Bless thine inheritance ] They have taken thee for their God; thou hast taken them for thy people.

Feed them ] h[r raah signifies both to feed and to govern. Feed them, as a shepherd does his flock; rule them, as a father does his children.

Lift them up for ever. ] Maintain thy true Church; let no enemy prevail against it. Preserve and magnify them for ever. Lift them up: as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever; or, as Chaucer says downe all downe; so heaven is an endless height of glory, in which there is an eternal rising or exaltation. Down, all down; up, all up; for ever and ever.

ANALYSIS OF THE TWENTY-EIGHTH PSALM:

There are three parts in this Psalm: - I. A prayer, ver. 1-6.

II. A thanksgiving, ver. 6-9.

III. A prayer for the Church, ver. 9.

I. The first part is a prayer to God; in which he first requests audience, ver. 2: "Hear me." And his prayer is so described, that it sets forth most of the conditions requisite in one that prays: - 1. The object-GOD: "Unto thee, O Lord, do I cry." 2. His faith: "To thee I cry, who art my rock." 3. His fervour: It was an ardent and vehement prayer: "I cry." 4. Humility; it was a supplication: "Hear the voice of my supplication." 5. His gesture: "I lift up my hands." 6. According to God's ORDER: "Towards thy holy temple." 1. The argument he uses to procure an audience; the danger he was in: "Lest, if thou be silent, I become like them that go down to the pit." 2. Then he expresses what he prays for, which is, that either 1. He might not be corrupted by the fair persuasions of hypocrites: 2. Or that he might not be partaker of their punishments: "Draw me not away with the wicked." Upon whom he sets this mark: "Who speak peace-but mischief is in their hearts." 3. Against whom he uses this imprecation, which is the second part of his prayer: "Give them according to their own deeds," &c.

4. For which he gives this reason: They were enemies to God and to his religion; far from repentance, and any hope of amendment: "They regard not the words of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands; therefore he shall destroy them, and not build them up." II. Then follows an excellent form of thanksgiving, which he begins with "Blessed be the Lord;" and assigns the reasons, which express the chief parts of thanksgiving.

I. That God heard him: "He hath heard the voice of my supplication." 2. That he would be his Protector: "The Lord is my strength and my shield." 3. For his grace of confidence: "My heart trusted in him." 4. That from him he had relief: "I am helped." 5. The testification and annunciation of this gratitude: "Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him." He remembers the indenture: "I will DELIVER THEE, - thou shalt PRAISE ME." And, therefore, with heart and tongue he gives thanks.

6. And that God might have all the honour, he repeats what he said before: "The Lord is their strength," &c., that is, of all them that were with him.

III. He concludes with a prayer, in which he commends the whole Church to God's care and tuition.

1. "Save thy people," in the midst of these tumults and distractions.

2. "Bless thine inheritance;" that they increase in knowledge, piety, and secular prosperity.

3. "Feed them:" Give them a godly king.