A commentary on the book of Psalms

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LIBRARY

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Theological Seminary,

F^RINCETON, N. J.

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Home, George, 1730-1792.
A commentary on the book of
Psalms

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SELECT
CHRISTIAN AUTHORS,

WITH

INTRODUCTORY ESSAYS.

A

COMMENTARY

ON THE

BOOK OF PSALMS.

GEORGE HORNE, D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF NORWICH.

WITH

AN INTRODITCTOIIY ESSAY,

BY THE

REV. EDWARD IRVING, A.M.

MINISTER OF THE CALEDONIAN CHURCH, LONDON.

IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. III.

GLASGOW:

PRINTED FOR CHALMERS AND COLLINS;

WILLIAM \VHYTE & CO. AND WILLIAM OLIPHANT, EDINBURGH J

R. M. TIMS, AND WM. CURRY, JUN. & CO. DUBLIN ;

AND G. B. WHITTAKER, LONDON.

1825.

PHiNCji! TON

45 /iTVlrv <Tv-, •• <tl'C/ <^^

iHMENTAR

ON THE

BOOK OF PSALMS.

PSALM CII.

Twentieth Day. — Morning Prayer.

ARGUMENT.— This Psalm is entitled, " A prayer of the at-
tlicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint
before tlie Lord," It seems to have been written, during the
captivity, by one of the prophets, who, like Daniel in parallel
circumstances, 1, 2. maketh supplication before his God; 3 — 11.
setteth forth, in the most affecting strains, his wretched and
sorrowful estate, or rather, perhaps, tliat of Jerusalem, which
he personates; 12. he comforteth himself, by reflecting on the
eternity and immutability of Jehovah ; 1.3 — 22. he predicteth
and describeth the restoration of Sion, with her enlargement
by the accession of the Gentiles, when Messiah shall have
visited and redeemed her ; 23, 24. he returneth again to his
lamentations ; but 25 — 28. again reposeth his confidence on
Jiim who created all things, and who would not fail to make
good his word and promise, if not to the generation then pre-
sent, yet to their posterity. This is the fifth of those styled
" Penitential Psalms ;" and St. Paul, Heb. i, 10. hath assert-
ed, that it is addressed to the eternal Son of God, and Saviour
of the world.

Verse " 1. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my
cry come unto thee. 2. Hide not thy face from me in

[Ps.

.02.

the day wheri I am in trouble; incline thine e'^^^^^o
me : in the day when I call, answer me spr-'^^ily*"

Sin and sorrow force " prayers" an*-' " cries" from
the sons of Adam. The first pet^ion here prefer-
red is, that these prayers and c>*'es may be *' heard"
in heaven. The day of hv^nan life is " a day of
trouble," a day of darkr-ss and gloominess, which
nothing can brighten. &ut the light of God's " coun-
tenance;" nothing- can render comfortable, but a
" speedy answer" of mercy and peace from above.

" 3. For my days are consumed away like, or,
in, smoke, and my bones are burnt as a hearth, or,
a fire-brand."

The effects of extreme grief on the human frame
are compared to those which fire produceth upon
fuel. It exhausts the radical moisture, and, by so
doing, soon consumes the substance. A man's time
and his strength evaporate in melancholy, and his
" bones," those pillars and supports of his body, be-
come like wood, on which the fire hath done its work,
and left it without sap, and without cohesion. A
single penitent, or a whole church, bewailing their
respective transgressions, when under the rod of
God, may use these words, and will understand the
force of them.

- " 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass:
so that I forget to eat my bread."

The metaphor is continued, and the ** heart" it-
self, out of which flow the streams of life, is repre-
sented as suffering that from grief, which the " grass"

Ps. 102.1 7

of the field suffers from the burning heat of the sun:
it is '* smitten and withered." And when grief
hath thus dejected the spirits, the man has no appe-
tite for that food which is to recruit and elevate
them. Ahab, smitten with one kind of grief, David
with another, and Daniel with a third, all '* forgot"
or "refused, to eat their bread:" 1 Kings xxi. 4.
2 Sam. xii. 6. Dan. x. 3. Such natural com-
panions are ** mourning and fasting."

" 5. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my
bones cleave to my skin."

Extremity of sorrow causeth the fiesh to waste,
and the bones to press upon the skin, through which
they are ready to force their way. Sickness is the
chastisement of heaven, inflicted often upon us, to
supply the want of that discipline, which we should
exercise upon ourselves. " For if we would judge
ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we
are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we
should not be condemned with the world." 1 Cor.
xi. 31.

" 6. I am like the pelican of the wilderness : I
am like an owl, or, bittern, of the desert, or, of
waste, ruinous places. 7. I watch, and am as a spar-
row alone upon the house-top."

The sorrowful man is naturally desirous of retir-
ing from the world, to vent his complaints in soli-
tude, and to pass the nights in watchfulness and
prayer. In such a situation the true penitent plac-
eth himself, worthily to bewail his sins, and depre-
cate the judgments of his God. And in such a si-

8 [Ps. 102.

taation did captivity place the daughter of Sion, that
bhe mioht do likewise. The use which Daniel
made of it for this purpose, may be seen in his ninth
chapter.

" 8. Mine enemies reproach me all the day: and
they that are mad against me, are sworn against me."

The scoffs and reproaches of men are generally
added to the chastisements of God ; or rather, per-
haps, arc a part, and sometimes the bitterest part of
them. How the enemies of Jerusalem behaved, in
the day of her calamity, is well known. How car-
nal and ungodly men behave to a penitent, when
mourning for his sins, under the afflicting hand of
heaven, is as well known.

" 9. For, or, therefore, I have eaten ashes like
bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. 10.
Because of thine indignation and v/rath: for thou
hast lifted me up, and cast me down."

By " eating ashes, and drinking tears," we may
understand the same as if it had been said, " I have
eaten the bread of humiliation, and drank the
water of affliction;" ashes being the emblem of
one, and tears the consequence of the other; while
the actions of ''eating and drinking," ultimate tons
tlie fulness and satiety which the sufferer had expe-
rienced of both, from the "wrath and indignation of
God." Prosperity and adversity are from him : " he
lifteth up,. and he casteth down;" he lifted up Jeru-
salem above all the earth ; and he cast her down, to
be trodden under foot by the Gentiles.

" H. My days are like a shadow that declineth:

Ps. 102.] 9

and I am withered like grass. 12. But thou, ()
Lord, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance
unto all generations."

A " shadow" never continueth in one stay, but
is still gliding imperceptibly on, lengthening as it
goes, and at last vanisheth into darkness. The
period of its existence is limited to a day at farthest.
The rising sun gives it birth, and in that moment
when the sun sets it is no more. The " ffrass" of
the field, in like manner, hath a being of the same
duration. In the morning, clothed with verdure
and beauty, it refresheth and delighteth the eye of
the beholder; but the evening findeth it cut down,
dried up, and withered. Such is the life of man,
sojourning in the land of his captivity, and doing
penance for his sins. But the eternity of Jehovah,
the infallibility of his promises, and the remembrance
of his former works and mercies, comfort our hearts,
and encourage us to hope, nay, even to rejoice, in
the midst of sorrow and tribulation.

" 13. Thou shalt arise, a7id have mercy upon
Sion ; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time,
is come. 14. For thy servants take pleasure in her
stones, and favour the dust thereof."

From this passage, and what follows, it appears,
that the suppliant, in this Psalm, bewails not only
his own miseries, but those of the church. Israel,
was in captivity, and Sion a desolation. A " time"
notwithstanding, a " set time," there was at hand,
when God had promised to " arise, and to have mercy
upon her." The bowels of her children yearned

A 3

10

[Ps. 102.

over Iier ruins; they longed to see her rebuilt, and
were ready, whenever the word of command should
be given, to set heart and hand to the blessed work.
Such ought to be our affection towards our Sion,
however afflicted and destitute she may, at any time,
appear to be; such should be our faith in the pro-
mises of God concerning the future glorification of
his church, at the time appointed.

" 15. So the heathen shall fear the name of the
Lord: and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16. When the Lord shall build up Sion, he shall
appear in his glory. 17. He will regard the prayer
of the destitute, and not despise their prayer."

The object to which the prophets of old had chiefly
respect, was not only the deliverance of Israel from
Babylon, and the rebuilding of the material temple,
but the salvation of sinners, and the erection of the
Christian church, in the days of Messiah's kingdom.
" When the Lord" Jesus thus " built up Sion, he
appeared in his glory: the heathen feared his name,
and all the kings of the earth" adored his majesty,
because he had " regarded the prayer of the desti-
tute" sons of Adam, in their worse than Babylonish
captivity, and had arisen himself to be their Saviour
and mighty Deliverer. We, in these latter days,
look and pray for the second appearance of the same
Redeemer, with power and great glory, to raise the
dead, and to build up from the dust a Jerusalem
which shall experience no Inore vicissitudes, but
continue for ever in unchangeable beauty and bright-
ness.

" 18. This shall be written for the generation to

Ps. 102.] 11

come; and the people which sliall be created shall
praise the Lord."

The history of " this" redemption and restoration
by Messiah, thus foretold, hath been " written" in
the Gospel for the benefit of " after generations,"
to the end that '* the people who are created" anew
in Christ Jesus may from age to age praise Jeho-
vah, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; as
it is done at this day in the church, and ever will
continue to be done, till the choirs of heaven and
earth shall be united before the throne of the Lamb.

" 19. For he hath looked down from the height
of his sanctuary: from heaven did the Lord behold
the earth; 20. To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
to loose those that are appointed to death; 2L To
declare the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise
in Jerusalem: 22. When the people are gathered
together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord."

Redemption is the subject of praise in the Chris-
tian church; and the process of that great work is
here described by images borrowed from the tempo-
ral deliverance and restoration of Israel. God is re-
presented as looking with an eye of pity from hea-
ven upon poor mankind; as hearing the groans of
sinners, fast bound in the chains of their sins, and
sentenced to death eternal; as coming down to for-
give and to release them; that, being so forgiven and
released, they might cause the church to resound
with his praises, when, upon the preaching of the
Gospel, it should be filled with converts, assembled
from every people and kingdom of the world. Look

^ ^ [Ps. 102.

down, O Lord Jesus, yet once again upon thy ser-
vants, still under the dominion of death, and the
bondage of corruption; loose these chains, even these
also, O Lord, and bring us forth into the glorious
liberty of thy children; that, with the whole assem-
bly of the redeemed, in the heavenly Jerusalem, we
may bless and praise thy name for ever and ever.

" 23. He weakened my strength in the way; he
shortened my days.'*

The prophet, in the person of captive Sion, hav-
ing, from verse 13. to verse 22. expressed his faith
and hope in the promised redemption, now returns
to his mournful complaints, as at verse IL Israel
doubteth not of God's veracity, but feareth lest his
heavy hand should crush the generation then in be-
ing, before they should behold the expiration of
their troubles. They were in " the way," but their
" strength" was so " weakened," and their " days
shortened," that they almost despaired of holding
out to their journey's end. A sore trial hath the
Christian church to undergo in the last days, before
the second advent of her Lord and Saviour. Strong
faith and invincible patience will be necessary, to
enable her to endure until the end shall come.

" 24. And I said, O my God, take me not away
in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout
all generations."

Israel prayeth that the holy seed might not be ex-
tirpated, and perish by a kind of untimely death, ere
yet the promise had been made good, and Sion had
seen the salvation of her God. Every man hath

Ps. 102.]

13

reason to pray, that God would not " take him
away in the midst of his days," or call upon him
when unprepared; but that time may be allowed him
to perfect his repentance, and to work out his sal-
vation.

** 25. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the
earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea,
all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture
shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.

27. But thou art the sam6, and thy years shall have
no end."

Amidst the changes and chances of this mortal
life, one topic of consolation will ever remain,
namely, the eternity and immutability of God our
Saviour, of Him who was, and is, and is to come.
Kingdoms and empires may rise and fall; nay, the
heavens and the earth, as they were originally pro-
duced and formed by the word of God, the Soil,
or second person in the Trinity, to whom the Psal-
mist here addresseth himself, see Heb. i. 10. so will
they, at the day appointed, be folded up and laid
aside, as an old and worn-out garment; or, if the
substance remain, the present form and fashion of
them will perish, and they will be utterly changed
and altered from the state in which they now are.
But Jehovah is ever the same; his years have no
end, nor can his promise fail, any more than him-
self. " Heaven and earth," saith he, " shall pass
away; but my words shall not pass away." Matt,
xxiv. 35.

" 28. The children of thy servants shall con-

14 [Ps. 103.

tlnue; and their seed shall be established before
thee."

Whatever be the fate of the present generation,
whether they may live to see the accomplishment of
all that has been foretold, or not, yet the word of
God standeth sure; there shall be always a church,
and a holy seed, to whom the promises shall be
made good. They have already been fulfilled with
regard to the advent of Messiah, and the vocation
of the Gentiles. The events which are behind will
be brought forward and come to pass in their sea-
sons, until the counsel of God shall be finished, and
every prediction receive its full accomplishment in
the glorification of the redeemed.

PSALM cm.

ARGUMENT. — In this evangelical and most comfortable hymn,
David, after, 1, 2, exciting himself to the work, 3 — 5. praiseth,
Jehovah for the mercies of redemption ; 6, 7. celebrateth his
goodness to Moses and Israel; 8 — 13. setteth forth the divine
philanthropy, under various beautiful expressions and images ;
14k_16. describeth, in a manner wonderfully aifecting, man's
frail and perishable state; but, 17, 18. leadeth him, for conso-
lation, to the everlasting mercy of God in Christ, the stability
of whose throne and kingdom, 19. he declareth, and, 20 — 22.
cftlleth upon heaven and earth to join with him in blessing and
praising his holy name.

" 1. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that
is within me, bless his holy name."

The Psalmist, about to utter a song of praise,
first endeavours to awaken and stir up his " soul"

Vs. 103.] 15

to the joyful task. He calleth forth all his powers
and faculties, " all that is within him," that every
part of his frame may glorify its Saviour ; that the
understanding may know him, the will choose him,
the affections delight in him, the heart believe in
him, and the tonsrue confess him. *' Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless
his holy name."

*' 2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not all his benefits."

Thanksgiving cannot be sincere and hearty, un-
less a man bear impressed upon his mind, at the
time, a quick sense of " benefits" received; and
« benefits" we are most of us apt to " forget ;" those,
especially, which are conferred upon us by God.
Therefore, David repeateth his self-awakening call,
and summoneth all his powers of recollection, that,
none of the divine favours might continue unnoticed
and unacknowledged. A catalogue of such parti-
cular mercies, temporal and spiritual, as each indi-
vidual hath experienced through life, might be of
service, to refresh the memory, upon this important
head.

" 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who
healeth all thine infirmities."

At the head of God's mercies must for ever
stand " remission of sin," or that full and free par-
don purchased for us by Jesus Christ, whereby, if
we truly repent and believe in him, our transgres-
sions, though ever so many, and ever so great, are
done away, and become as if they had never been ;
from a state of guilt we pass into one of justifica-

16

[Ps. loa

tion, from a state of enmity into one of reconcilia-
tion, from a state of servitude into one of liberty and
sonship. Next to the pardon of sin, considered as
a crime, we are to commemorate the cure of it, con-
sidered as a disease, or indeed as a complication of
diseases — " Who healeth all thine infirmities." The
body experienceth the melancholy consequences of
Adam's offence; and is subject to many " infirmi-
ties;" but the soul is subject to as many. What
is pride, but lunacy? what is anger, but a fever?
what is avarice, but a dropsy? what is lust, but a
leprosy? what is sloth, but a dead palsy? Perhaps
there are spiritual maladies similar to all corporeal
ones. When Jesus Christ was upon earth, he prov-
ed himself the Physician of men's souls, by the
cures which he wrought upon their bodies. It is
he alone who " forgiveth all our iniquities ;" it is he
alone who " healeth all our infirmities." And the
person who findeth his sin " cured," hath a well-
grounded assurance that it is " forgiven."

" 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth, or, encircleth, thee with loving kind-
ness and tender mercies."

Man hath two " two lives;" he is, therefore, sub-
ject to a double " destruction ;" and, consequently,
capable of a twofold " redemption." He who is
recovered from sickness, and thereby redeemed from
that destruction which natural death bringeth upon
the body, will undoubtedly sing this strain in trans-
ports of gratitude; and he ought so to do. But
what will be the sensations of him who celebrates,
in the same words, the spiritual redemption of his
soul from death, and destruction everlasting ? How

Ps. 103.] 17

is he " crowned" with tlie " lovinir kindness" of
Jehovah ! how is he '' encircled" by the arms of
" mercy !" " Length of days is in her right hand,
and in her left liand riches and honour :" never end-
ing "length of days;" true '* riches," that abide
for ever; and " the honour which cometh from God
only."

" 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

It is God who giveth us the " good things" of
this world, and who giveth us likewise an appetite
and a taste to enjoy them. It is God who restor-
eth a body, emaciated by sickness, to bloom, vigour,
and agility. And he doth greater things than these.
He " satisfieth" all the desires of the soul with a
banquet of spiritual dainties, and bestow eth on her
a relish for the same. By the renovating power of
his Spirit, he restoreth her from decrepitude, to the
health and strength of a young " eagle,"* so that
she can ascend up on high, and contemplate the
splendour of the Sun of Righteousness. Thus, at the"
day of the resurrection, clothed anew with salvation
and glory, the body likewise shall arise from earth,
and fly away as an eagle toward heaven, to begin an
immortal life, and be for ever young.

* Of all birds it is known, that they have yearly their moulting,
times, when they shed their old, and are afresh furnished with a
new stock of feathers. This is most observable of hawks and
vultures, and esj)ecially of " eagles," which, when they are near
an hundred years old, cast their feathers, and become bald and
like young ones, and then new feathers sprout forth. Thus St.
Ambrose, " Aquila longam aetatem ducit, dum vetustis plumis
fatiscentibus, nova pennarum successione juvenescit." Dr.
Hammond.

18 [Ps. 103.

'' 6. The Lord executed righteousness and judg-
ment for all that are oppressed. 7. He made known
his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of
Israel."

From a consideration of his own particular case,
the Psalmist maketh a general reflection on that at-
tribute of God, which inclineth him to deliver his
people, and to punish their oppressors, of what kind
soever they be. And here that grand display of the
*' ways" and " works" of Jehovah, the redemption
of " Israel" by the hand of " Moses," immediately
occurs, and is celebrated. Thus each private mer-
cy, whether of a temporal or spiritual nature, should
remind us of that public and universal blessing of re-
demption by Jesus Christ, from which every other
blessing floweth, as a stream from its fountain, and
for which God ought, therefore, upon all occasions,
to be praised and glorified,

'' 8. The Lord h merciful and gracious, slow to
anger, and plenteous in mercy."

When Moses desired Jehovah to show him his
'' way" and his " glory," Exod. xxxiii. 13, 18.
Jehovah passed by, and proclaimed himself, as here,
'' Jehovah, merciful, and gracious," &c. Exod. xxxiv.
6. How full of consolation to the penitent soul are
all the words of this verse ! " The Lord is mer-
ciful," Dim, the bowels of his tender compassion
yearn over us, as those of a mother yearn over the
child of her womb ; " yea, a woman may forget
her sucking child, yet can he not forget us ;" Isaiah
xlix. 15. He is "gracious," p:5n, ready to give

Ps. 103.]

19

us freely all things that are needful for our sal-
vation. He is " slow to anger," bearing with the
frowardness of his children, with their provocations
and relapses for 40, 50, 60, 70 years together,
before he strikes the blow; giving them, by this
his long suffering, time for repentance." And he
is " plenteous in mercy," TDnn, " great, mighty
in mercy," placing his chief glory in this attri-
bute, and hereby teaching us how to estimate true
greatness.

" 9. He will not always chide ; neither will he
keep his anger for ever. 10. He hath not dealt
with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to
our iniquities."

God's chastisements are some of the most emi-
nent proofs of his mercy. They are sent to reclaim
us, and to save us from eternal punishment. They
continue not always, but are removed when they
have done their work; and while they last, are as
nothing in comparison of those heavy stripes which
our sins have deserved.

" H. For as the heaven is high above the earth,
so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath
he removed our transgressions from us. 13. Like
as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth
them that fear him."

We are here presented with three of the most
beautiful, apposite, and comforting similitudes in the
world. When we lift up our eyes, and behold

20

[Ps. 103.

around us the lofty and stupendous vault of heaven,
encircling, protecting, enlightening, refreshing, and
cherishing the earth, and all things that are therein,
we are bidden to contemplate in this glass the im-
measurable height, the boundless extent, and the
salutary influences of that mercy, which, as it were,
embraceth the creation, and is over all the works of
God. Often as we view the sun arising in the east,
and darkness flying away from before his face to-
wards the opposite quarter of the heavens, we may
see an image of that goodness of Jehovah, whereby
we are placed in the regions of illumination, and
our sins are removed and put far away out of his sight.
And that our hearts may, at all times, have confidence
towards God, he is represented as bearing towards
us the fond and tender affection of " a father," ever
ready to defend, to nourish, and to provide for usy
to bear with us, to forgive us, and to receive us in
the parental arms of everlasting love.

" \4<, For he knoweth our frame; he remember-
eth that we a7'e dust. 15. As for man, his days
are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flou-
risheth. 16. For the wind passeth over it, and it
is gone ; and the place thereof shall know it np
more."

The consideration of man's frail and perishable
estate weighs with the Almighty, and prevails upon
him to spare his creature. And doth not the tear
of compassion start in the eye of him, who reads
the description which David hath given of it in these
verses ? " Man," fallen, mortal man — " his days
are as grass;" like that, he cometh out of the earth,

Ps. loa] 21

and continueth but a short time upon it ; " as a
flower of the field," fair, but transient, " so he" un-
foldcth his beauty in youth, and " flourisheth"
awhile in the vigour of manhood; but, lo ! in a
moment, the breath of heaven's displeasure, as a
blighting *' wind passeth over him, and he is gone ;"
he boweth his drooping head, and mingleth again
with his native dust; his friends and his companions
look for him at the accustomed spot, which he once
adorned — but in vain — the earth has opened her
mouth to receive Ijim, and " his place shall know
him no more." M

** 17. But the mercy of the Lord 25 from ever-
lasting to everlasting upon them that fear him; and
his righteousness unto children's children : 18.
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that re-
member his commandments to do them."

Let not man presume, who withereth like the
green herb ; but then, let not man despair, whose
nature, with all its infirmities, the Son of God hath
taken upon him. The flower which faded in Adam,
blooms anew in Christ, never to fade again. " The
mercy of Jehovah," in his Messiah, " is everlasting;"
and of that everlasting mercy, poor frail man is the
object. It extendeth to all the generations of the
faithful servants of God. Death shall not deprive
them of its benefits, nor shall the grave hide them
from the efficacious influence of its all-enlivening
beams, which shall pierce even into those regions of
desolation, and awaken the sleepers of six thousand
years. Man must pay to justice the temporal pen-
alty of his sins; but mercy shall raise him again,

22

[Ps. 103.

to receive the eternal reward, purchased by his Sa-
viour's righteousness. A passage in the First Epis-
tle of St. Peter doth most admirably illustrate this
part of our Psalm : " We are born again, not of cor-
ruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For aU
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower
of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower
thereof falleth away; but the word of the Lord
endureth for ever. And this is the word which by
the Gospel is preached unto you." 1 Pet. i. 23.
&c.

'^ 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the
heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all."

The glorious Person who worketh all these won-
ders of mercy for his people, the word of God,
and Saviour of the world, is triumphantly seated up-
on his " throne in heaven," and is possessed of all
power to accomplish his will, even until all things
shall be subdued unto him. The glories of his
tlirone, the brightness of his excellent majesty, and
the might of his irresistible power, are described at
large by St. John, Rev. iv. v. xix.

'' 20. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel
in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening
unto the voice of his word. 21. Bless ye the Lord,
all j/e his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his plea-
sure. 22. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all
places of his dominion : bless the Lord, O my
soul."

Joy is observed to be of a diffusive and communi-

Ps. 10-i.]

23

cative nature. The heart of the Psalmist is full,
and overfloweth with it. Unable worthily to praise
Jehovah for his mercies vouchsafed to the church, he
inviteth heaven and earth to join with him, and to
celebrate, in full chorus, the redemption of man.
St. John saw the throne of Messiah prepared; he
beheld the universal band assembled ; and he heard,
when " all the angels round about the throne, ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou-
sands, with every creature in heaven, earth, and
sea," lifted up their voices, and sang together,
" Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb, for ever and ever."

PSALM CIV.

Twentieth Day, — Evening Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — This is a eucharistic hymn, full of majesty and
sweetness, addressed to Jehovah, as Creator of the world. It
setteth forth his glory, wisdom, goodness, and power, displayed,
1 — 9. in the formation of the heavens and earth ; 10 — 18. in the
various provision made for beasts, and birds, and for man, the
lord of all; 19 — 24. in the revolutions of the celestial bodies, and
tlie consequent interchanges of day and night, of labour and rest ;
25, 26. in the sea, and every thing that moveth in or upon the
waters. 27 — 30. The dependence of the whole creation upon
God, for its being and well-being, is beautifully represented,
with, 31, 32. the glory which the Creator receiveth from his
works, the pleasure which he taketh in them, and the power
which he hath over them. 33. The Psalmist declareth his
resolution ever to praise Jehovah, and, 34. predicteth the de-
struction of those who refuse or neglect so to do. As there is
a similitude between the natural and the spiritual creation, al-

S4j [Ps. 104.

' lusions of that sort are frequently made in the ensuing com-
ment, which may, perhaps, point out the reason why the church
hath appointed this Psalm to be used on Whitsunday.

" 1. Bless the Lord, O my soul : O Lord my
God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with ho-
nour and majesty; Heb. with glory and beauty. 2.
Who coverest thyself with light as isoith a garment ;
who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain; that
is, of a tent, or, pavilion."

The Scriptures inform us, that the same Person,
who redeemed the world, did also create it. In the
cii. Psalm, as we are assured by St. Paul, " to the
Son it is said. Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast
laid the foundation of the earth, and ihe heavens are
the works of thy hands." To him, therefore, as
Creator, is the civ. Psalm likewise addressed. He
is described as invested with " the glory which he had
with the Father before the world was;" a glimpse of
which he vouchsafed to the three disciples, who were
present at his transfiguration, when " his face did
shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the
light." The first instance of his creating power
is afforded us by the " heavens," which form a
magnificent " canopy, or pavilion," comprehending
within it the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof.
It is enlightened by the celestial orbs suspended in
it, as the holy tabernacle was, by the lamps of the
golden candlestick; and it was originally framed,
erected, and furnished by its Maker, with more ease
than man can construct and pitch a " tent" for his
own temporary abode. Yet must this noble pavilion

PS. IM.] ^5

also be taken down; these resplendent and beautiful
heavens must pass away, and come to an end. How
j^lorious then shall be those " new heavens," which
fire to succeed them, and to endure for ever !

" 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in
the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who
walketh upon the wings of the wind."

The divine Architect is here represented as
" laying the beams of his chambers," as compacting
his lofts or stories, " in the waters." Some think
the formation of the terrestrial strata in the waters,
which at the beginning covered all things, is here
alluded to. If it be objected, that the Psalmist,
in the coinse of his description, is not yet arrived
at the formation of the earth, but is still in the
wpper regions of the air; may we not suppose that
the subject is, in this particular, a little anticipated,
which is no uncommon case in the sacred writings.'*
The generality of expositors, however, interpret the
passage of those " dark waters, compacted into thick
clouds of the skies," which the Almighty is else-
where said to make the "secret place, or chamber"
of his residence, and a kind of " footstool" to his
throne. Ps. xviii. 9, 11. And thus, indeed, the
former part of our verse is plainly and immediately
connected with what follows; " who maketh the
clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of
the wind." Plow astonishingly magnificent and
tremendous is the idea which these words convey to
us, of the great King riding upon the heavens, en-
compassed with clouds and darkness, attended by the
lightnings, those ready executioners of his ven-

VOL. III. B

26

[Ps. 104.

geance, and causing the world to resound and tremble
at the thunder of his power, and the noise of his
chariot wheels ! By these ensigns of royalty, these
emblems of omnipotence, and instruments of his dis-
pleasure, doth Jehovah manifest his presence, when
he visiteth rebellious man, to make him own and
adore his neglected and insulted Lord. See and
compare Ps. xviii. 10. and the context.

" 4. Who maketh his angels spirits ; his minis-
ters a flaming fire."

From the manner in which these words are intro-
duced, and the place where they stand, one should
conceive the meaning of them to be, that God em-
ploy eth the elements of air and fire, the winds,
ni 771*1, and the lightnings, as his messengers,
v:)Kb72, and ministers, to execute his commands
upon the earth.* But the apostle, Heb. i. 7. in-
formeth us, that they have a further reference to
immaterial angels ; either because those angels often
appeared in the likeness, or because they were en-
dued with the properties, of " wind and flame." In-
tellectual beings of the highest order in the realms
above, are as ready to fulfil the word of Jehovah, as
are the elements of this lower world. Both teach a
lesson of obedience to the sons of men; to those of
them more especially, who are appointed " angels"
of the churches, and " ministers" of Christ.

" 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that
it should not be removed for ever."

* In the French translation it is — " Who maketh the winds
his angels, the flaming fire his ministers."

Ps. 101.] 27

In the original it is, " Who hath founded the
earth upon its bases." The formation of this globe
on which we tread, is a wonderful instance of divine
wisdom and power, wlictlier we consider the manner
in which the parts of it are put and kept together,
or its suspension in the circumambient fluid, which,
as some philosophers suppose, by pressing upon it on
every side, forms so many columns, as it were, to
support, and keep it balanced. The words, " that
it should not be removed for ever," do by no means
imply, that the earth is stationary, or that it is eter-
nal; but only thus much, that it is so constructed,
as to answer the end, and to last the time, for which
it was created and intended. It shall continue the
same in itself, and with relation to other bodies, nei-
ther altering its shape, nor changing its course, till
the day appointed for its dissolution; after which, as
there are to be " new heavens," so will there also be
" a new earth."

" 6. Thou coveredst it with the deep, as "with a
garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7. At thy rebuke they fled : at the voice of thy
thunder they hasted away. 8. They go, or, went,
up by the mountains : they go, or, went, down by
the valleys, unto the place which thou hast founded
for them. 9. Thou hast set a bound that they may
not pass overc that they turn not again to cover the
earth."

Most interpreters suppose this to be a descrip-
tion of the situation of things, and of what was ef-
fected by the power of God, on the third day of
the creation, when he said, " Let the waters be

B2

28

[Ps. 104.

gathered together into one place, and let the dry
land appear; and it was so/' Indeed, the process
at the creation was so exactly similar to that at the
deluge, with regard to the circumstances here men-
tioned, that it matters not to which we apply the
beautiful and truly poetical passage before us. In
both cases, the earth was covered with the waters, as
with a garment, in every part ; in both cases, they
fled at the Almighty word, like the scattered remains
of a routed army : from the heights of mountains,
whither they had ascended, they sunk down into the
valleys; from the valleys they retired to the bed of
the ocean, and a part of them descended from thence
into the great deep that lieth beneath. Bounds
were set them, beyond which they should never pass,
to overwhelm us any more for ever. And the ex-
perience of 4000 years hath taught us, that where
the Creator hath laid his commands, plain sand is a
sufficient barrier. Thus the church hath been de-
livered from her spiritual enemies ; and she hath a
promise, on which she may with full confidence rely,
that " the gates of hell shall never prevail against
her."

'' 10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys,
ixihich run among the hills. 11. They give drink
to every beast of the field ; the wild asses quench
their thirst."

The waters of the sea are not only prevented
from destroying the earth, but, by a wonderful
machinery are rendered the means of preserving
every living thing which moveth thereon. Partly
ascending from the great deep through the strata of

Ps. 104v] 29

the earth, partly exhaled in vapour from the surface
of the ocean into the air, and from thence falling in
rain, especially on the tops and by the sides of moun-
tains, they break forth in fresh springs, having left
their salts behind them; they trickle through the
valleys, between the hills, receiving new supplies as
they go; they become large rivers, and after water-
ing, by their innumerable turnings and windings,
immense tracts of country, they return to the place
from whence they came. Thus every animal hath
an opportunity of quenching that thirst, which must
otherwise soon put a period to its existence. The
" wild asses" are particularly mentioned, because
they live in remote and sandy deserts; yet even such
creatures, in such places, are by the God of nature
taught the way to the waters; insomuch that the
parched traveller, when in search of a fountain, find-
eth them to be the best guides in the world, and
needeth only to observe and follow the herds of them
descending to the streams. In the spiritual system,
or new creation, there are wells of salvation, living
springs, waters of comfort, of which all nations, even
the most savage and barbarous, are invited to come
and drink freely. They flow among the churches;
they descend into the hearts of the lowly; and they
refresh us in the passage through the wilderness:
for even there " do waters break out, and streams
in the desert." Isa. xxxv. 6.

" 12. By them shall the fowls of the air have
their habitation, 'which sing among the branches."

" By them," that is, by " springs of water," in
the " valleys," the birds delight to have their habi-

30 [Ps. 104..

tations, and to sing amidst the verdant branches,
■which conceal them from our sight. " The music
of birds," as one hath well observed, " was the first
song of thanksgiving which was offered on earth be-
fore man was formed. All their sounds are differ-
ent, but all harmonious, and all together compose a
choir which we cannot imitate."* If these little
choiristers of the air, when refreshed by the streams
near which they dwell, express their gratitude by
chanting, in their way, the praises of their Maker
and Presever, how ought Christians to blush, who,
besides the comforts and conveniences of this world,
are indulged with copious draughts of the water of
eternal life, if, for so great blessings, they pay not
their tribute of thanksgiving, and sing not unto
the Lord the son^s of Sion ! " He that at mid-
night, when the very labourer sleeps securely, should
hear, as I have often done, the clear airs, the sweet
descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling
and redoubling, of the nightingale's voice, might
well be lifted above earth, and say. Lord, what mu-
sic hast thou provided for the saints in heaven, when
thou affordest bad men such music upon earth!"
Walton's Complete Angler, p. 9.

" 13. He watereth the hills from his chambers :
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and
herb for the service of man : that he may bring forth
food out of the earth; 15. And wine that maketh

* Wesley's Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation, I.
149.

Ps. 104.] 31

glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to
shine, and bread *iX)hich strengtheneth man's heart."

The fertility of the earth is owing to God, who
for that purpose " watereth" it, vnvbr)^, " from his
chambers," whether the word hath a reference to the
clouds above, or the depths below, for both are con-
cerned in the operation. Hence all the glory and
beauty of the vegetable world; hence the grass,
which nourisheth the cattle, that they may nourish
the human race; hence the green herb, for food and
for medicine ; hence fields covered with corn, for the
support of life; hence vines and olive-trees laden
with fruits, whose juices exhilarate the heart, and
brighten the countenance. Nor let us forget the
spiritual benedictions corresponding to those external
ones; the fruitfulness of the church through grace,
the bread of everlasting life, the cup of salvation,
and the oil of gladness.

^' 16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap ; the
cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted."

The whole earth is a garden, planted by the
hand, and watered by the care, of Jehovah. But
in a more especial manner is his glory set forth
by the lofty and magnificent cedars, which, grow-
ing wild on the mountain and in the forest, owe
nothing to the skill and industry of man. The
moisture of the earth, rarefied by the heat of the
sun, enters their roots, ascends in their tubes, and
by due degrees expands and increases them, till
they arrive at their growth. God hath also an-
other garden, in which there are other trees of his

S2 [P3. IM

planting, called by Isaiah, Ixi. 3. " trees of righte-
ousness." These are his faithful servants, who,
through the Spirit which is given unto them, be-
come eminent and steady in goodness; their exam-
ples are fragrant, and their charity diffusive.

" 17. Where the birds make their nests: as Jb?'
the stork, the fir-trees a?'e her house."

Most admirable is that wisdom and understand-
ing, which the Creator hath imparted to the birds
of the air, whereby they distinguish times and
seasons, choose the properest places,^ construct their
nests with an art and exactness unattainable by
man, and secure and provide for their young. " Is
it for the birds, O Lord, who have no knowledge
thereof, that thou hast joined together so many
miracles? Is it for the men vvho give no attention
to them? Is it for those who admire them, with-
out thinking of thee ? Rather, is it not thy design,
by all these wonders, to call us to thyself? to make
us sensible of thy wisdom, and fill us with confi-
dence in thy bounty, who watchest so carefully over
these inconsiderable creatures, two of which are
sold for a farthing?"*

" 18. The high hills ay^e a refuge for the wild
goats, and the rocks for the coneys."

The same force of what we call ' instinct' pre-
vails in terrestrial animals, and directs them to
places of refuge, where they may be safe from their
enemies. Thus the wild goats climb with ease to

* Wesley, as above.

Ps. 104.] 33

the tops and crags of mountains, where they deposit
tlieir young. And thus animals of another kind,,
which are more defenceless than the goats, and not
able to climb like them, have yet a way of intrench-
ing themselves, in a situation perfectly impregnable,
among the rocks;* we find them, on that account,
numbered by Solomon among the " four" kinds of
animals, which, though " little upon the earth, are
exceeding wise. The C3>3su? are but a feeble folk,
yet make they their houses in the rocks:" Prov. xxx.
26. They who in themselves are " feeble" and
helpless, should look out betimes for a mountain of
refuge, and a rock of safety.

" 19. He appointeth the moon for seasons: the
sun knoweth his ffoincr down."

From a survey of the works of God upon earth,
the Psalmist proceedeth to extol that divine wis-
dom which is manifested in the motions and revo-
lutions of the heavenly bodies, and in the grateful
vicissitude of day and night occasioned thereby.
A beautiful passage in the book of Ecclesiasticus
will, perhaps, be the best comment on the former
part of this verse: " He made the moon to serve
in her season, for a declaration of times, and a
s'lffn to the world. From the moon is the siffn
of feasts, a hght that decreaseth in her perfection.
The month is called after her name, increasing
wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument

* It is uncertain what species of animals is here intended by
the word a-ssty. But il is enough for our purpose, that they are
creatures remarkable for securing themselves in the manner here
mentioned.

B3

34

[Ps. 104.

of the armies above, shining in the firmament of
heaven; the beauty of heaven, the glory of the
stars, an ornament giving Hght in the highest places
of the Lord:" xlii. 6. The latter part of the verse
expresseth the obedience of the " sun," or " solar
light," to the law of its Creator; it seemeth to
" know" the exact time of its coming on, and going
off, and fulfilleth the course prescribed to it, without
the least deviation. O that we who are endowed
with sense and reason, could in like manner fulfil
our course; and that God's will were " done on
earth," as it is even " in" this lower and material
" heaven !"

" 20. Thou makest darkness, and it is night;
wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth,
21. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek
their meat from God."

Niffht and darkness invite the wild beasts of the
forest and desert from their dens and recesses, to
" seek" the " prey" allotted them by the providence
of that God who feedeth the young lions, as well
as the young ravens, when hunger enforceth them,
as it were, to call upon him. Thus, when a nation
hath filled up the measure of its iniquities, the Sun
of Righteousness knoweth the time of his departure
from it ; the light of the Gospel is darkened, and a
horrible niffht succeeds: the executioners of ven-
geance are in motion, and a commission from above
is given them to seize upon the prey.

" 22. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves
together, and lay them down in their dens. 23.

Ps. 104.] ^«5

Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour, until
the evening."

At the return of day, the sons of ravage retire,
and sculk away to their several hiding-places, that
man, the lord of the creation, may arise, and per-
form, unmolested, the task which his Maker hath
appointed him. When the light of truth and righte-
ousness shineth, error and iniquity fly away before
it, and the " roaring lion" himself departeth for a
time. Then the Christian goeth forth to the work
of his salvation, and to his labour of love, until the
evening of old age warns him to prepare for his last
repose, in faith of a joyful resurrection.

" 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works ! In
wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of
thy riches."

Transported with a survey of the wonders which
present themselves in heaven above, and on earth
below, the Psalmist breaks forth into an exclamation
(and what heart hath not already anticipated him?)
on the variety and magnificence, the harmony and
proportion, of the works of God, in this outward,
and visible, and perishable world. What then are
the miracles of grace and glory? What are those
invisible and eternal things, which God hath pre-
pared for them that love him, in another and a bet-
ter world, and of which the things visible and tem-
porary are no more than shadows? Admitted to
that place, where we shall at once be indulged with
a view of all the divine dispensations, and of that
beatitude in which they terminate, shall we not,

86

LPs. 104.

with angels and archangels, cry out, *' O Lord,
how manifold are thy works ! In wisdom thou hast
made them all; heaven and earth are full of thy
riches, and of thy glory!"

" 25. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are
things creeping innumerable, both small and great
beasts, ar, living creatures. 26. There go the
ships; there is that leviathan, w/iom thou hast made
to play therein."

There is not in all nature a more august and
striking object than the ocean. Its inhabitants are
as numerous as those upon the land, nor is the wis-
dom and the power of the Creator less displayed,
perhaps, in their formation and preservation, from the
smallest fish that swims, to the enormous tyrant of
the deep, the leviathan himself. By means of navi-
gation, Providence hath opened a communication be-
tween the most distant parts of the globe ; the largest
solid bodies are wafted, with incredible swiftness,
upon one fluid, by the impulse of another, and seas
join the countries which they appear to divide. In
the ocean we behold an emblem of the world; under
a smooth deceitful surface it conceals dangerous
rocks, and devouring monsters; its waves are ever
restless, and oftentimes it is all over storm and tem-
pest, threatening to overwhelm the helpless, despair-
ing mariner, in a moment; such is the voyage we all
have to make, ere we can reach the desired haven,
and attain that happy clime, where, as we are told,
there is " no more sea." Rev. xxi. I.

" 27. These wait all upon thee, that thou mayest

P8. 104.] 37

give them their meat in due season. 28. That thou
givest them, they gather : thou openest thine hand,
they are filled with good."

In various ways hath God provided food for the
support of all living creatures, and directed them to
seek, and to find it. How pleasing a speculation iv
it, to consider the whole family of air, earth, and
sea, as " waiting upon" the Father and Lord of all
things, expecting when he should " open his hand,"
and distribute to each member his " portion of meat
in due season." The case is the same with regard
to beings intellectual and spiritual, of which is com-
posed the church and family of Christ in heaven and
earth; these wait all upon him, by whom Jehovah
hath opened the hand of mercy, and abundantly
supplied all our needs, through the riches of his
grace.

" 29. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled :
thou takest away their breath, they die, and return
to their dust. 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit,
they are created: and thou renewest the face of the
earth."

When God, in the season of winter, seeraeth to
hide his face, and to have withdrawn his beneficent
influences, we hear the cries of the creation in dis-
tress ; if he recal the breath of life from any crea-
ture, to which he had communicated it, that creature
presently ceaseth to be what it was : sense and mo-
tion are at an end; the form and figure of it perish;
and it is resolved into its original dust. But again
he exerteth his quickening power, and, lo, fresh gene-

38

[Ps. lOi.

I

rations of animals are produced ; fresh crops of vege-
tables shoot forth to nourish them ; and there is a
renovation of universal nature. The presence of
God, in like manner, is the life, his absence is the
death, of the soul. If he withdraw his grace, we
perish everlastingly; but when he '' sendeth forth his
Spirit," as he did on the day of Pentecost, "old
things pass away, and all things become new;" the
winter is over, and spring succeeds in its place. Nay,
the hour is coming, when, through the same Spirit,
he shall also quicken our mortal bodies, and thus, in
a more evident and wonderful manner, " renew the
face of the earth."

"31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for
ever; the Lord shall rejoice in his works. 32. He
looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; he toucheth
the hills, and they smoke."

Such being the works of God, so manifold and so
marvellous, the prophet foretelleth, that his " glory,"
displayed and declared by the same, should " endure
for ever;" that creatures would never be wanting, to
give him the praise and honour due unto him; inso-
much that, graciously accepting this their tribute,
and pleased to find a proper return made him, Jeho-
vah should, as at the first creation, acquiesce and re-
joice in all his works and dispensations. In the
mean time, let the unruly and disobedient reflect
upon the greatness of his power, and the terrors of
his vengeance, who with a look can shake the earth,
and with a touch can fire the mountains, as when he
once descended on Sinai.

" 33. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I

Ps. 104.] 39

live: I will sing praise unto my God, while I have
my being. 34. My meditation of him shall be
sweet: I will be glad in the Lord."

And who, O divine Psalmist ! will not " sing"
with thee, that hath an understanding to apprehend,
and a tongue to celebrate, the works of his Maker
and Redeemer? To whom will not thy heavenly
meditations be sweet as honey, fragrant as the breath
of spring, pleasant and cheering as the fruit of the
vine ? Who doth not long to partake of thy spiri-
tual joy, and holy gladness?

'' 35. Let the sinners, or, the sinners shall, be
consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked, or,
the wicked shall, be no more. Bless thou the Lord,
O my soul. Praise ye the Lord."

" The sinners," and " the wicked," are they of
whom it is elsewhere said, that they " consider not
the works of Jehovah, nor regard the operations of
his hands," to give him praise and glory for them.
These shall one day experience the power of that
God, whose wisdom and goodness they would never
acknowledge. They shall be " consumed," and
" perish from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power, when he ariseth to shake terribly
the earth." The Psalmist, therefore, endeth as he
began; " Bless thou the Lord, O my soul;"
adding, by way of exhortation to us, and to all the
world, *' Praise ye the Lord." Let us, then, with
the " four and twenty elders, fall down before him
that sitteth upon the throne, and worship him tliat
liveth for ever and ever, saying, Thou art worthy,

40

[Ps. 105,

O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power;
for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they are and were created." Rev. iv. 10, 11,

PSALM CV.

Twenty -Jirst Day. — Morning Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — This Psalm, the first part of it at least, to verse
\5. we know, from 1 Chron. x\i. to have been composed by
David, and given out on occasion of his placing the ark of God
in Sion. It containeth, 1 — 8. an exhortation to praise Jeho-
vah for his works of mercy and power, wrought in favour of
Israel. 9 — 44. These are traced from their source, namely,
tlie covenant made with Abraham, through the patriarchal his-
tory, to the deliverance of the nation from the Egyptians, and
its settlement in Canaan ; the end of all which, 45. is de-
clared to have been, that God might have a people to serve
him. The same is true of our redemption by Jesus Clirist*
which was the grand subject of the promise made to Abraham^
and of which the temporal mercies, vouchsafed to the patriarchs
-and their posterity, were so many pledges and figures.

" 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his
name; make known his deeds among the people."

God, who formerly resided in Mount Sion,
vouchsafing his presence in a tabernacle made with
hands, hath since blessed the church with his ap-
pearance in the flesh; and we Christians are bound
to "make known his deeds," and the mercies which
he hath wrought for us, " among the people;" that
so all the world may know him, and love him, and
partake of his salvation.

*' 2. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him; talk
ye of all his wondrous works."

Ps. 105.] 4fl

Music and conversation are two things, by which
the mind of man recciveth much good, or a great
deal of harm. They who make " Jehovah" and his
"wondrous works" the subjects of both, enjoy a
heaven upon earth. And they who do in reahty
love their Saviour, will always find themselves in-
clined to " sing to him," and to " talk of him."

" 3. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of
them rejoice that seek the Lord."

In whom should the redeemed " glory," exult,
and triumph, but in their Redeemer, who hath made
himself one with them, tliat they may be one with
him? They who *' seek" the Lord Jesus by prayer,
should do it with a cheerful and joyous heart, be-
cause better it is to " seek" him, than to find all
thinijs else : and the soul that is brought to seek him
will soon exchange the galling cares, and torment-
ing desires of the world, for the light yoke and easy
burden of her Saviour, in whom she will find rest,
and peace, and comfort. Therefore,

" 4. Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his
face evermore."

By faith we find our Redeemer in this life, and
experience the power and comfort of his grace; but
hope and love still seek, and wish, and aspire after
the sight and enjoyment of him in heaven, whither
he is ascended.

" 5. Remember his marvellous works that he hath
done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth:
6. O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of
Jacob his chosen."

42

[Ps. 105.

As an encouragement to " seek Jehovah ever-
more/' '* the seed of Abraham and the children of
Jacob" are exhorted to bear in mind the marvel-
lous works '' which he had done" for them from the
beginning, to protect and deliver them, as also
"the judgments of his mouth," whether by this
phrase we understand the righteous laws given to his
people, or the denunciations and executions of ven-
geance against their enemies. But, alas ! " the seed
of Abraham" kept not the faith of their great pro-
genitor; " the children of Jacob" have forfeited the
blessing which their father obtained. We Gentiles
have been, for a long season, the adopted *' seed of
Abraham," and have inherited the benediction of
" Jacob." Let us not forget the ** marvellous
works" of God in Christ, and the ''judgments of
his mouth."

" T. He is the Lord our God; his judgments
are in all the earth."

If Jehovah were the " God" of Israel, on account
of what, in covenant, he promised and performed for
them, he is now the God of us all, on account of
what he promised and hath performed in Christ Jesus
for them and for us. If, when he settled Israel in
Canaan, " his judgments" were manifested to " all
the earth," were they not manifested also when
the Christian church was established, and the ido-
latrous powers of the world were overthrown by the
Gospel?

" 8. He hath remembered his covenant for ever,
the word "wJiich he commanded to a thousand gene-

Ps. 105.]

43

rations: 9. Wliicli covenant he made with Abra-
ham, and his oath unto Isaac; 10. And confirmed
the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel Jor au
everlasting covenant; 11. Saying, Unto thee will
I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheri-

tance."

Upon bringing the ark to mount Sion, David
teacheth Israel to bless and praise God for his ha-
ving " remembered his covenant," made with an
** oath" to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, that he would, in due time, settle his people
in the land of Canaan. Now, it is very observable,
that in the hymn uttered by Zacharias, the father of
St. John the Baptist, on the subject of our redemp-
tion by Christ, thanks are given to the Lord God of
Israel, because he had " remembered his holy cove-
nant, and performed the oath which he sware to our
forefather Abraham." And what was that? Why,
" that we being delivered out of the hand of our ene-
mies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and
rio-hteousness." But when, or where did God pro-
mise any such thing to Abraham, except when he
told him, " that his seed should be in bondage four
hundred years," but that " the nation," which de-
tained them in bondage, should afterwards be
" judged," and that they should be " brought out,"
and come to " Canaan," Gen. xv. 13. where they
were to " serve" him? The case seems to be this:
Zacharias, under the immediate influence and direc-
tion of the Holy Spirit, transfers the language of the
old dispensation to the affairs of the new one; he
celebrates the redemption of the world by Christ,

44 [Ps. 105.

from sin and death, in words which literally describe
the redemption of Israel from Egypt by Moses; to
teach us, that we should regard the one as a sacra-
mental pledge and figure of the other; that there is
another bondage in which the people of God are held;
another Moses, who is to deliver them; another land
of promise and of rest, where they are to be settled.
This the Hebrews might have known, as St. Paul
tells them, Heb. iv. from a passage in the xcvth
Psalm, where, long after they had been in possession
of Canaan, David speaks of another "day" of pro-
bation, and another *'rest." The Jews have since
had a melancholy proof of the same thing, by being
dispossessed of that earthly inheritance, which they
falsely deemed to have been perpetual, and vainly
regarded as the end of all the promises, made to a
*' thousand generations," that is (a definite number
being put for an indefinite), to them, and to us, and
to " as many as the Lord our God shall " call,"
while the world shall last.

'' 12. When they were bul a few men in numbers-
yea, very few, and strangers in it. 13. When they
went from one nation to another, from ojie kino-dom
to another people."

How wonderful was the display of God's wisdom
and power, in his choosing a single family, and that
a small one, the members of which were literally
"strangers and pilgrims upon earth;" in his promis-
ii]g to that family, in those circumstances, a large
and fertile country, where the thrones of many
princes were then firmly established; and, lastly, in
his putting them into actual possession of it, at the

Ps. 105.1

*s

time appointed! Thus the family of the holy Jesus
was, at first, hut small; " the members of it were a
few, yea, a very few;" they were sojourners in a land
not theirs; " they went from one nation to another;"
nay, they were accounted the "refuse of the world,
and the off-scouring of all things." But, '* Fear
not, little flock," saith he unto them, " for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom:"
Luke xii. 32. Let us view Israel brought into
Canaan, nor doubt but that believers shall inherit
the kingdom of heaven, and succeed to the thrones
of apostate angels.

*' 14. He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea,
he reproved kings for their sakes; 15. Sayingy
Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no
harm."

The patriarchs, during their peregrinations, were
often in imminent danger; as Abraham on account
of Sarah, Gen. xx. Isaac, in a similar case. Gen.
xxvi. Jacob from Laban, Gen. xxxi. and from his
brother Esau, Gen. xxxiii. Yet, destitute as they
were of earthly help, the mightiest kings could not
hurt them. Their *' ways pleased the Lord, and he
made even their enemies to be at peace with them."
Prov. xvi. 7. They were the typical " prophets,
and Messiahs, or Christs,"* of Jehovah; and kings

* Ideo autem Christi sive Uncti dicuntur, quod essent et sa-
oerdotes et reges : summa quippe potestate praediti, nullique ob-
noxii. Hinc foedera lequo jure pacta cum regibus: hinc bella
suscepta, et quidem nutu suo, auspiciis, ut aiunt, suis. Gen. xiv.
21. Hinc Hethaei ad Abrahamum : "Audi nos, Domine : Prin-
eeps Dei es apud nos." Ibid xxiii. 6. iiemini obnoxius, nisi
Deo. Quo jure Isaacus et Jacobus usi sunt. Gen. xxvi. &c.

46 [Ps. 105.

were forbidden to lift up a hand against them.
How doth the same kind Providence watch over the
body and the members of the true Christ! how
often hath it interposed to protect and preserve them
from the powers of the world !

" 16. Moreover, he called for a famine upon the
land; he brake the whole staff of bread."

When Jacob had escaped other perils, we find
him and his family likely to perish with hunger.
Gen. xlii. '' Famine" is here finely represented as
a servant, ready to come and go, at the " call" and
command of God; for calamities, whether public or
private, are the messengers of divine justice. '* Bread"
is the *' staff " which supports life; when that staff is
"broken," the body fails, and sinks to the earth.
The word of God is the staff of spiritual life, the
food and support of the soul; and the sorest of hea-
vens judgments is that mentioned by the prophet
Amos, viii. 11. "Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land;
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of
hearing the words of the Lord." Such a famine
was sore in all lands, when Christ made his appear-
ance in the flesh; whose advent, with the blessed
effects of it, is wonderfully shadowed forth in the
prophetical history of the patriarch Joseph.

'* 17. He sent a man before them, even Joseph,
*iX)lio was sold for a servant; 18. Whose feet they
hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron."

Ad haec prophetae eraiit ; ut hie, et Gen. xx. 7. Quos omnes ti-
tulos unum Christi nomen complectitur. Christi aiitem dicuntur,
in t)"po Christi ipsius ab eis orituri. Bossuet.

Ps. 105.] 47

Joseph and Jesus were both envied, hated, and
sold by their brethren; both suffered by a false accu-
sation; the former was laid in irons, the latter cruci-
fied, and confined in the prison of the grave, fast
bound with the bands of death. The wickedness of
man, in working its own will, did unwittingly accom-
plish the counsels of God. " As for you," saith
Joseph to his brethren. Gen. 1. 20. " Ye thought evil
against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to
pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.'*
And how doth St. Peter address the brethren of that
other Joseph? " Him, being delivered by the de-
terminate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain
— And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance
ye did it — But those things which God before had
showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ
should suffer, he hath so fulfilled." Acts ii. 23.
and iii. 17.

" 19. Until the time that his word came: the
word of the Lord tried him."

Joseph continued in prison, '* until the time that
his word, or cause, "im, came" before the king, and
was " known" according to our old translation ; or,
" until his word," or prediction concerning the chief
butler's promotion " came to pass ;" for this was the
means of Joseph's enlargement and justification; since
a person, guilty of the crime with which he stood
charged, would not have been inspired to foretel fu-
ture events. " Can we find," said Pharaoh, " such
a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God
is?'* Gen. xli. 38. In the mean time, the " word,"

48 [Ps. 105.

commandment, or decree, nn)2K, *' of the Lord
tried him" in the furnace of affliction, there refining
and preparing him for his approaching exaltation to
glory and honour. Thus was there a time appoint-
ed for the abode of Jesus in the grave, at the expir-
ation of which, all his promises and predictions were
fulfilled: he came forth, " made perfect through suf-
ferings," and ready to " enter into his glory.'*

" 20. The king sent and loosed him; even the
ruler of the people, and let him go free. 21 . He made
him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance;
22. To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his
senators wisdom."

