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

5 He hath given meat (r) unto them that fear him he shall ever be mindful of his covenant (s).

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6 He hath shewed his people BLESSED is the man that feareth

(n) This in the Hebrew is an alphabetical Psalm, consisting of twenty-two sentences, each of which begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in regular succession. It is one of the proper Psalms for Easter Day. From calling into recollection the works of God and what he had done for his people, it presses the duty of making him the object of veneration and worship.

(o) "Secretly," &c. i. e. both in private and in public.

(p) "The congregation," i. e. the great religious assembly of the Jews. Ante, Ps. xxii. 25.

(q)" Sought out," i. e. industriously inquired into and looked after. In Psalm xxviii, 5, 6. and Isaiah v. 12. it is an imputation "not to regard the work of the "Lord, nor consider the operation of s his hands."

(r) "Meat." This may perhaps refer to the miraculous supply of food in the wilderness, which is often mentioned as a topic of thankfulness and exultation, &c.; as in Ps. cv. 39. "At their desire he "brought quails; and he filled them "with the bread of heaven: he opened "the rock of stone, and the waters "flowed out; so that rivers ran in the "dry places."

(His covenant," i. e (perhaps)

whatever he promises; without referring to any particular engagement. Or it may allude to the promise to Abraham to give them the land of Canaan, (see Ps. cv. 9. 11.) and might leave it to be inferred from the fulfilment of that promise, that every other he might make would also be performed.

(t) For that he may give," the " reading should perhaps be," in giving." Allusion is probably made to the sigl instances of God's power, when he drove out the Canaanites from before them, according to his covenant or promise referred to in Ps. cv. 9. 11.

(u) "Verity," &c. This may per haps mean, that the driving out the Canaanites was perfectly consistent with justice; for it was for their wickedness that they were driven out, (Deut. ix. 5.); and God forebore to drive them out until their "iniquity was full." See Gen. xv.16. (x)" Redemption," i. e. (perhaps) from the Egyptian bondage.

(y) "The fear," &c. So Job xxviii. 28. "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that "is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." See also Prov. i. 7.

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-ix. 10.

(x) On the blessings of the good. This is also in the Hebrew an alphabetical Psalm.

Y

v. 4.

9.

v.3.

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(a) "Light in the darkness," i. e. comfort in adversity; safety in times of peril. See Ps. xci.

66

(b) Dispersed abroad," i. e. (probably) distributed extensively to those in need. St. Paul refers to this passage, 2 Cor. ix. 9. when he is pressing the Corinthian converts to contribute liberally to their poorer brethren.

(c) A spirited invocation to the praise of God for his high pre-eminence, and for his condescension at the same time to the affairs of men. This, and the five following Psalms, were used by the Jews on the paschal night, after they had eaten the paschal lamb. See ante 99. note on Mark xiv. 1. It is with us one of the proper Psalms for Easter Day.

(d) "The rising," &c. i. e. from one end of heaven to the other, from east to

gnash with his teeth, and consume away; the desire of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm cxiii. (c)

PRAISE the Lord, ye servants : O praise the Name of the Lord.

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

3 The Lord's Name is praised: from the rising (d) up of the sun, unto the going down of the same.

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 so high and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

6 (e) He taketh up the simple out of the dust and lifteth the poor out of the mire;

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

8 He maketh the barren woman to keep house (ƒ) and to be a joyful mother of children.

west. This is one of the many instances of the figurative language of Hebrew poetry. The same expression occurs, Ps. 1. 1., and in Mal. xi. “from the "rising of the sun, even unto the going "down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles." So Is. lix. 19. They shall fear the name of "the Lord from the west, and his glory "from the rising of the sun."

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(e) This is like the passage in Han- v.6. nah's song of praise for the birth of Samuel, about 1165 years before the birth of Christ, 1 Sam. ii. 8. "He raiseth up "the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up "the beggar from the dunghill, to set "them amongst princes, and to make "them inherit the throne of glory."

(f) "To keep house," i. e. to be v.8. the head of a family to have a house,

:

Lessons for the Twenty-third Day of the Month throughout the Year.

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6 Ye mountains, that ye skip

(*)" The sea," &c. This alludes to the sea's dividing, when the Israelites were pursued by Pharoah (about 1491 years before the birth of Christ), and passed through as on dry land.

