This noble poem is thought by very competent judges, not only for grace and devotion, but for brightness of ideas, surprising turns, and all the beauties and ornaments of expression, far to excel any of the Greek or Latin poets upon any subject of this nature. Many great things the psalmist here gives God the glory of.

VER. 1. "Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art very great."]-The Messiah, who is Jehovah our righteousness, Lord of all, truly God, and the God of his people; John xx. 28. and who is great, and very great, in his divine person, being the great God and our Saviour; great in all his works of creation, providence, and redemption; great in all his offices of prophet, priest, and king; a Saviour, and a great one; the great shepherd of the sheep; the man, Jehovah's fellow.

"Thou art clothed with honour and majesty."]-Being the brightness of his Father's glory, and having on him the glory of the only begotten of the Father, and a natural majesty in him as the Son of God and king of the whole universe; and as Mediator he has honour and majesty laid upon him by his Father, Psalm xxi. 5. he has all the regalia and ensigns of royal majesty; he is on a throne high and lifted up, even the same with his divine Father.

Ver. 2. "Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment."]-Which is applicable to Christ as a divine person, 1 John i. 5. 1 Tim. vi. 16. and to whom this term light well agrees; light being one of the names of the Messiah in the old testament, Psalm xliii. 3. Dan. ii. 22. and is often given him in the new testament, as the author of the light of nature, grace, and glory, John i. 9. and viii. 12. Rev. xxi. 23. He is now possessed of the light and glory of the heavenly state, of which his transfiguration on the mount was an emblem, when his face shone like the sun, and his raiment was as the light, Matt. xvii. 2.

Ver. 15. "And bread which strengtheneth man's heart."And is therefore commonly called the staff of life, and, by the prophet, " the whole stay of bread,” Isaiah iii. 1. by which human nature is invigorated, and the strength of man is kept up and increased; for the phrase, see Gen. xviii. 5. Judg. xix. 5. Of this nature are the provisions of God's house, which go by the same name, the word and ordinances; and especially Christ Jesus himself, the true and living bread; by which the christian's spiritual life is supported and maintained, and he is comforted and refreshed, and strengthened for every good work.

Ver. 16. "The trees of the Lord are full of sap."]Saints are often compared to trees, which are planted by the Lord in Christ, and in his churches; and particularly to cedars, for their height, strength, and durableness; Psalm xcii. 13, 14. and these, through the grace of God, are full of sap and spiritual life, and are filled with the fruits of righteousness, and are often represented as planted and growing by rivers of water; Numb. xxiv. 6. Psalm i. 3. Jer. xvii. S.

Ver. 31. "The Lord shall rejoice in all his works."]— Christ rejoices in the work of redemption, which he undertook and performed with pleasure; he rejoiced at the finishing it, and he rejoices in the application of it to his people; and will rejoice in their complete enjoyment of it; they being the objects of his love, in whom he has an interest; whom he engaged for, are the purchase of his blood, and for whom he prays and intercedes: he rejoices in them as the works of his hand now; in their persons, who are his Hephzibah, in whom he delights; his beulah, to whom he is married: he rejoices in his own grace wrought in them, and in the exercise of it on him; he rejoices over them to do them good, and never ceases doing good to them and for them.

Ver. 34. "My meditation of him shall be sweet."]Of the glories, excellencies, and perfections of his person; of his offices, as mediator, king, priest, and prophet, the Saviour and Redeemer; of his works of creation, provi dence, and redemption; of his word, the blessed truths, and comfortable doctrines of it; of his providential dispensations, and gracious dealings with his people in the present state; which to meditate upon, when grace is in exercise, is very sweet, delightful, and comfortable.

"I will be glad in the Lord."]-The Targum is, 'in the word of the Lord;' in the essential Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; in his person, the greatness, glory, beauty, and fulness of it; in his righteousness, its purity, perfection, and perpetuity; in his salvation, being so suitable, complete and glorious.

PSALM CV.

The prophet is here stirring up Israel to proclaim and praise the name of the Lord; to seek his strength and face (in the persou of Jesus Christ ;) to think of, and be telling the wonders he has done for them; in full assurance of his remembering the covenant, and being still their God; whose mercy has brought us to the knowledge of the grace which is by Jesus Christ; and with a true desire that his judgments (that is, his laws and statutes) may be known and observed by all the earth, as at ver. 7.

VER. 3. "Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord."-Such may and should rejoice in him, and in him only; and that always, as they have reason to do, even in their hearts, since they that seek him find him; and whether it be at first conversion, or afterwards, or when he has for a time hid his face; it must be matter of joy to them, even to their very hearts, to find him whom they seek.

Ver. 4. "Seek his face evermore."]-His favour and loving-kindness; his smiling countenance, which beholds the upright; his gracious presence, and communion with him; which is always desirable, ever to be sought after, and will be eternally and without interruption enjoyed in another world.