The circumstances of Joseph's advancement, here
alluded to, are related. Gen. xli. &c. Those of our
Lord's resurrection and glorification afford a marvel
ous parallel. At the determined hour, " The king"
of heaven " sent" his angel, " and loosed him" from
the bands of death; " the Ruler of the world let him
go free" from the penalty which he had undertaken
to pay, and had now fully paid. " He made him
Lord of his house, the church, and Ruler of all his
substance" in heaven and in earth, that he might,
by his holy discipline, **bind princes at his plea-
sure," and by his Gospel ** teach" true '' wisdom"
to the ** senators" and politicians of the world; he
was clothed with the robes of majesty, he was adorn-
ed with all the ensigns of royalty, and to him it was
ordained that '* every knee should bow." The
storehouses of grace and salvation were opened; the
nations came to be supplied by him with the bread
of life ; and we look for that happy day when the

Ps. 105.] ^9

Jews shall do tlic same, and *' Joseph shall be made
known to his brethren."

" 23. Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob so-
journed in the land of Ham. 24. And he increased
his people greatly; and made them stronger than
their enemies. 25. He turned their heart to hate
his people, to deal subtilely with his servants."

The Psalmist now exhibiteth to our view a fresh
scene of tribulation and affliction, which occasioned
repeated mercies, and a new deliverance. Israel, by
means of Joseph, obtained an establishment in
Egypt. But in process of time, the increase and
prosperity of Israel excited the envy and jealousy of
Egypt, and brought on a persecution. The kind-
ness and love of God to his people " turned the
hearts" of the Egyptians against them, and caused
animosity to take place of friendship. A king arose
who knew not Joseph, and measures were concerted
to keep the Hebrews under; a royal edict was issued
to prevent their increase, by putting the males to
death ; and the generation then in being was reduced to
a state of the most abject servitude and cruel bondage.
Such usage the people of God have often experi-
enced from the world, at the instigation of him,
who in Scripture is styled ** the prince of this
world."

" 26. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron
whom he had chosen. 27. They showed his signs
among them, and wonders in the land of Ham."

When the tyranny and oppression of Pharaoh
Vol. III. C

50 [Ps. 105.

were at the highest, and Israel cried unto Jehovah
because of the bondage, he remembered his promise
to Abraham, and sent Moses, with Aaron, to effect
that mighty deliverance, which was to be the grand
pledge and figure of our salvation by Jesus Christ.
Of him Moses prophesied, when he said, " A pro-
phet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of
your brethren, like unto me." Deut. xviii.
15. cited and applied Acts iii. 22. He came to
rescue mankind from a spiritual bondage, and to de-
liver all who were "oppressed by the devil:" Acts
X. 38. he came at a time when that oppression was
most grievous among Jews and Gentiles: his birth
was signalized by an order from another Pharaoh, to
slay the infants ; and Egypt afforded him a refuge
from the tyrant's fury; he wrought innumerable
'* signs and wonders;" but they were all signs of
mercy, and wonders of love. Those of terror and
vengeance were reserved for a future advent, fore-
showed in the destruction of Jerusalem.

" 28. He sent darkness, and made it dark : and
they rebelled not against his word: or, and did they
not still rebel against his word? 29. He turned
their waters into blood, and slew their fish. 30.
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the
chambers of their kings. 31. He spake, and there
came divers sorts of flies, Heb. a mixture came, and
lice in all their coasts. 32. He gave them hail for
rain, and flaming fire in their land. 33. He smote
iheir vines also, and fig-trees; and brake the trees
of their coasts. 34. He spake, and the locusts
came, and caterpillars, and that without number;

Ps. 105.]

51

35. And did eat up all the herbs in their land ;
and devoured the fruit of their ground. 36. He
smote also all the first-born in their land, the chief
of all their strength."

Who can behold this army of divine judgments
thus passing in dreadful array before him, without
trembling very exceedingly at that power, which
is able to send them, singly, or in conjunction,
upon a sinful land? Who can reflect upon their
number and variety, without adoring that good-
ness, patience, and long-suffering, which tried so
many different methods, and waited so long, to lead
the offenders to repentance? For more particulars,
see the comment on Ps. Ixxviii. 43 — 51.

" 37. He brought them, that is, the people of
Israel, forth also with silver and gold: and thej^e
was not one feeble person among their tribes. 38.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of
them fell upon them."

The Israelites not only came forth from Egypt,
but came forth laden with the spoils of their ene-
mies, which they were commanded to take, by him
who is the absolute Lord of all property, and who,
as a righteous Judge, did thus award to his people
the wages due to their incredible labours, the Egyp-
tians being now willing and ready to furnish them
with any thing required, in order to dismiss them.
" The Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that
they might send them out of the land in haste : for
they said, " We be all dead men." Exod. xii. 33.
And what was very extraordinary, among such a

C2

52 [Ps. ]05.

number of men, women, children, and cattle, notic-
ing was weak and " feeble," nothing unable to
perform the journey. The order was, that " not a
hoof should be left behind ;" Exod. x. 26. and he
who commanded gave strength to obey. Thou hast
also enjoined us, thy servants, O Lord, to quit
Egypt, and march for Canaan: let thy grace invi-
gorate us, from time to time, that so we faint not by
the way.

" 39. He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire
to give light in the night. 40. The people asked,
and he brought quails ; and satisfied them with the
bread of heaven. 41. He opened the rock, and the
waters gushed out: they ran in the dry places like
a river."

" Brethren, I would not that ye should be igno-
rant how that all our fathers were under the cloud;
and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud; and
did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink
the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them ; and that rock
was Christ:" 1 Cor. x. 1 — 4. In our passage
through this wilderness of life, over barren sands,
and amidst fiery serpents, be thou, blessed Lord,
our guide and our guard; protected by thy provi-
dence, supported by thy word, and refreshed by thy
Spirit, lead us even where, and in what manner, it
shall seem good to thee; only do not thou forsake
us, and we ask no more.

" 42. For he remembered his holy promise, a7id
Abraham his servant. 43. And he brought forth
his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness."

Ps. 105.] 53

The same God hath since " remembered again
his promise to Abraham;" he hath visited his people,
and redeemed them from the bondage of sin, under
the tyranny of Satan; which redemption they daily
celebrate in the church, with " joy and gladness,"
waiting for their final deliverance from death and the
grave, when they are to sing in heaven " the song
of Moses and of the Lamb." Rev. xv. 3.

" 44. And gave them the lands of the heathen :
and they inherited the labour of the people; 45.
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his
laws. Praise ye the Lord."

It was not, therefore, intended that the Israelites
should regard Canaan as their paradise, and look no
farther; but that, being rescued from their enemies,
and settled in peace and plenty, they should improve
the opportunity, thereby afforded them, of serving
the Lord their God, and of securing to themselves,
through the obedience of faith, an inheritance in
" a better country, that is to say, an heavenly."
And let all the children of faithful Abraham, whose
lot hath fallen in " a land flowing with milk and
honey," upon earth, reflect, that God hath given
them riches, and the leisure which riches procure,
not for the purpose of indulging and corrupting
themselves and others, but that they may glorify
him, benefit their neighbours, and save their own
souls; " that they may observe his statutes, and
keep his laws." Israel was delivered by Moses, and
the church redeemed by Christ, that God might
" purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works." Tit. ii. 14.

'54 [Ps. 106.

PSALM CVI.

Tvoenty-jirst Day. — Evening Prayer.

ARGUMENT. — The Psalmist here again commemorates the
divine benefits, upbraiding withal the ingratitude of those who
received them. 1, 2. He exhorteth men to the praise of Jeho-
vah ; 3 — 5. proclaimeth the blessedness, and longeth for the
felicity of the saints ; 6. confesseth the sins of Israel, and
giveth a detail of their rebellion; 7 — 12. at the Red Sea;
13 — 15. when they lusted for flesh in the wilderness; 16 — 18.
in the matter of Korah; 19 — 23. in that of the golden calf;
24 — 27. at the report of the spies; 28 — 31. in the affair of
Baal-peor ; 32, 33. at the waters of Meribah ; 34^^39. in not
destroying idolatry, but being seduced by it. 40 — 46. God's
frequent judgments, and as frequent mercies, are related; 47.
a prayer is made, that Jehovah would gather Israel from among
the Heathen, which shows the Psalm to have been written
during some captivity or dispersion. The last verse contains
an act of blessing and praise.

'* 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is
good, for his mercy enduretJi for ever."

In the person of a penitent nation, the prophet
invites mankind to " give thanks unto Jehovah,"
for that " goodness" which preventeth us with bles-
sings, and for that " mercy" which forgiveth our
transgressions ; that mercy which was shown to our
forefathers upon their repentance, and will " ever"
be shown, upon the same condition, to us and our
posterity; that mercy which will bring sin and misery
to an end, itself continuing eternal and unchange-
able.

" 2. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
tt^zo can show forth all his praise?"

Ps. 106.] ^^

But who is sufficient for a work that demandeth
the tongues and harps of angels? " When you
glorify the Lord," saith the son of Sirach, " exalt
him as much as you can; for even yet will he far
exceed; and when you exalt him, put forth all your
strength, and be not weary, for you can never go
far enough." Ecclus. xliii. 30.

" 3. Blessed are they that keep judgment; and
he that doeth righteousness at all times."

Next to angels, they are blessed and qualified to
praise God with the voice, who glorify him in their
lives: who having experienced in themselves the
" mighty acts" of mercy, pardoning the guilt, and
breaking the power of sin, are become the servants
of Jesus, and render to their Saviour *' at all times,"
in adversity no less than in prosperity, the due tri-
bute of unfeigned love and obedience.

" 4. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people : O visit me with
thy salvation. 5. That I may see the good of thy
chosen; that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy
nation; that I may glory with thine inheritance."

The Psalmist ofFereth a prayer for himself, or
rather for the church of Israel, that she, with him-
self, might partake of such blessedness. The words
might have a reference to a temporal restoration and
feUcity; but they certainly extend much farther, and
form the most spiritual and heavenly petition that
the devoutest Christian can prefer to the throne of
grace. " Remember me, O Lord, with the favour"
which thou hast always shown to '* thy people," in

56

[Ps. 106.

whom thou hast delighted from the foundation of
the world, and on whom it is thy good pleasure to
confer a glorious kingdom. " O visit me with thy
salvation," with which so many patriarchs, prophets,
and kings, have desired to be visited, the salvation
of thy Christ, the justifier of all them that believe,
and the rewarder of his saints: " that I may see the
good of thy chosen," their felicity in beholding thy
countenance, and living for ever in thy presence;
'• that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation,"
the unspeakable gladness of those who enter into the
joy of their Lord; " and glory with thine inheri-
tance," singing hallelujahs before thine everlasting
throne, in the Jerusalem which is above. The
Israelitish church, when in peace and tranquillity
serving her God, and chanting the songs of Sion,
afforded a very lively representation of this eternal
felicity.

" 6. We have sinned with our fathers: we have
committed iniquity; we have done wickedly."

They who have joined with the prophet in his
affectionate aspiration after the divine favour, may
here learn the surest way to attain it ; namely, by
confessing their own sins, and those of their ances-
tors. " We have sinned with our fathers," that is,
after their example of unbelief and disobedience, of
which an account immediately followeth. The
fathers' sins are often reflected in their children, and
each new reflection, instead of being weaker, is
stronger than the foregoing ; as in the case of the
Jews.

" 7. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in

Ps. 106.] 57

Egypt; they remembered not the muhitude of thy
mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the
Red Sea."

The Israelites did not profit, as they should have
done, by the miracles wrought for them in Egypt;
they increased not in the wisdom and knowledge of
God their Saviour: but when they saw themselves
pursued by Pharaoh, their faith failed, they mur-
mured against Moses, and wished themselves again
in the bondage from which they were just delivered:
Exod. xiv. 10, &c. Thus, when the penitent findcth
himself beset with difficulties and dangers; when he
seeth before him that death unto sin, through which
he must pass to a life of righteousness, while the
devil and the world follow hard after him, to destroy
or bring him back to a more cruel bondage, how apt
is he to forget all that Christ hath done for him !
Fear puts out the light of faith, and hides the pros-
spect of the promised land; imagination recalls the
former gratifications of sense; he is tempted to re-
gret the desertion of Egypt, and to wish for a return
to it again.

" 8. Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's
sake; that he might make his mighty power to be
known. 9. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it
was dried up: so he led them through the depths,
as through the wilderness. 10. And he saved them
from the hand of him that hated them: and redeemed
them from the hand of the enemy. 11. And the
waters covered their enemies: there was not one of
them left. 12. Then believed they his words; they
sang his praise."

C3

58

[Ps. 106.

Comforted and encouraged by Moses, the armies
of Israel advanced to the shore ; and, lo, the waves, jl

at the lifting up of the powerful rod, instantly parted,
and, like so many well-disciplined troops, arranging
themselves in two columns, disclosed a new and
strange path, by which the people of God were con-
ducted, in perfect security, to the opposite shore;
when the waters, falling down, and re-assuming their
ancient habitation, overwhelmed the infidel host, and
left not a man to carry the news to Egypt. Through
all the difficulties and dangers of the Christian course,
faith will ever find a way opened, by the power of
Jesus, from sin to righteousness, and from death to
life; the enemies of our salvation, how formidable
soever, shall disappear, and be no more; and we shall
sing, like Israel, a song of triumph to the Lord our
God."

" 13. They soon forgat his works; Heh, They
made haste, they forgat his works ; they waited not
for his counsel. 14. But lusted exceedingly in the
wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. 15. And
he gave them their request; but sent leanness into
their soul."

Soon after the Israelites had experienced the
power and goodness of Jehovah, at the Red Sea,
we find them murmuring against him, Exod. xv. 24.
They grew impatient, they looked upon themselves
as forgotten, and given over to destruction. They
loathed manna, and required flesh; flesh was sent
them, on which they surfeited themselves; the wrath
of God smote them, and many were carried off* by a
grievous plague: Numb. xi. 4, 33. Let us learn

Ps. 106.] 59

to wait God's time and counsel, for the supply of
necessaries, much more of conveniences ; remember-
ing that he hath given us his Son, and therefore will
not deny us such inferior corporeal blessings, as he
foreseeth will really prove blessings to us. Let us
be duly thankful for that " bread which cometh
down from heaven," cautious how we lequest the
good things of this world, and strictly temperate in
the use of them when given.

" 16. They envied Moses also in the camp, and
Aaron the saint of the Lord. 17. The earth
opened, and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the
company of Abiram. 18. And a fire was kindled
in their company; the flame burnt up the wicked."

Moses and Aaron were the divinely appointed
governors of Israel, in church and state. Envy and
ambition led Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, to accuse
the former of tyranny, and the latter of priestcraft.
Jehovah was appealed to, a day appointed, and a
decision made. One body of the malecontents went
down alive into the pit, another was consumed by
fire from heaven : Numb. xvi. Let schismatics
and rebels beware of that " pit," which is bottom-
less, and of that " fire," which shall never be
quenched.

" 19. They made a calf in Horeb, and worship-
ped the molten image. 20. Thus they changed
their glory into the similitude of an ox, that eateth
grass. 21. They forgat God their Saviour, which
had done great things in Egypt: 22. Wondrous
works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by
the Red Sea."

60

[Ps. 106.

While the terrible presence of God abode upon
mount Sinai, and Moses was gone up thither to re-
ceive the law, even then, and there, " at Horeb,"
the people apostatized to the old favourite sin of
idolatry, and persuaded Aaron to make them a
" calf," or " ox," before which they prostrated them-
selves, acknowledging it, or the power represented
by it, whatever that was, to have been the author of
their deliverance from Egypt; Exod. xxxii. " for
as to Moses, they knew not what was become of
him," nor ever expected to see him any more. Thus
they exchanged their " glory," the glory which had
accompanied them in the mystic cloud, nay, which
was then present before their eyes on the top of the
mount, " for an image made like to a four-footed
beast," as it is said of the Heathen in their worst
estate; Rom. i. 23. and thus they forgat Jehovah,
who had wrought his works and wonders for them
in Egypt and at the Red Sea. It is to be hoped,
we shall never live to see a time, when the miracles
of OUR Redemption shall be forgotten; when the
return of Jesus Christ from heaven shall be despaired
of, and when the people shall solicit their teachers
to fabricate a new philosophical deity, for them to
worship, instead of the God of their ancestors, to
whom glory hath been ascribed, from generation to
generation.

" 23. Therefore he said that he would destroy
them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in
the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should
destroy them"

When we hear Jehovah saying to Moses, on ac-

f Ps. loa] 61

count of his people's monstrous inirratitude, and
atrocious wickedness, " Let me alone, that my wrath
may wax hot against them, aild that I may consume
i| them, and I will make of thee a great nation;" when
we hear Moses, notwithstanding this, interceding
for his countrymen, with the offended Majesty of
heaven ; urging to God the glory of his name, the
relation in which he stood to Israel, the covenant he
had made with their fathers ; and if they must be
cast off, desiring himself to perish with them; " if
thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I
pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written;'*
how are we astonished at an instance of such invin-
cible fortitude, fervent piety, unadulterated pat-
riotism, triumphant faith, and unbounded charity !
Once, and but once, was this instance exceeded, by
Him, in whose name the intercession of Moses was
made and accepted; who, really taking upon himself
the sins of his people, suflPered the vengeance due to
them; and who is now at the right hand of God in-
terceding for us all. See Exod. xxxii. 10 — 14,
and 32.

" 24. Yea, they despised the pleasant land; they
believed not his word; 25. But murmured in their
tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the
Lord. 26. Therefore he lifted up his hand against
them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 27. To
overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to
scatter them in the lands."

The history here alluded to is contained in Numb,
xiii. and xiv. The spies brought back a favourable
account of the promised land and its productions, but

62

[Ps. 106.

communicated to the people those terrible apprehen-
sions, with which themselves were possessed, con-
cerning the power of the Anakims, and other inha-
bitants of Canaan. Infidelity presently discovered
itself by its usual fruit, disobedience. They thought
they should never be able to surmount all these dif-
ficulties, but should become a prey, with their wives
and children, to the sword; and a return to Egypt
was once more the cry of the camp of Israel. There-
fore did Jehovah " lift up his hand against them;"
he declared, that none of the generation then in be-
ing, Joshua and Caleb only excepted, should enter
into his rest, but that they should fall in the wilder-
ness, without setting foot in that pleasant and most
desirable land. Discomfiture and dispersion were
also threatened to their posterity, that is, if they
should go on in the same spirit of rebellion, and fill
up the measure of their fathers' iniquities: which
they have since done, and are accordingly " over-
thrown among the nations, and scattered among
the lands" to this day. But do not thou suffer us,
O Lord, to despise that " pleasant land," which
thou designedst to be the inheritance of thy saints;
whatever obstructions may be thrown in our way,
suffer us not, through sloth and cowardice, to " dis-
believe thy word," to doubt the accomplishment of
thy promises, or to " murmur" against thy dispen-
sations.

'' 28. They joined themselves also unto Baal-
peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. 29. Thus
they provoked /lim to anger with their inventions;
and the plague brake in upon them. 30. Then

Vs. 106.]

63

stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment; and so
the plague was stayed. 31. And that was counted
unto him for righteousness, unto all generations for

evermore."

By Balaam*s advice, Numb. xxxi. 16. the Moab-
ites and Midianites sent their daughters among the
people of Israel, who soon yielded to the temptation,
and fornication ended in idolatry; nay, perhaps it
might be a part of the Moabitish ritual; as we know
it was among the religious services paid by the latter
Heathens to some of their deities. By the " sacri-
fices of the dead," may be meant sacrifices which
were offered either to dead idols, or to men deified
after death. To punish this apostacy, the wrath of
Jehovah went forth, and 24,000 perished by the
plague, which at length ceased, when Phinehas had
" executed judgment" upon Zimri and Cosbi, who
seemed, indeed, to call aloud for it, by indulging
their lawless passions in the midst of so grievous a
calamity, at a time when the whole congregation were
humbling themselves before God at the door of the
tabernacle. " Wherefore," saith God, " behold I
give unto him my covenant of peace; and he shall
have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of
an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for
his God, and made an atonement for the children of
Israel:" Numb. xxv. 12. It is most probable, as
Dr. Hammond observes, that Phinehas, being the
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was one of the
judges of Israel ; and if so, he had a clear commis-
sion for what he did, from Moses, who had " said
to the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his man

6^

LPs. 106.

that were joined to Baal-peor:" Numb. xxv. 5. The
case of Phinehas, therefore, is no precedent for un-
commissioned zealots. In general, we learn from
this part of the sacred history, how acceptable to
God is a well-timed zeal for his service; as also,
how dangerous it is to converse too freely with those
of the other sex, especially when they have been
educated in a false religion, or in no religion at all.

" 32. They angered him also at the waters of
strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33. Because they provoked his spirit, so that he
spake unadvisedly with his lips."

This instance of disobedience was, in point of
time, prior to that mentioned in the preceding ver-
ses. It is related. Numb. xx. 2 — 13. The spirit
of Moses, though he was the meekest man upon
the earth, was so exasperated and imbittered by con-
tinual murmurings and rebellions, that he is charg-
ed with " not having believed God, to sanctify him
in the eyes of the children of Israel;" and he was,
on that account, denied the honour of bringing them
into the land of promise. He had been command-
ed to smite the rock, that water might come forth.
In anger he smote it twice, thus upbraiding the peo-
ple: " Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you
water out of this rock ?" He showed not that af-
fiance in God, that disposition to glorify him before
his people, which became him in the execution of
his office, " The wrath of man" found admission,
and that " worketh not the righteousness of God."
Thou, blessed Jesus, art the only perfect pattern of
patience and love ; O grant to all, but above all, to

P«. 106.]

65

the pastors of thy flock, a " spirit'* not easy to be
" provoked," and lips not hasty to " speak unad-
visedly."

'* 34. They did not destroy the nations, concern-
ing whom the Lord commanded them : 35. But
were mingled among the heathen, and learned their
works. 36. And they served their idols; whicli
were a snare unto them."

When the iniquity of the Canaanites was full, it
pleased God to extirpate the race, and Israel was
commissioned to execute upon them the vengeance
determined. But the conquerors suffered them-
selves frequently to be seduced into all the abomina-
tions of the conquered, and spared their idolatrous
altars, till themselves came to bow down before them.
Judg. ii. 2, 3. The Canaanites, against whom we
Christians militate, are our lusts, which, if they
are spared and treated with, will prove " a snare"
to us, and in time become our masters. Mercy-
shown to them is cruelty to ourselves, and will al-
ways be found so in the end.

" 37. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their
daughters unto devils; 38. And shed innocent
blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daugh-
ters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan :
and the land was polluted with blood."

It is plain, that the " devils," mentioned in the
former of these two verses, are " the idols of Ca-
naan," mentioned in the latter. The word trans-
lated " devils," is CDnw, literally, " the pourers
forth ;" by which it is highly probable, that the ido-

66 [Ps. 106.

laters meant the great agents of nature, or the hea-
vens, considered as giving rain, causing the earth to
send out springs, and to put forth her increase, ve-
getables to yield and nourish their fruit, and ani-
mals to abound with milk, for the subsistence of
their young.* Idolatry being a work of the devil,
it is true, in fact, that what is offered to an idol, is
offered to the devil; though the word CD nil;, doth
by no means imply it. We stand astonished,
doubtless, at this horrid, barbarous, and unnatural
impiety, of offering children by fire to a Moloch :
but how little is it considered, that children brought
up in the ways of ignorance, error, vanity, folly, and
vice, are more effectually sacrificed to the great ad-
versary of mankind !

'' 39. Thus were they defiled with their own
works, and went a whoring with their own inven-
tions. 40. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord
kindled against his people ; insomuch that he ab-
horred his own inheritance. 41. And he gave them
into the hand of the heathen, and they that hated
them ruled over them. 42. Their enemies also op-
pressed them, and they were brought into subjec-
tion under their hand. 43. Many times did he de-
liver them, but they provoked him with their coun-
sel, and were brought low for their iniquity. 44. Ne-
vertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard
their cry. 45. And he remembered for them his
covenant, and repented according to the multitude of

* See the account given of the word by the learned and inge-
nious Mr. Parkhurst, in his excellent Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Ps. 106.] 67

his mercies. 46. He made them also to be pitied
of all those that carried them captives."

This is an epitome of the history of the Israel-
ites, from the time when they took possession of
Canaan, downwards. Transgressions brought on
chastisements ; chastisements produced repentance ;
and repentance obtained mercy. For their last and
grand rebellion against the Son of God, and their
King Messiah, whom they murdered, the sore bur-
den of Heaven's displeasure hath now rested upon
the nation these seventeen hundred years; but their
eyes are not yet opened ; their hearts have not, hith-
erto, relented. How hath the " wrath of Jehovah
been kindled against his people, insomuch that he
hath abhorred his own inheritance !" How hath he
*' given them into the hand of the heathen, and
caused them that hated them to rule over them !"
How have " their enemies oppressed them;" how have
they been " brought into subjection under their
hand ! Nevertheless, O Lord, regard their af-
fliction, when thou hearest their cry ;" grant them
repentance first, and then pardon ; " remember for
them thy covenant ;" let them change their mind,
and do thou change thy purpose, according to the
*' multitude of thy mercies; make them also to be
pitied of all those that have carried them captives;"
cause them, upon their conversion, to find favour in
the eyes of the nations ; and do Thou, who hast so
long been a light to lighten the Gentiles," become
once more " the glory of thy people Israel."

" 4-7. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us

68

LPs. 107.

from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy
holy name, and to triumph in thy praise."

It appears from this verse, that the Psalm was
written at a time when Israel was in captivity " among
the heathen." Such will be the petition of the Jews
hereafter to him whom they crucified; and such is
now the petition of the Christian church, that the
elect may be finally gathered together, and united
in one congregation, to give thanks unto the name,
" and triumph for ever in the praises of Jesus."

" 48. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from
everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say,
Amen. Praise ye the Lord."

At all times, in all places, and by all persons, on
earth and in heaven, in prosperity and adversity,
peace or persecution, " the Lord God of Israel,"
the Saviour and Redeemer of his church, is to be
** blessed;" nor can any situation exempt a believer
from saying, " Amen, Hallelujah," that is, from
blessing God, himself, and exciting others to do the
same.

PSALM cvn.

Twenty-second Day, — Morning Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — The redeemed of the Lord are exhorted, in this
Psalm, 1 — 3. to praise him for his goodness in redeeming,
and gathering them from the four quarters of the world. Their
danger and their deliverance are represented under the four
striking images, 4-^9. of travellers lost in a wilderness, hut
directed and conducted home ; 10 — 16. of prisoners rescued

Ps. 107.] 69

from captivity; 17 — 22. of sick and dying men restored to
health; 23 — 32. of mariners presen'ed in a storm at sea,
and brouglit safe into port. 33 — 41. Some other instan-
ces of God's providence in the government of the world,
and of tlie church, are adduced and insisted on, for, 42.
the consolation of the righteous, and, 43. tlie instruction of
all.

" 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he h
good, for his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Let the
redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath re-
deemed from the hand of the enemy : 3. And
gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and
from the west, from the north, and from the south."

Eternal mercy is the theme here proposed; and

they who have tasted its sweets, are invited to join

in setting forth its praises. The members of the

Christian church are now, in the most proper and

emphatical sense of the words, " the redeemed of

Jehovah, whom he had redeemed from the hand of

the enemy, and gathered them," by the Gospel, out

of all lands, and from all the four quarters of the

world, to form a church, and to supply the place of

the apostate Jews; whose forefathers experienced,

in type and shadow, the good things prepared for

them and for us, in truth and substance. " Many,"

saith our Lord to the Jews, " shall come from the

east, and from the west, and from the north, and

from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom

of God — and ye yourselves shall be thrust out:"

Matt. viii. IL Luke xiii. 29. We, converted

Gentiles, are the happy people ; and we are taught

in this Psalra to celebrate that mercy which made

us so.

70 [Ps. 107.

** 4. They wandered in the wilderness, in a soli-
tary way'; they found no city to dwell in. 5. Hun-
gry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6. Then
they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he
delivered them out of their distresses. 7. And he
led them forth by the right way, that they might go
to a city of habitation."

Tlie spiritual blessings of redemption are repre-
sented by the Psalmist under four exquisitely beauti-
ful and expressive images; which images are them-
selves four special acts of God's providential care
and love, shown towards the bodies of men in the
w orld ; corresponding with as many works of grace,
wrought on the souls of believers, in the church.
The first of these pictures exhibiteth to our view a
set of travellers lost in a pathless desert, and well
nigh famished through want of necessary provisions.
They make their distresses known by prayer to Je-
hovah, and, lo, he appears as their guard, and their
guide; he supplies all their necessities upon the jour-
ney, and conducts them in safety to their place of
abode. Thus he dealt with Israel of old, in their
passage, through the waste and howling wilderness,
from Egypt to Canaan. And thus he is ready to
deal with us all. " The world," saith Lord Boling-
broke,* " is a great wilderness, wherein mankind
have wandered about from the creation. — We are
not only passengers, or sojourners, but absolute
strangers at the first steps we make in it." We are
so, indeed; and too often, through our own fault,
continue such to the last; we find not the way which

♦ Reflections on Historj', Vol. I. p. 244^, and 171.

Ps. 107.] 71

leads to heaven, nor if we did find it, have we
strength to travel in it, without the viaticum which
cometh from thence, and which alone can bring us
thither. Fervent and importunate prayer to the
God of our salvation will procure, from above, know-
ledge to dispel our ignorance, and grace to help our
infirmities ; the former will discover to us our road,
the latter will enable us to walk in it, and both to-
gether will carry us, in due time, to " the city of
our eternal habitation."

" 8. O that men would praise the Lord for his
goodness, and for his wonderful works to the chil-
dren of men ! 9. For he satisfieth the longing, or,
thirsty, soul, and filleth the hungry soul with good-
ness."

The former of these two verses is a chorus, re-
peated after the celebration of each of the four mer-
cies here related. Literally it is, " Let them ac-
knowledge to Jehovah his mercy, and his wonders
for the children of Adam." And what can better
deserve our acknowledgment, than the provision
made for the bodies and souls of Christian travellers,
in their way to that heavenly country and city,
" where they shall hunger no more, neither thirst
any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor
any heat; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes." Rev. vii. 16, 17.

" 10. Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow
of death, ^^/w^ bound in affliction and iron; 11. Be-

72 [Ps. 107.

cause they rebelled against the words of God, and
contemned the counsel of the Most High : 12. There-
fore he brought down their heart with labour : they
fell down, and there ivas none to help. 13. Then
they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, a?id he
saved them out of their distresses. 14. He brought
them out of darkness, and the shadow of death, and
brake their bands in sunder. 15. O that 77ie?i would
praise the Lordj^^' his goodness, and yor his won-
derful works to the children of men ! 16. For he
hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of
iron in sunder."

In this second piece of divine scenery, we behold
a people groaning under all the miseries of captivity,
deprived of light and liberty, chained down in horrid
dungeons, and there expecting the day of execution.
These calamities they are represented as having
brought upon themselves by their rebelHon against
God, who takes this method of humbling them. It
succeeds, and brings them upon their knees to Him
who alone is able to deliver them. Moved by their
cries, he exerts his power on their behalf, and frees
them from the house of bondage. To a state of
corporal servitude the Israelites, for their transgres-
sions, were frequently reduced, and many times
experienced, upon their repentance, the goodness of
Jehovah in rescuing them from it. But the grand
and universal captivity is that of sin and death; the
grand and universal deliverance, for which all the
redeemed of the Lord ought to praise his mercy, is
that by Jesus Christ. Adam and all his posterity "re-
belled against the words of God, and contemned the

Ps. 107.] 73

counsel of the Most High." By so doing, they
subjected themselves to a slavery the heaviest and
bitterest of all otliers. The devil led them captive
at his will, and set over them their own insatiable
lusts and passions, as so many taskmasters, to afflict,
and keep them under. By these the soul is confined
so close in prison, and bound with so many chains,
that it cannot get forth to do the will of God, even
when that is made known to it. Of mankind in
this state how truly may it be said, and how often
in Scripture is it said, under these and the like
figures, '•' They sit in darkness, and in the shadow
of death, being fast bound in misery, and bands
stronger than iron. — He also brought down their
hearts through heaviness, they fell down, and there
was none to help !" A sense of this his woful con-
dition forces the sinner to " cry unto the Lord Jesus
in his trouble," and to say, " O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death !"
'* Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give
thanks unto thy name." And now his prayer is
heard, the grace of Christ cometh to his assistance,
and he is made " free indeed." His chains, like
those of St. Peter, fall off at the word of his deliv-
erer ; he is " saved out of his distress ;" " he is
brought out of darkness and the shadow of death,"
into the glorious light and liberty of the sons of God.
The joy consequent upon such a deliverance will be
exceeded only by that which shall take place in the
hearts, and be expressed by the voices of the re-
deemed, on the day when Christ shall accomplish
the redemption of their bodies also, as he hath al-
ready effected that of his own, from the power of the
Vol. III. D

74 [Ps. 107.

grave ; when he shall dash in pieces the brazen gates
and adamantine bars of that prison-house, put an end
for ever to the bondage of corruption, and lead cap-
tivity captive into the highest heavens.

" 17. Fools, because of their transgressions, and
because of their iniquities, are afflicted : 18. Their
soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and they draw
near unto the gates of death. 19. Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble, arid he saveth them
out of their distresses. 20. He sent his word and
healed them, and delivered them from their destruc-
tion. 21. O that men would praise she Lord yor
his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the
children of men ! 22. And let them sacrifice the
sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with
rejoicing."

The recovery of men from sickness affords a third
image of the benefits conferred on our nature, by
the Redeemer. Sickness, as we are here informed,
is the punishment of human folly and iniquity.
When it is extreme, it deprives man of all relish
and appetite for his food: nay, it makes him loathe
and detest the very sight and smell of that which
should nourish and support him; in which case he
must waste away, and soon " draw near to the gates
of death." But from those dreadful gates the
power of God can snatch us when we are just about
to enter them. To an infirm and emaciated body
he can restore health, strength, and beauty; for dis-
eases are his ministers and messengers ; they visit
us at his command, and at his command they retire,
and we recover again. The Israelites in the wil-

Ps. 107.] 15

derncss, " because of tlicir transgressions, and be-
cause of their iniquities, were often afflicted" with a
plague. But when they repented, and atonement
was made, the plague ceased. They were stung by
fiery serpents; but when they " cried unto Jehovah,
he sent his word and healed them." " They were
troubled," as the author of the book of Wisdom ob-
serves, " for a small season, that they might be ad-
monished, having a sign of salvation to put them in
remembrance of the commandment of thy law. For
he that turned himself towards it, was not saved by
the thing that he saw, but by thee who art the Sa-
viour of all." Wisdom xvi. 6, 7. Sentence of death
was passed upon Hezekiah; he already saw himself
at " the gates of the grave," and expected no more
to " behold man with the inhabitants of the world."
Yet his prayer prevailed for a respite, and fifteen
years were added to his life. Isa. xxxviii. Now the
mind, by reason of sin, is not less subject to infirmi-
ties than the body. These infirmities reduce a man
to a state of languor and listlessness; he finds him-
self incapable of action, indisposed for the reception
of divine truths, without taste for knowledge, or in-
clination for virtue; he even nauseates the book of
God, and the bread of heaven; and the life of faith
is in great danger. But the case is not desperate,
while there is breath enough left to call in, by prayer,
the great Physician of spirits. The most inveterate
malady gives place to his efficacious medicines ; ap-
petite revives, health returns, and the bcUever is re-
instated in the vigour and beauty of holiness. Let
all who have been thus " healed, and saved from
destruction," either of body or soul, " acknowledo-e

D 2

76 [Ps. 107.

to Jehovah his mercy, and his wonders wrought for
the children of Adam : let them sacrifice the sacri-
fices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with re-
joicing."

" 23. They that go down to the sea in ships,
that do business in great waters: 24. These see
the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
25. For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy
wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26. ITiey
mount up to heaven, they go down again to the
depths, their soul is melted because of trouble.
27. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken
man, and are at their wit's end ; Ueb. all their wis-
dom, or skill, is swallowed up. 28. Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth
them out of their distresses. 29. He maketh the
storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he
bringeth them unto their desired haven. 3L O
that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
andyor his wonderful works to the children of men !
32. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of
the people, and praise him in the assembly of the
elders."

The fourth similitude chosen to portray the dan-
gers of our present state, and the goodness of God
displayed in our salvation, is taken from that signal
instance of the divine power and providence, the
preservation of mariners in a storm at sea. The
description which the Psalmist hath given us of such
an event admitteth of no comment. Experience
alone can illustrate its beauty, evince its truth, and

ps. 107.1 77

point out the propriety of the circumstances wliich
are selected to furnish us with a full and complete
idea of the whole. Few of us, indeed, are ever
likely to be in that terrible situation. But then we
cannot help reflecting, that there is a ship, in which
we are all embarked ; there is a troubled sea, on
which we all sail; there are storms, by which we are
all frequently overtaken; and there is a haven, which
we all desire to behold and to enter. P'or the church
is a ship; the world is a sea; temptations, persecu-
tions, and afflictions, are the waves of it; the prince
of the power of the air is the stormy wind which
raises them ; and heaven is the only port of rest and
security. Often during the voyage, for our punish-
ment, or our trial, God permitteth us to be thus as-
saulted. The succession and the violence of our
trouble, the elevations and depressions of mind and
fortune, the uncertainty of our counsels, and our
utter inability to help ourselves, are finely repre-
sented by the multitude and impetuosity of the
waves, the tossings and agitations of the vessel, the
confusion, terror, and distress among the sailors. In
hoth cases, prayer is the proper effect, and the only
remedy left. With the earnestness of affrighted
mariners, who will then be devout, though they never
were so before, we should " cry unto the Lord Jesus
in our trouble;" we should, as it were, " awake''
him, like the disciples, with repetitions of " Lord,
save us, we perish !" Then will he arise, and re-
buke the authors of our tribulations, saying unto
them, " Peace, be still;" and they shall hear and
obey his voice. " He will make the storm a calm,
so that the waves thereof shall be still;" and at length

78 [Ps. 107.

he will " bring us" in peace, joy, and gladness, " to
our desired haven," there to " exalt him in the con-
gregation" of his chosen, and " praise him in the"
great " assembly" of saints and angels. This is
the consummation so devoutly wished and requested
by the church for all her children, at the time of
their baptism, that they, " being delivered from
God's wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's
church; and, being steadfast in faith, joyful through
hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass the waves
of this troublesome world, that finally they may come
to the land of everlasting life." Thus we see there
is no spiritual evil, out of which God is not both
able and willing to deliver us, when we call upon
him. Are we ignorant of the way to the heavenly
city? He will guide and conduct us thither. Are
we bound witli the chains of sin and death? He
will loose and deliver us. Are our minds diseased
and languid ? He will heal and invigorate them.
Arc v.e in danger of being overwhelmed by the
troubles of the world? He will preserve us in the
midst of them, until he bid them cease. Of his
power and inclination to do these things for our
souls, he hath given assurance to all men, by those
•pledges of his love, the benefits and blessings con-
ferred on the bodies of his people, in leading them
through the wilderness to Canaan; in rescuing them
so often from the miseries of captivity; in healing
•their diseases ; and in saving those of them who
" did business in great waters," from the perils of
the sea. Certainly the mind of man cannot have a
nobler subject for meditation in this world, than the
wonders of providence, considered as representing
the mercies of redemption.

ps. 107.] 79

" 33. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and
the water springs into dry ground; 34. A fruitful
land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them
that dwell therein. 35. He turneth the wilderness
into a standing water, and dry ground into water
springs: 36. And there he maketh the hungry to
dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
37. And sow the fiekls, and plant vineyards, which
may yield fruits of increase. 38. He blesseth them
also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and suffer-
eth not their cattle to decrease."

In this latter part of the Psalm, the prophet far-
ther exemplifieth the power, the justice, and the
goodness of God : his power, in being able to change
the very nature of things; his justice and his good-
ness, in so doing, either to punish the rebellious, or
to reward the obedient. A well watered and fertile
country shall, for the sins of its inhabitants, he con-
verted into a dry and a barren one. The plain of
Jordan, which, before the overthrow of Sodom and
Gomorrah, was " well watered every where, like the
garden of Jehovah," Gen. xiii. 10. hath, since that
overthrow, been a land of salt and sulphur, and per-
petual sterility. Nay, even the once fruitful Pales-
tine itself, that flowed with milk and honey, is at
this day a region of such utter desolation, that the
very possibility of its ever having sufficed to main-
tain the people who formerly possessed it, is now
called in question. And, indeed, while the rain of
heaven shall continue to be in the hand of God, how
easy it is for him, by withholding it during a few
months, to blast all the most promising hopes of

80 [Ps. 107.

man; and, instead of plenty, joy, and health, to visit
him with famine, pestilence, and death ! On the
other hand, when the ways of a people please him,
he can rid them of these dreadful guests ; the rain
shall descend from above, the springs shall rise from
beneath, the earth shall yield her increase, the cattle
shall feed in large pastures, the seasons shall be
kindly, the air salutary, and the smiling face of na-
ture shall attest the loving kindness of the Lord.
Thus, in the dispensations of grace, hath he dealt
with Jews and Gentiles. The synagogue of the
former, once rich in faith, watered with the bene-
dictions of heaven, fruitful in prophets and saints,
adorned with the services of religion, and the pre-
sence of Jehovah, hath been, since the murder of
the Son of God, cursed with infidelity, parched like
the withered tops of the mountains of Gilboah, bar-
ren and desolate as the land of their ancient resi-
dence, whose naked rocks seem to declare to all the
world the hard-heartedness and unprofitableness of
its old possessors. When the " fruitful field" thus
became a " forest," the " wilderness," at the same
time, " became a fruitful field." A church was
planted in the Gentile world, and the " Spirit was
poured out upon it from on high." In that " wil-
derness did waters break out, and streams in that
desert." There was faith sown, and holiness was
the universal product. " The wilderness and the
solitary place was glad, and the desert rejoiced, and
blossomed as the rose. It blossomed abundantly,
and rejoiced even with joy and singing; the glory
of Lebanon was given unto it, the excellency of
Carmel and Sharon;" the privileges and honours of

Ps. 107.] 81

the synagogue were conferred upon the church; and
the nations now " saw the glory of Jehovah, and
the excellency of God;" Isa. xxxii. 15. xxxv. 1,
2. Spiritual increase, health and plenty, spiritual
peace, joy, and happiness, appeared in beauteous and
lovely procession, and the blessing of Jesus was
upon this his new inheritance in every way.

" 39. Again they are minished, and brought
low, through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
40. He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth
them to wander in the wilderness, *xhere there is no
way. 41. Yet setteth he the poor on high from
affliction, and maketh him families like a flock."

But let not those who have received the largest
share of heaven's favours therefore boast and pre-
sume. The continuance of those favours dependeth
upon the continuance of their fideHty and obedience.
Mighty empires, with their " princes," have, for
their wickedness, been " brought low" by the arm
of Jehovah, and laid in the dust, while nations
" poor" and feeble, and never thought of, have
" been taken from thence, and exalted over them."
What revolutions have, in like manner, happened,
and probably are still to happen, in the church!
Jerusalem is fallen, through unbelief; and the Gen-
tile church standeth only by faith, from which, if
she depart, vengeance will be executed on her like-
wise. Yet, even in the worst of times, there is a
promise, that " the poor" in spirit, the faithful and
humble disciples of the holy Jesus, shall be preserved
from the evil, and " set on high from affliction;"
yea, that they shall be multiplied " like a flock,"

82 [Ps. 107.

under the care of the good Shepherd, to preserve
his name, and to continue a church upon the earth,
until he shall return again.

" 42. The righteous shall see it, and rejoice;
and all iniquity shall stop her mouth."

Two consequences will follow from this alternate
display of the mercy and the judgment of God.
The righteous, finding themselves still the objects
of the former, will have cause to rejoice and give
thanks ; and the wicked, when visited with the lat-
ter, will be forced, by their silence at least, to own
that their punishment is just. This will certainly
be the case at the last day, when the dispensations
of God, and the perfect rule of equity observed in
them, shall be manifested to all the world.

" 43. Whoso is wise, and will observe these
things, even they shall understand the loving kind-
ness of the Lord: or, Who is wise? and he will
observe these things; and they shall understand the
loving kindness of the Lord."

A truly " wise" person will treasure up in his
heart the contents of this most instructive and de-
lightful Psalm. By so doing, he will fully " un-
derstand" and comprehend the weakness and wretch-
edness of man, and the power and " loving kindness"
of God, who, not for our merit, but for his mercy's
sake, dispelleth our ignorance, breaketh off our sins,
healeth our infirmities, preserveth us in temptations,
placeth us in his church, enricheth us with his grace,
sheltereth us from persecution, blesseth us in time,
and will crown us in eternity.

Ps. 108.] 83

PSALM CVIII.

Twenty-second Day. — Evening Prayer.

ARGUMENT.— This Psalm is composed of parts taken, with-
out any material alteration, from two others. The first five
verses occur in Ps. IviU 7 — U ; the last eight are found in Ps,
Ix. 5 — 12. The reader is therefore referred to the exposition
already given of those Psalms.

" 1. O God, ray heart is fixed; I will sing and
give praise, even with my glory. 2. Awake, psal-
tery and harp; I myself vi\[\ awake early. 3. I will
praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will
sing praises unto thee among the nations. 4. For
thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth
reacheth unto the clouds. 5. Be thou exalted, O
God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the
earth; 6. That thy beloved may be delivered: save
"iSiith thy right hand, and answer me. 7. God hath
spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide
Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim
also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my law-
giver; 9. Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will
I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
10. Who will brhig me into the strong city? who
will lead me into Edom? IL Wilt not tJiou, O
God, who hast cast us oflP? and wilt not thou, O
God, go forth with our hosts ? 12. Give us help
from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 13.
Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that
shall tread down our enemies."

84 [ps. 109.

PSALM CIX.

ARGUMENT.— St. Peter, Acts i. 20. hath taught us to apply
the predictions in this Psalm to the betrayers and murderers of
Messiah, who is, consequently, the person here speaking, and,
1 — 5. complaining of the injuries which he suffered from them ;
after which, 6 — 20. he forewarneth them of all the judgments
and sore calamities that should come upon them and their pos-
terity; 21 — 25. he returneth to the subject of his passion;
26 — 29. repeateth his supplications for himself and his church;
and, 30, 31, concludeth with an act of praise. In this light
was the Psalm considered and interpreted in the ancient
church, by Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, Theodoret, and
others.

** 1. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise,
that is, who art the subject of my praise: 2. For the
mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceit-
ful, are opened against me ; they have spoken against
me with a lying tongue. 3. They compassed me
about also with words of hatred; and fought against
me without a cause. 4. For my love, they are my
adversaries ; but I give myself unto prayer. 5. And
they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for
my love."

The holy Jesus, in these words, maketh suppli-
cation to the Father for redress and deliverance.
He complaineth of the manner in which he was
treated, when " he came unto his own, and his own
received him not:" John i, H. Sometimes "the
mouth of the wicked was opened upon him,"* roar-

* Haec autem cecinit David spirituali sensu in persona Christi
a Judseis impetiti omnimodis blasphemiis. Bossuft.

Ps. 109.]

85

ing against him, like the roaring of hons, while they
cried out, ''' He is a Samaritan, and hath a devil,
and is mad; away with him, away with him, crucify
him, crucify him." Sometimes, " deceitful and
lying tongues" were employed, either to entangle
and entrap him in his talk, or to bear false witness
against him. And all this was done, not only
" without a cause," but men were his bitter and
implacable " adversaries," in return for that " love"
which brought him from heaven, to save them with
an everlasting salvation. Let the afflicted and tra-
duced disciple rejoice, in that he is conformed to the
image of his Master. And from the example of
that Master let him learn what course to take, when
in such circumstances — " But I give myself unto
prayer."

** 6. * Thou wilt set a wicked man, ot', the wicked
one, over him, and Satan shall stand at his right
hand. 7. When he is judged he shall be con-
demned, and his prayer shall become sin."

A transition is here made to the adversaries of
Messiah; primarily to Judas, "who was guide to
them that took Jesus;" Acts i. 16. secondarily to
the synagogue, of whom Judas may be considered
as an epitome and representative. It is foretold,

♦ As most of the following verbs are in the future tense, and
the rest have evidently a predictive and future import, the same
liberty is here taken, as in Ps. Ixix. of rendering them through-
ont uniformly in that tense ; by which means the curses pro-
nounced in this Psalm will at once appear to be of the same im-
port \vith those in the xxvlii. chapter of Deuteronomy. The
reader is entreated, when he shall have perused the Psalm, to
turn to that chapter and judge for himself.

86

[Ps. 109.

that by betraying and murdering the best of masters,
they should subject themselves to the tyranny of the
worst; that they should become slaves to the " wicked
one," who should justly be " set over them," when
they had delivered themselves into his hands : that
*' Satan," who had stood by them to tempt them,
should " stand at their right hand" to accuse them
at the tribunal of God; that when tried, they would
be convicted and " condemned," and even their
" prayer" would be abomination in the sight of the
Lord, as being offered without due contrition and
repentance, without faith, hope, or charity. Such
is the wretched state of the Jews, estranged from
God, and in bondage to the devil; such the prayers,
which, from hardened and malignant hearts, they
continually utter, for the excision of all Christians,
and for the extirpation of that blessed Name, on
which Christians call. These prayers, instead of
lightening the burden of their sins, certainly add to
its weight. Enable us, O Lord Jesus, to resist Sa-
tan as a tempter, that he may not be our accuser;
and grant us always so to pray, that our prayers may
be heard.

" 8. His days shall be few; aiid another shall take
his office."

This is the verse which St. Peter hath cited and
applied in his discourse to the disciples, at the elec-
tion of Matthias into the place of Judas, " Men
and brethren, this scripture must needs have been
fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of
David, spake before concerning Judas, who was guide
to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered

Ps. 109.] 87

with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now
this man purchased a field with the reward of ini-
quity, and falUng headlong, he burst asunder in the
midst, and all his bowels gushed out — For it is
written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be
desolate, and let no man dwell therein; and, his
bishopric let another take." The former of these
two citations is made from Ps. Ixix. 25. the latter
is a part of the verse now before us. If Judas,
therefore, be the person whose destruction the suffer-
er foretelleth, the person speaking in this prophetical
Psalm must of necessity be our Lord himself, who
suffered by the treachery of Judas. In Ps. Ixix,
25. the prediction is in the plural number, *' Their
habitation shall be void;" yet St. Peter applies it, in
the singular number, to Judas. The passage in our
Psalm is singular, yet applicable not to Judas only,
but to the whole nation of the Jews; whose " days,"
after they had crucified the Lord of glory, " were
few;" who were dispossessed of the place, and " ofiice'*
which they held as the church of God, and to which,
with all its honours and privileges, the Gentile
Christian church succeeded in their stead, when the
Aaronical priesthood was abolished, and that of the
true Melchizedek established for ever.

" 9. His children shall be fatherless, and his wife
a widow. 10. His children shall be continually
vagabonds, and beg; they shall seek their bread also
out of their desolate places."

If, by the wretched death of Judas, his wife be-
came a widow, and his children orphans, vagabonds,
and beggars, their fate was but a prelude to that of

88

[Ps. 109.

thousands and ten thousands of the same nation,
whose husbands and fathers came afterwards to a
miserable end, at the destruction of Jerusalem,
Their children, and children's children, have since
been " continually vagabonds" upon the earth, in
the state of Cain, when he had murdered his righ-
teous brother, not cut off, but marvellously preserved
for punishment and wo. Having nothing of their
own, they roam through all parts of the world, civi-
lized or barbarous — the scorn and contempt of man-
kind. And even if they are able to amass wealth,
their unparalleled avarice still keeps them poor and
beggarly in the midst of it. Thus Dr. Hammond,
in his Annotation on these verses — " By this is de-
scribed, in a very lively manner, the condition of the
Jewish posterity, ever since their ancestors fell under
that signal vengeance, for the crucifying of Christ.
First, their desolations and visitations in their own
country, and being ejected thence : secondly, their
continual wanderings from place to place, scattered
over the face of the earth : and, thirdly, their re-
markable covetousness, keeping them always poor
and beggarly, be they never so rich, and continually
labouring and moiling for gain, as the poorest are
wont to do; and this is continually the constant
curse attending this people wheresoever they are
scattered."

'' H. The extortioner, or, creditor, shall catch,
or, seize, all that he hath; and the stranger shall
spoil his labour. 12. There shall be none to ex-
tend mercy to him; neither shall there be any to
favour his fatherless children."

P8. 109.] 89

Since the destruction of Jerusalem, how often
hath this race been seized, pillaged, stripped, and
impoverished, by prince and people, in ail the na-
tions of the known world; none appearing, as in
other cases, to " favour and extend mercy" to them !*
" They have had no nation, none to avenge their
grievous wrong, which the Lord God of their fore-
fathers had ordained they should suffer, at all times,
and in all places, wheresoever they have come, with-
out redress. Nay, their general carriage hath been
so odious and preposterous, that albeit the Christian
magistrates had conspired together for their good,
they would themselves have certainly provoked their
own misery." Thus, that excellent divine, the
learned and pious Dr. Jackson, vol. i. p. 142. and
135. whose reflections upon the history of the Jews,
at and since their dispersion, it were to be wished
that every Christian could peruse. For, as he him-
self observes, " Christian parents, whether bodily or
spiritual, should be as careful to instruct their chil-
dren what the Lord hath done to these Jews, as the
Israelites should have been to tell their sons what
God had done to Pharaoh." Ibid. p. 152.

" 13. His posterity shall be cut off ; and in the
generation following, their name shall be blotted
out. 14. The iniquity of his fathers shall be re-
membered with the Lord; and the sin of his mother
shall not be blotted out. 15. They shall be before

* Thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no
man shall save thee. — The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours,
shall a nation which thou knowest not, eat up; and tliou shalt
be only oppressed and crushed ahvay. Deut. xxviii. 29, 33.

90 [Ps. 109.

the Lord continually} that he may cut off the me-
mory of them from the earth."

• The traitorous and rebellious *' posterity" of
traitorous and rebellious parents, suffered an " ex-
cision" by the Roman sword, and " in the genera-
tion following, their name," as a church and civil
polity, was " blotted out" of the list of states and
kingdoms upon earth. " The iniquity of their fa-
thers," which they had filled up, " was remembered
with Jehovah, and the sin of their mother," that is,
perhaps of the synagogue of Jerusalem, now in bon-
dage with her children, *' was not blotted out; that
upon them might come all the righteous blood shed,
from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias, whom they slew between the temple and
the altar:" Matt, xxiii. 35. The blood of the pro-
phets cried for vengeance against those who cruci-
fied the Lord of the prophets. God hid not his
face any longer from all these horrible transgressions,
but " they were before him continually," and occa-
sioned him to " cut off the memory" of his people,
once precious and fragrant, " from the earth;" so
that while apostles and martyrs are annually com-
memorated with honour, and their good deeds, blos-
soming out of the dust, perfume the church, and
delight the souls of the faithful, the names of " Ju-
das," and " Jew," are never mentioned but with
contempt and abhorrence.

" 16. Because that he remembered not to show
mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that
he might even slay the broken in heart."

'^The crime which brought upon its perpetrators

rs. 109.] 91

all the above-mentioned judgments and calamities,
is here pointed out too plainly to l)e mistaken. They
** remembered not to show mercy" to him, who
showed it to all the world; tliey "persecuted" him
who for our sakes became " poor," and who conde-
scended to ask of his creatures water to drink; they
betrayed and murdered the lowly and afflicted Jesus,
whose " heart" was " broken" with sorrow for their
sins, and with a sense of the punishment due to them.
How long will it be, ere the brethren of this most
innocent, and most injured Joseph, " say one to ano-
ther. We are very guilty concerning our brother, in
that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he be-
sought us, and we would not hear : therefore
is this distress come upon us !" Gen. xlii. 21.

*' 17. As he loved cursing, so shall it come unto
him: as he delighted not in blessing, so shall it be
far from him. 18. As he clothed himself with
cursing, like as with his garment, so shall it come
into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
19. It shall be unto him as the garment \s:hich co-
vereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded
continually. 20. This shall he the reward of mine
adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak
evil against my soul."

