Who art our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. IV. Meditations for the Night. The Angels of Heaven "rest not day and night, crying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts." And if thou desirest to serve God upon earth, according to the pattern of His worship in Heaven; then let not thy sensual inclinations to sleep and ease, defraud thee of the happiness to join in the night, as well as in the day, with the celestial choir, in the praises of God. For if this be done cordially, cheerfully, and constantly in this life, there will be no question of being admitted into that blessed society, to glorify God in a higher degree of perfection and joy in Heaven. PSALM VIII. Which is believed to be divinely composed, for the praise of God in the night; because therein is mention of the moon and of the stars, and not of the sun. Ver. 1. “O Lord our Governor," the Lord is governor of all men, and of all things, by His power and providence; but especially of His Church and people, by His righteousness and truth; "how excellent is Thy Name in all the world?" the glory of God's Name is celebrated in all the parts of the world, more especially in the Heaven above. "Thou hast set Thy glory above the heavens." And yet it is far above what those most intelligent beings, the Angels of Heaven, are capable to behold, or conceive, whose apprehensions are finite, but His Glory is infinite. 2. "Out of the mouths of very babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength, because of Thine enemies that Thou might- | est still the enemy and the avenger." The most imperfect beings have in them strength of argument sufficient to maintain both the providence of God over all, and the dispensation of grace and salvation through Jesus Christ, against the most bitter enemies of either witness the cry of little children, Matt. xxi. 16, and the conversion of the world by illiterate fisher men. 3. "For I will consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers: the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained." To consider the excellent workmanship, influences, and revolutions of the heavens, and all the hosts thereof ordained for the service of man, and the highest heaven also for His everlasting abode, enwraps the devout soul with admiration of the love of God to man. 4. "What is man, that Thou art so mindful of him : and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" Especially that frail sinful man should be so regarded by the great Lord of Heaven, as to be visited by Him in the likeness of human flesh. 5. "Thou madest him lower than the Angels: to crown him with glory and worship." Though man be lower than the Angels above, yet is he adorned with eminence above all earthly things, and exacts subjection and obedience from them. 6. "Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.' God having given him power over all sublunary creatures, and made them to submit to his command and service. 7. "All sheep and oxen: yea, and the beasts of the field; 8. "The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea: and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas. Even all the inha bitants of the air, and of the sea, and of the dry land. 9. "O Lord, our Governor, how excellent is Thy Name in all the world!" And therefore with Angels and Archangels, and all the company of Heaven and earth, I will magnify God's Holy Name, and praise Him, saying, Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. V. Meditations for the Night. How aptly doth the darkness of the night represent the gloomy shades of death; wherein all those lightsome consolations which this vain world affords, are buried in the grave of dark oblivion! That is "the land where all things are forgotten." "The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not any thing," and sleep is the image, the brother of death; in many respects they resemble each other; for, 1. In both thou art blind, deaf, dumb; only death is a longer and more perfect privation of sense. 2. "In both thou art at • Psalm 1xxxviii. 12. rest from thy labours, and thy works follow thee;" being often represented to thy fancy by way of dream ; but more fully and clearly to thy conscience, when thou shalt awake to judgment. 3. Both are temporary: for as thou dost daily awake from thy natural sleep, and arise from thy bed, upon the approach of the day; so certainly shalt thou awake from the sleep of death, and be raised out of thy bed of clay (the grave) when the day of the Lord shall come : and "since that day will come as a thief in the night," "let mine eyes prevent the night watches (O Lord), that I may be occupied in Thy words "." а 4. As sleep is the brother of death, so death is the sister of sin; and this also, in holy writ, is called " sleep ;" 66 Awake thou that sleepest," &c., "Awake to righteousness, and sin noti.” It is fabled, that Somnus tempting Palinurus, when he fell asleep, tumbled him into the sea, and drowned him: and if the sleep of death find thee securely sleeping in any known sin, unrepented; he that hath the power of death, will d Eccl. ix. 5. • Rev. xiv. 13. f 2 Pet. iii. 10, i1 Cor. xy. 31. A Eph. v. 14. E hurl thee headlong into the bottomless abyss of death eternal. “O lighten mine eyes," O Lord, "that I sleep not in death: lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him." "Grant me, blessed Lord, so to order, govern and end my life, that death may seize me but as a sleep; and this sleep may be in rest, this rest in security, and security in eternity. Amen1." Psalms for the Night season. PSALM XCII. Ver. 1. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O most Highest." To praise the Lord, is good in both the kinds of goodness, viz. of profit and pleasure. : 2. "To tell of Thy lovingkindness early in the morning and of Thy truth in the night-season." In the morning which represents the rising prosperity of man, it is good to give thanks for the loving-kindness of the Lord, and in the night of adversity also to praise Him for His truth and righteousness, at all times, and in all conditions. 3. "Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp." To employ both our hearts and voices as the loud instruments of His praise. Psalm xiii. 3, 4. 4. "For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad, through Thy works and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operation of Thy hands." The works of God do then truly delight the souls of the righteous, when in them they both see the goodness, wisdom, &c. of the Lord, and praise His Name that made them. 5. "O Lord, how glorious are Thy works! Thy thoughts are very deep." The pious soul is ravished with love and admiration in contemplation of God's works, as excelling in glory and depth of wisdom her frail capacity. 6. "An unwise man doth not well consider this: and a fool doth not understand it." And it is the extremest of folly, not to consider the superexcellency of the Divine Wisdom, in His 1 Aug. Med. works to see, and love Him in them, and for them. 7. "When the ungodly are green as the grass, and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish: then shall they be destroyed for ever; but Thou, Lord, art the most Highest for evermore." The wicked that do not do this, though they may flourish for a time, yet their punishment, proceeding from the decree of the Most High God, shall be everlasting. 8. "For lo, Thine enemies, O Lord, lo, Thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed." And unavoidable, because all wicked persons are the enemies of God. 9. "But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn: for I am anointed with fresh oil." But the strength and vigour of the righteous shall increase through the unction of the Holy One, or the graces of God's Spirit. 10. "Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies: and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that rise up against me." Whereby all the sinful lusts of the flesh are mastered, and all the assaults of ghostly enemies are subdued. 11. "The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree: and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus." Like a palm, the righteous man sinks not under the weight of afflictions, or violence of temptations, but grows the more in grace thereby. 12. "Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God." Whilst they are and continue to be true members of Christ's Church, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. 13. "They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age: and shall be fat and well-liking." They shall increase in grace as in years, being fruitful in all good works, acceptable unto God, through Jesus Christ. 14." That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is: and that there is no unrighteousness in Him.” And such happy people do truly praise the Lord, both with their lips and in their lives, as from Whom all their strength in grace and goodness is derived. Glory be to the Father, |