God's care of the godly, A. M. 3560. PSALM CXLVII. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, || and to the young ravens which cry. 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. 12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. n Job xxxviii. 41; Psalm civ. 27, 28; cxxxvi. 25; cxlv. 15. Job xxxviii. 41; Matthew vi. 26; Psalm xxxiii. 16, 17, 18. P Hos. i. 7. and of all living creatures. B. C. 444. 13 For he hath strengthened the A. M. 3560. bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. 14 3 He and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. S maketh peace in thy borders, 15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth his word runneth very swiftly. Hebrew, Who maketh thy border peace.- - Isa. lx. 17, 18. r Psa. cxxxii. 15.- Heb. fat of wheat, Deut. xxxii. 14; Psa. lxxxi. 16.- Psa. cvii. 20; Job xxxvii. 12. his house, the beauty of holiness? Let the inhabitants of Jerusalem praise God in their own houses; let the priests and Levites that attend in Zion, the city of their solemnities, in a special manner praise him. They have more cause to do it than others. and they lie under greater obligations; for it is their business, it is their profession. Praise thy God, Zion-He is thine, and therefore thou art bound to praise him; his being thine includes all happiness, and therefore thou canst never want matter for praise. your utmost ability in his praise. Who covereth the|| And where should glory be given to him, if not in heaven with clouds-Which, though they darken the air, and intercept the beams of the sun, yet contain and distil those refreshing dews and showers which are necessary to render the earth fruitful. Who-By the rain which descends on them; maketh grass to grow upon the mountains-Even the high mountains, which man neither takes care of, nor could water; and gives that grass to the wild beasts that inhabit them, for which man neither does nor can make any provision. And feeds the young ravens which cry-Which, in their way, call upon him for sustenance. And surely this watchful care of the Divine Providence over all creatures, speaks the same language to us which God 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. For "He who provides food for the wild beasts, will never leave the lambs of his flock destitute; and he who feeds the young of the unclean ravens when they cry, and, as it were, ask a supply of their wants from him, will not, in the day of dearth and calamity, forsake the meek and harmless dove that mourns continually in prayer before him."--Horne. Verses 13, 14. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates-Thy strength consists not in thy walls, and gates, and bars, but in his protection. They had walls and gates, and kept their gates barred in time of danger; but that would not have been an effectual security to them, if God had not strengthened the bars of their gates, and fortified their fortifications. Let us remember, the most probable means we can devise for our defence and preservation will not answer the end, unless God give his blessing with them; we must, therefore, in the careful and diligent use of these means, depend upon him for that blessing, and attribute the undisturbed repose of our land more to the wall of fire than the wall of water round about us, Zech. ii. 5. He maketh peace in thy borders-In all thy land, even to its utmost borders, which are most liable to the incursion of enemies. He puts an end to the wars that existed, and prevents those that were threatened and feared. And he preserves the country in tranquillity, healing all differences between contending parties, and preventing intestine broils and animosities. And filleth thee with the finest wheat-With wheat, the most valuable grain, the finest of that, and a fulness thereof. Canaan abounded with the best wheat, Deut. xxxii. 14; and exported it to the countries abroad, Ezek. xxvii. 17. It was not enriched with precious stones or spices, but with what was far more valuable, with bread which strengthens man's heart. That, with abundance of milk and honey, vines and fig-trees, rendered it the glory of all lands. Verse 15. He sendeth forth his commandment, &c. execute whatsoever pleaseth him, either in the works of nature or of providence. For, as the world was first made, so it is still upheld and gov erned by the almighty word of God's power. word runneth very swiftly-The thing is done with Verses 10, 11. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, &c.--As if he needed either one or the other for the accomplishment of his designs: see the note on Psalm xxxiii. 16, 17. Mr. Green translates the verse, He delights not in the courage of the horse, nor is pleased with the agility of the warrior; and Bishop Patrick connects it with the preceding verse, and paraphrases it thus: "Let us not doubt, then, but he that takes care of crows will much more take care of us; and not be afraid, though we are of little force, (Neh. iv. 3, and vii. 4,) and have no armies of horse and foot to defend us: for the Lord, who fights for us, hath no need of these, (Neh. iv. 20,) and will not take part with our enemies, because they are superior to us in the strength of their horses, and the nimbleness of their soldiers." But the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him-"He delights to give those his assistance and protection who, worshipping him devoutly, fear to of fend him; and having no help in themselves, nor-Which is sufficient, without any instruments, to any earthly refuge to flee to, depend, notwithstand ing, with a steadfast faith on his infinite mercy." Verse 12. