PSALM XCIII.

In this Psalm the prophet celebrates the greatness of God, and the sovereign power by which he rules over all things, and particularly over his people.

Reflections.

THIS Psalm teaches us, that God rules with glory and magnificence over all the world; that his throne is established in righteousness; that his power infinitely exceeds that of all created beings: from whence we are to conclude, that he will reign for ever, for the good and advantage of his people, and of all those who serve him, and submit themselves to him.

PSALM XCIV.

I. In this prayer, the children of Israel represent to God the sad condition they were reduced to by the cruelty of their enemies, whose insolence, impiety, and blasphemies they describe. II. The prophet nevertheless adores the wisdom and goodness of God, in the corrections wherewith he visits men; and foretells the deliverance of the righteous, and the destruction of the wicked.

Reflections.

WHAT here commands our attention is, I. The description he gives of the wicked and ungodly. He represents them as cruel and unjust; and at the same time, as impious wretches, who insult the Deity with their blasphemies, saying, at the very time they are committing their crimes, that God does not see them, nor will punish them. This is the highest pitch of wickedness, to add impiety to sin, and not to fear God when we offend him. II. We learn from this Psalm, that good men abhor these impious sentiments, and are firmly persuaded that God, who has formed and created men, knows all their actions, all their words, and all their thoughts, and that he will be their judge.

III. Another instruction we here receive, regards the usefulness of God's corrections, which is expressed in these words: Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out thy law. The last reflection is, that God will never forsake his people, and his inheritance; that he is the defender of the faithful; that he is the joy of their souls in the midst of their troubles; and that he supports them against those who persecute them, and seek to destroy them.

PSALM XCV.

THIS Psalm has two parts. In the first, the Psalmist invites the Israelites to praise God, and to adore his majesty. In the second he exhorts them to obey the voice of God, and not to imitate the hardness of their fathers, whose rebellions in the wilderness were the cause of their being excluded from the land of Canaan.

Reflections.

THIS Psalm engages us to two duties. The first is, to render to God, with an holy joy and fervency, the adorations and praises which belong to him, on account of his power and majesty; but above all, because he is our God, and we have the happiness to be his people. The second duty is, To improve the exhortations which David addresses to the Israelites, not to harden their hearts as their fathers had done. These words, To-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts: and those, I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest; do concern Christians as well as the Jews; as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in the third and fourth chapters, observes, where he bids us take heed, lest by hardness of heart, and rebellion against the Gospel, we should be deprived of eternal rest, as the rebellious Israelites were excluded from the land of Canaan for their incredulity.

PSALM XCVI.

THIS Psalm invites the Israelites, and all people, to bless the Lord, to call upon him, and worship him, as the only true God; to celebrate his power, and submit with joy to his government.

Reflections.

I. WHEN the prophet, in this Psalm, exhorted all the nations of the earth to sing praises unto God, and to come and worship in his temple; they were not in a condition to discharge this duty, because they were engaged in ignorance and idolatry. Therefore these exhortations are peculiarly applicable to the times of the Gospel, and describe the zeal which should inspire us, and the joy which good men should express, when they reflect, that the several nations of the earth are enlightened with the knowledge of the true God, and of his son Jesus Christ. These great privileges, which we are partakers of, engage us to praise the Lord without ceasing, and publish abroad the deliverance he has vouchsafed us, and the marvellous things he has done for our sakes; to worship him with fear, humility, and joy; and, above all, to present him the oblation he requires of us, which is to offer him our heart, and show by our obedience that the Lord does truly reign over us; and that we make all our happiness, and all our glory, consist in belonging to him.

PSALM XCVII.

THE subject of this Psalm is the same as of the foregoing. It is an exhortation to celebrate the majesty and omnipotence of God, and the glory of his kingdom, and to rejoice in the advantages which the establishment of this kingdom procures to those who submit to it.

Reflections.

THIS Psalm is not so much a description of God's dominion over the Jews, as a prophecy of the estab

lishment of the kingdom of Jesus Christ over all nations, and the destruction of idolatry and impiety. The Holy Spirit here describes the effects which the coming of that kingdom would produce, and the joy which the faithful would feel when it should be manifested; wherefore it principally concerns us to improve those affections of zeal and devotion which are manifest in this divine song. We here learn that the best way of praising God, and the true character of his worshippers, is to love him, to hate evil, and to rejoice in him continually. Lastly, We here see, that God crowns with glory and happiness those that fear him, which is contained in these excellent promises; The Lord preserveth the souls of his saints, and delivers them out of the hand of the wicked: Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

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PSALM XCVIII.

THIS is an exhortation to praise God for the redemption he was to send his people, and to rejoice in the coming of his kingdom.

Reflections.

THIS Psalm regards Christians rather than the Jews; as it is only since the coming of Jesus Christ, that we can properly say, that God has fulfilled his promises, and hath remembered his mercy and his truth; and that all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. It is now, therefore, that men should sing unto the Lord a new song: Now ought his glory to be celebrated by all nations and in all places of the world, with holy transports of joy. Now, since we live in these happy times, when God reigns over us, and know that he is to judge the world in righteousness, we ought to submit to him with humility and obedience, and answer the valuable favour he has bestowed on us, in delivering us from the power of darkness, and translating us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

PSALM XCIX.

THIS Psalm was designed to celebrate the majesty of God, and the glory of his kingdom. It likewise mentions the mercies God had shown the Israelites in the time of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, and upon divers other occasions.

Reflections.

I. HERE we learn, that it is the duty of those who have the happiness to know God, and to be the subjects of his kingdom, to fear him, to reverence his majesty, to worship him with the profoundest humility, and without ceasing, to celebrate his name, which is great, terrible, and holy. II. We see in this Psalm, that God did formerly deliver the Israelites, when Moses, Aaron, and Samuel called upon him; and that he also took vengeance on them for their sins, when they offended him. This shows, that as God is always good, he is also just, and has sometimes made them feel the marks of his mercy, and sometimes of his wrath, to engage them to love and fear him.

PSALM C.

ALL people are here exhorted to worship God, to praise him as their Creator, and to celebrate his goodness and truth.

Reflections.

THERE are three reflections to be made on this Psalm: I. That we ought to pray, that all nations of the world may worship the Lord, and glorify his name; and that to this end God would make himself known unto them, and give them the knowledge of his Son Jesus Christ. II. That if we desire to serve God in an acceptable manner, we must not do it by restraint, or with our lips only, but heartily, and with a holy joy. III. That in order to excite us to this duty, we must consider, that God is our Creator that we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture;

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