PSALM XCI.

Neither the author nor the occasion of this psalm are known. It is a noble piece of poetry, describing the safety and happiness of all good men. The psalmist begins with laying down his design, which is, to celebrate the excellency of the divine protection.

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E that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, who makes God his refuge, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; shall be as safe, as if he dwelt in the most holy place under the cloud of glory. The pious soul is then introduced as 2 answering; I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge, and my fortress my God; in him will I trust. And he hath great rea3 son for such a triumph, for it follows; Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler; from Satan, or wicked men who lay a snare for thy life or thy substance; [and] from the 4 noisome, hurtful, pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers,* and under his wingst shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be 5 thy] shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the ter6 ror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noon day; thou shalt be safe from wicked men, from storms and tempests, and the diseases which are occa7sioned by the coldness of the night or the heat of the day. A

thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, in battle, or by pestilence; [but] it shall not come nigh 8 thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the re9 ward of the wicked, the divine vengeance overtaking them. Because thou hast made the LORD [which is] my refuge, [even] 10 the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befal thee,

neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling; thou and thy 11 house shall be in security. For he shall give his angels charge 12 over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone; in both their hands, as the word means, like a nurse carrying her 13 child. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet; the meaning is, thou shalt be as remarkably preserved, as if a man who was walking through a desert, should tread on these destructive animals, and yet should not be hurt. In the three last verses God himself is 14 introduced as speaking to confirm all this; Because he hath set his love upon me, that is, delights in me above every thing else, therefore will I deliver him from present enemies; I will set him on high from future dangers, like a man on the top of a strong tower, because he hath known my name, so as to trust in me.

The original word signifies, a strong wing, like that of an eagle, which not only reaches consideroble way, but will give a terrible blow.

This word signifies, the down, or soft part of the wing, or plumage, carrying with it the idea of a pleasant retreat and repose.

This word signifies, a suit of complete armour, which defends on every side.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him, grant his petition : 'I [will be] with him to support him in trouble; I will deliver him out of it; and, which is more, I will honour him, make him 16 more great and illustrious afterward. With long life will I sat isfy him; he shall live till he is satisfied with life, as long as is good for him, and his relish for life continues ; and show him my salvation; he had said before he would save and deliver him, this therefore seems plainly to refer to a future state; when his life ends, I will shew him my salvation, the salvation which is by way of eminence mine, as it is great, complete, and eternal.

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REFLECTIONS,

HESE gracious declarations, and especially if we have had any experience answerable to them, should excite our gratitude and praise. There are none of us but have experienced the divine protection, in innumerable and daily instances; and some of us have been preserved in imminent danger. Let us recollect the care of Providence over us and our families, as illustrating the promises of his word. Let us be thankful for the guardianship of good angels, and the many friendly services, which we have reason to believe we receive from them. We should each say of the Lord, He is my refuge; and make no scruple to own, on all proper occasions, our dependence on his good providence, and our obligations to it.

2. We should trust in God for deliverance in all future dangers; make him our habitation, seek to him, depend upon him, and con~verse with him; and let the remembrance of his premises preserve us from anxious fear, and that dejection of spirit, which is tormenting to ourselves, uncomfortable to our friends, and dishonourable to religion: a cowardly temper ill becomes a christian. Let us suppose the worst that can come, and consider what he has said, that we may in patience and calmness possess our souls. Though danger and calamity may be before us, if God does not see good to secure us from them, let us take encouragement that he will be with us in them; give us strength equal to the affliction, and make it productive of righteousness and happiness.

3. Let it be our care and ambition to set our love upon God. It is great condescension in him to permit and invite us to do so. Let us consider him as the best and most excellent of all beings, the most worthy of our highest love; and if we set our love upon him, we should keep it fixed there; and determine to admit no rival in our hearts. We shall find a return of love, abundantly above what we deserve or could expect. And God's love to us will be manifested by the visits of his grace, and the light of his countenance; yea, by every thing which can promote our peace and happiness.

4. Let us keep up our hearts under the troubles of life, by expecting the salvation of God. We should not be intent on having many days on earth, but endeavour to be satisfied with so long a life as God sees best; filling it up with active services, and performing

the work he gives us to do. If we have good hope of seeing his salvation, we may be well satisfied with life, though we die in the middle or morning of our days. Let us bless God for the hope of this salvation; let it be our song in the house of our pilgrimage ; and may we be able to say with dying Jacob, I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

PSALM XCII.

