JR** 
 
 -4 
 
 3 r - - 3 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Theological Seminary, 
 
 F^RINCETON, N. J. 
 
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 Bb i 4:3U . HSlt> Lb'Zb vvT 
 Home, George, 1730-1792. 
 A commentary on the book of 
 Psalms 
 
\ 
 
 '. < 
 
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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