-Which is a great mercy to mankind, who can now be worth the room it occupies, but God has appointgo forth with security and confidence, and performed it its place, and made it serviceable to man many unmolested the task assigned them by their Maker. Thus, "when the light of truth and righteousness 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."-Horne. ways. For therein are things creeping, or, rather, "By Verses 24-26. O Lord, how manifold are thy works-How numerous, how various! Of how many kinds, and how many of every kind. Thus, "transported with a survey of the wonders which present themselves in heaven above, and on earth below, the psalmist breaks forth into an exclamation, 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 for them that love him, in another and a better world, || and of which the things visible and temporary 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 terminated, shall we not, with angels and archangels, cry out, O Lord, how manifold are thy works, &c."—Horne. In wisdom hast thou made them all-When men undertake many works, and of different kinds, commonly some of them are neglected, and not done with due care; but God's works, though many, and of different kinds, yet are all made in wisdom, and with the greatest exactness: there is not the least flaw or defect in them. The most perfect works of art, the more narrowly they are viewed, (as, suppose, with the help of microscopes,) the more rough and imperfect they appear; but the more the works of God are examined, (by these glasses,) they appear the more fine and complete. God's works are all made in wisdom, for they are all made to answer the end designed, the good of the universe, in order to the glory of the universal King. The earth is full of thy riches-providence; they are troubled-Dejected and disOf excellent, useful, and comfortable things, which are the effects of thy goodness and power. So is this great and wide sea-Which might seem at first view a useless part of the globe, or, at least, not to || Verses 27-30. These all-Both beasts and fishes, wait upon thee-Expect supplies from thy providence: which is spoken of them figuratively, and with an allusion to the manner of tame beasts and fowls, which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them. That thou mayest give them their meat, &c.—When it is necessary or convenient for them. That thou givest them they gather-Whatsoever they receive is from the bounty of thy gift, and they do their part for the obtaining of it: what thou placest within their reach they gather, and expect not that thy providence should put it into their mouths; and with what they gather they are satisfied. For when thou openest thy hand-To supply their wants, they are filled with good-And desire no more than what thou seest fit to give them. Thou hidest thy face-Withdrawest, or suspendest the favour and care of thy tressed through want and misery. Thou takest away their breath-Which is in thy hand, and then, and not till then, they die and return to their dustTo the earth, from whence they had their original. God is praised PSALM CIV. for his goodness. 31 The glory of the LORD 10 shall || live: I will sing praise unto my God A. M. 2962. endure for ever: the LORD " shall while I have my being. rejoice in his works. A. M. 2962. 32 He looketh on the earth, and it "trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. B. C. 1042. 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. *Bless thou Praise ye the LORD. 33 PI will sing unto the LORD as long as I the LORD, O my soul. 10 Heb. shall be. -m Gen. i. 31. ——— Hab. iii. 10. Psalm cxliv. 5. P Psalm lxiii. 4; cxlvi. 2. - Psalm xxxvii. 38; Prov. ii. 22. r Verse 1. and thrive; so, on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his, upon the hills or earth, makes them tremble or smoke, as once Sinai did when God appeared on it. Verses 33, 34. I will sing unto the Lord, &c.-Whatever others do, I will not fail to give to God his glory and due praises. My meditation of him-My praising of God concerning the glory of his works; shall be sweet-Either, 1st, To God; he will graciously accept it; praise being his most acceptable I will not only do this work of praising God, but I will do it cheerfully and with delight: it shall be a pleasure to me to praise him, and I shall find comfort in so doing. Thou sendest forth thy spirit—That spirit by which || they live, which may be called God's spirit, because given and preserved by him. Or rather, that quickening power of God, by which he produces and preserves life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production and preservation of living creatures. They are created-That is, either, 1st, The same living creatures, which were languishing and dying, are strangely revived and restored. Or, 2d, Other living creatures are produced or gene-sacrifice, Psa. Ixix. 30, 31. Or rather, 2d, To myself. rated; the word created being taken in its largest sense, for the production of things by second causes. And thou renewest the face of the earth-And thus, by thy wise and powerful providence, thou preservest the succession of living creatures upon the earth, which otherwise would be desolate and without inhabitants. It is justly observed here, by Dr. Dodd, that "the ideas in these verses can be excelled by nothing, but by the concise elegance of the expressions;" which convey to the human mind the most sublime and awful conceptions of that Almighty Being who does but open his hand, and