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, O Zion --O holy city, O holy hill. For where should praise be offered to God, if not there where his altar is? His 16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? for which he is to be praised B. C. 444. 19 * He showeth 5 his word unto A. M. 3560. Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation : 18 "He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: and as for his judgments, they have not known he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. || them. Praise ye the LORD. t Job xxxvii. 6.- - Verse 15; Job xxxvii. 10.- - Deut. xxxiii. | Hebrew, his words.- -y Mal. iv. 4.- -z Deut. iv. 32, 33, 34; 2, 3, 4; Psa. lxxvi. 1; lxxviii. 5; ciii. 7. Rom. iii. 1, 2. and melteth them-To prevent the hurt that might ensue by the continuance of the snow, frost, and cold, he issues forth another command, which as suddenly (see verse 15) makes a thaw. He causeth out delay or difficulty, for nothing can oppose or retard the execution of his counsel. As the lightning, which passeth through the air in an instant, such is the word of God's providence, and such the|| word of his grace, when it is sent forth with com- || his wind to blow—The southern, or some other warm mission, Luke xvii. 25. wind, sent with commission to dissolve the frost and melt the snow; and the waters flow-The waters, which were bound up, are loosened, and made to flow again, and the rivers return to their wonted course. Verses 16-18. He giveth snow like wool-Not only in colour, and shape, and softness, and its falling silently like a lock of wool; but in its covering the|| earth and keeping it warm, and so promoting its Verses 19, 20. He showeth his word unto Jacobfruitfulness. He scattereth the hoar-frost-Which "That word, the effects of which, upon the spiritual is dew congealed, as the snow and hail are rain system, are similar to those experienced by nature congealed; like ashes--Which it resembles in colour in the vernal season: that word was showed unto and smallness of parts, and has the appearance of Jacob, and became the property of Israel, while Isashes scattered upon the grass. Sometimes also it is rael continued to be the church of God. It hath prejudicial to the products of the earth, and blasts since been made over, with all its types realized, and them, as if it were hot ashes. He casteth forth his its prophecies accomplished in Jesus, to the Chrisice-Great hailstones, which are of an icy nature, tian Church." He hath not dealt so with any nation and which are very properly said to be cast forth,||-But for many ages left all others to their native or cast down, out of the clouds, and that like mor- darkness and blindness, and to those dim discoveries sels or fragments, the particles being congealed of God, and of themselves, and of God's will conin them. Who can stand before his cold?-The|| cerning them, which they had from the light of cold which he sometimes sends into the air is so nature. Divine revelation is that peculiar blessing, sharp and piercing that it would be intolerable if "which distinguishes the church of God from the men did not defend themselves from it by houses,|| rest of the world, and for which her children are clothes, furs, fires, &c. He sendeth out his word | bound at all times to praise the Lord." PSALM CXLVIII. In this Psalm, the author of which is uncertain, all the creatures in the invisible and visible world are called upon by the psalmist to unite in the grand chorus of praise and thanksgiving. The various parts are to be performed as follows: By the angelic hosts, 1, 2; by the material heavens, and the luminaries placed in them, 3-6; by the ocean, with its inhabitants, 7; the meteors of the air, 8; 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, 9, 10; the human race of every degree, of each sex, and of every age, 11-13. More especially the Israel and church of God, 14. A. M. 2017. PRAISE1 ye the LORD. Praise || vens: praise him in the heights. A. M. 2987. ye the LORD from the hea- 2 a Praise ye him, all his an B. C. 1 Heb. Hallelujah. NOTES ON PSALM CXLVIII. Verses 1, 2. Praise ye the Lord-Bishop Lowth, speaking of the origin of this divine ode, observes, that it had its birth from the most pleasing affections of the human soul, joy, love, admiration." "If we contemplate man," says he, "newly created, such as the sacred Scriptures exhibit him to us, endued with the perfect power of reason and speech; neither ignorant of himself nor of God; conscious of the a Psa. ciii. 20, 21. B. C. 1017. divine goodness, majesty, and power; no unworthy spectator of the beautiful fabric of the universe, the earth, and the heavens; can we suppose that, at the sight of all these things, his heart would not so burn within him, that his mind, carried away by the warmth of his affections, would, of its own accord, pour itself forth in the praise of his Creator, and glow into that impetuosity of speech, and that exultation of voice, which almost necessarily follows such 1 Kings viii. 27; 2 Cor. xii. 2. Gen. i. 7. d Gen. i. 1, 6,7; Psa. xxxiii. 