to justice. Commandments - His laws given to the Israelites, especially the moral law.”

He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.

“Redemption - The deliverance out of Egypt, which was a type of that higher redemption by Christ. Commanded - Appointed, or established firmly by his power and authority.”

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

“Dispersed - His goods, freely and liberally. Righteousness - His liberality, or the reward of it. Ever - What he gives is not lost, but indeed is the only part of his estate, which will abide with him to all eternity.”

He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth.

“Humbleth - Who is so high, that it is a wonderful condescention in him to take any notice of his heavenly host, and much more of sinful and miserable men upon earth.”

The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.

“The Lord's - In a peculiar manner, where he dwelleth in that light and glory, to which no man can approach.”