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The sentiment in these verses is evidently the same with that in verses 5, 6. namely, that God preserveth such as trust in him, after the pattern of the holy Jesus, from those evils, and from that perdition, which are reserved for the ungodly. Dr. Durell translates the 9th verse in the way of apostrophe, literally thus"Surely, thou, O LORD, art my refuge; O Most High, thou hast fixed thine habitation;" i. e. in Sion, to be the protector of his servant. 11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

This passage was cited by the devil, who tempted our Lord to cast himself from a pinnacle of the temple, upon presumption of the promise here made, that angels should guard and support him in all dangers. But Christ, in his answer, at once detecteth and exposeth the sophistry of the grand deceiver, by showing that the promise belonged only to those who fell unavoidably into danger, in the course of duty; such might hope for the help and protection of heaven; but that he who should wantonly and absurdly throw himself into peril, merely to try whether Providence would bring him out of it, must expect to perish for his pains. "Jesus saith unto him, it is written again, thou shalt not TEMPT the Lord thy God," Matt. iv. 7.

13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet.

The fury and the venom of our spiritual enemies are often in Scripture pourtrayed by the natural qualities of lions and serpents, Messiah's complete victory over those enemies seemed here to be predicted. Through grace he maketh us more than conquerors in our conflicts with the same adversaries. "The God of peace," saith St. Paul, "shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly," Rom. xvi. 20. And it is observable, that when the seventy disciples return to Christ with joy, saying "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name;" he answers in the metaphorical language of our Psalm; "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on scorpions, and serpents, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the SPIRITS are subject unto you," &c. Luke x. 17. Give us, O Lord, courage to resist the lion's rage, and wisdom to elude the wiles of the serpent.

14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour, or, glorify him. 16. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

In the former part of our Psalm, the prophet had spoken in his own person; here God himself is plainly introduced as the speaker. And O how sweet, how delightful and comfortable are his words, addressed eminently to his beloved Son Messiah; and in him to all of us, his adopted children, and the heirs of eternal life; to all who love God, and have known his name. To such are promised an answer to their prayers; the presence of their heavenly Father with them in the day of trouble, protection and deliverance, salvation, and honour, and glory, and iminortality. All these promises have already been made good to our gracious Head and Representative. His prayers have been heard; his sufferings are over; he is risen and ascended; and behold, he liveth and reigneth for evermore. Swift fly the intermediate years, and rise that long expected morning, when He who is gone "to prepare a place for us, shall come again, and take us to himself that where he is, we may be also."

PSALM XCII.

ARGUMENT.

The title of this Psalm is, "A Psalm or Song, for the Sabbathday." It teacheth, 1-5. the duty, time, and manner of giving thanks for the works and dispensations of God. Thoughtless men are admonished, 6. to reflect upon the final issue of all these works and dispensations; namely, 7-9. the utter perdition of the ungodly, and, 10-14. the exaltation of the church in Christ Jesus, 15. to the praise and glory of God Most High.

1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: 2. To show forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night: 3. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

Thanksgiving is the duty, and ought to be the delight of a Christian. It is his duty, as being the least return he can make to his great Benefactor: it ought to be his delight, for it is that of angels, and will be that of every grateful heart, whether in heaven or on earth. The mercy of God in promising salvation, and his faithfulness in accomplishing it, are inexhaustible subjects for morning and evening praises; every instrument should be strung, and every voice tuned to celebrate them, until day and night come to an end. But more especially should this be done on the sabbath-day; which, when so employed, affords a a lively resemblance of that eternal sabbath, to be hereafter kept by the redeemed in the kingdom of God.

4. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

A prospect of creation, in the vernal season, fallen as it is, inspires the mind with a joy which no words can express. But how doth the regenerate soul exult and triumph at beholding that work of God's hand, whereby he hath created all things anew in Christ Jesus! If we can be pleased with such a world as this, where sin and death have fixed their habitation; shall we not much rather admire those other heavens, and that other earth, wherein dwell righteousness and life? What are we to think of the palace, since even the prison is not without its charms?

5. O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. 6. A brutish man knoweth not ; neither doth a fool understand this.

Glorious are the works, profound the counsels, marvellous the dispensations of God, in nature, in providence, in grace. But all are lost to the man void of spiritual discernment; who, like his fellow-brutes, is bowed down to the earth, and knoweth no pleasures but those of sense. Here he hath chosen his paradise, and set up his tabernacle: not considering, that his tabernacle must shortly be taken down, and he must remove hence for

ever.

7. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever. 8. But thou, LORD, art Most High for evermore.