Ver. 7. "He is the Lord our God."]-This Jehovah is our God, our God in covenant, our God in Christ; our God that has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ; our God that has regenerated, adopted, and justified us; that supplies all our wants, and will be our God and our portion for ever; and therefore worthy of all praise, honour, and glory.

Ver. 10. "And to Israel for an everlasting covenant."] -For being remembered, commanded, repeated, and confirmed by the Lord, it can never be broken; and being well ordered, remains sure, and is as immoveable as rocks and mountains, and more so: as it was made with Christ from everlasting, it will continue to be made good to his people to everlasting; and is a just reason for praise, it being the basis of faith and hope; the ground of joy, peace, and comfort here, and of eternal happiness hereafter.

Ver. 18. "Whose feet they hurt with fetters."]-In this Joseph was a type of Christ, whose soul was made exceeding sorrowful unto death; he was seized by the Jews,

led bound to the high priest, fastened to the cursed tree, pierced with nails, and more so with the sins of his people he bore; and was laid in the prison of the grave; from whence and from judgment he was brought, Isaiah liii. 8.

Ver. 20. "The king sent and loosed him."]-In this he was a type of Christ in his resurrection from the dead; who for a while was under the dominion of death, was held with the pains and cords of it, and was under the power and in the prison of the grave; but it was not possible, considering the dignity of his person, and the performance of his work as a surety, that he should be held here. Wherefore the cords and pains of death were loosed, and he was brought out of prison; God his Father, the King of kings, sent an angel from heaven, to roll away the stone of the sepulchre, and let the prisoner free; so that he was legally and judicially discharged and acquitted; as it was proper he should, having satisfied both law and justice; he was justified in the Spirit when he rose from the dead, and all his people were justified in him, for he rose again for their justification.

66

Ver. 21. He made him lord of his house."]-Herein also he was a type of Christ, who, as God, is possessor of beaven and earth, being the Creator of them; but, as Mediator, he has all things delivered into his hands; all are at his dispose more especially all spiritual things are with him; the gifts of the Spirit, which he has without measure; and the fulness of all grace, which it has pleased the Father should dwell in him; the blessings of the everlasting covenant, and the promises of it; all the riches of grace, pardoning, justifying and adopting grace, all the riches of glory.

Ver. 39." And fire to give light in the night."]-This respects the pillar of fire which gave them light by night; an emblem of Christ, who is the light of his people, when it is a night season with them, as it sometimes is; a night of affliction and distress, of darkness and desertion, of temptation, of carnal security and sleepiness; when Christ arises as a light in darkness, and enlightens by his presence, by his Spirit, and by his word; as well as is fire to warm, refresh, quicken, and comfort them when chill and cold, in such seasons.

Ver. 40. "And satisfied them with the bread of heaven."]-The manna, called the corn of heaven; a type of Christ, the hidden manna, who is soul satisfying food to believers; see note on Psalm lxviii. 24, 25.

Ver. 43. "And he brought forth his people with joy."] In like manner when God's elect are in effectual vocation brought out of bondage to liberty, out of darkness to light, out of an horrible pit, and have their feet set on a rock; are brought to Christ and into his church, and have a place and a name there; it is with exceeding great joy and gladness to them; and to the church above shall they at last be brought with everlasting joy on their heads, Isaiah xxxv. 10.

PSALM CVI.

This psalm is intended to stir up Israel to praise Jehovah, their God and their King. It first acknowledges that his mercy is for ever; foresees the felicity of his chosen, and expresses a warm desire to partake therein. And then, having confessed the many and grievous provocations of Israel, it begs that, according to his wonted mercy, he would still be their deliverer; gathering them from among the nations, that they may praise and bless his holy name.

VER. 4. "Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people."]-The Lord has a special and peculiar people, whom he has chosen, taken in covenant, given to his Son, redeemed by him, who are called by grace, and brought to glory: to these he bears a peculiar favour, loves with an everlasting love; which he has shewn in the choice of them; in the gift of his Son to them; in their regeneration and eternal salvation. Now nothing can be more desirable than an interest in this favour, in which is life, spiritual and eternal; is the strength and security of believers, the source of their comfort, and the foundation of their happiness: to be remembered with this, is to have a view of interest in it, a comfortable sensation of it, and an application of benefit by it.

Ver. 5. That I may glory with thine inheritance."] -The same with his chosen people and nation: for the Lord's people is his portion, and the lot of his inheritance; they are chosen for an inheritance, given to Christ as such, with which he is well pleased, esteeming them a goodly heritage; they are his purchased possession, his jewels and peculiar treasure. These glory not in themselves, in their strength and wisdom, their riches and righteousness; but in Christ and his righteousness, and what he is made unto