()" Jordan," &c. This was about 40 years after the passage through the Red Sea, about 1451 years before the birth of Christ. God thought fit to magnify Joshua in the sight of all Israel, that they might know that as God had been with Moses, so would he be with Joshua, and by God's directions Joshua told the people, that as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the Lord should rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters that came down the river Jordan should be cut off from the rest of the river, and stand on a heap; and it came to pass, that as soon as the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, the waters which came down the river stood, and rose up upon a heap, and the priests stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground. Josh. iii. 7 to 17.

(m) The mountains," &c. This may refer to God's descent upon mount Sinai shortly after the passage through the Red Sea, when the Lord "descended

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upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof "ascended as the smoke of a furnace, "and the whole mount quaked greatly." Exod. xix. 18.

(n) "Thou sea," &c. This appeal to the sea, &c. as intelligent bodies, is highly poetic; and so is the passage in verse 3. which considers the sea as seeing God's presence. Indeed the question may be asked as to this as well as many other Psalms, where amongst the antient heathen poets do we meet with any hymn or ode of more animation, or of superior classic elegance?

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(0) Tremble," &c. The reason is v.7. here assigned why the sea fled, &c. &c. because of God's presence.

(p) "Turned," &c. This was in v.8. the wilderness, about 1490 years before the birth of Christ. The Israelites were clamorous for want of water, and God commanded Moses," thou shalt strike the rock" (in Horeb) " and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink :" and Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. See Exod. xvii. 1 to 6. and Numb. xx. I to II.

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The Spectator has thus versified this Psalm (No. 461.) but the prose translation has greatly the advantage in spirit and animation:

"When Israel, freed from Pharoah's hand,
"Left the proud tyrant and his land,
"The tribes with cheerful homage own
"Their king, and Judah was his throne.

"Across the deep their journey lay,
"The deep divides to make them way.
"The streams of Jordan saw, and fled

With backward current to their head.
«The mountains shook like frighted sheep,
"Like lambs the little hillocks leap;
"Not Sinai on her base could stand,
"Conscious of sovereign power at hand.

"What power could make the deep divide?
"Make Jordan backward roll his tide?
"Why did ye leap, ye little hills?
"And whence the fright that Sinai feels?

"Let every mountain, every flood
"Retire, and know the approaching God,
"The king of Israel, see him here!
"Tremble thou earth, adore and fear.

"He thunders, and all nature mourns;
"The rock to standing pools he turns;
"Flints spring with fountains at his word,
"And fires and seas confess their Lord."

V.2.

V. 4.

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(9) Upon the transcendent power God, the power of him who is in heaven, who made heaven and earth, and the impotence of idols. It was probably either a triumphal song after some success over the heathen, or a confident application to God upon some attack by them.

(r)" Where," &c. This was probably a common insult from the heathen when calamities fell the Israelites. (See note on Ps. lxxix. 9.)

any

upon

(s) Their idols," &c. A similar ridicule of the heathen idols occurs, Ps. CXXXV. 15, and the folly of idol worship is finely derided in Is. xliv. 13 to 19,So it is well satirized by Horace.

"Olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum, "Cum faber, incertus scamnum, faceretne "Priapum. se Maluit esse Deum." Lib. i. Sat, 8. Bishop Lowth says, "The sacred writers are generally large and elegant upon the subject of idolatry; they "treat it with great severity, and set forth its absurdity in the strongest

9 (u) But thou house of Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their succour and defence.

10 Ye house of Aaron, put your trust in the Lord: he is their helper and defender.

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

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

13 He shall bless them that fear the Lord both small and great.

14 The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children.

15 Ye are the blessed of the Lord (x): who made heaven and earth.

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

17 The dead (y) praise not

"light; but the passage in Isaiah, "(Is. xliv. 13. &c.) far exceeds my "thing ever written on the subjec, in "force of argument, energy of expres ssion, and elegance of composition." 2 Lowth's Is. 279. The circumstances of the Jews made these attacks upon idol worship highly proper, lest from their intercourse with other nations they should be drawn in to follow their example,

(1) "Like," &c, i, e. having eyes, and yet not seeing, &c.

(u) The former part of each of these verses was probably sung by one set of singers, the latter by another.

(x) "The Lord," &c, i, e. that Lord who had power to make heaven and earth, contrasted with idols, who could do nothing.

(y) "The dead," &c. It is whil live, whilst we are in the enjoyment of God's blessings here that we ought to turn with thankfulness and praise to the great giver of them. So Hezekiah,

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