unity, to relate to the public assemblies); which unity he commended to them afterwards in this psalm, as their best preservative and security in future ages. This seems to me more probable to be the occasion of it, than the concurrence of all the tribes to make him, king after Saul's death, (which is the common account that is given of it), for then Sion was not in his possession; and it is not likely he would then have made such mention of it as he doth here, while it remained in the hand of the Jebusites. But whatsoever was the first occasion, it was aptly applied to their condition after the return of their captivity from Babylon, when, as Theodoret notes, the tribes which had been divided by the imprudence of Rehoboam, were then again united, living under one and the same government, and worshiping God in the same. place, and the same manner, as the law prescribed. It was as fitly used by the first Chrstians, to express their joy for the blessed union of Jews and Gentiles; and may now serve the uses of all Christian societies, whose happiness lies in holy peace and concord.

Ver. 1. BEHOLD, bow good and bow pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity.] O consider, how beneficial and delightful it is, beyond all expression, for those that come from the same stock, and are of the same religon, to have no differences one with another, but to live and worship God together, in such a friendly agreement, as if they had but one soul among them all.

Ver. 2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, thut went down to the skirts of his garments.] I cannot resemble it to any thing better than to that excellent ointment compounded of several spices, (Exod. xxx. 21. &c.), which consecrated the high priest to the divine service, (Lev. viii. 12.), and was poured in such plenty, that, running over all his face, even to the collar of his garment, (where he did bear the names of all the tribes of Israel), it perfumed all the place with its fragrant odour; for just so doth this holy concord make you both dear to God, and procure you an excellent fame among men, who cannot but be pleased to see such variety of humours and inclinations, all conspiring with one accord to promote, the common good of the whole society,

Ver. 3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Sion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.] The dew of heaven is not more necessary for the parched mountains, which, though never so distant one from another, (as far as from Hermon to Sion), are refreshed with it, than this is for men of all ranks and conditions, who every where perceive the comfortable fruits of it; for to this the divine favour is immutably annexed, which will pour upon such societies innumerable blessings, giving them an happy and long life, (an earnest of endless felicity), in a constant enjoyment of all manner of good things.

Ver. 1. BEHOLD, bless Ver. 1. BEHOLD, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.] Attend to your duty, O ye ministers of the Lerd, who not only by day, but by night also, reverently wait upon him in his house, ( Chron. ix. 33.); cease not to declare how great and how good the Lord is.

Ver. 2. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.] Be fervent in your devotion, and disclaiming all dependance on any thing else, praise the Lord in his sanctuary with pure hearts and clean hands, and give thanks for all his benefits.

Ver. 3. The LORD, that made heaven and earth, bless thee out of Sion.] Pray also for his people Israel, and say, The great Lord, who, though he cannot be confined, being the Creator of all things, yet hath his special residence in this place, dispense his blessings, both heavenly and earthly, from hence unto every one of you.

PSALM CXXXV.

THE ARGUMENT.-This perhaps was the morning hymn, which the Præcentor (ver. 4. 5.) called upon the Levites to sing, at the opening of the gates of the temple; as the former was sung at the shutting up of the gates in the evening. It recounts several of the great works of the Lord, especially towards that nation; whom it excites to sted fastness in their religion, and to contempt of idols and idolators. It both begins and concludes with an exhortation to give praise to God, and so was entitled, as several other psalms are, (cvi. cxi. &c.), Hallelujah, or, Praise the LORD. That is, By this hymn, set forth the most excellent perfections and works of the Lord.

There are those who conjecture, from what we read, ver. 14 of this psalm, that when it was composed they were (or rather, had been lately) infested by some of their idolatrous neighbours. Whose gods the psalmist derides in the very same manner as he doth Psal. cxv. For the four following verses of this psalm (15. 16. 17. 18.) differ very little from the 4. 5. 6. 8. of that, which it is certain was composed in a time of great distress, as this was when

it was over.

Ver. 1. PRAISE ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.] Let all here present praise the most wise omnipotent goodness of the Lord; let him especially be praised by you his priests, who minister unto his majesty.

Ver. 2. Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.] And by the Levites, who attend upon him in his house, together with all the rest of his people that frequent the courts of God's house, who is our constant and most liberal benefactor.

