around us the lofty and ftupendous vault of heaven, incircling, protecting, enlightening, refreshing, and cherishing the earth, and all things that are therein, we are bidden to contemplate in this glass the immeasurable height, the boundless extent, and the falutary influences of that mercy, which, as it were, embraceth the creation, and is over all the works of God. Often as we view the fun arifing in the east, and darkness flying away from before his face towards the oppofite quarter of the heavens, we may fee an image of that goodness of Jehovah, whereby we are placed in the regions of illumination, and our fins are removed and put far away out of his fight. And that our hearts may, at all times, have confidence towards God, he is reprefented as bearing towards us the fond and tender affection of a "father," ever ready to defend, to nourish, and to provide for us, to bear with us, to forgive us, and to receive us in the parental arms of everlasting love.

14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are duft. 15. As for man, his days are as gra/s; as a flower of the field, fo he flourisheth. 16. For the wind paffeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

The confideration of man's frail and perishable eftate weighs with the Almighty, and prevails upon him to fpare his creature. And doth not the tear of compaffion ftart in the eye of him, who reads the defcription which David hath given of it in these verses? "Man," fallen, mortal man-" his days "his are as grafs;" like that he cometh out of the earth, and continueth but a fhort time upon it;

as a flower of the field," fair but tranfient, "fo "he" unfoldeth his beauty in youth, and "flourisheth" awhile in the vigour of manhood; but lo, in a moment, the breath of heaven's displeasure, as a blighting" wind paffeth over him, and he is gone;" he boweth his drooping head, and mingleth again. with his native duft; his friends and his companions look for him at the accustomed fpot, which he once adorned-but in vain-the earth has opened her mouth to receive him, and "his place fhall know " him no more."

17. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlafting to everlasting upon them that fear him; and his righteousness unto children's children: 18. To fuch as keep his covenant, and to thofe that remember his commandments to do them.

Let not man prefume, who withereth like the green herb; but then, let not man defpair, whofe nature, with all it's infirmities, the Son of God hath taken upon him. The flower which faded in Adam, blooms anew in Chrift, never to fade again." The

mercy of Jehovah," in his Meffiah, is everlast

ing," and of that everlasting mercy poor frail man is the object. It extendeth to all the generations of the faithful fervants of God. Death fhall not deprive them of it's benefits, nor fhall the grave hide them from the efficacious influence of it's allenlivening beams, which fhall pierce even into those regions of defolation, and awaken the fleepers of fix thousand years. Man muft pay to justice the temporal penalty of his fins; but mercy fhall raife him again, to receive the eternal reward, purchased by

his Saviour's righteoufnefs. A paffage in the first epistle of St. Peter doth most admirably illuftrate this part of our Pfalm. "We are born again not "of corruptible feed, but of incorruptible, by the "WORD of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. "For all flesh is grafs, and all the glory of man as "the flower of grafs. The grafs withereth, and "the flower thereof falleth away; but the wORD of "the LORD endureth for ever. And this is the "WORD which by the Gofpel is preached unto you." 1 Pet. i. 23, &c.

19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

of

The glorious perfon who worketh all these wonders mercy for his people, the woRD of God, and Saviour of the world, is triumphantly feated upon his" throne in heaven," and is poffeffed of all power to accomplish his will, even until all things fhall be fubdued unto him. The glories of his throne, the brightness of his excellent majefty, and the might of his irresistible power, are defcribed at large by St. John, Rev. iv. v. 19.

20. Blefs the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in ftrength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21. Blefs ye the LORD, all ye his hofts, ye minifters of his, that do his pleasure. 22. Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion; blefs the LORD, O my foul.

Joy is obferved to be of a diffufive and communicative nature. The heart of the Pfalmift is full and overfloweth with it. Unable worthily to praise Jehovah for his mercies vouchfafed to the church, he

inviteth heaven and earth to join with him, and to celebrate, in full chorus, the redemption of man. St. John faw the throne of Meffiah prepared; he beheld the univerfal band affembled; and he heard when" all the angels round about the throne, ten "thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of "thousands, with every creature in heaven, earth, "and fea," lifted up their voices, and fang together, Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power be "unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto "the Lamb, for ever and ever."

XX DAY. EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM CIV.

ARGUMENT.

This is an euchariftic hymn, full of majesty and fweetnefs, addreffed to Jehovah, as Creator of the world. It fetteth forth, his glory, wisdom, goodness, and power, difplayed 1-9. in the formation of the heavens and earth; 10-18. in the various provifion made for beafts, and birds, and for man, the lord of all; revolutions of the celeftial bodies, and the confequent interchanges of day and night, of labour and rest; 25, 26. in the fea, and every thing that moveth in, or upon the

19---24. in the

waters.

waters.

27-30. The dependence of the whole creation upon God, for it's being and well being, is beautifully represented, with 31, 32. the glory, which the Creator receiveth from his works, the pleasure which he taketh in them, and the power which he hath over them. 33. The Pfalmift declareth his refolution ever to praise Jehovah, and 34. predicteth the deftruction of those who refufe, or neglect fo to do. As there is a fimilitude between the natural and the fpiritual creation, allufions of that fort are frequently made, in the ensuing comment, which may, perhaps, point out the reason why the church hath appointed this Pfalm, to be used on Whitsunday,

1. Bless the LORD, Omy foul: O LORD my God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with honour and majefty; Heb. with glory and beauty. 2. Who covereft thyself with light as with a garment; who Atretches out the heavens like a curtain; i. e. of a tent, or, pavilion.

The fcriptures inform us, that the fame perfon, who redeemed the world, did also create it. In the ciid Pfalm, as we are affured by St. Paul, "to the SON "it is faid, Thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid "the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are "the works of thy hands." To him, therefore, as Creator, is the civth Pfalm likewife addreffed. He described as invefted with "the glory with he VOL. II.

"had