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chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth 11 man knowledge, [shall he not know?] The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they [are] vanity, and will make them see 12 it to their confusion. Blessed [is] the man whom thou chasten13 est, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, repose of soul under his afflictions, and deliverance out of them, until the pit be digged for the wicked, for prosperous sinners,into which they shall fall and 14 perish. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will 15 he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness and all the upright in heart shall follow it; however thy judgments may seem at present to depart from righteousness, at last they shall return and be perfectly conformable to it; and all the upright shall attend the triumphs of thy justice in a 16 solemn cavalcade; a strong and beautiful image. Who will rise up for me against the evil doers? [or] who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity, whose power is so great? 17 Unless the LORD [had been] my help, my soul had almost dwelt 18 in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O 19 LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within

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me thy comforts delight my soul, which otherwise would be ever. 20 whelmed with sorrow. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellow ship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? wilt thou be an assistant to them, confirm their administration, and bear them out in their oppressions, especially those which they do under colour of 21 law and justice? They gather themselves together against the 22 soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the

LORD is my defence; and my God [is] the rock of my refuge. 23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, that is, the mischief they contrive for me, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; [yea,] the LORD our God shall cut them off.

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REFLECTIONS.

ROM this psalm we are taught that vengeance belongeth to the Lord. He alone has a right to avenge, because he is perfectly wise, just, and impartial, and to him belongeth power so to do and he certainly will call tyrants and oppressors to account. Let us not dare then to usurp his prerogative, but commit ourselves to him that judgeth righteously. This is the use which the apostle makes of this thought, Rom. xii. 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

2. Let us adore God as the author of all the senses of the body and the faculties of the mind. He made the eye and the ear, with all their curious and exquisite workmanship. We should praise him that he has given us these organs, and continues the use of them. He also teaches man knowledge; gives him his capacities and powers of mind; and we should adore him for their continuance, and employ them in his service. We may also infer from hence,

that he must be infinitely wise; he could not give that which he has not all the capacities and perfections of his creatures he must himself have in the highest degree. It is folly to deny this, and brutishness to forget it and live without God in the world.

3. The providence of God which is exercised toward the heathens, should teach us christians to dread offending him. He hath not left himself without witness among them; he has written his laws in their hearts, and given them notices of his being and attri "butes; their guilt therefore is inexcusable, and he often chastiseth them for it by some judgment or other; and shall he not much more severely correct wicked christians, who have so many peculiar advantages for knowing God and their duty, and whose guilt therefore must be greater? so that indignation and wrath shall be to the christian first, and also to the heathen.

4. It should be our desire that God would teach us out of his law. When we are under the discipline of affliction, he chasteneth us as a father does a child; and it becomes us to know the rod, and him who hath appointed it. But it is desirable that by the help of his word, we may understand the design of his chastisements, and to what purposes they are to be improved. We have need to pray that God would teach us this; and if we learn it, he will give us rest from the days of adversity, which will be peculiarly comfortable ; while those who go on in sin, though they may prosper here, shall fall into the pit of destruction. It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to those that trouble his people; and to them that are troubled, rest.

5. The interest which good men have in the favour of God, affords them satisfaction and relief in the worst of times. How joyfully does the psalmist speak of God, as his defence, a d the rock of his refuge, and the Lord his God. Though they cannot call their properties or lives their own, it is their comfort that they can call God their own. He will hold them up; amidst their timorous suspicions and tumultous thoughts, his comforts will delight them: those comforts which come from him and lead to him. Though his judgments are mysterious, though they take a great compass, they will at last come round in such a manner as to appear all to center in righteousness; and when they do so, good men shall follow them in triumph, and adore the wisdom, the justice, and goodness of the Lord.

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We have the authority of Paul to say this psalm was written by David; and it is applied by him as a warning to christians not to reject or disobey the gospel.

COME, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise VOL. IV.

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3 unto him with psalms. For the LORD [is] a great God, and a 4 great King above all gods. In his hand [are] the deep places

of the earth the strength of the hills, that is, the high and 5 strong hills, [is] his also. The sea [is] his, and he made it : 6 and his hands formed the dry [land.] O come, let us worship 7 and bow down let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he [is] peculiarly our God, as Israelites, and we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand, as we are conducted 8 and guided by him. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness; at Massah and Meribah, Exodus xvii. 9 7. so called from their tempting and provoking God: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, that is, questioned whether they might take my word, unreasonably demanded new froofs of my power, and further security for the performance of my promises to 10 them, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways; they have not attended to and considered what I have done for them, and commanded 11 them to do: Unto whom I swear in my wrath, declared solemnly by my own great and holy name, that they should not enter inte my rest.

