3 When I look up unto the heav'ns,
Which thine own fingers fram'd,

these, whether Jewish or Christian. The children in the temple were an emblem of our Lord's disciples, and of his faithful people in every age, and MESSIAH's praises in their mouth have strength and power which infidelity cannot withstand, though abetted by infidel Scribes and Pharisees. May we not thence infer whose disciples they are who forbid divine honours to be paid to our blessed Lord?

Verse 3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars &c. When David penned this psalm he is supposed to have had in his view the visible heavens, with the moon walking in brightness, amidst the host of stars. In a calm night, and clear serene sky, in the climate of Judea this must have presented a scene of solemn magnificence, highly conducive to the meditations of a pious mind. As the outward heavens with all their fulness are emblematical of the mystical ones; so we may view both as here intended. These, with the moon and stars, are called the work of God's fingers, to intimate not only the curious and exquisite nature of the workmanship, and the ease with which they were created; but also the agency of the Holy Spirit in adorning the heavens in both senses, whom our Lord calls the finger of God, and, in Ps. cii. 25, they are said to be the work of his hand, The first Adam had no dominion over these, which honour was reserved for Him who was to come. The sun is not here mentioned, as in the creation state the mystical Sun was not yet revealed. But the moon and stars are brought to view with great propriety in this Song of Zion, as the first typifies that part of mankind that will rise no higher than Adam's state, and whom John saw under the feet of the woman clothed with the Sun, and having on her head a crown of twelve stars.

MESSIAH'S property in the whole is here owned, thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, &c. As the natural heavens belong to Him, and the mystical moon and stars also; he hath appointed this moon for seasons, when the Sun knoweth his going down, that ushers in the rising of the moon, which necessarily supposes his rising also, Ps. civ. 19. These are MESSIAH's property, because created and ordained by Him; which shews that the mystical moon must not always remain covered with sackcloth of hair; for the light of the moon shall yet become as the light of the sun, when that shall have attained its highest perfection. The term rendered ordained, is also translated, established, directed, disposed, or ordered, and prepared. All this applies not only to the literal heavens, but also to the churches, and the stars, the teachers of divine truth, and to the mystical moon, the rest of mankind, that are yet to be prepared, disposed, and established by MESSIAH, in consequence of his ordination respecting them, and all the works of his hands. His Holy Spirit, that finger of Gon, will yet garnish, beautify, and dispose the whole, so as to appear worthy of being called the work of his hand, and of his fingers. Why then should not Christians consider, contemplate, and regard his work in this comprehensive view? Why should they give up the mystical moon to endless ruin and destruction, when God hath spoken such things respecting her restered state? We have the same authority for believing the future glori

C

Unto the moon, and to the stars,
Which were by thee ordain'd;

4 Then say I, What is man, that he

Remember'd is by thee?

fied state of that moon, or the rest of mankind, that we have for believing that the churches of the faithful, and the righteous, these stars, shall be blessed. The heavens are put in the plural number, because both are to form two churches, that of the first-born of which Solomon's temple was a figure, and that of Zerubbabel, in which the children of the captivity worshipped; the figure and pledge of that church where Christ's restored prisoners shall also worship, and enjoy the LORD their God. To rest in the letter of truth killeth; it is the spirit, or evangelical import of divine truth that giveth life to the word.

Verse 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him? Bishop Hare's version of the Hebrew text, introduces this verse as immediately addressed to Jehovah, under the contracted form of JAH,-LORD, what is man! &c. The term rendered man, Heb. enos, the name given by SETH to his son, denotes frail, miserable, infirm man. In the next clause he is called the son of man, Heb. the son of Adam. Though CHRIST became like the sons of ADAM, or was formed in the likeness of sinful flesh, in order to restore them; yet he was neither a son of ADAM, nor actually sinful flesh, else he could not be the Saviour of sinners. AS HE is the subject of this psalm, in the most sublime sense, ADAM having been but a temporary shadow of Him; so to HIM is the address immediately made.

