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4 God. And since this blessing extends so far, Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, 5 and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the 6 harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of 7 cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the

sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that 8 dwell therein. Let the floods clap [their] hands: let the hills, 9 let all nature, be joyful together Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge, that is, to rule, the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity, and thus diffuse universal happiness.

REFLECTIONS on PSALM XCVII, XCVIII.

LET us be thankful that the kingdom of Christ is so far

established, and earnestly pray for its complete establishment. God hath manifested himself in the mildest glories by Jesus Christ, and hath remembered the mercy promised to the fathers, and his holy covenant. Christ is come as the messenger of good tidings, and a source of blessings to the world. By his resurrection from the dead, he is declared to be the Son of God with power, and the angels of God are commanded to worship him. He is gone into heaven, angels, principalities, and powers, being made subject to him. And, blessed be God, his salvation is published among the heathens, and that openly. Let the multitudes of isles, especially this our isle, rejoice. Let us pray for the universal spread of this salvation; that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of God. He hath promised they shall see it, and it becomes us to give thanks at the remembrance of his faithfulness.

2. Let us see to it that our behaviour be worthy of our relation to this great king. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart, and love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity; showing the sincerity and strength of our love, by hating evil. If we love him who is pure and holy, to whom sin is the abominable thing that he hates, let us hate it likewise, and keep at a distance from it. Then shall we be the objects of his protection and care; he will preserve our souls from being ruined and overwhelmed, and deliver us out of the hand of the wicked, who may persecute and oppress us. We should be excited to abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good, by a view to the recompense of reward. Light and gladness are sown for the righteous; and at length they shall spring up, and produce a plentiful and glorious harvest. Though the world may frown upon them, and darkness may surround their steps, they should comfort themselves with the expectation of unchanging and everlasting light and joy. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience for the early and latter rain; Be ye also patient, brethren, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

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PSALM XCIX.

Proper for a fast day in time of war.

LORD reigneth; let the people tremble; let his

people be humble and reverent, and his enemies tremble : he sitteth in the cloud of glory, [between] the cherubims; let the earth be moved; let it be in ever so much uproar and confusion, 2 he can control it. The LORD [is] great in Zion; and he [is] high above all people; his greatness appears particularly in Zion, in his care of his church and people; therefore they should exalt S him. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; [for] it 4 [is] hely. The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity; he does not abuse his almighty power to purposes of tyranny and injustice; he who is a powerful king himself, and the strength of our king, establisheth equity by the righteous laws he hath given us; thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob; he doeth this in the course of his provi5 dence, and by the governors he hath set over us. Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; [for] he [is] holy. 6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, when Is, ael 7 was in trouble, and he heard and answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance [that] he gave them; he spake to them in a familiar manner, and they obeyed the divine directions; this rendered their S prayers so acceptable. Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions; thou didst not destroy them, though thou didst see fit to chastise them for their idolatry and 9 other crimes. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill, pay your public homage to him; for the LORD our God [is] holy, perfectly righteous and good.

REFLECTIONS.

HIS psalm teaches us that the government of God is a subject of delightful reflection, especially amidst the commotions of the world. The Lord reigneth; he loveth judgment, doth not employ his strength to crush mankind, but rules them with justice, wisdom, and moderation. When the earth is moved, when the kings of the earth are contending, and new wars are likely to break out, we should remember, that the Lord is high above all she people; if the whole earth be confederate together, they cannot break his purposes, nor, without him, establish their own. Sensible of the public blessings we enjoy under his government, let us cheerfully bear a part in that public homage which is due to him.

2. Let us observe the instances in which God has put an honour upon the prayers of his people. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel prayed; and God gave them remarkable answers; and by his almighty

power produced wonderful events in favour of that people for whom they sought him. It is one excellency of the Old Testament, that it records such histories as these; they are written for our admonition; that we may call upon God in the day of our trouble, and make intercession for our country: and also for our encouragement, that we may cheerfully hope for success.

3. If we desire that God may hear our prayers, it should be our concern to keep his testimonies and ordinances. It was this that put such a value upon the prayers of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, and gained them a favourable audience. God has given us his statutes and ordinances, which are all excellent; and it becomes us to study and keep them; otherwise our prayers for ourselves, our churches, and our country will be in vain. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, God will turn away his prayer from him.

4. God may see it proper to animadvert upon the sins of a people though he does not destroy them, nor suffer their enemies to triumph over them. Thus he brought judgments upon Israel for their idolatry, though he did not cast them off; and punished them in Samuel's time by giving them up to a tyrannical king, though he did not give them up to the Philistines. Let us carefully consider this, that we may not be elated with our national prosperity and success. Though these should be renewed and increased, God may by other methods take vengeance on our inventions; or he may and certainly will, punish particular persons for their sins, though the nation should be saved. This shews the wisdom and necessity of prayer and repentance, and should promote our humility, caution and watchfulness.

