Psalm 133

An exhortation to praise God continually.

1 Behold, now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

3 In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.

3 May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 “ Behold, now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.”

Now that you have been delivered from all temptations and persecutions, it is time for you to give your whole thoughts to praising God ; and, therefore, “ bless ue the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord,” who now have nothing else to do, but to render him the tribute of everlasting praise and thanks. ‘* Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God;” you, who have now a permanent house, and no longer, like pilgrims, have to dwell in tents. And, in addition to the house you-haye, is “a court,” so that you cannot but be supremely happy, having a house within, in which to behold God, and a court without, in which to behold his creatures.

2“ In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.”

The night, when silence prevails everywhere, is the fittest time for prayer, and for praising God, Hence David, in another Psalm, says, ‘‘Z rose at midnight to give pratse to thee;”’ and “Isaias says, ‘* My soul hath desired thee in the night;? and in Lamentations, “Arise and give praise in the night, in the beginning of the watches.” Our Lord constantly spent the night in prayer; and, in Acts xvi., we read, “ And at midnight, Paul and Silas, praying, praised God.” prophet reminds God’s servants that itis at night especially that they should raise their hands towards the Holy of Holies, where the Ark and the Propitiatory lie, and bless God. In a moral sense, the verse means that we should bless God in the daylight of prospes rity, as well as in the night and gloom of adversity

It is, therefore, with great justice that the |

COMMENTARY

‘However, in the sense that was principally intended, we are given to understand here, that, as when there is question of light or darkness, it is always day in the country above, so it is always night there when there is question of labour or rest; for, the moment they enter into said rest, “the Spirit tells them they may rest from ther labours ; for their works follow them,” Apoc. xiv. That is, the night alluded to in Psalm exxxviil., “ And night shall be my light in my pleasures;” and of which the Lord says, “* The night cometh in which no one can work ;” and, therefore, should be specially devoted to praising God. In those most quiet, but still most brilliant nights, therefore, “lift up your hands,” you happy servants of God; and turned towards the true sanctuary where God himself resides, ‘‘ Bless ye the Lord.”

3 ‘ May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.”

Having exhorted the holy servants of God to bless him, he now calls down a blessing from God on them, in the singular number, knowing them to be so united in charity as if they consisted of one person only; to which unity of persons he says, ‘‘ May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.”

PSALM CXXXIV. An exhortation to praise God: the vanity of idols.

1 Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord.

2 You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,

3 Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing ye to his name, for it is sweet.

4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.

5 For Ihave known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods.

6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased he hath done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.

7 He bringeth up clouds from the end of the earth: he hath made lightnings for the rain. He bringeth forth winds out of his stores.

8 He slew the first-born of Egypt, from man even unto beast.

9 He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt; upon Pharao, and upon all his servants.

10 He smote many nations; and slew mighty kings:

it ied king of the Amorrhites, and Og, king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan:

ON

12 And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel.

13 Thy name, O Lord, is for ever: thy memorial, O Lord, unto all generations.

14 For the Lord will judge his people, and‘ will be intreated in favour of his servants.

15 The idols of the gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men’s hands.

16 They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not.

17 They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusteth in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.

20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 ‘ Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his ser= vants, praise the Lord.

2 * You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,”

Those two verses are word for word with the first verse of the last Psalm, and are now repeated, with a view of keeping up the praise then and there commenced. The prophet, then, addressing the servants of the Lord, exhorts them to praise his name and himself. And he tells what servants he means when he adds, * You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God;” you that are not now exiles, nor on the road, nor pilgrims, who need prayer more than praise; but you who have come home, and who now stand in the house; of whom another Psalm says, “ Blessed are they who dwell in thy house, O Lord, they will praise thee for ever and ever.” The Psalm, then, seems specially adapted to those who have arrived at their home above, and have entered that house not made by the hands of man, but that everlasting one in heaven. It may be also applied to those who, in hope and desire, have begun to dwell in that house above; such as those who, with the Apostle, can say, “Sut our conversation ts in heaven;” and it is peculiarly applicable to the clergy, whose duty it is to stand in the houses consecrated to God, and to minister to him with zeal and propriety. All God’s servants are bound to that, but the clergy especially are bound by virtue of their peculiar obligations.

3 ‘+ Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good : sing ye to his name, for t 1s, sweet.

4‘ lor the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.”

Having exhorted God’s people to praise him, he now assigns a reason why they should do so. First,