They who reject Christ, reject the fountain of
" blessing," and choose a " curse" for their por-
tion; and this portion, when they have finally made
their choice, will certainly be given to them in full
measure. The curse, that lighted on the Jewish
nation, is resembled, for its universality and adhe-
sion, to a " garment," which covereth the whole

92 [Ps. 109.

man, and is " girded" close about his loins; for its
diffusive and penetrating nature, to " water," which,
from the stomach, passeth into the " bowels," and
is dispersed through all the vessels of the frame;
and to " oil," which imperceptibly insinuates itself
into the very " bones." When that unhappy mul-
titude, assembled before Pontius Pilate, pronounced
the words, " His blood be on us, and on our chil-
dren," Matt, xxvii. 25. then did they put on the
envenomed garment, which has stuck to and tor-
mented the nation ever since; then did they eagerly
swallow down that deadly draught, the effects where-
of have been the infatuation and misery of 1700
years ! If such, in this world, be " the reward of
Messiah's adversaries, and of those who spake
evil against him," what will hereafter be the ven-
geance inflicted on those who " crucify him afresh,
and put him again to an open shame ?" Heb. vi. 6.
And what will be the operation of the sentence,
" Go, ye cursed," upon the bodies and souls of the
wicked? how will it at once affect all the senses of
the former, and all the faculties of the latter, with
pain, anguish, horror, and despair ! Think on
these things, ye sinners; tremble, and repent!

"21. But do thou for me, O God, the Lord,
Heh, Jehovah the Lord, for thy name's sake; be-
cause thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22. For
I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded
within me. 23. I am gone like the shadow when
it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24. My knees are weak through fasting, and my
flesh faileth of fatness. 25. I became also a re-

Ps. 109.] 93

proach unto them: "dohen they looked upon me, they
shaked their heads."

In this last part of the Psalm, Messiah petition-
eth for deliverance, urging to the Father his power
as " Lord," the honour of his " name," and the
greatness of his " mercy." He then pleadeth his
own humiliation and affliction, his " poverty" and
" heart"-felt agony of grief. Drawing towards the
evening of his mortal life, he compareth himself to
a " shadow, declining," and about to vanish from the
earth, where he hath no rest, being persecuted from
place to place, as a " locust" is driven hither and
thither by the stormy wind and tempest; while en-
feebled and emaciated by frequent " fastings," and
long want of food during his passion, he was ready
to sink under his burden; and what aggravated all
his sufferings was, that he met with no pity and
compassion from those around him; his enemies
" reproached" and reviled him, " shaking their heads,
and saying. Ah ! thou that destroyest the temple,
and buildest it in three days, save thyself," &c.
Mark XV. 29. Nor are we to suppose our Lord
thus praying for his natural body only, but also for
his mystical body, the church, that from all dis-
tresses, persecutions, and insults, the members of
that body may in time be delivered, like their bles-
sed Head, by a joyful resurrection to eternal life.

26. Help me, O Lord my God: O save me,
according to thy mercy. 27. That they may know
that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it."

The resurrection of Christ was to be the great

94 [Ps. 109.

demonstration of Jehovah's power; and it was pub-
lished as such by the apostles, to all the nations of
the world, who thereupon believed, and were con-
verted. The Jews alone hardened their hearts
against that proof, and continued impenitent.

" 28. They will curse, but thou shalt bless:
when they arise, they shall be ashamed; but thy
servant shall rejoice. 29. Mine adversaries shall
be clothed with shame: and they shall cover them-
selves with their own confusion as with a mantle."

The apostate sons of Israel, though they have
been so long " confounded" and blasted by the
breath of heaven's displeasure, yet continue " curs-
ing" and blaspheming, as it is here foretold that
they should do. But God hath " blessed" his Son
Jesus, and, through him all nations, who have been
adopted into his family, and made his children by
baptism; yea, and they shall be blessed, and enter,
by thousands and milHons, into the " joy of their
Lord, in that day when his criicifiers shall have no
" coverino;" but their own " shame" and " confu-

sion."

((

30. I will greatly praise the Lord with my
mouth: yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
3L For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from those that condemn his soul."

The former of these two verses is parallel to that
which St. Paul citeth from Ps. xxii. 22. " He
that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all
of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call
them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto

Ps. 110.] 95

my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing
praise unto thee:" Heb. ii. 11. Great is the joy
of the redeemed upon earth ; greater will it be, after
the resurrection of the dead, in the courts of heaven.
Jesus, unjustly put to death, and now risen again, is
a perpetual advocate and intercessor for his people,
ever ready to appear on tlieir behalf, against the ini-
quitous sentence of a corrupt world, and the malice
of the grand accuser.

PSALM ex.

Tiventy -third Day, — Morning Prayer.

ARGUMENT. — In this Psalm David prophesieth concerning,
1. the exaltation of Christ; 2. the sceptre of his kingdom;
3. the character of his subjects ; 4. his everlasting priesthood ;

5, 6. his tremendous victories and judgment ; 7. the means of
his obtaining both kingdom and priesthood, by his sufferings
and resurrection. Parts of tliis prophecy are cited and applied
in the New Testament, by oiu- Lord himself, Matt. xxii. -iS.
by St. Peter, Acts ii. 34. by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 25. Heb. v.

6. The church, likewise, hath appointed it as one of the
proper Psalms to be read on Christmas-day. It appertaineth
literally and solely to King Messiali.

" 1. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at
my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-
stool."

We are here informed of Jehovah's eternal and
unchangeable decree concerning the kingdom of
Messiah, its extension, power, and duration. That
Messiah should, after his sufferings, be thus exalted,
was determined in the divine counsel and covenant,
before the world began. Whether we suppose the

96 [Ps. no.

Psalmist to be speaking of that determination, or of
its actual accomplishment at the time of Christ's
ascension into heaven, it maketh no great difference.
The substance of the decree is the same. It was
addressed by the Father to the Son, by Jehovah to
Messiah, whom David in spirit styleth, ••:nN, " my
Lord ;" one that should come after him, as his off-
spring according to the flesh; but one, in dignity of
person, and greatness of power, far superior to him,
and to every earthly potentate ; King of kings, and
Lord of lords ; God and man united in one person.
To this person it was said by the Father, " Sit thou
at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool;" in other words. Seeing, O my Son
Messiah, thou hast glorified me on the earth, and
finished the work which I gave thee to do, the great
work of man's redemption ; take now the throne pre-
pared for thee from the foundation of the world;
behold, all power is given unto thee; enter upon thy
mediatorial kingdom, and reign till every opposer
shall have submitted himself to thee, and sin and
death shall have felt thy all-conquering arm.

" 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength
out of Sion : rule thou in the midst of thine ene-

mies."

In the foregoing verse, David related the words
spoken by the Father to the Son. In this, he him-
self, as a prophet, directeth his speech to King Mes-
siah, predicting the glorious consequences of his en-
thronization, and the manner in which " his ene-
mies" are to be " made his footstool." The " rod"
or sceptre of Christ's '* strength" is his word, ac-

ps. no.] 97

companied by his Spirit. The law was given to
Israel from Sinai, but the Gospel went forth from
" Sion;" it was "preached to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem," Luke xxiv. 47. there began the spi-
ritual kingdom of Jesus; there were the first con-
verts made; and from thence the faith was propa-
gated by the apostles, to the ends of the earth.
This David seeing beforehand, cries out, " Rule
thou in the midst of thine enemies !" Go on, vic-
torious Prince; plant the standard of thy cross among
the thickest ranks of the adversary; and, in opposi-
tion to both Jew and Gentile, tumultuously ragino-
against thee, erect and establish thy church through-
out the world ! This was accordingly done with
marvellous speed and success; and the church, thus
erected and established among the nations, hath
been as marvellously preserved, " in the midst of
her enemies," unto this day; yea, and the world
shall sooner be destroyed, than she shall cease to be
preserved.

" 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power, in the beauties of holiness: from the
womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy
youth."

The blessed effects of the Gospel, upon its pub-
lication, are here foretold. " The people" of Christ
are those given him by his Father, and gathered to
him by the preachers of his word, " The day of his
power" is the season of their conversion, when the
corruptions of nature can no longer hold out acainst
the prevailing influences of grace; when the heart,
will, and affections, turn from the world to God;
Vol. III. E

98 [Ps. no.

and they make, as the first disciples did, a free and
voluntary offer of themselves, and all they have, to
their Redeemer. Then it is that they appear " in
the beauties of holiness," adorned with humility,
faith, hope, love, and all the graces of the Spirit.
With regard to the last clause of this verse. Bishop
Lowth, in his admired Lectures,* has observed, and
proved, that it may be fairly construed to this effect:
" More than the dew from the womb of the morn-
ing is the dew of thy progeny;" that is. Thy chil-
dren, begotten to thee through the Gospel, shall
exceed in number, as well as brightness and beauty,
the spangles of early dew, which the morning dis-
closeth to the delighted eye of the beholder. The
whole verse, therefore, containeth a lively character
of the subjects of Christ's spiritual kingdom, who are
described by their relation to him as " his people;"
by their " willingness" to obey and serve him; by
their honourable attire, the rich and splendid robes
of " holiness;" and by their multitudes, resembling
the drops of " dew" upon the grass.

" 4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent,
Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchi-
zedek."

From Christ's regal office, and the administration
thereof by the sceptre of his word and Spirit, the
prophet passeth to his sacerdotal office, which was
also conferred on him by the decree of the Father,
and that decree, as we are told, ratified by an oath;
" Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent," or

* Praelect. x.

Ps. 110.] 99

change his purpose. The oath of God was the
great seal of heaven, designed to intimate tlie im-
portance of tlie deed to which it was set, and " to
show to the lieirs of promise the immutahiUty of his
counsel:" Heb. vi. 17. Whether this oath passed
at the actual consecration of Messiah to the priest-
hood upon his ascension, or at his designation there-
to by covenant before the world, sufficient it is for
our assurance and comfort, that it did pass. We
have a priest in heaven, who standeth continually
pleading the merits of his sacrifice once offered upon
the cross : " who ever liveth to make intercession
for us;" and who is ready, at all times, to bless us,
" by turning away every man from his iniquities,"
Acts iii. 26. by aiding us against our enemies, and
supporting us under our necessities. Oblation, in-
tercession, and benediction, are the three branches
of the sacerdotal ofiice, which our great High Priest
now exerciseth for us, and in the exercise of which
the Father hath condescended in the most awful
manner to promise, that he will hear and accept him
on our behalf. His priesthood is not, like that of
Aaron, figurative, successive, and transient, but real
and effectual, fixed and incommunicable, eternal and
unchangeable, according to that pattern of it exhi-
bited to Abraham, before the law, in the person of
Melchizedek, Gen. xiv. 18 — 20. and discoursed
upon at large by the apostle, Heb. vii. throughout.

" 5. The Lord upon thy right hand shall strike
through kings in the day of his wrath. 6. He shall
judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places witli

E 2

100 [Ps. 110.

the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over
many countries ; Heb. the head over much country."

This is a description of the vengeance which
King Messiah should take on his impenitent ad-
versaries. By " The Lord, or, my Lord, upon
thy right hand," 1^:])2'' br "':nN, the same person
must undoubtedly be understood, who is mentioned
in the first verse under the same title, "•:nK, as
" sitting at the right hand of Jehovah." And
the Psalmist, who has hitherto addressed himself
to Messiah, or the Son, must be supposed now
to make a sudden apostrophe to Jehovah, or the
Father; as if he had said, " This my Lord Mes-
siah, who sitteth at thy right hand, O Jehovah, shall
smite through kings in the day of his wrath;" the
kings of the earth will endeavour to destroy his re-
ligion, and put an end to his kingdom; the Neros,
the Domitians, the Dioclesians, the Maxentiuses,
the Julians, &c. &c. shall stand up, and set them-
selves in array against him; but " the Lamb shall
overcome them;" he shall "judge" and punish the
" Heathen" princes, with their people, when in arms
against his church; he shall raise up those who shall
successfully fight his battles, and strew the ground
with their " carcasses." As Messiah hath done to
the antichristian powers of old, so shall he do to all
others, before or at his second advent. There is a
day of forbearance, during which he will have his
church to be, like himself, oppressed and afflicted,
humble and resigned ; but there is also a future day
of wrath and recompense, when the sins and provo-
cations of her persecutors shall be ripe for judgment;

Ps. 110.] 1C)1

when their triumphs and her sufferings shall be at
an end; when they shall fall for ever, and she shall
ascend to heaven.

" 7. He shall drink of tlie brook, or, torrent, in
the way; and therefore shall he lift up his head.'*

The means by which Christ should obtain his
universal kingdom, and everlasting priesthood, seem
here to be assigned. In his " way" to glory, he
was to drink deep of the * waters of affliction; the
swollen " torrent" occurred in the way, and presented
itself between him and the throne of God. To this
" torrent in the way" the Saviour descended; he
bowed himself down, and " drank" of it for us all;
" and THEREFORE, p^bl?, did he lift up his head;"
that is, he arose victorious, and, from the valley in
which the torrent ran, ascended to the summit of
that holy and heavenly mount, where he reigncth,
till " his enemies be made his footstool." St. Paul

* The Hebrew word brT3 signifies, in general, " a current of
water," which may be either a turbid, overwhehning " torrent,"
or a clear and gentle " stream." In Psalm xviii. 4. it denotes
the "floods of ungodliness." In Psalm xxxvi. 8. it is used to
signify the " river of divine pleasures." Hence arises an ambi-
guity in the interpretation of the words. " He shall drink of the
brook in the way," wliich may be expounded either of the suffer-
ings Christ tasted, or the refreshments he experienced ; as the
" waters" are supposed to be those of " aflfliction," or those of
" comfort." Either way the sense is good and true, as it relates
to Messiah. " Torrents," or the " overflowing of rivers," in
the Scripture language, certainly, as Dr. Durell observes, do often
denote " afflictions ;" as in Psalm xviii. 4<. cxxiv. 4, 5. cxliv. 7.
&c. " the being oppressed by them," is also described by the
action of " drinking," Psalm Ix. 3. Ixxv. 8. &c. And the idea of a
" brook in the way," or the road, seems to favour this exposition.
But the author advances it, as becomes him to do, with great de.?
ference and submission, since Bishop Lowthand Mr. Merrick are
of a different opinion.

102

[Ps. 110.

hath expressed the same sentiment in literal terms;
" He humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross: wherefore,
lio, God, also hath highly exalted him." Philip,
ii. 8.

PSALM CXL

ARGUMENT. — This is one of the proper Psalms appointed by
the church to be read on Easter-day. It containeth, 1. a
resolution to praise Jehovah in the congregation, 2, 3. for his
great and glorious works, and, 4. for the appointed memorials
of them . 5, 6. his mercies to the church are celebrated, and,
7, 8. the equity and the stability of liis counsels declared ;
9. the blessings of redemption, and the new covenant, are
mentioned, as they w^re prefigured of old in God's dispensa-
tions towards Israel. 10. Religion is proclaimed to be true
wisdom.

" 1. I will praise the Lord, with jut/ whole heart,
in the assembly of the upright, and i?i the congre-
gation."

Jehovah is to be " praised" not only with the
voice and the understanding, but with the " heart,"
with the " whole" heart, and all its affections tuned,
like the chords of the son of Jesse's harp, to a song
of gratitude and love. Solitary devotion hath,
doubtless, its beauties and excellencies : but how
irlorious is it to hear the voices of a w'hole Christian
" congregation" break forth into hallelujahs, like
the sound of many waters, and the noise of mighty
thunderings, wliile each one, as it were, provokes
another to continue the blessed employment, with
unremitted attention, and unabated fervour !

Ps. 111.] 103

" 2. The works of the Lord are great, sought
out of all them tliat have pleasure therein."

The subjects of man's praise are the " works" of
God. Every one of these works, whether in the
natural or the spiritual system, is " great." No-
thing Cometh from the hands of the divine Artist,
but what is excellent and perfect in its kind, adapted
with infinite skill to its proper place, and fitted for
its intended use. Happy are they, who with humi-
lity and diligence, with faith and devotion, give them-
selves to the contemplation of these works, and take
" pleasure," and delight therein. To them shall
the gate of true science open; they shall understand
the mysteries of creation, providence, and redemp-
tion; and they who thus " seek," shall find the
treasures of eternal wisdom.

" 3. His work is honourable and glorious : and
his righteousness endureth for ever."

The " work," of all others, in which the " ho-
nour and glorious majesty" of Jehovah appeared, and
which the Christian church celebrates with this
Psalm, is the salvation and exaltation of our nature,
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;
an event which contained in it the accomplishment
of the ancient promises, and thereby demonstrated
to all the world the everlasting truth, fidelity, and
" righteousness," of him who made them.

" 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be
remembered: or, he hath appointed a memorial for
his wonders: the Lord is gracious, and full of com-
passion.''

10^ [Ps. 111.

Jewish feasts were " memorials" of the " won-
ders" wrought for Israel of old ; Christian festivals
are " memorials" of the " wonders" wrought in
Christ for all mankind, to whom, no less than to
Israel, God hath now showed himself " gracious
and full of compassion."

" 5. He hath given meat unto them that fear
him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6. He hath showed his people the power of his
works, that he may, or, might, give them the heri-
tage of the heathen."

Agreeably to the " covenant" which God made
with Abraham, as concerning his children according
to the flesh, he " fed" and supported them in the
wilderness, he overthrew their enemies by the might
of his " power," and he put them in possession of
Canaan, which before v»'as " the heritage of the
Heathen." Agreeably to the covenant which God
made with the same Abraham, as concerning all be-
lievers, those " children of the promise which are
counted for the seed," he feedeth them in the world
with the true manna,* the bread which cometh down
from heaven; he hath again " showed the power
of his works" in the overthrow of idolatry; and
again, by the conversion of the nations, given to his
church " the heritage of the Heathen;" although,
like Israel, she is commanded, and hath had frequent
admonitions, not to fix her heart on an earthly Ca-

* " Escam dedit" — Manna: quae csetera Dei mirabilia in me-
moriam revocabat : nude in Area servari jussa. Exod. xvi. 32.
Erat a litem Eucharistiae figura, quae vere divini amoris monu-

mentum leternum. Bossuet.

Ps. 111.] 105

naan; not to expect any permanent habitation, any
enduring city here below; not to stop short of an
eternal and heavenly rest.

" 7. The works of his hands are verity and judg-
ment; all his commandments are sure. 8. They
stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth
and uprightness.'*

In all God's dispensations towards his faithful
servants, and towards his impenitent adversaries, w^e
admire and adore his " verity" in the performance
of his promises to the former, and his " justice" in
executing his vengeance on the latter. Thus the
time of fulfilling his promise to Abraham came not
till the iniquity of the Amorites was full. The case
is the same as to the coming of Christ, the subver-
sion of Paganism, the deaths of persecutors, the rise
and fall of nations, the conversion or excision of in-
dividuals, and every other instance of mercy or judo--
ment. Another property of God's works is, that,
being " done in truth and uprightness, they stand
fast for ever ;" and w^ill then appear in perfect glory
and beauty, when all the arts and labours of man
shall be no more.

" 9. Fie sent redemption unto his people, he hath
commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reve-
rend, or, terrible, is his name."

He who " sent redemption" to Israel by the hand
of Moses, hath now " sent redemption" by the power
of Jesus to all the world : he who, at mount Sinai,
established his " covenant" with his people, and
gave them a law, hath now established his " cove-

E 3

106

[Ps. 112

riant" with the Gentiles, and pubUshed to them his
Gospel from Sion. '' Holy is his name," and there-
fore " terrible" to those who under all the means of
grace continue unholy.

" 10. The fear of the Lord j's the beirinninfj of
wisdom : a good understanding have all they that
do his commandments : his praise endureth for ever."

The " fear of God" is the first step to salvation,
as it exciteth a sinner to depart from evil, and to do
good; to implore pardon, and to sue for grace; to
apply to a Saviour for the one, and to a Sanctifier
for the other. Religion is the perfection of wisdom,
practice the best instructor, and thanksgiving the
sweetest recreation.

PSALM CXIL

ARGUMENT. — Tlie Psalmist enumerateth the blessings at-
tending the man who feareth Jeliovah; 1. the pleasure which
he taketh in doing his will ; 2. the prosperity of his seed ; 3.
the plenteousness in his house; 4. his comfort in trouble;
5. his internal joys ; 6. the honour with which he is remem-
bered; 7,8. his holy confidence in God; 9. his good deeds,
and the reward of them; 10. the envy, wretchedness, and per-
dition of the wicked. The blessings of the Gospel are spiritual
and eternal ; and they are conferred upon the members of the
Christian church through Christ their head, who is the pattern
of all righteousness, and the giver of all grace.

" 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord,
that delighteth greatly in his commandments; or,
he delighteth greatly in his commandments."

The man who duly " feareth God," is delivered

Ps. 112.] 107

from every other fear; the man who " dclif^liteth
in God's commandments,'' is freed from every inor-
dinate desire of earthly thin<Ts ; and such a man must
needs be " blessed." Of this kind was thy blessed-
ness, O holy Jesus, on whom did rest the spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah," and whose
" meat" it was " to do the will of him that sent
thee, and to finish his work." Isa. xi. 2. John iv.
34.

** 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth : the
generation of the upright shall be blessed."

A father's piety derives the benediction of heaven
upon his children. The posterity of faithful Abra-
ham were often spared and favoured on account of
their progenitor; as the whole family of believers,
Abraham and all, are blessed in Him who is the
great Father of that family, and the Author of their
salvation.

" 3. Wealth and riches sJiall be in his house :
and his righteousness endureth for ever."

It sometimes pleaseth God to bestow on his ser-
vants, as he did on Israel of old, the good things
of this world. And a rich man is therefore happier
than a poor man, because " it is more blessed to give
than to receive:" Acts xx. 35. But the true
** wealth" of Christians is of another kind; their
" riches" are such as neither moth can corrupt, nor
thief steal. Grace and glory are in the " house" of
Christ, and everlasting " righteousness" Is the por-
tion of his children.

108

[Ps. 112.

" 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the
darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and
righteous."

While we are on earth, we are subject to a
threefold "darkness;" the darkness of error, the
darkness of sorrow, and the darkness of death. To
dispel these, God visiteth us, by his word, with a
threefold "light;" the light of truth, the light of
comfort, and the light of life. The Christian's tem-
per is framed after the pattern of his Master; and he
is ever ready to show to others that " love" and
" mercy" which have been shown to him.

" 5. A good man showeth favour and lendeth:
he will guide his affairs with discretion."

The former part of this verse may be rendered,
with a little variation, "It is well with the man who
is gracious and communicative." Ill-nature and
avarice are their own tormentors; but love and liber-
ality do good to themselves by doing it to others,
and enjoy all the happiness which they cause. It
is not God's intention, that any of the talents which
he bestoweth upon us should lie dead, but that our
brethren should have the use of them; even as Christ
received the Spirit to communicate it to us, and our
salvation is his glory and joy. The latter part of
this verse is likewise capable of a different, and in-
deed, a more literal translation: " He will support,
or maintain, his words, or his transactions, in judg-
ment;" that is, he who thus employed his talents for
the benefit of mankind, will be able to render a good
account to his Lord who intrusteth them with him.

Ps. J 12.] 109

" G. Surely he shall not he moved for ever: the
righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7.
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings : his heart is
fixed, trusting in the Lord. 8. His heart ?s estab-
lished, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire
upon his enemies."

Nothing can deprive the person here described of
his felicity. When his work is done, his body will
go to its repose in the dust, but the " memorial" of
his name and of his good deeds will be still fresh as
the morning breeze, and fragrant as the flower of the
spring. " He feareth no evil report," no blast of
slander and malice can touch him ; no tidings of ca-
lamity and destruction can shake his confidence in
God ; but he will hear the trump of judgment, and
behold the world in flames, rather with joy tlian with
dread; as knowing, by those tokens, that the hour
of his redemption is come, when "he shall see his
enemies," and even death, the last of them, under
his feet.

" 9. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the
poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn
shall be exalted with honour."

His riches are not hoarded up, but " dispersed"
abroad ; and that not by others after his death, but
by himself in his life-time; " He hath dispersed."
They are not squandered in the ways of vanity and
folly, but "given to the poor:" nor are they given
indiscriminately and at random, but "dispersed,"
like precious seed, with prudence and discretion, ac-
cording to the nature of the soil, and in proper sea-

110

[Ps. 112.

son, so as to produce the most plentiful harvest.
Therefore " his righteousness endureth for ever:'* its
fruits and its good report are lasting among men, and
it is never forgotten before God, who hath prepared
for it an eternal reward. " His horn shall be ex-
alted with honour, or, in glory:" whatever may be
his lot upon earth, and even there the charitable man
will frequently be had in " honour," at the last day,
certainly, when the thrones of the mighty shall be
cast down, and the sceptres of tyrants broken in
pieces, then shall he lift up his head, and be exalted
to partake of the " glory" of his Redeemer, the au-
thor of his faith, and the pattern of his charity, who
gave himself for us, and is now seated at the right
hand of the Majesty in the heavens.

*' 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved;
he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away ; the
desire of the wicked shall perish."

The sight of Christ in glory with his saints will,
in an inexpressible manner, torment the crucifiers of
the one, and the persecutors of the others; as it will
show them the hopes and wishes of their adversaries
all granted to the full, and all their own '* desires"
and designs for ever at an end ; it will excite an envy
which must prey upon itself, produce a grief which
can admit of no comfort, give birth to a worm which
can never die, and blow up those fires which nothing
can quench.

Ps. 113.] Ill

PSALM CXIII.

ARGUMENT. — The servants of God, are, 1. exhorted to praise
liis name, 2. at all times, and, 3. in all places, on account, 4,
5. of his power and glory, G — 8. of liis mercy in redeeming
man, and, 9. making the Gentile church to be a joyful mother
of children. This Psalm is appointed to be read on Easter-
day.

" 1. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise
the name of the Lord. 2. Blessed be the name of
the Lord, from this time forth, and for evermore."

Christians are the '* servants" of Jesus Christ;
and a most dehghtful part of their service it is, to
" praise" his holy and saving " name" in the church,
which now useth this Psalm among others, and with
it " blesseth the name" of her Lord and Saviour,
from age to age. The Psalmist wished and prayed
that this might be done, and he foresaw that it
would be done, while the world should last, upon
earth, and afterwards "for evermore" in heaven.

" 3. From the rising of the sun unto the going
down of the same, the Lord's name is to be prais-
ed; or, is praised. 4. The Lord is high above all
nations, and his glory above the heavens."

At the diffusion of the Gospel through the world,
the name of Christ was praised ''from the east to
the west," in churches everywhere planted by the
apostles and their successors: and the grand subjects
of joy and triumph among believers were, the supe-
riority of their Master over the '* Heathen nations"

112

[Ps. 113.

and tlielr idols; the exaltation of " his glory above
the heavens," and all the powers therein; the might
of his arm, and the majesty of his kingdom.

" 5. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who
dwelleth on high? 6. Who humbleth himself to
behold the things that are in heaven and in earth."

Highly as our Lord is exalted above this system,
above these heavens and this earth of ours, yet he
condescendeth to regard every thing that passeth
here, and to make us, the inhabitants of this lower
world, and, for our sakes, all the other creatures in
it, the objects of his peculiar care, and paternal
love.

" 7. He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and
lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8. That he
may set hivi with princes, even with the princes of
his people."

Such is his mercy to the poor sons of Adam in
their fallen estate, that from the lowest and most ab-
ject condition, from the pollutions of sin, and from
the dishonours of the grave, he raiseth them to
righteousness and holiness, to glory and immortality;
he setteth them on high, with the inhabitants of the
heavenly Jerusalem, '* with the princes of his people,"
the leaders of the armies above, with angels and
archangels before his throne. What is the exalta-
tion of the meanest beggar from a dunghill to an
earthly diadem, when compared with that of human
nature from the grave to the throne of God ! Here
is honour worthy our ambition : honour after which all
are alike invited to aspire; which all may obtain, who

Ps. 114.] 113

strive wortliily and lawfully; and of wliicli, wlien
once obtained, nothing can ever deprive the posses-
sors.

" 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
and to he a joyful mother of children. Praise ye
the Lord."

In the sacred history of the Old Testament, we
meet with frequent instances of barren women who
were miraculously made to bear children. Isaac,
Joseph, Samson, and Samuel, were thus born of
Sarah, Rachel, the wife of Manoah, and Hannah.
To these may be added, from the history of the New
Testament, the instance of Elizabeth, the wife of
Zacharias, and mother of St. John the Baptist.
These examples may be considered as preludes to
that marvellous exertion of divine power, whereby
the Gentile church, after so many years of barren-
ness, became, in her old age, " a fruitful parent of
children, and the mother of us all." Wherefore it
is written, " Sing, O barren, thou that didst not
bear ; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou
that didst not travail with child; for more are the
children of the desolate, than the children of the
married wife, saith the Lord.'* Isa. liv. 1. Gal.
iv. 27.

PSALM CXIV.

Twenty-third Day Evening Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — This is another of the Psalms appointed by our
church to be read on Easter-day. It celebrates the Exodus of

114 [Ps. 114.

Israel from Egypt, and tlie miracles wrought for that people;
prefiguring the redemption of our nature from sin and death, and
the wonders of mercy and love wrought for us by Jesus Christ.

" 1. When Israel went out of Egypt, the house
of Jacob from a people of strange language; 2. Ju-
dah was his, that is, God's sanctuary, and Israel his
dominion."

When Jehovah delivered Israel from the bondage
of Egypt, he chose them for his peculiar people; his
presence resided in their camp, as in a " sanctuary,"
or temple; and he ruled them, as an earthly king ex-
erciseth sovereignty in his " dominions." This
world, and the Prince of this world, are to us, what
Egypt and Pharaoh were to Israel. The redemp-
tion of our nature, by the resurrection of Christ, an-
swereth to their redemption by the hand of Moses.
When we are baptized into the death and resurrec-
tion of our Lord, we renounce the world, its pomps
and vanities; and should, therefore, quit its corrupt
''language," manners, and customs, with as much
alacrity and expedition, as "the family of Jacob" left
those of Egypt. We are the " sanctuary," the tem-
ple in which Christ dwelleth by his Spirit; we are
the subjects of his spiritual " kingdom," we are his
peculiar people; in one word, we are his " church,"
and succeed, as such, to all the titles and privileges
formerly conferred on Israel.

" 3. The sea saw it^ and fled; Jordan was driven
back."

Although forty years intervened between the two
events here mentioned, yet as the miracles were of a

Ps. 114.] 115

similar nature, tliey are spoken of together. In the
passage of Israel through the Red Sea, \vc may con-
template our passage from a death of sin to a life of
righteousness, through the waters of baptism; as our
translation from death temporal to life eternal, is
figured hy their entrance into the promised land
throuij^h tlie river Jordan. The waters in both
cases are poetically represented as sensible of their
Creator's presence; and by their retiring, and open-
ing a path for the people of God, we are taught, that
if we continue faithful, all obstructions will be re-
moved in our way to heaven.

" 4. The mountains skipped like rams, and the
little hills like lambs."

The tremors of mount Sinai and the neighbour-
ing hills, when the law was given, afforded some
specimen of that power which was afterwards exert-
ed in the overthrow of idolatry, and the casting dbwn
of every high thing that exalted itself against the Gos-
pel at its publication. " See, therefore, that ye refuse
not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not, who
refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not
we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh
from heaven ; whose voice then shook the earth: but
now he hath promised, saying. Yet once more I
shake not the earth only, but also heaven." Heb.
xii. 25.

" 5. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou
fleddest? thou, Jordan, t/iai thou wast driven back?
6. Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye
little hills, like lambs? 7. Tremble, thou earth, at the

116

[Ps. 115.

presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of
Jacob."

If the divine presence hath such an effect upon
inanimate matter, how ought it to operate on rational
and accountable beings ? Let us be afraid, with an
holy fear, at the presence of God, in the world by
his Providence, and by his Spirit in our consciences;
so that we may have hope and courage in the day
when he shall arise to shake terribly the earth; when
^* every island shall fly away, and the mountains
shall be no more found." Rev. xvi. 20.

" 8. Which turned the rock into a standing wa-
ter, the flint into a fountain of waters."

He who broui^ht water out of the sacramental
Tock in the wilderness, hath since caused rivers of
living water to flow through the w^orld, from the
Rock of our salvation ; nay, he hath dissolved the
stony hearts of sinners, and made to spring up in
them fountains of this water of life. For these
great instances of his power and his love, we are
taught to bless his holy name, when we sing this
Psalm, as an evangelical hymn, on the day of our
Lord's resurrection.

PSALM CXV.

ARGUMENT. — The church, 1, 2. prayeth that God would glo-
rify himself in her salvation ; 3. she declareth her faith in him ;
4i — 8. exposeththe vanity and folly of idolatry; 9 — 11. exliort-
eth her children to rely upon Jehovah ; 12 — 15. foretelleth how
he will bless, prosper, and increase his people, 16 — 18. never
suffering the voice of praise and thanksgiving to cease upon the
earth.

*' L Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but

Ps. 115.] 117

unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for
thy truth's sake. 2. Wherefore should the hea-
then say, Where is now their God?"

From these two verses it is evident, that the Psalm
is not a thanksgiving for victory, but a petition for
deliverance. God is entreated to " give glory" by
such deliverance, " not to us," to our works or en-
deavours, but " to his own name;" he is requested
to vouchsafe salvation, not on account of our merits,
but of his " mercy," which inclineth him to be gra-
cious ; of his " truth" which disposeth him to fulfil
his promises ; and of his " honour," that the enemy
may not have occasion to blaspheme him, and re-
proach his servants, as if their Master either could
not, or would not, help them in the day of their dis-
tress. " Wherefore should the Heathen say. Where
is now their God ?"

** 3. But our God is in the heavens, he hath done
whatsoever he hath pleased ; or, he doeth whatso-
ever he pleaseth."

Should the insulting adversary ask the above
question, " Where is now their God?" the faithful
are ready with their reply, " Our God is in the hea-
vens ;" he is, where he ever was, upon his glorious
throne, high over all the kingdoms of the world, and
the powers of created nature; from thence he obser-
veth and ordereth all things here below ; what we
suffer is by his appointment ; and, at his good time
and pleasure, he both can and will relieve us : " he
doeth whatsoever he pleaseth."

" 4. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of
men's hands. 5. They have mouths, but they speak

118 [Ps. 115.

not; eyes liave they, but they see not. 6. They
have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but
they smell not. 7. They have hands, but they
handle not: feet have they, but they walk not; nei-
ther speak they through then- throat."

A beautiful contrast is formed between the God
of Israel and the Heathen idols. He made every
thing, they are themselves made by men; he is in
heaven, they are upon earth ; he doeth whatsoever
he pleaseth, they can do nothing; he seeth the dis-
tresses, heareth and answereth the prayers, accepteth
the offerings, coraeth to the assistance, and effecteth
the salvation of his servants; they are blind, deaf,
and dumb, senseless, motionless, and impotent.
Equally slow to hear, equally impotent to save in
time of greatest need, will every worldly idol prove,
on which men have set their affections, and to which
they have, in efiPect, said, *' Thou art my God."

" 8. They that made them are like unto them ;
50 is every one that trusteth in them,"

Idolaters, like the objects of their worship, are
rather lifeless images than real men. What our
Lord said of the Jews, is applicable to them, and in-
deed to all who reject the knowledge of the true
God, and the doctrines of salvation: " Having eyes
they see not, having ears they hear not." They
see not the things which belong unto their peace ;
they hear not the word of instruction and exhorta-
tion; they speak not of religion and the kingdom of
heaven; they work not the works of piety and char-
ity; they walk not in the path of the divine com-

Ps. 115.] ^ 119

mandmcnts; they are spiritually blind, deaf, dumb,
lame, and impotent; and wlicn their idols are des-
troyed, they will perish in like manner.

" 9. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord ; he is
their help and their shield. 10. O house of Aaron,
trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield.
IL Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he
is their help and their shield."

Let the men of the world make to themselves
gods, and vainly trust in the work of their own
hands or heads; but let the church repose all her
confidence in Jehovah, her Saviour and Redeemer,
who alone can be her defender and protector; more
especially let her ministers, the sons of the true
Aaron, do this, who are the peculiar portion of their
God, employed continually in his service, and design-
ed to build up others in faith and hope; and let all
who have been instructed, by their ministry, in the
fear of the Lord, trust always in him, nor suffer any
apprehension of danger or distress to separate them
from him.

" 12. The Lord hath been, or, is, mindful of
us ; he will bless 2is ,• he will bless the house of Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron. 13. He will bless
them that fear the Lord, both small and great. 14.
The Lord shall increase you more and more, you
and your children. 15. Ye are blessed of the Lord,
which made heaven and earth."

The heart of the Psalmist is full of *' blessing,"
and on his tonmie is the word of kindness and com-
fort. The " blessings" formerly confined to Israel,

ISO [Ps. 115.

have since been extended to the whole race of man-
kind. Jehovah, ever '' mindful" of his creatures,
hath visited the world by his Son, and by his Spirit;
he hath formed a church from among the Gentiles,
appointed a priesthood and ministry in it, and given
his benediction to both; he hath "blessed," with
the blessings of grace, '* them that fear him," of all
nations, and of every degree ; he hath ''increased"
and multiplied his people exceedingly; and the faith-
ful members of the Christian church are now " the
blessed of Jehovah, who made heaven and earth,"
and who is, consequently, possessed of all power in
both.

" 16. The heaven, even the heavens, or, the hea-
vens of heavens, ar^e the Lord's ; but the earth hath
he given to the children of men. 17. The dead
praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into
silence. 18. But we will bless the Lord, from this
time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord."

He who himself dwelleth in the highest heavens,
w^here he is praised and glorified by angels, hath
"given the earth" for an habitation, at present, "to
the sons of men," whose duty it is to praise and glo-
rify him here below, as the angels do above. Now
as " the dead cannot praise him," as they who sleep
in the silent grave cannot celebrate him, we may be
certain, that he will not suffer his people to be des-
troyed and extirpated, but will always preserve a
church to " bless him" in all ages, till the end of the
world; when the dead shall be raised, and the choirs
of heaven and earth shall be united, to praise and
glorify him together before his throne for evermore.

Ps. 116.] 121

PSALM CXVI.

Ticenty-fourth Day, — Morning Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — It is not certain by whom, or upon what occa-
sion, this Psalm was composed. It plainly appears, however,
to be a song of thanksgiving for dehVerance from trouble, either
temporal, or spiritual, or both. To render it of general use,
let it be considered as an evangelical hymn, in the mouth of a
penitent, expressing his gratitude for salvation from sin and
death. 1, 2. He declareth his love of God, who hath vouch-
safed to hear his prayer; 3 — 9. describeth his distress, his de-
liverance out of it, and subsequent peace and comfort; 10, 11.
he acknowledgeth himself to have been tempted to despond,
but was supported by faith, in the day of trouble; 12 — 19. he
determineth to receive the cup of salvation, to praise and to
serve Jehovah, who thus delivereth the souls of his people.

*' 1. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my
voice, and my supplications. 2, Because he hath
inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon
him as long as I live."

In the original it is, " I love,* because Jehovah
hath heard," &c. The soul, transported with gra-
titude and love, seems at first to express her affection
without declaring its object, as thinking that all the
world must know who is the person intended. Thus
Mary Magdalen, in her conversation at the sepulchre,
with one whom she supposed to have been the gar-
dener, though no previous mention had been made of
Jesus, saith, " Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell
me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him

* Some critics prefer our old version — " I am well pleased."
Vol. III. F

. 122 [Ps. 116.

away:" John xx. 15. And ought not the love of
God to be excited in all our hearts by the consider-
ation that, when we were not able to raise ourselves
up to him, he mercifully and tenderly *' inclined" and
bowed down "his ear" to us: he " heard our suppli-
cations," and descended from heaven to help and de-
liver us? With hope, therefore, and confidence,
should we " call upon him," in all our troubles, " as
long as we live."

" 3. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the
pains of hell gat hold upon me; I found trouble and
sorrow. 4. Then called I upon the name of the
Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul."

These " sorrows," or " bands of death," once
*' compassed" the human race: these "pains of hell"
were ready to seize on every son of Adam. The
awakened and terrified conscience of a sinner hath
felt the oppression of the former, and experienced
some foretaste of the latter. In this situation he is
described by St. Paul as crying out, " O wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body
of death !" Let him take the course which the
Psalmist took; let him ** call upon the name of the
Lord," even the Lord Jesus, who put himself in the
sinner's place, and suffered for him unspeakable
" sorrows and pains;" let him do this, and he shall
be saved; and shall sing the praises of his almighty
Saviour, in the words of this beautiful Psalm.

" 5. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous : yea,
our God is merciful. 6. The Lord preserveth the
simple: I was brought low, and he helped me."

Ps. 116.1

123

In the salvation of a sinner we contemplate God's
** grace," by which the work is effected; his '* righ-
teousness," which causeth him to perform what he
hath promised through Christ; his " mercy," which
induced him to send his Son, and to make the pro-
mise. This mercy is the mercy of a parent, and such
as a parent showeth to those young and " simple"
ones, who have been over-reached and deceived by a
crafty adversary; to those who fall, and are unable
of themselves to rise again: "I was brought low,
and he helped me."

" 7. Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the
Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. 8. For
thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes
from tears, and my feet from falling. 9. I will walk
before the Lord in the land of the living."

o
That peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy
Ghost, which the penitent experienceth, as the effect
and fruit of pardon, afford him some idea of the rest
and felicity of heaven; and, accordingly, he speaks
as one translated to those happy mansions, where
there is no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
because there is no more sin. A Christian, deli-
vered out of the miseries of this troublesome world,
and at rest in Abraham's bosom, would express him-
self, as one should think in these very terms. Re-
mission of sins ought to be followed by newness of
life, and the resolution of him whose "soul" hath
been ** delivered from death, his eyes from tears, and
his feet from falling," should always be this, " I
will walk before the Lord," as one under his in-
spection, "in the land of the living," or amongst the

F2

124 [Ps. 116,

redeemed in the church: until the time come for me
to depart hence, and to be numbered with the saints
in glory everlasting.

" 10. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was
greatly afflicted. 11. I said in my haste, All men are
liars."

In afflictions and distresses, those of the spirit
and conscience more especially, the soul is tempted
to despond, and can only be supported by faith ex-
erting itself in prayer : " I believed, and therefore
have I spoken," or " therefore spake I," that is, as
above, verse 4. " I called upon the name of the
Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee deliver my soul."
And this I did, though so greatly afflicted, that I
had " said in my haste," in my hurry and trepidation
occasioned by fear or amazement, " all men are
liars;" there is no credit to be given to their pro-
mises of deliverance; I am lost and undone for ever.
Yet my faith failed not entirely, and, lo, my prayer
hath been heard and answered. St. Paul, relating
the troubles which came upon him, and the manner
in which he sustained them, thus citeth a part of the
10th verse: "We, having the same spirit of faith,
according as it is written, I believed, and therefore
have I spoken: we also believe, and therefore speak;
knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus,
shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us
with vou." 2 Cor. iv. 13, 14.

" 12. What shall I render unto the Lord far
all his benefits towards me? 13. I will take the
cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the

Ps. 116.] 12'5

Lord. 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now
in the presence of all his people."

The grateful penitent now asketh, what return he
shall make to his kind Benefactor, for the most valu-
able of all blessings conferred upon him. And he
presently resolveth to make the only return in his
power, namely, to acknowledge and declare before
men the goodness of Jehovah, ascribing all the glory
where it is all due. This he determincth to do, by
*' taking the cup of salvation," which, as Dr. Ham-
mond observes, among the Jews was twofold; one of-
fered in a more solemn manner in the temple; Numb.
xxviii. 7. the other more private in families, called
the cup of thanksgiving, or commemoration of any
deliverance, begun by the master of the family, and
attended, on festival days, with a suitable hymn; such
as was that sung by our Lord and his disciples on
the night when he advanced that cup into the sacra-
ment of his blood, which hath ever since been to
Christians " the cup of salvation," and which all
penitents should now receive in the church, with in-
vocation, thanksgiving, and payment of the " vows"
made in time of trouble.

" 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the
death of his saints."

The notion of the original word, *ip^ in this place,
for " rare," or '* precious," must be so taken as not
to signify that which is spoken of to be desirable to,
or in the presence of, the Lord; for it is the life, not
the death, of his servants which is precious, in that
sense, to God, the preserver of their lives. But

126

[Ps. 116.

when it is said, that their " death is precious," it
means in effect no more, than that it is so consider-
ed, it is rated at so high a price by God, as that he
will not easily grant it to any one who most desires
it of him. Thus far Dr. Hammond. We may
add, that much less will God be easily prevailed on
to give up his people to death eternal. Rather will
he work wonders of mercy and loving kmdness to
save them; as the penitent happily experienceth in
himself.

" 16. O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy
servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast
loosed my bonds. 17. 1 will offer to thee the sacri-
fice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of
the Lord. 18. I will pay my vows unto the
Lord now in the presence of all his people. 19. In
the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of
thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord."

Every penitent is the "servant" of God, "the
son of his handmaid," the church, " loosed from his
bonds," and redeemed from a state of slavery under
sin, the world, and the devil, that he may serve a
better Master, whose " yoke is easy, and his burden
light." This blessed Master is from thenceforth
the object of his love, duty, and adoration: to him he
" offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving," to him he
" payeth his vows," among his fellow-servants in the
church on earth; longing for that day to come, when,
loosed also from the bonds of death and the grave,
he shall be admitted to sing hallelujahs with saints
and angels, in the " courts" of the eternal temple,
even " in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem," the holy,
heavenly, and glorious city of God Most High !

Ps. 117.1 127

PSALM CXVII.

ARGUMENT. — This Psalm, like the ex. seems to be alto-
gether prophetical of the joy that all the world should con-
ceive, at the coming of the Messiah, to give salvation, first to
tlie Jews, and then to all other nations, according to his faith,
fill promise. — Patrick.

*' 1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise
him, all ye people. 2. For his merciful kindness is
great towards us: and the truth of the Lord endur-
eth for ever. Praise ye the Lord."

It is remarkable, that of so short a Psalm one
verse is quoted in the New Testament by St. Paul;
the second verse is explained, though not quoted.
Two questions naturally arise, upon reading the
Psalm; first, who are the "nations and people," ex-
horted to praise Jehovah? secondly, what is that
*' merciful kindness," and that " truth," for which
they are exhorted to praise him? The apostle hath
given a satisfactory and decisive answer to both these
questions, Rom. xv. 8, 9, &c. " Now, I say, that
Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for
the truth of God, to confirm the promises made
unto the fathers; and that the Gentiles might glorify
God for his mercy : as it is written, Praise the Lord
all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye people." From
the apostle's reasoning, the verse of our Psalm, which
he hath cited, appears to be a proof that " the Gen-
tiles" or the Heathen world, should one day " glo-
rify God;" they are, therefore, the *' people," whom
the Psalmist, in the spirit of prophecy, exhorted to

128 [Ps. 118.

** praise Jehovah." It appears also, why the Gen-
tiles were to glorify God; namely, for his *' mercy"
and " truth," shown in confirming or accomplishing
the "promises" concerning their vocation and conver-
sion, " made unto the fathers;"* to Abraham, and
his seed for ever; to all believers, whether of the
circumcision, or the uncircumcision. Such, then, is
the ''merciful kindness" of Jehovah, which is said,
in the Psalm, to be " great," mighty, and powerful,
" toward us ;" such his " truth," which is affirmed to
" endure for ever;" as the promises were made good to
the Gentiles, when the Jews, because of unbelief,
had been cast off. Let the hallelujahs of the re-
deemed be suitable to that " mercy," and co-eternal
with that " truth."

PSALM CXVIIL

ARGUMENT. — In this Psalm, a king of Israel appears leading
his people in solemn procession to the temple, there to offer
up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for the marvellous
deliverance from his enemies, and a glorious victory gained
over them. After inviting the whole nation, 1 — 4. to join with
him upon this joyful occasion, he describethat large, 5 — 18. his
danger, and his deliverance from it, which latter is wholly at-
tributed to the power and goodness of Jehovah. After this, as
Mr. Mudge has rightly observed, there ensues a kind of sacred

♦ " Confirmata — et Veritas Domini" — Promiserat enim Abra-
hamo Deus futurum, ut per Christum, benedictum illud Abrahami
semen, benedicerentur omnes Gentes, Gen. xii. 3. xv. 18. inter-
prete Apostolo, Gal. iii. 16. Quod cum prsestitum ndeamus,
jam intelligimus vere advenisse Christum, ac promissa Dei firma
esse omnia, Bossuet.

Ps. us,] 129

dialogue. Being come to the temple, the victorioiif? monarch
speaks the 19th verse; they that open the gate, the 20th; he
again, as he enters, the 21st; they with him seem to speak the
next four verses, to the 25th ; the priests of the temple, the
26th ; the first part to the king, the other to the people ; the
people the 27th; lie the 28th; the 29th is the chorus verse,
concluding as it began. The repeated application made of the
22d verse in the New Testament, and the appointment of the
Psalm by the church, to be used on Easter-day, lead us to con-
sider the whole as a triumphant hymn, sung by king Messiah,
at the head of the Israel of God, on occasion of his resurrec-
tion and exaltation.

"1. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is
good: because his mercy endui^eth for ever. 2. Let
Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 3.
Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy
endureth for ever. 4. Let them now that fear the
Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever."

The subjects of " thanksgiving" here proposed
are Jehovah's " goodness" and his " mercy." He
is the sole fountain of absolute and essential " good-
ness," the source of all excellency and perfection;
and his '* mercy" is the channel by which he com-
municateth this goodness, in an overflowing stream,
to his people, who are, therefore, exhorted to praise
him. The Christian church is now " the Israel of
God:" her ministers constitute the true " house of
Aaron," being the spiritual progeny of our great
High Priest; and the Gentiles, not the Jews, are
they who know and "fear Jehovah." Let these all
celebrate, for these all have experienced, the benefits
and blessings of " eternal mercy," by the resurrec-
tion of Jesus from the dead.

F 3

130

[Ps. 118.

" 5. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord
answered me, and set vie in a large place/'

The true value of every deliverance is to be esti-
mated by the nature of the " distress" which requir-
ed it. The rescue of David from his enemies, or
that of Israel from captivity, might deservedly be ex-
tolled with the songs of Sion. How much more,
then, is the church universal bound to lift up her
voice in honour of Jehovah, who hath redeemed her
from her spiritual adversaries, and freed her from
the bondage of corruption, through Him who " died
for her sins, and rose again for her justification ;"
who, in the days of his flesh, being, on her account,
in " distress" and affliction, ''called upon Jehovah,
and was answered," by an " enlargement" from the
narrow prison of the grave, to a boundless and glo-
rious kingdom !

'' 6. The Lord is on my side ; I will not fear
what can man do unto me ? 7. The Lord taketh
my part with them that help me: therefore shall I
see my desire upon them that hate me."

By frequent experience of the divine power and
mercy, from time to time, exerted on the behalf of
Israel, that nation was instructed to trust in Jeho-
vah; and, whenever they did so, success and victory
never failed to attend their steps. Would not the
case be the same with us in all our undertakings, if
our faith was right and steadfast in God, who raised
up Jesus from the dead, and who hath promised to
make us " more than conquerors ?"

" 8. It is better to trust in the Lojrd, than to put

I

Ps. 118.] 131

confidence in man. 9. It is better to trust in the
Lord than to put confidence in princes."

Armies of " men," however numerous, and to
appearance powerful, may be routed and dispersed
at once. " Princes" may not be able to help us ; if
able, they may fail us, as not being willing to do it;
if both able and willing, they may die, ere they can
execute their purpose. But that hope which is placed
in God, can never, by these, or any other means, be
disappointed. As we so often repeat these two
verses, let us act agreeably to the declaration which
we then make, and, instead of courting the world,
by undue compliances, for its deceitful smiles and
treacherous favours, let us, in all points, do our
duty, and leave the event to God above. To en-
courage us in the performance of such a resolution
as this, let it be remembered, that because our Sa-
viour ** witnessed a good confession before Pontius
Pilate," and with meekness and patience, resigned
himself to the death of the cross for it, therefore
God exalted him to glory and honour.

" 10. All nations compassed me about : but in
the name of the Lord will I, or, I did, destroy
them. IL They compassed me about, yea, they
compassed me about : but in the name of the Lord
I will, or, I did, destroy them. 12. They compassed
me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of
thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will, or^ I
did, destroy them."

The tenor of the Psalm being one of thanksgiv-
ing for a deliverance already experienced, seemeth

132 [Ps. 118.

to require that the verb, at the close of each of these
verses, should be rendered in the past time ; not ** I
will destroy them," but " I did destroy them;" es-
pecially as it is said, " they compassed me about,'*
and " they are quenched." As David and Israel
were encompassed by hostile nations, over whom,
through God's assistance, they often triumphed; so
the Son of David, in the day of his passion, was
surrounded by the furious multitude of Jews and
Gentiles seeking his life : and, after the same exam-
ple, his mystical body, the church, hath frequently
been, on all sides, vexed and persecuted in the
world. But, through the power of Jehovah, Christ
overcame, and is set down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high. The church, likewise, hath often
risen superior to the efforts of her innumerable and
malicious enemies, whose fury hath blazed forth
against her with the sudden fierceness of *' fire,'*
when it is applied to a heap of dry " thorns ;" and
hath been as soon at an end ; she hath triumphed,
yea, and she will finally triumph, " in the name of
the Lord her God."

" 13. Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might
fall : but the Lord helped me. 14. The Lord is
my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the
tabernacles of the righteous : the right hand of the
Lord doeth valiantly. 16. The right hand of the
Lord is exalted ; the right hand of the Lord doeth
valiantly."

The church may consider herself as victorious
over her great adversary, the author of all evil, who

Ps. 118.1

133

had made his grand effort to effect her destruction,
by putting to death her champion and king, Mes-
siah. But Jehovah appeared at the time appointed,
to bring him, and, virtually, all that sliould believe
in him, from the dead. " Thou hast thrust sore at
me, that I might fall; but Jehovah helped me."
Risen, therefore, with Christ, from the grave, we
proceed to praise Jehovah, in the words which Mo-
ses and Israel first used, when they had ascended
from the depths of the sea, and beheld their enemies
destroyed for ever ; " Jehovah is my strength, and
my song, and is become my salvation :" Exod. xv.
2. And never doth that sacred day come round, on
which the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated, but
" the voice of rejoicing is in the tabernacle of the
righteous ;" there is a noise of them that sing for
joy, in the camp of the saints; the church militant
tesoundeth with thanksgiving, and the voice of me-
lody ; paradise is restored below, and earth beareth
some resemblance of heaven, while these transport-
ing hymns are sung in honour of our great Redeem-
er. He is that " Arm and Right Hand of Jeho-
vah" which hath " done valiantly," which hath
crushed our strongest enemy, and is very highly
'' exalted" over all. " Thy right hand, O Lord,
is become glorious in power; thy right hand, O Lord,
hath dashed in pieces the enemy." Exod. xv. 6.

"17. I shall not die, but live, and declare the
works of the Lord. 18. The Lord hath chas-
tened me sore : but he hath not given me over unto
death."

As Christ is risen, " we shall not die, but live;"

134

[Ps. 118.

we shall not die eternally, but we shall live, in this
world, the life of grace ; in the world to come, the
life of glory; that we may, in both, " declare the
works," and chant the praises of God our Saviour.
We are " chastened" for our sins, but " not given
over to death" and destruction everlasting; nay, our
being " chastened" is now a proof that we are not so
" given over;" for " what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not?" Heb. xii. 7.

" 19. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I
will go in to them, and 1 will praise the Lord :
20. This gate, or, this is the gate, of the Lord,
into which the righteous shall enter. 21, I will
thank thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become
my salvation."

The faithful, like David and his people of old,
demand admission into the courts of the Lord's
house, there to praise him for his great and manifold
mercies. But we may extend our ideas much far-
ther, and consider the whole company of the redeem-
ed, as beholding the angels ready to unbar the gates
of heaven, and throw open the doors of the eternal
sanctuary, for the true disciples of the risen and glo-
rified Jesus to enter in. '* Open ye," may believ-
ers exclaim in triumph to those celestial spirits, who
delight to minister to the heirs of salvation, " Open
ye the gates of righteousness," those gates, through
which nothing unclean can pass, " that the righteous
nation, which keepeth the truth, may enter in," Isa.
xxvi. 2. and sing, with your harmonious choirs, the
praises of him who sitteth upon the throne; for he
hath overcome the sharpness of death, he hath

Ps. 118.]

135

opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
** This is the gate of the Loud, into which the
righteous shall enter," to take possession of the in-
heritance prepared for them, " to thank" him who
hath " heard them, and is become their salvation."

" 22. The stone "which the builders refused, is
become the head stone of the corner. 23. This is
the Lord's doing ; it is marvellous in our eyes."

