of gratitude; and he ought fo to do. But what will be the fenfations of him, who celebrates in the fame words, the fpiritual redemption of his foul from death and destruction everlafting? How is he "crowned" with the "loving kindnefs" of Jehovah; how is he" encircled" by the arms of "mercy!" " Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour;" never ending

length of days;"true" riches," that abide for ever; and " the honour which cometh from God "only."

5. Who Satisfieth thy mouth with good things: fo that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.

It is God who giveth us the "good things" of this world, and who giveth us likewise an appetite and a taste to enjoy them. It is God who reftoreth a body, emaciated by fickness, to bloom, vigour and agility. And he doth greater things than these. He "fatisfieth" all the defires of the foul with a banquet of fpiritual dainties, and beftoweth on her a relish for the fame. By the renovating power of his Spirit he reftoreth her from decrepitude to the health and ftrength of a young *"eagle," fo that the can afcend

Of all birds it is known, that they have yearly their moulting times, when they shed their old, and are afresh furnished with a new stock of feathers. This is most obfervable of hawks and vultures, and especially of" eagles," which, when they are near an hundred years old, caft their feathers, and become bald and like young ones, and then new feathers fprout forth. Thus St. Ambrofe," Aquila longam ætatem ducit, dum vetuftis plumis fa:ifcentibus, nova pennarum fucceffione juvenefcit." Dr. HAMMOND.

up

up on high, and contemplate the fplendor of the Sun of Righteoufnefs. Thus, at the day of the refurrection, clothed anew with falvation and glory, the body likewise thall arise from earth, and fly away as an eagle toward heaven, to begin an immortal life, and be for ever young.

6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppreffed. 7. He made known his ways unto Mofes, his acts unto the children of Ifrael.

From a confideration of his own particular case, the Pfalmift maketh a general reflection on that attribute of God, which inclineth him to deliver his people, and to punish their oppreffors, of what kind foever they be. And here that grand difplay of the ways" and "works" of Jehovah, the redemption of" Ifrael" by the hand of a " Mofes," immediately occurs, and is celebrated. Thus each private mercy, whether of a temporal or fpiritual nature, fhould remind us of that public and univerfal bleffing of Redemption by Jefus Chrift, from which every other bleffing floweth, as a ftream from it's fountain, and for which God ought, therefore, upon all occafions, to be praised and glorified.

8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, flow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

When Mofes defired Jehovah to fhew him his "way," and his "glory," Exod. xxxii. 13. 18. Jehovah paffed by, and proclaimed himself, as here, "Jehovah merciful, and gracious," &c. Exod. xxxiii. 6. How full of confolation to the penitent foul are all the words of this verfe! "The LORD "is merciful," O, the bowels of his tender com

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paffion yearn over us, as thofe of a mother yearn over the child of her womb; cr yea a woman may forget her fuckling child, yet can he not forget us.' Ifai. xlix. 15. He is "gracious," pan, ready to give us freely all things that are needful for our falvation. He is "flow to anger," bearing with the frowardnefs of his children, with their provocations and relapses, for 40, 50, 60, 70 years together, before he strikes the blow; giving them, by this his long fuffering, time for repentance. And he is "plente"ous in mercy," 107, "great, mighty in mercy,' placing his chief glory in this attribute, and hereby teaching us how to estimate true greatness.

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9. He will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10. He hath not dealt with us after our fins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

God's chaftifements are fome of the most eminent proofs of his mercy. They are sent to reclaim us, and to fave us from eternal punishment. They continue not always, but are removed when they have done their work; and while they last, are as nothing in comparison of thofe heavy stripes which our fins have deserved.

11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, fo great is his mercy towards them that fear him. 12. As far as the eaft is from the west, fo far hath he removed our tranfgreffions from us. 13. Like as a father pitieth his children, fo the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

We are here prefented with three of the most beautiful, appofite, and comforting fimilitudes in the world. When we lift up our eyes, and behold

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around us the lofty and ftupendous vault of heaven, incircling, protecting, enlightening, refreshing, and cherishing the earth, and all things that are therein, we are bidden to contemplate in this glafs the immeasurable height, the boundlefs extent, and the falutary influences of that mercy, which, as it were, embraceth the creation, and is over all the works of God. Often as we view the fun arifing in the east, and darkness flying away from before his face towards the oppofite quarter of the heavens, we may fee an image of that goodnefs of Jehovah, whereby we are placed in the regions of illumination, and our fins are removed and put far away out of his fight. And that our hearts may, at all times, have confidence towards God, he is reprefented as bearing towards us the fond and tender affection of a "father," ever ready to defend, to nourish, and to provide for us, to bear with us, to forgive us, and to receive us in the parental arms of everlafting love.

14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are duft. 15. As for man, his days are as grafs; as a flower of the field, fo he flourisheth. 16. For the wind paffeth over it, and it is gone'; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

The confideration of man's frail and perishable eftate weighs with the Almighty, and prevails upon him to fpare his creature. And doth not the tear of compaffion ftart in the eye of him, who reads the defcription which David hath given of it in thefe verses? Man," fallen, mortal man-" his days "are as grafs," like that he cometh out of the earth, and continueth but a fhort time upon it;

"as a flower of the field," fair but tranfient, "fo "he" unfoldeth his beauty in youth, and "flourisheth" awhile in the vigour of manhood; but lo, in a moment, the breath of heaven's displeasure, as a blighting" wind paffeth over him, and he is gone;" he boweth his drooping head, and mingleth again with his native duft; his friends and his companions look for him at the accustomed fpot, which he once adorned-but in vain-the earth has opened her mouth to receive him, and "his place fhall know "him no more."

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

Let not man prefume, who withereth like the green herb; but then, let not man despair, whose nature, with all it's infirmities, the Son of God hath taken upon him. The flower which faded in Adam, blooms anew in Chrift, never to fade again. |«mercy of Jehovah," in his Meffiah," is everlast

"The

"ing;" and of that everlasting mercy poor frail man is the object. It extendeth to all the generations of the faithful fervants of God. Death fhall not deprive them of it's benefits, nor fhall the grave hide them from the efficacious influence of it's allenlivening beams, which hall pierce even into thofe regions of defolation, and awaken the fleepers of fix thousand years. Man muft pay to juftice the tem"poral penalty of his fins; but mercy fhall raife him again, to receive the eternal reward, purchased by