because he deserves it highly. Secondly, because it will turn to our own benefit and pleasure. Thirdly, because we are specially bound thereto, more so than others, by reason of the many favours he conferred on us. “ Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good;” for a good thing is worthy of praise—a bad thing, of censure. Now, God is so good, that he alone is absolutely good, and so good in every respect, because he does not derive his goodness from any one or thing but himself, and nothing can be good but by his gift and favour. Other things are good to a certain extent, such as a good man, house, or clothes ; but God is goodness itself, having in him all the essence of goodness. ‘‘ Sing ye to his name, for his name ts sweet.” Reason the second, because it is neither troublesome nor laborious, but sweet, pleasant, and agreeable. The saints in heaven know how sweet it is to sing to the Lord, and thus, they never desist a moment from his praise, and that by reason of their constantly tasting of his sweetness at the very source of it; we find it sometimes sweet enough, and at other times irksome enough, because it is not always that we taste of God’s sweetness ; it is only, when through the grace of God, and previous meditation, we come to know him, and burn to love him, “ For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.” Here is the third reason derived from justice and obligation. As God, by a special gift of his grace, chose the children of Jacob to be his own people, it is only just, and due to that people, that they should be the foremost in praising him. We must here remark, that God, the founder of the universe, directs all nations by his providence, that he gave to them all the light of reason, and the natural law inscribed on their hearts, with Angels-guardian, not only to each individual, but also to every kingdom and province; and that such favours are enjoyed by all nations in common with the people of Israel; that he adopted Abraham, with his posterity, through [saac and Jacob, to be, as it were, his own inheritance, portion, and possession, and gave them a written law and ceremonies for his worship; and the prophets, as so many messengers, through whom he would instruct them. Secondly, that this was a wonderful gift from God; because he selected that people as his possession, for the purpose of heaping favours upon them, and cultivating them as he would his chosen vineyard; and all this was his own gratuitous gift. He chose them not on account of their merits, but because it so pleased himself ; as is clear from the predestination for eternity, alluded to by Malachy, chap. i.; and St. Paul, Rom. ix., “* For when the children were not yet born, (Jacob and Esau,) nor had done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, tt was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” Thirdly, all that has been said, and a great deal more, applies to the Christian people collected from

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

the gentiles; for, as St. Paul teaches, the gentiles were the wild olives, in reference to the Jews, who were the natural branches of the olive; and when most of them got broken off by their incredulity God adopted the wild olives, and engrafted them on the good olive; that is to say, he built up the gentiles “‘on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,” by calling them through faith to his people, and making them “‘fellow-citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God.” We, then, ought, nay, even we are bound, in justice, to praise God; but it is Jacob and Israel, the elect, now in possession, the Jerusalem above, the assembly, to wit, of the saints, to whom is specially directed the order, ‘* Praise the Lord, Jerusalem, praise your God, Sion,” who are specially bound.

5 ‘ For I have known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods.

6 ‘* Whatsoever the Lord pleased he hath done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.”

He now answers a question that may be put to him, viz., why he invited God’s people in so pressing a manner to praise him? “ Lor [have known that the Lord is great,” and that, not only over men, but even ‘above all gods;” and, therefore, I cannot be silent ; therefore I cry out, I chant, I sing, and I invite all to join me therein, He then proves both assertions of God’s being great, and of his being greater than any other gods. His greatness is shewn in his omnipotence, because, “whatsoever the Lord pleaseth, he hath done,” throughout the universe, ‘ zn heaven, earth, sea, and in all the deeps,” which deeps may mean the lower regions, for such they are called in the Gospel, Luke viii., where ‘‘ the devils besought him, that he would not command them to go into the deep,” and thus all parts of the world are included, the heavens above, hell below, and earth and sea between them. Compare then, for a moment, our infirmity with God’s power. ‘“* Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth he hath done,” for “* nothing ts impossible to him.” We wish to do many things but cannot do them. God did those things because he wished it ; of his own free will, and not through any necessity, for he needs nothing. We generally work _ because we need, and if necessity did not compel us we would lie idle. Finally, God did every thing he wished, by reason of his being Lord of all things; and when we cannot carry out even our own wishes, how can we do any thing else? It is, therefore, but just, that instead of praising ourselves, we should constantly praise the Lord our God.

7 “ He bringeth up clouds from the end of the earth: he hath made lightnings for the rain. He bringeth forth winds out of his stores.

8 “ He slew the first-born of Egypt, from man even unto beast.

9 ‘‘ He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt ; upon Pharao, and upon all his servants.” He now adduces some examples of God’s action on the air, the earth, and the waters, when it so pleases him; for God does wonderful things, both

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

among his Angels above, and in the abyss below. As we know nothing, however, of what happens in either of those places, he gives us an example of what he does in the places we are acquainted with, the sky, the earth, and the waters, though we cannot account - for those wonderful things. First, as regards the clouds ; they rise from the earth, are formed in the sky, and return to the earth again, after being turned into rain. “ He bringeth up the clouds from the end of the earth.” In speaking thus, he accommodates himself to the general notions then about the earth, which was that of an extensive plain, from the four quarters of which, as the wind varied, the clouds were supposed to ascend ; and though the familiarity of the matter makes us regard the thing with very little surprise, it is a matter of great wonder and surprise, how the vapour ascending so imperceptibly from the earth and the sea, should all at once become so condensed as to veil the whole heavens with clouds, and that in a moment; the only thing that makes it cease to be wonderful is, its being the work of the Almighty. The next is more wonderful. ‘He hath made lightnings for the rain.” He mixed them both together, a most wonderful thing! for one would suppose the lightning would dry up the rain, or the rain would extinguish the lightning. He, possibly, alludes to that passage in Exodus, where it is said, “ And the hail and fire mixed with it, drove on together.” —“ He bringeth forth winds out of his stores.” The third example of the greatness of God is taken from his production of the winds. We are well acquainted with them, we sometimes feel them acutely, and still nothing is more obscure than the mode of their production, and, therefore, the Lord himself said, “‘ The spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, nor whither he goeth;” as much as to say, you hear the noise, and that’s all you know about it. The expression, ‘‘ out of his stores,” is quite figurative, for God has no such stores, but when he sends gales of wind, it looks as if they had been locked up for some time, and let suddenly loose. To this third example of God’s power, he now adds the fourth, which consisted in the slaughter of all the first-born of Egypt, men as well as beasts, as related in Exodus xii., and he couples it with the generation of the winds, because, just as the winds are a sort of corporeal spirits, who, by reason of the minuteness of their composition are all but invisible, and still cause a wonderful havoc among the trees in the country, the houses in the cities, and the ships at sea; thus the celestial spirits, who were invisible to human eyes, in a twinkling, at God’s beck, slew all the first-born of Egypt, beasts as well as men; a thing that could not be ascribed to pestilence or to any other natural cause, whereas, none but the firstborn suffered, and of the Hebrews, not one at all. He finally alludes to all the miracles that God ‘wrought in Egypt, through Moses, as may be read in Exodus.

