and the house of his heavenly Father. The hour is coming, when God shall heal the breaches which death has made in the bodies of his people, and translate them likewise from Babylon to Jerusalem. 4. He telleth the number of the stars: he calleth them all by their names.

And he who does this, cannot be ignorant of the situation and circumstances of his elect. He knoweth each individual, and numbereth all the atoms which go to the composition of his frame. He can call his saints from the depths of earth and sea,

by their names," as when once "he cried with a "loud voice, Lazarus, come forth;" and he can fix them in radiant circles round his throne in the kingdom of glory, vying, for multitude, as well as splendour, with those bright orbs which glitter by night in the spangled firmament of heaven; so that what Baruch saith of the stars, may well be applied to the seed of Abraham, of whom it was foretold, that they should equal the stars in number, Gen. xv. 5. "The stars shine in their watches, and rejoice; when he calleth them, they say, Here we be; and so with cheerfulness they show light unto "him that made them." Baruch iii, 34.

5. Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite: Heb. of his understanding there is no number, or, computation; DDD 1'8.

This is a proper conclusion drawn from the former part of the Psalm, and especially from the preceding The greatness of God's power, which overcometh all difficulties to effect the salvation of his people, is not to be grasped by the human mind;

verse.

and that wisdom which numbers the stars of heaven, and the sand of the sea, and the generations of the sons of Abraham, can itself be subject to the rules of no arithmetic.

6. The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

To exalt and reward the humble, penitent, believing, and obedient; to depress and punish the proud, impenitent, unbelieving, and disobedient; these are the measures and ends of all the divine dispensations. And as a man ranks himself in one or other of these two divisions, he may expect from heaven storm or sunshine, mercy or judgement.

7. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God. 8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

The faithful praise God for his goodness to the animal world, both on account of that goodness in itself, and also because they behold therein an emblem and assurance of his mercy to themselves. The watchful care of Providence over all creatures, speaks the same language to us, which Jehovah made use of to Joshua, and which the apostle hath applied to Christians: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake "thee:" Josh. i. 5. Heb. xiii. 5. He who, by sending rain on the mountains, which could not otherwise be watered, provideth food for the wild beasts inhabiting those mountains, will never leave the lambs of his flock destitute. And he who feedeth the young

of the unclean raven, when they cry, and, as it were, in their way, call upon him for a supply of their wants, will he, in the day of dearth and calamity, forsake the meek and harmless dove, that mourneth continually in prayer before him? The desponding servant of God need only therefore put to himself the question which we find asked by the Creator, in the book of Job, chap. xxxviii. 41.: "Who provideth " for the raven his food? When his young ones cry "unto God, they wander for lack of meat;" they wander and find it. Our Lord pressed this argument on his disciples; Luke xii. 24. "Consider "the ravens ;" Matt. vi. 26. Behold the fowls of "the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap,

nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father "feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

Behold, and look away your low despair;
See the light tenants of the barren air:

To them, nor stores, nor granaries belong,

Nought but the woodland, and the pleasing song;
Yet, your kind heav'nly Father bends his eye
On the least wing that flits along the sky.
To him they sing, when spring renews the plain,
To him they cry, in winter's pinching reign ;
Nor is their music, nor their plaint, in vain ;
He hears the gay, and the distressful call,
And with unsparing bounty fills them all.
Will he not care for you, ye faithless, say?
Is he unwise? Or, are ye less than they?

THOMSON.

10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse : he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

11.

The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

If, therefore, the inference deduced above be a just one, namely, that God, who takes care of the wild beasts, and the birds of the air, will support and defend his church; then, however weak she may be, and however strong her adversaries may be, yet she may rest secure, as having him on her side, to whom it is equal, to save by many, or by few; who giveth not the victory to the pomp and pride of carnal strength, to thousands or ten thousands, but to "those who fear him, and hope in his mercy." The history of Israel is one continual exemplification of this truth; and, in our spiritual warfare, "this is "the victory which overcometh the world, even our "FAITH." 1 John v. 4.

12. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. 13. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. 14. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

The church, like Jerusalem of old, erected and preserved by the wisdom, and power, and goodness, of God, is exhorted to praise him for all the benefits and blessings vouchsafed unto her; for the increase of her children within her;" for the "peace" which she at any time enjoyeth" in her borders," while she is here below; for the plentiful provision made by her pastors, to satisfy the needs of those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness ;" and for the protection of the Almighty, "strengthening

"the bars of her gates," and securing to her the possession of all these comforts; which, in the heavenly Jerusalem, shall be rendered perfect and indefeasible for evermore.

15. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth his word runneth very swiftly. 16. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes. 17. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 18. He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

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The wonders of nature represent to us the miracles of grace; and the change of seasons produceth not greater alterations in the world, than those which take place in the church, when her God hideth from her, or restoreth to her, the light of his countenance, which, like its emblem, the bright ruler in the heavens, at its departure leaves winter behind it; and brings the spring with it at its return. "The sun,” says bishop Sherlock, "is the great spirit of the world, in the light of which all things are made to rejoice; perpetual spring attends his course; all things revive at his approach, and put on a new "face of youth and beauty; winter and frost lag "behind him; nature grows deformed, and sickens "at his departure." Discourses, vol. v. What the sun is to the world, the same is Christ to the church. When the heart of man turns away from him, and deprives itself of his gracious illumination; when ignorance succeeds to knowledge, that is, darkness to light; when faith fails, and all its fair pro