the creatures are filled with good; does but hide his face, and they are troubled and die; does but send forth his Spirit, and they are created. Verse 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever-God will never cease to manifest his glorious wisdom, power, and goodness in his works; and creatures shall never be wanting to give him the praise and honour due unto his name. The Lord shall rejoice in his works-Shall continue to take that complacency in the products of his own wisdom, power, and goodness, which he had, when he saw every thing which he had made, and behold, it was very good. We often do that which, upon the review, we cannot rejoice in, but are displeased at, and wish undone again, blaming our own management. But God always rejoices in his works, because they are all done in wisdom. We regret our bounty and beneficence, but God never does: he rejoices in the works of his grace: his gifts and calling are without repentance. Verse 32. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth, &c.-Unable to bear his frown. This is a further illustration of God's powerful providence. As when he affords his favour to creatures, they live 948 Verse 35. Let the sinners be consumed, &c.—This speaks terror to the wicked. As if he had said, As for those ungodly creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord, nor give him the glory due to his name, but dishonour him, and abuse his creatures, and thereby provoke God to destroy the earth, and the men and things which are upon it, let them be consumed, and be no more, for it is my prayer that, for thine honour and for the safety of mankind, those sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of disobeying their Creator and Preserver, their Governor and Judge, may be taken out of the world, that they may no longer infect it, and hasten its total destruction. Or rather, the words are a prediction, and 1, jittamu, should be rendered, they shall be consumed, it being impossible that any should prosper, who harden themselves against the Almighty. And they that rebel against the light of such convincing evidence of God's exist ence, wisdom, power, and goodness, and refuse to serve him, whom all the creatures serve, will be justly consumed. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul-But thou, O my soul, come not into this wretched society but employ thyself in this great and blessed work of praising God, in which I hope to be employed when the wicked are consumed, even world without end; and desire that others may follow my example herein, and therefore say, Praise ye the Lord-Hebrew, Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs, and it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Rev.xix., it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon. 2 An exhortation PSALM CV. PSALM CV. to praise God. The author of this Psalm was David, as is manifest from 1 Chron. xvi. 8, where we learn that the first part of it, at least, to the end of the 15th verse, was delivered by him to Asaph and his brethren, for the constant service of God in his tabernacle. It was composed after he had obtained several victories over the Philistines, 1 Chron. xiv., and after he had settled the ark of God in Zion. And it is most probable that he afterward enlarged it, (for, as Bishop Patrick asks, who else would presume to do it?) that it might be a more complete commemoration of all the mercies of God toward the Israelites, from the days of Abraham to their taking possession of the land of Canaan. Into this land, he shows, God had conducted them by so many miraculous providences, in several ages, (according to his faithful promise made to Abraham,) that it deserved their most hearty acknowledgments; to which he endeavours to excite them by a variety of expressions in the first five verses of the Psalm. It may therefore be properly termed, “ A Psalm of thanksgiving to God, for his mercies to the people of Israel ;" and it may serve to admonish the new people of God, as Theodoret speaks, that is, Christians, how much they ought to praise God for his goodness manifested in their redemption and salvation; and how dangerous a thing it is to be ungrateful to him for his benefits; a sin which provoked him to deprive the Jews of that fatherly care which he had taken of their ancestors. As, therefore, we are taught in the foregoing Psalm to praise God for the wonderful works of his common providence, with a reference to the world in general; in this we are directed to praise him for his special favours to his church. Here is the preface, 1-7. The history itself in several articles; and God's covenant with the patriarchs, 8-11. His care of them in a strange land, 12-15. His raising up Joseph, 16–22. The increase of Israel in Egypt, and their deliverance out of it, 23-38. His care of them in the wilderness, and their settlement in Canaan, is, his favour, or the light of his countenance; seek Verses 1-4. Call upon his name—Or, proclaim his name, as np, kiru bishmo, may be properly rendered: that is, proclaim the fame and glory of his works, as it follows. Make known his deeds, &c.