happy clime, where, as we are told, there is " no << more SEA." Rev. xxi. 1.

27. These wait all upon thee that thou mayeft give them their meat in due feafon. 28. That thou giveft them, they gather thou openeft thine hand, they are filled with good.

In various ways hath God provided food for the fupport of all living creatures, and directed them to feek, and to find it. How pleafing a fpeculation is it, to confider the whole family of air, earth, and fea, as " waiting upon" the Father and Lord of all things, expecting when he fhould “ open his hand," and diftribute to each member his " portion of meat "in due feafon!" The cafe is the fame with regard to beings intellectual and fpiritual, of which is compofed the church and family of Chrift, in heaven and earth; these wait all upon HIM, by whom Jehovah hath'opened the hand of mercy, and abundantly fupplied all our needs, through the riches of his grace.

29. Thou hideft thy face, they are troubled: thou takeft away their breath, they die, and return to their duft. 30. Thou fendeft forth thy Spirit, they are created: and thou reneweft the face of the earth.

When God, in the feafon of winter, feemeth to hide his face, and to have withdrawn his beneficent influences, we hear the cries of the creation in diftrefs; if he recal the breath of life from any creature, to which he had communicated it, that creature prefently ceafeth to be what it was; fenfe and motion are at an end; the form and figure of it perish; and it is refolved into its original duft. But again

he exerteth his quickening power, and lo, fresh generations of animals are produced; fresh crops of vegetables fhoot forth to nourish them; and there is a renovation of univerfal nature. The prefence of God, in like manner, is the life, his abfence is the death of the foul. If he withdraw his grace, we perish everlastingly; but when he "fendeth forth

his fpirit," as he did on the day of Pentecoft, "old things pafs away, and all things become new ;" the winter is over, and fpring fucceeds in its place. Nay, the hour is coming, when through the fame Spirit, he fhall alfo quicken our mortal bodies, and thus, in a more evident and wonderful manner, "re"new the face of the earth."

31. The glory of the LORD fhall endure for ever: the LORD hall rejoice in his works. 32. He looketh on the earth, and it 'trembleth; he toucheth the hills, and they fmoke.

Such being the works of God, "fo manifold' and fo marvellous, the prophet foretelleth, that his "glo

ry," difplayed and declared by the fame, should "endure for ever;" that creatures would never be wanting, to give him the praife and honour due unto him; infomuch that, gracioufly accepting this their tribute, and pleafed to find a proper return made him, Jehovah should, as at the first creation, acquiefce and rejoice in all his works and difpenfations. In the mean time, let the unruly and difobedient reflect upon the greatness of his power, and the terrors" of his vengeance, who with a look can shake the earth, and with a touch can fire the mountains, as when he once defcended on Sinai.

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33. I will fing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will fing praife unto my God, while I have my being. 34. My meditation of him fhall be fweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

And who, O divine Pfalmift, will not "fing" with thee, that hath an understanding to apprehend, and a tongue to celebrate the works of his Maker and Redeemer? To whom will not thy heavenly meditations be sweet as honey, fragrant as the breath of fpring, pleasant and cheering as the fruit of the vine? Who doth not long to partake of thy fpiritual joy, and holy gladness ?

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35. Let the finners, or, the finners fhall be confumed out of the earth, and let the wicked, or, the wicked fhall be no more: bless thou the LORD, O my foul. Praise ye the LORD.

The "finners," and the "wicked" are they, of whom it is elsewhere faid, that they "confider not

the works of Jehovah, nor regard the operations "of his hands," to give him praise and glory for them. These shall one day experience the power of that God, whose wifdom and goodness they would never acknowledge. They fhall be "confumed," and "perish from the prefence of the Lord, and from "the glory of his power, when he arifeth to fhake terribly the earth:" The Pfalmift, therefore, endeth as he began; "Blefs THOU the LORD, O

my foul;" adding, by way of exhortation to us, and to all the world, "Praise ye the LORD." Let us, then, with "the four and twenty elders, fall "down before him that fitteth upon the throne, and

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worship

worship him that liveth for ever and ever, faying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and

honour, and power; for thou haft created all things, "and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." Rev. iv. 10, 11,

XXI. DAY. MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM CV.

ARGUMENT,

This Pfalm, the first part of it, at least, to verfe 15. we know, from 1 Chron. xvi. to have been compofed by David, and given out on occafion of his placing the ark of God in Sion. It containeth 1-8. an exhortation to praise Jehovah for his works of mercy and power, wrought in favour of Ifrael. 9-44. These are traced from their fource, namely, the covenant made with Abraham, through the Patriarchal history, to the deliverance of the nation from the Egyptians, and its fettlement in Canaan; the end of all which 45. is declared to have been, that God might have a people to serve him. The fame is true of our redemption by Jefus Chrift, which was the grand fubject of the promise made to Abraham, and VOL. II.

P

of

of which the temporal mercies, vouchfafed to the Patriarchs and their pofterity, were fo many pledges and figures.

1. O give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.

God, who formerly refided in mount Sion, vouchfafing his presence in a tabernacle made with hands, hath fince bleffed the church with his appearance in the flesh; and we Chriftians are bound to "make "known his deeds," and the mercies which he hath wrought for us, among the people;" that fo, all the world may know him, and love him, and partake of his falvation.

2. Sing unto him, fing Pfalms unto him: talk of all his wondrous works.

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Mufic and converfation are two things, by which the mind of man receiveth much good, or a great deal of harm. They who make "Jehovah" and his "wondrous works" the subjects of both, enjoy a heaven upon earth. And they who do in reality love their Saviour, will always find themselves inclined to" fing to him," and to " talk of him."

3. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that feek the LORD.

In whom should the redeemed "glory," exult, and triumph, but in their Redeemer, who hath made himself one with them, that they may be one with him? They who "feek" the Lord Jefus by prayer, fhould do it with a chearful and joyous heart, be- cause better it is to "feek" him, than to "find" all