vices. It containeth, 1, 2. an exhortation to praise Jehovah, 3. for his greatness, 4, 5. and for his works of creation; 6. men are invited to worship him as their Maker, and, 7. as their Preserver ; 8-11. they are warned against tempting and provoking him, by the example of the Israelites in the wilderness. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews hath taught us to consider the Psalm as an address to believers under the Gospel.

1. O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

In this first verse, Christians now exhort and stir up each other, as the Jews did of old, to employ their voices in honour of Jehovah, to celebrate "the "rock of their salvation." Jesus, by redeeming us from our enemies, hath opened our lips, and our mouths ought, therefore, to show forth his praise. He is the Rock of ages, in which is opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness; the Rock which attends the church in the wilderness, pouring forth the water of life for her use and comfort; the Rock which is our fortress against every enemy, shadowing and refreshing a weary land. "O come, then, let us sing unto this our LORD; let us make a joyful "noise unto this rock of our salvation."

2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

The "presence" of Jehovah dwelt formerly between the cherubim, in a tabernacle, or temple, made

with hands, whither the Israelites were to resort, until God became manifest in the flesh. After that time, the divine presence left the synagogue, and removed into the Christian church; by her we are now invited" to come before that presence with "thanksgiving," and, while we "make a joyful noise,” by chanting these divine "Psalms," to imitate, in some measure," the heavenly choirs, who rest not," from their blessed employment of praising God, "day or night." Rev. iv. 8.

3. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

It is not without reason, that we are exhorted to "give thanks and praise unto our God and King; for he is worthy to receive glory and blessing:" Rev. v. 12. He is a God above all that are called by that name; above those deities, which were once worshipped by the ancient Heathen; above the world, which still continues to be an object of adoration among infatuated mortals. His throne is over all, and power and dominion are his.

4. In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also. 5. The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.

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The treasures, which lie hid in the "deep places" of the earth beneath; the majestic pride and "strength of the hills," which tower above, and lift up their heads to heaven; the unnumbered waves of the great and wide " sea," which roll in perpetual motion round the world; the rich and variegated produce of the "dry land," crowned with verdure and beauty;

together with every thing that liveth in the waters, or on the earth; all are under the government of our God; by him were all things created; by him have all things been redeemed.

6. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

As in the beginning of the Psalm we were called upon to "praise" Jehovah, so here we are invited to humble ourselves before him in "prayer." From him we had our being; him, therefore, we are to supplicate for every other blessing, both in this life, and that which is to come. And since he made our bodies, as well as our souls, it is meet and right that they should bear their part in his service, and that internal worship should be accompanied and signified by that which is external.

7. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

An additional reason why we should both praise Jehovah, and pray to him, is the peculiar relation into which he hath been pleased to put himself by the covenant of grace; "he is our God;" we are the objects of his tender care and unspeakable love : we are his "people," and his " sheep ;" his chosen flock, which he hath purchased with his blood, which he feeds with his word, and refreshes with his Spirit, in fair and pleasant pastures. From those pastures, O thou good Shepherd! suffer us not to stray; or, if we do stray, bring us speedily back again, by any means which thou, in thine infinite wisdom, shalt think fit. Wholesome is the discipline which drives us into the fold, and keeps us there.

1.8. To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness. 9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. The first clause of these two verses may be joined to the preceding verse, thus, "He is our God, we "are the people of his pasture and the sheep of "his hand, if ye will hear his voice to-day;" that is, if ye will be his obedient people, he will continue to be your God. Or else the word O, translated if," may be rendered in the opative form, "O "that you would hear his voice to-day," saying unto you, "Harden not," &c. However this be, what follows to the end of the Psalm is undoubtedly: spoken in the person of God himself, who may be considered as addressing us, in these latter days, by the Gospel of his Son; for so the apostle teaches us to apply the whole passage, Heb. iii. iv. The Israelites when they came out of Egypt, had a day of probation, and a promised rest to succeed it; but, by unbelief and disobedience, they to whom it was promised, that is, the generation of those who came out of Egypt, fell short of it, and died in the wilderness. The Gospel, in like manner, offers, both to Jew and Gentile, another day of probation in this world, and another promised rest to succeed. it, which remaineth for the people of God, in hea

ven.

All whom it concerns are, therefore, exhorted to beware lest they forfeit the second rest, as murmuring and rebellious Israel came short of the first. The verses now before us allude to what passed at the place called " Massah," and "Meribah," from M

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the people there" tempting" and striving with their God, notwithstanding all the mighty works which he had wrought for them, before their eyes. Exod. xvii. 7.

10. Forty years long was I grieved, or, disgusted, with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.

O the desperate presumption of man, that he should offend his Maker " forty years!" O the patience and long suffering of his Maker, that he should allow him forty years to offend in! Sin begins in the "heart," by its desires " wandering" and going astray after forbidden objects; whence follows inattention to the "ways" of God; to his dispensations, and our own duty. Lust in the heart, like vapour in the stomach, soon affects the head, and clouds the understanding.

11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.

Exclusion from Canaan was the punishment of Israelitish contumacy; exclusion from heaven is to be the punishment of disobedience among Christians. To take vengeance on those who reject the Gospel terms, is no less a part of the covenant and oath of God, than it is to save and glorify those who accept them. Yet men continue deliberately to commit those sins, which the Almighty standeth thus engaged to punish with destruction *! "Take heed," therefore,

Sensus hujus loci ex Paulo sic concinnandus; nempe requiem a Deo Israëlitis esse promissam in terrâ Chananæâ: omnes tamen interim in deserto cecidisse hâc requie frustratos: quare