ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

539

5 The Lord upon thy right hand: fhall wound even kings in the day of his wrath.

6 He fhall judge among the heathen; he fhall fill the places with the dead bodies and fmite in funder the heads. over divers countries,

7 He fhall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up his head.

Pfalm cxi. Confitebor tibi.

Ive

Will give thanks unto the Lord, with my whole heart: fecretly among the faithful, and in the congregation. 2 The works of the Lord are great fought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

3 His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour : and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4 The merciful and gracious Lord hath fo done his marvellous works: that they ought to be had in remembrance.

5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he shall ever be mindful of his covenant.

6 He hath fhewed his people the power of his works: that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.

7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are true.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cx.] Jefus Chrift himself and the apostles, teach us in the New Teftament, that this pfalm relates to the Meffiah. We here learn the divine dignity of his perfon; the nature of his kingdom, which was to be fpiritual and heavenly; the fupreme glory to which God would exalt him, by letting him at his right hand; and the power by which he would eftablish his empire, by the deftruction of his enemies. The holy Spirit here likewife foretels, that the Meffiah fhould be not only a powerful king, but alfo our high priest, who fhould atone for our fins; as St Paul proves, Heb. vii. This pfalm teaches us further, that thofe who are the fubjects of this glorious King, fhould be a willing people, and that they would fubmit without reftraint, willingly and joyfully obeying him. Laftly, What is here faid fuffers us not to doubt but Jefus Chrift will for ever reign over the faithful, and that he will one day tread under his feet all his and our enemies; which will be efpecially accomplished when he shall deftroy death, our laft enemy, by a happy refurreétion, as St Paul remarks, 1 Cor. xv.

PRAC

23

8 They ftand faft for ever and ever: and are done in truth and equity.

9 He fent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is hisName.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do thereafter; the praise of it endureth for ever.

Pfalm cxii.

Beatus vir.

BL

Leffed is the man that feareth the Lord: he hath
delight in his commandments.

great

2 His feed fhall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the faithful fhall be bleffed.

3 Riches and plenteousness shall be in his houfe: and his righteoufnefs endureth for ever.

4 Unto the godly there arifeth up light in the darkness: he is merciful, loving, and righteous

$35

5 A good man is merciful, and lendeth: and will guide his words with difcretion..

6 For he fhall never be moved; and the righteous fhall be had in everlasting remembrance.

7 He will not be afraid of any evil tidings: for his heare ftandeth faft, and believeth in the Lord.

8 His heart is ftablished, and will not fhrink: until he fee his defire upon his enemies.

9 He hath difperfed abroad, and given to the poor and his righteoufnefs remaineth for ever; his horn fhall be exalted with honour.

10 The ungodly fhall fee it, and it fhall grieve him: he fhall gnath with his teeth, and confume away, the defire of the ungodly fhall perish.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxi.] We ought to join our praises to those which are offered to God in this fong: we have even more reafon than the faithful of old had, to confefs that the works of God are great and wonderful; that he is merciful, righteous, and full of compaffion; that he has remembered his covenant, and fent falvation and redemption to his people.

PRAC

ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

Pfalm cxiii. Laudate, pueri.

PR

Raife the Lord, ye fervants: O praise the Name of the
Lord.

2 Bleffed be the Name of the Lord: from this time forth for evermore.

3 The Lords Name is praifed; from the rifing up of the fun, unto the going down of the fame.

4 The Lord is high above all heathen: and his glory above the heavens.

-5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling fo high and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?:

6 He taketh up the fimple out of the duft; and lifteth the poor out of the mire,

541

7 That he may fet him with the princes: even with the princes of his people.

8 He maketh the barren woman to keep houfe: and to be a joyful mother of children.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS,

Pfalm exii.] This pfalm teaches us, what are the diftinguishing characters of true piety, and how great the happiness of thofe is who are poffeffed with it. 1. The character which the pfalmift gives of good men is, that they fear the Lord; that they take great delight in his commandments; that they are just and fincere; that they conduct all their affairs. with uprightness; that they are kind and full of companion, and love to give alms to the poor. 2. The prophet teaches us next, that thofe who live thus are perfectly happy; that God bleffes them in their perfons, in their pofterity, and in their poffeffions; that they enjoy peace of con fcience; that they fear no evil, always trufting in the Lord; and that their righteoufnels and their memory fhall remain for ever. These are very important inftructions, which ould powerfully encourage us to the Audy and practice of piety,

