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poems ever equalled these. No poets, not even Homer himself, ever equalled these poets, who thus speak of God, his works, and his creatures. These Psalms contain the greatest and most weighty things, in a marvellous brevity of expression!

PSALM LXVI.

David exhorteth to praise God, to observe his great works, to bless him for his gracious benefits.-He voweth for himself religious service to God.-He declareth God's special goodness to himself.

To the chief Musician, a Song or Psalm.

MAKE a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name; make his praise glorious.

Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard ;

Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads: we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my vows,

Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

I will offer unto thee burnt-sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams: I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me :

But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

THIS is a general thanksgiving, for God's having rescued and delivered his people so often out of the hands of their enemies, and out of the very jaws of death itself; as he did at the Red Sea. The Books of Judges and Kings are full of these deliverances.

These deliverances are no less great and wonderful, at this day, in the church, when God delivers those that fear him out of temptations, both internal and external. For Satan, of whom that earthly Pharaoh was so especial a type, being inflamed with so horrible a desire of distressing and destroying, daily persecutes the church: and he would, if he

could, so harm every single one of the godly, and so beset them on every side, that they should see nothing but death, and an angry God: out of all these things, however, God delivers his own.

PSALM LXVII.

A prayer for the enlargement of God's kingdom, to the joy of the people, and the increase of God's blessings.

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, a Psalm or Song.

GOD be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us.

Selah.

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy; for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

Selah.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

THIS is a prophecy concerning the kingdom of Christ; foretelling, that it should be a spiritual kingdom, in which grace and the remission of sins should be proclaimed, not only in Judea, but throughout all nations. "Let the people praise thee, O God, yea let all the people praise thee; for thou judgest the people righteously, &c." That is, thou reignest, by

the Gospel, throughout all nations: thou judgest all: (that is, all sinners in the hypocrisy of nature,) that they may be brought to give thanks unto thee for thy mercy, and may rejoice, and praise the blessings of the gospel.

This sacrifice of praise, this offering of thanks, is the highest worship of God, and is a sacrifice truly acceptable unto him, (as we have continually observed;) for David does not here say, 'The nations shall become proselytes, and shall be circumcised, and shall flock to Jerusalem :' but "The nations shall remain uncircumcised, and shall, nevertheless, sing praises unto God, and shall laud and magnify him: " that is, the gospel shall be preached among all nations, and the kingdom of Christ shall arise, the kingdom of grace and of the mercy of God.

PSALM LXVIII.

A prayer at the removing of the ark.-An exhortation to praise God for his mercies, for his care of the church, for his great works.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.

LET God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish in the presence of God.

But let the righteous be glad let them rejoice before God; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah :

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

Thy congregation hath dwelt therein thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. The LORD gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Kings of armies did flee apace; and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.

The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill, as the hill of Bashan.

Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place.

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

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