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25. Thou, Lord (b), in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure they all shall wax old, as doth a garment;

27. And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the

Psalm ciii. (d)

PRAISE the Lord, O my soul (e): and all that is within me, praise his holy Name.

2. Praise the Lord, O my soul: and forget not all his benefits; 3. Who forgiveth all thy sin: and healeth all thine infirmities;

4. Who saveth thy life from destruction: and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;

5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: making thee young and lusty as an eagle. (g)

6. The Lord executeth righte ousness and judgement: for all them that are oppressed with wrong.

7. He shewed his ways unto Moses: his works unto the children of Israel.

8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: long-suffering, and of great goodness.

9. He will not alway be chid

same (c), and thy years shalling: neither keepeth he his anger not fail. for ever.

28. The children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.

(a) v. 21. "Declare," i. e. " praise," looking forward not only to the times when the temple should be rebuilt, the worship re-established at Jerusalem, and the people should again repair thither to serve the Lord, but probably also to the Christian times, when the Gentiles also should join in the true worship, and be members of the true religion.

In

(b) v. 25. "Thou, Lord, &c." Hebr. i. 10. (ante, 44.) this is considered as spoken of Christ. The word "Lord" is not in our copies of the original, but the characteristics import divinity.

(c) v. 27. "The same," i. e. "subject to "no change." The word in the Hebrew is what is generally translated "He," which is one of the divine names, signifying permanent existence: it is so used, Deuter. xxxii. 39. 43.-Isaiah x. 13.and Isaiah xlviii. 12. See Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon, 154. So Mal. iii. 6.

10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins: nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.

"I am the Lord, I change not." And Heb. xiii. 8. "Jesus Christ, the same "yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." See also 1. Hales's Trinity, 213. 234.

(d) A hymn upon God's mercy, written with much energy taste and spirit, after recovery from sickness. David is supposed to have been the author.

(e) v. 1. "O my soul." Great warmth and vigour in calling upon his soul, and all that is within him, (all his faculties,) to join in praising God.

(g) v. 5. "An eagle." The eagle is considered as renewing its strength, and becoming young again when it changes its feathers. Isaiah probably refers to the same supposition, when he says, Isaiah xl. 31. "They that wait upon the "Lord shall renew their strength, they "shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary."

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11. For look, how high (h) the heaven is, in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.

12. Look, how wide also the east is from the west so far hath he set our sins from us.

13. Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children: even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him. 14. For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembereth

that we are but dust.

15. The days of man are but as grass for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.

16. For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone: and the place thereof shall know it no

more.

17. But the merciful goodness

of the Lord endureth (i) for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteousness upon children's children;

18. Even upon such as keep his covenant and think upon his commandments to do them.

19. The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20. O praise the Lord, ye angels of his; ye that excel in strength: ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his words.

21. O praise the Lord, all ye his hosts ye servants of his, that do his pleasure.

22. Ó speak good of the Lord, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: praise thou the Lord, O my soul.

Lessons for the Twentieth Day of the Month throughout the Year.

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(k) On God's wisdom and kindness in the formation and regulation of the world, so as to provide for the wants and comforts of all his creatures. Dr. Nichols calls this Psalm "one of the most ex"alted pieces of poetry extant in anti"quity." It is one of the Psalms for Whitsunday.

() v. 3." Maketh, &c." See Nah. i. 3. ante, 353. note on Psalm lxxvii. 19. (m) v. 4. "His angels, &c." or "the "winds his messengers, and flames of fire "his ministers, (2. Magee, 9.)" using them as instruments to perform his will, as in Psalm cxlviii. 8." wind and storm fulfilling "his word." But see Heb. i. 7. that this is spoken of the angels: And of the angels he saith, "Who maketh his angels spirits, "&c." and the articles in the original would be different, if it was not there spoken of the angels. Middl. 574.

(n) v. 6. "Thou coveredst, &c." This refers (perhaps) to what was the case at the time of the creation, before God issued that command, (Gen. i. 9.) " let "the waters under the heaven be gathered "together unto one place, and let the

7. At thy rebuke they flee: at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid.

8. They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath : even unto the place which thou hast appointed for them.