10 “He smote many nations ; and slew mighty kings :

11 “Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, and Og, king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan:

12 “ And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel.” :

To the miracles wrought in Egypt against Pharao, he now adds the miracles that were wrought on the journey, against two most powerful kings, Sehon and Og, who were conquered by the Israelites in a most miraculous manner, see Num. xxi. And he finally alludes to the miracles that God did in the very land of promise against thirty-one kings who were in possession of it. Many were the miracles performed there: for instance, that of the walls of Jericho tumbling to the ground at the sound of the trumpets by the priests; and of the sun and moon standing still at the command of Josue. God, then, gave all that country to his people of Israel, to be held by them as their own inheritance, just as he wishes the kingdom of heaven, of which it was a type, to be had by fighting and labouring for it. However, if he did not go before, accompany, and follow up all our labours with his grace, we could do nothing whatever. He it is, then, that saves us, frees us from captivity, and bestows on us an everlasting inheritance.

13 ‘“* Thy name, O Lord, is for ever: thy memorial, O Lord, unto all generations.

14 “ For the Lord will judge his people, and will be intreated in favour of his servants.”

He now concludes the first proposition he undertook to prove, namely, God’s greatness, and having proved it satisfactorily, he says, ‘“‘ Thy name, O Lord, as for ever.” These wonderful acts of yours will keep your memory alive for ever, which, as usual, he reiterates, when he says, “‘ Thy memorial,” your name, will be remembered ‘‘ unto all generations.” ‘ For the Lord will judge his people,” ashe always did, by severely punishing all her enemies; “ and will be intreated in fuvour of his servants,” will always leave himself open to attend to their prayers.

15 ‘* The idols of the gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men’s hands.

16 ‘‘ They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not.

17 “‘ They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.”

He now goes on to prove that God is greater than any other god, that being the second proposition he laid down inverse 5. And, though it is not saying much for God’s being superior to idols of gold and silver, excelling, as he does, all kings, demons, and Angels, still the prophet thought right to compare them with God, to shew their weakness and infirmity the more clearly ; as also, because, though many of the idols of the gentiles were really demons, still the gentiles did not know that, and looked upon them as so many gods, as is evident from the history of Dagon. And, finally, because from it may be inferred the weakness and infirmity of those demons,

426 who could give neither life nor feeling to those images, as the true God did to his image, man, to whom he gave the spirit of life, feeling, and motion, and what is of much more value, liberty and free will. David, then, justly proves that God is greater than any other of those gods, who, though they may have mouth, eyes, and ears, have them to no purpose, because the breath of life has not been infused into them, the prophet evidently alluding to the expression in Genesis, “‘ And breathed into his face the breath of life.” See Psalm exii. for further explanation.

18 ‘ Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusteth in them.

19 ‘‘ Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.

20 ‘ Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.”

Having compared the true with the false gods, he now institutes a comparison between their relative worshippers, and, by way of imprecation, predicts that the votaries of the former would be like their idols, dumb, blind, and deaf, as regards the seeking for, and finding, and praising, what is truly good; and he invites the servants of the true God to bless the Lord, for they, as being images of the living God, see, hear, and speak, and are, therefore, bound to exercise their tongue in praising that God, from whom they have the senses of feeling, life, and understanding. He invites, in the first place, the house of Israel in general, and then, severally, the house of Aaron, in the order of precedence, as being the priestly family ; then the house of Levi, as the Levites who attended the priests ; and, finally, ‘ all that fear the Lord;” that is, all the laity. Now, though the contrast drawn here between the worshippers of the true God and the worshippers of idols applies specially to the pagans, as distinguished from Christians, still it applies also to the avaricious; for avarice is a worship of idols, and to those whose god is their belly, and to all who, while they acknowledge that they know God, deny him by their acts, as contradistinguished from the pious, ‘‘ whose conversation ts in heaven.” For the former, like idols, do not see what is truly good or truly bad, though they have eyes, as it would appear; nor do they hear God’s voice, nor chant his praises, though they appear to have ears and a tongue: on the other hand, the truly pious, whose heart is in heaven, have eyes for the interior ; aud they see the ears of their heart erect, and they understand; their tongue free and unrestrained, ‘ to bless God at all times, and to have his praise always in their mouth.” See Psalm xiii.

21 “ Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem.”