Whether this passage had first a reference to the
case of David,* who, as a figure of Messiah, was
brought from a state of rejection and persecution to
the throne of Israel; or whether there be any truth
in a Jewish tradition concerning a certain stone,
which, after having been, by the builders of the se-
cond temple, thrown aside among the rubbish, was at
last found to be exactly fitted for the honourable
place of a chief corner-stone ; it is neither possible
nor needful to ascertain. That the verses belong,
in a full proper sense, to Messiah, is confessed by
the Rabbies, and acknowledged by all. No text in
the Old Testament is quoted by the writers of the
New, so often as this, which we meet with in six
different places : namely. Matt. xxi. 42. Mark xii.
10. Luke XX. 17. Acts iv. 11. Ephes. ii. 20.
1 Pet. ii. 4. The sum and substance of the New
Testament applications and expositions is, that Je-
sus Christ is the stone here mentioned ; that he
was rejected and set at nought by the chief priests

• David a Saule et aliquandiu a decern tribubus reprobatus, ac
soli tribui Judse agnitus, deinde omnium princeps ; et sub figura
ejus Christus a Judaeis ac Gentibus impetitus, mox utrorumque
caput, ut ipse interpretatur, Matt. xxi. 42. BossuET.

136

[Ps. 118.

and Pharisees, the then builders of the church ; but
that, being chosen of God, and precious to him,
this most valuable stone, thus despised and rejected
of men, thus thrown among the rubbish, and buried
in it, was, at length, from such a state, exalted to be
the chief corner-stone in the building, the main sup-
port of the edifice, and a centre of union for Jew and
Gentile, the two parts of which it consisted; that
this was the work of God, and the admiration of
man. And what can be more truly marvellous,
than that a person, put to death as a malefactor, and
laid in the grave, should from thence arise immortal,
and become the head of an immortal society; should
-ascend into heaven, be invested with power, and
crowned with glory; and should prepare a way for
the sons of Adam to follow him into those man-
sions of eternal bliss?

" 24. This is the day isohich the Lord bath
made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Of the day on which Christ arose from the dead,
it may, with more propriety than of any other day,
be affirmed, *' This is the day which Jehovah hath
made." Then it was that the " rejected stone"
became the *' head of the corner." A morning
then dawned which is to be followed by no evening;
a brighter sun arose upon the world, which is to set
no more; a day began, which will never end; and
night and darkness departed, to return not again.
For thus saith the Lord to his church by the pro-
phet Isaiah, " Thy sun shall no more go down,
neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for the Lord
shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy

Ps. 118.] 1S7

mourninir shall be ended:" Isa. Ix. 20. Easter-
day is in a peculiar manner consecrated to tlim, who,
by his resurrection, triumphed over death and hell.
On that day, through faith, we triumph with him ;
we rejoice and are glad in his salvation."

" 25. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord : O Lord,
I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26. Blessed be
he that cometh in the name of the Lord : we have
blessed you out of, or, you that are of, the house
of the Lord."

As a prelude to the triumphant manner in which
Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, should ascend
to the heavenly Jerusalem, he entered the earthly
city, before his passion, amidst the acclamations of
the multitude, who hailed him as King of Sion, and
with palm-branches, the emblems of victory, in their
hands, sung before him these words, partly taken
from our Psalm, '' Hosanna to the Son of David:
blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord :
Hosanna in the highest." The word, " Hosan-
na," is in the original, Ninjr^wrn, " Save now!"
The form of words used by the people was both a
petition and a congratulation ; as if they had said,
Let us beseech Jehovah, in the language of the
cxviii. Psalm, to grant salvation to the Son of Da-
vid, and to send us now prosperity under him :
Blessed is he who thus cometh, not in his own name
and power, but in the name and power of Jehovah,
according to the prophecies concerning him, to de-
liver us from all our enemies : ratify, O Jehovah,
in the highest, or in heaven, these petitions w^hich
we make for the salvation and prosperity of our

138

[Ps. 118.

King, that thy blessings upon him and us may be
established on earth. Since the resurrection of our
Lord, the faithful have expressed, in these two
verses, the same wishes and prayers for the increase
of his kingdom, and the prosperity of his house and
family, of his ministers and his people : " We bless
you that are of the house of Jehovah."

" 27. God is the Lord, which hath showed us
light : bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the
horns of the altar."

As Jehovah hath manifested his power and glory,
by raising Christ from the dead ; as he hath, by so
doing, " showed us the light" of life and immor-
tality; let us observe the festival, which is designed
to perpetuate the memory of so great and joyful an
event. " Christ, our passover," saith an apostle,
*' is sacrificed for us ; therefore let us keep the
feast :" 1 Cor. v. 7. Let us keep it, only chang-
ing legal for evangelical sacraments and ceremonies;
let us go to the altar, not to see a figure of the
Lamb of God, as he was to be slain; but to behold
a representation of him as he hath been slain ; to be-
hold, in figure, his body broken, and his blood pour-
ed out : to eat the bread of life, and drink the cup
of salvation.

" 28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee:
thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 29. O give
thanks unto the Lord, for he is good : for his mer-
cy endureth for ever."

The prophet declareth his resolution to " praise"
and to ** exalt," to magnify and to glorify, his " God;"

Ps. 119.] 139

he then concludes, as he began, with exhorting all
the world to do the same. Preserve to us, blessed
Lord, the use of these divine hymns in thy church,
until, at the resurrection of the just, we shall cele-
brate an Easter in heaven, and sing them new in the
kingdom of God.

PSALM CXIX.

Twenty-fourth Day, — Evening Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — This Psalm is divided (most probably for the
advantage of memory) according to the number of letters which
compose the Hebrew alphabet, into twenty- two portions, of
eight verses each ; and not only every portion, but every verse
of that portion, begins with the letter appropriated to it.
David must, undoubtedly, have been the author. He describ-
eth, in a series of devotional meditations, the instruction and
the comfort which, through all vicissitudes of mind and fortune,
he had ever found in the word of God. The many strong ex-
pressions of love towards the law, and the repeated resolutions
and vows to observe it, will often force us to turn our thoughts
to the true David, whose " meat and drink it was, to do the
will of him that sent him." The passages more especially
characteristic of him, as well as those which allude primarily
to any particular circumstances in the history of the patriarch
David, are pointed out in the course of the comment. But
the chief design through the whole hath been, to draw forth
tlie lessons of heavenly wisdom and comfort, contained in this
interesting composition, for the service of believers, who,
while they are accomplishing their pilgrimage and warfare upon
earth, should continually solace themselves with the cxix.
Psalm, and repair to it as to a fountain, which can never be
exhausted. Between the verses of each portion, a connection
is frequently to be traced, but it doth not often seem to extend
from one portion to another. The many words employed to
express the revelations of God's will, have distinct significa.
tions, denoting different parts or portions of the Scriptures,

14.0 [Ps. 119.

which it hath sometimes been found of great use to take into
consideration, while at others the terms appear to be used pro-
miscuously, in a general sense, and for the sake of variety.

ALEPH. PART I.

*' 1. Blessed are the undefiled, Heh. perfect, or^^
sincere, in the way, who walk in the law of the
Lord."

By sin, misery entered into the world; holiness
alone, therefore, can lead us to happiness. " The
law of Jehovah" is the path of life, and by " walk-
ing in the way," we shall attain to the end. But,
alas ! we are out of the way ; we have walked in
the law of sin, after the lusts of the flesh; who
will direct and strengthen us to walk in the law of
God, after the desire of the Spirit? We are fal-
len from our integrity ; who will raise us again ?
The Gospel, which was preached to Abraham be-
fore the Mosaic dispensation, and which was pre-
figured and believed under it, returneth us, to all
these questions, answers of peace. The Redeemer
hath prevailed for the pardon of our errors; the
Redeemer hath raised us from our fallen state ; he
hath reconducted us to the path of life ; in his name
we arise and walk ; he maketh us righteous, and,
consequently, he maketh us " blessed." For,
'* Blessed are the sincere in the way, who walk in
the law of Jehovah."

" 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with their whole heart."

The divine revelations and institutions, whether

Pft. 119.1

141

of the old or the new law, are called God's " testi-
monies ;" they are the witnesses of his will, and the
pledges of his love. They are committed to the
church, as a precious deposit or trust, to be by her
children " kept," and observed. In and by these
God is to be sought ; " they that seek him with
their whole heart," with ardent and undivided affec-
tion, fail not to find him, as an instructor and a com-
forter ; and they who find him, find all things, and
are " blessed" indeed.

*' 3. They also that do no iniquity, they that
walk in his ways."

O blissful state of those who are redeemed from
the earth, and all earthly desires ; who are delivered
from the dominion of sin ; who " follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth," and, like Zacharias and
Elizabeth, " walk in the statutes and ordinances of
the Lord blameless:" Luke i. 6. Enrol us, O Lord,
in the happy number of these thy servants ; pardon
our offences ; give us a new nature, and new de-
sires, averse from sin, and inclined to sanctity; and
guard us, that the wicked one touch us not.

*' 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy pre-
cepts diligently."

He who made us, and redeemed us, hath a double
right to our service. We are not our own, having
been bought with the blood of our Lord; his will,
therefore, and not our own, is to be done by us. And
his will is, that we should " keep his precepts dili-
gently," because in " keeping" them, and in keep-
ing them " diligently," so as not to halt between

142 [Ps. 119.

God and the world, but to serve one master only,
doth our happiness consist. Now, when the com-
mands of our Superior, and our greatest Benefactor,
of our Friend, our Father, and our God, coincide
with our own interests temporal and eternal, what
pretext can there be for disobedience and rebelUon?

" 5. O that my ways were directed, ot\ prepared
and established, to keep thy statutes!"

The faithful soul, enraptured with the contempla-
tion of that blessedness which is the consequence of
serving God, but conscious, at the same time, of an
inability to attain it, sighs after the refreshing and
strengthening influences of divine grace. She be-
holdeth her Saviour afar oflP; she beholdeth the
beauty and glorious majesty of his heavenly king-
dom; she beholdeth the way which leads to it; but
she hath not power to walk therein. This consi-
deration causeth her to groan earnestly within her-
self, and at length to breathe forth a wish that the
Spirit of truth and love would fix and establish her
in a holy course of thinking, speaking, and acting,
upon all occasions, and would prevent her from turn-
ing aside out of it, to the right hand or to the left.

'* 6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have
respect unto all thy commandments."

All the commandments have the same author,
and the same sanction. He who thinketh to atone
for the breach of the one, by the observation of an-
other; he who reserveth to himself a license of in-
dulging any favourite, darling lust, while, in general,
he preserveth the appearance of an exemplary con-

Ps. 119.]

143

duct, is a hypocrite, and, unless he repent, will be
brought to " shame," if not before men here, yet
before men and angels hereafter. " Shame" is the
fruit of sin; confidence is the effect of righteousness.
Wherefore, in all our proceedings, let us " have
respect," not to the opinions of men, to the corrupt
customs of the world, or to the deceitful suggestions
of our own hearts, but " to the commandments, to
all the commandments of God ;" let us, as St. John
exhorteth, " abide in Christ ;" that when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and " not be
ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John ii.
28.

" 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart,
when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments."

Confidence in God will always be productive of
joy, and undissembled " praise" will accompany
true conversion. The Scriptures are styled God's
" righteous judgments," as containing an account
of his decrees and determinations concerning us,
with a history of cases and precedents, entered upon
record for our admonition. By these we are to form
our opinions, and to regulate our conduct. And
when we shall have so " learned" these, as to walk
according to them, we shall praise God with an
" upright heart;" our tongues will utter what our
hearts feel.

" 8. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not
utterly."

The result of our meditations on God's word,
and on the advantages of studying, in order to ob-

144

[Ps. 119.

serve its directions, should always be a resolution so
to do, and a prayer for grace to execute that resolu-
tion. Lord, we " will keep thy statutes ;'* for love
can do all things, when thou hast shed it abroad in
our hearts. " Love worketh no ill, therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law," Rom. xiii. 10. and mercy
will accept what grace enableth us to perform. Be
thou, therefore, ever with us, and " forsake us not;"
or if, at any time, to try our faith, and to exercise
our patience, thou shouldest depart from us and
leave us to ourselves for a time, short be thy ab-
sence, and speedy thy return: " O forsake us not
utterly!"

BETH. PART II.

" 9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his
way? By taking heed thereto according to thy
word."

Youth enters upon the journey of life, headstrong
and inexperienced, with a bias of original corruption,
and all the passions awake. In such circumstances,
how shall a young man direct his steps, so as to
" escape the pollution that is in the world through
lust?" 2 Pet. i. 4. He must, for this purpose,
take wuth him the directions to be found in the
Scriptures of truth. " I have written unto you,
young men," says the beloved disciple, " because
ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you,
and ye have overcome the wicked one." He who
became man for our salvation, passed through this
state of youth, undefiled, that he might, as it were.

Ps. 119.] 145

reclaim and consecrate it anew to God. Let every
young man often meditate on this circumstance.

" 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments."

Despairing of sufficient assistance from any other
quarter, because no one else can either show us the
way to heaven, or enable us to walk therein, even if
it could be shown, " with our whole heart have we
sought thee," O God, thy direction, and thine aid;
and thou hast promised, that they who " seek shall
find:" like sheep without a shepherd are we given to
stray ; O preserve us from error in principle, and in
practice; " let us not wander from thy command-
ments."

" 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee."

The young man who would cleanse his way, and
take heed according to God's word, must " lay up
that word in his heart;" for from the heart are the
" issues of life," the thoughts, the words, and the
actions ; when God ruleth in the heart by his word
and Spirit, these become his subjects ; then " the
kingdom of heaven is within us," and all is obe-
dience, peace, and love". Thou art our King, O
Lord Jesus ; suffer no usurper to possess thy place
in our affections ; permit no other Lord to have do-
minion over us.

" 12. Blessed art thou, O Lord : teach me thy
statutes."

He who is " blessed" can make us so : he who
Vol. III. G

146

[Ps. 119.

delighteth to communicate " blessing," will do it,
if we ask him, by " teaching us his statutes," which
conform us to his nature, that we may live his life,
and bless his name for ever. When the word of
God is our lesson, the spirit of God must be our
Master.

"13. With my lips have I declared all the judg-
ments of thy mouth."

The best sign that God hath " taught us his
statutes," and the greatest inducement to him to
teach us still more and more, is a readiness to make
others partakers of those blessings, which we our-
selves have received from him. Jehovah fashions
the " lips" of man, and he expects that they should
be employed in his service. " Out of the abun-
dance of the heart the mouth speaketh," and the
stream will always show the nature of the fountain.
When we make the Scriptures the subject of our
conversation, we glorify God, we edify our neigh-
bours, and we improve ourselves.

" 14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimo-
nies, as much as in all riches."

Truth and holiness afford to the sincere believer
a pleasure more exquisite, as well as more solid and
enduring, than that which a miser feels at the acqui-
sition of his darling wealth. Let us no longer envy
the joys of worldly men, no longer be chagrined at
the prosperity of the wicked. The " true riches"
we may always acquire; and, surely, as much as the
heaven is higher than the earth so much are heavenly
joys above earthly, in kind, degree, and duration.

Ps. 119.1 1^7

"15. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have
respect unto thy ways."

Meditation is that exercise of the mind, whereby
it recalls a known truth, as some kinds of creatures
do their food, to be ruminated upon, until all the
nutritious parts are extracted, and fitted for the pur-
poses of life. By study we lay in knowledge, by
meditation we reduce that knowledge to practice.
And we have then duly " meditated on God's pre-
cepts," when in all our proceedings we " have re-
spect unto his ways," comparing our actions with
the rule of his word.

" 16. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will
not forget thy word."

By frequent meditation and continual practice,
the divine " statutes" will become our " delight;"
and from the pleasures, as well as from the cares of
the world, we shall gladly fly to them for recreation
and comfort. Of holy exercises there is great va-
riety, and spiritual joys are without number. Lord,
make us to " delight ourselves in thy statutes," and
when we delight in what we learn, we shall easily
retain it in memory ; " we shall not forget thy word."

GIMEL. PART III.

" 17. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I
may live, and keep thy word."

In the foregoing parts of the Psalm, we have
heard the believer declaring the excellency of God's
word, and expressing both his desire and his reso-
lution to observe its directions. He now beseecheth

G2

148 [Ps. 119.

God to remove all impediments, and to accomplish
this work in him. And as a man must " live," in
order to *' work," the first petition is, that God
would " deal with his servant" according to the
measures of grace and mercy, enabling him to " live"
the life of faith, and strengthening him by the Spirit
of might in the inner man, to " keep the word" of
truth, and to walk in the commandments of his
blessed Master all his days.

*' 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of thy law."

So far are we naturally from being able to " keep"
the word, that we are not able to understand it.
The law of God is full of divine and spiritual truths,
concealed under literal histories, visible signs, and
external ceremonies. To discern these, dik'jsD,
" wondrous," because the hidden mysterious
" things," our " eyes," the eyes of our understand-
ing, must be " unveiled;" that " veil" must be taken
off, which St. Paul affirmeth to be upon the hearts
of the Jews, "in reading the Old Testament," and
which will continue there, until they turn to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Then the veil will be taken
away, and they will behold him, and the redemption
by him, as prefigured in their law, and foretold by
their prophets.* Pride, prejudice, and interest, will
compose a veil, through which a Christian shall see

* " Revela oculos meos :" aperi, dispelle umbras, tolle vela-
mentum, quo spirituales oculi conteguntur. " Considerabo mira-
bilia:" ut penitus introspiciam, non literam tantum, ac velut cor-
ticem legis, sed arcana spiritualia, puta in sabbatis requiem sem-
piternam, simplicitatem in azymis, in victimis obedientiam, et
ubique Christum. Bossuet.

Ps. 119.] 149

as little of the New Testament, as a Jew cloth of
the Old. Lord, convince us of our blindness, and
restore us to our sight.

" 19. I am a stranger in the earth; hide not thy
commandments from me."

The above request for divine illumination is en-
forced by this argument, that the petitioner is a
" stranger," and a sojourner upon " the earth;" he
is travelling, through a foreign country, to his native
city, where are his kindred, his treasure, and liis
heart; as a sojourner, he hath renounced the world,
which is therefore become his enemy: as a stranc-er,
he is fearful of losing his way: on these accounts he
requesteth, that God would compensate the loss of
earthly comforts, by affording the light of heaven;
that he would not " hide his commandments," but
show and teach him those steps, by which he may
ascend towards heaven, rejoicing in hope of future
glory.

" 20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it
hath unto thy judgments at all times."

Another argument here urged, is that "longinc/'
desire which the soul hath, during her state of pil-
grimage below, unto the revelation of God's will.
Grieved and vexed at the prospect of sin, vanity,
and folly, and finding nothing below that will satisfy
the desires of an immortal spirit, she setteth her af-
fections on the better things above, which are pro-
posed in the Scriptures as the proper objects of our
wishes. Her appetite for the divine Word is keen,
as that of hunger or thirst, and " hope deferred

1^^ [Ps. 119.

maketh the heart sick." This disposition is not a
transient fit, but it is constant and uniform " at all
times."

"21. Thou hast rebuked the proud that are
cursed, which do err from thy commandments."

The consideration of the wretched condition of
impenitent sinners, is another reason why we entreat
God to set and to keep us in the way of his com-
mandments. " Pride" produceth " error," and
obstinacy in that error; obstinate transgressors reject
the call, the covenant, and the terms, of the Gospel;
to such the " curse" of the law is ratified and sealed,
and mercy consigns them over to justice, which sel-
dom fails to give them some " rebukes" even in this
world, for a foretaste to them, and a warning to
others.

" 22. Remove from me reproach and contempt ;
for I have kept thy testimonies."

" Reproach and contempt" are liberally bestowed
by the world upon men who, being not of it, reprove
its deeds by their exemplary conduct. These, to
beginners more especially, are sore lets and hin-
drances in the way of duty; and, after the example
of David, we may beseech God to " remove" them
from us, when we suffer them in his cause, and know
ourselves to be innocent of the crimes laid to our
charge. In the meantime, to comfort ourselves
under them, let us remember, that he, who alone, in
the strict and unlimited sense of the words, could
say, " I have kept thy testimonies," sustained the
utmost degree of " reproach and contempt" for our

Ps. 119.] 151

sakes, and was patient and resigned under it all, un-
til God " removed" it from him by a glorious re-
surrection. There remaineth likewise a resurrection
for the mystical body of Christ; and then, " Wis-
dom will be justified of all her children."

** 23. Princes also did sit and speak against me:
bid thy servant did meditate in thy statutes."

" Princes" and rulers have often " sat" in coun-
cil upon the " servants" of God, and " spoken," in
judgment, false things " against them," as they did
against their blessed Master in the days of his flesh.
David hath taught us how to act in such circum-
stances. We are not to renounce the creed, or the
commandments, should it so happen that " the rulers
and the Pharisees" neither believe the former, nor
observe the latter; but rather, we should " medi-
tate," more than ever, in the Scriptures; that we
may draw from thence comfort in the troubles, and
direction in the difficulties, which persecution bringeth
upon us; always bearing in mind, when princes com-
mand any thing contrary to the word of God, that
our service is due to a higher Master ; " thy servant
did meditate in thy statutes."

" 24. Thy testimonies also are my delight, and
my counsellors."

Pleasure and wisdom, as the world hath ordered
matters, are almost incompatible ; insomuch that So-
lomon, relating the experience he had had of volup-
tuousness, mentions it as a thing out of the ordinary
course, that " his wisdom" all the time " remained
with him:" Eccles. ii. 9. But they who meditate

152

[Ps. 119.

in the word of God, find a pleasure, which hath wis-
dom for its inseparable companion. Their sorrow
is dispelled, and their doubts are resolved. For how
can he be sorrowful, who sits by the fountain of joy?
How can he be long in doubt, who hath the pro-
phets and apostles for his counsellors ?

DALETH. PART IV.

" 25. My soul cleaveth to the dust: quicken
thou me according to thy word."

The Psalmist, in a state of affliction and humilia-
tion, still seeketh relief, by prayer, from the Scrip-
tures. His circumstances vary, but his affection to
the word of God continueth the same. Every one,
whose affections are set on things below, hath reason
to exclaim with David, " My soul cleaveth to the
dust." From this kind of death we are " quicken-
ed," or made alive, by the Gospel, through that
same Spirit which raised Christ from the dead, and
which shall raise us also at the last day. Then
soul and body, perfected together, shall take their
final farewell of earth, and ascend to heaven, where
the soul shall feel no passion but the love of God,
and the body shall have no employment but to ex-
press it,

" 26. I have declared my ways, and thou heardest
rae; teach me thy statutes."

We should freely and ingenuously " declare" to
God in prayer our sins, our temptations, our sor-
rows, and our undertakings; it argues love, confi-
dence, and sincerity, so to do; it is a means of ac-

Ps. 119] ^^^

quainting us with our own state, of wliich generally
we are ignorant; and it will not fail to procure us
those aids from above, of which we stand in need.
God will " hear" us; he will pardon our offences,
strengthen us in our trials, dispel our grief, and
prosper the work of our hands upon us. These
"mercies, when received, should incline us to walk
worthy of them, and, for that purpose, to beg the
farther instruction and direction of the divine Spirit;
*' I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me —
teach me thy statutes."

" 27. Make me to understand the way of thy
precepts; so shall I talk, w, meditate, of thy won-
drous works, or, thy mysteries."

The heart of the troubled Psalmist is intent upon
duty, and the deliverance which he chiefly requesteth
is that from ignorance and error. True knowledge
cometh from God, and it cannot be too often desired
of him. It is pleasant as the light, and extensive as
the heavens, and more profitable than the treasures
of eastern kings. He who is led to " understand"
the celestial *' mysteries" of the Scriptures, will
never want subjects for " meditation," and should
never permit those subjects either to slip out of his
mind, or to lie unimproved in it.

" 28. My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen
thou me according to thy word."

Let us not marvel if sin bring us to the knowledge
of sorrow, since he who " knew no sin," was yet,
on our account, so intimately " acquainted with
grief." In the garden, his soul " melted for heavi-

G 3

1^4* [Ps. 119.

ness,'* and there appeared an angel from heaven
" strengthening him:" Luke xxii. 43. Our trans-
gressions deserve an eternity of sorrow; let us not,
therefore, repine at any part of it that may fall to
our share in time. No, blessed Jesus ! let us suffer
with thee, as both a means and a pledge of our
future glorification with thee. Only " strengthen
us, according to" the promises in " thy word." In
this life, all we ask is faith and patience; faith, to
assure us that thou orderest all things for the best;
and patience, to preserve that faith. These were the
provisions with which thy best-beloved servants of
old travelled through this mortal life. Enable us,
upon whom the ends of the world are come, to do
the same ; that so, when the days of our earthly pil-
grimage shall be happily accomplished, we may sit
down, with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in thy
heavenly kingdom.

" 29. Remove from me the way of lying: and
grant me thy law graciously. 30. I have chosen
the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before
mer

It is plain that *' the way of truth," in the latter
of these two verses, is opposed to " the way of ly-
ing," or of falsehood, in the former. The one com-
prehends every thing in doctrine, and practice that
is right, and therefore " true;" the other denotes
every thing which is wrong, and therefore " false."
Of these two ways man hath his choice. God
points out to him the former by his word, and offers
to conduct him in it by his Spirit. Satan shows
him the latter, and endeavours to seduce him into

Ps. 119.1

155

it by his temptations. The Psalmist dcclarcth him-
self to have " chosen" God's way, and to have " laid"
the Scriptures "before him," as the chart by which
he was to direct his course. He therefore prays
that the other way may be far " removed" from
him; and that God would vouchsafe him such a
thorough acquaintance with the " way" of truth, as
might prevent him from ever wandering into the
path of error. How much depends upon the road
we choose ! How difficult is it, in a divided and
distracted world, to choose aright ! Yet this choice,
so important, so difficult, frequently remains to be
made by us, when we have neither judgment to
choose, nor strength to travel!

"31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O
Lord, put me not to shame."

Having once chosen our road, it remains that we
persevere in it; since better had it been for us, never
to have known the way of truth, than to forsake it,
when known ; and we have the same reasons to go
on, which induced us to begin; nay, though the
love of the world may require novelty and variety to
support it, yet, in the blessed union of the soul with
its Redeemer, true affection will increase with time
and acquaintance. The Psalmist doth not only say,
" I have followed," but " I have stuck unto, thy
testimonies;" I have adhered so closely and firmly
to them, that temptation has in vain essayed to al-
lure, and persecution as vainly attempted to force
me from them. And therefore he beseecheth God
so to continue his grace and favour, that he may
never, by falling from his steadfastness, disgrace his

156

[Ps. 119.

Master, his cause, his brethren, himself, nor be put
to shame at the last day. " O Lord, put me not
to shame!"

" 32. I will run the way of thy commandments,
when thou shalt enlarge my heart."

The true Christian is always proceeding in the
way of godliness, though not always with equal pace.
In grief, whether for temporal or spiritual losses, the
heart is contracted, and the spirits are all summoned
home to comfort and support it, so that the faculties
are left feeble and sluggish; and then the progress
can be but slow. This was the Psalmist's case.
But even then he promises, that, w^hen God, by
sending him joy and gladness, should " enlarge his
heart," dilate his spirits, and put life and strength
into his actions, he would quicken his pace in pro-
portion, and, with renewed vigour and alacrity,
" run the way" of the divine " commandments,"
until it should have brought him to rest and felicity
in the bosom of God.

Tvdenty'jifih Day, — Morning Prayer,

HE.— PART V.

" 33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy sta-
tutes; and I shall keep it unto the end."

Instruction from above is necessary for the chil-
dren of God, while they continue in this world. The
more we know, the more we shall desire to know; we
shall beg a daily supply of grace, as well as of bread;
and a taste of the cluster of Eshcol will make us long
after the vintage of Canaan : Numb. xiii. 23. Re-

Ps. 119.1 1«^7

ligion is the art of holy living, and then only known
when it is practised; as he is not a master of music
who can read the notes which compose it, hut he who
has learned how to take a lesson readily from the
book, and play it on his instrument; after which, the
pleasure it affords will be a sufficient motive for con-
tinuing so to do. " Teach me, O Lord, the way
of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end."

" 34. Give me understanding, and I shall keep
thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart."

Much " understanding" is needful in order to the
** observation of the law," that we way know what
is commanded, and what is forbidden, and how far ;
that we may avoid the snares laid for us in the way
of duty; that we may respect things according to
their due rank and worth ; that we may do good works
in their proper time, place, and manner; above all,
that the affections may be directed by the judgment,
and not the judgment by the affections. The law
cannot be observed, unless it be understood ; and it
is understood in vain, unless it be observed ; or ra-
ther, if it be indeed understood, if there be upon the
mind, at all times, a full conviction of divine truths,
and their excellency, not only in themselves, but
compared with the offers of the world, the flesh, and
the devil, then it will certainly operate in hearty obe-
dience. '* Give me understanding, and I shall keep
thy law ; yea, I shall observe it with my whole
heart."

'* 35. Make me to go, or, conduct me, in the
path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight."

1*58 [Ps. ]19.

He who teachetli us the way to heaven, must also
" conduct" us in it, and the same grace must give
light and strength. The Scripture is our rule, the
Spirit is our guide; and, from beginning to end, it
is God who inclines, prepares, and enables us '* to
go in the" clean and pleasant " path of his com-
mandments;" a path which leads us far from the noise
and pollution of the world, through a paradise of
promises and comforts, grateful as the fragrance of
early spring, or the incense ascending from the holy
altar. Happy the soul that can say to God,
"therein do I delight:" which is, at the same time,
a reason for her to ask, and for him to grant, a con-
tinuance and perseverance therein.

'' 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and
not to covetousness."

The wit of man may conceive, and his tongue
may utter, great things of God and holiness, while
his heart is averse from both; therefore David saith,
not only "give me understanding," but " incline my
heart." Our true characters are formed by the de-
sires of our hearts, which, not finding satisfaction in
themselves, must seek it in something without them.
The world offers itself first ; and custom, as well as
nature, inclineth us to the love of that, and of money,
which commandeth all things in it. Such love is
contrary to the love of God, being one of the thorns
which choke the seed, and render it unfruitful.
Therefore the Psalmist requesteth, that his heart
may be " inclined to the divine testimonies, and not
to covetousness." And as God only can change
the disposition of the heart, to God he preferreth his

ps. 119.] 159

petition. It is to be observed, that by the words
" Incline not my heart to covetousness," is meant,
" suffer not my heart to be incUned," or, " give it
not over, to covetousness."

" 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding van-
ity: a?id quicken thou me in thy way."

" Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity;"
and what is there else on earth to behold? What
is there which, when possessed, doth not disappoint
the expectation conceived of it, the possessors them-
selves being judges? Solomon took an inventory of
the world, and all the best things in it; he cast up
the account, and the sum total was vanity. The
" eye" is the grand inlet of temptation, and by " be-
holding," we come to desire and long after the ob-
jects of sense ; from which time our affection toward
the objects of faith waxeth cold. *' Turn away
our eyes" therefore, O Lord, " from beholding van-
ity, and quicken us in thy way;" mortify the flesh,
and the spirit shall live.

"38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who zs
devoted to thy fear."

The " word" here intended is the word of pro-
mise, which the believer entreateth God to " stab-
lish," confirm, or accomplish, to him by his sanctifi-
cation, that so he may walk in the way of truth and
life. He pleadeth his title to the promise, as a
" servant" of God, and one who " feared" to offend
him.

" 39. Turn away my reproach which I fear: for
thy judgments are good."

160

[Ps. 119.

The "reproach" which we have all most reason
to dread, and to pray that God would keep far from
us here and hereafter, is that of having forsaken and
apostatized from those statutes and "judgments"
revealed in the Scriptures, which we own to be so
" good," so pleasant, and so profitable.

" 40. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:
quicken me in thy righteousness."

The Psalmist appealeth to God, the searcher of
hearts, for the truth of the protestation he was about
to make, that the desire of his soul was toward the
divine Word; not only toward the promises, to be-
lieve and embrace them, but also toward the " pre-
cepts," to observe and to do them. He therefore
•prayeth, with confidence, that God would finish the
work he had begun, and enable him to carry his
wishes into execution, by continually " quickening"
and enlivening him more and more through grace to
finish his course in " righteousness," and to obtain
that crown which is to be the reward of it.

VAU. PART VI.

"41. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O
Lord ; even thy salvation, according to thy word."

Persecution and affliction, of which they never
fail, in some way or other, to have their share, who
live godly in Christ Jesus, should teach us, like Da-
vid, to fly for refuge to that " mercy," from whence
proceedeth all *' salvation," temporal and eternal;
and to pray, without ceasing, for the accomplishment
of that " Word," which promiseth to the people of
God deliverance out of all their troubles.

Ps. 119.] 1^1

" 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him
that reproacheth me : for I trust in thy word."

A hehever, trusting in the promises of God, when
the whole world hatli forsaken him, and no sign or
probability appears of their being fulfilled, is always
among the wicked an object of scorn and " reproach."
Such was David, when Shimei cursed him. Such
was our blessed Master, when men said, " He
trusted in God that he would deliver him, let him
deliver him now if he will have him." And his
disciples are not to expect better usage. ** There-
fore," saith one of them, " we both labour and suffer
reproach, because we trust in the living God:" 1
Tim. iv. 10. To silence these reproaches, we be-
seech God to manifest his mercy in our salvation.
The resurrection of Jesus was an " answer" to his
blasphemers; and the mouth of all wickedness will
be stopped at the last day.

" 43. And take not the word of truth utterly out
of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments."

In the mean time, while affliction presseth hard
upon us, while our deliverance is deferred, and the
enemy is suffered to reproach and blaspheme, our
prayer must be that God would give us courage,
and utterance, still to confess him before men, and
boldly to speak his *' word of truth," for the edifica-
tion of some, and the confutation of others; as know-
ing, that our faith is not vain, nor shall we be dis-
appointed of our *' hope," since both are built upon
the "judgments," or revealed decrees, of him who
can neither err nor deceive.

162 [Ps. 119.

" 44. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever
and ever."

By means of strength and power from above, we
shall be enabled to serve God, in adversity, as well
as in prosperity: and amidst all difficulties and dan-
gers, into which the path of duty may lead us, Cha-
rity will persevere in it, till, arriving at the gate of
heaven, and there taking leave of her companions
and fellow-travellers, Faith and Hope, she shall enter
those blissful regions, to perform to eternity that
perfect will of God, which the infirmities of fallen
nature prevented her from having so fully performed
here below.

** 45. And I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy
precepts."

No external pressure can take away that spiritual
** liberty" which the faithful Christian experienceth,
when he hath made an open confession of the truth,
and determined at all events to do his duty. Then
he is no longer straitened by fear, but set at large by
love. ** The truth maketh him free, and he walketh
in the liberty of the children of God;" a liberty
which they only obtain *' who seek his precepts,"
and, by the performance of them, are rescued from
the bondage both of tyrannical desires and slavish
fears.

" 46. I will speak of thy testimonies also before
kings, and will not be ashamed."

A prophet may be called " before kings," either
in the course of his office, to instruct them, or else.

Ps. 119.1

163

in a judiciary way, to give an account of Iiis faith*
In either case, if he " walketh at liberty," he will
*' speak of God's testimonies," with due reverence to
the person and authority of his prince, but as one
who is neither afraid nor *' ashamed" to declare the
whole counsel of heaven to any being upon earth.

*'47. And I will delight myself in thy command-
ments, which I have loved. 48. My hands also will
I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have
loved: and I will meditate in thy statutes."

He who would preach boldly to others, must him-
self " delight" in the practice of what he preacheth.
If there be in us a new nature, it will " love the
commandments of God," as being congenial to it :
on that which we love, we shall continually be ** me-
ditating ;" and our meditation will end in action ; we
shall " lift up the hands which hang down." Heb.
xii. 12. that they may '' work the works of God,
while it is day; because the night cometh, when no
man can work." John ix. 4.

ZAIN. PART VII.

" 49. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon
which thou hast caused me to hope."

God promiseth salvation before he giveth it, to
excite our desire of it, to exercise our faith, to prove
our sincerity, to perfect our patience. For these
purposes, he seemeth to have sometimes forgotten
his word, and to have deserted those whom he had
engaged to succour and relieve; in which case, he
would have us, as it were, to remind him of his pro-

164

LPs. 119-

mise, and solicit his performance of it. The Psalm-
ist here instructeth us to prefer our petition upon
these grounds; first, that God cannot prove false to
his own word; " Remember the word unto thy ser-
vant:" secondly, that he will never disappoint an ex-
pectation which himself hath raised; '* upon which
thou hast caused me to hope."

** 50. This is my comfort in my affliction : for thy
word hath quickened me."

While performance is delayed, we *' rejoice in
hope;" Rom. xii. 12. and the promise is our " com-
fort in affliction;" a comfort, divine, strong, last-
ing; a comfort, that will not, like all others, fail us,
when we most want it, in the day of sickness, and at
the hour of death; but it will always keep pace with
our necessities, increasing in proportion as the plea-
sures of the world and the flesh decrease in us, and
then becoming complete, when they are no more.
So powerful is the word of God to revive us, when
dead, either in sins, or in sorrow; " thy word hath
quickened me."

"51. The proud hath had me greatly in deri-
sion: j/^"^ have I not declined from thy law."

A true servant of God believeth the promises, and
practiseth the precepts, of his blessed Master. The
haughty infidel will scoff at him for one part of his
conduct; the insolent worldling will ridicule him for
the other. But neither will induce him to disbe-
lieve, or to disobey. Let us be certain that we have
the divine " law" for our warrant in what we believe,
and in what we do; and then, let not the " derision
of the proud" prevail upon us to " decline from it."

Ps. 119.]

165

'' 52. I remembered thy JLul<Tments of old, O
Lord; and have comforted myself.''

The great remedy against that temptation which
ariseth from the reproaches of our scornful and in-
sulting adversaries, is here prescribed, namely, a
" remembrance of God's judgments of old," whether
we understand the "judgments" of his mouth, or
those of his hand; his righteous decrees for the pun-
ishment of bad, and reward of good men, or the many
and wonderful instances of his executing those de-
crees, from the beginning of the world, recorded in
the sacred history. These are sources of real and
endless " comforts" upon such occasions; because
nothing can happen to us, which hath not happened
to God's people "of old;" no case, of which there
is not a precedent in Scripture, where we may
read the process of similar trials, their issue, and
the final sentence of the judge, which is still the
same, and whose rule of procedure and determination
is invariable.

" 53. Horror hath taken hold upon me, because
of the wicked that forsake thy law."

The consequence of a due meditation on God's
judgments, will be a compassion for the " wicked,"
on whom those judgments, in the end, fall; so that
instead of feeling for ourselves, on account of the
injuries they do us, we shall feel for them, who are
thereby drawing down vengeance and destruction on
their own heads. " Daughters of Jerusalem," said
the blessed Jesus, when led to be crucified, " weep
not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your
children." Luke xxiii. 28.

166

[Ps. 119.

" 54. Thy statutes have been my songs in the
house of my pilgrimage.'*

The soul, which descended from above, and longs
to return thither again, is a stranger and sojour-
ner upon earth. The body is " the house of her
pilgrimage," in which she is confined during her
state of exile. And, how harsh soever the usage
may be which she receiveth from the world, she ever
findeth joy and comfort, as once did the fugitive and
wandering son of Jesse, in making God's '* statutes"
the subjects of her psalms, and hymns, and spiritual
" songs," until death shall restore her to liberty.
Then, ascending to heaven from whence she came,
and, like the early lark, singing as she ascend?, she
will seek her native abode, there to celebrate her re-
demption from the earth, and to chant forth the
praises of Him who hath redeemed her, in a new
song, before the throne.

" 55. I have remembered thy name, O Lord,
in the night, and have kept thy law."

By the " name" of God, his nature, so much at
least of it as we are concerned to know, and are ca-
pable of receiving, is revealed to us. Such a love
had the Psalmist for it on that account, that, as in
the day God's statutes were his songs, in the night
God's name was the subject of his meditation. With
his tongue he praised him in the day, with his heart
he desired him in the night-watches. At night, the
dissipation, noise, and hurry of business, cease: ex-
ternal silence produceth internal calmness and com-
posure, inviting us to celestial contemplation; the

Ps. 119.] 167

world is dead to us, and we are dead to the world;
the soul is then most alive, and sccmeth to experi-
ence a foretaste of that time, when the hody and its
concerns shall no more molest and impede her. The
good eflPect of hours thus secretly passed in holy ex-
ercises, will appear openly in our lives and conversa-
tions : " I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in
the night, and," as the fruit of it, ** have kept thy law."

" 56. This I had, because I kept thy command-
ments."

As one sin is often the consequence and the punish-
ment of another, so one act of obedience is the issue
and the reward of another; and, to him who hath
well used the grace already received, shall more be
given. ** This I had," this ability to perform my
duty, and to delight in the performance of it day and
night, was vouchsafed unto me " because I kept thy
comm,andments," because I was not heretofore diso-
bedient, but employed the strength with which thou,
O Lord, hast endued me, not in doing mine own
will, but thine.

CHETH. PART VIII.

" 57. 27^02^ art my portion, O Lord : I have
said that I would keep thy words."

Happy the man, who can sincerely say, '' Thou
art my portion, O Lord;" I have considered, and
made my choice; from henceforth, I renounce all
things for the love of thee ; thou art sufficient for
me; thee only I desire to enjoy, and, therefore, thee
only I desire to please ; " I have said, that I would
keep thy words."

168

[Ps. im.

" 58. I entreated thy favour with mi/ whole heart:
be merciful unto me, according to thy word."

He who hath chosen God for " his portion,"
will earnestly seek his " favour," and the light of
his countenance ; he who hath promised and vowed
to " keep the words" of God, hath need to seek
that favour and that light, that he may have grace
and power to fulfil his engagements. Mercy is the
sole fountain of every good gift for which we ask,
and God's promise the only ground upon which we
ask it; *' be merciful unto me, according to thy
word."

*' 59. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet
unto thy testimonies."

The Psalmist did not content himself with barely
praying for strength and grace, but his faith, rely-
ing on the word of promise, put itself in motion.
He considered his " ways," his course of thinking,
speaking, and acting; how far he had proceeded
in it, and whither it led him ; and this consideration
produced a conversion of the whole man, of the
heart and its affections, from the creature to the
Creator, as he hath revealed himself in the Scrip-
tures of truth ; "I turned my feet unto thy testi-
monies."

" 60. I made haste, and delayed not to keep
thy commandments."

A true penitent suffereth no time to be lost be-
tween his good resolutions and the performance of
them. " Draw me," saith the church, " and we

Ps. 119.]

169

will run after thee: Cant. i. 4. Andrew, Peter,
and others, stayed not for a second call from Christ,
but followed him immediately upon the first. By
deferring our return to duty, we lose many com-
fortable fruits, which it would have produced both
in ourselves and others, while the difficulties of ev-
er returning, and the danger of never returning,
are daily and hourly increasing.

** 61. The bands, or, troops, of the imgodly
have robbed me ; hut I have not forgotten thy law."

To be robbed, or plundered of his possessions in
this world, was by no means a case peculiar to Da-
vid. The primitive Christians were continually so
treated ; and our Lord gives all his disciples warn-
ing to stand prepared for such events, ready in dis-
position, in heart and mind, to quit all, as they who
first followed him literally did. The apostle tells
us of some, who not only bore patiently, but even
" took joyfully, the spoiling of their goods :" the
reason he assigns for so extraordinary a behaviour,
deserves to be noted and remembered ; " knowing
that they had in heaven a better and an enduring
substance :" Heb. x. 34. They who part with
earth to gain heaven, and exchange the world for
its Maker, certainly lose nothing by the bargain.
Nay, there will come an hour, when, for the fore-
taste of glory which a good conscience afFordeth to
its happy possessor, the dearest lover of mammon
would joyfully give up all the gold of Peru, and all
the diamonds of Indostan.

" 62. At midnight I will rise to give thanks un-
to thee, because of thy righteous judgments."
Vol. hi. H

170 [Ps. 119.

So far were temporal losses from causing the
Psalmist to forsake God, that he sought him the
more earnestly and fervently on that account, rising
" at midnight to give thanks" for all his " righteous
judgments" and dispensations towards his servants.
Thus Paul and Silas, not only impoverished, but im-
prisoned, for the testimony of Jesus, yet in that
situation, with their feet fast in the stocks, sang
" praises at midnight," thereby turning their night
into day, and their prison into a paradise ; when, lo,
their hallelujahs ascended to heaven, and God arose
to judgment; the earth trembled, the doors were
opened, the chains fell off, the gaoler and his family
were converted, and the apostles set at liberty. And
although there be no obligation upon men to *' rise
at midnight," in order to "to give thanks;" yet,
if they who awake at that, or any other time,
would accustom their hearts, at least, to so divine
an exercise, they w^ould find it always productive of
the most comfortable effects.

" 63. I am a companion of all them that fear
thee, and of them that keep thy precepts."

As no sufferings should make us neglect our in-
tercourse with God, so neither should they tempt
us to forsake the communion of saints, or fellowship
of them who " fear God, and work righteousness."
These are knit together in love, as members of the
same mystical body, insomuch that " if one member
suffer, or be honoured, all the members should suf-
fer or be honoured with it;" these we should own
at all times, in prosperity and in adversity; with these
should our acquaintance and conversation be, for

Ps, 119.1 171

the mutual improvement and consolation of them
and of ourselves. Of such was David a " com-
panion," and such the Redeemer himself " is not
ashamed to call brethren." Heb. ii. 11.

" 64. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mer-
cy : teach me thy statutes.**

Heaven and earth, and all that are therein, de-
clare, from day to day, the " mercy" of their Crea-
tor and Preserver, which is " over all his works."
And his goodness, thus displayed through the out-
ward and visible world, forbids us to doubt of his
loving kindness towards those immortal spirits,
which, in tenements of mortal clay, make, for a while,
their abode here below; during which short period,
they beseech him earnestly to grant them such a
portion of that saving knowledge, which is his gift,
as may secure to them, when they shall depart hence,
a place in a happier country, and a more enduring
city. " Teach me thy statutes."

TETH. PART IX.

" 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O
Lord, according to thy word."

As the sense of our wants should prepare the
mind for prayer, so gratitude for blessings received,
should tune the heart to praise. In preferring our
petitions, self-love may sometimes have a share; but
thankfulness is the offspring of an ingenuous spirit,
and the love of God. Let a man carefully recount
the divine mercies shown to him from his birth, con-
sidering withal how unworthy he hath been of the

H2

172 [Ps. 119.

least of those mercies, as also how far preferable his
state is to that of many others ; and he will find rea-
son " in all things to give thanks," to acknowledge,
with David, the goodness and truth of Jehovah, and
to say, " Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O
Lord, according to thy word."

" 66. Teach me good judgment and knowledge :
for I believe in thy commandments."

From thanksgiving, the Psalmist returneth again
to prayer, as, while we continue in this world, we
must all do. The gift, for which he now prayeth,
is that of " a good judgment with knowledge;" as
the former must enable us to make a proper use of
the latter. The word OX'tD, which is here tran-
slated " judgment," signifies bodily " taste," and
that faculty in the mind which answers to it, the
faculty of discerning, distinguishing, and judging
rightly of things moral and spiritual, as the palate
doth of meats, their different flavours and qualities.
Without this taste, or discretion, we mistake false-
hood for truth in our studies, and wrong for right
in our practice; superstition and enthusiasm may pass
with us for religion, or else licentiousness may intrude
itself upon us, under the name and notion of liber-
ty : in a word, our learning and knowledge prove
useless, if not prejudicial, to us. A sound mind
therefore should, above all things, be desired of God
in our prayers; and those prayers will be heard,
when we can sincerely profess a readiness to be di-
rected by God's laws, through faith in their Author,
his promises and threatenings; on which ground
David urged his request ; " for I have believed thy
commandments."

Ps. 119.] 173

" 67. Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but
now have I kept thy word/'

We collect from this verse, that prosperity is too
often the parent of sin ; that adversity is, first, its
punishment, then, its remedy; and that every con-
siderate man, who hath been afflicted, will thankfully
acknowledfife as much. " When afflictions fail to
have their due effect, the case is desperate. They
are the last remedy which indulgent Providence
uses ; and if they fail, we must languish and die ia
misery and contempt. Vain men ! how seldom do
we know what to wish or to pray for ! When we
pray against misfortunes, and when we fear them
most, we want them most. The shortest and the
best prayer which we can address to Him who knows
our wants, and our ignorance in asking, is this —
Thy will be done." Lord Bolingbroke's Reflections
on Exile, p. 276,

" 68. Thou art good, and doest good: teach me
thy statutes."

In other words, as Bishop Patrick hath well con-
nected and paraphrased it, " Thou art in thine own
nature kind and good; and nothing else can pro-
ceed from thee, who designest our good, even when
thou afflictest us; take what methods thou pleasest
with me, only teach me effectually to do as thou
wouldst have me."

" 69. The proud have forged a lie against me:
but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart."

Every disciple of Christ, who, like his Master,

174 [Ps. 119.

goeth contrary to the ways of the world, and con-
demneth them, must expect to be, like that Master,
slandered and calumniated by the world. To such
slanders and calumnies, a good life is the best answer.
When a friend once told Plato, what scandalous
stories his enemies had propagated concerning him,
" I will live so," replied that great philosopher,
" that nobody shall believe them."

" 70. Their heart is as fat as grease; hut I de-
light in thy law."

" The fatness of the heart" implieth, in this place,
two things in those of whom it is affirmed; luxury,
and its consequence, insensibility to those spiritual
and divine truths, which are not only the study, but
the " delight," of temperate and holy persons, who
"gladly fly from large companies, full tables, costly
meats, and rich wines, to enjoy in private the more
exalted pleasures of abstinence, meditation, and
prayer.

"71. It is good for me that I have been af-
flicted : that I might learn thy statutes."

God's statutes are best learned in the school of
affliction, because by affliction the great impediments
to our learning them are removed; pride is subdued,
and concupiscence is extinguished. " He that hath
suffered in the flesh," saith an apostle, " hath ceased
from sin;" 1 Pet. iv. 1. and in an immunity from
sin consisteth one of the greatest felicities of heaven,
which thus descends into the afflicted soul, so as to
render even the state of sickness itself, in some sort
desirable. Strange as this proposition may appear,

Ps. 119.] ^7^

the reader will find its truth demonstrated, by the
inimitable Bishop Jeremy Taylor, in that truly
golden tract, " The Rule and Exercises of Holy
Dying," chap. iii. sect 6. on " The advantages of
Sickness."

" 72. The law of thy mouth is better unto me
than thousands of gold and silver."

Affliction taketh from us the inclination to offend,
and it giveth us, in return, a knowledge of that law
which " is better," and which, when we are tho-
roughly acquainted with it, we shall esteem to be
better, " than thousands of gold and silver:" better
in its nature, for it is from heaven, they are from the
earth; better in its use, for it bringeth salvation to
our souls, whereas they can only procure sustenance
for the body; better in point of duration, for the bene-
fits of the one are certain and eternal, the advantages
of the others temporal and uncertain. Blessed are
they who seek in the Scriptures the true riches; who
traffic for the spiritual gains of celestial wisdom; for
surely " the merchandise of it is better than the
merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine
gold." Prov. iii. 14.

Twenty-^th Day, — Evening Prayer.

JOD. PART X.

'* 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned
me; give me understanding, that I may learn thy
commandments."

The formation of man was the last and noblest
work of God, and it is a standing miracle of divine

176

[Ps. 119.

wisdom and power. The consideration, that God
made us, is here urged as an argument why he should
not forsake and reject us, since every artist hath a
value for his own work, proportioned to its excel-
lence. It is, at the same time, an acknowledgment
of the service we owe him, founded on the relation
which a creature beareth to his Creator. And the
petition implieth in it a confession of our present in-
ability to know his will without his revelation, and
to do it without his grace.

" 74. They that fear thee will be glad when they
see me; because I have hoped in thy word.'*

They who " fear God" are naturally " glad when
they see" and converse with one like themselves;
but more especially so, when it is one whose faith
and patience have carried him through troubles, and
rendered him victorious over temptations ; one who
hath " hoped in God's word," and hath not been
disappointed. Every such instance affordeth fresh
encouragement to all those who, in the course of
their warfare, are to undergo like troubles, and to
encounter like temptations. In all our trials, let us
therefore remember, that our brethren, as well ag
ourselves, are deeply interested in the event, which
may either strengthen or weaken the hands of mul-
titudes.

" 75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are
right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted
me."

This humble, pious, and dutiful confession, will
be made by every true child of God, when under the
correction of his heavenly Father. From whatever

Ps. 119.] 177

quarter afflictions come upon us, they are " the judg-
ments of God," without whose providence nothing
befalleth us. His judgments are always "right, or
just," duly proportioned to the disease and strength
of the patient; in sending them, God is " faithful"
and true to his word, whereui he hath never pro-
mised the crown without the cross, but hath, on the
contrary, assured us, that one will be necessary, in
order to our obtaining the other; and that they who
are beloved by him shall not sin with impunity, nor
go astray, without a call to return. All this we
ought to " know," or to be assured of beyond doubt,
as we may be from the many declarations in Scrip-
ture, from our own experience, and from that of
others.

" 76. Let, I pray thee, thy mercy and kindness
be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy
servant."

In the former verse the criminal, finding that the
hand of God was upon him, had owned the justice
and the faithfulness of his judge in the punishment
inflicted. Judgment having thus had her perfect
work, the offender, now humbled and penitent, mak-
eth application to the throne of grace, and sueth for
that mercy, which God, by his *' word," hath pro-
mised to his servants, who are chastened, not for their
destruction but for their salvation. When God's
" judgments" have brought us to an acknowledg-
ment of our sins, his " merciful kindness" wUI
speedily be our " comfort."

" 77. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that
I may live : for thy law is my delight."

H3

17^ [Ps. 119.

The mercies of God are " tender mercies," they
are the mercies of a father to his children, nay, ten-
der as the compassion of a mother over the son of
her womb. They " come unto" us when we are
not able to go to them. By them alone we " live"
the life of faith, of love, of joy, and gladness. And
to such as " delight" in his law, God will grant these
mercies, and this life; he will give them pardon, and
by so doing, he will give them life from the dead.

" 78. Let the proud be ashamed, for they dealt
perversely with me without a cause; but I will me-
ditate in thy precepts."

This complaint of the Psalmist hath been made
by the faithful in all ages, that the men of the world
" dealt perversely with them without a cause," or
oppressed them falsely, first spreading slanders and
calumnies concerning them, and then persecuting
them for those supposed crimes. Such usage should
have no other effect upon us, than it had upon Da-
vid. He prayed that " shame" and disappointment
might teach humility to the " proud," and applied
himself still more and more to meditate in the " pre-
cepts" of his God.

" 79. Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and
those that have known thy testimonies."

David beseecheth God, if any good men had been
alienated from him, either through fear, prejudice,
or offence, that they might return to him, join, and
acknowledge him. To thee, O thou son of David,
and King of the spiritual Israel, let those among thy
people, who, through any temptation, have fallen
from their allegiance, return and be subject.

Ps. 119.] 179

" 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes ;
that I be not ashamed."

This is a prayer necessary for all men to use at all
times, but more particularly in seasons of persecu-
tion and temptation. By " soundness of heart" is
meant solidity and steadfastness in grace and virtue,
as opposed to the mere form of godliness or fair show
of the hypocrite, which conceal the rottenness and
corruption lurking within ; and also to the sudden
and vanishing goodness of the temporary convert,
which quickly disappears like the morning dew, and
withers like the seed sown on a rock. When inter-
nal holiness accompanies and actuates that which is
external, when the word is thoroughly rooted, and
faith hath acquired the sovereignty over our desires,
then our " hearts" are " sound in God's statutes,"
and there is hope that, in the day of trial, we shall
not give our brethren cause to be ashamed of us,
nor be ourselves " ashamed" before God.

CAPH. PART XI.

" 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: hut I
hope in thy word, oi\ I have expected thy word."

Thus have the true servants of God, in every age,
expressed their ardent desire of his salvation. Thus
did the patriarchs, the prophets, the kings, and the
faithful people, formerly wish to behold the advent of
their Saviour in the flesh; until Simeon, taking him
in his arms, spoke what they would all have spoken
had they been present, " Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, according to thy word ; for
mine eyes have seen thy salvation. But the Bride-

180 [Ps. 119.

groom was soon taken away, and the heavens have
received him, until the restitution of all things; for
which the church upon earth at this day waiteth and
prayeth; that she may be delivered from all her
troubles, and inseparably united to him in whom she
delighteth. Every individual, when oppressed by sin
and sorrow, may make his supplication in the same
words, for that salvation which is by grace, through
faith.

" 82. Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying. When
wilt thou comfort me ?"

While the promised salvation is delayed, the af-
flicted soul thinketh every day a year, and looketh
toward heaven for the accomplishment of God's
word, saying to " her Friend and her Beloved,
When wilt thou comfort me? Come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly!"*

" 83. For I am become like a bottle in the
smoke: yet do I not forget thy statutes."