PSALM XCVI.

We find this psalm in 1 Chron, xvi. composed on occasion of bringing the ark to mount Zion. The latter part refers to the kingdom of Christ being established in the world, and the happiness it should produce.

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SING unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; 3 shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory 4 among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD [is] great, and greatly to be praised: he [is] to be feared 5 above all gods. For all the gods of the nations [are] idols, and can do neither good nor harm: but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Honour and majesty [are] before him: strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary; his presence gives a pomp and splendor, superior 7 to any thing that art can possibly produce. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and 3 strength. Give unto the LORD the glory [due unto] his name: 9 bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the heathen [that] the LORD reigneth, God hath set up his kingdom among them : the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved; he shall judge the people righteously; he hath established his church, and thereby promoted the peace 11 and happiness of the world. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar and the fulness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that [is] therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice, the whole creation shall appear beau13 tiful and joyful, Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteous ness, and the people with his truth; he shall govern the world by wise and righteous laws, and promote the felicity of mankind.

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REFLECTIONS on PSALM XCV, XCVI.

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E learn from both these psalms the profound reverence with which God ought to be worshipped. Not only as great above all gods, possessed of honour and majesty, strength and beauty, above princes and angels, and possessor of heaven and earth; but as our maker, preserver, and benefactor. We should therefore approach him with our songs of praise, and draw nigh to him with the greatest reverence; and though bodily exercise profiteth little; yet as it is expressive of the veneration of the mind, and tends to promote it, it appears to be an evident duty, that we should bow down and kneel before the Lord; that is, assume the posture of reverence, usual in our situation; and none can be excused from this, except their infirmities necessarily hinder them, in which case God will have mercy and not sacrifice.

2. The great practical inference from the ninety fifth psalm, we find in Heb. iii. 11. viz. That we christians are under peculiar obligations to hear Christ's voice today, and not harden our hearts; that we are to consider the judgments of God, upon the unbelieving Jews, as a warning to us; that we attend diligently to God's voice, speaking by Christ, and be cautious, lest we miss of the rest that he has promised. Let us therefore remember that a glorious rest is set-before us; infinitely better than Canaan. Let us fear lest a promise being left us, of entering into this rest, any should seem tô come short of it. To prevent that, let us not harden our hearts; but be willing to receive divine discoveries, believe divine promises, and comply with all the intimations of God's will. Take heed therefore, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief; but exhort one another daily, while it is called today: lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

3. We learn from the ninety sixth psalm, how we should be affected toward that kingdom which God has established in the world by Christ. Let us remember that it is founded in righteousness and equity, and administered in wisdom, truth, and goodness; and give God the glory due to his name for this display of his grace; and speak of the excellencies of this kingdom; that we may affect our own hearts, and those of others, therewith. Let us look forward to the final distribution of righteousness and truth to all his creatures, in the latter day. We should rejoice in those delightful scenes which the gospel opens upon us; not cut off ourselves from the universal joy, and appear as it were in mourning, when all nature puts on its most cheerful array. Let us testify our joy by our most ardent praise, our cheerful tempers, and holy lives; and thus show forth his salvation from day to day.

PSALM XCVII, XCVIIL

These two psalms, like the last, were composed by David. He might intend them as a description of the general joy and happiness of the Messiah's kingdɛm. He wished to have the Jews encouraged with the expectation of that: and so contrived it, that there should be a variety of sacred poems, all referring to this great event, that they might not be obliged to repeat the same psalm, as often as they had occasion to celebrate this happy state of the church. It need only be observed, that the prophet speaks of future events as if they were fast, to testify his firm belief of them, and the better to describe what should be the workings of our hearts upon the accomplishment of such predictions.

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HE LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad [thereof.] Clouds and darkness [are] round about him righteousness and judgment [are] the 3 habitation, or foundation, of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about; referring to the 4 punishment of the unbelieving Jews. His lightnings enlightened 5 the world: the earth saw and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of 6 the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and 7 all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they, that is, they shall be confounded, that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all [ye] gods; which the apostle applies to the resurrection of Christ, let all the angels of 8 God worship him,' Heb. i. 6. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O 9 LORD. For thou, LORD, [art] high above all the earth: thou 10 art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:

he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out 11 of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart; holiness and joy shall as surely 12 be their portion, as the harvest succeeds the seed time. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness and faithfulness.

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PSALM XCVIII.

A Psalm.

OSING unto the LORD a new song, for he hath done,

marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, 2 hath gotten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly showed in the 3 sight of the heathen, not in types and figures, as before. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our

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