He concludes by praying that out of Sion may come the blessing of the Lord, “ who dwelleth,” as in his seat of government, ‘in Jerusalem;” or, in other

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

words, that all the citizens of Sion and Jerusalem should never cease to bless God, whois a great king, and who selected Jerusalem as his seat of royalty ; all which is most applicable to the Church militant, but much more so to the Church triumphant, which, free from all trouble, and devoid of all care, has no one thing else to do “ but to be still, and see that the Lord is God.”

PSALM CXXXV. God is to be praised for his wonderful works.

1 Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Praise ye the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 Praise ye the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

5 Who made the heavens in understanding: for his mercy endureth for ever.

6 Who established the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

7 Who made the great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever.

8 The sun to rule the day: for his mercy endureth for ever.

9 The moon and the stars to rule the night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

10 Who smote Egypt with their first-born : for his mercy endureth for ever.

11 Who brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.

12 With a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13 Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his merey endureth for ever.

14 And brought out Israel through the midst thereof: for his merey endureth for ever:

15 And overthrew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

16 Who led his people through the desert: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17 Who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.

18 And slew strong kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.

19 Sehon king of the Amorrhites: for his mercy endureth for ever.

20 And Og king of Basan: for his mercy endureth for ever.

21 And he gave their land for an inheritance: for his mercy endureth for ever.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

92 For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endureth for ever.

23 For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endureth for ever.

24 And he redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

26 Give glory to the God of Heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

27 Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 ** Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy

endureth for ever.

2 ** Praise ye the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 ‘+ Praise ye the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

In these three first verses the Trinity is praised, by reason of its essence; and in the remaining verses, by reason of the works that have been wrought by it. In the first verse, we find that name consisting of four letters in the Hebrew, that belongs to God alone, and is never applied to any created being, the meaning of which is, that he exists, as God himself explained in Exodus, when he said, “ J am who am.” And since existence and perfection are convertible and synonymous terms, and every thing that exists of itself is perfect, and every thing that is supreme is supremely perfect ; perfection is, therefore, here united absolutely to one already absolute. “ Prazse the Lord.’ Render your tribute of praise to him who independently exists, “ for he ts good,” absolutely so; and he is not only absolutely good, but

_ his mercy endureth for ever and ever ;” for he that

is so essentially good has no mixture of evil or of misery in him; and he alone, therefore, can remove the miseries and misfortunes of others, and actually does remove them, and will for ever. Non-existence is a great misery; and while God upholds the existence of certain things for eternity, he is merciful to them for ever; and when he renders the holy Angels and men happy for eternity, he displays eternal mercy to them, not by removing the misery of unhappiness that.was, but which would have been, had he not conferred eternal happiness on them. Now, this first meed of praise may be applied to the Father, he being the source of existence, which he communicates to the Son by generation, and to the Holy Ghost by procession, in which the Son is united with him. The second tribute of praise is given to the Son, in the second verse, for he is called “ the God of gods.” Angels and men are called gods, but they are created gods; thus, in Psalm Ixxxi., “ J have said you are gods, and all of you the sons of the Most High;’ but the only-begotten Son of God is God of gods,

being the natural Son of God, while all others are only adopted sons, and, therefore, as much inferior to God the Son as any thing created is to its maker. And though the gods alluded to deserve the name to some extent, in respect of those beneath them, still, in respect of the only-begotten Son of God, they are mere creatures. Praise ye, therefore, the God of gods, that is to say, the only-begotten Son of God, through whose mercy you are allowed to share in the name. “ For his mercy endureth for ever.” For in union with the Father, he removes all miseries from his creatures. The third tribute of praise may be applied to the Holy Ghost. Lordship implies free will, and they who do as they please are called lords, while they who must needs submit to the will of another are called servants. Now, the liberty of the Holy Ghost is boundless, as we read, 2 Cor. iii., “ Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty ;” and in John iii., “ Zhe Spirit breatheth where he will;” and in 1 Cor. xii., ‘* But all these things, one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according us he will.” David, therefore, says, ‘‘ Praise ye the Lord of lords;” praise ye the Holy Ghost, the increate and omnipotent love, “for his mercy endureth for ever.”

4 “* Who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The expression, ‘‘ praise ye the Lord,” is to be prefixed to this verse, as well as to all the remaining verses of the Psalm. He now begins to praise God, by reason of his great and wonderful works; works that no one else could produce, such as the creation, for in other matters God has employed the Augels, and even other creatures. His mercy is praised especially in these works, because, as we have already stated, God did nothing from necessity, as if he needed creatures; all was done through his great and unspeakable mercy.

5 ‘* Who made the heavens in understanding: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The heavens, as all know, was God’s first work ; and be made them “‘72n wnderstanding,” that is to say, in or by his wisdom, ‘‘ for his mercy endureth jor ever ;” because it was his will to bring the heavens out of nothing, and at the same time to prepare an everlasting home for men and Angels.

6 ‘* Who established the earth above the waters : for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Another principal work of God was the earth. For, “in the beginning God made the heavens and the earth.” The heavens were made as a palace for immortals, the earth as a mansion for mortals, ‘The air and the water are intermediate elements for the use of man. Now, he says “ the earth was established above the water,” not that the water was below, in the bottom of the globe, but that the surface of the earth was, to a great extent, higher than the surface of the water, so as to enable man and other animals to live on its surface. Of the ecarth’s being

in the depths of the world David writes in another Psalm, cili., ‘Who hath founded the earth upon its own bases; tt shall not be moved for ever and ever.” The earth, therefore, so held the water in its caverns and depths as to lie beneath the water in some places, and to rise above it in others. here in three different ways—first, in regard of the earth, which he brought out of nothing ; secondly, in respect to the water, for which he provided a fixed and permanent place ; and, thirdly, in respect to man, on whom he bestowed the earth so denuded of water, and still sufficiently irrigated by it, as to render it habitable, fit for cultivation, and fruitful.

