_The psalmist in his prayer complaineth of the miseries of the
church.—God’s former favours are turned into judgments.—He prayeth for
deliverance._
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock;
thou that dwellest _between_ the cherubims, shine forth.
Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and
come _and_ save us.
Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be
saved.
O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of
thy people?
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to
drink in great measure.
Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours; and our enemies laugh
among themselves.
Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we
shall be saved.
Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen,
and planted it.
Thou preparedst _room_ before it, and didst cause it to take deep
root, and it filled the land.
The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof
_were like_ the goodly cedars.
She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
Why hast thou _then_ broken down her hedges, so that all they which
pass by the way do pluck her?
The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the
field doth devour it.
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts, look down from heaven, and
behold, and visit this vine;
And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch
_that_ thou madest strong for thyself.
_It is_ burned with fire; _it is_ cut down: they perish at the rebuke
of thy countenance.
Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man
_whom_ thou madest strong for thyself.
So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon
thy name.
Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts; cause thy face to shine, and we
shall be saved.
This is a prayer against those most bitter and daily enemies, the
neighbouring Philistines, Syrians, Moabites, Edomites, &c.: for
Jerusalem was situated in the midst of these nations, all enemies, on
every side.
This Psalm is appropriate for _us_ against bishops, and monks, and
priests, who hate us more bitterly than any Edomite or any Cain. The
fathers used this Psalm (such was the state of the church then)
against her error-broaching enemies.