" Bottles," among the Jews, were made of skins.
One of these, if exposed to heat and " smoke"

* " Defecerunt oculi mei." Ambrosius : " Nonne quando
aliquem desideramus^et speramus adfore, eo dirigimus oculos unde
speramus esse venturum ? Sic tenerse uxor setatis, de specula
litorali indefessa expectatione coiijugis praestolatur adventum :
ut quamcunque navim viderit, illic putat conjugem navigare, me-
tuatque ne videndi gratia dilecti, alius antevertat, nee ipsa possit
prima dicere, Video te, mi marite." Vide reliqua apud Ambro-
sium, ejusdem plane spiritus, nee tamen potui temperare, quin
hsec excriberem. Sic affectus est quisquis cum Paulo dissolvi
cupit, et esse cum Christo. Sic denique qui semel gustato bono
Dei verbo, ut idem Paulus ait, sibi postea relictus, deficit tsedio
sui, ac reddi sibi postulat prsegustatem suavissimi amoris dulce-
dinem. Bossuet.

Ps. 119.]

181

would become shrivelled and useless. Such a change
will labour and sorrow cause in the human frame;
and the Psalmist here complaineth, that his beauty
and his strength were gone ; the natural moisture
was dried up; in cohsequence of which, the skin
shrivelled, and both colour and vigour and departed
from him. Disease and old age will produce the
same sad effects in us all; but the body's weakness
is the soul's strength; as the outward man decayeth,
the inward man is renewed: " I do not forget thy

statutes.'*

" 84. How many are the days of thy servant?
When wilt thou execute judgment on them that per-
secute me?"

The well-beloved John heard a question, of the
same import with this, asked by the spirits of the
martyrs, that had left their bodies, and were waiting
in the separate state, for the day of retribution. The
answer, which was made to them, may likewise satisfy
our impatience, when suffering affliction and persecu-
tion: " I saw under the altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testi-
mony which they held. And they cried with a loud
voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth? And white robes were
given unto every one of them, and it was said unto
them, that they should rest yet for a little season,
until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren,
that should be killed as they were, should be ful-
filled." Rev. vi. 9, &c.

" 85. The proud have digged pits for me, which
are not after thy law."

182 [Ps. 119.

The manner of taking wild beasts was by " dig-
ging pits," and covering them over with turf, upon
which, when the beast trod, he fell into the pit, and
was there confined and taken. But there was a
*' law," that if a pit were left open, and a tame beast,
an ox, or an ass, fell into it, the owners of the pit
should make good the damage : Exod. xxi. 33.
Much more shall men be called to a severe account,
who purposely lay snares and stumbling blocks be-
fore the feet of their innocent brethren, to cause
them to fall and perish.

" 86. All thy commandments are faithful; they
persecute me wrongfully; help thou me."

Man is perfidious and deceitful, God is " faith-
ful" and true; he hath promised to "help" those
who sufier " wrongfully," and he will, in the end,
show himself to be the avenger of all such. Let
them wait with patience, since the King of Righte-
ousness himself, suffered as a malefactor, before he
entered into his glory.

*' 87. They had almost consumed me upon earth:
but I forsook not thy precepts."

However low the church, or any member thereof,
may, by persecution and tribulation, be brought upon
earth, yet nothing can separate them from the love
of God, while they " forsake not his precepts," nor
disbelieve his promises. The soul, we know, must
forsake the body; but God will forsake neither.

" 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so
shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth."

Ps. 119.]

183

Through the " loving kindness" of God our Sa-
viour, the Spirit of hfe is given unto us, hy whose
'* quickening" influences we are revived, when sunk
in sins, or in sorrows, and are enabled with joy and
gladness, to persevere in " keeping the testimony
of his mouth."

LAMED. PART XII.

" 89. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in
heaven : or, Thou art for ever, O Lord, thy word
is settled in heaven. 90. Thy faithfulness is unto
all generations : thou hast established the earth, and
it abideth. 9L They continue this day according
to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants."

The eternity of Jehovah, and the immutability of
his counsels, are considerations which afford comfort
and encouragement to his people, when their enemies
are in arms against them. Even in this world the
unwearied, *' heavens" continue to perform invaria-
bly their operations upon themselves and the bodies
placed in them; while the globe of the " earth," re-
taining its original form and coherence of parts, still,
as at the beginning, supports and maintains the suc-
cessive "generations" of men, which live and move
upon it, to whom the faithful promises of God are
fulfilled from age to age. Thus doth the unchange-
able order of nature itself point out to us the truth
of her great Author, and at the same time reprove
the eccentric motions of rebellious man. The
heavens and the earth " continue this day according
to thine ordinance," O Lord, " for all things are
thy servants," all invariably serve thee, except man,

184 [Ps. 119.

who alone was endowed with reason, that he might
obey and glorify thee in this life, and that which is
to come !

" 92. Unless thy law had been my delights, I
should then have perished in mine affliction."

The Psalmist assureth us, from his own experi-
ence, how pleasant and how profitable, in time of
trouble, is the meditation on the fidelity of God, as
displayed in the stability of his works. The " de-
lights," by this afforded, sustained his soul in " afflic-
tions," which must otherwise have brought him to an
end. And the same everlasting Word shall be the
believer's support and consolation, even when the
heavens shall melt around him with fervent heat, and
the earth, and all that is therein, shall be burnt up.
'* Heaven and earth shall pass away," saith he who
made them, " but my word shall not pass away."

" 93. I will never forget thy precepts : for with
them thou hast quickened me."

Great are the necessities, and many the disorders
of the soul ; but in the Scripture there is provision
and medicine for them all; and according to our va-
rious wants and maladies, God relieveth and " quick-
eneth" us, sometimes with one part of his word,
sometimes with another. Now, when we have
found ourselves thus benefited, at any time, by a
particular passage of holy writ, we should " never
forget," but remember and treasure it up in our
minds, against a like occasion, when the same afflic-
tion and temptation may again befall us.

Ps. 119.] 185

"94. I am thine; save me, for I have sought thy
precepts."

The double relation which we have the honour to
bear to God by creation and by redemption, as the
work of his hands, and the purchase of his blood, is
a most endearing and prevailing argument with him,
to "save" us from our enemies. But then let it be
remembered, that no man can say to God with a good
conscience, " I am thine," unless he can also go on,
and say, ** I have sought thy precepts," I desire to
serve and obey thee alone; since, after all, "his ser-
vants we are whom we obey;" and if sin be our
master, liow can we say to a master, whose interest
is directly opposite, " I am thine ?"

*' 95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy
me: hut I will consider thy testimonies."

In the preceding verse, David besought God to
*' save" him. The reason of that prayer is here as-
signed, namely, because " the wicked lay in wait for
him to destroy him," as they afterwards did to de-
stroy one, whom the afflicted and persecuted Psalm-
ist represented. Spiritual enemies are continually
upon the watch to destroy us all; and we can no way
escape their wiles, but by " considering," so as to
understand and observe God's "testimonies."

" 96. I have seen an end of all perfection: but
thy commandment is exceeding broad."

Of " all perfection" in this world, whether of
beauty, wit, learning, pleasure, honour, or riches,

186

[Ps. 119.

experience will soon show us the *' end." But
where is the end or boundary of the word of God.
Who can ascend to the height of its excellency; who
can fathom the depth of its mysteries; who can find
out the comprehension of its precepts, or conceive
the extent of its promises; who can take the dimen-
sions of that love of God to man which it describeth,
or that love of man to God which it teacheth ! The
knowledge of one thing leadeth us forward to that
of another, and still, as we travel on, the prospect
opens before us into eternity, like the pleasant and
fruitful mountains of Canaan, rising on the other
side of Jordan, when viewed by Moses from the top
of Pisgah. O happy reign of celestial wisdom, per-
manent felicity, true riches, and unfading glory;
while we contemplate thee, how doth the world les-
sen, and shrink to nothing in our eyes ! Thy bles-
sings faith now beholdeth, but it is charity which
shall hereafter possess and enjoy them.

MEM. PART XIII.

" 97. O how I love thy law ! It is my medita-
tion all the day."

Words cannot express the love which a pious
mind entertain eth for the Scriptures. They are the
epistle of God to mankind, offering reconciliation,
peace, and union with himself in glory; containing
reasons why we should love him and each other,
with directions how to show forth that love, which,
as the apostle saith, is "the fulfilling of the law:"
Rom. xiii. 10. On some portions of these Scrip-

Ps. 110.] 187

tures should our " meditation" be continually, and
" each day" should add something to our knowledge,
to our faith, to our virtue.

'' 98. Thou, through thy commandments, hast
made me wiser than mine enemies : for they are ever
with me. 99. I have more understanding than all
my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
100. I understand more than the ancients; because I
keep thy precepts."

The " commandments" of God were " ever with"
David; the '* testimonies" of God were his "medi-
tation;" and the *' precepts" of God it was his care
to "observe;" therefore his wisdom exceeded the
policy of his " enemies" the learning of his " teach-
ers," and the experience of the "ancients." Thus,
by the wisdom of the Scriptures, did the holy Jesus,
in the days of his flesh, confound his adversaries, as-
tonish the teachers of the law, and instruct the aged.
And it is the high prerogative of the Scriptures, at
all times, to render youth and simplicity superior to
the inveterate malice and subtlety of the grand de-
ceiver and his associates.

"101. I have refrained my feet from every evil
way, that I might keep thy word."

The foundation of all relimon must be laid in mor-
tification and self-denial; for since the will of fallen
men is contrary to the will of God, we must abstain
from doing the one, in order to do the other. The
aflPections may be styled the "feet" of the soul,
and unless these be " refrained from evil ways," no

188 [Ps. 119.

progress can be made in that way which alone is good
and right; we cannot "keep God's word."

" 102. I have not departed from thy judgments;
for thou hast taught me.'*

Perseverance is the effect of instruction from above,
by the Spirit, through the word: and our heavenly
Teacher differeth from all others in this, that, with
the lesson, he bestoweth on the scholar both a dispo-
sition to learn, and an ability to perform.

" 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste!
yea J s*weeter than honey to my mouth!"

The soul hath its " taste," as well as the body,
and that taste is then in good order, when the
** words" of Scripture are " sweet" to the soul, as
" honey" is to the mouth. If they are not always so,
it is because our taste is vitiated by the world and
the flesh; and we shall ever find our relish for the
word of God to be greatest, when that for the world
and the flesh is least, in time of affliction, sickness,
and death ; for these are contrary, one to the other.
In heaven the latter will be no more, and therefore
the former will be all in all.

<(

104. Through thy precepts I get understand-
ing ; therefore I hate every false way."

He who delighteth to study the Scriptures, will
" understand," from them, the true nature of righte-
ousness and of sin; he who doth understand the na-
ture of each, will love the former; and, in proportion,
" hate" the latter: and with that which we thoroughly.

PS. 119.] 189

hate, we will not bear to have any connection ; with
suspicion and jealously, wc shall eye it approaching;
with courage and constancy we shall arm and fight
against it; we shall make no peace, nor so much as
a truce with it; but as faithful soldiers and servants
of Jesus Christ, we shall aim at that utter extermi-
nation of it, which wc have vowed, and which through
the Spirit of grace and power, will be accomplished,
but not, perhaps, totally, till our life and warfare
shall end together.

Twenty-sixth Day, — Morning Prayer.

NUN. PART XIV.

" 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path."

Man is a traveller, his life is a journey, heaven is
his end, his road lies through a wilderness, and he is
in the dark. Thus circumstanced, how earnestly and
devoutly ought he to pray, *' O send out thy light
and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me
to thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles!" Psalra
xliii. 3. For surely, '' the commandment is a lamp,
and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are
the way of life:" Prov. vi. 23. The word of God
discovereth to us our errors; it showeth us where we
lost our way, and how we may recover it again. If
we take this " lamp" in our hand, it will not only
point out our course in general, but also to direct us
in ever}' step, and guide our " feet" aright in the
" path" of holiness and peace. Thus, through the

190 [Ps. 119.

devious and lonely wilds of Arabia, was Israel once
conducted to the land of promise, by the illuminating
pillar, or rather by Him whose presence dwelt in the
midst of it.

" 106. I have sworn, and I will perform it^ that I
will keep thy righteous judgments."

Such being the direction afforded by the word of
God to a benighted pilgrim, David had obliged him-
self, in the most solemn manner, to follow that di-
rection. Every Christian doth, at his baptism, in
like manner, " promise and vow to keep God's com-
mandments, and to walk in the same all the days of
his life." The nature and extent of these engage-
ments must be interpreted according to the covenant
of grace, under which they are made. The com-
mand to us sinners is, that we should repent, and
believe in him, who will pardon our failings, and
strengthen our infirmities, that we may walk as be-
cometh his disciples, who, though they ought not to
commit sin, may yet, by divine grace, be restored and
saved from it. " These things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he
is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John ii. 1.

'* 107. I am afflicted very much : quicken me, O
Lord, according to thy word."

The faithful servants of God maybe *' afflicted:"
they may be " very much" and grievously afflicted :
but let them consider, that by afflictions, their cor-
ruptions are purged away, their faith is tried, their

ps. iia] 191

patience perfected, their brethren are edified, and
their Master is glorified. Let them still firmly rely
on the divine promise of grace and salvation : still
humbly pray for its accomplishment in themselves;
*' quicken me, O Lord, according to thy word."

" 108. Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will of-
ferings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy
judgments. '*

The " offerings" of the believer are prayer, praise,
and holy resolutions and vows, like that of the
Psalmist above, " to keep God's righteous judg-
ments," in which he therefore petitioneth to be every
day more and more " taught" and instructed by the
Spirit of truth. Christians are called by St. Peter,
" a royal and holy priesthood, appointed to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Jesus
Christ." 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9.

" 109. My soul is continually in my hand: yet
do I not forget thy law."

To have one's " soul," 12;33, or life, " in one's
hand," is a phrase often used in Scripture, and im-
plieth going in continual danger of one's life: see
Judg. xii. 3. 1 Sam. xix. 5. and xxviii. 21. Job,
xiii. 14. Great and incessant as David's perils were,
he did not " forget" God's promises, nor his pre-
cepts, but trusted in the former, and performed the
latter. St. Paul knew, that " in every city bonds
and afflictions awaited him : but none of these things,"
saith he, " move me, neither count I my life dear
unto myself, so that I might finish my course with
joy." Acts XX. 23.

192 IPs. 119.

" 110. The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet
I erred not from thy precepts.'*

When open violence fails to move a man from
his steadfastness, " the wicked will lay snares" for
him, to entice him into sin, by the baits of honour,
pleasure, or profit; by exposing him to unavoidable
temptations, as, when David was driven out of his
own land, to live among idolaters, of which usage he
complaineth, 1 Sam. xxvi. 19. or else, by making
laws which an honest man cannot obey without sin,
or refuse to obey without danger. Numberless are
the traps of one kind or other, which human wit and
diaboHcal malice, in conjunction, have set for the
consciences of those who profess themselves to be the
servants of God; and happy is that servant, whom
they have not caused to " err from the precepts" of
his Master.

" 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as mine
heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my
heart."

The " testimonies" of God's will, his word and
his sacraments, are the bonds and the deeds by which
we hold our heavenly '* inheritance, as heirs of God,
and joint heirs with Christ." Of these deeds, and
this inheritance, no power can deprive us; and when
" they are the rejoicing of our hearts," we shall not,
by preferring an earthly inheritance, deprive our-
selves of them.

" 112. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy
statutes always, even unto the end."

The " incHnation of the heart" to good, is the

Ps. 119.] 193

work of God; but man is, nevertheless, in this as in
other instances, said to perform it, when he Hstens to
the call, and obeys the motions, of his grace. We
are not to jndge of ourselves by what we sometimes
say and do, but by the general disposition and ten-
dency of the heart and its affections. When, after
repeated trials, we find that the love of God casts
the scale against the love of the world; when it is our
glory, our delight, our treasure, our meat and drink,
to do his will, and, against all opposition, to perse-
vere in doing it, "even unto the end;" then are we
the true disciples of that Master, whose heart was
evermore inclined to good; who alone performed a
perfect and spotless obedience, and persisted in
working the work of him that sent him, until, with
his last breath, he declared, upon the cross, it is

FINISHED.

SAMECH. PART XV.

" 113. I hate vain thoughts; but thy law do I
love."

" Love and hatred" are the two great and influ-
encing affections of the human mind. Since the fall,
they have been misplaced. By nature we " love vain
thoughts," and "hate the law of God. The carnal
mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. viii.
7. But in a renewed mind the case is altered; its
delight is in the law of God, and therefore it cannot
bear " vain thoughts," which are contrary to that law,
and exalt themselves against it. Thoughts are often
Vol. III. I

"1 94^ LPs. 119.

said to be free; from human censure they are, but
not from the cognizance and judgment of the Omni-
scient. The mind should be well furnished with pro-
per materials, on which to employ itself. We shall
then be secured against the incursions of rambling,
conceited, worldly, impure, and revengeful thoughts,
which otherwise will devour half our time, and ap-
pear against us, to our unspeakable amazement, in
that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be re-
vealed.

" 114. Thou art my hiding-place, and my shield:
I hope in thy word."

From vain thoughts, and vain persons, the Psalm-
ist teacheth us to fly, by prayer, to God, as our re-
fuge and protector. This course a believer will as
naturally take, in the hour of temptation and danger,
as the offspring of the hen, on perceiving a bird of
prey hovering over their heads, retire to their " hid-
ing-place," under the wings of their dam; or as the
warrior opposeth his " shield" to the darts which are
aimed at him.

" 115. Depart from me, ye evil-doers; for I will
keep the commandments of my God."

Safe under the protection of the Almighty, David
bids the wicked *' depart from him;" he neither fears
their malice, nor will follow their counsels, being re-
solutely determined to adhere to his duty, and to
" keep the commandments of his God." He who
hath formed David's resolution, must, like him, dis-
claim and renounce the society of " evil-doers;" for

Ps. 119.1 ^^^

every man will insensibly contract the good or bad
qualities of the company which he keeps; and should,
therefore, be careful to keep such as will make him
wiser and better, and fit him for the goodly fellow-
ship of saints and angels.

" 116. Uphold me according to thy word, that I
may live : and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I
will have respect unto thy statutes continually."

A resolution to fly from evil, and to do good, is
properly followed by an earnest and repeated prayer,
to be " upheld" in the performance of it by divine
grace, '* according to God's word" and promise; that
so our " hope" in that word may not fail, and put
us to ** shame" before our enemies; that we may be
" saved" from falling, and enabled, in our walking,
to have " respect unto the divine statutes continually."
How necessary is this prayer to be made by crea-
tures, whose tempers and dispositions are ever varying;
who have so many and so formidable adversaries to
contend with ; and on whom their temporal condition
hath so much influence !

" 118. Thou hast trodden down all them that err
from thy statutes : for their deceit is falsehood."

The dreadful judgments which God, from time to
time, in all ages of the world, hath executed, and
which he still can and will execute, upon impenitent
sinners, afford a kind of admonition, and a powerful
motive, to obedience. As no force can counteract
the power of God, so no " cunning" can deceive his

12

196 [Ps. 119.

wisdom, but will always, in the end, miserably " de-
ceive" those who trust in it, and employ it against
the counsels of heaven; "their deceit, or subtlety, is
falsehood," npu^> it will fail, and ruin its owners.
Of this, history furnisheth instances in abundance.
And it will be evident to all the world, when simpli-
city and innocence shall reign triumphant with the
Lamb, on mount Sion; and deceit and guile shall
have their portion with the serpent, in the lake of
fire.

" 119. Thou puttest away all the ungodly of the
earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies."

" Ungodly" men and hypocrites are mingled among
the sons and servants of God, as " dross" is blended
with the pure metal, and appeareth to be part of it.
But the fiery trial of divine judgment soon discover-
eth the difference. The false pretences of the hy-
pocrite are detected, and the glory of the wicked
vanisheth away. These dispensations of God's pro-
vidence increase our "love" of his "word;" because
they give us sensible experience of its truth, they
show us the justice of God in punishing others, to-
gether with his mercy in sparing us, and removing
those who might have corrupted us, and turned the
silver itself into dross. In times of visitation, Christ
sitteth among his people, " as a refiner and purifier
of silver," purging away all dross, that out of what
remains may be made '* vessels of honour, meet for
the Master's use," to serve and to adorn the sanctu-
ary." See Mai. iii. 3. Isa. i. 25. 2 Tim. ii. 21.

Ps. 119.] 197

** 120. My flesh trerabletli for fear of thee; and
I am afraid of thy judgments."

At the presence of Jehovah, when he appeareth
in judgment, the earth trembleth and is still. His
best servants are not exempted from an awful dread
upon such occasions: scenes of this kind, shown in
vision to the prophets, caused their flesh to quiver,
and all their bones to shake. Encompassed with a
frail body, and a sinful world, we stand in need of
every possible tie: and the affections both of fear and
love must be employed, to restrain us from trans-
gression; we must, at the same time, 'Move God's
testimonies, and fear his judgments."

AIN. PART XVI.

'* 121. I have done judgment and justice: leave
me not to mine oppressors."

He who is engaged in a righteous cause, and hath
acted uprightly in the support of it, may, so far,
without incurring the censure of boasting, or trusting
to his own righteousness, make David's plea, " I
have done judgment and justice;" as if he had said,
Thou, O my God, knowest that I am innocent of
the crimes whereof my implacable enemies accuse
me, and that I have done no wrong to those who seek
to take away my life ; deliver not thine injured ser-
vant, therefore, into their hands; " leave me not to
mine oppressors." The Son of David might use the
words in their full and absolute sense, and plead for
a glorious resurrection, on the foot of his having
performed a perfect obedience to the law.

198 [Ps. 119.

** 122. Be surety for thy servant for good: let
not the proud oppress me."

The Psalmist finding himself ready to be seized
by his insolent adversaries, like a helpless and insol-
vent debtor, entreateth the Almighty to appear in
his defence, to take the matter into his own hands,
to interpose and plead his cause, as his surety and
advocate, in the day of trouble. Good Hezekiah
uses the same word in the same sense, speaking of
the time when death was about to make his claim
upon the mortal part of him; '' O Lord, I am op-
pressed, ^d:i")1*, undertake, be surety for me :" Isa.
xxxviii. 14. Happy the creatures, whose Creator
is their surety, and hath interposed to rescue them
from those great oppressors, sin, death, and Satan !

" 123. Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for
the word of thy righteousness."

Salvation, whether temporal or spiritual, may be
delayed; the " eyes" of the sufferer may *' fail" with
looking upward, and his earnest expectation may be
ready to break forth, in the words of Sisera's mother,
" Why is his chariot so long in coming ? Why
tarry the wheels of his chariot?" But what saith
God, by his prophets and apostles ? " Though it
tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come:" Hab.
ii. 3. " Yet a little while, and he that shall come,
will come:" Heb. x. 37. The " word" which hath
promised it, is the word of truth, faithfulness, and
" righteousness;" the attributes of God are engaged
for its accomplishment, and he cannot deny himself.

" 124. Deal with thy servant according unto thy

Ps. 119.] 199

mercy, and teach me thy statutes. 125. I am thy
servant : give me understanding, that I may know
thy testimonies."

The consideration, that we are the " servants" of
God, if indeed we are so, will always be successfully
urged to the best of masters, as an argument why
he should deal '' with us according to his mercy," in
the pardoning of our offences; "teach us his sta-
tutes," that we may know and do his will; and in-
struct us in his " testimonies," that we may believe
aright concerning him.

" 126. It is time for thee^ Lord, to work : fcn^
they have made void thy law."

The *' law" of God " is made void" by those who
deny its authority, or its obligation ; by those who
render it of none effect through their traditions, or
their lives. When a deluge of wickedness and im-
piety entering at these gates, hath overwhelmed a
land, " it is time for the Lord to work ;" the great
lawgiver will then exert his power, and vindicate his
authority speedily. There is a certain measure of
iniquity, which when communities, or individuals
respectively, have filled up, the destroying angel
comes forth, and executes his commission. How
ought a man to fear, lest the next sin he commits
should fill up his measure, and seal his eternal doom!

" 127. Therefore I love thy commandments above
gold ; yea, above fine gold."

As the wickedness of those increaseth who " make
void the divine law," the zeal and " love" of behev-

200 [Ps. 119.

ers should increase in proportion, to stem the tor-
rent ; and this may be done, to a surprising degree,
by a few persons, who, after the example of the first
Christians, can forsake all, to follow their Master;
who have the sense and the courage to prefer truth,
wisdom, holiness, and heaven, to falsehood, folly,
sin, and the world ; who can resolutely reject the glit-
tering temptation, and say, without hypocrisy, to
their God, " I love thy commandments above gold ;
yea, above fine gold."

" 128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts con-
cerning all things to be right; or. Therefore all thy
precepts, even all, have I approved ; and I hate every
false way."

For the same reason that the children of God, in
the worst of times, "love his commandments," they
love them " all," not observing such only as they
can observe without giving offence, but, regardless of
the censures of the world, doing their duty in every
particular; not "hating" some "evil ways," and at
the same time walking in others, but extending and
manifesting their aversion to all alike. Of such per-
sons it is evident, that they make a conscience of
their doings, and their conduct appears to be uniform ;
the adversary will have no evil thing to say of them ;
they will do real service to the cause which they
maintain; and, after having honoured their Master
before men, they will by him be honoured before men
and angels.

Ps. 119.] 201

PE. PART XVII.

" 129. Thy testimonies aj'e wonderful: therefore
doth my soul keep, or, observe, them."

The Scriptures are " wonderful," with respect to
the matter which they contain, the manner in wliich
they are written, and the effects which they produce.
They contain the sublimest spiritual truths, veiled
under external ceremonies and sacraments, figurative
descriptions, typical histories, parables, similitudes,
&c. When properly opened and enforced, they
terrify and humble, they convert and transform, they
console and strenothen. Who but must delight to
study and to " observe," these " testimonies" of the
will and the wisdom, the love and the power, of God
most high ! While we have these holy writings,
let us not waste our time, misemploy our thoughts,
and prostitute our admiration, by doting on human
follies, and wondering at human trifles.

" 130. The entrance of thy words giveth light I
it giveth understanding to the simple."

The Scriptures are the appointed means of " en-
lightening" the mind with true and saving knowledge.
They show us what we were, what we are, and what
we shall be; they show us what God hath done for
us, and what he expecteth us to do for him; they
show us the adversaries we have to encounter, and
how to encounter them with success ; they show us
the mercy and the justice of the Lord, the joys of
heaven, and the pains of hell. Thus will they " give
to the simple," in a few days, an " understanding"

I 3

$02

[Ps. 119.

of those matters, which philosophy, for whole centu-
ries, sought in vain.

" 131. I opened my mouth and panted: for I
longed for thy commandments."

An eastern traveller, fatigued through toil, and
parched by heat, doth not, with more vehement de-
sire, gasp for the cooling breeze, than the servant of
God, in time of temptation and trouble, " panteth"
after that spirit of refreshment and consolation, which
breathes in the Scriptures of truth. The affections
^re the springs of human actions; no arguments are
needful to impel, and no difficulties are sufficient to
retard, the man who is in pursuit of an object which,
with all his heart, he loves and " longs for." How
happy is it v/hen heaven, instead of earth, is that ob-
ject !

" 132. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto
me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy
name."

A child of God is never so much afflicted, as when
his heavenly Father seemeth, for a time, to have
turned away his face from him. All lesser troubles
vanish, when God doth but vouchsafe a "look" of
paternal compassion. And since the love of Jeho-
vah to his people is unchangeable as his nature, mer-
cies formerly shown to others are most forcibly urged
by the Psalmist in his petition for the like; '* Be
merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that
love thy name."

" 133. Order my steps in thy word ; and let not
any iniquity have dominion over me."

Ps. 119.]

203

By the instruction of his *' word," God bringeth
us into the way of life ; by the aids of his grace he
" directeth" and " supporteth" our " steps" in that
way, enabling us, as we proceed, to overcome the
sins which do beset us, so that they prevail not to
turn us back, or to make us desist from travcllinxr

o

toward the city of our eternal habitation.

" 134. Deliver me from the oppression of man :
so will I keep thy precepts."

He truly loveth God, who requesteth '* deliver-
ance" from " oppression" and persecution, that he
may again enjoy the opportunities of " keeping his
precepts," and of serving him without distraction.
And gratitude for his deliverance will be, with such
a one, an additional reason for using those oppor-
tunities, when they are restored, to the best advan-
tage.

" 135. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant :
and teach me thy statutes."

The same sentiment is again expressed in differ-
ent language. The Psalmist prayeth for a return
of the diviae favour, and for better days, that in peace
and tranquillity he may learn and do the will of
God. Tribulation is a dark and tempestuous night;
but Jehovah causeth " his face to shine" upon his
people, and the effects are like those produced by the
sun at his rising, when universal nattire revives and
rejoices, and clouds and darkness fly away.

" 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, be-
cause they keep not thy law."

204 IPs. 119.

David, who, through this whole Psalm, so often
and so ardently beseecheth God to " teach him his
statutes," declareth in this verse, his continual grief
of heart, occasioned by seeing others break those sta-
tutes. Thus Lot, among the Sodomites, was " vexed
from day to day," not so much at their usage of him-
self, as at " seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds :"
2 Pet. ii. 8. Thus Jeremiah telleth the ungodly
of his time, " If ye will not hear, my soul shall weep
in secret places for your pride; and mine eyes shall
w^eep sore, and run down with tears:" Jer. xiii. 17.
Thus the holy Jesus " looked round about on the
Pharisees, being grieved for the hardness of their
hearts," Mark iii. 5. '' and wept over" a city which
had always persecuted, and was then about to crucify
him, because it " knew not the things which belong-
ed to its peace :" Luke xix. 4>\, Accept, O Lord,
the tears which our blessed Redeemer shed, in the
days of his flesh, for us, who should, but alas ! too
often cannot, weep for our brethren, or for ourselves;
and give us, at least, the grace of holy mourning,
which in thy sight is of great price.

TZADDI. PART XVIII. «•

'* 137. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and up-
right a7'e thy judgments."

This portion of our Psalm is employed in cele-
brating the righteousness of God, manifested to us
by his word, and by his dispensations, which that
word both recordeth and explaineth. It is said of
the emperor Mauritius, that, upon seeing all his
children slain before his face, at the command of

Ps. 119.]

205

that bloody tyrant and usurper, Phocas, himself ex-
pecting the next stroke, with a philosophy truly di-
vine, ho exclaimed aloud, in these words of David,
" Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy
judgments."* By faith he was assured of this great
truth, and nobly confessed it, notwithstanding all ap-
pearances to the contrary. The last day will de-
monstrate the same thing to the whole world, and
open the mouths of men and angels to declare, con-
cerning all the divine proceedings, what the good
Mauritius acknowledged, at the time, with regard to
the murder of his children.

" 138. Thy testimonies, that thou hast command-
ed, are righteous and very faithful."

The revelations of God's will are " righteousness"
and "truth;" his commands are just, and ought to
be obeyed; his promises and his threatenings will in-
fallibly come to pass, and deserve, above all things,
to be regarded.

" 139. My zeal hath consumed me; because mine
enemies have forgotten thy words."

'* Zeal" is a high degree of love; and when the
object of that love is ill-treated, it venteth itself in a
mixture of grief and indignation, which are suffi-
cient to wear and " consume" the heart. This will
be the case, where men rightly conceive of that dis-
honour which is continually done to God, by crea-
tures whom he hath made and redeemed. But ne-
ver could the verse be uttered, with such fulness of

* Baron. Annal. ad Ann. 602.

206

[Ps. 119.

truth and propriety, by any one, as by the Son of
God, who had such a sense of his Father's glory,
and of man's sin, as no person else ever had. And,
accordingly, when his zeal had exerted itself in
purging the temple, St. John tells us, " his disciples
remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine
house hath eaten me up." The place where it is so
written, is Psalm Ixix. 9. and the passage is exactly
parallel to this before us.

" 140. Thy word is very pure; therefore thy ser-
vant loveth it."

" Thy word is very pure;" in the original " tried,
refined, purified, like gold in the furnace :" abso-
lutely perfect, without the dross of vanity and falli-
bility, which runs through human writings. The
more we try the promises, the surer we shall find
them.* This pure word hath likewise in it a power
of purifying us. It containeth precepts and examples
of purity, helps and encouragements to purity, and
the Spirit of purity goeth with it, and worketh by it.
" Therefore thy servant loveth it;" and no one, but
a true servant of God, can " therefore" love it, be-
cause it is pure; since he who loves it must desire to
be like it, to feel its efficacy, to be reformed by it,
and conformed to it.

" 141. I am small and despised: yet do not I for-
get thy precepts."

Faithfulness to God will often reduce men to

-* Pure gold is so fixed, that Boerhaave informs us of an ounce
of it set in the eye of a glass furnace for two months, without los-
ing a single grain.

Ps. 119.] ^07

straits, and bring upon them the contempt of tlie
world; happy are they who, under these difficulties
and discouragements, " forget not his precepts,"
but still continue faithful, looking unto Jesus, who
once " endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is now set down at the right hand of God." Heb.
xii. 2.

" 142. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righ-
teousness, and thy law is the truth."

Men may decree wickedness by a law, or they may
change their decrees, and, with them, what was right
to-day, may be wrong to-morrow. But the law of
God is " righteousness," and it is " truth," to-day,
and for ever. His justice, goodness, and fidelity,
are unchangeable; he will never forsake us, unless we
forsake him, but will remember us in our lowest
estate, if, in that estate, we " do not forget his pre-
cepts."

'' 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold upon,
or, have found, me; 2/et thy commandments a7'e ray
delights."

We need not take pains, as many do, " to find
trouble and anguish," for they will one day " find
us." In that day, the revelations of God must be
to us instead of all worldly " delights" and pleasures,
which will then have forsaken us ; and how forlorn
and desolate will be our state, if we should have no
other delights, no other pleasures, to succeed them,
and to accompany us into eternity 1 Let our study
be now in the Scriptures, if we expect our comfort
from them in time to come.

208

LPs. 119.

" 144. The righteousness of thy testimonies is
everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live."

In every sense, O Lord Jesus, thy righteousness
is "everlasting:" Grant us the "understanding"
of it, in every sense, and we "shall live," in thee
now, and with thee for ever.

Twenty-sixth Day, — Evening Prayer.
KOPH. PART XIX.

*' 145. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O
Lord: I will keep thy statutes. 146. I cried unto
thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies."

Believers, in time of affliction, make their prayer
to God with fervour and importunity, petitioning for
deliverance, that they may the better serve their De-
liverer, and keep his laws.

" 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning,
and cried: 1 hoped in thy word. 148. Mine eyes
prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in
thy word."

It is a certain sign that our hearts are set upon a
work, when the thoughts of it cause sleep to depart
from us, and we awake readily, constantly, and early,
to the performance of it. David delighted in the
holy exercises of prayer and meditation; therefore he
" prevented the dawning of the morning," and was
beforehand with the light itself; therefore his " eyes
prevented the watches," that is, the last of those
watches, into which the night was by the Jews di-

Ps. 119.1 209

vided; he needed not the watchman's call, but was
stirruiir before it could be mven. Climate and con-
stitution will, doubtless, make a difference, and claim
considerable allowance: but by Christians who enjoy
their health, in temperate weather, the sun should
not be suffered to shine in vain, nor the golden hours
of the morning to glide away unimproved; since of
David's Lord, as well as of David, it is said, " in the
morning, rising up a great while before day, he went
out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed." Mark i. 35.

*' 149. Hear my voice, according unto thy loving
kindness : O Lord, quicken me according to thy
judgment, t/iat is, thy word. 150. They draw nigh
that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.
151. Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy com-
mandments are truth."

If our enemies " draw nigh" to destroy us, God
is still " nearer" to preserve us ; and however his
" word" may be rejected by the wicked, the faithful
always find it to be " true," to their great and end-
less comfort.

" 152. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known
of old, that thou hast founded them for ever."

This portion of our Psalm endeth with the triumph
of faith over all dangers and temptations. " Con-
cerning thy testimonies," the revelations of thy will,
thy counsels for the salvation of thy servants, " I
have known of old," by faith, and by my own expe-
rience, as well as that of others, " that thou hast
founded them for ever;" they are unalterable and

SIO

LPs. 119.

everlasting as the attributes of their great Author,
and can never fail those who rely upon them, in time,
or in eternity.

RESH. PART XX.

" 153. Consider mine affliction, and deliver me;
for I do not forget thy law."

It is happy when our " afflictions" do not make
us to "forget the law of God;" then have we confi-
dence towards him in our prayers, that he will " con-
sider" and regard our sufferings, as he did those of
Israel in Egypt, and come down to " deliver" us out
of all our troubles; for Israel is still in Egypt, while
the church is in the world; but let us remember the
promise, and rejoice in hope.

" 154. Plead my cause, and deliver me; quicken
me according to thy word."

God is the Patron of his people, to " plead" their
" cause;" their Redeemer, to " deliver" them out of
troubles; the Author and Fountain of their life, to
" quicken" and support them. We may, therefore,
have recourse to him at all times, as an Advocate, a
Saviour, and a Comforter, for the defence of our
cause, the deliverance of our persons, and the sup-
port of our hearts. And all this, " according to his
word," in which he hath engaged thus to patronize,
to rescue, and to strengthen, those who trust in him,
and apply to him.

" 155. Salvation is far from the wicked: for they
seek not thy statutes."

Ps. 119.]

211

The " salvation" wliich is nigh to the faithful, be-
cause tlicy diligently and earnestly seek to know and
to do the will of God revealed to them in his word,
is " far from the wicked," because " they seek not
his statutes," nor concern themselves to know what
they are, much less to observe and practise them,

" 156. Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord:
quicken me according to thy judgments, that is, thy
word. 157. Many are my persecutors, and mine
enemies: yet do 1 not decline from thy testimonies.
158. 1 beheld the transgressors, and was grieved;
because they kept not thy word."

Persecution tempteth men to apostacy, and is the
great trial of our fidelity to God and to his word.
He who, in such circumstances, forgetteth his own
sufferings, to commiserate the sin and folly of his
persecutors, is a true follower, as David was a fore-
runner of Jesus Christ.

" 159. Consider how I love thy precepts : quicken
me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness.
160. Thy word is true from the beginning; and
every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for
ever."

It is observable how the Psalmist delighteth to
dwell on these two sweet notes; the *' loving kind-
ness" of God in promising salvation, and his " truth"
in the constant performance of that promise to his
church, while she '* loves" and adheres to his " pre-
cepts." Thus it hath been ''from the beginning,"
and thus it will be, until the whole counsel of hea-

212

[Ps. 119.

veil shall at length be fulfilled, by the resurrection I

and salvation of the just.

SCHIN. PART XXI.

'* 161. Princes have persecuted me without a
cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
162. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great
spoil."

David was " persecuted" by Saul and his associ-
ates, " without a cause." The life of Saul was
spared by him, because " he stood in awe of God's
word," and preferred the comfortable reflection of
having obeyed its injunctions to all the " spoil," and
to those many advantages, that would have accrued
to him, by the overthrow and death of his implacable
adversary, who acknowledged, upon the occasion,
" Thou art more righteous than I:" 1 Sam. xxiv.
17. The sufferings of the body are soon over; the
joys of conscience have no end.

love.

163. I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I

The word of truth is the proper object of our
" love," and every thing which is contrary to it de-
serveth our " hatred and abhorrence ;" nor is life it-
self worth preserving, at the expense either of our
faith or our virtue.

" 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee, be-
cause of thy righteous judgments."

They who, like David, during the time of perse-
cution and affliction, put their trust in God, and wait

Ps. 119.] 213

his decision of their cause, will always find reason, as
David did, to " praise him seven times a day," or
continually, for his just decrees and " righteous judo--
ments" concerning them.

" 165. Great peace have they which love thy
law: and nothing shall offend them."

Amidst the storms and tempests of the world,
there is a perfect calm in the breasts of those who
not only do the will of God, but " love'* to do it.
They are at peace with God, by the blood of recon-
ciliation; at peace with themselves, by the answer of
a good conscience, and the subjection of those desires
which war against the soul; at peace with all men,
by the spirit of charity; and the whole creation is so
at peace with them, that all things work together for
their good. No external troubles can rob them of
this " great peace," no " offences" or stumbling-
blocks, which are thrown in their way by persecution
or temptation, by the malice of enemies or the apos-
tacy of friends, by any thing which they see, hear
of, or feel, can detain or divert them from their
course. Heavenly love surmounts every obstacle,
and runs with delight the way of God's command-
ments.

" 166. Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and
done thy commandments."

This is the true posture of a Christian, in which
he need not fear to be found by his last and great
enemy, death, " doing" his duty, and " hoping" for
salvation from the person who is his Master, as well

214

[Ps. H9.

as his Redeemer, and who, consequently, expecteth
to be obeyed, no less than to be believed in.

" 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies, and
I love them exceedingly. 168. I have kept thy
precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways ai^e
before thee."

The " love of God's testimonies," and the con-
sideration, that all " our ways are before him," and
subject to his immediate inspection, are two power-
ful motives to obedience. The plea of having
" kept the divine precepts," &c. in the mouth of
David, or any other believer, intendeth sincerity,
not perfection, and is alleged as an evidence of grace,
not as a claim of merit. Christ alone kept the old
law, and he enableth us to observe the new.

TAU. PART XXII.

" 169. Let my cry come near before thee, O
Lord : give me understanding according to . thy
word. 170. Let my supplication come before thee;
deliver me according to thy word."

The Psalmist still continueth instant in prayer for
" understanding," to direct him in the midst of dan-
gers and temptations, and for "deliverance" out of
them all, when God shall see fit to accomplish the
promises made in his " word." These are blessings
for which a man cannot be too frequent, or too ear-
nest, in his petitions to the throne of heaven.

" 171. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast
taught me thy statutes. 172. My tongue shall

119.]

215

speak of thy word : for all thy commandments are
rifirhteousness."

•&

He who obtaineth his requests, and is made a par-
taker of that grace and salvation for which he so fer-
vently prayed, will edify men, by singing the
"praises," and proclaiming the *' righteousness" of
God his Saviour.

** 173. Let thine hand help me : for I have chosen
thy precepts. 174. I have longed for thy salvation,
O Lord; and thy law is my delight."

*' Salvation" by the " Hand," or Arm of Jehovah
(which is often in Scripture a title of Messiah) hath
been the object of the hopes, the desires, and "long-
ing" expectation of the faithful, from Adam to this
hour; and will continue so to be, until He, who hath
already visited us in great humility, shall come again
in glorious majesty, to complete our redemption, and
take us to himself.

*' 175. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee;
and let thy judgments help me."

The '* life" which God granteth and preserveth
to us, whether it be the natural life of the body, or
the spiritual life of the soul (for both are from him)
should be employed in " praising" him. This re-
turn for his mercies we are always ready to promise,,
when we are in danger, but often forgetful to per-
form, when delivered out of it.

" 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek
thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments."^

216

[Ps. 119.

It is doubtful, whether David here speaks of his
misery, or his sin; of his *' wandering" as an exile
in foreign lands, or of his " going astray" from the
" commandments" of his God, though he had not
altogether " forgotten," but was desirous of return-
ing again to the observance of them, and therefore
beseeches the great Shepherd to " seek" and bring
back his '' lost sheep."* In the application of the
passage to ourselves, it matters not which interpre-
tation we adopt, since we are both sinners and exiles;
exiles, because sinners; "we have erred and strayed
from God's ways, like lost sheep," and are, for that
reason, excluded from our heavenly city and country,
to wander for a time in the wilderness. Restore us,
O Lord Jesus, by thy grace to righteousness, and by
thy power to glory!

* *' Erravi sicut ovis — Omnesnos quasi oves erravimus." Isa.
liii. 6. Sed nos bonus ille Pastor liumeris reportavit. Luc. xv.
5. BossuET. Mr. Merrick's Poetical Paraphrase of this verse
is so beautiful and aflfecting, that I cannot refrain from subjoin-
ing it :

Thine eyes in me the sheep behold,

Whose feet have wander'd from the fold ;

That, guideless, helpless, strives in vain

To find its safe retreat again ;

Now listens, if perchance its ear

The Shepherd's well-known voice may hear ;

Now, as the tempests round it blow,

In plaintive accents vents its woe.

Great Ruler of this earthly ball,

Do thou my erring steps recall :

O seek thou him who thee has sought,

Nor turns from thy decrees his thought.

Ps. 120.] 217

PSALM CXX.

Twenty-seventh Day — Morning Prayer.

ARGUMENT. — This, and the fourteen Psahns which follow it,
arc entitled, " Psalms of Degrees, or of Ascensions." For
what reason they were so called, is altogether uncertain. Cer-
tain, however, it is, that they are most instinctive and pleasing
compositions, wonderfully calculated to elevate the soul to God ;
and that the Christian, as he proceeds from one degree of vir-
tue to another, in his way towards eternal felicity, cannot em-
ploy himself better than in meditation on them. In the first
of these Psalms, the Author, most probably David, complain-
eth of the falsehood, the treachery, and the violence of men,
amongst whom he grieveth that his pilgrimage is prolonged.

" 1. In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and
he heard me. 2. DeHver my soul, O Lord, from
lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue."

The prophet relateth the success of his prayer
made to Jehovah in time of trouble. He " cried,"
aud was " heard." The particular species of trou-
ble, under which he then laboured, was that caused
by the mahce and treachery of his adversaries, who
either with " lying lips" bore false witness against
him, or with a " deceitful tongue" tried to ensnare
him, and to draw something from him, on which they
might ground an accusation. Thus the Jews dealt
with Christ; and men of their cast and complexion
have, in all ages, dealt thus with his true followers.
From such " lips" and *« such tongues" God only
can " deliver" the persons and the reputations of the
most innocent.

Vol. III. K

218 [Ps. 120.

" 3. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall
be done unto thee, thou false tongue ? 4. Sharp
arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper."

Some render the first of these two verses a little
differently. ** What shall a false tongue give thee,
or what shall it add to thee?" The sense will be
much the same, whether the Psalmist be supposed to
address his question to the false tongue, or to him
who is the owner of it. The purport of the question
plainly is this : What profit or advantage do you ex-
pect to reap from this practice of lying and slander-
ing? what will at last be its end and its reward?
Then followeth the answer: *' Sharp arrows of the
Mighty One," "1*11:1, who is the avenger of truth and
innocence ; with a fire that burns fiercely, and burns
long, like that which was made of ** juniper," or some
wood used in those days, remarkable for increasing
and retaining heat ; punishments justly inflicted on
a tongue, the words of which have been keen and
killing as arrows, and which, by its lies and calum-
nies, hath contributed to set the world on fire. We
read in the Gospel, of one who exclaimed, " Send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in wa-
ter, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame."

'* 5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech, tliat I
dwell in the tents of Kedar!"

The Psalmist lamenteth his long continuance
amonsr those deceitful and malicious men, whom he
compareth to the wild, barbarous, and adolatrous
Arabs, the descendants of " Kedar," the son of Ish-

Ps. 120.] 219

mael, Gen. xxv. 13. The former part of the verse
is, with greater propriety, perhaps, rendered, by many
of the translators and expositors, thus : *' Wo is me
that my sojourning is prolonged — " ^u;)2 ^mi >:i,
" I dwell, or, my dwelling is, among the tents of Ke-
dar." When our Lord was upon earth, the Jews
were become the spiritual Ishmaclites, sons of the
bond-woman, persecutors of the sons of the free-wo-
man, and the children of promise. " O faithless and
perverse generation," saith he, '* how long shall 1 be
with you ? how long shall 1 suffer you ?" Matt. xvii.
17. " And as then he that was born after the flesh,
persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even
so it is now :" Gal. iv. 29. The church daily sigh-
eth and groaneth, because her " sojourning is pro-
longed," and she dwelleth among adversaries of va-
rious denominations, among those who take delight
in vexing and troubling her. These are **the tents
of Kedar," among which we dwell in the wilderness,
longing to depart, and to be with Christ in the city
of the living God.

'* 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hat-
eth peace. 7. I am for peace ; or, I am a man of
peace : but when I speak, they are for war."

If this was the case of David, much more might
the Son of David make the same complaint, that he
'* dwelt with them that hated peace;" that although
he was "a man of peace," meek, lowly, and gracious
in his deportment to all around him ; although he
came to make peace, and to reconcile all things in
heaven and earth ; although his conversation and his
preaching were of peace, and love, and the kingdom

K2

220 [Ps. 121.

of God ; yet no sooner did he open his mouth to
** speak" upon these divme subjects, but his enemies
were up in arms, ready to apprehend, to accuse, to
condemn, and to crucify him. Marvel not, O dis-
ciple of Jesus ! if the world hate and oppose thee ;
but pray only, that when thou shalt be used as he
was, thou mayest be enabled to bear that usage as
he did.

PSALM CXXI.

ARGUMENT. — In this Psalm, the prophet, 1, 2. introduceth a
person, most probably an Israelite, on his way to Jerusalem,
expressing his trust and confidence in Jehovah, the Maker of
heaven and earth, of Avhose favour and protection, at all times,
and in all dangers, the prophet, 3 — 8. assureth him. These
promises, like those in the xci. Psalm, were in their full and
spiritual sense, made good to Messiah, and are now daily
accomplishing in the members of his mystical body, the Chris-
tian Church. Bishop Lowth supposes the first tAvo verses to
be spoken by David, when going out to war, and the answer of
encouragement to be made by the high priest from the Holy
Place. In this case, the idea of warfare is added to that of
pilgrimage, and the Psalm rendered still more applicable to us,
as well as to the true David our King.

''1. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from
whence cometh my help. 2. My help cometh from
the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

The true Israelite, amidst the dangers of his
earthly pilgrimage and warfare, looketh continually
towards the heavenly city, whether he is travelling.
Faith showeth him afar off the everlasting " hills,
from whence cometh the help" which must bring him

Ps. 121.] 221

in safety to them. He " lifteth up his eyes" in
prayer to the Ahni^rhty, whose temple and habitation
are thereon. He putteth not his trust in any crea-
ture, but imploreth aid immediately of '* liim who
made heaven and earth," and who, consequently,
hath power over all things in both.

" 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved : he
that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4. Behold, he
that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.'*

In the first two verses, we heard the believer de-
claring his resolution to trust in God. The prophet
now commendeth that resolution, and encourageth
him to persevere in it. As if he had said, Thou
dost well to expect help from Jehovah alone; to over-
look the vanities here below ; to place thy confidence,
and set thy affections, on him who dwelleth above.
Know therefore, assuredly, that he will be with thee
in the way in which thou goest ; he will preserve thee
from falling, and defend thee from all dangers; for
in him thou hast a guardian, who is not, like all
others, liable to remit his care, by being subject to
sleep or death. The eye of his providence is upon
thee, and that is always open. " Behold, he that
keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

« r;

5. The Lord is thy keeper : the Lord is thy
shade upon thy right hand. 6. The sun shall not
smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."

The meaning is, that the good man, during his
journey through life, shall be under God's protec-
tion at all seasons; as Israel in the wilderness was
defended from the burning heat of the sun, by the

222

[Ps. 122.

moist and refreshing shadow of the cloud ; and se-
cured against the inclement influences of the noctur-
nal heavens, by the kindly warmth and splendour
diffused from the pillar of fire. Be thou with us,
thy servants, O Lord, in the world, as thou wast
with Israel in the wilderness ; suffer not our virtue
to dissolve before the sultry gleams of prosperity;
permit it not to be frozen by the chilling blast of
adversity.

" 7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul. 8. The Lord shall
preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this
time forth for evermore."

To dissipate our fears, and remove every ground
of diffidence, Jehovah promiseth, by his holy pro-
phet, to " preserve us from all evil," which might be-
fal us in the way, either by turning it aside, or
turning it finally to our advantage, so that we shall
not perish, but see our labours happily begun and
ended in him ; he " shall preserve our going out,
and our coming in," until, through all the vicissitudes
of this mortcil state, he shall have brought us into
his " holy temple," there to become " pillars," and
to " go no more out." Rev. iii. 12.

PSALM CXXIL

ARGUMENT. — The author of this Psalm, as we are informed
by its title, was David. The subject of it is, that joy which
the people were wont to express, upon their going up in com-
panies to keep a feast at Jerusalem, when the divine services
were regulated, and that city was appointed to be the place of
public worship. Eveiy thing which can be said upon this to-

Ps. 122.]

223

pic, must naturally hold good its application to the Christian
church, and the celebration of her feasts ; at which seasons the
believer will as naturally extend his thoughts to the Jerusalem
above, and to that festival which shall one day be there kept by
all the people of God.

" 1. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us
go into the house of the Lord."

Great was the joy of an IsraeUte, when his hreth-
ren called upon him to accompany them on some
festive occasion, to the tahernacle, or temple at Jeru-
salem; great is the joy of a Christian, when he is
invited, in like manner, to celebrate the feasts of the
church, to commemorate the nativity, or the resur-
rection, and to eat and drink at the table of his Lord.
Such, in kind, but far greater in degree, is that glad-
ness which the pious soul experiences, when she is
called hence; when descending angels say unto her,
Thy labour and sorrow are at an end, and the hour
of thy enlargement is come; put oft* mortality and
misery at once; quit thy house of bondage, and the
land of thy captivity; fly forth, and "let us go toge-
ther into the house of the Lord, not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens."

" 2. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O
Jerusalem !"

Yes, O thou holy and happy city of peace, and
love, and everlasting delight, our God will in time
bring us to behold, and to enter thee; " our feet,"
which now, with many a weary step, tread the earth,
" shall" one day " stand within thy gates," which are
opened to all believers; we shall at length rest in thy

224

LPs. 122.

celestial mansions, and converse for ever with thy
blest inhabitants !

" 3. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is com-
pact together."

We see thee not, indeed, as yet, but we hear of
thy stability, thy unity, thy beauty, and thy magni-
ficence. Thy foundations are firm upon the holy
hijls; they are garnished with all manner of precious
stones; and in them are the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb. Thy gates are of pearl,
twelve in number, and open to all quarters, for the
tribes of the spiritual Israel to come in. Thy streets
are of pure gold, as it were transparent glass; thou
art crowned with the unfading brightness of eternal
glory; and the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb,
are the temple in the midst of thee. All these glo-
rious things are spoken of thee, thou city of God!
And yet, when we come to see thee with our eyes,
we shall be forced to confess, as the queen of Sheba
did upon viewing the earthly Jerusalem, with its ma-
terial temple, and the court of its mortal king, that
thou far " exceedest the fame which we had heard,"
and that " the half was not told us." 1 Kings
X. 7.

*' 4. Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the
Lord, unto, or, according to, the testimony of Is-
rael, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord."

As all the " tribes" of Israel, three times in the
year, were seen " going up" to the old Jerusalem, in
compliance with the '* testimonies," the injunctions
and institutions of their law, to acknowledge the mer-

P5. 122.] 225

cies, and to give thanks unto the name of " Jehovah,"
vi^ho had done such great things for them; so from
the ends of the earth are the redeemed of the Lord,
out of every nation, and kindred, and people, con-
tinually ascending, by fiiith and charity, to the new
Jerusalem. St. John saw the nations of them that
were saved, walking in the light of the heavenly city,
and he heard her streets resound with the hallelu-
jahs of ten thousand times ten thousand.

*' 5. For there are set thrones of judgment, the
thrones of the house of David."

The Israelites resorted to Jerusalem, because it
was the metropolis of the country, and there was the
residence of their monarchs, after the kingdom was
established in "the house of David." But alas!
that metropolis is desolate, and " the thrones of
judgment," which were therein, have been long since
cast down to the ground. A Jerusalem, however,
remains, which shall never be moved; in that Jeru-
salem is the throne of eternal judgment erected, and
the Son of David sitteth upon it? Of him it was
said by the angel to Mary, ^' The Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David : and
he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and
of his kingdom there shall be no end:" Luke i. 32.
And he himself thus addressed his apostles : " Verily,
I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in
the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on
the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt.
xix. 28.

K 3

226

[Ps. 122.

" 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ; they shall
prosper that love thee."

In this latter part of our Psalm, the members of
the Israelitish church are exhorted to pray for its
peace and welfare. What that church was, the
Christian church militant upon earth now is, and de-
mandeth, in like manner, the prayers of all Christian
people for its peace and welfare in a troublesome and
contentious world. Its increase here below, is in
reality the increase of Jerusalem above, of which it
is a part, and ought to be a resemblance. Heaven
has therefore decreed, that they who contribute their
labours, as well as their prayers, to promote so good
and so glorious an end, shall enjoy its protection, and
its blessing shall be upon the work of their hands;
" They shall prosper that love thee."

" 7. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity,
or, plenteousness, within thy palaces."