It is not improbable, that these verses should be connected with that preceding, thus-" A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this;" namely, that "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:" they are only nourishing themselves like senseless cattle in plentiful pastures, for the approaching day of slaughter. He who is ignorant of the final issue of things, who attendeth not to his eternal interest, he is in scripture language the brutish man, and the fool, who knoweth not the works, neither understandeth the designs of heaven. When the grass hath attained to its most flourishing estate, and all the flowers of the field are in perfect beauty, then the mower entereth with his scythe. What a beautiful and instructive emblem is here held forth to us? what a forcible admonition to trust only in him, who, without "variableness or shadow of turning," is "Most High for evermore !"

9. For lo, thine enemies, O LORD, lo thine enemies shall perish, all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10. But my horn shalt

thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be, or, I am, anointed with fresh oil.

The "workers of iniquity" are the "enemies of Jehovah," and will be scattered by the breath of his displeasure, as grass, after it is cut down, dried up and withered, is dri en away by the whirlwinds of heaven. "But my horn," saith the Psalmist, (it is likely, in the person of Messiah,) "my horn," that is, the strength and power of my kingdom, "shalt thou exalt like the horn of the unicorn,"* like the power of the strongest creatures, to which that of states and empires is often compared; “I shall be,” or, “I am anointed with fresh oil;" I am appointed and consecrated king by the holy unction. Christians have "an unction from the Holy One," by which they are enabled to subdue their spiritual enemies; they reign over their passions and affections; they are exalted in the Redeemer; they are "made unto their God kings and priests," 1 John ii. 20. Rev. v. 10.

11. Mine cye also shall see my desire on mine enemies: and mine cars shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

The words, my desire, are twice inserted by our translators. But would it not be better, if we were to supply the ellipsis in this manner. "Mine eye shall behold the fall of mine enemies; and mine ear shall hear the destruction of the wicked, that rise up against me." The sense of the verse is plain. It is intended to express an assurance of faith, an humble confidence in the promises of God, that our efforts shall at length be crowned with victory over every thing which resisteth and opposeth itself; and that the day is coming, when we shall view all the enemies of our salvation dead at our feet.

12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

The momentary prosperity of the wicked was compared above to the transient verdure of grass. The durable felicity of the righteous is here likened to the lasting strength and beauty of palms and cedars. But chiefly is the comparison applicable to that Just One, the King of righteousness, and Tree of life; eminent and upright; ever verdant and fragrant; under the greatest pressure and weight of sufferings, still ascending towards heaven; affording both fruit and protection; incorruptible and immortal. "I sate down," saith the church, "under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste," Song ii. 3.

* Heb. 8, An eastern animal'of the "stag" or " deer" kind, remark able for its height, strength, and fierceness.

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13. Those that he planted in the house of the LORD, shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Believers are styled by Isaiah, "Trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah," ch. Ixi. 3. They are planted by the living waters of comfort in the house of God; where under the means of grace, they flourish in hope of glory; "fenced and inclosed by the discipline and orders of the church, and by the consequent favour and protection of heaven; their verdure is conspicuous, and ever constant, whether in the summer of prosperity, or the winter of adversity: their actions and principles are ever upright and fair; yea, their very leaf exhales a delightful perfume, by an holy example and conversation; their affections and desires are ever ascending towards the noblest and most sublime objects; the things that are above, the glorious things of heaven."*

14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.

Happy the man, whose goodness is always progressive, and whose virtues increase with his years; who loseth not in multiplicity of worldly cares or pleasures the holy fervours of his first love, but goeth on burning and shining more and more to the end of his days. The church, like her representative Sarah, is now well stricken in years; but we hope that, like her, she will still bring forth fruit in her old age; we look for many more children of promise to be born unto Christ, both from among the Jews and Gentiles.

15. To show that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The fruit brought forth in the church redounds to the glory of God, by whom the trees, in this his new paradise, were planted; it shows to all the world, that he is just and upright in his dealings; that he is true to his promises; immoveable as a rock in his counsels; determined to punish the wicked, and to reward the good; so that when his proceedings shall come to be unfolded at the last day, it will appear to men and angels that "there is no unrighteousness in him."

XVIII DAY. EVENING PRAYER. PSALM XCIII.

ARGUMENT.

The Jews acknowledge, that the kingdom of Messiah is prophesied of in this Psalm, and in all those that follow to the hundredth. 1, 2. The church celebrates the majesty, power,

* Essay on the Proper Leasons, by Mr. Wogan, Vol. iii. p. 49.

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