To be mindful of, as words of knowlege and remembrance import, when applied to GoD, is to favour, to bear love to, to entertain kindness for. To visit, in Scripture language, often means to punish; whence we may infer the motive and end of such visitation. But here, and often elsewhere, it signifies to fulfil God's promise in a way of mercy, as he visited SARAH of old in giving her the heir of promise; and the connection requires it to be so understood here. The very same sentiment occurs, Ps. cxliv. 3. LORD, what is man that thou takest knowlege of him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? Heb. What is Adam, or the son of Enosh, of weak miserable man? Ver. 4. Adam is like vanity, &c. That these terms intend mankind as unrenewed by grace, is evident, and yet in that state they are objects of divine favour. JAH or JEHOVAH was then mindful of weak miserable man, and visited the sons of ADAM, when he assumed their nature, and became bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh.

He became the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief; yea, calls himself a worm and no man. As the Second ADAM, the Lord from heaven, he hath espoused human nature, in its lowest stage of existence, and visited it with his salvation. As he is emphatically described in the first psalm, which is the epitome of all the rest, That Man is most blessed, as three Greek copies read the clause; so he is here called Exos, the frail, afflicted man, who made sorrow his companion all his days, and received here the evil things which we deserved. Though supremely blessed, and the Son of the Blessed; for us He was made a curse, or lived

Or what the son of man, that thou

So kind to him should'st be?

5 For thou a little lower hast

Him than the angels made;
With glory and with dignity

Thou crowned hast his head.

6 Of thy hands' works thou mad'st him lord,
All under's feet did'st lay;

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and beasts
That in the field do stray;

and died a victim under the imputation of guilt, and that in supreme degree; that we, self-destroyed sinners, might inherit a blessing, even life for evermore. In this psalm he has given us, by the pen of David, an epitome of his plan and work of redemption; which descends to the lowest and most wretched of his subjects, each of whom may be truly called Enosh.

Verse 5. For thou hast made him a little, or, for a little while, lower than the angels, &c. The term rendered angels is ELOHIM, the mighty ones, rendered Gen. i. 1. and often elsewhere, Gop; which cannot apply to ADAM, but does to CHRIST, who was for a little while made lower than GOD. Thus it is rendered in an English Bible, bearing date 1606; in which the last clause runs-And crowned him with glory and worship; in which sense the term honour is to be taken, when it refers to GOD; what corresponds to the command, Heb. i. 6. And let all the angels of God worship him. The marginal reading, together with the above, fully establishes the sense of the command, Thou hast made him a little inferior to God, or the mighty Ones, the Father, Son, and Spirit, to whom the man Christ Jesus was subject on earth; but the language plainly imports a previous and subsequent equality to God.

Let the reader consult PAUL'S comment on these verses, Heb. ii. 6. &c. Here we see that he is to be set over all the works of God's hands, and that these are to be subjected to him in the noblest sense. His tasting death for every man, whether elect or not, is a good reason why he should rule over and save every human being. In 1 Cor. xv. 27. no being is excepted but the Father; and we read no where of a twofold subjection in the final state of things; whence a voluntary subordination must be intended. And does not the Psalmist assert the same truth, Ps. xxii. 27. and assign a conclusive reason in the 28th? Seeing then the earth is the LORD's and the fulness of it, the world and its inhabitants, in every age, (Ps. xxiv. 1.); can we have any right to qualify such declarations, which abound in the sacred volume, by the laws, and provision of human systems?

Verses 7, 8. All sheep and oxen, &c. In this verse the Psalmist enumerates the subjects of the first Adam; which, in reference to the Second, must include whatever these mystically represent in Scripture. A

casion in the hands of the Jebusites. The psalm consists of two parts, a thanksgiving, and a prayer.- Such psalms as might primarily celebrate DAVID'S victories over the neighbouring nations, as these prefigured the inore glorious ones of MESSIAH, in these songs of Zion the church should recognize a greater than that monarch, and improve these as fit materials for prayer and praise. In the same light are they to be regarded by every Christian.

