people, on account, 6-10. of his mercies, and, 11, 12. their ingratitude, and, 13-16. under the form of a most affectionate wish, renewing his promises, on condition of their obedience.

1. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2. Take a psalm and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

If Israelites were thus exhorted to keep their feast days with joy and gladness of heart; to exalt their voices, and join together all their sweetest instruments of music, in honour of him who had rescued them from the Egyptian bondage, and given them a law from Sinai; in what exulting strains ought we to celebrate the festivals of the Christian church? With what triumph of soul, and harmony of affections, are we bound to "sing aloud to God our strength," who hath redeemed us from death, and published the Gospel from Sion? since, as the apostle saith, "holy days, new moons, and sabbath days," of old, "were" only "a shadow of things to come; but "the body is of Christ." Col. ii. 16.

3. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

In the Jewish church, notice was given of feasts, jubilees, &c. by sound of trumpet. All the new moons, or beginnings of months, were observed in this manner; see Numb. x. 1. but on the September new moon, or first day of the seventh month, was kept a great festival, called “the feast of trumpets;" Levit. xxiii. 24. Numb. xxix. 1. which, probably,

is here intended. This September new moon had a particular regard paid to it, because, according to the old calculation, before Israel came out of Egypt, it was the first new moon in the year, which began upon this day, the first of the (afterwards) seventh month. The tenth of the same month was the great day of atonement; and on the fifteenth, was celebrated the feast of tabernacles. See Levit. xxiii. 27. and 34. Our Psalm, therefore, seems to have been designed for the purpose of awakening and stirring up the devotion of the people upon the solemn entrance of a month, in which they were to commemorate so many past blessings, prefigurative of much greater blessings to come. We have now our feast days, our Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, &c. On these, and all other solemn occasions, let the evangelical trumpet give a sound of victory, of liberty, of joy and rejoicing; of victory over death, of liberty from sin, of joy and rejoicing in Christ Jesus our Saviour.

4. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. 5. This he ordained in Joseph, for a testimony, when he went out through, or, against, the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

The meaning is, that the observation of feasts, with blowing of trumpets, was a statute, law, or testimony, ordained in Joseph, or Israel, by God himself, after he had destroyed the Egyptians, and brought his people into the wilderness, where the law was given. Concerning the words, "I heard a language that I understood not," it is difficult to

account for the change of person; but the sense seems to be, That the children of Israel received the law, when they had been in bondage under a people of strange and barbarous language, or dialect. The passage is exactly parallel to that in Psal. cxiv. 1. “When Israel went out of Egypt, and the house of "Jacob from a people of strange language," &c.— The new law, with its sacraments and ordinances, was promulged after the spiritual redemption by Christ, as the old law, with its rites and ceremonies, was published, after the temporal deliverance by Moses.

6. I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots..

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From this verse to the end, it is plain, that God is the speaker. He reminds Israel of their redemption, by his mercy, and power, from the burdens and the drudgery imposed on them in Egypt. Moses describeth their then state of servitude, by saying, "The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field;" Exod. i. 14. that is, probably, in making vessels of clay, as this verse seems to imply. Let us remember, that we have been eased of far heavier burdens, delivered from severer task-masters, and freed from a baser drudgery; the intolerable load of sin, the cruel tyranny of Satan, the vile service and bitter bondage of concupiscence.

7. Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee: I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.

God declares his readiness, at all times, to hear the prayers and relieve the distresses of his people, as he did when they cried unto him in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and received answers from the cloudy pillar. In that deep recess he had fixed his awful throne, and from thence, on proper occasions, he manifested his power and glory, protecting Israel, and confounding their adversaries. In Psal. xcix. 6. it is said of "Moses, Aaron," &c. "They called 66 upon the Lord, and he answered them: he spake "unto them in the cloudy pillar;" which passage seems exactly parallel to that in the verse under consideration-" Thou calledst, and-I answered thee "in the secret place of thunder." He who spake unto Israel in the cloudy pillar, hath since spoken to us by his Son: he who "proved them at the waters "of Meribah," Exod. xvii. 6, 7. how proves us, by various trials, in the world.

8. Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; 9. There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. 10. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

God here addresseth himself to the Israelites, putting them in remembrance of that first and great commandment against idolatry; of his claim to their obedience, as their God and Saviour; and of his being both able and willing to satisfy the utmost desires and wishes of such, as would apply to him for blessing and comfort. Behold, then, the rebellion, the ingratitude, and the folly of that man, who saith

to any creature, "Thou art my god;" who bestoweth on the world that fear, love, and adoration, which are due only to its Creator and Redeemer; who wasteth his days in seeking after happiness, where all, by their inquietude, acknowledge that it is not to be found.

12. So I gave them and they walked in

11. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. up unto their own hearts' lust: their own counsels.

By the subject of an earthly prince, it is justly deemed a great honour for his sovereign to converse with him, to counsel and advise him: but from sinful dust and ashes, we hear the Majesty of heaven complaining, that he cannot obtain an audience; no one will attend to, or observe, his salutary admonitions. When we see men enabled, by wealth and power, to accomplish the inordinate desires of their hearts, and carry their worldly schemes into execution, without meeting with any obstructions in their way, we are apt to envy their felicity; whereas such prosperity in wickedness is the surest mark of divine displeasure, the heaviest punishment of disobedience, both in individuals and communities. "My people "would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me so I gave them up unto their own "hearts' lust; and they walked in their own coun"sels."

13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! 14. I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.