Come, O thou divine Spirit of peace and love,
who didst reside in the soul of the holy Jesus, de-
scend into his mystical body, and fill us, who com-
pose it, with all his heavenly tempers; put an end to
heresies, heal all schisms, cause bitter contentions to
cease, abolish every enmity, and make us to be of
one mind in thy holy city; that so, "peace being
within her walls," her citizens may give themselves
to every profitable employment, and " plenteousness"
of grace, wisdom, and truth, as well as of earthly
blessings, may be in all her '' palaces." Thus will
she become a lively portrait of that place which is
prepared for them that love one another, where, with

Ps. 122.1 ^^7

one heart and one voice, they shall ascribe " salva-
tion and glory to God and to the Lamb."

" 8. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I
will now say, Peace be within thee. 9. Because of
the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy
good."

In these concluding verses, the Psalmist declareth
the two motives, which induced him to utter his best
wishes, and to use his best endeavours, for the pros-
perty of Jerusalem ; namely, love of his brethren,
whose happiness was involved in that of their city;
and love of God, who had there fixed the residence
of his glory. These motives are ever in force, and
ought, surely, to operate with marvellous energy
upon our hearts, to stir us up to imitate the pattern
now before us, in fervent zeal and unwearied labour,
for the salvation of men, and the glory of their great
Redeemer; both which will then be complete, when
the church militant shall become triumphant, and the
heavenly paradise shall be filled with plants taken
from its terrestrial nursery.

Theodore Zuinger, of whom some account may be
found in Thuanus, when he lay on his death-bed,
took his leave of the world, in a paraphrase on the
foregoing Psalm ; giving it the same turn with that
given to it above. I have never been able to get a
sight of the original;* but one may venture, I be-

* Since the publication of the first edition, a learned friend has
obliged me with a copy of these Latin verses of Zuinger, tran-

228 [Ps. 122.

lieve, to say, that it has lost nothing in a translation
of it by the late learned and pious Mr. Merrick ;
which is so excellent, that I must beg leave to pre-
sent it to the reader. Some of the lines are retain-
ed iniiis more literal poetical version, published in
1765. It may serve as a finished specimen of the
noble and exalted use which a Christian may, and
ought to make of the Psalms of David.

Bcribed from the SOSd page of Vitae Germanonim Mediconim, by
Melchior Adamus. They are as follow :
O lux Candida, lux mihi
Lffiti conscia transitus !
Per Christ! meritum patet

Vitse porta beatae.
Me status revocat dies
Augustam Domini ad domum :
Jam sacra setherii premam

Lsetus limina templi.
Jam visam Solymae edita
Ccelo culmina, et sedium
Ccetus angehcos, suo et

Augustam populo urbem :
Urbem quam procul infimis
Terrae finibus exciti
Petunt Christiadse, et Deum

Laudent voce perenni :
Jussam ccelitus oppidis
Urbem jus dare cseteris,
Et sedem fore Davidis

Cuncta in ssecla beati.
Mater nobilis urbium !
Semper te bona pax amat :
Et te semper amantibus

Cedunt omnia recte.
Semper pax tua mcenia
Colit ; semper in atriis
Tuis copia dextera

Larga munera fundit.
Dulcis Christiadum domus,
Civem ad scribe novitiiun :
Sola comitata Caritas —

^sque Fidesque yalete.

Ps. 122.1

229

PSALM cxxir.

1. Wliat joy, wliile thus I view the day
That warns my tliirstiiig soul away,

What transports fill my breast !
For, lo, my great Redeemer's power
Unfolds the everlasting door,

And leads me to his rest.

2. The festal morn, my God, is come,
Tliat calls me to the hallow'd dome,

Thy presence to adore ;
My feet the summons shall attend.
With willing steps thy courts ascend,

And tread the ethereal floor.

3. E'en now, to my expecting eyes,

The heav'n-built towers of Salem rise ;

E'en now, with glad survey,
I view her mansions that contain
The angelic forms, an aAvful train,

And shine with cloudless day.

4. Hither from earth's remotest end,
Lo, the redeem'd of God ascend,

Their tribute hither bring:
Here, crown'd with everlasting joy.
In hymns of praise their tongues employ,

And hail the immortal King :

5. Great Salem's King ; who bids each state
On lier decrees dependent wait ;

In her, ere time begun,
High on eternal base upreared.
His hands the regal seat prepared

For Jesse's favoured Son.

6. Mother of cities ! O'er thy head

See Peace, with healing wings outspread.

Delighted fix her stay.
How blest, who calls himself thy friend !
Success his labours shall attend,

And safety guard his way.

7. Tliy walls, remote from hostile fear.
Nor the loud voice of tumult hear,

230 [Ps. 123.

Nor war's wild wastes deplore ;
There smiling Plenty takes her stand,
And in thy courts, with lavish hand,

Has pour'd forth all her store.

Let me, blest seat, my name behold
Among thy citizens enroll' d,

In thee for ever dwell.
Let Charity my steps attend.
My sole companion and my friend,

And Faith and Hope faiewell !

PSALM CXXIII.

ARGUMENT.—This Psalm containeth, 1, 2. an act of confi-
dence in God, with 3, 4. a prayer for deliverance from that re-
proach and contempt v\hich infidelity and sensuality are wont
to pour upon the afflicted people of God.

" 1. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that
dwellest in the heavens."

The church, when distressed and persecuted upon
earth, " lifteth up her eyes to him that dwelleth in
the heavens," from thence beholding and ordering all
things here below. It is by his permission that she
is depressed and insulted; and he only can deliver
her out of the hands of her enemies.

** 2. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto
the hand of their masters, and^.s the eyes of a maiden
unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon
the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon
us."

The servants of God, like other servants, if they
are injured and suffer violence, expect redress and

Ps. 123.] 231

protection from the Master whose they arc, and whom
they serve. Under the law of Moses, a master was
to demand satisfaction, and to have it made him, for
any hurt done to his servant. And shall not the
best of masters avenge the wrongs done to those who
serve him; and done, perhaps, because they serve
him? Without doubt, he will avenge them speed-
ily, and reward the sufferers gloriously.

'' 3. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy
upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4.. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning
of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of
the proud."

Unbelieving, ungodly, and worldly men, who are
'' at ease," and boast themselves in the multitude of
their riches, will always be ready to cast upon the
afflicted servants of Christ some portion of that re-
proach and contempt, which were so plentifully pour-
ed upon their blessed Master, in the day of his pas-
sion, and indeed through his whole life. With these
tliey may justly complain that " their souls are ex-
ceedingly filled," insomuch that they are compelled
to exclaim with redoubled earnestness, " Have mercy
upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us." And let
them know, for their comfort, that the Lord will
" have mercy upon them" in that day, when sensua-
lity shall be succeeded by torment, and pride shall
end in shame and confusion; when patient poverty
shall inherit everlasting riches, and oppressed humi-
lity shall be exalted to a throne above the stars.

232 [Ps. 124,

PSALM CXXIV.

ARGUMENT. — In this Psalm, which, as we are informed by the
title, hath David for its author, the church describeth the dan-
ger in which she had been, and giveth to God alone the glory
of her deliverance out of it.

" 1. If it had not been the Lord who was on our
side, now may Israel say; 2. \iit had not been the
Lord was on our side, when men rose up against
us: 3. Then they had swallowed us up quick,
when their wrath was kindled against us."

The people of Israel rescued from impending
ruin, break forth into a joyful acknowledgment of
that almighty aid, to which they were indebted for
their deliverance. " Men" rose up against them,
but " Jehovah'* was on their side ; men intended to
devour, but God interposed to save. May not ** the
Israel of God" say, in like manner, " If the Lord
had not been on our side," when our spiritual ene*-
mies, sin, death, and hell, were in arms against us,
surely now " they had swallowed us up quick," and
we had perished everlastingly? It is thou, O Lord
Jesus, who has wrought for us this great salvation;
it is thou, who from the beginning hast preserved
thy church in the world, amidst the persecutions
which must otherwise have put an end to its very
existence.

*' 4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us; the
stream, oi\ torrent, had gone over our soul : 5. Then

P8. 124.] ^33

the proud, or, swelling, waters had gone over our
soul."

The redeemed are astonished, upon looking back,
at the greatness of the danger to which they had been
exposed. They can compare the fury and insolence
of their adversaries to nothing but overwhelming
floods and desolating torrents; and they consider
themselves as snatched by a miracle from instant de-
struction. Happy they, who are taken from the
evil to come, and have passed from the miseries of
earth to the felicities of heaven, where they are nei-
ther tempted nor molested more. The devout
Christian, whom in perilous times, and towards the
close of life, a gracious Providence has thrown ashore
in some sequestered corner, from whence he views
those secular tumults with which he hath no further
concern, is perhaps arrived at the next degree of hap-
piness to that of just spirits made perfect.

" 6. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us
as a prey to their teeth. 7. Our soul is escaped as
a bird out of the snare of the fowlers : the snare is
broken, and we are escaped."

The marvellous deliverance of Israel is illustrated
by two other images. It is compared to the escape
of a lamb from the jaws of a wolf, or a lion; and to
that of a bird, by the breaking of the snare, in which
it had been entangled, before the fowler came to
seize and to kill it. Save us, O God, from the rage
and the subtlety of our spiritual adversary; save us
from his teeth, when he would devour; from his
snares, when he would deceive; suffer us not, either

234

LPs. 125.

by persecution or temptation, to fall from thee; let
the lion gnash his teeth, and the fowler look for
his captive, in vain; that so we too may sing the song
of Zion, in thy heavenly kingdom, and say, " Bless-
ed be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a
prey unto their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird
out of the snare of the fowlers ; the snare is broken,
and we are escaped."

" 8. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who
made heaven and earth."

The great lesson which this Psalm, from the be-
ginning to the end, inculcates, is, that for every deli-
verance, whether of a temporal or spiritual nature, we
should, in imitation of the saints above, ascribe
" Salvation to God and to the Lamb."

PSALM CXXV.

ARGUMENT. — In this Psalm, the church is comforted with
tlie promises, 1, 2. of God's protection, and, 3. of his removing,
in due time, from his inheritance, the rod of the oppressor ;
when 4i. the faithful will be rewarded, and, 5. apostates punish-
ed with other workers of iniquity. Aben Ezra, as cited by Dr.
Hammond, applieth the Psalm to the days of Messiah.

" L They that trust in the Lord shall be as
mount Zion, which cannot be removed, bid abideth
for ever. 2. As the mountains are round about Jeru-
salem, so the Lord is round about his people from
henceforth, even for ever."

The stability of the church, and the protection af-
forded her by Jehovah, were of old represented by

Ps. 125.] ^S5

the mountain on winch the divine presence resided,
and by the hills which encompassed Jerusalem, so as
to render that city in a manner impregnable. While
her inhabitants continued to " trust in the Lord,"
this was the case. But when they became faithless
and disobedient, she became weak, and like another
city. Let not our " trust in God" be a presumptu-
ous, ungrounded assurance; but let it be a confidence
springing from faith unfeigned, out of a pure heart,
a good conscience, and fervent chnrity. Then
shall our situation, whether as a church, or as indi-
viduals, resemble that of the holy mount in the be-
loved city, and our God will be unto us a fortress,
and a wall round about. But let us never forget,
that the promises to us, like those to Israel, are con-
ditional: *' Because of unbelief they were broken off;
and we stand by faith."

" 3. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon
the lot of the righteous: lest the righteous put forth
their hands unto iniquity."

God may, and often doth, permit " the rod" or
power " of the wicked to fall upon the lot of the
righteous," in this world. But it is only for the
purposes of chastisement, or probation. The rod is
not suffered to *' rest," or abide there too long, lest
" the righteous," harassed and worn down by op-
pression, and seeing no end of their calamities, should
be tempted to " put their hands to iniquity," and
practise that wickedness, which they find to prosper
so well here below. The import of this verse seem-
eth to be the same with that of our Lord's predic-
tion concerning the troubles of the latter days. "Then

236

[Ps. 126.

sliall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be. And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved : but for the elect's
sake those days shall be shortened." Matt. xxiv.
21, 22.

" 4. Do good, O Lord, unto tliose that he good,
and to them that are upright in heart. 5. As for
such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the
Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of ini-
quity; hut peace shall he upon Israel."

The " good and upright in heart" are they who
stand steady in every cliange of circumstances: who
complain not of God's dispensations, but believing
every thing to be best which he ordains, adhere to
him with a will entirely conformed to his, in adver-
sity no less than in prosperity. To these Jehovah
will finally '' do good; and they shall receive the re-
ward of their faith and patience; while such as, in
time of trial, have fallen away, and returned no more,
shall be " led forth" to punishment " with the work-
ers of iniquity," to whose company their apostacy
hath joined them. And then, " peace shall be upon
the Israel of God," with joy and gladness for ever-
more.

PSALM CXXVL

Tn)enty-se'venth Day. — Evening Prayer,

ARGUMENT.— -In this Psalm, the children of Zion, 1—3. de-
scribe the joy consequent upon their restoration from captivi-
ty; 4<. they pray God to bring back the rest of their country-

Ps. ]26.] 237

men, and to complete his work ; 5, 6. tliey foresee and predict
tlie success of their labours in rebuilding their ruined city with
its temple, and cultivating again their desolated countr}'. The
return of Israel from Babylon holds forth a figure of the same
import with the exodus of that people from Egypt. And this
Psalm, like the prophecies of Isaiah, representeth the blessed
effects of a spiritual redemption, in words primarily alluding to
tliat temporal release.

" 1. When tlie Lord turned again the captivity
of Zion, we were like them that dream."

That Cyrus should issue a decree for the Jews to
return to their own country, and to rehuild their
city and temple ; that he should dismiss such a num-
ber of captives, not only without money and without
price, but should send them home laden with pre-
sents; Ezra i. 1 — 4. this was the work of Jehovah,
who only could thus " turn the captivity of Zion."
A restoration so complete, so strange and unlooked
for, brought about at once, without any endeavours
used on the side of Israel, seemed in all these re*
spects, as a " dream;" and the parties concerned, when
they saw and heard such things, could scarcely be-
lieve themselves to be awake. That the King of
kings, of his own mere love and mercy, should take
pity on poor mankind, in their more grievous capti-
vity under sin and death; that he should send his
only Son to purchase their liberty, his Spirit to en-
rich, and conduct them to their country above, and
his heralds to proclaim such unexpected deliverance
to all the world; this likewise was the work of tlie
same Jehovah, who only could thus " turn again the
captivity of his Zion." Sinners, when the tidings
of a salvation so great and marvellous are preached to

238 [Ps. 126.

them, think themselves in a " dream," and with dif-
ficulty give credit even to the royal proclamation,
though the great seal of heaven be affixed to it.

'' 2/. Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with singing: then said they among
the heathen. The Lord hath done great things for
them. 3. The Lord hath done great things for
us, 'w/ietrqfwe are glad."

The people of God soon find, that they are not
mocked with illusions, but that all about them is
reality and truth. Then sorrow and sighing, fear
and distrust, fly away together. Joy fills their
hearts, and overflows by their tongues, in songs of
praise. The nations hear, and are astonished, and
own the hand of Jehovah in the restoration of his
people ; " Jehovah hath done great things for them."
The chosen people echo back the gladsome sound,
and reply, with transports of gratitude, " Jehovah
hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."
Every word of this agreeth not more exactly to the
return from Babylon, than it doth to that eternal
redemption thereby prefigured, which is the grand
subject of thanksgiving in the Christian church.

''4. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the
streams in the south."

The joy occasioned by Cyrus' proclamation hav-
ing been described in the former part of the Psalm,
we may now suppose some of the Jews ready to set
out on their return home; at which time, and during
their journey, they prefer this petition to God, that
he would be pleased to bring back the rest of their

Ps. 126.1 239

countrymen, who, like " floods" rolling down upon
the thirsty regions of the " south,"* might people
the land, and by their labours put an end to the
desolations of Judah. That God would daily in-
crease the number of true converts from the world to
the church, to clear and cultivate the mystical vine-
yard, to build and to ornament the holy city, should
be the prayer of every labourer in that vineyard, of
every citizen in that city.

" 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing pre-
cious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
brinorino; his sheaves ^with liim»^

The fatigue of travelling from Babylon to Judea;
the melancholy prospect of a long-depopulated coun-
try, and ruined city; the toil necessary to be under-
gone, before the former could be again brought into
order, and the latter rebuilt; all these considerations
could not but allay the joy of the released captives,
and even draw many tears from their eyes. They
are therefore comforted with a gracious promise, that
God would give a blessing to the labours of their
hands, and crown them with success, so that they

* 1 think the image is taken from the " torrents" in the de-
serts to the south of Judea: in Idumaea, Arabia Petrsea, &c. a
mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up
in tlie summer; see Job vi. 17, 18. and as constantly "returned"
after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels.
The point of the comparison seems to be the " return" and re-
newal of these (not " rivers" but) " torrents;" which yearly
leave their beds dry, but fill them again ; as the Jews had left
their country desolate, but now " flowed again" into it. — Bishop
Lowth, in 3Ierrick's Annotations. — Dr. Durell renders this verse
as follows — " The turning of oiu" captivity, O Lord, is as streams
in the south."

240

[Ps. 126.

should once more see Jerusalem in prosperity, and
behold in Zion the beauty of holiness. This pro-
mise is conveyed under images borrowed from the
instructive scenes of agriculture. In the sweat of
his brow the husbandman tills his land, and casts
the seed into the ground, where, for a time, it lies
dead and buried. A dark and dreary winter suc-
ceeds, and all seems to be lost. But at the return
of spring, universal nature revives, and the once-
desolate fields are covered with corn, which, when
matured by the sun's heat, the cheerful reapers cut
down, and it is brought home with triumphant
shouts of joy. Here, O disciple of Jesus, behold
an emblem of thy present labour, and thy future re-
ward. Thou " sowest," perhaps, " in tears," thou
doest thy duty amidst persecution and affliction,
sickness, pain, and sorrow; thou labourest in the
church, and no account is made of thy labours; no
profit seems likely to arise from them. Nay, thou
must thyself drop into the dust of death, and ali
the storms of that winter must pass over thee, until
thy form shall be perished, and thou shalt see cor-
ruption. Yet, the day is coming, when thou shalt
" reap in joy;" and plentiful shall be thy harvest.
For thus thy blessed Master " went forth weeping,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, bear-
ing precious seed," and sowing it around him, till
at length his own body was buried, like a grain of
wheat, in the furrow of the grave. But he arose,
and is now in heaven; from whence he " shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing," with the voice
of the archangel and the trump of God, " bringing
his sheaves with him." Then shall every man re-
ceive the fruit of his works, and have praise of God.

Pa. 127.] 241

PSALM CXXVII.

ARGUMENT. — If this Psalm were w-ritten by Solomon, or by
David for Solomon, as the title importeth, it was probably
used again at the time of rebuilding the city and temple, after
the return from Babylon. But indeed it is a Psalm which can
never be out of season, the design of its author being to teach
us the necessity of dependence upon God and his blessing, in
every work to which we set our hands. What is said with re-
gSLTd to an earthly house, city, and family, extendeth also to
the spiritual house, city, and family of Christ, which are now,
what Jerusalem, the temple, and the people of Israel, were in
old time.

" 1. Except the Lord build the house, they
labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep
the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

In every undertaking, the blessing of God must
accompany the labours of man, to render them ef-
fectual. No work can prosper without Him, nor
can any design miscarry under his favour and pro-
tection, which are equally necessary to be obtained
by the builder in time of peace, and by the soldier
in time of war. But they, above all men, ought to
implore the divine grace and benediction, who are'
employed either in building or defending the spiri-
tual house and city of God; especially as the same
persons, like the Jews after the captivity, surrounded
by enemies always ready to obstruct the work, are
often obliged to hold a sword in one hand, while
they build with the other. Our own edification in
faith and holiness must likewise be carried on by us
in this attitude, by reason of the many temptations

Vol, III.. L

242

[Ps. 127.

which are continually assailing us. It may also be
remarked, that both Solomon and Zerubbabel had
vainly laboured to construct the first or the second
material temple, unless Jehovah himself had built
the true house for the reception of his glory, that is
to say, the temple of Christ's body, and, after it
was fallen down, had reared it again by a resurrec-
tion from the dead.

"2. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up
late, to eat the bread of sorrows : ybr so he giveth
his beloved sleep."

The Psalmist doth not, certainly, intend to say,
that labour and diligence are vain, but that they are
so, except the Lord be with the labourer: the busi-
ness is not to be done by all the industry and pains,
all the carking and caring in the world, without Him;
whereas, if his aid be called in, if part of our time
be spent in prayer, not the whole of it in prayerless
toiling and moiling, our work will become easier, and
go on better; a solicitude and anxiety for its success
and completion will no longer prey upon our minds
by day, and break our rest at night; we shall cheer-
fully fulfil our daily tasks, and then, with confidence
and resignation, lay our heads upon our pillows,
and God will " mve to his beloved" a sweet and
undisturbed " sleep," which shall fit them to return
every morning, with renewed vigour and alacrity,
to their stated employments. This seemeth to be the
import of the verse. An obscurity has been occa-
sioned in the translations, by rendering the adverb
rs so; so he giveth his beloved " sleep;" in which
form, this last part of the verse will not connect

Ps. 127.] 243

with what goes before. But if iD be translated,
like its kindred particle, TDK, " surely* he giveth
his beloved sleep;" or, as Dr. Hammond renders it,
** since he giveth his beloved sleep;" the difficulty
will vanish, and the sense appear to be as above.
Nor can we easily find a more profitable piece of in-
struction, with regard to the management of all our
concerns, temporal and spiritual.

" 3. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord;
and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

The labours of mankind, first in building houses
and cities, and then in guarding and securing their
possessions, are undergone, not with a view to them-
selves alone, but to their families, which they would
establish and perpetuate. The Psalmist, therefore,
in the preceding verses, having taught men to expect
a happy settlement only from the favour of Jehovah,
now directs them to look up to him for the farther
blessing of a numerous and virtuous progeny. He
can in a moment blast the most fruitful stock, or he
can " make the barren woman to keep house, and to
become a joyful mother of children." " Lo, chil-
dren are an heritage of Jehovah," an heritage which
he bestows on those who fear him; " the fruit of
the womb is a reward" conferred by him, where he
sees it will be a blessing indeed, upon faithful and
pious parents. St. Paul calls the converts made by
his ministry, his " children ;" and all believers are
the children of Christ, the " heritage" given him

♦ This is the second of the senses given to this particle by
Noldius, who cites, in confirmation of it, 1 Sam. ix. 13. 1 Kings
XX. 40.

L2

244 [Ps. 127.

by his Father, the " reward" of his righteous life,
and meritorious death; as it is written, " I will give
thee the heathen for thine inheritance." '* He
shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be sa-
tisfied." Psalm ii. 8. Isaiah liii. 11.

" 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth."

Children, when well educated, are like so many
'^ arrows in the hand of a strong man;" ready winged
with duty and love, to fly to the mark; polished and
keen, to grace and maintain the cause of their parents,
to defend them from hostile invasions, and instantly
to repel every assailant. The Apostles and first
Christians were arrows in the hand of Messiah, with
which he encountered his enemies, and subdued the
nations to the faith. When, by the splendour of
their sanctity, the power of their miracles, and the
efficacy of their preaching, they pierced the hearts
of thousands and ten thousands, what were they
but " arrows in the hand of, Ti:), the Mighty One?"
And, in this instance likewise, it may truly be said,
that no well-nurtured son of Christ and the church
will hear his father dishonoured, or despise his mo-
ther when she is old.

" 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full
of them : they shall not be ashamed, but they shall
speak with the enemies in the gate."

In a house full of dutiful children consisteth the
happiness of their parents, who then can never want
friends; friends that will at no time be " ashamed,"
but will at all times rejoice to appear for them to

Ps. 127.] 245

meet their " enemies" and accusers " in the crate,"
or place of judgment;* " there to answer any char^re
against them, to vindicate them in their persons, tlieir
good name, or their property. It is a glorious sight
to behold children thus standing forth in the defence
of their parents. In the multitude of true believers
consist the glory of Christ, and the riches of the
church. How forward were the primitive Christians
to meet the enemies of these their spiritual parents
" in the gate ;" how ready, in their cause, to speak
openly, and, having witnessed a good confession, to
die by the hand of the executioner ! Therefore shall
they not be ashamed at the judgment of the last day,
but shall then stand with great boldness before the
face of such as have afflicted, persecuted, and tor-
mented them. For their heavenly Father will then
be their Judge, and will own, in his turn, the cause
of his dutiful children, who for his sake endured
tribulation, and loved not their lives unto the death.
Confusion shall overwhelm the accuser of the breth-
ren, with all the instruments of his malice; but
glory, honour, and immortality, shall be given to
the children of God.

* Mr. Merrick observes, that the gate was sometimes the seat
of war, as well as the place of j udicature. " Then was war
in the gates : " Judges v. 8. He mentions a remarkable Cliinese
proverb : " When a son is born into a family, a bow and arrow
are hung before the gate."

246 [ps. 12a

PSALM CXXVIII.

ARGUMENT. — This Psalm containeth a promise made to him
who, 1. feared Jehovali, and walked in his ways, that he should
be blessed, 2. in his person, and, 3, 4. in his family, and that
he should see the good of Jerusalem. The Psalm was> pro-
bably, sung at the marriages of the Israelites, as it is now a
part of the matrimonial service among us. In its prophetical
and exalted sense, it hath respect to the person, marriage,
family, and city, of Messiah.

" 1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord:
that walketh in his ways."

Happiness belongeth not to the rich, the power-
ful, and the prosperous, as such; but in every state
and condition, blessed is the man that " feareth
Jehovah," that so feareth him as to obey him, and
to " walk in his ways," notwithstanding all the ob-
structions he may meet with from the world, the
flesh, and the devil. Blessed above all the sons of
men, and the author of blessing to them all, was
the man Christ Jesus, because above them all, and
for them all, he feared, he loved, and he obeyed.

" 2. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands:
happy shalt thou he, and it shall be well with thee."

The person is here beautifully changed, and to the
man who feareth Jehovah is addressed an enumera-
tion of those blessings which shall attend him. He
is to " eat the labour of his hands," that is, the fruit,
or returns of his labours. Hereby it is implied, that
he is not to be idle, but to " labour," that he may

Ps. 128.] 247

eat; that he is not to be niggardly, but to " eat,'*
when he has laboured ; that he is neither to be un-
just, by living upon the labours, nor enslaved, by
depending upon the bounty, of others, but to eat of
" his own" labours; and that he, whose labours pro-
cure him a sustenance, hath enough to be " blessed'*
and happy. " Happy shall thou be, and it shall be
well with thee;" every thing shall happen, which
God seeth to be best for thee in this life, and (as
saith the Chaldee Pharaphrast on the place) ** it shall
be good to thee in the world to come." The glory
of Christ, and the salvation of mankind, were the
fruits of his actions and his sufferings in the days of
his flesh; so that, in the enjoyment of them, he
doth no more than " eat of the labours of his hands;"
or, to use the words of Isaiah, " he seeth of the
travail of his soul, and is satisfied." Before he went
hence, he took comfort in the reflection, " I have
glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do:" John xvii. 4. Happy
shalt thou be, O Christian, and it shall be well with
thee, if at thy latter end thou shalt be able to draw
comfort from the same consideration.

" 3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the
sides of thine house: thy children like olive-plants
round about thy table."

Marriage was ordained by God to complete the
felicity of man in a state of innocence ; and the be-
nediction of heaven will ever descend upon it, when
undertaken in " fear of the Lord." The vine, a
lowly plant, raised with tender care, becoming, by
its luxuriancy, its beauty, its fragrance, and its clus-

248

[Ps. 128;

fers, the ornament and glory of the house to which
it is joined, and by which it is supported, forms the
finest imaginable emblem of a fair, virtuous, and
faithful wife. The olive-trees planted by the inha-
bitants of the eastern countries around their tables,
or banqueting places in their gardens,* to cheer the
eye by their verdure, and to refresh the body by their
cooling shade, do no less aptly and significantly set
forth the pleasure which parents feel, at the sight
of a numerous and flourishing offspring. As mar-
riage was from the beginning intended to represent
the mystical union between Christ and his church,
which union is spoken of in matrimonial language,
through the Scriptures both of the Old and New
Testament, we need but extend our view, to behold,
under the imagery of the vine and the olive-plants,
the prolific spouse of Messiah, and the children of
peace assembled round the table of their heavenly
Father. See Psalm Ixxx. 8. Rom. xi. IT.

" 4. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed
that feareth the Lord."

Are temporal blessings, then, the reward of piety?
They are not its only, or chief reward, but are
often " added," even under the new dispensation,
to those who " first seek the kingdom of God, and

* This is Bishop Patrick's idea. The learned and ingenious
Mr. Harmer, in his very valuable " Observations on divers Pas-
sages of Scripture," (Vol. I. p. 197, 2d edit.) disapproves of it:
as, he says, " we find no such arbours in the Levant, nor is the
tree verj-^ proper for the purpose." He thinks, tlierefore, the
" table" refers to the " children" only, and not to the " olives."
But Mr. Merrick, in his Annotations, produces some very good
arguments on the side of Bishop Patrick.

Ps. 128.] 249

his righteousness." When they are withhoklen, or
withdrawn, it is for the security or increase of tliose
more valuahle hlessings which are spiritual. There
are times, when father, motlier, brethren, sisters,
wife, children, and lands, must be given up for
Christ's and the Gospel's sake. But ample amends
are promised to be made to all who thus part with
earthly relations and possessions. They find in the
church other fixthers, mothers, brethren, sisters,
children, 8cc. and at the resurrection they will " in-
herit all things," Rev. xxi. 7. and brighter coronets
of glory shall sparkle from their heads. The Scrip-
tures show us the servants of God in every state and
condition; we view them rich and poor, honoured
and despised, sick and in health, married and single,
childless and otherwise, in prosperity and in adver-
sity; to teach us, that all things work together for
good to them who love God: so that the believer
hath comfort always. If temporal blessings be
granted him, he accepteth them as shadows of those
which are eternal ; if they are denied, he remember-
eth that they are only shadows, and are therefore
denied, that he may fix his thoughts and affections
more firmly on the substance.

*' 5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion:
and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem, all the
days of thy life. 6. Yea, thou shalt see thy chil-
dren's children, and peace upon Israel."

Every true Israelite rejoiceth in the prosperity of
Zion; a blessing upon the church diffuseth itself to
all the members thereof; and the good of Jerusalem,
with peace upon Israel, is all the good we can desire

L 3

250 [Ps. 129.

to see upon earth. Hereafter we shall see greater
things than these. Jehovah from the heavenly Zion
will bless us with the vision of his immortal glory;
we shall see the good of the new Jerusalem, the
wealth, beauty, and majesty of that holy city; we
shall see the generations of the faithful walking in
the light of it; with that everlasting peace and rest,
which remain for the Israel of God. These are the
blessings promised to Messiah, and to his seed, for
evermore.

PSALM CXXIX.

ARGUMENT.— In the former part of this Psalm, 1 — 4*. the
church declareth lierself to have been often assailed and per-
secuted by her enemies, but as often rescued and preserved
by Jehovah ; in the latter part of it, 5 — 8. she predicteth the
miserable end of all those who hate Zion.

" 1. Many a time have they afflicted me from my
youth, may Israel now say: 2. Many a time have
they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not
prevailed against me."

Affliction is nothing new to the people of God.
Many a time have the righteous been under perse-
cution, from the hour when Cain rose up against his
brother Abel, to this day. Like the bush which
Moses beheld in the desert, the church " hath burn-
ed with lire," but is not yet " consumed;" and for
the same reason, because God is in the midst of her.*

* Ecclesia jam inde ab initio in Abel, in Enoch, in Noe, in
Abraham, in Lot, in ^gyptiaca servitute, in Moyse, et Prophetis,
graves perpessa inimicos; dicit ilia quidem saepe a juventute se

Ps. 129.]

S51

He who took our nature upon him, was also " af-
flicted from his youth," hut his enemies " prevailed
not finally against him." And it is ohservable, that
what God spake, by his prophet Hosea, concerning
Israel, " When Israel was a child, then I loved
him, and called my son out of Egypt," is by St.
Matthew applied to Christ ; " Joseph took the young
child and his mother by night, and departed into
Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet. Out of Egypt have I called my son:" Matt,
ii. 14. Hos. xi. 1. The truth is, that there sub-
sisted between Christ and the church a union like
that between the head and the members of the same
body; they are therefore called by the same name,
Israel, and what is said concerning one, frequently
admitteth of an application to the other. He be-
came like us by taking our nature, and we become
like him by receiving his grace. Our sufferings are
accounted as his; and his righteousness spoken of
as ours.

" 3. The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they
made lonff their furrows. 4. The Lord is ri^hte-
ous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked."

The former of these two verses expresseth a state
of great affliction, the latter, a deliverance from that
state. The word lynn, which signifies to dig, or
cut the ground, and so, to plough, is also used simply
for cutting, carving, or graving; see Exod. xxxv. 33.

fuisse oppugnatam ; nihilo tamen secius pervenisse ad seiiectutem,
ac ne in senectute quidem opprimi posse. Victus enim qui saevie-
bat, vicit qiii sufferebat. Bossuet.

2,5^

[Ps. 129.

Jerem. xvii. 1. Being here applied to the back
of captives, and cords having been the instruments
of it, in all reason it is to be understood of scourging,
which cuts, and, as it were, digs, and ploughs, and
makes furrows in the flesh: and the longfer the cords
of the scourges are, the longer are the wounds and
furrows. For our sakes, he who knew no sin,
'' gave his back to the smiters," Isa. 1. 6. and per-
mitted those " ploughers to make long their furrows
upon it." But " the righteous Lord cut asunder
the cords of the wicked;" vengeance overtook the
wretched instruments of his sufferings; and the per-
secutors of his servants shall perish in like manner,
as the Psalmist proceedeth to assure us in the verses
following.

" 5. Let them all, or, they all shall, be con-
founded and turned back that hate Zion."

Since the ways of God are equal, the destruction
which hath lighted on former persecutors of the
church affordeth an assurance, that all, in every age,
who hate Zion, shall, at the day of final retribu-
tion, if not before that day, feel the weight of his
arm, who is the Saviour, the King, and the God
of Zion.

" 6. Let them, or, they shall, be as the grass
upo?i the house-tops, which withereth afore it groweth
up; Heb, is pulled up:* 7. Wherewith the mower
filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his
bosom. 8. Neither do they which go by say, The

* Mr. Harmer takes the idea of the Psalmist to be, " Which
wthereth before it unsheaths its ear." Observ. 11. 463.

Ps. 129.1

^53

blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in
the name of the Lord."

The transient prosperity of mortal man is often in
sacred writ compared to grass, the history of which
is contained in these few words, " It cometh up, and
is cut down." But here the comparison is carried
still farther. Not the common grass in the field, but
" grass growing on the house-tops," is selected to
convey the idea of bad men; grass, which having
no depth of earth, into which it may strike its roots,
doth not wait the hand of the gatherer, but " wi-
thereth" even " before it is plucked up." And
then, so thin, so wretched, and so unprofitable, is
the crop, that none are employed to collect and carry
it in; none to whom passengers might address those
acclamations and salutations, customary at such times,
as " The Lord be with you — The Lord bless you,"
&c. Ruth ii, 4. Thus, while the felicity of Zion's
children is rooted and grounded in Christ, that of her

&

enemies hath no foundation at all. While the church
subsisteth from generation to generation, the king-
doms and empires, that have persecuted her, fade and
wither away of themselves. And at the general
harvest of the world, when the righteous shall be
carried by angels, with joyful acclamations, into the
mansions prepared for them above, the wicked, un-
regarded by the heavenly reapers, and unblessed by
all, shall become fuel for a fire that goeth not out;
resembling, in this their sad end, likewise, that
worthless grass, " which to-day is, and to-morrow is
cast into the oven."

254 [Ps. 130.

PSALM CXXX.

ARGUMENT. — This is the sixth of those which are styled
" Penitential Psalms." It is calculated for the use of the
church, or any member thereof; and containeth, 1, 2. a com-
plaint of great distress ; 3. a confession of man's sinfulness ;
4—8. an act of faith in the divine mercy, and the promised
redemption.

" 1. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee,
O Lord. 2. Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears
be attentive to the voice of my suppHcations."

From the depths of sin, and the misery occasioned
by sin, the penitent, like another Jonas, entombed in
the whale's belly, and surrounded by all the waves
of the ocean, crieth unto God for help and salvation.
Fervent prayer will find its way, through every ob-
struction, to the ears of him who sitteth upon his
holy hill. And may not the bodies of the faithful,
buried in the dust, be said to cry out of the depths
of the grave, for a joyful resurrection, according to
the promise and the pattern of Christ, who, after
three days, came forth from the heart of the earth,
as Jonas did from the belly of the whale?

" 3. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities,
O Lord, who shall stand?"

A reason is here urged, why God should spare
and pardon the suppliant, namely, because, was he
accurately to note the offences of the best men, and
to produce them in judgment against the offenders,
no man could stand in that judgment, but the whole

Ps. 130.]

255

race of Adam must continue to eternity under the
dominion of sin and death ; which a gracious and
merciful God will not permit to be the case. It is
accordingly declared, in the next verse, that mea-
sures had been taken to prevent so deplorable a
catastrophe.

" 4. But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou
mayest be feared."

True repentance is founded upon the sense of our
own wretchedness, and faith in the divine mercy.
Without the former, we should never seek for par-
don and grace; without the latter, we should despair
of finding them. The Psalmist, therefore, having
in the three preceding verses expressed the one,
now maketh profession of the other. " There is
forgiveness with thee ;" thou wilt not " mark ini-
quities," or leave us to the rigours of strict justice,
but thou hast devised means that we perish not for
ever : thou hast provided an atonement, and in vir-
tue of that atonement, the sinner may obtain pardon;
he need not, therefore, reject thy service, and cast
himself away in despair, but is encouraged to serve
thee acceptably through faith, with godly fear:
" there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest
be feared." Or the meaning may be. Thou forgivest
man, that so, being restored to thy favour, and en-
dued with thy grace, he may henceforth fear, or
serve thee, as it becomes one who hath obtained
mercy to do.

" 5. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and
in his word do I hope, 6. My soul xamtet/i for the

Q56

[Ps. 130.

Lord, more than they that watch for the morning:
/ 5«j/, more than they that watch for the morning."

The repetitions here do beautifully express that
ardent desire which the contrite soul hath for the
salvation of God. Dr. Hammond seemeth to have
given the true construction of ver. 6. ^^TN^a ""U^S,
" My soul to the Lord, that is, riseth, com^th, or
hasteneth to the Lord, npib iZ3n72^>3, from the
morning watches, that is, from the time when they
hasten to their watches; in other words, the guards
every morning that hasten to their watches, are not
earlier than I am in my daily addresses to God.
Who these watches or guards of the morning are,
the Chaldee hath best expressed: They that observe
the morning watches, that they may oflper their morn-
ing oblation; that is, the priests which in their turns
ofl&ciated; or rather, some officers of theirs, which
were peculiarly appointed from a tower to expect
the first appearance of break of day." With such
earnestness did the ancient church expect the ap-
pearance of that day-spring from on high, which was,
in the fulness of time, to visit the world. With
equal earnestness have the faithful since looked out
for the dawning of that last morning, which is to
abolish sin, and put an end to sorrow.

" 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the
Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous re-
demption. 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all
his iniquities, o/*, sins."

These verses are perfectly evangelical. The
church of Israel was exhorted to " hope" in Jeho-
vah, because with him there was " mercy, and plen-

I>s. 131.] 257

teous redemption." And of what nature was that
redemption? A redemption from sin: " He shall
redeem Israel from all his sins;" consequently from
all trouble and misery, which are but the effects of
sin, and will cease when their cause shall be finally
taken away. Now, what is this but the Gospel it-
self? Or where is the difference between this of
the Psalmist, " He shall redeem Israel from all his
sins," and that of the Evangelist, " Thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
THEIR SINS?" Matt. i. 21. The Israel of God, or
church universal, " hoping" in the same "mercy" and
the same " plenteous redemption," expecteth the
full accomplishment of this gracious promise, at the
second advent of her Saviour, when the penalty of
sin shall be taken off^ and death be swallowed up ia
victory.

PSALM CXXXI.

ARGUMENT. — This Psalm containeth, 1, 2. a description of
true humility, and resignation to the will of God, with, 3. an
exliortation to the practice thereof. It is most probably a
Psalm of David, and is eminently applicable to Messiah, in
his state of humiliation on earth. Happy would it be for
tlie world, if all his disciples could imbibe the spirit of this short
but lovely Psalm, and copy after the example which it setteth
before tliem.

" 1. Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine
eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great
matters, or in things too high for me."

Pride beginneth in the " heart," and discovereth
itself in the " eyes," the countenance, and the car-

258

[Ps. 131.

riage; thinking nothing " too high for it," it is
always aiming at still " greater matters," scheming to
be at the top of earthly grandeur; and, when there,
restless because it can go no further. Of this dis-
position the Son of David, like his father and repre-
sentative of old, was by his enemies affirmed to be:
he was accused of affijcting the sovereignty, and
therefore hunted and persecuted even to the death.
But how truly do these words of the Psalmist deli-
neate his real character! He was not " haughty,"
but " meek and lowly in heart;" his " eyes" were
not " lofty," but kindly regarded the meanest ob-
ject that presented itself to them; he looked not to
" great matters," and " high things," but chose
to be, and to be esteemed, the least and lowest of
all.

" 2. Surely I have behaved, or, subdued, and
quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mo-
ther: my soul is even as a weaned child."

A child newly weaned mourneth because of the
favourite aliment which is withdrawn from him, but,
depending absolutely on the mother for every thing,
learneth to acquiesce in her treatment of him, and
quietly to accept what it shall please her to give.
Such was the humble resignation of the Lamb of
God to the will of his heavenly Father, under the
severest dispensations, when even the divine pre-
sence, and that support which it afforded, seemed to
have been withdrawn: " Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit!" Who then can expect to
enter into the kingdom of heaven, '' except he be
converted, and become as a little child !" Matt,
xviii. 3.

Ps. 132.] ^9

" 3. Let Israel hope in the Lord from hence-
forth and for ever."

After the example, therefore, of the King of Is-
rael, who thus demeaned himself in his afflictions,
lowly, contented, and resigned, casting all his care
upon the Father who cared for him, and patiently
waiting his time for deliverance and salvation; after
this their example and pattern, let his faithful peo-
ple hope and trust, not in themselves, their wisdom,
or their power, but in Jehovah alone, who will not
fail to exalt them, as he hath already exalted their
Redeemer, if they do but follow his steps.

PSALM CXXXIL

Tvoenty-eighth Day. — Morning Prayer,

ARGUMENT.— This is one of the Proper Psalms, which the
church hath appointed to be used on Christmas-day. It con-
taineth, 1 — 5. a petition that Jehovah would be mindful of the
zeal shown by his servant David, in preparing a place for his
habitation ; 6. the exultation of the faithful upon hearing the
glad tidings, that God would dwell among them ; and, 7. their
resolution to worship at the place which he had chosen for that
purpose ; 8 — 10. an address to Jehovah, used by Solomon at
tlie dedication of the temple, whence some have thought him
to have been the author of the Psalm; 11 — 18. the substance
of God's promises made to DaTid and to his seed. The whole
Psalm is perfectly well adapted to the festival of the incarna-
tion, as the following comment will, it is hoped, abundantly
demonstrate.

" \. Lord, remember David, and all his afflic-
tions."

Israel beseecheth Jehovah to be mindful of those

260

[Ps. 132.

sorrows and sufiPerings, which had been undergone
by his servant David, ere he attained to the throne,
and estabUshed the ancient church in the beauty of
hoHness. That God would " remember" the far
greater " afflictions" sustained for our sake by Mes-
siah in the days of his humiUation, when, through
much tribulation, he accomplished our redemption,
and entered into his glory, is the petition preferred,
in these words, by us Christians.

*' 2. How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed
unto the mighty God of Jacob; 3. Surely I will not
come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up in-
to my bed; 4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or
slumber to mine eyelids, 5. Until I find out a place
for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of
Jacob."

In all circumstances and situations, David was so-
licitous for the tabernacle and service of God. Of
the oath and vow here mentioned, we have, indeed,
no account in the sacred history; but we read, 2
Sam. vii. 2, of the uneasiness which he expressed to
Nathan the prophet, at the thought of his dwelling
in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God dwelt only
within the curtains of a tent. Nay, we find by
1 Chron. xvi. 43. that he did not bless, and conse-
quently did not inhabit, his own house, until he had
brought the ark to Zion, where the temple was after-
wards erected. He could take neither pleasure nor
rest, until a place was prepared for the residence of
Jehovah in the midst of his people; and from thence-
forth he gave himself, with unwearied diligence, to
lay in a plentiful store of the most costly materials.

Ps. 132.] 261

silver, gold, and precious stones, which were em-
ployed by his son and successor Solomon, in con-
structing the magnificent and mystic edifice. Thus,
in the covenant of grace, did the Son of God engage
not to take possession of his heavenly palace, nor to
enter into his eternal rest, until he had prepared upon
the earth a place for the residence of the Lord; a
building framed of materials more precious than gold
and silver, more bright and beautiful than rubies,
emeralds, and diamonds. All this was planned and
executed by one and the same person, who first suf-
fered in meekness and patience, like David, then
reigned in glory and peace, like Solomon. The be-
liever should spare no pains, no time, no thought,
to find out and prepare in his heart an habitation for
the God of Jacob, since our Lord hath graciously
vouchsafed to make this general promise to us all,
** If a man love me, my Father will love him, and
we will come unto him, and make our abode with
him." John xiv. 23.

"6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah; we found it
in the fields of the wood."

In other words, as Bishop Patrick hath paraphras-
ed this verse, " And now, behold, the Lord himself,
to our great joy, hath told us the very place where
he will fix his habitation, 1 Chron. xxi. 18, 26. in
the territory of Bethlehem Ephratah,* Gen. xxxv.
13, 19. in the fields of that forest, where the angel
stood and directed David to build an altar to the

* Jenisalem, as Mr. Merrick observes from Geierus, being situ-
ated not far from Bethlehem, might be comprehended in the re-
gion of Ephratah ; or rrnnsKn may be rendered "near Epliratah.'*

262

[Ps. 132.

Lord:" 1 Chron. xxi. 18. xxii. 1. Bethlehem
Ephratah was the city of David; it was likewise the
city wherein the Son of David was born, as the pro-
phet Micah had foretold: " And thou, Bethlehem,
in the land of Judah, art not the least among the
cities of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Gover-
nor, that shall rule my people Israel," Micah v. 2.
cited by the chief priests and scribes to Herod, Matt,
ii. 6. Christians, as well as Jews, may therefore
say, and upon the festival of Christ's nativity, using
this Psalm, they do say, " Lo, we heard of it at
Ephratah;" for there the angel first proclaimed the
news of the incarnation to the shepherds: "Behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people ; for unto you is born this day, in the
city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord :"
Luke ii. 10. There was "found" the true taber-
nacle and temple, " not made with hands, the place
for Jehovah, the habitation for the mighty God of
Jacob."

" 7. We will go into his tabernacles : we will
worship at his footstool."

If this were the resolution of the Israelites, who
saw the incarnation only in type and figure, how
much more ought it to be ours, who live since the
accomplishment of that which was foreshown ; since
the Word, made flesh, hath dwelt upon the earth,
and the church hath been erected among the nations?
If they worshipped the God of Israel, who then
dwelt in the holy of holies between the cherubim,
shall not we worship the same divine person, who,
though ascended up on high above all heavens, yet

Ps. 132.]

263

hath assured us, that where two or three are gather-
ed together in his name, there is he in the midst of
them ?

" 8. Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and
the ark of thy strength."

When the ark marched before the children of Is-
rael, to find out a resting-place, it is recorded,
Numb. X. 35, 36. that Moses said, " Rise up, Je-
hovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let
them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it
rested, he said, Return, or bring back, the many
thousands of Israel." The verse before us was
used, with the two succeeding verses, by Solomon,
as the conclusion of his prayer at the dedication of
the temple, 2 Chron. vi. 41. The purport of the
petition, therefore, was, that the presence of Jehovah
might rest upon Zion, and dwell in the house pre-
pared for it, as the same presence hath since dwelt
in Christ, and is to be with the Christian church to
the end of the world.

'* 9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteous-
ness; and let thy saints shout with joy."

The ark being placed in the temple, prayer is next
made for the ministers of religion, that they might,
through grace, be invested with righteousness as with
a garment, and be both covered and adorned with
a robe of inviolable sanctity; that spiritual joy might
fill their hearts, and break forth in songs of praise to
the Lord God of Israel. Let not those who have
obtained the evangelical priesthood, be exceeded by
the sons of Levi, in holiness and alacrity.

264

[Ps. 132.

" 10. For thy servant David's sake, turn not away
the face of thine anointed,"

Solomon beseecheth God, for the sake of his fa-
vourite servant David, and the promises made to him
and his seed, that he would not deny the request
of David's son, now '* anointed" to he king over Is-
rael, and, by so doing, confound, put him to shame,
or " turn away his face." That this is the mean-
ing of the phrase, is plain from 1 Kings ii. 16. where
Adonijah says to Bathsheba, " And now I ask one
petition of thee, deny me not;" in the Hebrew,
" turn not away my face." A Christian asketh no-
thing but in the name, and for the sake, of the Son
of David, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom all the
promises are Yea and Amen, and in whom whoso-
ever believeth shall never be confounded, or denied
that which it is really good and profitable for him to
receive.

*' 11. The Lord hath sworn iii truth unto Da-
vid, he will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body
will I set upon thy throne."

That this is a prophecy of Messiah, we have the
authority of St. Peter to say; Acts ii. 30. " David,
being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn
with an oath to him, that of the fruit] of his loins, ac-
cording to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit
on his throne," &c. This promise to David occurs,
2 Sam. vii. 12. and hath a twofold sense, relating to
Solomon in type and shadow, to Christ in truth and
substance. See more on Ps. Ixxxix. 3, 4.

"12. K thy children will keep my covenant, and

Ps. 132.]

265

my testimony that I sliall teach them, their children
shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."

The promises of God to Christ are absolute; but
to his " cliildrcn," as well as those of David, they are
conditional ; so that our interest in tliem dcpendeth
on our faith, our obedience, our perseverance. " Be-
hold," saith St. Paul, " the goodness and severity
of God: on tliem which fell, severity; but towards
thee, goodness, if thou continue in that goodness;
otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off." Rom. xi. 22.

'' 13. For the Lord hath chosen Zion ; he hath
desired it for his habitation. 14. This is my rest
for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it."

How ineffable is the love of God to man, that he
should use such expressions as these concerning his
church ! He is pleased to say that it is his desire
to dwell with us; yet how little do we desire to dwell
with him ! In Zion he fixed his abode, and there
continued, till the iniquities of Israel provoked him
to forsake his holy mountain, and to give up Jerusa-
lem for a prey to the spoilers. Since that time, his
tabernacle has been removed into the possession of
the Gentiles. Forsake not this thy new Zion, O
God, and deliver us not thy people, in like manner,
sinful as we are, into the hands of the enemy and the
avenger.

" 15. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will
satisfy her poor with bread. 16. I will also clothe
her priests with salvation; and her saints shall shout
aloud for joy."

That city in which the King of heaven deigns to
Vol. in. M

266

LPs. 132.

place his throne, can want no manner of thing that
is good. There will he always plenty of provision
for the body and for the soul. The poor will be sa-
tisfied with bread, and to the poor in spirit will be
given the bread of eternal life. Salvation will God
appoint for a wall and a bulwark around the priests
and the temple; joy and gladness shall be heard
within, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. What
a dreadful reverse of all this do we behold in the
present state of the once glorious, but now desolated,
Jerusalem ! Let not any Christian church, after
what has happened to that city, be high minded, but
let all fear.

" 17. There will I make the horn of David to
bud : I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed."

Bishop Patrick hath well paraphrased this verse :
" There, namely, in Jerusalem, will I make the regal
power and majesty of David to put forth itself afresh
in his royal successors: no sooner shall one be ex-
tinguished, but another shall shine in such splendour
as shall ffive a lustre to the name of that anointed
servant of mine, till the great prince, the Messiah,
appear :" then will the horn of salvation be raised up
in the house of David, to subdue the empires of the
world, and to vanquish all opposition; then shall the
Branch of Jehovah bud into beauty and glory upon
the earth; then shall the lamp of Israel become a
sun of righteousness, burning and shining with lus-
tre inextinguishable, to all eternity. That this
verse doth mystically refer to Christ, the Jews con-
fess, as Dr. Hammond has observed. So saith R.
Saadiah, " The Lamp is the King, which illuminates

Ps. 13a "I

267

the nations;" and Kimchi, '* The Horn of David,
is the Messias."

" 18. His enemies will I clothe with shame; hut
upon himself shall his crown flourish."

It is here predicted, that God would blast and
bring to nothing every design formed to destroy the
house of David, until King Messiah should arise out
of it to sit upon the throne of his father. In him
all the promises centre, and the kingdom is establish-
ed for ever: " His enemies," who will not have him
to reign over them, shall, at the last day, be " cloth-
ed with shame," and everlasting confusion; " but
upon himself shall his crown flourish," filling hea-
ven and earth with the brightness of its glory.

PSALM CXXXIII.

ARGUMENT. — Tliis short but pleasing Psalm was composed
either to recommend unity among the tribes of Israel, or to
celebrate it when it had taken place. Bishop Patrick justly
observes, that " it was as fitly used by the first Christians, to
express their joy for the blessed union of Jews and Gentiles,
and may now serve the uses of all Christian societies, whose
happiness lies in holy peace and concord." It containeth, 1. a
rapturous exclamation on the comforts and advantages of union,
which, 2, 3. are illustrated by the two exquisite similitudes of
tlie holy anointing oil and of dew.

" 1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is fot
brethren to dwell together in unity."

Many things are good which are not pleasant, and
many pleasant which are not good. But unity
among brethren, whether civil or religious, is pro-
ductive both of profit and pleasure. Of profit, bc-

M 2

268

[Ps. 133.

cause therein consisteth the welfare and security of
every society; of pleasure, because mutual love is the
source of delight, and the happiness of one becomes,
in that case, the happiness of all. It is unity alone,
which gives beauty, as well as strength, to the
state; which renders the church, at the same time,
" fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with ban-
ners." Cant. vi. 10.

" 2. It is like the precious ointment upon the
head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's
beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3. As the dew of Hermon,* and as the dew that
descended upon the mountains ofZion; for there the
Lord commanded the blessing, eve?i life for ever-
more."

** Unity, beginning in the prince, and diffused
through the people, is here illustrated," saith Doc-
tor Delany, " by two images, the most apt and beau-
tiful that ever were imagined. Kingdoms are con-
sidered as bodies politic, of which the king is the
head, and the people, in their several ranks and
orders, the parts and members. A spirit of union
beginning upon the prince, whose person is sacred,
is like oil poured upon the head of Aaron, which
naturally descends, and spreads itself over all the
parts of the body, and diffuses beauty and fragrance
over the whole, reaching even to the skirts of the
garment. Oil is, without question, the finest em-

♦ Bishop Lowth seemeth fully to have justified our translators
in supplying the ellipsis as they have done, and thereby removing
tlie absurdity of making the dew of Hermon, a mountain on one
side of Jordan, towards the eastern extremity of Canaan, descend
on the mountain of Zion, which was situated on the other side of
Jordan, at Jerusalem^

Ps. 133.] 269

blcm of union that ever was conceived. It is a
substance consisting of very small parts, which yet,
by their mutual adhesion, constitute one uniform,
well united, and useful body. The sacred oil car-
ries the idea and the advantage of union yet farther;
which being extracted from various spices, yet made
up one well-cohering and more valuable compound.
The next image carries the exhortation to union,
and the advantages of it, still higher. Ilermon was
the general name of one mountain, comprehending
many lesser and lower hills, under the surround of a
greater. Union in any nation is the gift of God;
and, therefore, unity among brethren, beginning
from the king, is like the dew of heaven, which fal-
ling first upon the higher summit of Hermon (re-
freshing and enriching wherever it falls) naturally
descends to Zion, a lower; and thence even to the
humble valleys. Zion was the centre of union to
all the tribes ; there God himself had promised his
people rest, and peace from their enemies; which,
however, were of little value without union and har-
mony among themselves."* Thus far this learned
and pious author, whose explanation of the Psalmist's
imagery, as descriptive of civil unity in the state, is
so just and elegant, that I could not forbear tran-
scribing the passage at length. It only remains to
be added, that these divine pictures receive an ad-
ditional beauty, and the colouring is much heigh-
tened, by their being viewed in another light, as re-
presentations of spiritual unity in the church. The
spirit of heavenly love was that oil of gladness which

* Life of King David, vol. iii. p. 204.