7 ‘* Who made the great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever.

8 ‘ The sun to rule the day: for his mercy endureth for ever.

9 “* The moon and the stars to rule the night : for his mercy endureth for ever.”

His third great and wonderful work was the creation of the sun, moon, and stars, that belong to both heaven and earth, inasmuch as they adorn the heavens and benefit the earth. He calls them “ great lights,” as, in fact, they are greater than we can well imagine, whereas the stars, that, by reason of their distance, seem so diminutive to us, are much larger than our globe. The sun is said to rule the day and the moon and stars the night, because they afford light both by day and by night to man, to follow his avocations, as is recorded in Genesis. Mention is made in Genesis of two great lights only, the sun and moon, because the two shed more light on the earth than all the stars together; still David calls even the stars great lights, because, in fact, they are ; and, if we believe astronomers, even larger than the moon.

10 “ Who smote Egypt with their first-born : for his mercy endureth for ever,

11 “‘ Who brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.

12 “ With a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13 “ Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever.

14 “ And brought out Israel through the midst thereof: for his mercy endureth for ever :

15 “And overthrew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

16 ‘* Who led his people through the desert: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17 “* Who smote great kings : for his mercy endureth Sor ever.

18 “ And slew strong kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.

19 “ Sehon king of the Amorvhites : for his mercy endureth for ever.

20 “ And Og king of Basan ; for his mercy endureth Sor ever.

21 “And he gave their land for an inheritance : for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 “ For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

~ God is praised in these verses for his works of

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

Providence, all of which are recorded in Exodus and in the previous Psalm. Question may be raised, though, how such acts as the destruction of the Egyptians, the slaying of the first-born, and of the kings, can be called ‘‘ works of mercy?” when they appear to be acts of justice rather than of mercy. They were, certainly, acts of justice, in regard of the wicked, who were stricken and slain ; but in respect to God’s people, they were acts of mercy; and, as the delivery of the people was the principal object intended by God, all those acts are in consequence attributed to his mercy. God sometimes shews his mercy even to the wicked, by shortening their time in this world, thus preventing them of an accumulation of sin, and the treasuring up, in consequence, of a greater amount of punishment “ on the day of anger and the just judgment of God.”

23 ‘ For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endureth for ever.

24 ‘* And he redeemed us from our enemies : for his mercy endureth for ever.”

These verses may refer to the delivery of the Jews from the slavery of Pharao, the Philistines, and Nabuchodonosor ; as also to the delivery of the Church from the persecutions of tyrants and heretics; and, finally, with the greatest propriety, to the delivery of the elect from the captivity of the devil, and all the dangers of this world.

25 ‘* Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The prophet now includes those who suffer no persecution, for fear they may imagine they were exempt from the obligation of praising the Lord. He, therefore, says, “‘ Praise the Lord” every one of you, without exception, because it is he who supports and preserves every living creature, especially man, and that because ‘his mercy endureth for ever.”

26 ‘* Give glory to the God of heaven : for his mercy endureth for ever.

27 ‘* Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

He concludes by repeating the two last verses of the first three, for by the ‘‘ God of heaven” he evidently intends the “ God of gods,” for he is called the God of heaven, as being the only true God, as Psalm xey. has it, “ Mor all the gods of the gentiles are devils, but the Lord made the heavens,;’’ and as also because, seated as he is in the highest heavens, as on his throne, he proves from this fact that he is the God of gods.

PSALM OCXXXVI. The lamentation of the people of God in their captivity in Babylon. 1 Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion: 2 On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

3 For there they that led us into captivity, required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye tousa hymn of the songs of Sion.

_ 4 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.

6 Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: if I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.

7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem. Who say: Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof.

8 O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us.

9 Blessed he that shall take and dash thy

little ones against the rock.

1 “* Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept : when we remembered Sion :”

Such was the language of the captives who were brought away from Jerusalem to Babylon, and who were not detained in the city, but were employed in various laborious tasks through the country, along the banks of the rivers, in which the province abounded, on which they would seat themselves betimes, and burst into tears, at the recollection of, and through longing for their country. When he says, “ The rivers of Babylon,” we are not to understand that all these rivers ran through the city; for it is well known that the Euphrates was the only river that ran through it, and the expression, therefore, includes the country about Babylon ; or, perhaps, by Babylon, he means the province of that name, as Samaria, the city, gave its name to the country about it. In a spiritual sense, such is the language of God’s elect, who are held here below in aptivity, are inwardly detached from the world, and know themselves to be citizens of the Jerusalem above, for such holy exiles sit on the banks of the rivers, instead of being hurried away by their waters, and rolled along to the sea. The rivers of Babylon mean the temporal things of this world; and when

one gets attached to them by his desires, such as the -

avaricious, the ambitious, the voluptuary, they are carried away by the rapids, and hurled headlong into the sea, into the great abyss, to be punished there for eternity. Here, then, is the position of the citizens of the country above, and the first distinctive mark to tell any one to which people he belongs, for they who are in a high position in this world, and still have their hearts in heaven, and long for the things of this world, these are they who belong to Jerusalem, and not to Babylon. Again: the aforesaid “ fellow-

