chap. • 4 .sea·' 3· laeabing tl)e woro. --~ both which fenfcs })avidapplyeth this Title to himfdf in his great diftrefs : for David . b metaphor, compares himfelf to dumb Do1JCs ill a far CoNntrey; becaufe when he y: driven out of Judea, his own Countrcy, by Sa~tl, that fought his life, and from the ~~~rfhip of God, and forced to fly to Gllth amongfl: the Philirtims , yet with .patience, mecknefs and filencc, efcapmg, he nerther fought revenge, though it wasm hrs power, nor fhewcd any impatience, bur betook huufelf 111 f~ence. unto God, ~s rf he had.been dumb and mourning lik! a JJovc; and we may apply thrs Pfalm to Chrtlf, of whom he was a type. . . . . . Or which is better approved by Jumm,he referreth tP(whrch fcnfe the word ltkewrfe bears) to the foulf1fering violence, enclofe? by a bana or multitude of Philiftims, ene– mies both to him and hrs God. Some reaa the words, To the Mafler ofthe Harmony, which is all one in fcnfc, as 7ohim that excelleth, or chief M11jitian, Michtam of JJavid ~ ( i.e.) the excellency of this Pfalm is as prcciom as gold. p5 AL. 57· Title, To the chief Mufitian, Altafr.hith Mirhtam of David, when hefled from Sa1ti in the cave, or into the cave. , The general notes on this Title intimate, that the words are either the beginning of the fang, })escroy not, or elfe words uttered by David in his extremity, fraying and bridling his pallion, &c. Mtchwn ofDavsd] as rfhe fhould f.1y, Thrs was the golden or excellent fonnet which Davidcompofed and delivered to the Levites to be fung, and after the tune of the Pfalm beginning with AltP.ji:hith, when he was in fame wonderful fear and danger of death in the cave of Adn/Lam, or En-gcdi, whither he was driven by Saul, and fo cvmpaffcd about by his guard, that he faw nothing but death in the cave, or deftruCl:ion if he came out, and thereupon prayeth, that he would not deflroy, (i.e.) fiffer him to ba dcjlroyed, which was the occafion of this fong: See the ftory, I Sam. 22. and 24. p SAL. eo. Title, To the chirf Mufitian upon Shujhan-Eduth, Michtam of David, to teach when he {frow with Aram Naharaim, aud Aram Zobah, whmJoab rewrned and Jmote of Edom in the valley of fait, twelve thoufand. Shujhan- Edmh is either the name of fome inlhument to be played upon in finging this Pfalm; or the beginning of fome fong,fo called according to the tune wherewith David would have this Pfalm fung; or Michtam (i.e.) an excellent fong which may be fung either upon the inlhument or tune Shujhan-Eduth, or that of M ichtam. . Some titles have it A1agijlro Symphoni.e in Hexachorda, and then it fignifies an in– ftmmcnt of fix lhings, upon which David would have this Pfalm played, to tellifie unro the whole Church his faith, and the benefit of his victory given him by God, again!l the Aramites of M cfopotamia, and the other Aramites that inhabited 'Zobah, for which caufe'the word in tcjlimoninm is put in that Title ~ for further explication of the words declaring the time and occafion of the making this, fee th~ Hory, 2 Sam. 8. and I Chron, I8. PS AL. 72. Title, A Pfaimfor Solomon, or ofSolomon. Not that Solomon made it, or was the writer thereof, but that it concerned him, or was compofcd on his behalf by his Father David, when being ready to dye, he com. mends his fon Solomon, created King, to God, &c. PS AL. 88. Title, A Pfalm or Song for the Jons ofCorah, to the chief A1ufitian upon . Mahalath-Leannoth, Mafr.hil of H eman the Ez.rahite. .Heman and Ethan were brothers, endued with an excellent fpirit ofprophecy and W1fdom , wherein they were compared with Solomon, I Kings 4· I 3. Heman was the author that compofcd and made this Pfalm, and Ethan the next Pfalm, and committed them to be fung and played to the fons ofCorah, to the chief of that company, upon Mahalath-Leannoth, which was the beginr.ing ofa fong, after which he would have the ~falm fung , as fame think, or clfe fome inftrument to which he.would have the tunc of tt played and fung; and for the excellency of the matter contained therein, would have t~em prefer~ed for a form of complaint unto the Church , in any p1ivate or fingular dtllrefs (as m thrs Pfalm) or in the time of affii{tion, or in perfecution of Church or Comm?n:wealth (as in the next.) · And tt ts to be noted, that fome skilful in the holy tongue, ~il:irm the Hebrew word · Mahalt<th
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