Ver. 3. Praise ye the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant.] Let this excite you all to praise the Lord; for as his nature is most excellent, so he is the fountain of all the good we enjoy; and no employment is so delightful as to acknowledge his perfections, and commemorate the benefits we have received from him, by singing psalms and hymns of praise and thanks unto him.

Ver. 4. For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for bis peculiar treasure.] 1 invite you above all other people to this heavenly duty; both because the Lord had a peculiar kindness for Jacob your forefather, and doth still exercise a special providence over you his children, as far more dear and precious to him, than the rest of mankind who are under his

care;

Ver. 5. For I know that the LORD is great, and that our LORD is above all gods.] And because I am sensible that the Lord, under whose government we are, is so great and powerful above all other beings, though called by the name of gods, that you can never praise his majesty enougir.

Ver. 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places.] His own will alone gives bounds to his power; for, as none act without his leave, so none can hinder him from doing what pleases himself, in the heavens as well as on the earth, and the seas, and other deep

waters.

Ver. 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.] He raises vapours, for instance, from any quarter of the earth, and makes them go up into the air; where some of them break forth in flashes of lightning, and that (which is strange) is followed with great showers of rain; and from unknown places and causes, strong and violent winds blow with such continuance, as if they had come out of some treasury, where he had gathered and long locked them up, till he had occasion to bring them forth.

Ver. 8. Who smote the first-born of Egypt, both of man and beast.] He made the Egyptians feel how much superior he was to all their gods, (Exod. xii. 12.), who could not defend them from his stroke; but he sent his angel, and in one night slew all the first-born in the country, both of man and beast, (Exod. xit. 29.)

Ver, 9. Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upor. Pharaoh, and upon all his ser

vants.] Before which terrible blow, he had given many other wonderful demonstrations of his power, in several miraculous plagues, which he openly inflicted on thee, O Egypt, not only on the meaner sort, but upon the king and all his court, (Exod. vii. viii. ix. &c.)

Ver. 10. Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings:] And after he had by these means brought you out of their bondage, he overthrew several great nations, and slew potent kings; who, presuming of their strength, opposed the accomplishment of his promises to you.

Ver. 11. Sibon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Basban, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:] First of all, Sihon, king of the Amorites, who were esteemed invincible, (Numb. xxi. 24. Amos, ii. 9.); and then Og, that giantly king of Bashan, (Numb. xxi. 33. Deut. iii. 11.); and at last all the kingdoms and kings of the land of Canaan, (Josh. xii. 7.—24.)

Ver. 12. And gave their land for an heritage, an be.. ritage unto Israel bis people.] Which he graciously bestowed upon us, the children of Israel, as an inheritance we should hold of him, by a divine right, of which none, while we continue his obedient people, shall be able to dispossess us.

Ver. 13. Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.] O Lord, how astonishing is this thy omnipotent goodness! the fame of which shall never be forgotten; but an illustrious memory, O Lord, shall be continued of it from generation to generation.

Ver. 14. For the LORD will judge his people, and be will repent himself concerning his servants.] For though our enemies may sometimes oppress us, when we offend him, yet the Lord at last will take the part of his people, and deliver them; and, being reconciled unto his servants, will turn his severity into kindness towards them.

Ver. 15. The idols of the heathen are silver and goll, the work of men's hands.] It is not in the power of the idols, which the heathen worship, to divert his kindness from us, for they are of no more value than the silver and the gold of which they are made; and are so far from being able to do any thing, that they themselves are made by those that adore them.

Ver. 16. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not.] They are mere images of things, without their life; having mouths, but cannot give a word of advice or comfort to their supplicants; and eyes also, but cannot see, much less prevent any danger that doth approach them.

Ver. 17. They have ears, but they bear not, neither is there any breath in their mouths.] Ears they have, but cannot hear a word that is said to them; and noses also, but they do not so much as breathe, much less can they smell the odours that are offered them.

Ver. 18. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.] They that make them, therefore, or put any confidence in them, are as senseless as themselves; having eyes, for instance, but do not see that brutes are

more excellent than such gods, and that no help is to be expected from them.

Ver. 19. Bless the LORD, O house of Israel; bless the LORD, O house of Aaron.] O how much, then, are we all bound to bless the Lord, the Creator of all, who hath freed us from this stupid blindness. Let the whole nation of the children of Israel, especially the priests of the Lord, praise him, and give thanks to him, who hath better instructed them.