6, 9. emotions of mind. This seems to have been exactly the case with the contemplative author of this beautiful Psalm, wherein all created things are called upon to celebrate together the glory of God. Praise ye the Lord, &c., a hymn which our Milton, by far the most divine of poets, after the sacred ones, hath most elegantly imitated, and very aptly given to Adam in paradise: see Paradise Lost, book v. verse 153, &c. Indeed, we can scarcely conceive rightly of that primeval and perfect state of man, unless we allow him some use of poetry, whereby he might worthily express, in hymns and songs, his piety and affection toward God." See the 25th Prelection. Praise the Lord from the heavens-Let his praises be begun by the host of heaven, which he particularly expresses in the following verses. Praise him in the heights-In those high and heavenly places. Praise ye him, all his angels-He invites the angels here, and inanimate creatures afterward, to praise God, not as if the former needed, or the latter were capable of receiving his exhortation, but only by a poetical figure, the design whereof was, that men, by this means, might be more excited to this duty. Praise him, all his hosts-The angels, as in the former clause, called hosts, here and 1 Kings xxii. 19, on account of their vast number, excellent order, and perfect subjection to their general the Lord of hosts. Verses 3, 4. Praise him, sun and moon, &c.—You were adored by the blind heathen for gods; you are but his creatures, and therefore would be obliged, if you were capable of it, to worship and praise him for your glorious light and powerful influences. "The material heavens, through their various regions," says Dr. Horne, "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 exerted according to the ordinance of their Maker, do, in a very intelligible and striking manner, declare the glory of God; they call upon us to translate 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." Praise him, all ye stars of light-Which bespangle the firmament, and constantly burn and shine to his glory, attracting, night after night, and from age to age, the attention, and exciting the admiration of every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens-Ye highest and most glorious exhorted to praise the Lord. 6 He hath also established them A. M. 2987. B. C. 1017. for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, 'ye dragons, and all deeps: 8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour: stormy wind fulfilling his word: e Psalm lxxxix. 37; exix. 90, 91; Jer. xxxi. 35, 36; xxxiii. 25. (Isa. xliii. 20. Psa. cxlvii. 15-18. heavens, the place of God's throne, and glorious presence, as this expression seems to mean, Deut. x. 14; 1 Kings viii. 27: or, rather, the starry heavens, which also may be so called, because they are above the air, which is often called heaven in the Scriptures. And ye waters-Ye clouds, that be abore the heavens-Above a part of them, above the aerial heavens: of which see note on Gen. i. 7. Verses 5, 6. Let them praise the name of the Lord-"Who hath set forth his most transcendent wisdom, power, and magnificence in such a variety of stupendous works, that there is not the smallest of them, but ministers such matter of praise and admiration to those who attentively consider them, that they cannot but wish, with the psalmist here, that every one of them were able to tell us how much skill he hath shown in its contrivance; or that we were able to find it out and comprehend it." He commanded, and they were created-They owe their existence wholly to his will and pleasure. He hath also established them for ever and ever-To the end of the world. They are, by his superintending and watchful providence, constantly preserved and continued. He made a decree, &c.-" That is, prescribed rules to the heavens, the stars, and other creatures, as to their situation, motion, and influence; which, though inanimate, they never transgress."-Dodd. Verse 7. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps-" From heaven above the psalmist descends 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." By dragons here, we may either understand serpents, which abide in the deep caverns or holes of the earth; or, rather, whales, crocodiles, and other sea monsters, which dwell in the depths of the sea, or of rivers, and are often intended by the word, here rendered dragons. Verse 8. Fire--Lightning, thunderbolts, fiery meteors, in which God shows his wonderful power, lighting up those powerful flames, even in cold regions, which are far removed from subterraneous fires. And the noise and stupendous effects of these fires, and especially of thunder and lightning, are such, that they have been justly termed, the voice of God, and the arrows of the almighty. Hail, snot, and vapour-It is really wonderful, that from the same places where the hot lightnings flash, and from whence the thunderbolts are thrown, hail and 10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, cellent; his glory is above the earth and heaand flying fowl: 11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: ven. m the praise of all his saints; even of the chil12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, dren of Israel," a people near unto him. Praise and children: ye the LORD. Isa. xliv. 23; xlix. 13 ; lv. 12.