1 LORD, thee I'll praise with all my heart,

Thy wonders all proclaim.

2 In thee, most High, I'll greatly joy,
And sing unto thy name.

3 When back my foes were turn'd, they fell,
And perishi'd at thy sight;

4 For thou maintain'dst my right and cause;
On throne sat'st judging right.

5 The Heathen thou rebuked hast,

The wicked overthrown;

:

Verse 1. I will praise thee, O LORD, or I will praise the Lord, with my whole heart; with an upright, affectionate, and united heart, which is essential to all true worship, and accepted in the Beloved. In the latter clause he declares his resolution to shew forth all his marvellous works, for the conviction and conversion of the world. Not one is excepted; for though external events, and miraculous acts may strike inore forcibly; yet are they intended to introduce those internal operations of his word and Spirit, which they so ficly represent.

Verses 2, 5. I will be giad and rejoice in thee, &c. Not in his wealth or power, in the pleasures these might command, or the praises of men which attend the great and prosperous. A Christian is commanded to Jejoice in MESSIAH his King, as Israel of old did in theirs, when returning victorious from the conquest of their enemies. When David's enemies feil and perished at God's presence, or from his face, in the symbol of his presence the ark, this denotes their overthrow in battle; but in reference to CHRIST, it ultimately intends that his enemies shall so full and perish as to cease to be such, as was realized in Joseph's brethren. His presence or face will operate to consume like the fire, and like the sun, to enlighten, warm, and fructify.

Verse 4. His righteous cause God maintained, and as a righteous judge gave sentence in his favour. What his great judge did for David, that and more did the Father do for MESSIAH, and will do for all his people. The transition is made from the military art to the bar and the seat of justice. He that paid the price of redemption, takes the prey from the mighty, delivers the lawful captive. and sits on the throne maintaining our right, and to consummate our felicity.

Thou hast put out their names, that they
May never more be known.

6 0 en'my! now destructions have
An end perpetual:

Thou cities raz'd, perish'd with them

Is their memorial.

7 GOD shall endure for aye; he doth
For judgment set his throne;

Verse 5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen or nations, &c. His rebukes are punishments, as Ps. vi. 1. which the Psalmist there deprecates. Raising our views above David and his conquests, as merely figurative of MESSIAH and his victories, in consequence of which Satan's empire shall be overthrown in the world, we arrive at the evangelical sense of these things. The nations were rebuked, or shall be so, When God by his word and Spirit shall convince the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The wicked are destroyed when brought to cease to do evil, learn to do well; and thus their former name is put out, or extinguished for ever and ever. When the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and his CHRIST, or become truly Christian, then their ancient idolatry shall perish, to revive no more, and their former name and memorial shall for ever cease. And how joyful the thought, that a period will come, when all iniquity shall be abolished, and forgotten, in like manner! Thus will He not only wound and kill his enemies, but also heal and make them alive.

Verse 6. 0 thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end; or, as on margin, the destructions of the enemy are come to a perpetual end, and their cities hast thou destroyed, &c. This may include not only the destructions they occasion to others, but also those which they themselves endure. This plainly foretells the limitation of the latter as well as the former; and the plural is used to shew how completely this shall be effected. Dr. Horne renders it-They are completed to the utmost, which must be in the above sense, since the very memorial of their cities shall perish with them, as that of ancient Babylon, of which no trace can be found. Bishop Lowth's version is, Desolations have consumed the enemy for ever; and as to the cities which thou, O GoD, hast destroyed, their memory is perished with them. That this noble sense belongs to CHRIST appears from Ps. cvii. 20, in connection with the whole psalm.

Vers. 7, 8. But the LORD shall endure forever, to accomplish such work; and he hath prepared his throne for such judgment, a judgment worthy of Him who came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them, whom GOD sent not to condemn the world, but that through Him it might be saved or restored, John iii. 17. This shews in what a noble sense He shall judge the world in righteousness, and minister judgment to the people, or mankind. "Not you only (says Poole) but all the enemies of his people, and all the men of the world;" which ought not to be confined to the in