citizens with the saints” “ sit on the banks of the rivers,” on a very low spot ; they seek not an elevated one, they have no desire for place or power, they pride themselves not on their wisdom; and should they chance to be raised to rule over a Babylon, as was the case with David, and many Christian kings, however high their position may be, their ideas do not go up with it, nor do they look upon their elevation as an honour, but as a burden, under which to groan; and, instead of glorying in it, as far as they are personally concerned, they will seek to sit in the lowest place, if they have the true spirit of him ‘‘ who was meek and humble of heart.” Thirdly, they will not only seat themselves lowly down, but they will lament and deplore, not the loss of the things of this world, but their own captivity, when they bring their sweetest country to their recollection, that of mount Sion. They who forget it fraternize with the children of Babylon; but they who long for it, and whose longings cause them to remember their country, however prosperous they may be, they dont feel satisfied, but still sigh for their country, and the severest test we can apply to ourselves, as to whether we belong to Babylon or to Jerusalem, is to reflect on what pleases us, or what delights us, for “ where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.”

2 ‘* On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.”

The Jews, in their captivity, hung up their musicalinstruments “on the willows in the midst thereof” of Babylon, that all its inhabitants may see how they threw away those instruments of joy, in order to shew that they were more inclined to weep than to sing. Pious souls are fond of doing the same; for when they come to understand fully their exile and banishment, they say with the same prophet, ‘ My soul refused to be comforted ; I remembered God and was delighted ;” for though the citizens of the celestial Jerusalem cannot rejoice and sing with the Babylonians, nor of their success and prosperity, still they sing, in their hearts, to God, and rejoice in the hope of future happiness. “We hung up our instruments” means the consigning those instruments of joy and pleasure to the votaries thereof, who, like so many unproductive trees, are daily watered by the rivers of Babylon, and produce no fruit. Let such people for whom eternal wailing is in store hereafter, strike the harp, and burst forth in song here.

3 “ For there they that led us into captivity, required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said : Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Ston.”

The captive Jews hung up their harps on the branches of the trees, not only through grief and sadness, but also that they may not oblige the Babylonians, who were anxious to hear and to mock the sacred hymns they were wont to sing on their holy festivals. St. John Chrysostom observes the improvement such tribulation effected in the Jews, who

previously derided, nay, even put to death, some of the prophets ; but now that they were captives in a foreign land, they would not attempt to expose their sacred hymns to the ridicule of the gentiles.

4 “ How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land 2”

Such was their answer when asked, “ Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.” They say that such is their longing and grief for their country, that they cannot possibly sing while so removed from it, fearing to give offence to their masters, by telling them the principal reason, which was, for fear of their sacred hymns being turned into ridicule. In a spiritual view, holy souls, citizens of the Jerusalem above, feeling that rejoicing is suited to their country, and lamentation to their exile and captivity, exclaim, How can we sing amidst so many dangers and temp~ tations! “* Laughter I counted error; and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly decewed?” They, too, sing the song of the Lord in a strange land, who sing sacred hymns and chants in such a manner as to please the ear, seeking only to catch it by various inflections and variations, never considering that sacred music was intended to raise the soul to God rapher than please the senses. There are to be found too, some who will bring the songs of Babylon into the house of God and into holy Sion, who so adapt sacred words to profane tunes as to cause the audience to attend exclusively to the air, and overlook the meaning of such hymns.

5 “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.

6 “* Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: if I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.”

They who said, * How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?” the whole people, as if they formed only one person, are introduced, swearing unanimously, and resolving firmly, that they will never forget their country ; and, as the striking the harp or chanting of ahymn, may be construed into a sign of their forgetting their country, they pray to God with a solemn imprecation, that the hand that strikes the harp may wither, and thetonguethat sings the song may be paralyzed. ‘ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,” as I certainly will, when I strike the harp in a foreign land, “let my right hand be forgotten.” May it rot and perish, and be of no use, in which case it will be forgotten. “* Let my tongue cleave to my jaws,” so that it will not be able to move, if I not only forget thee, but if I do not even go further, and “ make Jerusalem the beginning of my joy,” make the holy city of Jerusalem the beginning and the sum total of my joy. Such, in fact, is the peculiarity and the distinguishing mark of the elect, if they neither in prosperity nor adversity lose sight of their future country, and would hesitate in losing hand or tongue, should God’s glory, and their own eternal salvation require it, and if they take no real pleasure in anything but

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

in longing and hoping for that celestial home that is not made by the hand of man, where is to be found that joy of which the Lord speaks in the Gospel, when he says, “ L’nter into the joy of thy Lord.”

7 ‘ Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem. Who say: Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof.

8 ‘0 daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thow hast paid us.

9 ‘ Bressed he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.”

