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'trust' and confidence; and, at last, the 'subduer' of all opposition under us.'

3. LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowlege 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 thanksgiving for the works which Jehovah had wrought, followeth a reflection on the creature 'man,' for whom they were wrought. Such a reflection introduced in the same manner, and almost in the same words, we meet with in Ps. viii. 4, which passage, being cited by the apostle, Heb. 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, on 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 partakers of his everlasting kingdom. Lord, what, indeed, is man, 078, or, what is the son of such a miserable creature, w, that thou shouldst take this knowlege, 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 on himself, rendered it immortal, and exalted it to heaven; whither all will follow him hereafter, who follow him now in the paths of righteousness and holiness.

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5. Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down; 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 from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;' 8. Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.'

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David, having celebrated his victories over some of

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his enemies, and extolled the mercy and goodness of God, to whom he ascribeth the achievement of them, now proceedeth to request a farther manifestation of the omnipotent arm in his favor, against other hostile forces, which still threatened his country on 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 children,' 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, sw, that is, idolatry; and their right hand,' that on which they depend for support, the object of their confidence, is a right hand of falsehood,' pw, and one that will fail all who rely on 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 people, 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 completion of her hope. She wisheth for the glorious day, when her God and Saviour shall bow the heavens, and come down to judgment, causing the mountains to smoke, and flame, and dissolve, and flow down before him; when 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 be delivered from every enemy, and from all that hate us, and David OUR King.

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9. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery, and an instrument of ten strings, will I sing praises unto thee.' 10. It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth 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 effected

for us, by the deliverance of his Son, our Lord, from death and the grave.

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11. Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: 12. That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.' 13. That our garners may be 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 be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in

Our streets.

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Prayer is again made for a continuance of God's favor, and a complete victory over every enemy; the happy consequences of which, in the establishment of Israel, and the prosperity of Jerusalem, are particularly described. Victory is productive of peace, and peace is the mother of all earthly blessings 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 to 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 added plenty of corn, and all other provisions, in the granaries and storehouses; flocks and herds, ever thriving 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 ingredients, 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 ido

laters, mentioned in the 11th verse. The good things of this world may fall to the lot of the righteous, who are distinguished from the wicked by the use which they make of them, when given; and by their meek resignation of them, when taken away. Whatever be the will of God concerning our having or wanting these outward comforts, we know that we have, 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 that fly not away, reserved for us in a heavenly country, and a city which hath foundations.

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15. Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.'

The Psalmist concludes with pronouncing the happiness of the Israelites, when in the state of prosperity 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 Jeru-. salem below, gave them a pledge and foretaste of that love, which stood engaged by covenant 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 deliverance, 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 Messiah, as a man of sorrows; or of the church, as despised and afflicted, after the same example in the world. Henceforth we seem not to be on 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. his greatness, 4. his might, 5. his glory, 6, 7. his justice, 8, 9. his mercy; 10-13. the majesty of his kingdom, and, 14-21. all his adorable perfections, and wondrous works. This is an alphabetical Psalm. verse, which should begin with the letter Nun, is want

The

ing. 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. where being twice repeated, p is certainly omitted. We shall therefore content ourselves with what we find in the original Hebrew, and in the Chaldee, without inserting the verse which is now read in the 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.]

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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.'

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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,' who hath saved us according to his covenant and promise; he is our King,' who hath set up the universal and everlasting kingdom, foretold by Daniel and the other prophets; who hath all power in heaven and earth;' and who must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet and swallowed up death in victory. In the mean time it is the daily employment of us, his redeemed subjects and servants, to chant forth the praises of his saving and glorious name,' with which the church, on earth, and in heaven, will resound 'for ever and ever.'

3. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; 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 consider it as relating to his essence or his works, is never to be fully comprehended by his saints, whose delight it is to contemplate the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,'

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