— Let each of you among his people, and even among the heathen, declare God's mighty acts as he has Verses 5-7. Remember the judgments of his mouth opportunity; glory ye in his holy name-Glory in the God whom you serve as the only true God, and -Either, 1st, The laws delivered from his mouth: a Being possessed of infinite power and goodness. Or rather, 2d, The plagues, or punishments, which For nothing can be so great an honour to you as he brought upon Egypt by his mere word or comthat you are the servants of such a mighty Lord, mand. O ye seed of Abraham his servant-Born who infinitely transcends all other beings. Let them in his house, his church, and being thereby entitled rejoice that seek the Lord-That seek an acquaint- || to the privileges of his servants, you are also bound ance and friendship with him; that seek to know, || to do the duty of servants, to consult your master's love, and serve him here, and to enjoy him here- honour, obey his commands, and do all that is in after above all the things of the world; seek the your power to advance his interest. Ye children of Lord and his strength-That is, either, 1st, Seek Jacob his chosen-To whom he restrains the former him in his strength, namely, in his sanctuary, as more general expression, because the posterity of some interpret the expression, or before the ark, Jacob were the only branch of Abraham's seed inwhich is called God's strength: or, 2d, Seek his cluded in the covenant, and entitled to the blessings strength, that is, his grace or Spirit, to strengthen here mentioned. He is the Lord-Hebrew, Jehovah, you against your enemies, to enable you to do and our God-A Being self-existent and self-sufficient, suffer his will, and to work in you that which is well having an incontestable sovereignty over us, and unpleasing in his sight. Many ancient versions read questionable power to protect and save us. We dethe clause, Seek the Lord, and be strengthened; pend upon him; our expectation is from him; and and, certain it is, they who would be strengthened we ought to be devoted to his service. His judg in the inward man, must derive strength from Godments are in all the earth-Either, 1st, The fame of by faith and prayer. Seek his face evermore-That || his judgments upon the Egyptians is spread over the F face of the whole earth: Or, 2d, He executes his judgments upon all nations and people. 16 Moreover he called for a famine A. M. 2962. upon the land: he brake the whole B. C. 1042. P staff of bread. 17 who 8 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, was sold for a servant : 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: "he was laid in iron : 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. u 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 3 substance: 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom. P Lev. xxvi. 26; Isa. iii. 1; Ezek. iv. 16.4 Gen. xlv. 5; 1. 20. Genesis xxxvii. 28, 36. Genesis xxxix. 20; xl. 15. 2 Heb. his soul came into iron. t Gen. xli. 25.-"Gen. xli. 14. Gen. xli. 40.— Heb. possessions. word ya, nagang, is often used; mine anointed— My prophets, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are called God's anointed, because they were eminently blessed of God, replenished with the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, in respect of which many persons are said, in the Scriptures, to be anointed, who never had any material oil applied to them; and because they were thus consecrated to be his peculiar people, and to be kings and priests in their families. And they are called prophets, because God familiarly conversed with them, and revealed his will to them, and by them to others. Verses 8-11. He hath remembered his covenant for ever-Or, will remember it; that is, practically, so as to perform and make it good. The word The promise; which he commanded-Established, or appointed, to a thousand generations-To all generations; a certain number being put for an uncertain. And his oath unto Isaac-Wherewith he ratified the covenant with him, Gen. xxvi. 3. And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law-That it might be as firm and irrevocable as a law; saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan-The patriarchs had no right to it, save by promise, and their seed were to be put in possession of it, not by the common ways of settling nations, but by mira-support of men's lives. He sent a man before cles; God would give it them himself, and, as it were, with his own hand; and so that it should be, as their lot, assigned and measured out to them by God, even the lot of their inheritance-To which they should have a sure title by virtue of their birth: it should come to them by descent, not by purchase; by the favour of God, and not by any merit of their own. || Verses 16-18. He called for a famine-That is, he brought a famine upon the land. He brake the whole staff of bread-Bread, which is the staff or them-Who was to nourish them in the famine: sent him, by the direction of his secret providence, many years before the famine began. Such are the foresight and timely care of Divine Providence. Whose feet they hurt with fetters-Being unjustly charged with a most heinous crime. He was laid in iron-Hebrew, 1 1, the iron entered his soul, which seems to be added emphatically, to aggravate the misery of his imprisonment, and to show how grievous it was to his very soul. Un of his imprisonment, the injury which was done him, and the foul and public scandal which lay upon him, must have pained him extremely. Verses 12-15. When they were but few in number-Hebrew, n, methee mispar, men of number, so few as easily to be numbered, in oppo-doubtedly the false accusation, which was the cause sition to what their posterity afterward were, as the sand of the sea without number: yea, very few -The word yno, chimgnat, thus rendered, signifies