In the end of the Psalm, David predicts the destruction of the children of Edom, and the Babylonians who thus persecuted the children of Israel. The Babylonians, under king Nabnchodonosor, sacked Jerusalem, and brought its inhabitants away captives to Babylon. The Idumeans, the descendants of Esau, who was also called Edom, had encouraged them to it; that is clearly related by Abdias the prophet, and David prophesies it here long before it happened 5 and David therefore takes up the Idumeans first, either because they were the originators of so much misery to the Jews, or because he chose to take up first those who hal been guilty of the lesser injury. ‘ Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem,” in the days when Jerusalem was sacked and demolished, and he then tells what they did. “Who say: Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof,” for such was their language to the Babylonians when they were marching against it. When he says, ‘‘ remember,” it means remember to punish, as God is said to forget when he forgives; thus, in Ezechiel, “ J will not remember all his iniquities which he hath done;” and in Tobias, “ Neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents.” He then turns to Babylon, and by way of imprecation, foretells its destruction, ‘ O daughter of Babylon, miserable” as I foresee you will be, however happy you may seem to be now. ‘‘Blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us,” blessed will be the king of the Medes and Persians, for he will succeed in conquering you, and will inflict all the hardships on you, that you have inflicted on us, as eventually happened. And he further prophesies that such will be the cruelty of the Medes and Persians, that they ‘‘ wed take and dash thy little ones against the rock,” and thus shew them not the slightest mercy. All this has a spiritual meaning. First, in an allegorical sense, looking upon the Idumeans as the Jews, and the Babylonians as the pagans ; for, in point of fact, it was the pagans that principally sought to tear up the Church of Christ from its very foundations, and that on the suggestion, counsel, and exhortation of the Jews ; for it was upon the charges made by the Jews, that the pagans passed sentence of death on Christ. Herod pat St. James to death, and bound St. Peter with chains, “ seeing it was agreeable to the

COMMENTARY ON

Jews;” and the same Jews did all in them lay to get the Romans to put St. Paul to death. In various other places, and at various other times, the same Jews “stirred up and incensed the minds of the gentiles against the brethren,” as we read in the Acts; but God “remembered” both Jews and gentiles, to punish the one and the other. He razed their chief city, upset their kingdom, and scattered themselves all over the world ; and he so swept away the pagan empire and kingdoms, who then held the whole world in sway, as not to leave scarce a pagan power now in existence. And, as idolatry and pagan rule have been supplanted, not by violence or force of arms, but by the preaching of God’s word, the prophet addresses God, saying, ‘‘ Blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us,” for the pagans most unsuccessfully persecuted the Christians, who, in return, most successfully persecuted them. It would have been of the highest advantage to them, if, on the extinction of idolatry, they had died to sin and began to live to justice, as occurred to their children, who had not been so deeply rooted in the errors and vices of paganism. For it is a well known fact, that an immense number of the youth and other simple-minded persons were easily converted to the Christian religion, and held out even unto death for it against the idolatry of their fathers, allusion to which is made in the words, ‘‘ Blessed he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock ;” that is to say, who shall bring the little ones to the rock, Christ, to get a fortunate dash against it, and die the death of the old man, to rise a new man. Secondly, to take this passage in a moral point of view, we may look upon the Idumeans as representing the carnal, and the Babylonians as the evil spirits, and itis more in the spirit of the Psalm; for, as we set out with it, the captivity of Babylon was a type of the captivity of mankind, a captivity still to some extent in existence, and will, ‘‘as long as the Jlesh lusteth against the spirit,” and the elect exclaim, “* Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” and the Apostle says, “ Hven we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body ;” and, finally, we are but “ pilgrims and strangers” in a foreign land ; and though not belonging to it, we are in the midst of a wretched world. God, then, will repay to Babylon what Babylon imposed upon us; for, as the evil spirit, the king of Babylon, bound us with a chain that still hangs on the neck of all the children of Adam, so, on the day of judgment, will Christ, the King of Jerusalem, lead the evil spirit captive, and will so tie him down with the chains of eternal punishment, that he will never rise again to do any harm; of which St. Jude speaks when he says, “ And the Angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.” And it is not only the devil that Christ will tie down in everlasting chains, he will also bind down the

worldlings, who persecuted the pious, and kept them in captivity ; for the Angels will bind them up ‘zn bundles to be burned.” And, as the same king of Babylon makes the little ones of Christ, they who have not grown up nor advanced in Christ, and always need milk, the principal objects of his snares, in order to bring them away captives; so, on the contrary, blessed is he, who, by a happy dash on the rock, kills sin, those who have not been too deeply stained with it, that they may live to justice.

PSALM CXXXVII. Thanksgiving to God for his bene/its.

1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my. mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the Angels:

2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name: For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

3 In what day soever I shall call upon thee nee me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.

4 May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

5 And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

6 For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.

7 If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.

8 The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the works of thy hands.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 “ T will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart : for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the Angels:

2 “I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name: for thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.”