5. So great, so just, and holy a Being, should always be approached with the greatest reverence. This is several times inculcated in this short psalm. Whenever we draw near to him, it should be with high and honourable thoughts of him, and profound veneration for him. If we desire to serve God acceptably, it must be done with reverence and godly fear; more especially when we come to confess our sins, to humble ourselves before him, to deprecate his wrath, and entreat mercy for our land; then let us exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool, for he is holy.

A Psalm of Praise, or thanksgiving.

This psalm has a title peculiar to itself; it was to be sung when they offered up any sacrifice of thanksgiving; and it is with very good reason that it is so often sung in many christian churches, as none of these sacred compositions are better adapted to excite devout affec tions and holy joy.

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AKE a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve

3 singing. Know ye that the LORD he [is] God: [it is] he [that]

hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and 4 the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise be thankful unto him, [and] 5 bless his name. For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] ever. lasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.

PSALM CI.

A Psalm of David.

Composed probably on occasion of his advancement to the throne of Israel. By it he intended not only to manifest the piety of his own resolutions in a public capacity, but as an instruction to those who were about him, that they might see on what terms they stood with him. The character of some of those who attended him in his exile might not be good, and yet they would expect to be favourites, and to be promoted on his advancement. What he had seen in Saul's court might likewise concur to make him judge it necessary to compose and publish this psalm on his accession to the throne; and by putting his resolution into this form, and having it sung in the public service, it would more deeply impress the minds of the people.

"I

WILL sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. Nor will I content myself with songs of praise, 2 but I will likewise behave myself wisely in a perfect way, with thought and prudence. O when wilt thou come unto me? I desire thy presence with me; and that I cannot hope to obtain without integrity; therefore I will walk within my house, or court, with a perfect heart; in my personal conduct giving a good example to my family and those about me; and that not from prudential or political views, but from a serious sense of the presence of God, and 3 a concern for his honour and glory. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I will not aim at wrong ends in my actions; no reasons of state shall make me swerve from my integrity: I hate the work of them that turn aside; [it] shall not cleave to me; I consider myself, though king of Israel, as a subject of God, and sin as treason against him; therefore it shall not cleave to me, but I will as carefully guard my own conduct, as watch over those about 4 me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked [person,] that is, I will not favour him, though it is my 5 duty to discover and punish him, Matt. vii. 23. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him that would supplant his fellow servant, and speak against his services to bring his own into reputa tion, and make court to his prince, him will I cut off, severely funish, and banish from my court: him that bath an high look and a proud heart, who treats others contemptuously, and studies his own honour and profit more than the public good, will not I

Some understand this as if he had said. I will sing of thy mercy to me, and thy judgments upon my opposers; but rather, I will sing of such a conduct, as shall be both just and kin; my punishing the wicked will be a mercy to the public; and I will express my resolutions in thy presence.'

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6 suffer to be near me.

Mine eyes [shall be] upon the faithful of the land, I will endeavour to find out those who appear faithful to God and man, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me; no man shall bear office in my family or court, but who is upright; as I shall have no need of any 7 deceitful persons about me to support me in my designs, He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight; no false informer, or flatterer, 8 shall abide in my service. I will early, immediately and diligently, destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD; make them an example of public justice, that others may be terrified; and so will purge my family, and the place of my residence, which ought to be an example to the whole kingdom. Thus David recorded his vows before God, and gave his domestics and servants fair warning by this public declaration.

W

REFLECTIONS on PSALM C, CI.

E learn from the hundredth psalm, with what joy we are at all times to approach God in his ordinances. We should not esteem them a burden, or weariness; but come to them with all possible cheerfulness. As it will be an honour done to God, to rejoice in him and his services, so it is a high favour to us to be admitted to serve him. He is our creator, preserver, and benefactor; good to all his creatures, and gives us all things richly to enjoy ; mercy everlasting, truth and faithfulness unchangeable. Whenever we approach him, we should endeavour to banish anxiety and sorrow from our breasts, and come to him as unto God our exceeding joy.

2. It should be our prayer, that our king and governors may conduct themselves by the maxims of the hundred and first psalm. It deserves to be written in golden letters, in the council chamber, in the court, and all public offices. We should pray that the leading men among us may be upright themselves, faithful to God and man; that they may employ none but such as are so, and never be influenced by rank, fortune, or family connections, to exalt vile, dishonest, or deceitful men. It should be our prayer that our magistrates may punish all wicked doers, and be a protection to them that do well.

3. Heads of families may derive much useful instruction from this psalm. It is the householder's psalm, as well as the magistrate's. Let us endeavour in the first place to be upright and unblameable ourselves, that our families may not learn vice from us, or be countenanced in any evil way by our example. It teaches us to choose such servants as are humble, diligent, and faithful to God, as well as to us, and to put up with the want of some other qualifi cations, if they have this most important one. We are likewise to banish those who are of a contrary character; not only the grossly vicious, but the proud, the haughty, the quarrelsome, and the deceitful. Whatever excellent qualities of other kinds they may have, VOL. IV. E'e e