either small as to number, or as to regard and esteem. The meaning probably is, that they were insignificant and inconsiderable as to power, the fewness of their number being mentioned just before. And strangers in it-Such were the patriarchs in the land of Canaan. They went from one nation to another-Both in Canaan, where there were seven nations, and in Egypt. He reproved kings for their sakes-Both verbally, and by his judgments. Saying, Touch not-Hurt not, as the Verses 19-22. Until the time that his word came Dr. Waterland renders the verse, Until the time that his saying came to pass, the word of the Lord purged him: and Green translates it, Until the time that his prediction had come to pass, and the word of the Lord cleared him. The meaning seems evidently to be, that notwithstanding his eminent prudence, innocence, and piety, he was detained in prison until the time that his word, or cause, came before the king, and was known; (so it is in our old translation;) or, until his word, or prediction, con- influences of that Holy Spirit, which they had long cerning the chief butler's promotion, came to pass; || grieved, and done despite unto, and leaving them to for this was the means of Joseph's enlargement and their own mistakes, passions, and corrupt inclinajustification; since a person, guilty of the crime tions, which, of their own accord, were to take that with which he stood charged, would not have been course. Through this their innate depravity and inspired to foretel future events. Can we find, said wickedness it was, that God's goodness to his people, Pharaoh, such a man as this, a man in whom the in increasing their numbers and prospering their Spirit of God is? Gen. xli. 38. The word of the affairs, exasperated the Egyptians more and more Lord tried him-Either, 1st, Discovered him unto against them; and though their old antipathy to the Pharaoh and his courtiers, and showed how inno- | Hebrews (of which we read Gen. xliii. 32, and cent, holy, and wise a person he was, and thereby xlvi. 34) had been laid asleep for a while, yet now cleared him from those calumnies which had been it revived and broke out with more violence than cast upon him, and so prepared the way for his re- ever. Formerly, they hated them because they delease, as it follows verse 20. Or, 2d, Tried his sin- spised them, now, because they feared them. They cerity and constancy, (the word of the Lord being dealt subtly with them-Used crafty counsels, and put for his commandment or decree,) tried him in set their wits to work to find out ways and means the furnace of affliction, there refining and preparing to weaken and waste them, and prevent their inhim for his approaching exaltation to glory and crease. They made their burdens heavy, and their honour. He made him ruler of all his substance-lives bitter; and slew their male children as soon as Hebrew, up, of all his possession; that is, of his whole' kingdom. To bind his princes-By his commands; and, if they were refractory, to punish them. And teach his senators wisdomHis wisest counsellors, whom he commanded to receive instruction from Joseph on all occasions. Verses 23, 24. Israel also-Jacob in person, with his children; came into Egypt-Where he and all his were very comfortably and honourably provided for many years. Thus the New Testament church has a place provided for her, even in the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, times, and half || a time, Rev. xii. 14. Jacob sojourned in the land || of Ham-Ham was the father of Mizraim, or the Egyptians, Gen. x. 6. And he, God, increased the people greatly-According to the promise made to Abraham, that his seed should be as the sand of the sea for multitude; and made them stronger than their enemies-More and mightier, according to Pharaoh's confession, Exod. i. 9, than the Egyptians, who, of friends, were now become their enemies. Verse 25. He turned their heart to hate his people -Not by putting hatred to his people into their hearts, which would not have been consistent, either with the holiness of his nature, or with the truth of his word; and which was altogether unnecessary, because they, like the rest of mankind, were corrupt by nature, and had the seeds of that, and all other evils, in their hearts; but by withdrawing the they were born, and took every method they could think of entirely to destroy them. Verses 26, 27. He sent Moses, &c.-"When the tyranny and oppression of Pharaoh 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 redemption by Jesus Christ." They showed his signs among themHebrew, лin, dibree othothair, the words of his signs; an emphatical expression. First they boldly declared the word and will of God concerning the several plagues, and then they actually inflicted them. Verses 28-31. He sent darkness, &c.-This was one of the last plagues, though here mentioned first: God sent darkness, and, coming with commission from him, it came with efficacy; his command made it dark. And they rebelled not against his word— That is, the people of Israel were not disobedient to God's commands by Moses and Aaron, respecting killing the passover, and making preparation, in other respects, to leave Egypt. The old translation follows the LXX., and reads, They were not obedient to his word; which may be applied to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who, notwithstanding the terror of this plague, would not let the people go; but there is no ground for this interpretation in the Hebrew, |