- - Heb. birds of wing. Psa. 3 Heb. exalted. Psa. cxiii. 4.- Psa. lxxv. 10.- m Psa. viii. 1; Isa. xii. 4. cxlix. 9.- Eph. ii. 17. way or another, must see and acknowledge that they furnish a powerful motive for praise to the great Creator, for the vast multitude and various kinds of them, which he hath formed and subjected to the dominion of man. Creeping things—Including many animals in the waters, as well as in the land; and flying fowl-In the various forms, capacities, and instincts of which, as well as in the beautiful plumage of many of them, and the ample provision made for them all, much of the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator is manifested. snow should also descend: nor could this possibly happen, but by the power and wisdom of that Being that can effect every thing. The word, here rendered vapour, signifies fumes, or hot exhalations, as cold exhalations are comprehended under the title of snow; and both of them, arising from the earth, are here fitly mentioned as belonging to it. Stormy wind-Which is of very great use in vehemently agitating the air,and thereby keeping it from stagnating and becoming unwholesome. But the expression,, ought, perhaps, rather to be rendered whirlwind, a wind which moves in a spiral Verses 11, 12. Kings of the earth, and all people direction, as well as horizontally, and is exceedingly-"After the whole creation hath been called upon rapid and impetuous: see on Job xxxvii. 9. This also wonderfully displays the power of God. Fulfilling his word-Going forth as so many messengers to execute his commands and effect his purposes, either of mercy for the comfort, or of judgment for the punishment of the inhabitants of the earth. And they all praise and glorify God after their manner, while they accomplish his pleasure. 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 Verses 9, 10. Mountains, and all hills-These are power God hath made an image of his own, and of great use in the earth. From them descend the who are the suns of their respective systems; judges, running streams into the valleys, without which ani- and magistrates of all kinds, who derive their power, mals could not live. On the mountains grow those as the moon and planets do their light, from its orivast trees which are necessary for daily use in vari-ginal source; young men and maidens, in the flower ous ways; and on the hills and mountains is herbage of health, strength, and beauty; old men, who have for vast multitudes of cattle, whereby men are sup- || accomplished their warfare, and are going out of plied with food and clothing. And all cedars-Under life; children, who are just come into it, and see the name of cedars, as being the chief, seems to be every thing new before them; all these have their included all kinds of trees which do not bear fruit. several reasons for praising the Lord."-Horne. A little reflection will show how much it is a subject for praise to God that he hath furnished us with so many kinds of trees; some of which produce for us the most delicious, the most wholesome, and most useful fruits; others supply us with materials for building our habitations and ships, whereby we trade to all parts of the world; and for making our household goods, and various kinds of tools and instruments. If all these were wanting to us, we could|| hardly subsist; and if but a great part of them were wanting, we should lead a much more laborious and unpleasant life than we do. Beasts, and all cattle -Let the wild beasts also of the forest, and all the cattle that feed in the fields, furnish matter of praise to him who hath shown his manifold wisdom and diffusive goodness in and by them all. And, certainly, whoever considers to how many useful and beneficial purposes of life they are employed, in one Verses 13, 14. Let them praise, &c.-Let them acknowledge and celebrate the wisdom, goodness, and power of the Lord; for his name alone is excellent-For how great soever any other beings may be, there is none equal to him, whose most excellent majesty infinitely surpasses that of all other beings; and whose glory is above the earth and heavenAbove all that the earth or heaven can utter of him. He also exalteth the horn of his people-And so great is God's condescension unto us, the children of Israel, that he takes a peculiar care of us, hath bestowed upon us many peculiar benefits, and raised us to the highest pitch of honour, especially to this, that he hath brought us more near to himself than any other people upon the earth, and hath placed among us a visible token of his presence: we therefore are under peculiar obligations to praise him for