A Psalm [or] Song, probably David's, for the sabbath day, praise being proper work on the sabbath,

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T is a] good [thing,] reasonable, pleasant, and useful, to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, 2 O most High: To show forth thy loving kindness in the morn 3 ing, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound; to join instruments and voices in this work. I testify this 4 from my own experience; For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands, 5 thy works of creation and providence. O LORD, how great are thy works! [and] thy thoughts, thy counsels and designs, are very deep, and though we cannot fully comprehend them, we see 6 enough to admire and adore. A brutish man knoweth not; nei7 ther doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as

the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; [it 8 is] that they shall be destroyed for ever: But thou, LORD, [art most] high for evermore, which is a reason why the wicked should be alarmed; God can cut them down hereafter, as well as now; therefore it is no good argument that there is no Providence, because 9 they prosper at present. For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be 10 scattered, how many soever are combined together. But my horn shalt thou exalt like [the horn of] an unicorn; thou shalt make me prosperous, exalt and preserve my power:* I shall be anointed with fresh oil; I shall have a fresh confirmation in my royal 11 dignity. Mine eye also shall see [my desire] on mine enemies, [and] mine ears shall hear [my desire] of the wicked that rise up against me; I shall see my enemies brought down, and depriv12 ed of their power. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, beautiful and green: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.t 13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD, who have opportunities of attending there at stated seasons of worship, shall flour◄ 14 ish in the courts of our God, in wisdom and goodness. They

There is no such creature as a unicorn in the shape it is commonly drawn ; but it pro. bably means a rhinoceros.

Several travellers mention cedars which they saw in Lebanon twelve yards round, with a circumference of branches forty yards in spread. And the cedar is very durable; whereas the wicked are like the grass, which grows speedily, but is soon cut down or withered,

shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; shall not decay, like trees which have lost their nour15 ishment; .To show that the LORD [is] upright, kind to his people, and faithful to his promises; and my own experience confirms this, for [he is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in him.

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PSALM XCIII.

This psalm is a noble description of the power and majesty of God.

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HE LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, [wherewith] he hath girded him. self; princes have their robes, but he is girded with majesty and strength the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved, Thy throne [is] established of old: thou [art] from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the multitude of enemies are like a flood; the floods lift up their waves; are noisy and tumultuous, and threaten to bear 4 down all b fore them. The LORD on high [is] mightier than the noise of many waters, [yea, than] the mighty waves of the sea; God can easily silence and restrain them; from whence I infer that his word is faithful, and will be accomplished, all the 5 worshippers of this great Being ought to be eminently holy. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, Ò LORD, for ever.

REFLECTIONS on PSALM XCII, XCIII.

IW our work. Innumerable favours

E learn hence, that praise should be our daily employ.

are daily conferred upon us, which we should be thankful for. We should bless him every morning, for the security and repose of the night; and every night, for the mercies and comforts of the day. It is good and fitting to praise him in our closets and families; but more especially in his house on his own day; when we come to commemorate the wonders of creation, providence, and grace. By these God makes us glad; and it becomes us to triumph in the work of his hand; to cherish a grateful impression of his goodness, and in every thing to give thanks.

2. Let us carefully observe the conduct of Providence, and rev erence the depth of its counsels. Fools and brutish persons regard not the work of the Lord, neither do they consider the operations of his hands. Those who neglect this, deprive themselves of the highest pleasure and the greatest advantage. But we should all remem◄ ber, that his thoughts are very deep; that there are many mysteries which we cannot fathom. Let us not stumble at them; but rejoice that God is most high for evermore, and will at last reveal his righteous judgments to the satisfaction and applause of the whole world.

3. Let us learn to govern our lives by this maxim, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the honour and joy of the saints

ternal. The wicked spring as the grass; and like that, they perish. Divine vengeance will soon overtake them; and though all the workers of iniquity should join themselves together, they shall be scattered and destroyed. But the righteous shall be exalted and dignified; shall enjoy that holy anointing of the spirit, which will afford them the highest pleasure, and be the earnest of the heavenly inheritance.

4. We should value and esteem those ordinances which are so useful to christians, and so subservient to their growth in grace; remembering that ordinances are adapted to promote christian fruit fulness. God has promised to bless them for this purpose; and the experience of good men confirms this truth. Let us therefore Love the habitation of God's house, and never forsake it; a day in his courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

5. Let us seriously attend to the instructive inferences which the psalmist draws in the ninety third psalm; that since God is so great and powerful a Being, his word may be depended upon, and all his people ought to be holy. Nothing can tempt so great a Being to impose upon his creatures; and as the highest moral perfections are joined with his natural ones, he expects us to be holy; that we worship him with great seriousness and solemnity; and cheerfully trust in him amidst all the storms and tempests, the hurries and confusions of this world. His friendship must be infinitely desirable, and his wrath infinitely dreadful. As holiness becomes his house for ever, may all who worship there be holy, and serve God accepiably, with reverence and godly fear.

This psalm was probably composed by David during his persecution from Saul. It is an exact description of him and his court.

LORD GOD, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Lift up thysell, thou judge of the earth render a reward to the proud. 3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked tri4 umph? [How long] shall they utter [and] speak hard things? 5 [and] all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless; probably referring to the slaughter of the priests and their 7 fumilies, and of the Gibeonites, by Saul and his bloody house. Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard [it] practical atheism is at the bottom; they laugh at religion and the God of Jacob, however they boast of their knowledge 8 and justice. Understand, ye brutish among the people; and [ye] fools, though you think yourselves the wits and bold spirits of 9 the age, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he 10 not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that