^70 [Ps. 134.

Jehovah poured without measure on him who is the
high priest and head of his church. Insinuating and
heaUng, comforting and exhilarating, it is diffused
from him over his body mystical, even down to the
least and lowest members; " of his fulness have we
all received ;" and, as it is said of Mary's box of
spikenard in the Gospel, " the house is filled with
the odour of the ointment." Nor did the dew of
heaven, in time of drought, ever prove more re-
freshing and beneficial to the mountains of Judah,
than are the influences of grace, when descending
in soft silence from above upon the church ; in
the union and communion of which, God hath
" commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."
O come the day, when division shall cease, and en-
mity be done away ; when the tribes of the spiritual
Israel shall be united in a bond of eternal charity,
under the true David, in the Jerusalem which is
above; and saints and angels shall sing this lovely
Psalm together !

PSALM CXXXIV.

ARGUMENT. — With this Psalm, Christians in the church,
like the Levites of old in the temple, 1, 2. call upon each
other to bless God, and, 3. upon God to bless them all.

" 1. Behold, bless ye the Lord, all 3/^ servants of
the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the
Lord. 2. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
and bless the Lord."

The first word in this verse, " Behold," seemeth

Ps. 134.] 271

to point at the reasons which the priests in the tem-
ple had to bless Jehovah ; as if it had been said, Be-
hold, the house of God is built, the holy services are
appointed, and the Lord hath given you rest from
your enemies, that you may serve him acceptably;
set about it, therefore, with gratitude and alacrity.
We read, 1 Chron. ix. 33. that the Levitical singers
were *' employed in their work day and night;" to
the end, doubtless, that the earthly sanctuary might
bear some resemblance of that above, where, St.
John tells us, the redeemed " are before the throne
of God, and serve him day and night in his temple:"
Rev. vii.15. Christians are the redeemed of the Lord,
redeemed from the guilt and dominion of sin, deliver-
ed out of the hands of their enemies, the world, the
flesh, and the devil, that they may become the ser-
vants of Christ. He hath built his church, and in
it he wills that men pray, lifting up holy hands, and
that they offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving. " Be-
hold," therefore, " bless the Lord Jesus, all ye ser-
vants of his ;" bless him in the cheerful and busy
hours of day; bless him in the solemn and peaceful
watches of the night ; making melody, even then,
in your hearts at least, if not with your voices.
The pious Mr. Nicholas Farrer exhibited, in the
last century, an instance of a Protestant family, in
which a constant course of psalmody was appointed,
and so strictly kept up, that through the whole four-
and-twenty hours of day and night, there was no
portion of time, when some of the members were not
employed in performing that most pleasant part of
duty and devotion. The reader may see the curious
life of this extraordinary person, as drawn up by

^72 [Ps. 135.

Dr. Turner, Bishop of Ely, in the Christian Maga-
zine, vol. ii. p. 356.

" 3. The Lord, that made heaven and earth, bless
thee out of Zion."

The two preceding verses, as Mr. Mudge observes,
seem directed to the priests of the temple, by some
person, probably of consequence, come up to pay his
devotions. This third verse is, therefore, returned,
as from the priests. And thus it is, that prayer
and praise, which by grace are caused to ascend from
our hearts to God, will certainly return in the bene-
dictions of heaven upon our souls and bodies, our
persons and our families, our church and our coun-
try; like the vapours, which, exhaled by the warmth
of the sun from the bowels of the earth, mount up-
wards into the air, but soon fall again in fruitful
shovv^ers, causing the little hills to rejoice, and the
valleys to laugh and sing.

PSALM CXXXV.

ARGUMENT— In this Psalm, I, 2. the servants of Jehovah
are exliorted to praise him, 3. on account of his goodness; of
tlie pleasure to be found in the employment; 4. of his peculiar
mercies shown to Israel ; 5. of his infinite superiority over the
gods of the nations, manifested, 6, 7. in the works of crea-
tion, 8 — 14. in his dealings with the church, and with her
adversaries, 15 — 18. The folly of idolatry, and of those who
practise it, is described; and, 19 — 21. Israel is again stirred
up to praise Jehovah.

" L Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name

Ps. 135.] 273

of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the
Lord. 2. Ye that stand in the house of the
Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,
3. Praise the Lord; for the Lord z5 good : sing
praises unto his name; for it is pleasant."

All the servants of God, they, more especially}
who minister in the temple, are repeatedly, as in the
foregoing Psalm, excited to praise their blessed
Master. Two reasons are assigned why they should
do this. First, the goodness of that Master, and
secondly, the pleasantness of the employment. The
latter of these reasons hath a natural and necessary
dependence on the former. A sense of the divine
mercy will tune our hearts and voices to praise. We,
who are upon earth, often find ourselves indisposed
for the duty of thanksgiving, because the concerns
of the body, the cares and pleasures of life, extin-
guish, for a time, this sense in us, until grace, prayer,
and meditation, render it again lively and active. la
the inhabitants of heaven, who behold God without
the veil of matter interposed, it is always so : and,
therefore, they rest not day nor night from singing
hallelujahs, nor cease one moment to rejoice in God
their Saviour."

*' 4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto him-
self, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. 5. For I
know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is
above all gods."

A third reason why the children of Israel should
praise the name of Jehovah, was the circumstance
of their havincr been selected from among: the na-

M3

274^ [Ps. 135.

tions to be his church, to receive the law and the
promises, to have his presence residing in the midst
of them, and to be the guardians of the true faith and
worship. And a fourth reason, was the superiority
of Jehovah, their God, over the gods of the heathen,
and consequently over those who worshipped them :
from whence followed this comfortable inference, that
he was able to protect and to defend his people
against every enemy that had evil will at Zion.
Shall not we Christians, then, praise the same gra-
cious Lord, who hath chosen us out of the world,
who hath given unto us his Gospel, who dwelleth in
us by his Spirit, and who, by that Spirit, maketh us
more than conquerors over our spiritual adversaries ?

" 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he
in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep
places."

The pre-eminence of Jehovah above the gods of
the nations, is evinced by this consideration, that he,
at the beginning, created and formed those powers
of nature, whose operations in the heavens, the
earth, and the waters, led the heathen world, after
it had lost the knowledge of the Creator, to adore
the creature as independent. Let us praise him,
who, in the intellectual as in the material world, is
Lord and King; who is obeyed by the angels in
heaven, served by the church upon earth, and fear-
ed by the spirits imprisoned in deep places beneath.

" 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the
ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the
rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries."

Ps. 135.] 275

They who in old time paid their devotions to tlie
elements, imagined those elements to he capahle of
giving or withholding rain at pleasure. Therefore
we find the prophet Jeremiah reclaiming that power
to Jehovah, as the God who made and governed the
world: " Are there any among the vanities of the
Gentiles that can cause rain ? or can the heavens
give showers ? Art thou not he, O Jehovah our
God? Therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou
hast made all these things:" Jer. xiv. 22. Among
the Greeks and Romans we meet with a Jupiter pos-
sessed of the thunder and the lightning, and an ^Eolus
ruling over the winds. The Psalmist teacheth us to
restore the celestial artillery to its rightful owner.
Jehovah the God of Israel, and the Creator of the
universe, contrived the wonderful machinery of light
and air, by which vapours are raised from the earth,
compacted into clouds, and distilled in rain. At his
command the winds are suddenly in motion, and as
suddenly at rest again; we hear the sound, but can-
not tell whence they come, or whither they go; as
if they were taken from secret storehouses of the Al-
mighty, and then laid up till their service was re-
quired again. The same idea God himself is pleased
to give us in the book of Job, where he describeth
the instruments of his power, as so many weapons
of war in the arsenal of a mighty prince: " Hast
tht)u entered into the treasures of the snow ? or
hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I
have reserved against the time of trouble, against
the day of battle and war ? By what way is the
light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon
the earth ? Who hath divided a watercourse for

S76

[Ps. 133.

the overflowing of waters ; or a way for the light-
ning of thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth ?"
Job xxxviii. 22, &c. It is a great instance of the
divine wisdom and goodness, that hghtning should
be accompanied by rain, to soften its rage, and pre-
vent its mischievous effects. Thus, in the midst of
judgment, does God remember mercy. The threat-
enings in his word against sinners are like lightning;
they would blast and scorch us up, were it not for
his promises made in the same word to penitents,
which, as a gracious rain, turn aside their fury,
refreshing and comforting our affrighted spirits.

" 8. Who smote the first-born of Egypt, both
of man and beast. 9. IVIio sent tokens and won-
ders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pha-
raoh, and upon all his servants."

Egypt was the theatre of the grand contest be-
tween the God of Israel and the gods of the heathen.
The superiority of the former over the latter was
shown in every possible way by the miracles of Mo-
ses, which demonstrated all the powers of nature to
be under the dominion of Jehovah, and to act at his
command; so that, instead of being able to protect,
they were made to torment and destroy their deluded
votaries. See more on Psalm Ixxviii. 44, &c. The
objects of a man's sin frequently become, in the end,
the instruments of his punishment.

" 10. Who smote great nations, and slew mighty
kings; 11. Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og
king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:
12. And gave their landybr an heritage, an heritage
unto Israel his people."

Ps. 135.] 277

The victories gained by Israel over Sihon and Og,
in their passage to Canaan, and afterwards over the
idolatrous kings of tliat country, are more proofs of
the same point. For Israel therefore conquered, be-
cause Jehovah fought for them, and put them in
possession of that good land, wlien the iniquity of
its old inhabitants was full, and cried to heaven for
vengeance. The enemies we have to encounter in
our way to the promised inheritance, will also, if
vigorously opposed, fall before us. " The kingdom
of heaven suttereth violence, and the violent take it
by force." But it is God wlio fighteth for us, and
with us, who giveth us the victory, and putteth us
in possession, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

" 13. Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever:
and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all gener-
ations. I4-. For the Lord will judge his people,
and he will repent himself concerning his servants."

By the destruction of Pharaoh, with his Egyp-
tians, and by the battles and victories of Joshua:
much more, by the overthrow of the spiritual Pha-
raoh, with his infernal host, and by the battles and
victories of the true Joshua; Jehovah hath gotten
him glory, and his name is magnified in the church
from age to age. The people whom he hath re-
deemed, may, indeed, from the chastisement of
their iniquities, be sometimes delivered into the
hands of their enemies, and oppressed by them.
But it is only to show them their transgressions, and
lead them to repentance. When this effect is
wrought, he is always ready to " judge them," to
plead and avenge their cause; he " repenteth him"

278 [Ps. 135..

of the evil, and averteth it ; he is entreated for the
land, and becometh gracious to his servants.

" 15. The idols of the heathen are silver and
gold, the work of men*s hands. 16. They have
mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but
they see not: 17. They have ears, but they hear
not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18. They that make them are like unto them : so
is every one that trusteth in them."

In these verses is set forth the difference between
the God of Israel, and the idols of the nations, as
also between the worshippers of each; all tending to
confirm the truth of what was asserted, ver. 5. " I
know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord
is above all gods." As the same words occur. Psalm
cxv. 4, &c. the reader is referred thither for the ex-
plication of them.

" 19. Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless
the Lord, O house of Aaron. 20. Bless the
Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord,
bless the Lord. 21. Blessed be the Lord out of
Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the
Lord."

He who proved himself superior to the objects of
ancient idolatry, is no less superior to every object
on which deluded man can place his affections. The
Lord gave, and the Lord will take them away. Let
" the house of Israel," therefore, and " the sons of
Aaron," the church, and the ministers thereof, let
all who " fear the Lord," bless and praise his holy
name in the temple here below, until they shall be

Ps. 136.] 279

admitted to do it for evermore, in that which is
above.

PSALM CXXXVI.

Tvoenty-eighth Day. — Evening Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — This is a delightful hymn of praise and thanks-
giving to Jehovah, 1 — 3. God of gods and Lord of lords, for
the wonders, 4—9. of creation, 10 — 26. of providence and
grace ; which were probably celebrated in due order by one half
of the choir, while the other half, or perhaps the whole in full
chorus, took up the burden of each verse, " For his mercy
endureth for ever !" A form of acknowledgment, as Bishop Pa-
trick observes, prescribed by David, I Chron. xvi. 41. to be
used continually in the divine service ; a form highly proper for
creatures, and sinful creatures, to use, whose great employ-
ment it is now, and will be for ever, to magnify the mercy and
loving kindness of their God.

" 1. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever. 2. O give thanks
unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for
ever. 3. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for
his mercy endureth for ever."

We are called upon to praise Jehovah, first, for
his own essential attributes ; then, for the exertion
of those attributes in his works. The attributes
here mentioned are those of " goodness" and
" power;" the one renders him willing, the other
able to save; and what can we desire more, but that
he should continue to be so? Of this likewise we
are assured, by contemplating the unchangeableness
of his nature. His disposition altereth not, and his
kingdom none can take from him : "his mercy en-
dureth for ever."

280 [Ps. 136.

" 4. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for
his mercy endiireth for ever."

All the works of God are " wonderful," and
speak him " alone" to have been their author. The
established course of the world is, in reality, no less
admirable than are those extraordinary interpositions
of omnipotence, whereby it hath been sometimes in-
terrupted and suspended; though the latter, on ac-
count of their novelty, are apt to affect us more than
the former doth, which is ever before our eyes, and
therefore less regarded by us. How many of those,
for whom the wonders of creation, providence, and
redemption have been wrought, think none of them
worthy their attention ! Angels admire and adore,
where man will not deign to cast an eye, or employ
a thought.

(C

5. To him that by wisdom made the heavens:
for his mercy endureth for ever. 6. To him that
stretched out the earth above the waters: for his
mercy endweth for ever."

The heavens above, and the earth beneath, de-
clare the wisdom of their great Maker, and proclaim
aloud, to an intelligent ear, the divinity of the hand
that formed them. The heavens display the love
of God to man; the earth teaches the duty of man
to God. Heaven is glorious and gracious, earth
verdant and fruitful. The bright and ample cir-
cumference of heaven, the variegated surface of the
earth, and the profusion of good things that distin-
guish the seasons, contaminated as they all have
been by man's transgression, even now yield a pros-

Ps. 136.]

281

pect which annihilates all human grandeur. What
idea, then, are we to frame of those new heavens
and earth, from which sin and corruption are ex-
cluded, and where righteousness liath fixed her eter-
nal throne ?

" 7. To him that made great lights: for his
mercy endureth for ever. 8. The sun to rule by
day: for his mcxcy eiidiireth for ever. 9. The moon
and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth
for ever."

Liijht is the life and the soul of the universe, the
noblest emblem of the power and glory of God, who
in the night season leaves not himself without wit-
ness, but gives us some portion of that light reflected,
which by day we behold flowing from its great foun-
tain in the heart of heaven. Thy church and thy
saints, O Lord, " are the moon and the stars," which,
by the communication of doctrine, and the splendour
of example, guide our feet, while we travel on in the
night that hath overtaken us, waiting for the dawn
of everlasting day. Then we shall behold thy glory,
and see thee as thou art.

" 10. To hira that smote Egypt in their first-
born; for his mercy endureth for ever: 11. And
brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy
endureth for ever. 12. With a strong hand, and
with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for
ever. 13. To him which divided the Red Sea into
parts: for his mercy endureth for ever. 14. And
made Israel to pass through the midst of it : for his
mercy endureth for ever. 15. But overthrew Pha-

282

[Ps. 136.

raoh and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy
endureth for ever. 16. To him which led his peo-
ple through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth
for ever. 17. To him which smote great kings :
for his mercy endureth for ever. 18. And slew
famous kings : for his mercy endureth for ever. 19.
Sihon king of the Amorites : for his mercy endureth
for ever. 20. And Og the king of Bashan: for
his mercy endureth for ever. 21. And gave their
land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for
ever. 22. T^ven an heritage unto Israel his servant:
for his mercy endureth for ever. 23. Who remem-
bered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth
for ever. 24. And hath redeemed iis from our ene-
mies: for his mercy endureth for ever.'*

From the works of creation, the Psalmist proceeds
to those of providence and grace. He celebrates
that mercy which rescued Israel from oppression,
brought them out of the house of bondage, divided
the sea to make a way for them, supported and con-
ducted them through a waste, howling wilderness,
crushed the might and power of those who opposed
them, and at length settled them in the inheritance
promised to their fathers. Eternal mercy hath in
Christ Jesus realized all these figures, and accom-
plished the great redemption, thus fore-shadowed of
old. The Israel of God hath been rescued from the
oppression of Satan, and brought out of the house of
spiritual bondage. In the waters of baptism the old
man of sin is buried, and we arise triumphant, to
sing the praises of God our Saviour, who from
thenceforth supports and conducts us in our passage

Ps 137.1

283

through the world, strengthening us in the day of
battle against every enemy that opposeth us, until
we enter the heavenly Canaan, promised to the fa-
thers of our faith, and dwell for ever in the posses-
sion of peace. When we consider how God has
thus " remembered us in our low estate," and thus
'' redeemed us from our enemies," can we be weary
of repeating, " For his mercy endureth for ever?"

" 25. Who givetli food to all flesh: for his mercy
eiidiireth for ever. 26. O give thanks unto the
God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever."

The same bounty, which, in the natural world,
provideth proper nutriment for every creature, hath
also provided for the spirits of all flesh the bread of
eternal life. In either sense, Jehovah " openeth
his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteous-
ness." Be, therefore, his praise as universal and
lasting as his mercy !

PSALM CXXXVII.

ARGUMENT.— The Israelites, captives in Babylon, 1, 2. de-
scribe their woful estate ; and, 3, 4. the insults of their masters.
5, 6. They declare their inviolable affection for Jerusalem ; 7.
pray that God would remember the behaviour of Edom; and,
8, 9. predict the destruction of Babylon. The Psalm admits
of a beautiful and useful application to the state of Christians
in this world, and their expected deliverance out of it.

" 1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down;
yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."

What an inexpressible pathos is there in these few

S84

[Ps. 137.

words ? How do they at once transport us to Baby-
lon, and place before our eyes the mournful situation
of the Israelitish captives? Driven from their native
country, stripped of every comfort and convenience,
in a strange land, among idolaters, wearied and
broken-hearted, they sit in silence by those hos-
tile waters. Then the pleasant banks of Jordan
present themselves to their imaginations; the towers
of Salem rise to view; and the sad remembrance of
much-loved Zion causes tears to run down their
cheeks; " By the waters of Babylon we sat down;
yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion !" Be-
sides the use which may be made of this Psalm by
any church, when literally in a state of captivity,
there is a sense in which it may be used by us all.
For Zion is, in Scripture, the standing type of
heaven, as Babylon is the grand figure of the world,
the seat of confusion, the oppressor and persecutor
of the people of God. In these, or the like terms,
we may, therefore, suppose a sinner to bemoan him-
self upon the earth — O Lord, I am an Israelite,
exiled by my sins from thy holy city, and left to
mourn in this Babylon, the land of my captivity.
Here I dwell in sorrow, by these transient waters,
musing on the restless and unstable nature of
earthly pleasures, which pass swiftly by me, and are
soon gone for ever. Yet for these, alas ! I have
exchanged the permanent joys of Zion, and parted
with the felicity of thy chosen. Wherefore my
heart is pained within me, and the remembrance of
my folly will not let me rest night or day. O Zion,
thou holy and beautiful city, the temple of the
Lamb, the habitation of the blessed, the seat of de-

Ps. 137.] 285

light, the land of the living, when shall I hehold
thee? When shall I enter thy gates with thanks-
giving, and thy courts with praise? The hope of a
return to thee is my only comfort in this vale of
tears, where I am, and will he a mourner, till my
captivity he brought back, and my sorrow be turned
into joy.

" 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in
the midst thereof."

The additional circumstance, which the divine
painter hath here thrown into his piece, is, to the
last degree, just and striking. It was not enough to
represent the Hebrew captives weeping, on the banks
of the Euphrates, at the remembrance of Zion, but,
upon looking up, we behold the harps unstrung, and
pendant on the willows that grew there. The sin-
cere penitent, like them, hath bidden adieu to mirth*
his soul refuseth to be comforted with the comforts
of Babylon; nor can he sing any more, till pardon
and restoration shall have enabled him to sinsr^ in
the temple, a song of praise and thanksgiving.

" 3. For there they that carried us away captive
required of us a song; and they that wasted us re-
quired of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs
of Zion. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a strange land ?"*

The Babylonians are introduced as insulting over

* Many singers were carried captives: Ezra ii. 41. These
would of course take their instruments with them, and be insult-
ed, as here. Their songs were sacred, and unfit to be sung before
idolaters. But the words, " How shall we sing," &c. are not an
answer given to them, but the free utterance afterwards of the
feelings of the Jews among themselves. — Anonjonous Notes in
Merrick's Annotations.

286

[Ps. 137.

the Israelites, and scoffing at their faith and worship,
not without a tacit reflection on their God, who could
not protect his favoured people against their enemies.
" Now sing us one of your songs of Zion: now let
us hear you sound the praises of that God, of whom
ye boasted, that he dwelt among you in the temple,
which we have laid waste, and burnt with fire."
Thus the faithful have been, and thus they will be,
insulted by infidels in the day of their calamity.
And " how," indeed, '' can they sing the Lord's
song, in a strange land?" How can they tune their
voices to festive and eucharistic strains, when God,
by punishing them for their sins, calleth to mourning
and weeping? But then, Israel in Babylon foresaw
a day of redemption ; and so doth the church in the
world: a day when she shall triumph, and her ene-
mies shall lick the dust. No circumstances, there-
fore, should make us forget her, and the promises con-
cerning her.

" 5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right
hand forget lier cunning, 6. If I do not remember
thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ;
if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

The whole nation may be supposed in these words
to declare, as one man, that neither the afflictions nor
the allurements of Babylon should eflPace from their
minds the remembrance of Jerusalem, or prevent
their looking forward to her future glorious restora-
tion. If any temptation should induce them to em-
ploy their tongues and their hands in the service of
Babel rather than in that of Zion, they wish to lose the
use of the former and the skill of the latter. The
thoughts and affections of true penitents, both in

Ps. 137.] 287

prosperity and adversity, are fixed upon their hea-
venly country and city ; they had rather be deprived
of their powers and faculties, than of the will to use
them aright; and the hope of glory, hereafter to be
revealed in the church, is the flower and crown of
their joy.

" 7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom
in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase zV,
even to the foundation thereof.'*

The people of God beseech him to take their cause
in hand, and to avenge them on their adversaries,
particularly on the Edomites, who, though their bre-
thren according to the flesh, being descended from
Esau, the brother of Jacob, yet in the day of Jerusa-
lem's affliction, when the Chaldean's came against it,
were aiding and encouraging those pagans to destroy
it utterly. Edom is charged with this unnatural be-
haviour, and threatened for it, by God himself, in the
prophecy of Obadiah, ver. 10, &c. " For thy vio-
lence against thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover
thee, and thou shalt be cut off* for ever. In the day
that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day
that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and
foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon
Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. But thou
shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother,
in the day that he became a stranger: neither should-
est thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in
the day of their destruction — For the day of the
Lord is near upon all the heathen : as thou hast
done, it shall be done unto thee, thy reward shall re-
turn upon thine own head — but upon mount Zion
shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness, and

288

[Ps. 137.

the house of Jacob, shall possess their possessions."
It may be observed, that the Jews afterwards acted
the same part towards the Christian church, which
the Edomites had acted toward them, encouraging
and stirring up the Gentiles to persecute and destroy
it from off the face of the earth. And God " re-
membered" them for the Christian's sakes, as they
prayed him to " remember Edom" for their sakes.
Learn we hence, what a crime it is, for Christians to
assist the common enemy, or call in the common ene-
my to assist them, against their brethren.

*' 8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be de-
stroyed; happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as
thou hast served us. 9. Happy shall he be that
taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."

The subject of these two verses is the same with
that of many chapters in Isaiah and Jeremiah, name-
ly, the vengeance of heaven executed upon Babylon
by Cyrus, raised up to be king of the Medes and
Persians, united under him for that purpose. The
meaning of the words " happy shall he be," is. He
shall go on and prosper, for the Lord of hosts shall
go with him, and fight his battles against the enemy
and oppressor of his people, empowering him to re-
compense upon the Chaldeans the works of their
hands, and to reward them as they served Israel.
The slaughter of the very infants, mentioned in the
last verse, is expressly predicted by Isaiah, ch. xiii.
16. " Their children also shall be dashed to pieces
before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and
their wives ravished." The destruction was to be
universal, sparing neither sex nor age. Terrible,
but just, are thy judgments, O Lord ! The fall of

Ps. 138.1 ^89

the mystical " Babylon" is described, Rev. xviii. in
terras and phrases, borrowed from this and other
prophecies, relating, primarily, to the ancient city
called by that name. Whoever will carefully read
over the chapter referred to, with the three subse-
quent ones concerning the triumph of Messiah, and
the glory of the new Jerusalem, will be able to form
proper ideas of the world and the church, and will
know where to choose his portion.

PSALM CXXXVIII.

ARGUMENT— This Psalm containeth, l~a a resolution to
praise God for a deliverance vouchsafed ; 4, 5. a prophecy that
the kings of the earth should glorify Jehovah for his mercy,
shown, 6. in exalting the humble, and abasing the proud ; 7, 8.
an act of faith and confidence in God.

" 1. I will praise thee with my whole heart : be-
fore the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 2. I will
worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name,
for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou
hast magnified thy word above all thy name; or,
thou hast magnified thy name, even thy word,
above all."

In these verses we evidently hear the voice of one
whom God had delivered from a state of great afflic-
tion and danger, and who therefore determines to
make the due acknowledgments in pubhc; to give
thanks "before the gods," that is, before "kin^s"
and " rulers" in the great congregation; to " worship
in the temple," and there to set forth the " loving
kindness" and " truth" of Jehovah, in having accom-

VoL. III. N

290 [Ps. 138.

plislied the promised salvation, and thereby " mag-
nified" his holy "name" and his faithful "word"
over every thing that opposeth itself against it. The
Christian church cannot find stronger and more em-
phatical terms, in which to express her sense of the
greatest of all mercies, the redemption of the world
by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and his
exaltation " above every name that is named in hea-
ven and earth."

" 3. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst
me and strengthenedst me "with strength in my soul.
4. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O
Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. 5.
Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord : for
great is the glory of the Lord."

From this part of the Psalm it appears to be a
prophetical one. The deliverance which it celebrates
is of such a nature, that, when the glad tidings of it
should be published to the world, we are told, it
should induce the nations, with their princes, to adore
Jehovah, to walk in his ways, and to chant forth his'
praises. The call of the Gentiles to the Gospel is
here foretold in words which cannot be mistaken: and
the redemption of the church, in Christ her head, is
spoken of as the subject of thanksgiving among the
kings of the earth. " In the day when I cried,
thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with
strength in my soul." For this reason, *' All the
kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord," &c.

" 6. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he re-
spect unto the lowly : but the proud he knoweth
afar off."

P.^. 138.] 291

Humility is the way to salvation and glory. It
is said of our blessed Lord, that ** because he hum-
bled himself, therefore God ln"frhly exalted him:"
and tlie great potentates of the world must tread in
his steps, if they would be exalted with him. As
to the proud, God " knowcth" and he detesteth
them; he beholdeth and keepeth them at a " dis-
tance."

" 7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou
wilt revive me : thou shalt stretch forth thine hand
against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right
hand shall save me."

Who doth not " walk in the midst of trouble,"
while his pilgrimage is prolonged upon the earth?
Who hath not '* enemies" encompassing him on
every side ? O how comfortable, then, the reflection
that he is with us, who can "revive" the dead; that
we are under the protection of an " arm" which is
almighty ! Yes, blessed Lord, we believe that this
saying of thy holy Psalmist will be verified to every
child of thine, even as it was to him, and to thy Son
Jesus, in whose person he might speak it, as a pro-
phet. Great indeed were the " troubles," in the
midst of which the true David " walked" up and
down amongst us. He carried all our sorrows, be-
cause he bare all our sins. " Yet didst thou revive
him;" thou didst raise him from the dead, and exalt
him to thy throne in heaven, where he ever liveth to
make intercession for us, that we, who, in the days
of our flesh, do also " walk in the midst of trouble,"
may be revived by thy Spirit, the giver of life and
holiness.

N2

292 [Ps. 139.

" 8. The Lord will perfect that "dohich concem-
eth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth£oie\ei: for-
sake not the works of thine own hands."

In troublous times, and the days of affliction, we
must look back on that which God hath already done
for us, and from thence draw an argument, that he
will " perfect" that which remains, and not leave his
work unfinished: we must remember, that his mer-
cies fail not, after a time, but " endure for ever" the
same; and when we call to mind that we are "the
work of his own hands," how can we think he will
" forsake us" unless we utterly and finally forsake
him ?

PSALM CXXXIX.

Tvoenty-ninth Day — Morning Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — It seems evident, from the latter part of this
noble and instructive Psalm, that the author penned it at a time
when he was persecuted and calumniated, as an appeal to the
all-seeing Judge between him and his adversaries. He takes
the opportunity of expatiating, in the sublimest manner, 1 — 12.
on tlie omnipresence and omniscience of him who, 13 — 16.
formeth man in the womb by his power, and 17, 18. preserveth
him through life by his providence. He then, 19, 20. express-
eth his confidence that God, as knowing all things, would deli-
ver him from his enemies ; 21, 22. he declareth his zeal and
fidelity in the service of his divine Master, by whom, 23, 24. he
petitioneth to be proved, purified, and perfected in the way of
holiness.

" 1. O Lord, thou hast searched me and known
me. 2. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-

Ps. 139.] 293

rising, thou understandest my thought afar ofF. 3.
Thou compassest my path, and my lying down, and
art acquainted laith all my ways. 4. For there it
not a word in my tongue, hut, lo, O Lord, thou
knowest it altogether, or, When there is not a word
in my tongue, lo, O Lord, &c. 5. Thou hast be-
set me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon
me. 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me ; it
is high, I cannot attain unto it."

The Psalmist employeth a beautiful variety of ex-
pressions to denote his faith in the omnipresence and
omniscience of Jehovah, to whom, in the latter part
of the Psalm, he appealeth, as the proper judge be-
tween him and his implacable enemies. He describ-
eth his God as having that complete knowledge of
him and his affairs, which, among men, the most ac-
curate '* search" and the strictest scrutiny could not
obtain; as being thoroughly "acquainted with all his
ways" or proceedings, nay, with his very " thoughts,"
while yet existing only in embryo, in his own mind;
as watching and observing him at all seasons, during
the actions of the day, and his repose at night; and,
in short, as having so " beset" him on all sides, and
'* laid his hand upon him," that he could not move
without his knowledge and consent. When we re-
flect that " all things are thus naked and open to him
with whom we have to do;" that although he dwell-
eth in the highest heavens, he surveyeth not only the
outward acts, but the very hearts and imaginations,
of men upon earth — must we not each of us cry
out, " Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is
high, I cannot attain unto it;" I cannot admire it

^94 [Ps. 139.

enough, for I cannot conceive of it ariglit ! " The
actual, constant consideration of God's presence
would be the readiest way in the world to make sin
to cease from among the children of men, and for
men to approach to the blessed estate of the saints in
heaven, who cannot sin, for they always walk in the
presence, and behold the face, of God." See Bishop
Taylor's " Holy Living," chap 1. sect. 3.

" 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whi-
ther shall I flee from thy presence? 8. If I ascend
up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in
hell, or, the grave, behold thou art there. 9. If I
take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the ut-
termost parts of the sea; 10. Even there shall thy
hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
II. If I say. Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me. 12. Yea,
the darkness hidetli not from thee ; but the night
shineth as the day ; the darkness and the light are
both alike to tliee.^^

We can never sin with security, but in a place
where the eye of God cannot behold us. And where
is that place? Had we a mind to escape his inspec-
tion, " whither should we go?" Heaven is the seat
of his glory, creation the scene of his providence,
and the grave itself will be the theatre of his power;
so that our efforts will be equally vain, whether we
ascend, or descend, or fly abroad upon the wings of
the morning light, which diffuseth itself with such
velocity over the globe from east to west. The arm
of the Almighty will still at pleasure prevent, and be
ready to arrest, the fugitives in their progress.

Ps. 139.] 295

Darkness may indeed conceal us and our deeds from
the sight of men ; but the divine presence, like that
of the sun, turns night into day, and makes all things
manifest before God. The same consideration which
should restrain us from sin, should also encourage us
to work righteousness, and comfort us under all our
sorrows ; namely, the thought, that we are never out
of the sight and protection of our Maker. The
piety and the charity which are practised in cottages;
the labour and the pain wliich arc patiently endured
in the field, and on the bed of sickness; the misery
and torment inflicted by persecution in the mines,
the galleys, and the dungeons; all are under the in-
spection of Jehovah, and are noted down by him
against the day of recompense. He sees, and he
will reward all we do, and all we suffer, as becometh
Christians. He who, for our sakes, caused his Son
to descend from heaven to the lower parts of the
earth, and from thence to ascend to heaven again,
will watch over, preserve, and re-assemble, the parts
of our bodies, though dissolved in the grave, buried
in the ocean, or dispersed to the four winds. So
that, with allusion to this event also, a dying servant
of God may exclaim. Whither can I go from thy
Spirit? or whither can I flee from thy presence? If,
as to my spiritual part, I ascend into heaven, thou art
there to receive me ; if, as touching my body, I make
my bed in brxu;, or the grave, behold thou art there,
to secure me. If I take the wings of the wind, or
those yet more expeditious ones of the morning, and
am carried by them to dwell in the midst of the sea, in-
stead of the bowels of the earth, still shall I be under
thy power and providence; even there shall thy hand

^96 [Pg. 139.

lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me fast, pre-
serving me for a joyful resurrection at the time ap-
pointed.

" 13. For thou hast possessed, or, formed^ my
reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully a?id won-
derfully made : marvellous «r^ thy works; and that
my soul knoweth right well."

That God seeth in darkness, and that from him
nothing is hidden, his knowledge of, and power over,
our most inward parts, do plainly show. He " form-
ed" and he therefore " possesseth," as his own pro-
perty, our " reins," and is consequently privy to all
those affections and desires which flow from thence.
It was he who '* covered" us in the womb, or, as it
is elsewhere expressed, Job x. 11. who '* clothed us
with skin and flesh, and fenced us with bones and
sinews:" a work so astonishing, that before the Psalm-
ist proceeds in his description of it, he cannot help
breaking forth in rapture at the thought; "I will
praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made !"

" Obstupeo, et memet laeta formidine lustro,
Divini mouumentum operis!" Lowth.

With awful joy I view this frame of mine,
Stupendous monument of power divine !

" 15. My substance was not hid from thee, when
I was made in secret, and curiously wrought^ or,
variegated like needle-work, in the lowest parts of
the earth. 16. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being imperfect; and in thy book all mi/ members
were written, which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them."

Ps. 139.1 297

By the " lower parts of the earth" is undoubtedly
to be understood the "womb," where tlie fetus is
gradually formed and matured for the birth, like
plants and flowers under ground. The process is
compared to tliat in a piece of work wrouglit with a
needle, or fashioned in a loom ; which, with all its
beautiful variety of colour, and proportion of figure,
ariseth by degrees to perfection under the hand of
the artist, framed according to a pattern lying before
him, from a rude mass of silk, or other materials.
Thus, by the wisdom and power of God, and after
a plan delineated in his book, is a shapeless mass
wrought up into the most curious texture of nerves,
veins, arteries, bones, muscles, membranes, and skin,
most skilfully interwoven and connected with each
other, until it becometh a body, harmoniously diver-
sified with all the limbs and lineaments of a man, not
one of which at first appeared, any more than the
figures were to be seen in the ball of silk. But
then (which is the chief thing here insisted on by the
Psalmist) whereas the human artificer must have the
clearest light whereby to accomplish his task, the di-
vine Work-master seeth in secret, and efFecteth all
his wonders within the dark and narrow confines of
the womb. The reformation of our corrupted and
dissolved bodies, which is to be wrought, at the last
day, in the womb of the earth, in order to their new
birth, will crown all the works of the Almighty.

*' 17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto,
or, concerning, me, O God ! how great is the sum of
them! 18. Ifl should count them, they are more

N3

^98 [Ps, 139.

in number than the sand : when I awake, I am still
with thee."

From the wonders of God's forming hand, the
Psalmist proceeds to those of his all-directing provi-
dence, which afford additional proofs of the divine
omniscience and omnipresence. The " thoughts'*
and counsels of Jehovah concerning David, his ap-
pointment to the throne, his troubles and his preser-
vation in the midst of them, were " precious" and
delightful subjects of meditation and praise, never to
be exhausted of the rich matter they contained.
With these in his mind he lay down at night to rest,
and " when he awoke" in the morning, his thoughts
naturally recurred to the pleasing theme; he began
v.here he had left off, and found himself, in heart and
soul, " still present with God," still ruminating on
him and his works. The mercies of heaven in the
redemption of the church, by the sufferings and ex-
altation of the true David, according to the divine
decree concerning him — how precious are they to
believers ! How great is the sum, how far exceed-
ing all human arithmetic to number them ! Let
them be to us the constant subjects of contemplation,
admiration, and thanksgiving, day and night; and let
death, that last sleep, find us engaged in an employ-
ment, which, when we awake and arise from the
grave, we shall resume, and prosecute to eternity in
the presence of God.

'* 19. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God;
or. Wilt thou not slay the wicked, O God? depart
from me, therefore, ye blood-thirsty men. 20. For
they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies
take thy name in vain."

Ps. 139.] 299

David now draws tlic intended conclusion from
the premises, so largely expatiated upon in the for-
mer part of the Psalm. As if he had said — And
wilt thou not, O God, thou who art every where pre-
sent, seeing and knowing all things: thou to whom the
justice of my cause, and the iniquity of mine adver-
saries, are equally open ; thou who hast formed, and
hitherto, in so wonderful a manner, watched over and
preserved thy servant; '* wilt thou not slay the
wicked," and deliver me, as thou hast promised to
do, out of their hands? I know thou wilt; '* depart
from me, therefore, ye hlood-thirsty men ;" I trust
in my God, and will have no connexion, in the way
of treaty or friendship, with you. You are not my
enemies, but those of Jehovah ; against whom^ not
considering that he is privy to all your words, and
even to your thoughts, you " speak" presumptuously
and "wickedly," and whose " name" you " take in
vain," no less when you do evil under a godly pre-
tence, and call him to witness the truth of your lies
and calumnies, than when you openly blaspheme
him. Such seemeth to be the full import of these
two verses; and their application to the members of
the church, when at any time in similar circum-
stances, is obvious.

"21. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate
thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up
against thee? 22. I hate them with perfect hatred:
I count them mine enemies."

A faithful servant hath the same interests, the
same friends, the same enemies, with his Master,
whose cause and honour he is, upon all occasions, in

300

[Ps. 139.

duty bound to support and maintain. A good man
hates as God himself doth; he hates not the persons
of men, but their sins; not what God made them, but
what they have made themselves. We are neither
to hate the men, on account of the vices they prac-
tise; nor to love the vices, for the sake of the men
who practise them. He who observeth invariably
this distinction, fulfilleth the perfect law of charity,
and hath the love of God and of his neia^hbourabid-
ing in him.

" 23. Search me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts : 24. And see if
there he any wicked way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting.''

In the first verse of the Psalm, David declared,
that Jehovah had " searched him out, and known
him;" he concludes with a petition, that his proceed-
ings, and even his thoughts, might be still scrutin-
ized by his Maker, in order to their perfect purifica-
tion from any evil which might be in them, or adhere
to them. Should the hottest furnace of adversity
be found necessary to purge the dross from the sil-
ver, he refuseth not to be dissolved in it, and new-
formed, so that he might only become a vessel of
honour, fitted for the Master's use here below, and
vouchsafed a place afterwards in his temple above.
" See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting !'^

Ps. 140.] 301

PSALM CXL.

ARGUMENT.— This Psalm containetli, 1—8. a prayer for de-
liverance from persecutors and calumniators, their violence and
tlieir wiles; 9 — 11. a prophecy of their final destruction, and,
12, 13. the salvation of the afflicted righteous. It was com-
posed by David in his troubles, and is applicable to Cluist and
to tJie chiuch, respectively, in theirs.

" 1. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man:
preserve me from tlie violent man ; 3. Which
imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they
gathered togetheryor war."

" Evil and violent men" exist in all ages, to har-
ass and oppress the servants of God: their thoughts
are employed in " imagining mischief" against such,
and their hands are ready at all times for the "war."
Had we no enemies without, there are those within,
who are ever fighting and troubling us. We cannot
put off our Christian armour for a moment in this
world; nor enter into peace and rest, but by a happy
death and a joyful resurrection. Then God will
" deliver" us, as he delivered David, and our bles-
sed Lord and Master, the Son of David, from their
respective enemies.

'* 3. They have sharpened their tongues like a
serpent; adders' poison is under their lips."

Slander and calumny must always precede and
accompany persecution, because malice itself cannot
excite people against a good man, as such; to do
this, he must first be represented as a bad man.

302 [Ps. 110.

What can be said of those who are busied in this
manner, but that they are a " generation of vipers,"
the brood of the old " serpent,'* that grand accuser
and calumniator of the brethren, having under their
tongues a bag of " poison," conveying instant death
to the reputation on which they fasten ? Thus David
was hunted as a rebel, Christ was crucified as a
blasphemer, and the primitive Christians were tor-
tured as guilty of incest and murder.

" 4. Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the
wicked; preserve me from the violent men, who
have purposed to overthrow my goings. 5. The
proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have
spread a net by the way side; they have set gins for
me."

David here describeth the subtlety and industry
employed by his enemies to effect his destruction, by
lying in wait for him, as a skilful fowler doth for
his game, so that they thought it impossible he should
escape their hands. Such was the conduct of the
Jews, with regard to the Son of David. And, O
how refined the policy, how unwearied the applica-
tion of our spiritual adversaries, to " overthrow our
jroino-s" in the path of life and salvation, to circum-
vent, and to destroy us for ever! How are " the
snares, the nets, and the gins," placed for us, by
that cunning and experienced artist, who takes care
that nothing should appear in view, but the alluring
baits of honour, pleasure, and profit, while of the
toils we have no notice, till we find ourselves en-
tangled and caught in them. Who shall preserve us
thus walking in the midst of dangers ? He to whom

Ps. m.] 303

David, in the followinir verses, prcferreth liis prayer,
and teacheth us to do likewise.

" 6. I said unto the Lord: Thou art my God:
hear the voice of my supphcations, O Lord. 7. O
God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou
hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8. Grant
not, O Lord, the devices of the wicked: further
not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves."

Jehovah, the God of David, is also our God, and
he is always ready to hear our supplications. He is
our strength, and hath often covered our head with
the helmet of salvation, in the day of battle and open
war with our spiritual enemies. Nor will he, for the
glory of his name, grant their desires, or permit
their more secret " devices*' and machinations to
work the destruction of his people; lest they exalt
themselves, as having frustrated his counsels for the
redemption of his servants.

" 9. As for the head of those that compass me
about, the mischief of their own lips shall cover them.
10. Burning coals shall fall upon them; they shall
be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise
not up again. IL An evil speaker shall not be
established in the earth ; evil shall hunt the violent
man to overthrow /z/w."

The prophet, in these three verses, predicteth
those just judgments which heaven will inflict on the
slanderers and persecutors of the righteous. Their
lips, which uttered mischief against others, shall be
the means of covering themselves with confusion,
when out of their own mouths they shall be judged.

304

[Ps. 141.

Those tongues which have contributed to set the
world on fire, shall be tormented with the hot burn-
ing coals of eternal vengeance: and they who, with
so much eagerness and diligence, have prepared pits
for the destruction of their brethren, shall be cast
into a deep and bottomless pit, out of which they will
not rise up again any more for ever. Evil speakers
and false accusers shall gain no lasting establishment,
but punishment shall hunt sin through all its doubles,
and seize it at last as its legal prey. Let these great
truths be firmly rooted in our hearts, and they will
keep us steady in the worst of times.

*' 12. I know that the Lord will maintain the
cause of the afilicted, and the right of the poor.
13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy
name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence."

That unjust and oppressive men shall, in the end,
suffer proportionably to their deserts, we are assured
from this consideration, namely, that the Almighty
is the patron of the injured and oppressed. He will
plead the cause of the meek and lowly, who are used
by the world as their blessed Master was used be-
fore them. A day will come, when, delivered out
of all their troubles, they shall " give thanks unto
thy name," O Lord, and " dwell in thy presence"
for evermore."

PSALM CXLL

ARGUMENT. — David seems to have composed this Psalm just
before his flight to Achish, king of Gath ; when he had a second
time spared Saul's life, but could trust him no longer: see

Ps. 141.]

305

1 Sam. xxvi. and xxvii. 1, 2. He prayeth earnestly for help, and
entreatoth to be heard, as wlien able to attend the service of
tlie tabernacle; 3 — 5. he petitioneth to be j)reserved from the
snares of idolatry, in the country whither he was going ; 6, 7.
he relatcth his own conduct toward Saul, and that of Saul to-
ward him ; 8, 9. he professeth his faith in Jehovah, and re-
doubleth his prayer to him; 10. he predicteth the destruction
of his enemies, and his own deliverance. Many parts of the
exposition of this Psalm, given by the late learned Mr. Peters,
in liis " Critical Dissertiition on the Book of Job," have been
adopted in the ensuing comment.

" 1. Lord, I will cry unto thee, make haste
unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto
thee. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee
as incense; a7id the lifting up of my hands as the
eveninjT sacrifice."

The earnest and repeated supplication for help, iu
the first of these two verses, sufficiently declares the
Psalmist to have beeii5 at the time, in a situation of
the utmost distress. And the second verse as plainly
showeth, that he was then at a distance from the
tabernacle, where all the solemn prayers of the Is-
raelites, together with their daily sacrifices, were
offered up. And, therefore, with his face, proba-
bly, directed thither, like Daniel in Babylon, pray-
incr towards Jerusalem, he begs that God would ac^
cept of all which it was in his power to perform,
namely, the devotion of his heart, and the elevation
of his hands in prayer ; that the one might ascend to
heaven, fragrant and well pleasing, as the cloud of
" incense" mounting from the holy altar; and the
other, in conjunction with it, prevail, instead of the
" evening oblation," for the deliverance of himself
and his companions.

306

[Ps. 141.

" 3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth;
keep the door of my lips; or, a guard over the door
of my lips. 4. Incline not mine heart, that is, suf-
fer not my heart to be inclined, to aiij/ evil thing,
to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity,
or, idolatry ; and let me not eat of their dainties."

David was now going to seek a retreat from the
persecutions of his master Saul, amidst a race of
idolaters, who would be curious to observe all his
words and actions, and v/ould attempt to draw him
in to be a partaker with them in their idol worship,
or to suspect him as a spy and an enemy, if he re-
fused to comply with them. He therefore beseeches
God to " set a watch before his mouth, a guard
over the door of his lips," that he might neither en-
danger his own safety by his imprudent carriage, nor
violate his religion by any weak compliances. He
entreats to be preserved from that greatest of all
evils, the renouncing Jehovah to follow vain and
strange gods. He desires that he might not be
guilty of this heinous and presumptuous sin, no, not
so much as in thought. — " Suffer not mine heart to
be inclined to any evil thing;" that he might abhor
to play the hypocrite, by joining in the abominations
of the heathen, " the men that work idolatry,"
though but in show and appearance only ; and that
he might never be allured by the pomp and pleasure
of their feasts, by their luxurious meats, and lasci-
vious rites, to mix in their religious festivals, to eat
and drink, and rise up to jDlay, — " neither let me
eat of their dainties." A Christian, living among
unbelievers and sensualists in the world, hath abun-

Ps. lu.] 307

dant reason to put up the same prayers, and to use
the same precautions.

** 5. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a
kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an ex-
cellent oil, idiich shall not hreak, or, depress, my
head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their cala-
mities, or, against their wickedness."

David continueth his prayer, and hcggeth of
heaven, as one of its hest and choicest blessings,
that if at any time, through the frailty of nature, he
should be inclined to yield to the above-mentioned
temptations, he might find, among his attendants,
some " righteous" and faithful friend, who might,
with a kind severity, check and " reprove" him.
Such reproof, he says, would at that season, be to
him as ii;*)") t::^^, the " chief," or most precious and
" excellent oil;" see Exod. xxx. 23. it would not de-
press his head," ""r^n >:^bK, or cause him to " hang it
down," as people in sorrow do, but it would be " the
oil of gladness," refreshing, enlivening, strengthen-
ing, and enabling him to lift up his head above the
temptation against which he had been praying, and,
with renewed vigour, would still continue to pray,
" for yet my prayer" shall be DHTiimi " against
their wickednesses." The blessed effects of reproof,
when given and taken as it ought to be, never, sure-
ly, were more exactly or more beautifully described.

" 6. When their judges arc overthrov/n in stony
places, they shall hear my words; for they are
sweet."

Of this verse, as it stands in our translation, I

308

[Ps. 141.

know not what can be made. When literally ren-
dered from the Hebrew, it runs thus — " Their
judges have been dismissed in the sides of the rock,
and have heard my words that they were sweet."
David, reflecting on Saul's cruelty in driving him
out of his country, to wander amongst aliens and
idolaters, very naturally calls to mind, and mentions
his own different behaviour towards that implacable
enemy whose life he had spared at two several times,
when he had it in his power to destroy him as he
pleased, " Their judges," or princes, leaders, gene-
rals, &c. according to the frequent usage of the word
in Scripture, rL)72\2;:j, " have been dismissed" (the
common signification of the verb H'o'w) " in the
sides of the rock," when I had them at an advan-
tage there ? 1 Sam. xxiv. 3. " and have heard my
words, that they were sweet;"* they only heard
me expostulate with them in a manner so mild and
humble, that even Saul himself was overcome, and
" lift up his voice and wept, saying, My son David,
thou art more ri":hteous than I — the Lord reward
thee good for that thou hast done unto me this
day:" 1 Sam. xxiv. 16. Such hath been my con-
duct towards the servants of Saul. Yet how have
my people, alas ! been by them most miserably
butchered !

" 7. Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth,
as when one cutteth and cleaveth ivood upon the
earth."

This probably alludes to the bloody massacre of

♦ This is Mr. Peters' interpretation of the verse, and Dr. Du-
rell hath fallen upon the same.

Vs. Ul.

309

Alnmclech and the priests that were in Nob, who, to
the number of eighty-five persons, all of a sacred
character, and all innocent, were inhumanly slaugh-
tered together by Doeg the Edomite. Such havoc
as this might well be compared to the cutting and
cleaving of wood, like the fragments of which the
bones of the sufferers lay scattered here and there
upon the ground, as many of the bodies might be
devoured, before pits were prepared, near the field
of slaughter, for their interment. To feel the force
of the Psalmist's expressions in this verse, we need
not have recourse to such extraordinary scenes of
tyranny and cruelty. The daily dissolution and de-
struction of our bodies, in the common way, will be
found abundantly sufiicient for the purpose. For
who can attend the digging of a grave, and thus view
the ruins then disclosed, without exclaiming, " Our
bones lie scattered at the grave's mouth; as when
one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth ?"
Indeed, Rachel hath often had occasion to bemoan
her children, thus untimely slain by the unrelenting
sword of persecution. But let her refrain her voice
from weeping, and her eyes from tears. Her chil-
dren shall return again from the dead, and their
bones shall rejoice and flourish as an herb. Jer. xxxi.
15. Isa. Ixvi. 14.

" 8. But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the
Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul des-
titute. 9. Keep me from the snares xv/iich they
have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of ini-
quity."

The principle upon which David acted, and sup-

310 [Ps. 141.

ported himself under his troubles, was a firm trust in
God, and a steady resolution to obey him. With
confidence, therefore, he made his prayer, that Je-
hovah would keep him from the snares which Saul
and his counsellors had laid for him on one hand,
and from those of the idolaters, among whom he
was driven, on the other; that so he might not be
left destitute and lose his life, or, which he prized
more, his faith. For it is remarkable, that in his
last speech to Saul, 1 Sam. xxvi. 19. where he men-
tions the wicked policy of his enemies, who had
contrived to force him into banishment, he mentions
not the danger of his life, but only that of his reli-
gion. " They have driven me out this day from
abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying.
Go, serve other gods;" intimating, that they had
done what lay in their power to drive him to idola-
try, by forcing him into a country where he would
have the strongest temptation to it.

" 10. Let the wicked, or, the wicked shall, fall
into their own nets together, whilst that I withal
escape."

From the sequel of the history we find that the
hope and assurance here expressed by the Psalmist
were not vain. He escaped all the snares that were
laid for him on every side; he lived to see the death
of Saul, who fell in a battle with the Philistines, and
those Philistines subdued by himself and his subjects.
So will the devices of all our enemies be in the end
turned against themselves: they shall fall and perish,
but we shall triumph, with our Redeemer, to eternity.

Ps. 142.] 311

PSALM CXLII.

Twenty-nuith Day. — Evening Prayer.

ARGUMENT. — The title of this Psahn informs us, that it was
a prayer of David, when lie was in the cave, that is, most pro-
bably, the cave of Adullam, whither he fled when in danger,
both from Saul and from the Philistines, 1 Sam. xxii. I, It
containeth, 1, 2. a supplication ; 3, 5. an act of confidence in
God at that season of danger and destitution ; 6. a tender com.
plaint of his suiferings ; and, 7. a petition for deliverance. Our
translators having rendered some of the verbs in the past tense,
the liberty hath been taken to alter them, agreeably to the He-
brew, and to the tenor of the Psalm, which seemeth to be an
actual prayer, and not the relation of one.

" 1. I will cry unto the Lord with my voice;
with my voice unto the Lord will I make my sup-
plication. 2. I will pour out my complaint before
him; I will show before him my trouble."

The state of David, in the cave of Adullam, was
a state of utter destitution. Persecuted by his own
countrymen, dismissed by Achish, and not yet joined
by his own relations, or any other attendants, he
took refuge in the cave, and was there alone. But
in that disconsolate, and seemingly desperate, situa-
tion, he desponded not. He had a friend in hea-
ven, into wliose bosom he " poured forth his com-
plaint," and told him the sad story of his trouble and
distress. When danger besetteth us around, and
fear is on every side, let us follow the example of
David, and that of a greater than David, who, when
Jews and Gentiles conspired against him, and he

312 [Ps, 142.

was left all alone, in the garden, and on the cross,
gave himself unto prayer.

" 3. When my spirit is overwhelmed within me,
then thou knowest my path. In the way wherein
I walk have they privily laid a snare for me."

The meaning is, Though my thoughts are so
broken and confused, that I am not able to counsel
and direct myself in these straits, yet thou knowest
the path wherein I walk, thou art with me, and wilt
preserve me from those who watch all my steps, and
lie in ambush for me. Such should be at all times
the confidence of believers in the wisdom, the power,
and the goodness of God, even when human pru-
dence has done its utmost, and is at its wit's end.

" 4. Look on my right hand, and see that there
is no man that will know me : refuge faileth me ; no
man careth for my soul. 5. I cry unto thee, O
Lord; I say, thou art my refuge, and my portion
in the land of the living."

David beseecheth God to consider his destitute
condition, to " look on his right hand," the place
where the advocate used to stand, and to " see that
there was no man that would know," acknowledge
him, and take his part; " refuge failed him ;" there
was on earth no patron to whom he could commit
himself and his cause; no one, li;*!")!, that would
" seek, require, or avenge his soul." Thus Dr.
Hammond expounds the words in a forensic sense.
How affectingly do they describe the destitution of
David in the cave, and that of the Son of David in
the day of his passion, death, and burial! Death

Ps. 145.]

313

will, in like manner, strip us of all our earthly con-
nexions and dependencies. But even at tliat hour,
may we, each of us, " cry unto thee, O Lord, and
say. Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land
of the living!"

" 6. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very
low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are
stronger than I. 7. Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may praise thy name; the righteous shall com-
pass me about; for, or^ when, thou shalt deal bounti-
fully with me."

This prayer of David was heard and answered;
he was delivered from his persecutors, enlarged from
his distress, exalted to the throne, and joined by all the
tribes of Israel. The true David was delivered from
his stronger persecutors, brought from the sepulchre,
exalted to his heavenly throne, owned and submitted
to by the converted nations, who became the Israel
and people of God. Nor let us fear, though we be
brought very low, and our persecutors, the world, the
flesh, and the devil, be at any time too strong for us.
God will deliver us from the bondage of sin, and re-
deem us from the prison of the grave, to join the
great assembly before the throne, and there to praise
his name for ever."