Ver. 20. Bless the LORD, O house of Levi; ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.] Let all the Levites declare how gracious he is; yea, let all his pious wershippers, of whatsoever nation they be, join in this heavenly employment, of speaking good of the Lord. Ver. 21. Blessed be the LORD out of Sion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.] Let them all say, with one accord, the Lord be ever praised in this holy place, who, though he be the owner of all the world, yet makes his special residence at Jerusalem.

The honour the heathens give to their lifeless images, ought to excite you all, with the greater devotion, to praise the Lord of the world.

THE ARGUMENT.-This psalm, like the former, is a commemoration of the goodness of God, expressed in his wonderful works; particularly those he had done for that nation; and, it is likely, was camposed to be sung upon the great festivals; as every day, I suppose, they sung the foregoing, which is of the same strain with this, and contains much of the same matter; only here, at every half verse, one half of the choir answers to the other in these words, "For his mercy endureth for ever." A form of acknowledgement prescribed by David, to be used continually in the divine service, Chron. xvi. 41. and accordingly followed by Solomon, 2 Chron. vii. 3.-6. when he dedicated the temple; and by Jehoshaphat, when, by the encouragement of a prophet, he went out to encounter a vast army with small forces, 2 Chron. xx. 21.; and here is repeated six and twenty times, to make them the more sensible that they owed all they had to the mere bounty of God, and to excite them to depend entirely upon it, and rest assured it would never fail them, if they did piously and most heartily acknowledge it. Such repetitions we use now in our earnest prayers, when we say, Lord have mercy upon us, &c. which are no more vain than these. I have variously expressed, the sense of this repeated acknowledgement, according as the other part of the several verses seemed to direct me.

mercy endureth for ever.] He is the Sovereign of all the heavenly hosts; and therefore praise him, and give thanks unto him, for he can employ them all for your help and protection, (as he hath in former times); and you need not doubt of his kindness, which continues unto all ages.

Ver.30 give thanks unto the LORD of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.] All the kings and princes of the earth are his subjects; upon which account also, give him praise and thanks; for his kindness. endures throughout all ages, to defend you, as he hath done hitherto, from their tyrannical violence.

Ver. 4. To him who alone deth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.] He it is, and he alone, whose works are so great, that they surprise all those who seriously consider them with wonder and astonishment; and therefore give him praise and thanks; for his kindness will never fail, still to employ his infinite power for the good of those who are truly grate

ful to him.

Ver. 5. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.] Look upon the hea vens, and behold with admiration and praise the splendour and the order wherein his wisdom hath contrived and settled them; for his kindness is as large, and as firm and durable as they.

Ver. 6. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.] And then look down to the earth; thankfully praise him, who brought it out of the waters, and preserves in its just extent, from being again overflowed by them; for his kindness is no less immoveable, and by length of time can never be impaired.

Ver. 7. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever.] Witness those great lights which never go out, but always call upon us to praise and give thanks to him, who made them to illuminate the world, and to be emblems of his kindness, which sends its benign influences continually upon us unto all generations.

Ver. 8. The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever.] By day the sun exerts his power to quicken all inferior beings, and excites us to praise him, and be thankful to him, whose kindness thereby perpetually administers to us all necessary things, and will do so to the end of the world.

Ver. 9. The moon and stars to rule by night for his mercy endureth for ever.] And by night the moon or the stars supply its place, and let us see how much we are bound to praise and thank him, whose kindness is so constant, that, in the worst condition, it will never quite forsake us.

Ver. 10. To him that smote Egypt in their first-born : for his mercy endureth for ever.] We must needs say so, and think ourselves engaged above all others to give him thanks, if we call to mind that memorable night, (Exod. xii. 29.), when be punished the Egyptians with the loss of all their first-born; for his kindness still continues for ever, to relieve those that are injured, and to punish their insolent oppressors.

Ver. 11. And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.] Let us not forget how

was not carried captive into Babylon, but, when he had staid some time in Judea, was compelled by the disobedient Jews to go down with them into Egypt. Yet there are those who, to excuse this, would have us think that Jeremiah sent this psalm to the captives in Babylon; and that this is called a psalm of David, (for so it is in the vulgar Latin also), because made after the example of his psalms; as Virgil said he sung Ascrænum carmen among the Romans, when he made his Georgics in initation of Hesiod.