Pfalm cxiii.] This pfalm fhould excite us to praife the name of the Lord, and continue to publish his glory, which appears every where with fo much luftre; and to celebrate that adorable providence with which he governs all things here below, and by which he exalteth and humbiethmen as he pleafes. Thefe confiderations, are powerful motives to engage as to fear God, to depend entirely upon him, and to put our whole truft in his mercy.

PRAC

23..

EVENING PRAYER.

Pfalm cxiv. In exitu Ifrael.

WH

HEN Ifrael came out of Egypt and the house of
Jacob from among the ftrange people,

2 Judah was his fanctuary and Ifrael his dominion.
The fea faw that, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains fkipped like rams: and the little hills
like young sheep.

3

5 What aileth thee, O thou fea, that thou fleddeft: and thou Jordan, that thou waft driven back?

6 Ye mountains, that ye kipped like rams hills like young fheep?

and little

ye

7 Tremble, thou earth, at the prefence of the Lord: at the prefence of the God of Jacob;

8 Who turned the hard rock into a ftanding water and the flint-ftone into a fpringing-well.

Pfalm cxv. Non nobis, Dominė.

NOT

TOT unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the praife: for thy-loving mercy, and for thy truths fake.

2 Wherefore fhall the heathen fay: Where is now their God?

3 As for our God, he is in heaven: he hath done whatfoever pleafed him.

4 Their idols are filver and gold: even the work of mens hands.

5 They have mouths, and fpeak not: eyes have they,

and fee not.

6 They have ears, and hear nothofes have they, and fmell not.

7 They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, and walk not neither fpeak they through their throat.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm cxiv.] The principal reflection fuggefted by this pfalm is, that fince the wonders mentioned in this pfalm are not fo confiderable as thofe which God has wrought for us in the work of our redemption, we hare more reafon than the Jews to exalt the power and goodness of our God, and to blefs him for ever.

PRAC

23

:

8 They that make them are like unto them and fo are all fuch as put their truft in them.

9 But thou, houfe of Ifrael, truft thou in the Lord: he istheir fuccour and defence.

put your truft in the Lord: he is

10 Ye houfe of Aaron, their helper and defender.

11 Ye that fear the Lord, put your truft in the Lord: he is their helper and defender.

12 The Lord hath been mindful of us, and he fhall blefs us: even he shall blefs the house of Ifrael, he fhall bless. the house of Aaron.

13 He shall blefs them that fear the Lord: both small' and great.

14 The Lord fhall increafe you more and more: you and your children.

15 Ye are the bleffed of the Lord: who made heaven and earth.

16 All the whole heavens are the Lords: the earth hath he given to the children of men.

17 The dead praise not thee, O Lord: neither all they that go down into filence.

18 But we will praife the Lord: from this time forth. for evermore. Praife the Lord. .

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm cxv.] This pfalm teaches us three things: 1. That when God does good to men, he is led to do it, not by any merit in them, but by his own pure mercy; which ought to be the foundation of our trust, when we direct our prayers to him. 2. What is here faid of the folly and ftu-. pidity of idolaters, who worship dead idols and the works of mens hands, tended to diffuade the Ifraelites from the worship of falfe gods, and the more effectually to prevent their forfaking the worship of the true God. This too fhould engage us to blefs the Lord for delivering us from idolatry, by making himself known to us; and fhould teach us to ferve him with purity, zeal, and fidelity. 3. We here fee how happy thofe are who worfhip God, and fear him; fiuce the pfalmift affures us, that God is the help and buckler of all those that truft in him; that they are bleffed of the Lord, who has made the heavens and the earth; and that his favours are extended to them and their pofterity. Thefe glorious promifes fhould prevail on us more effectually to fear God, and to expect all our happiness from his bleffing alone.

MORN