Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

THE Psalmist, in this Psalm, gives thanks unto God for defending his little helpless flock, here in the midst of the kingdom of the devil, struggling against all temptations, against tyrants, and against bloodthirsting hypocrites; and for delivering them from the snares of virulent calumniators; the number of whom is so great, that compared with the little flock of God, they are like a sweeping torrent, or a mighty deluge, to one solitary rivulet.

Though, however, their teeth were of iron; that is, though their power were infinitely greater than it is, and though their snares (that is, their cunning devices,) were infinitely more crafty than they are; yet "Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world;" he breaks and destroys their teeth, he defeateth their snares, and wonderfully delivers his people, as we have seen it in our own times, on many and great occasions.

PSALM CXXV.

The safety of such as trust in God.--A prayer for the godly, and against the wicked.

A Song of degrees.

THEY that trust in the LORD shall be as mount

Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for

ever.

As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever.

For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the

lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be upon Israel.

THIS also is a Psalm of thanksgiving containing the feelings of an exercised faith thanking God, that, although he sometimes permits false prophets and fanatical spirits to prevail, as if they would possess all things (which thing God often does so permit to be, as a punishment for the ingratitude of his people, who value not the blessing of the word ;) yet he visits such with the more terrible judgment, and suffers them not to prevail in all things against the righteous, lest the righteous, being entirely broken by too great afflictions and sorrows, should, through discouragement and despair, fall away from the word unto ungodliness and sin.

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For the final end of all false teachers and blasphemers ever is,-confusion, terrible judgment, and destruction; And their glory," as the apostle saith, "is turned into shame." But the end of the poor flock of God, even though the church be proved and tried by a thousand fires and deaths, though it appear a thousand times over to be oppressed, destroyed and extirpated is,-eternal life, eternal consolation,

eternal glory! This is what the Psalmist means, when he says, "The Lord doth good to them that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts: but as for them that turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the evil doers, but peace shall be upon Israel.”

PSALM CXXVI.

The church, celebrating her incredible return out of captivity, prayeth for, and prophesieth the good success thereof.

A Song of degrees.

WHEN the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

THIS is a Psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance from the Babylonish captivity; whether it was written after the captivity, or before it, as a prophecy to comfort the Jews with the certain hope of deliverance, and that they should not despair, is uncertain: but at what particular time it was written, it matters not.

This Psalm ends with a remarkable and glorious conclusion; which embraces, in a few words, the whole counsel and the immutable decree of God concerning his church; namely, that it behoved Christ first to suffer, and then to be raised up, and exalted of God and glorified. And so also Christians must first fill up a certain measure of afflictions before they enter into their joy; while, on the contrary, the men of the world fill up a certain measure of their joy before they are eternally punished and damned.

The church, therefore, is that poor little helpless flock, in the midst of a wicked nation. They are that little company who pray, cry, are tempted, and are afflicted by the world; who sow in tears, but reap in joy. "But," says the Psalmist, "they went, and wept as they went, sowing precious seed; but they shall come again with joy, bringing their sheaves with them."

These afflictions, and these deaths of the saints are very precious; hence it is that the Psalmist calls them "precious seed;" because they are followed by the most fruitful crops, and by the most abundant harvests. But we infants in grace, we poor little children, under our tears and our sighs, understand not the voice, or the mind, or the will of our heavenly Father in these afflictions: nor can we see or understand how precious this seed is in the sight of God; who calls even "death," (which is the worst and lowest of all these seeds "precious;" saying, in another place, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints;" and God sets this precious seed thus sown by his children, before all the treasures of the world.

PSALM CXXVII.

The virtue of God's blessing.-Good children are his gift.
A song of degrees for Solomon.

EXCEPT the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate,

THIS Psalm contains a most blessed and important doctrine. It is of the same subject-matter as that contained in the book of Solomon, called Ecclesiastes. The Psalmist teaches, that all governments and commonwealths rightly constituted are the good and free gifts of God: and that none of them can be either rightly constituted, at the first, nor preserved afterwards, by any human wisdom or might: but that all these things are in the hand of God: that, where he giveth not peace, where he giveth not men desirous of the arts of peace, and wise therein, where he holdeth not the helm of the state,-that there, all human wisdom, however great, all laws, all ordinances, all might, all arms, all preparations are vain.

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