his singular kindness. An exhortation PSALM CXLIX. PSALM CXLIX. to praise God. The design of this Psalm is to excite and encourage God's people to praise him, either, 1st, For their deliverance out of Babylon, and the promises God had given them of perfecting their restoration, and enlarging their power and dominion in the world; or, rather, 2d, For the establishment of the kingdom of Israel in David's hands, and for that safety, glory, and victory over their enemies, which they had obtained, or expected by that means. But, added to this, the psalmist, or the Spirit of God, who dictated this Psalm to him, had a further prospect in it, even to the kingdom of the Messiah, of whom David was a type, and who, in the chariot of the everlasting gospel, was to go forth, conquering and to conquer. Several, even of the Jewish doctors, apply this Psalm to the Messiah's kingdom; but mistaking, as usual, the time, place, and nature of that kingdom, imagine it will receive its accomplishment by their being made rulers of the nations, and lords of all things here below. The psalmist exhorts to praise God, (1,) For his love to his people, 1-5. And, (2) For enabling them to overcome their enemies, 6–9. A. M. 2957. PRAISE 'ye the LORD. 3d Let them praise his name 2 in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. B. C. 1047. 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. h 6 Let the high praises of God be 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 4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his nobles with fetters of iron; Heb. Hallelujah.- - Psa. xxxiii. 3; Isa. xlii. 10.b Job xxxv. 10; Psa. c. 3; Isa. liv. 5. - Zech. ix. 9; Matt. xxi. 5. d Psa. lxxxi. 2; cl. 4. NOTES ON PSALM CXLIX. "Or, with the pipe.- - Psalm xxxv. 27.- Psa. cxxxii. 16. 8 Job xxxv. 10.-- 3 Heb. in their throat. Heb. iv. 12; Rev. i. 16. that tremble at his word, and submit to it; that are patient under their afflictions, and show all meekness toward all men. These the men of the world vilify and asperse; but God will justify them, and wipe off their reproach; nay, he will beautify, or adorn, or glorify them, as ND signifies. They shall appear, not only clear, but comely and honourable before all the world, with the comeliness and dignity wherewith he clothes them. He will beautify them with salvation, perhaps with temporal salvation, working remarkable deliverances for them; and then they who had lain among the pots, become as the wings of a dove covered with silver, Psa. lxviii. 13: but especially with eternal salvation. The righteous shall be beautified indeed in that day when they shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Verses 1-3. Sing unto the Lord a new song-For these new mercies conferred upon us, denied to former times. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him-That made them not only his creatures, but, which is unspeakably greater, his people; or, that advanced them to, and adorned them with, singular privileges, as the word ny, here used, is understood 1 Sam. xii. 6, and elsewhere. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their king—In Jehovah, who condescends, in a peculiar sense, to become their king, and, in the exercise of his kingly power, delivers, protects, and governs them as his subjects. Let them praise his name in the dance, &c.-According to the usage of that time and dispensation: see notes on Exod. xv. 20, 21; 2 Sam. vi. 14. True 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 as new men, with new affections and dispositions, and in its evangelical sense, celebrating new victories, and victories of a new kind, and new and greater mer-praises of God be in their mouths, &c.-" In assucies, even a spiritual salvation and an eternal redemption. "They rejoice with hearts and voices," If not also with "instruments, and every other token of joy, in him who made them, who created them anew in righteousness and true holiness: they are joyful in their king, who hath himself overcome, and is now leading them on to final conquest and triumph, to honour and immortality." Verse 4. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people -He loveth them above all people, and rejoiceth over them to do them good. He will beautify the meek—The humble, and lowly, and contrite in heart, Verses 5-8. Let the saints be joyful in glory-For the honour which God puts upon them. Let them sing aloud upon their beds-By night as well as by day, in the time usually devoted to rest and sleep, which they shall borrow to praise God in for his eminent and extraordinary blessings. Let the high red hopes of victory they shall go to war with psalms and hymns in their mouths, concerning the great acts of the Lord, which they shall courageously sing with a loud voice when they shall fall upon their enemies, and prefer to the two-edged sword which they carry in their hands."-Bishop Patrick. To execute vengeance upon the heathen-For all their cruelties and injuries toward God's people. This was literally accomplished by David upon the Philistines, Ammonites, Syrians, and other neighbouring nations. Their kings and nobles were taken prisoners, (verse 8,) and on some of them the judg |