PSALM CXLIIL

ARGUMENT.—This is the seventh and last of the Penitential

Psalms ; and as we are not informed of any particular temporal

calamities, which gave occasion to its being composed, we shall

explain it according to the general use now made of it in the

Vol. III. O

814*

[Ps. 14a

church, for which, indeed, it seems to have been originally and
entirely designed. After the example of David, the penitent,
1. maketli his prayer to God for pardon; 2. acknowledgeth the
impossibility of any man being saved but by grace; 3, 4. deploreth
the lamentable eifects of sin; 5. comforteth himself with a retro-
spect of God's mercies of old; and, 6 — 12. prayeth in a variety
of expressions, for remission of sin, sanctification, and redemp-
tion.

'M. Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my
supplications ; in thy faithfulness answer me, and in
thy righteousness."

When Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ
with her tears, he knew what the petition was which
her soul desired to have granted, and answered it
accordingly, before it was made in words, by saying,
" Thy sins are forgiven thee." Thus the penitent,
without mentioning the subject of his request, as be-
ing well known to God, begs that his " prayer and
supplication may be heard and answered," agreeably
to the " faithfulness and righteousness of Jehovah."

" 2. And enter not into judgment with thy ser-
vant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justi-
fied,"

In the first verse, the suppliant appealed to the
promises of God, and his fidelity in performing them.
Here he urgeth the fallen, sinful, wretched state of
human nature, which hath rendered it absolutely im-
possible that any son of Adam can be saved, should
God " enter into judgment with him," and exact the
punishment due to his offences according to the law,
instead of pardoning them by an act of grace. The
thoughts of such a trial are enough to appal the soul

Ps. 143.] 315

of the best man living, to make his flesli tremble, and
his bones shake, as if he stood at the foot of Sinai,
and beheld Jehovah ready to break forth upon him
in the flame of devouring fire.

" 3, For the enemy hath persecuted my soul, he
hath smitten my life down to the ground : he hath
made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have
been long dead. 4. Therefore is my spirit over-
whelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate."

We have an " enemy" who " persecutes" us with
unrelentino; malice: he "smites our life down to the
ground," as often as we yield to temptation, and fall
from our state of holiness, to grovel in base and
earthly desires, he " makes us to dwell in darkness,"
when he has thus withdrawn us from the lio-ht of
heaven, which before illuminated us, while we walk-
ed in it; the spiritual life, for a time, is extinguish-
ed, and we become, for all the purposes of faith and
chanty, " like those that have been long dead.
Therefore," at the consideration of this our sad es-
tate, when God has enabled us to see and know it,
our " spirit is overwhelmed within us," with remorse,
anxiety, and despondency: and " our heart within
us," deprived of the comforts of conscience, the joys
of the Spirit, and the presence of the Beloved, " is
desolate," forlorn, miserable. To rescue the sinner
from this disconsolate and lost condition, our blessed
Saviour was forsaken on the cross; " liis spirit was
overwhelmed within him, and his heart wiihin him
was desolate; the enemy" was suffered to " smite
his" precious " life down to the ground," and he

O 2

316

[Ps. 143.

" dwelt'* for three days, " in darkness, as the men
that have been long dead."

'&

"5. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all
thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands."

When sin has thus laid us low, and, as it were,
slain and entombed us, we begin to revive and to
arise from the dead, through hope of forgiveness and
restoration to the divine favour, by " remembering
the days of old, and meditating on all the works" of
love and mercy, which Jehovah then wrought towards
those who were sinners like ourselves. While we
'' muse" on such instances of his goodness, the re-
flection is obvious. Is he not still the same gracious
God? Will he not do as much for us upon our re-
pentance, as he hath formerly done for others, upon
theirs? "Let us arise, and go to our Father!"

" 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my
soul thirstetk after thee, as a thirsty land."

Prayer is the voice of faith. The sinner who
views his situation, and believes, on having consider-
ed God's works of old, that he shall be diliveredout
of it, will soon " stretch forth his hands," in suppli-
cation to heaven. His soul will gasp and pant after
that grace and mercy which descend from above, like
the rain in its season, to bestow refreshment, beauty,
and fertility, on a parched and " thirsty land."
While we recite this verse, let us not be unmindful
of Him, whose hands were often stretched forth in
prayer for his people, and whose soul thirsted after
our salvation, even then, when he felt the extremity
of bodily thirst on the cross.

Ps. 143.] 317

** 7. Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit fail-
eth ; hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto
them that go down into the pit."

These words would come with propriety from the
mouth of one in danger of temporal death. They
are no less proper in the moutli of him who is in
danger of death eternal. Rather, they receive an
additional force and energy when used in this latter
sense.

" 8. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the
morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know
the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul
unto thee."

The penitent prayeth, that he may " hear the
voice of God's loving kindness," speaking pardon and
peace to his soul, " in the morning," speedily and
early, after the long dark night of fear and sorrow,
through which he is passing. This he hopes, be-
cause, disclaiming all other reliance, he placeth his
confidence in God alone; " in thee do I trust." Nor
is he only solicitous for the forgiveness of what is
past, for the future direction in the course of duty;
" show thou me the way wherein I should walk."
And to the end that he may follow such directions,
he hath withdrawn his affections from things below,
and set them on things above; '* I lift up my soul
unto thee."

" 9. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies:
I flee unto thee to hide me. 10. Teach me to do
thy will; for thou aTt my God : thy Spirit is good;
lead me, or, let thy good Spirit lead me, into the land
of uprightness."

S18 [Ps. Us.

He continueth to pray that he may be " delivered
from his enemies," the world, the flesh, and the de-
•vil, from whose temptations he " fleeth," by repen-
tance and faith, to the Almighty, to '' hide" and
protect him. He requesteth to be fully instructed
in the " will" of him, whom, as his Lord and his
" God," he hath determined to serve and obey. But
conscious of his own inability to do the will of Jeho-
vah, even when known, he entreateth the good Spirit
of God to '' lead" him out of the mazes of error, and
the pollutions of vice, into the pleasant " land" of
truth and holiness.*

" H. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's
sake; for thy righteousness' sake, bring my soul out
of trouble. 12. And of thy mercy cut off mine
enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul;
for I am thy servant."

The verbs in these two last verses, as Dr. Ham-
mond hath noted, should be rendered in the future;
" Thou shalt quicken," &c. and tlien the Psalm will
end, as usual, with an act of faith and assurance,
that all those mercies which have been asked shall be
obtained; that God, for the sake of his " name" and
his *' righteousness," of his glory and his faithful-
ness in the performance of his promises, will not fail
to be favourable and gracious to his servants, " quick-

* Mr. Merrick mentions the similar phrase of yn^iov cc\yjBiixg
and xuf^uv aXYi^iia.; among the Greeks. Or 3TC^n yix may signify
" the land that is plain and direct, even and straight," where he
might pursue his intended coiu'se of piety and goodness witliout
fear of meeting with obstructions in the way, or danger of wan-
derintj out of it.

Ps. 144.] 319

ening" them, even when dead in trespasses and sins,
and bringing them, by degrees, " out of all their
troubles;" going forth with them to the battle against
their spiritual " enemies," and enabling them to van-
quish the authors of their " affliction" and misery,
to mortify their flesh, and to overcome the world;
that so they may triumph with their Redeemer, in
the day when he shall likewise quicken their mortal
bodies, and put all enemies under their feet.

PSALM CXLIV.

Thirtieth Dai/. — Moriiiug Prayer.

ARGUMENT. — It appears from verse 2. and verse 10. of this
Psalm, that it was composed after David's accession to the
throne. And it is evident, from verse 5, &c. that he had more
enemies still to conquer, such as the Philistines, &c. He
therefore, 1, 2. blesseth Jehovah ; and, 3, 4. expresseth his as-
tonishment at the divine goodness shown to such a creature as
man ; 5—8. he beseecheth God to perfect his work, and sub-
due the remaining adversaries by tlie might of his power. 9»
10. He breaks forth again into a strain of thanksgiving, and,
11 — 15. again returns to his prayers for the complete redemp-
tion, and the prosperity of Israel. If we substitute in our
minds, Messiah for David, the church for Israel, and spu'itual
for temporal blessings, the Psalm will present itself to us as a
noble evangelical hymn.

*' 1. Blessed be the Lord my strength, which
teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight."

What David here acknowledgeth, with regard to
his victories, and that skill or might by which they
were obtained, should be likewise acknowledged by
all earthly kings and generals, in the day of battle

320 [Ps. 144.

and conquest. For success in our spiritual warfare
we depend on the grace of God, which alone can
give us wisdom and " strength to have victory, and
triumph against sin, the world, and the devil."
Even the Captain of our salvation fought and over-
came by a power that was divine. " Jehovah taught
his hands to war, and his fincrers to fitrht." And
" blessed" on that account, be the name of Jehovah,
in the church, for evermore.

'' 2. My goodness, Heh, my mercy,* and my
fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield,
and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people
under me.''

The " goodness," or " mercy," of God inclineth
us in tmie of trouble, to fly to him as to a " fortress,"
or " tower," in which we find refufje: and when we
have thus put ourselves under his patronage, he be-
cometh our "deliverer" from present danger; our
" shield," or protector, against any that may after-
wards arise; the object of our unlimited "trust" and
confidence; and, at last, the '* subduer" of all oppo-
sition " under us."

" 3. Lord, what is man, that thou takest know-
ledge of him? or the son of man, that thou makest
account of him ? 4. Man is like to vanity : his
days are as a shadow that passeth away."

After a thanksg-ivinff for the works which Jeho-

* That is, "who art merciful to me," the abstract being put
for the concrete, as in Ps. xii. 1. Pro v. x. 29. Ezek. xliv. 6.
Hos. viii. 9. Dr. Durell thinks we should read -nDn " my refuge,"
as in other parallel places.

Ps. m.] 321

vah had wrought, followeth a reflection on the crea-
ture " man," for whom they were wrought. Such
a reflection introduced in the same manner, and al-
most in the same words, we meet witli in Ps. viii. 4<.
which passage, hcing cited by the apostle, Ileb. ii.
6. and applied to Christ, affords an argument, as Dr.
Hammond hath justly observed, for a like application
of the verses now before us, in their more eminent,
prophetic, mystical sense. For, certainly, if David,
upon the remembrance of what God had done for
him, could break forth into this reflection, much
more may we do so, for whom the Redeemer hath
been manifested in the form of a servant, and in that
form hath humbled himself to the death of the cross,
to gain us the victory over principalities and powers,
to put all things under our feet, and to make us par-
takers of his everlasting kingdom. Lord, what, in-
deed, is man, CD^K, or, what is the son of such a mi-
serable creature, ii;iiKii, that thou shouldst take
this knowledge, and make this account, of him? Man,
who is now become like vanity, or instability, itself;
whose days are fleeting and transient as a shadow,
which glides over the earth, vanishes, and is seen no
more! Such was human nature: but the Son of
God hath taken it upon himself, rendered it immor-
tal, and exalted it to heaven ; whither all will follow
him hereafter, who follow him now in the paths of
ritjhteousness and holiness.

"5. Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and comedown:
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 6. Cast
forth lightning, and scatter them ; shoot out thine
arrows, and destroy them. 7. Send thine hand,

O 3

322

[Ps. lU,

from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great wa-
ters, from the hand of strange children; 8. Whose
mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right
hand of falsehood."

David, having celebrated his victories over some
of his enemies, and extolled the mercy and goodness
of God, to whom he ascribeth the achievement of
them, now proceedeth to request a farther manifes-
tation of the omnipotent arm in his favour, against
other hostile forces, which still threatened his coun-
try, upon his accession to the throne; such as the
Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, &c. see 2 Sam,
V. and viii. These are called, metaphorically, " great
waters," threatening to overwhelm and destroy
every thing; and, in plainer terms, " strange chil-
dren," or aliens from the covenant of Jehovah, and
the commonwealth of Israel; children who "speak
lies, and work wickedness," or, as Dr. Hammond
interpreteth the 8th verse, '* whose mouth speaketh,
or maketh profession of, vanity, a^^r, that is, idola-
try; and their right hand," that on which they de-
pend for support, the object of their confidence, '' is
a right hand of falsehood," "inu^, and one that will
fail all who rely upon it for help. Jehovah, the
God of Israel, is therefore entreated once more to
appear in the cause of his anointed ; to go forth, as
of old, to the battle against the enemies of his peo-
ple, with all the tokens of displeasure and vengeance,
dismaying and putting to flight these " armies of
aliens." In like manner the church, or mystical
body of Christ, is instant in prayer for the final com-
pletion of her hope. She wisheth for the glorious

Ps. lU.]

823

day, when her God and Saviour shall how the hea-
vens, and come down to judgment, causing the moun-
tains to smoke, and flame antl dissolve, and flow
down hcforc him ; wlicn his lightnings, those arrows
of his indignation, and ministers of his vengeance,
shall scatter the host of darkness, and destroy the
anti-christian powers ; when we shall he delivered
from every enemy, and from all that hate us and
David our Kin<r.

•&>■

'' 9. I will sinff a new sonfj unto thee, O God :
upon a psaltery, and an instrument of ten strings,
will I sing praises unto thee. 10. Il is he that giv-
eth salvation unto kin^Ts: who dclivereth David his
servant from the hurtful sword."

In the mean time, as the Israelitish church
praised Jehovah for the mercies already vouchsafed
to the Son of Jesse, so do we daily magnify, with
voices and instruments of music, that salvation which
God hath affected for us, by the deliverance of his
Son, our Lord, from death and the grave.

" 11. Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of
strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and
their ricfht hand is a ricrht hand of falsehood: 12.
That our sons may he as plants grown up in their
youth; that our daughters may he as corner stones,
polished after the similitude of a palace: 13. That
our garners may he full, affording all manner of
store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and
ten thousands in our streets, or^ fields : 14. That
our oxen may he strong to labour; that there he
no breaking in, nor going out; that there he no com-
plaining in our streets."

324 [Ps. 144.

Prayer is again made for the continuance of God's
favour, and a complete victory over every enemy;
the happy consequences of which, in the establish-
ment of Israel, and the prosperity of Jerusalem, are
particularly described. Victory is productive of
peace, and peace is the mother of all earthly bless-
ings to communities, and the families that compose
them; whose happiness consisteth in a numerous and
hopeful progeny of sons and daughters; the former
healthy and well nurtured, growing up, like young
plants in a kindly soil, until they attain their full
strength and stature; the latter, fair and virtuous,
like so many tall, well proportioned, highly polished,
and richly ornamented columns, gracing the house
to which they belong. When to these we have add-
ed plenty of corn, and all other provisions, in the gra-
naries and storehouses; flocks and herds, ever thriv-
ing and increasing; freedom from hostile invasions
and domestic complaints, so that there be *' no
breaking in, nor going out," no irruption of aliens
into the commonwealth, nor emigration of inhabitants
to foreign countries, by captivity, or otherwise; we
shall find ourselves possessed of most of the ingredi-
ents, which enter into the composition of temporal
felicity. Such felicity God promised to his people
Israel, and bestowed on them, while they kept his
statutes, and observed his laws. And therefore there
is no reason for supposing, as the fathers, with many
others, have done, that these wishes for " sons,
daughters, corn, sheep, oxen, &c." are uttered by
the " strange children," the aliens and idolaters, men-
tioned in the 11th verse. The good things of this
world may fall to the lot of the righteous, who are

Ps. 145.] S25

distinguished from the wicked by the use wliich they
make of them, when given; and by their meek re-
signation of them, when taken away. Whatever be
the will of God concerning our having or wanting
these outward comforts, we know that we Iiave, as
the faithful servants of God in every age had before
us, greater and more precious promises, a better and
an enduring substance, pleasures that fade not, and
riches tliat fly not away, reserved for us in a hea-
venly country, and a city which hath foundations.

" 15. Happy is that people that is in such a
case : 7/ca, happy is that people whose God is the
Lord."

The Psalmist concludes with pronouncing the hap-
piness of the Israelites, when in the state of pros-
perity above described, and their far greater happiness
in " having Jehovah for their God," who, by settling
them in peaceful possession of the land of Canaan,
and the Jerusalem below, gave them a pledge and
foretaste of that love, which stood engaged by cove-
nant to bring them and us to his everlasting rest, in
the Jerusalem above.

PSALM CXLV.

ARGUMENT. — Hitherto, in this divine book, we have been
presented with checkered scenes of danger and dehverance,
distress and mercy. The voice of complaint hath sometimes
been succeeded by that of thanksgiving; and praise, at other
times, hath terminated in prayer. But now, as if the days of
mourning in Zion were ended, we hear no more of Messiuh, as
a man of sorrows; or of the church, as despised and afflicted.

326

[Ps. 145.

after the same example, in the world. Henceforth we seem
not to be upon earth, but in heaven, mingling with celestial
spirits around the throne, and singing, as in the following
Psalm, 1, 2. the praises of our God and King; extolling,
3. liis greatness, 4. his might, 5. his glory, 6, 7. his justice,
8, 9. his mercy; 10 — 13. the majesty of his kingdom, and,
14— 2L all his adorable perfections, and wondrous works.
This is an alphabetical Psalm. Tlie verse Avliich should begin
with the letter Nun, is wanting. But, as Dr. Hammond hath
observed, it is not uncommon for one letter, or more, to be left
out in an alphabetical Psalm, as in Ps. xxv. v.here ^ being
tmce repeated, p is certainly omitted. We shall therefore
content ourselves with what we find in the o]"iginal Hebrew,
and in the Ghaldee, without inserting the verse which is now
read in tlie LXX, and other translations. Bishop Patrick
mentions a saying of the ancient Hebrews, taken notice of by
Valentine Schindler, that " He could not fail to be a child of
the world to come, who would say this Psalm three times every
day." Perhaps they who, while they chant it in full choir,
enter thoroughly into the spirit of it, do experience, as lively a
foretaste of the next world, as can be experienced in this.

" 1. I will extol thee, my God, O King; and
will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2. Every
day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for
ever and ever."

The same divine person, who was, in a peculiar
manner, the " God" and " King" of Israel, now
standeth in those relations to the Gentile Christian
church, and by her is " extolled" in the words of this
Psalm, originally composed and used for that purpose
among the Israelites. Christ is our " God," w^ho
hath saved us according to his covenant and pro-
mise; he is our " King," who hath set up the univer-
sal and everlasting kingdom, foretold by Daniel, and
the other prophets; who hath " all power in heaven

Ps. 115.] 327

and earth;" and wlio " must reign till he hatli put
all enemies under his feet, and swallowed up death
in victory." In the mean time it is the daily em-
ployment of us, his redeemed suhjects and servants,
to chant forth the praises of his saving and glorious
" name," with which the churcli, on earth, and in
heaven, will resound " for ever and ever."

** 3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be prais-
ed ; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4. One
generation shall praise thy works unto another, and
shall declare thy mighty acts."

The " greatness" of Jehovah, whether we consi-
der it as relating to his essence, or his works, is never
to be fully comprehended by his saints, whose de-
light it is to contemplate " the breadth, and length,
and depth, and height," Ephes. iii. 18. the extent
and duration of his Being and his kingdom, the pro-
fundity of his counsels, and the sublimity of his
power and glory. These are the inexhaustible sub-
jects of divine meditation, transmitted from age to
age. And as the greatness of God our Saviour
hath no bounds, so his praises should have no end,
nor should the voice of thanksgiving ever cease in
the church. As '* one generation" drops it, " an-
other" should take it up, and prolong the delightful
strain, till the sun and the moon shall withdraw
their light, and the stars fall extinguished from their
orbs.

" 5. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy
majesty, and of thy wondrous works. 6. And ??ic7i
shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; and I

328 [Ps. 145.

will declare thy greatness. 7. They shall abun-
dantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and
shall sing of thy righteousness."

Those works of God, which demand to be cele-
brated by the tongues of men, are here divided into
three kinds. First, such as declare his glory, and ex-
cite our admiration whenever we behold them. Of
this sort are the shining frame of the heavens, and all
the bodies which move therein; the earth, with its
furniture without, and its contents within; the mag-
nificent and stupendous ocean, which flows around it;
the different tribes of animals inhabiting both the one
and the other; and, above all, the construction of
man, the lord of this lower world. Under the
second class of God's works are ranged all those
which the Psalmist styleth his " terrible acts," or
the exertions of his power against his enemies; such
as, the destruction of the old world by water; of
Sodom and Gomorrah by fire; of Pharaoh and his
host in the Red Sea; of the Canaanitish nations by
the sword ; and the victory gained over sin and
death by the resurrection of Christ. In the third
rank stand those works which have proceeded from
the '' goodness" of God, and his " righteousness" in
the performance of his promises. And among these
we may reckon all the different species of provision,
which have been made by providence for the bodies
of men in the world, and by grace for their souls in
the church. On any of these subjects meditation
cannot be long employed, without breaking forth in-
to wonder, gratitude, and praise.

" 8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion;

Ps. 145.1 3^9

slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9. The Lord
is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all
his works."

Mercy hath misery for its ohject, and is that at-
trihute towards which the eyes of a fallen world
must naturally he turned. The Psalmist hath, ac-
cordingly, introduced her last, with great pomp and
splendour, seated in her triumphal chariot, and in-
vested with a supremacy over all the works of God.
She is above the heavens, and over all the earth, so
that the whole creation findeth that refui^e under the
shadow of her wings, of which, by reason of man's
transgression, it standeth in need. The original word
for " his tender mercies," is vnm, the singular of
which, tarn, signifies the " womb." The "mercies"
of God towards man are, therefore, represented, by
this word, to be like those of a mother towards the
child of her " womb." And this is the very simili-
tude which he himself hath made use of, in that most
affecting and comforting passage of the prophecy of
Isaiah, chap. xlix. 15. " Can a woman forget her
sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb ? Yea, they may forget,
yet will I not forget thee." — And now, what fol-
lows? Are such " tender mercies" in God? And
are they " over all his works?" Why then,

" 10. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord;
and thy saints shall bless thee. 11. They shall
speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy
power; 12. To make known to the sons of men his
mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his king-
dom. 13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting king-

330

[Ps. U5.

dom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all
generations."

As " all the works" of God, in their several ways,
make a due return for the mercy vouchsafed unto
them, and set forth his glory; so more especially
ought this to be done by man, who is the principal
party concerned in the fall and redemption. The
" saints" are the subjects of Messiah's kingdom ;
and of that kingdom it is their duty to publish to the
world the blessings and the glories, to the end that,
when these are made known, the nations may be
thereby induced to submit their hearts to so gracious
a sceptre, and the dominion of Christ may become
as universal in its extent, as it is everlasting in its
duration.

" 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and
raiseth up all those that he bowed down."

After having proclaimed the glory and eternity of
the kingdom, the prophet draws a character of the
King, who, in the execution of his regal and pastoral
office, is ever mindful of the necessities of his sub-
jects. To those who, like Peter on the water, are
sinking under temptation, he stretcheth out his sav-
ing arm, supporting and " upholding" them by his
grace; and to those who, like the woman in the
Gospel, have long been " bowed down" with sin or
sorrow, he holdeth forth a pardon, " raising" and
setting them upright again by his mercy. The case
is the same with regard to outward distresses, from
which God either preserves or delivers his people, as
he sees best for them.

Ps. 145.1

331

" 15. Tlie eyes of all wait upon thcc; and thou
givest them their meat in due season. 16. Thou
openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every
living thing."

What a just and heautiful picture is liere presented
to view ! M^e see the whole animal world assembled
before us, with their eyes fixed on the great King
and Father of all things, like those of a flock on
their shepherd, when he enters the field, in time of
dearth, with provender for them. From the same
divine person, as the Saviour of men, as the King,
Father, and Pastor of the church, do bcHevers, with
earnest expectation, wait for the food of eternal life.
And neither one nor the other look and wait in vain.
To both he giveth their meat in due season; " he
opencth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every
living thing."

" 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways,
and holy, or, good, merciful, in all his works."

Thus, " in all his ways," or dispensations towards
his creatures, whether in nature, or in grace, " Je-
hovah is righteous," faithful, and just, in extending
his promised care, by making due provision for their
wants; and " all his works," which, from the be-
ginning of the world, he hath wrought in behalf of
the sons of men, are full of " mercy and loving
kindness."

" 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call
upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 19. He
will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also
will hear their cry, and will save them."

332 [Ps. 145.

It is our happiness to have a King, who is not,
like earthly princes, difficult of access, but one of
whom the meanest subject may at any time obtain
an audience, and be certain of having his request
granted, if it be made " in truth," without waver-
ing, and without hypocrisy, with humble confidence,
and with unwearied constancy, expecting salvation
from God, from none but him, and from him only in
the way of duty and obedience : " he will fulfil the
desire of them that fear him."

** 20. The Lord preserveth all them that love
him : but all the wicked will he destroy."

To protect his subjects, and destroy their enemies,
is the finishing part of the regal character, as here
drawn from its great original in " the King of saints."
By his grace he now preserveth us from innumerable
dangers and temptations, and gradually destroyeth
sin in us, and by his power he will hereafter execute,
in the fullest and most extensive sense, this part of
his office, " when the wicked shall be consumed with
the spirit of his mouth, and destroyed with the
brightness of his coming." Then the bodies of the
righteous, preserved to a joyful resurrection, shall be
reunited to their souls, and both together, perfected
and fiflorified, shall reiixn and shine with him for
ever. Thus the Lord Jesus Christ " preserveth
all that love him," and maketh good his promise,
" There shall not a hair of your head perish."
Luke xxi. 18.

" 2L My mouth shall speak the praise of the
Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever
and ever."

Ps. 146.1 ^^^

The Psalmist, having now given the reasons why
he had resolved to '* extol his God and King, and
to bless his name for ever and ever," concludes with
repeating his resolution, and exhorts all the world
to follow his example, in time and eternity.

PSALM CXLVL

ARGUMENT. — In this Psalm the church is taiiglit, 1, 2. to
prolong the praises of Jehovali, as her God and King ;
3 — G. to beware of trusting in the powers of the world, and
to rely on the world's Creator and Redeemer, whose miracles
of love and mercy, wrought for the children of men, 7 — 9.
are enumerated, and the eternity of whose kingdom, 10. is
proclaimed.

" 1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord,
O my soul. 2. While I live will I praise the
Lord: I will sing praises unto my God, while I
have any being."

No sooner is one Hallelujah ended, but another
begins; and the prophet, in imitation of those who
" rest not day or night," stirs himself up afresh to
praise the King of glory, the Creator and Redeemer
of men, declaring himself resolved to employ the
powers and faculties of his soul in the service of that
God who gave and preserved them.

" 3. Put not your trust in princes, no?^ in the son
of man, in whom there is no help. 4. His breath
goeth forth, he returneth to his earth ; in that very
day his thoughts perish. 5. Happy is he that hath
the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the

SS4^

[Ps. 146.

Lord his God; 6. Which made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that therein is; which keepeth truth
for ever:'*

From Him, who is " the prince of the kings of
the earth," Sion looks for deliverance, and by Him
her true sons expect to be exalted. He " keepeth
truth for ever;" he is able and willing to perform
his promises, and never disappoints those who rely
on him. There are no changes in the politics of
heaven. The faithful servant of his master is by
that Master infallibly approved and rewarded.
Earthly princes, if they have the will, often want the
power, even to protect their friends. And should
they want neither will nor power to advance them,
yet still all depends upon the breath in their nostrils,
which, perhaps, at the very critical moment, " goeth
forth: they return to their earth; their thoughts,"
and ail the thoughts of those who had hoped to rise
by their means, fall into the same grave, and are
buried with them for ever. " Cease ye from man,
whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to
be accounted of? But trust ye in the Lord for ever;
for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."
Isa. ii. 22. xxvi. 4.

" 7. Which executeth judgment for the op-
pressed; which giveth food to the hungry. The
Lord looseth the prisoners: 8. The Lord open-
eth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them
that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righte-
ous. 9. The Lord preserveth the strangers; he
relieveth the fatherless and widow : but the way of
the wicked he turneth upside down."

Ps. 146.] 335

That the Lord, of whom all these things are
spoken, is the Messiah, or Jehovah incarnate, ap-
pears, as Dr. Hammond hath justly observed, from
what is said of him in verse 8. " The Lord open-
eth the eyes of the blind ;" the miracle of restoring
sight to men born blind, being one reserved for the
Son of God to work, at his coming in the flesh.
" Since the world began," saith the man to whom
sight had been thus restored, " was it not heard,
that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind;" John ix. 32. This therefore was the first
of those tokens given by Jesus to the disciples of
John, whereby it might be known, that he was the
expected Christ; ** Go and tell John the things
which ye have heard and seen ; The blind receive
their sight," &c. But how did this evince him to be
the Messiah? Plainly, because it had been foretold
by the prophets (as in Isaiah xxxv. 5. xxix. 18.
xlii. 18. so in this passage of our Psalm, which is
exactly similar to those texts,) that Messiah, when
he came, should give sight to the blind. Now, if
one part of the Psalmist's description belong to
Christ, the other members of it must do so likewise,
it being evident that the whole is spoken of the same
person. He, therefore, is " the God of Jacob,
who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that
therein is;" and, upon his appearing among men in
the body of our flesh, he showed himself possessed
of power to relieve all the wants, corporal and spiri-
tual, of poor lost mankind. When he rescued men
from the bondage of Satan, he " executed judg-
ment for the oppressed:" when he fed thousands by
a miracle, or when he preached the word to such as

336

[Ps. 147.

desired to hear and receive it, he " gave food to the
hungry;" when, by pardon and grace, he released
those who were bound with the chains of their sins,
he, '' loosed the prisoners;" when he poured light
into the sightless eye-ball, or illuminated with sav-
ing knowledge the understanding of the ignorant,
he " opened the eyes of the blind:" when he made
the crooked woman straight, or rectified the obliquity
of a depraved will, he " raised those that were
bowed down:" while he protecteth, and guideth to
the city of their eternal habitation, the sons of Adam,
who are exiles, pilgrims, and sojourners upon earth,
he " preserveth the strangers:" when he became a
husband to the church, and a parent to her destitute
children, he '' relieved the fatherless and widow:"
and when he shall come in his glorious majesty, to
reward his servants, and to confound their enemies,
it will be seen how " he loveth the righteous, and
turneth the way of the wicked upside down." Hap-
py the people of such a God! happy the subjects of
such a King ! Rejoice, and sing, and shout aloud;
for lo,

" 10. The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy
God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the
Lord."

PSALM CXLVIL

Thirtieth Day. — Evening Prayer,

ARGUMENT. — It hath been conjectured, from ver. 2. that this
Psalm was written to celebrate the return of Israel from Baby-
lon, when Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt. 1 — 3. The
people of God are exhorted to praise him for the mercies

Ps. 147.] 337

vouchsafed to them ; 4 — 6. for his wisdom, power, and good-
ness; 7 — 9. for his providential care, and 10, 11. the wonder-
ful salvation wrought hy his arm ; 12 — 14. for the security,
increase, and prosperity of the church; 15 — 18. for the happy
change of her condition, like that produced in nature, when
spring succeeds to winter; 19, 20. and for the glorious privilege
of the divine word, revealed and committed to her.

" 1. Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing
praises unto our God; for // is pleasant; and^iaisQ
is comely."

Praise is " good" and acceptable to God our
Saviour, whose glory is the great end of man's crea-
tion and redemption: and it is " pleasant and comely"
for man, being the only return he can make for
those, and all other mercies; the offspring of grati-
tude, and the expression of love; the elevation of
the soul, and the antepast of heaven; its own re-
ward in this life, and an introduction to the felicities
of the next.

" 2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem : he
gathereth together the outcasts of Israel."

If this Psalm were written on occasion of the re-
turn from Babylon, and the rebuilding of the earthly
city, the ideas are to be transferred, as in other
Psalms of the same kind, to a more important re-
storation from a much worse captivity, and to the
building up of the church under the Gospel, when
Christ " gathereth together in one the children of
God that were scattered abroad;" John xi. 52. that
is, in the words of our Psalm, he " gathered to-
gether the outcasts of Israel!" 80 shall he again,
at the resurrection, "gather together his elect from
Vol. III. P

338

LPs. 147.

the four winds," Matt. xxiv. 31. and " build up a
Jerusalem," in which they shall serve and praise
him for ever.

" 3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bind-
eth up their wounds."

The " broken hearts and wounded spirits" of the
Israelites were " healed and made whole," when
they returned to their own land, when they beheld
Jerusalem rising again in beauteous majesty, and
sung the songs of Zion in the courts of the tem-
ple. Thus Christ came " to preach deliverance to
the captives, and to bind up the broken-hearted;"
Isa. Ixi. 1. Luke iv. 18. to speak pardon and peace
to the wounded and contrite spirit, and to put a new
song of thanksgiving in the mouth of the penitent,
which he might sing, when restored to the holy city,
and the house of his heavenly Father, The hour is
coming, when God shall heal the breaches which
death has made in the bodies of his people, and trans-
late them likewise from Babylon to Jerusalem.

" 4. He telleth the number of the stars: he call-
eth them all by their names."

And he who does this, cannot be ignorant of the
situation and circumstances of his elect. He know-
eth each individual, and numbereth all the atoms
which go to the composition of his frame. He can
call his saints from the depths of earth and sea,
" by their names," as when once " he cried with a
loud voice, Lazarus, come forth;" and he can fix
them in radiant circles round his throne in the king-
dom of glory, vying, for multitude, as well a§

Ps. 147.]

339

splendour, with those bright orbs which ghtter by
night in the spangled firmament of heaven ; so that
what Baruch saith of the stars, may well be applied
to the seed of Abraham, of whom it was foretold,
that they should equal the stars in number, Gen. xv.
5. " The stars shine in their watches, and rejoice;
when he calleth them, they say. Here we be; and
so with cheerfulness they show light unto him that
made them." Baruch iii. 34.

" 5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his
understanding 25 infinite: Heb, of his understanding
there is no number, or, computation; *isdd r^x."

This is a proper conclusion drawn from the former
part of the Psalm, and especially from the preceding
verse. The greatness of God's power, which over-
cometh all difficulties to eflPect the salvation of his
people, is not to be grasped by the human mind;
and that wisdom which numbers the stars of heaven,
and the sand of the sea, and the generations of the
sons of Abraham, can itself be subject to the rules
of no arithmetic.

*' 6. The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth
the wicked down to the ground."

To exalt and reward the humble, penitent, believ-
ing, and obedient; to depress and punish the proud,
impenitent, unbelieving, and disobedient; these are
the measures and ends of all the divine dispensations.
And as a man ranks himself in one or other of these
two divisions, he may expect from heaven storm or
sunshine, mercy or judgment.

P2

340

[Ps. 147.

" T. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing
praise upon the harp unto our God; 8. Who cover-
eth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for
the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the moun-
tains. 9. He giveth to the beast his food, and to
the young ravens which cry."

The faithful praise God for his goodness to the
animal world, both on account of that goodness in
itself, and also because they behold therein an em-
blem and assurance of his mercy to themselves. The
w^atchful care of Providence over all creatures, speaks
the same language to us, which Jehovah made use
of to Joshua, and which the apostle hath applied to
Christians: " I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee:" Josh. i. 5. Heb. xiii. 5. He who, by
sending rain on the mountains, which could not
otherwise be watered, provideth food for the wild
beasts inhabiting those mountains, will never leave
the lambs of his flock destitute. And he who feed-
eth the young of the unclean raven, when they cry,
and, as it were, in their way, call upon him for a
supply of their wants, will he, in the day of dearth
and calamity, forsake the meek and harmless dove,
that mourneth continually in prayer before him?
The desponding servant of God need only therefore
put to himself the question which we find asked by
the Creator, in the book of Job, chap, xxxviii. 41.
" Who provideth for the raven his food? When
his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack
of meat;" they wander and find it. Our Lord pres-
sed this argument on his disciples; Luke xii. 24.
" Consider the ravens;" Matt. vi. 26. " Behold the

Ps. 147.] 341

fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into harns : yet your heavenly Fa-
ther feedeth them. Are ye not much hetter than
they?"

Behold, and look away your low despair;
See the light tenants of the barren air :
To them, nor stores, nor granaries belong,
Nought but the woodland, and the pleasing song;
Yet, your kind heav'nly Father bends his eye
On the least wing that flits along the sky.
To him they sing, when spring renews the plain,
To him they cry, in winter's pinching reign ;
Nor is their music, nor their plaint in vain ;
He hears the gay, and the distressful call,
And with unsparing bounty fills them all.
Will he not care for you, ye faithless, say ?
Is he unwise? Or, are ye less than they?

Thomson.

'' 10. He delighteth not in the strength of the
horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear
him, in those that hope in his mercy."

If, therefore, the inference deduced above be a
just one, namely, that God, who takes care of the
wild beasts, and the birds of the air, will support
and defend his church; then, however weak she may
be, and however strong her adversaries may be, yet
she may rest secure, as having him on her side, to
whom it is equal, to save by many, or by few; who
giveth not the victory to the pomp and pride of car-
nal strength, to thousands or ten thousands, but to
" those who fear him, and hope in his mercy." The
history of Israel is one continual exemplification of
this truth; and in our spiritual warfare, " this is the
victory which overcometh the world, even our faith."
1 John V. 4.

342

[Ps. 14.7.

" 12. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy
God, O Zion: 13. For he hath strengthened the
bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children with-
in thee. 14. He maketh peace iii thy borders, and
filleth thee with the finest of the wheat."

The church, like Jerusalem of old, erected and
preserved by the wisdom, and power, and goodness
of God, is exhorted to praise him for all the benefits
and blessings vouchsafed unto her; for the increase
of " her children within her;" for the " peace"
which she at any time enjoyeth " in her borders,"
while she is here below; for the plentiful provision
made by her pastors, to satisfy the needs of those
who " hunger and thirst after righteousness;" and
for the protection of the Almighty, " strengthening
the bars of her gates," and securing to her the pos-
session of all these comforts; which, in the heavenly
Jerusalem, shall be rendered perfect and indefeasible
for evermore.

** 15. He sendeth forth his commandments ujwji
earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 16. He
giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar-frost
like ashes. 17. He casteth forth his ice like mor-
sels: who can stand before his cold? 18. He send-
eth out his word, and melteth them : he causeth his
wind to blow, and the waters flow."

The wonders of nature represent to us the mira-
cles of grace, and the change of seasons produceth
not greater alterations in the world, than those which
take place in the church, when her God hideth from
her, or rcstoreth to her, the light of his countenance,

Ps. 147.] ^^^

which, like its emblem, the bright ruler in the
heavens, at his departure leaves winter behind it;
and brings the spring with it at its return. " The
sun," says Bishop Sherlock, " is the great spirit of
the world, in the light of which all things are made
to rejoice; perpetual spring attends his course; all
things revive at his approach, and put on a new face
of youth and beauty; winter and frost lag beliind
him; nature grows deformed, and sickens at his
departure." Discourses, vol. v. What the sun
is to the world, the same is Christ to the church.
When the heart of man turns away from him, and
deprives itself of his gracious illumination: when
ignorance succeeds to knowledge, that is, darkness
to light ; when faith fails, and all its fair productions
wither away; when the " love of many is waxen
cold," and the fertilizing streams of charity are frozen
to the bottom. On the other hand, when God
*' sendeth out his word, and melteth them ;" when
he " bloweth with his Spirit, and," by these genial
influences from above, " the waters are made to
flow;" when faith revives and shoots into vigour, and
beauty, and fruitfulness, and when the hearts of men
are warmed, as well as their understandings illu-
minated: What is all this, but a winter, and a spring,
like those which, in their turns, annually deform
and renew the face of the earth, at the " word and
command of God," in either case, " running swift-
ly," and operating efficaciously !

" 19. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his sta-
tutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20. He hath
not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judg-

^^^ [Ps. 148.

meiits they have not known them. Praise ye the
Lord."

That " word,'* the effects of which upon the spi-
ritual system are similar to those experienced by na-
ture in the vernal season, that " word was showed
unto Jacob," and became the property of " Israel "
while Israel continued to be the church of God. It
hath since been made over, with all its types realized,
and its prophecies accomplished in Jesus, to the
Christian church; it is that peculiar blessing, which
distinguishes her from the rest of the world, and for
which her children are bound, at all times, tq
" praise the Lord*"

PSALM CXLVIIL

ARGUMENT, — All the creatures in the invisible and visible
world, are called upon by the Psalmist to unite in a grand cho-
I'us of praise and thanksgiving. The various parts are to be
performed by, 1, 2. the angelic hosts ; 3 — 6. the material
heavens, and the luminaries placed in them ; 7. the ocean with
its inhabitants; 8. the meteors of the air; 9, 10. the earth, as
divided into hills and valleys, with the vegetables that grow

. out of it, and the animals that move upon, or about it ; 11 — 13^
the human race of every degree, of each sex, and of every
age; 14. more especially the Israel, or chiu"ch of God.

" 1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord
from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2.
Praise ye him, all ye angels: praise ye him, all his
hosts."

When St. John saw in vision the King of glory
seated on his throne, he tells us that he heard all the

Ps. 148.]

345

angels which stood around the throne, with tlic
elders, and every creature in heaven, earth, and sea,
lifting up their voices, and singing together a hymn
of thanksgiving in honour of him. Such a choir we
find here summoned by the inspired Psalmist, and
exhorted to join and assist him in praising the same
Divine Person, whom the elders, in the Revelation,
declare " worthy to receive glory, and honour, and
power," because he " created all things, and for
his pleasure they are, and were created :" Rev. v.
13. vi. 11. From the heavens, and those unutter-
able heights, where hosts of immortal spirits, ad-
mitted to a sight of their King, enjoy unfading plea-
sures, the song is to begin. And when the strain is
thus set by the celestial part of the choir, it is to be
taken up, and echoed back, by the creatures of this
lower world, animate and inanimate, which have all
their several parts assigned them, in the great work
of glorifying their Creator,

" 3. Praise ye him, sun and moon : praise him,
all ye stars of light. 4. Praise him, ye heavens of
heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he
commanded, and they were created. 6. He hath also
established them for ever and ever: he hath made a
decree which shall not pass."

The material heavens, through all their various
regions, with the luminaries placed in them, and
the waters sustained by them, though they have
neither speech nor language, and want the tongue of
men, yet, by their splendour and magnificence,
their motions and their influences, all regulated and

P3

446

[Ps. 148.

exerted, according to the ordinance of their Maker,
do, in a very intelligible and striking manner, de-
clare the glory of God: they call upon us to trans-
late their actions into our language, and copy their
obedience in our lives; that so we may, both by
word and deed, glorify, with them, the Creator and
Redeemer of the universe.

*' 7. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons,
or, whales, and all deeps."

From heaven above, the Psalmist descendeth to
the deep beneath, which, while it proclaims the
power, observes the laws and decrees, of him, who
made it, and poured it abroad. And the same may
be said of its enormous inhabitants, which are under
the command of Jehovah, and of none but him,

" 8. Fire and hail; snow and vapour; stormy
wind fulfillincr his word."

o

These are so many messengers, always ready to
go forth, at the command of the Most High, for the
purposes of mercy, or judgment. They praise and
glorify God after their manner, while they " fulfil
his word" upon the earth.

" 9. Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and
all cedars: 10. Beasts, and all cattle; creeping
things, and flying fowl."

Who shall ever understand and comprehend all
the wisdom of God displayed in the vegetable world,
from the cedar to the hyssop; in the animal, from
the elephant to the pismire, from the eagle to the
sparrow? The more we study them, the more we

Fs. 148.] ^4-7

shall find him glorified in them; and the more, on
that account, will he be glorified by us.

"11. Kings of the earth, and all people; princes,
and all judges of the earth: 12. Both young men
and maidens; old men and children: 13. Let them
praise the name of the Loud: for his name alone
is excellent; his glory is above the earth and hea-
ven."*

After the whole creation hath been called upon to
praise Jehovah ; man, for whom the whole was
made; man, the last and most perfect work of God;
man, that hath been since redeemed by the blood of
the Son of God incarnate, is exhorted to join and
fill up the universal chorus of heaven and earth, as
being connected with both worlds, that which now
is, and that which is to come. Persons of every
degree, of each sex, and of every age; " kings,"
whose power God hath made an image of his own,
and who are the suns of their respective systems;
" judges," and magistrates of all kinds, who derive
their power, as the moon and planets do their light,
from its original source; "young men and maidens,"
in the flower of health, strength, and beauty; "old
men," who have accomplished their warfare, and are
going out of life; " children," who are just come
into it, and see every thing new before them; all
these have their several reasons for " praising the

♦ Nee ad solos Hebraeos hsee pertinet adiiortatio, sed ad omnes
omnino homines; estque adeo veluti proludium vocationis Gen-
tilium. Deum enim laudare, ut par est, non possunt, qui eum
non bene norunt; nee eum satis norunt, qui Evangelium nun-
quam audiverunt: e quo maximae Dei laudes efflorescunt.—
Clericus in loc.

348

[Ps. U8.

Lord, whose name is excellent, and his glory above
heaven and earth."

" 14. He also exalteth the horn of his people, the
praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel,
a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord."

As men, above all other creatures, so, above other
men, the " Israel" of God, the " people" that are
admitted to draw " near unto him," in his house,
by faith and charity, by prayer and participation of
the sacraments, are bound to praise him, who now
" exalteth" them from sin to righteousness, and will
hereafter exalt them from dust to glory.

Since few of my readers may, perhaps, have met
with a paraphrase on the foregoing Psalm, that has
hitherto, I believe, only made its appearance in a
periodical publication or two, I shall take the liberty
to subjoin it, as a piece, which cannot but be accept-
able to all true lovers of sacred poetry. It was
written, as I have been lately informed, by the
learned and ingenious Dr. Ogilvie, at sixteen years
of age.

PSALM CXLVIir.

1. Begin, my soul, the exalted lay,
Let each enraptured thought obey,

And praise the Almighty's name.
Lo! heaven and earth, and seas and skies,
In one melodious concert rise,

To swell the inspiring theme.

2. Ye fields of light, celestial plains,

Where gay transporting beauty reigns,

Ps. 148.] 349

Ye scenes divinely fair;
Your Maker's wondrous power proclaim,
Tell how lie formed your shining frame,

And breathed the fluid air.

3. Ye angels, catch the thrilling sound ;
While all the adoring thrones around

His boundless mercy sing ;
Let every listening saint above
Wake all the tuneful soul of love,

And touch the sweetest string.

4. Join, ye loud spheres, the vocal choir;

Thou, dazzling orb of liquid fire.

The mighty chorus aid:
Soon as grey evening gilds the plain.
Thou, moon, protract the melting strain,

And praise him in the shade.

5. Thou heaven of heavens, his vast abode ;

Ye clouds, proclaim your forming God,
W^ho called yon worlds from night;

" Ye shades, dispel!" — the Eternal said ;

At once the involving darkness fled,
And nature sprung to liglit.

6. Whate'er a blooming world contains,
That wings the air, that skims the plains,

United praise bestow :
Ye dragons, sound his awful name
To heaven aloud ; and roar acclaim,

Ye swelling deeps below.

7. Let every element rejoice :

Ye thunders, burst with awful voice

To him who bids you roll :
His praise in softer notes declare
Each whisp'ring breeze of yielding air,

And breathe it to the soul.

850

8. To him, ye graceful cedars, bow ;
Ye tow'ring mountains bending low,

Your great Ci'eator own :
Tell, when affrighted nature shook,
How Sinai kindled at his look,

And trembled at his frown.

9. Ye flocks that haunt the humble vale,

Ye insects flutt'ring on the gale,

In mutual concourse rise ;
Crop the gay rose's vermeil bloom,
And waft its spoils, a sweet perfume,

In incense to the skies.

10. Wake, all ye mounting tribes, and sing;
Ye plumy warblers of the spring.

Harmonious anthems raise
To Him who shaped yom* finer mould,
Who tipped your glitt'ring wings with gold,

And tuned your voice to praise.

11. Let man, by nobler passions swayed,
The feeling heart, the judging head,

In heavenly praise employ ;
Spread his tremendous name around,
Till heaven's broad arch rings back the sound.

The general burst of joy.

12. Ye whom the charms of grandeur please,
Nursed on the downy lap of ease.

Fall prostrate at his throne j
Ye princes, rulers, all adore ;
Praise him, ye kings, who makes your power

An image of his own.

13. Ye fair, by nature formed to move,
O praise the eternal Source of love.

With youth's enlivening fire-.
Let age take up the tuneful lay,
Sigh his bless'd name — then soar away.

And ask an angel's l)Te.

[Ps. 148.

Ps. 119.] 351

PSALM CXLIX.

ARGUMENT.— The children of Zion are excited, 1—3. to re-
joice, and sing the praises of their King, on account, 4. of the
salvation which he has already wrought for them, and which
will hereafter be completed in them, w^hen, 5. they shall enter
his rest, and 6 — 9. triumph with him over the persecuting
powers of the world, and all the opposers of Christ, on whom
will then be executed the judgment written. The Jews, mis-
taking, as usual, the time, place, and nature of Messiah's glo-
rious kingdom, imagine this Psalm will receive its accomplish-
ment, by their being made rulers of the nations, and lords of
all things here below.

*' 1. Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord
a new song, and his praise in the congregation of
saints. 2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him:
let the children of Zion he joyful in their King. 3.
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing
praises unto him with the timbrel and harp."

Christians are now the people, to whom belong
the names and characters of " saints, Israel, and
children of Zion." They ''sing" this holy "song,"
as the Psalmist hath enjoined them to do. They
sing it " new" in its evangelical sense, as new men
celebrating new victories, new and greater mercies,
a spiritual salvation, an eternal redemption. They
*' rejoice," with hearts, voices, instruments, and
every other token of joy, " in him who hath made"
or created them again, in righteousness and true
holiness; they are "joyful in their King," who hath
himself overcome, and is now leading them on to

352

[Ps. 149.

final conquest and triumph, to honour and immor-
tahty.

'' 4. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his peo-
ple: he will beautify the meek with salvation. 5.
The saints* shall be joyful with glory: they shall
sing aloud upon their beds, or, places of rest."

Such '' pleasure" the King of Zion taketh in his
people, that he hath not disdained to become like one
of them; to partake of their flesh and blood, and to
give them his Spirit ; he was made man, to purchase
them by his death, and as a man, he is gone into
heaven, to prepare a place for them. From thence
he will return, to " beautify the meek with salva-
tion," and place on the heads of his true disciples,
the lowly, patient, and peaceable ones, a bright and
incorruptible crown. Therefore are " the saints
joyful in glory; they sing aloud," in a state of per-
fect ease and security, resting from their labours, but
not from their hallelujahs.

" 6. The high praises of God in their mouth,
and a two-edged sword in their hand; 7. To execute
vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon
the people; 8. To bind their kings with chains, and
their nobles with fetters of iron; 9. To execute upon
them the judgment written: this honour have all his
saints. Praise ye the Lord."

To those who are saints indeed, and who are ac-
quainted with the genuine spirit of the Gospel how,

* In this verse, the Hebrew verbs are in the future time. In
the verse following, the original hath no verb at all. The liberty
is therefore taken to render them accordingly.

Ps. 150.] 35 3

obvious is it, that the scene, of which we have here
a prophetical exhibition, is one that cannot take place
till after the resurrection, because the followers of the
Lamb have certainly nothing to do with vengeance
in this world, though they are to judge, not only
men, but angels, in the next, 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. when
they shall be called to sit on thrones, as assessors, at
the condemnation of their once-insulting persecutors,
who will be cut asunder with the *' two-edged sword,"
and bound with indissoluble chains." Thus will be
executed upon them eternal "judgment written" and
announced against the enemies of Messiah, in the
Scriptures of truth. " This honour will all his
saints then have."

PSALM CL.

ARGUMENT. — Tlie Psalmist exhorteth men to praise Jehovah,
1. for his holiness, and the firmament of his power, 2. for the
wonders of his might, and for his excellent greatness, 3 — 5.
with all kinds of music. 6. He concludeth his divine book of
praises, by calling upon every thing that hath breath, to employ
that breath in declaring the glory of him who gave it.

" L Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his
sanctuary, or, for his holiness: praise him in, or, for,
the firmament, or, expansion, of his power."

If our translation be retained, the meaning is, that
God should be praised in the " sanctuary," or temple,
below, and likewise in " heaven" above ; the former
being planned and constructed as a resemblance of
the latter. But the context rather, perhaps, requires
us to suppose the Psalmist giving the reasons why

354 [Ps. 150.

God should be praised; namely, on account of his
" holiness," and of his " power;" which power is more
especially displayed in the formation of the '* firma-
ment," or " expansion," of the material heavens, and
their incessant operations, by means of the light and
the air of which they are composed, upon the earth
and all things therein. These are the appointed
instruments of life and motion in the natural world,
and they afford us some idea of that power of God
unto salvation which is manifested in the church, by
the effects produced on the souls of men, through the
gracious influences of the light divine, and the Spirit
of holiness, constituting the ** firmament of God's

power

" in the new creation.

'* 2. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him
according to his excellent greatness."

" Mighty" were the " acts" which God wrought
for Israel, and " great" was the Holy One in the
midst of his ancient people ; but far mightier acts did
he perform in Christ Jesus, for the redemption of the
world; and more " excellent greatness" hath he
manifested in the conversion of the nations, the
overthrow of paganism, and the erection and preser-
vation of the Christian church. O that her grati-
tude bore some proportion to his goodness !

" 3. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4. Praise
him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with
stringed instruments and organs. 5. Praise him
upon the loud cymbals : praise him upon the high-
sounding cymbals."

Ps. 150.]

355

It is impossible for us to distinguish and describe
the several sorts of musical instruments here men-
tioned, as the Hebrews themselves acknowledge their
ignorance in this particular. Thus much is clear,
that the people of God are enjoined to use all the
various kinds of them, in the performance of their
divine services. And why should they not be so
used under the Gospel? We read of sacred music
before the law, in the instance of " Miriam the pro-
phetess, the sister of Aaron," who, to celebrate the
deliverance from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, " took
a timbrel in her hand, and the women went out after
her, with timbrels and dances:" Exod. xv. 20. The
custom, therefore, was not introduced by the law, nor
abolished with it. Well-regulated music, if ever it
had the power of calming the passions, if ever it en-
livened and exalted the affections of men in the wor-
ship of God (purposes for which it was formerly em-
ployed) doubtless hath still the same power, and can
still afford the same aids to devotion. When the
beloved disciple was, in spirit, admitted into the celes-
tial choir, he not only heard them " singing" hymns
of praise, but he heard likewise " the voice of harp-
ers harping upon their harps:" Rev. xiv. 2. And
why that, which saints are represented as doing in
heaven, should not be done, according to their skill
and ability, by saints upon earth; or why instrumen-
tal music should be abolished as a legal ceremony,
and vocal music, which was as much so, should be
retained, no good reason can be assigned. Sacred
music, under proper regulations, removes the hin-
drances of our devotion, cures the distraction of our
thoughts, and banishes weariness from our minds.

356

[Ps. 150.

It adds solemnity to the public service, raises all the
devout passions in the soul, and causes our duty to
become our delight. " Of the pleasures of heaven,"
says the eloquent and elegant Bishop Atterbury,
" nothing further is revealed to us, than that they
consist in the practice of holy music, and holy love;
the joint enjoyment of which, we are told, is to be
the happy lot of all pious souls, to endless ages." It
may be added, that there is no better method of
combating the mischievous effects flowing from the
abuse of music, than by applying it to its true and
proper use. If the worshippers of Baal join in a
chorus to celebrate the praises of their idol, the ser-
vants of Jehovah should drown it, by one that is
stronger and more powerful, in praise of him who
made heaven and earth. If the men of the world
rejoice in the object of their adoration, let the chil-
dren of Zion be joyful in their King.

" 6. Let every thing that hath breath praise the
Lord. Praise ye the Lord."

The breath of natural life, which God hath breath-
ed into our nostrils, and the breath of that new and
eternal life, which he hath given us through Christ
Jesus our Lord, should be returned in hallelujahs.
And then the church, composed of many and differ-
ent members, all actuated like the pipes of a well-
tuned organ, by the same spirit, and conspiring to-
gether in perfect harmony, would become one great
instrument sounding forth the praises of God most
high.

Let every thing that hath breath praise

Ps. 150.] 357

THE Lord ! — With this wish the sweet Psalmist

of Israel closes the songs of Zion. With the same

wish the author desires to close these meditations

upon them; giving thanks to the Father of mercies,

and the God of all comforts, by whose most oracious

favour and aid they have been begun, continued,

and ended; and humbly praying, that no errors, or

improprieties, from which, through human infirmity,

during the course of a long work, the most diligent

and careful are not exempt, may prevent his labours

from contributing, in some small degree, to promote

the improvement and consolation of the redeemed,

the honour and glory of the Redeemer, who is the

ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DaVID, AND THE
BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR. Amen.

FINIS.

Printed by W. Collins & Co. Glasgow.

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