In the paraphrase of the first verse I have followed a conjecture of St Chrysostom's, that the captives were not suffered (at their first coming thither) to dwell within any of their towns or cities, but were dispersed all along several rivers of the country, where they built tabernacles or cottages for themselves, and perhaps were forced to drain those moist places to make them wholesome.

Ver. 1. Br the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept, when we remembered Sion.] When we were transported from our own country into the land of Babylon, and had the sides of Euphrates, and several of its rivers, (Ezek. i. 1. and Baruch, i. 4.), assigned for our habitation, there we sat down in a sorrowful posture, and could not refrain from tears, when we called to mind the happy days which we enjoyed in the holy hill of Sion.

Ver. 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.] We brought our harps along with us, wherewith we were wont to praise the Lord, (1 Chron. xv. 16.); but as our fruitful vines and figtrees, under which we formerly sat, were turned into barren willows and osiers, so all our mirth and joy was turned into such heaviness and sorrow of heart, that we let all our instruments of music hang neglected upon the boughs of those doleful trees.

Ver. 3. For there they that carried us away captive, required of us a song; and they that wasted us, required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Sion.] For when our new masters, who had carried us away captive, they that had laid Jerusalem on heaps, and had power to do what they pleased with us, required us (between jest and earnest) to entertain them with our music, and to let them hear one of those songs which were wont to be sung in the temple,

Ver. 4. How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?] Neither fear nor favour could extort this service from our Levites; but they resolutely answered, As those songs were not made for pastime and sport, but in honour of the great Lord of the world, so how can you imagine that miserable slaves are disposed to sing? and to sing those songs in the land where we are exiles, which recount the mercies of God unto us, in our once most flourishing country?

Ver. 5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.] No, (said I then within my self), if I forget thy desolations, O Jerusalem, (though never so far removed from thee), so as to gratify their desires, by profaning thy music and thy songs, then

let my right hand be benumbed, or quite lose its skill of touching the harp any more.

Ver. 6. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.] Let me be struck dumb, and never be able to move my tongue, if I be not so mindful of thee, as never to sing again, till I see Jerusalem and her holy solemnities restored.

Ver. 7. Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.] Which joyful day I hope will come, when thou, O Lord, wilt call our enemies to an account; and first of all, reckon with the Edomnites, (Jer. xlix. 15. Ezek. xxv. 12.), who, instead of pitying Jerusalem, as became kind neighbours and relations, were glad to see the day of its desolations, and encouraged our destroyers with their acclamations, saying, Lay it flat, lay it even with the ground upon which it stands.

Ver. 8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall be be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.] And then shall your turns come, O ye Babylonians! who have laid waste so many nations, but shall one day be made desolate yourselves, (Isa. xiii. 19. &c.) And may that prince and peo'ple prosper and be happy, (Jer. 1. 9.-41.) who shall pay you in your kind, and use you as barbarously as you used us, (Jer. li. 24.-35-49.)

Ver. 9. Happy shall be be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.] He shall be praised, and thought to have done a worthy work, who shall snatch your suckling children from their mother's breasts; and having no more mercy on them than upon the whelps of wolves, or such like creatures, but shall dash out their brains against the walls of your houses, or stones in the street, (Isa. xiii. 16.), that there may be no remains of such a cruel generation, (Jer. li. 62.)

PSALM CXXXVIII.

酱

A Psalm of David.

THE ARGUMENT. This is one of David's psalms, (as the title assures us), wherein he thankfully acknowledges God's goodness to him, in advancing. him from a low and afflicted condition to the royal dignity; which remarkable change would invite, he thought, other kings and princes to have a very great regard to his divine majesty; who, he hoped therefore, would support and defend him in his new-gotten kingdom, by the same almighty power which raised him unto it.

Ver. 1. WILL praise thee with my whole heart; I before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.] I will make thee my thankful acknowledgements, O Lord, with the devoutest affections of my heart; thy' holy angels shall be witnesses of my gratitude, which I will express in psalms and hymns, in the presence of the great assembly of the judges, (Exod. xxii. 9.