9. Thou hast set them their bounds (o), which they shall not pass neither turn again to cover the earth.

10. He sendeth his springs (p) into the rivers: which run among the hills.

11. All beasts of the field drink thereof: and the wild asses quench their thirst.

12. Beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation: and sing among the branches.

13. He watereth the hills from above (q): the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

14. He bringeth forth grass for

"dry land appear;" and then we should read, (as in B. T.) " The waters stood in "the hills," and the verbs in the two following verses should be in the past tense, "fled," "were afraid," and "went."

(o) v. 9." Their bounds, &c." In Job xxxviii. 8, 11. God refers to this as an instance of his power. "Who shut up the

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sea with doors, and said, " Hitherto shalt "thou come, but no further, and here shall "thy proud waves be stayed?" And in Jer. v. 22. he mentions it as a ground why he should be feared: "Fear ye not me, saith the Lord? will ye not tremble at my presence? which have placed the "sand for the bound of the sea, by a per petual decree that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail: though they roar, yet can they not pass over it."

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(p) v. 10. "His springs, &c." After pointing out how the great body of water was removed, the Psalmist shews what provision was made for supplying what was necessary for the earth.

(q) v. 13. " Above," i. e. " from the "clouds." So Ps. cxlvii. 8. it is suggested

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15. That he may bring food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man: and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen man's heart.

16. The trees of the Lord also are full of sap (r): even the even the cedars of Libanus, which he hath planted;

17. Wherein the birds make their nests: and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the stork.

18. The high hills (s) are a refuge for the wild goats: and so are the stony rocks for the

conies.

19. He appointed the moon for certain seasons : and the sun knoweth his going down.

20. Thou makest darkness, that it may be night wherein (t) all the beasts of the forest do move. 21. (u) The lions roaring after their prey do seek their meat from God.

22. The sun ariseth, and they get them away together: and lay them down in their dens.

23. Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour: until the evening.

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as a ground for praising God, that he "covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; and "maketh grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of man." (r) v. 16. " Sap," so that moisture is conveyed to all the branches. (s) v. 18. " High hills" and " stony "rocks," so that those parts from which man derives no benefit, have their use in protecting other creatures.

(t) v. 20. "Wherein, &c." So that they are not disturbed by man, nor man by them.

24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches!

25. So is the great and wide sea also : wherein are things creeping (v) innumerable, both small and great beasts.

26. There go the ships, and there is that (w) Leviathan: whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.

27. These wait all upon thee: that thou mayest give them meat in due season. (x)

28. When thou givest it them, they gather it and when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.

29. When thou hidest thy face, they are troubled when thou takest away their breath, they die, and are turned again to their dust.

30. When thou lettest thy breath go forth, they shall be made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

31. The glorious Majesty of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

32. The earth shall tremble (y) at the look of him if he do

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5. Remember the marvellous works that he hath done: his

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16. Moreover he called for a dearth upon the land and dewonders, and the judgements of stroyed all the provision of

his mouth;

"earth at the presence of the Lord, at the "presence of the God of Jacob."

(z)" Touch, &c." So Ps. cxliv. 5. (a) A spirited invocation to the praise of God. It calls to mind his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give their posterity the land of Canaan, and notices his superintendance over the Israelites and his judgments upon their enemies, till that promise was fulfilled. The first fifteen verses are part of the hymn which David delivered to Asaph and his brethren, the day he removed the ark of God

bread.

from the house of Obed Edom to Mount Sion. (See Chron. xvi. 7 to 22.) The latter part of that hymn forms the 96th Psalm.

(b) v. 11. "Of Canaan." When Abraham was 99 years old, and before he had any son, God said unto him, “I will "make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will "give unto thee and to thy seed after "thee all the land of Canaan. Gen. xvii. "5.8." And this prediction was most fully accomplished. See Numb. i. 46.-ii. 92 - xxxii. 39.

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