us, and to receive us in the parental arms of everlasting love.

14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.' 15. As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he florisheth.' 16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.'

The consideration of man's frail and perishable estate weighs with the Almighty, and prevails on him to spare his creature. And doth not the tear of compassion start in the eye of him, who reads the description which David hath given of it in these verses? Man,' fallen, mortal man his days are as grass;' like that he cometh out of the earth, and continueth but a short time on it; 'as a flower of the field,' fair but transient, so he' unfoldeth his beauty in youth, and 'florisheth' a while in the vigor of manhood; but, lo, in a moment, the breath of heaven's displeasure, as a blighting wind passeth over him, and he is gone;' he boweth his drooping head, and mingleth again with his native dust; his friends and his companions look for him at the accustomed sport, which he once adorned-but in vain-the earth has opened her mouth to receive him, and his place shall know him no more.'

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17. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him; and his righteousness unto children's children:' 18. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.'

Let not man presume, who withereth like the green herb; but then, let not man despair, whose nature, with all its infirmities, the Son of God hath taken on him. The flower which faded in Adam, blooms anew in Christ, never to fade again. The mercy of Jehovah,' in his Messiah, is everlasting;' and of that everlasting mercy, poor frail man is the object. It extendeth to all the generations of the faithful servants of God. Death shall not deprive them of its benefits, nor shall the grave hide them from the efficacious influence of its all-enlivening beams, which shall pierce even into those regions of desolation, and awaken the sleepers of six thousand

years. Man must pay to justice the temporal penalty of his sins; but mercy shall raise him again to receive the eternal reward, purchased by his Saviour's righteousness. A passage in the First Epistle of St. Peter doth most admirably illustrate this part of our Psalm: 'We are born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the WORD of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the wORD of the LORD endureth for ever. And this is the WORD which by the Gospel is preached unto you.' 1 Pet. i. 23, &c.

19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.'

The glorious Person who worketh all these wonders of mercy for his people, the wORD of God, and Saviour of the world, is triumphantly seated on his throne in heaven,' and is possessed of all power to accomplish his will, even until all things shall be subdued unto him. The glories of his throne, the brightness of his excellent majesty, and the might of his irresistible power, are described at large by St. John, Rev. iv. v. xix.

20. 'Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.' 21. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.' 22. Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.'

Joy is observed to be of a diffusive and communicative nature. The heart of the Psalmist is full and overfloweth with it. Unable worthily to praise Jehovah for his mercies vouchsafed to the church, he inviteth heaven and earth to join with him, and to celebrate in full chorus, the redemption of man. St. John saw the throne of Messiah prepared; he beheld the universal band assembled; and he heard when all the angels round about the throne, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, with every creature in heaven, earth, and sea,' lifted up their voices, and sang together, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.'

TWENTIETH DAY.-EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM CIV.

ARGUMENT.

[This is an eucharistic hymn, full of majesty and sweetness, addressed to Jehovah, as Creator of the world. It setteth forth his glory, wisdom, goodness, and power, displayed, 1-9. in the formation of the heavens and earth; 10-18. in the various provision made for beasts, and birds, and for man, the lord of all; 19-24. in the revolutions of the celestial bodies, and the consequent interchanges of day and night, of labor and rest; 25, 26. in the sea, and every thing that moveth in or on the waters. 27-30. The dependence of the whole creation on God for its being and well being, is beautifully represented, with, 31, 32. the glory which the Creator receiveth from his works, the pleasure which he taketh in them, and the power which he hath over them. 33. The Psalmist declareth his resolution ever to praise Jehovah, and, 34. predicteth the destruction of those who refuse or neglect so to do. As there is a similitude between the natural and the spiritual creation, allusions of that sort are frequently made in the ensuing comment, which may, perhaps, point out the reason why the church hath appointed this Psalm to be used on Whit-sunday.]

1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: O LORD my God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with honor and majesty; Heb. with glory and beauty. 2. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain,' i. e. of a tent, or pavilion.

The Scriptures inform us, that the same Person who redeemed the world, did also create it. In the 102d Psalm, as we are assured by St. Paul, to the Son it is said, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands.' To him, therefore, as Creator, is the 104th Psalm likewise addressed. He is described as invested with 'the glory which he had with the Father before the world was; a glimpse of which he vouchsafed to the three dis

ciples, who were present at his transfiguration, when his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.' The first instance of his creating power is afforded us by the heavens' which form a magnificent canopy,' or 'pavilion,' comprehending within the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof. It is enlightened by the celestial orbs suspended in it, as the holy tabernacle was, by the lamps of the golden candlestick, and it was originally framed, erected, and furnished by its Maker, with more ease than man can construct and pitch a' tent' for his own temporary abode. Yet must this noble pavilion also be taken down; these resplendent and beautiful heavens must pass away, and come to an end. How glorious then shall be those 'new heavens,' which are to succeed them, and to endure for ever!

3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind.'

The divine Architect is here represented as 'laying the beams of his chambers,' as compacting his lofts or stories, in the waters.' Some think the formation of the terrestrial strata in the waters, which at the beginning covered all things, is here alluded to. If it be objected, that the Psalmist, in the course of his description, is not yet arrived at the formation of the earth, but is still in the upper regions of the air: may we not suppose that the subject is, in this particular, a little anticipated, which is no uncommon case in the sacred writings? The generality of expositors, however, interpret the passage of those dark waters, compacted into thick clouds of the skies,' which the Almighty is elsewhere said to make the secret place or chamber' of his residence, and a kind of footstool' to his throne. Ps. xviii. 9. 11. thus, indeed, the former part of our verse is plainly and immediately connected with what follows: who maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.' How astonishingly magnificent and tremendous is the idea which these words convey to us, of the great King riding on the heavens, encompassed with clouds and darkness, attended by the lightnings, those ready executioners of his vengeance, and causing the

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And

world to resound and tremble at the thunder of his power, and the noise of his chariot wheels! By these ensigns of royalty, these emblems of omnipotence, and instruments of his displeasure, doth Jehovah manifest his presence, when he visiteth rebellious man, to make him own and adore his neglected and insulted Lord. See and compare Ps. xviii. 10. and the context.

4. Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.'

From the manner in which these words are introduced, and the place where they stand, one should conceive the meaning of them to be, that God employeth the elements of air and fire, the winds, nm, and the lightnings, as his messengers, vɔ, and ministers, to execute his commands on the earth. But the apostle, Heb. i. 7. informeth us, that they have a further reference to immaterial angels; either because those angels often appeared in the likeness, or because they were endued with the properties, of wind and flame.' Intellectual beings of the highest order in the realms above, are as ready to fulfil the word of Jehovah, as are the elements of this lower world. Both teach a lesson of obedience to the sons of men; to those of them more especially, who are appointed angels' of the churches, and 'ministers' of Christ.

5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.'

In the original it is, 'Who hath founded the earth upon its bases.' The formation of this globe on which we tread, is a wonderful instance of divine wisdom and power, whether we consider the manner in which the parts of it are put and kept together, or its suspension in the circumambient fluid, which, as some philosophers suppose, by pressing on it on every side, forms so many columns, as it were, to support, and keep it balanced. The words, that it should not be removed for ever,' do by no means imply that the earth is stationary, or that it is eternal; but only thus much, that it is so constructed, as to answer the end, and to last the time

In the French translation it is—'Who maketh the winds his angels, the flaming fire his ministers.'