The prophet commences by promising a sacricrifice of praise, and that with his whole heart, inasmuch as he was about to return thanks for his own everlasting, and that of the whole people’s, salvation. “* T will praise thee, O Lord;” I will give you a tribute of praise and thanksgiving; no lip one; but from the deepest recesses of my heart; quite alive to it, with my affections engaged on it; ‘for thou hast heard the words of my mouth ;” in other words, the

prayer I put before you. “ [will sing praise to thee in the sight of thy Angels.” He declares that his praise will be commensurate to the dignity of the audience. As he is to sing before the Angels who attend on the Almighty, he will be more careful of what he will sing, as he knows before whom he has to sing. Undoubtedly, if we, when we recite the same Psalms, would consider or reflect that we are seen and heard by the holy Angels, who praise our attention and devotion, or who note our carelessness and our distractions, we would recite them much better than we usually get through them. “ J will worship towards thy holy temple,” in thy material temple, while singing to your name; I will turn in spirit to your temple aloft, and, fixed therein by prayer and contemplation, “TI will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy and Jor thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.” Here will be the subject of my song. I will praise you with my whole heart, for your great mercy, and your truth in adhering to what you promised our fathers, by virtue of which you took pity on the human race, and thus magnified Christ, who is your holy word and name, inasmuch as you gave him a name that is above every name. For, by such an act you shewed your unspeakable mercy— mercy we should never cease to land—when you exalted mankind, that had been degraded even to hell by sin, above all the heavens and all created things, through Christ, and you thus more than carried out the truth that always marks your promise.

3 “In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.”

From the fact of your having so magnified thy holy name, I ask you to hear me whenever I shall put my wants before you; for your Holy One has said, ** Whatever you ask of the Father in my name he will give you.” —** Thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.” What I earnestly beg of you is to multiply, which means to increase, not the number of my years, nor my wealth, nor my children, nor anything else of the sort; “but ‘ strength in my soul,” so as to enable me to resist my evil desires, to bear all crosses with patience,’ to tread in the path of justice without fatigue, to offer violence to the kingdom of heaven, that thus I may ultimately come to him, ‘ whom thou hast magnified.”

4 “ May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.”

As he said previously, “ Thou hast magnified thy holy name above all,” making use of the past, instead of the future tense, inasmuch as, by the spirit of prophecy, he looked at the future as if it were actually gone by, so he now predicts the conversion of the gentiles, in the imperative mood. Your Holy One having been magnified by his resurrection and ascension, may all the kings of the earth, (as they will,) ‘‘gcve glory to thee; because, through the preaching of the Apostles, “ they have heard all the words of thy mouth ;” that is, all you chose to reveal

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

to the world through the prophets and Apostles, words which were at first confined to Judea; ‘‘ because the words of God were committed to them,” but were afterwards heard by all the kings and people of the world, through the Apostles ; ‘*‘ for their sound went all over the earth.”

5 ‘+ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.”

He goes on with the explanation of the mystery of the calling of the gentiles, “ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord;” that is, the kings and people aforesaid will tread in the ways of the Lord, which are mercy and truth; for it is by them that God comes down to man, and man gets up to God; his mercy being exercised by mercifully forgiving the penitent, and justly punishing the impenitent; and our mercy being exercised by freely forgiving those who injure us, by dealing justly with all, and by giving to God and the neighbour what we owe to both. Such people will set about their work in no lazy, grudging manner, but in joy and good spirits; for they will sing, ‘‘ great is the glory of the Lord.” For they will every other day have a better knowledge of, and will more admire the great tkings God will have accomplished, and how wonderfully he will have glorified his Christ, who is our head, and the extent of the riches of the glory of the inheritance to the saints.

6 ‘* For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low : and the high he, knoweth afar off.” <

The great glory of the Lord consists in this, that high as he is, nay, even the very highest, by reason of his nature, dignity, power, wisdom, and authority ; still, “‘ he looketh.on the low,” for he came down from heaven to them, for “he was seen upon earth, and conversed with men;” “and the high he knoweth afar off,’ because he draws far away from the proud, or casts them far away from him as he cast the devil, the prince of the proud, from heaven into hell. This doctrine of holy humility is most necessary to all, especially to all in any responsible position, for such people run a great risk of being carried away by their pride. But why does God, the High One, love the lowly instead of the high, whereas all love what is similar to themselves? God loves those who are truly raised on high, and not those who place themselves on a false elevation ; for the former are very like, the latter most unlike him. And thus, the humble, conscious that they have nothing from themselves, are replenished with all manner of good, and are raised by God to the highest dignity; while the proud, ‘‘ who thought they were something when they were nothing,” remain empty, and being filled and distended with vanity alone, are utterly discarded.

7 “IfT shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou

wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand

against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.”

As God, who is on high, regards the low with the

greatest kindness, David, fully cognizant of his own low position, confidently promises himself God’s assistance in every trouble. ‘ Jf J shall walk in the midst of tribulation,” so as to be surrounded on all sides by it, still “‘ thow welt quicken me ;” you will preserve me alive, unhurt, unharmed. ‘ And thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies ;” when my enemies surrounded me, and thought to devour me, you interposed and protected me, ‘‘ and thy right hand hath saved me;” your strength and power, Christ, hath saved me.

8 ‘* The Lord will repay for me : thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the works of thy hands.”

He explains how God’s “ right hand saves us,” because “the Lord,” who is your right hand, “ wild repay for me;” will satisfy you, the Father, for my sins; as he says in another place, “ then did I pay that which I took not away ;” he will also repay my enemies, as I am not able to repay them by punishing them. ‘‘ Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever ;” has no end, and, therefore, I ask you, “ do not despise the work of thy hands.” Don’t give up the work you have commenced in your mercy, through the inspiration of faith, hope, and charity, but complete it by preserving, by increasing, by perfecting it. With great propriety he says, “‘ the works of thy hands,” not of our hands, because whatever good we have we have it from God’s bounty, without whom we are not only unable to do anything, but even ‘‘ we are not sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves.” 2 Cor. iii. 5.