The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 4 · Psalm 104
PSALM CIV.
ARGUMENT.
The foregoing and the following Pſalm being certainly compoſed by David, the Greeks, and from them ſeveral other ancient interpreters, have aſcribed this alſo to the ſame Authour. For which they had this further reaſon; that it begins (as Aben Ezra obſerves) juſt as the foregoing Pſalm ends: and celebrates the mighty power and goodneſs of God, in the fabrick of the world; as the CIII. doth his benefits to himſelf, and to the reſt of the children of men.
As for the occaſion of it, we may look upon it as a probable opinion, that when David thought of building a Houſe for the Divine Service, and God ſent Nathan to forbid him; (2 Sam. VII. 5.) he fell not long after into the contemplation of the Majeſty of God; who having built this great world, as his Temple, needed none of his erecting; though He would be pleaſed to accept one for the burning Sacrifice before Him, as Solomon afterward ſpeaks 2 Chron. II. 6. To ſtrengthen this conjecture of mine, it may be obſerved; that he begins this Pſalm, with ſuch an Admiration of God's moſt excellent perfection, as we meet withall in David's prayer; immediately after God had certified him of his love towards him, though he would not let him build Him an Houſe 2 Sam. VII. 22. Thou art great, O Lord, for there is none like unto Thee. In the ſame manner he ſaith here, O Lord my God, Thou art very great: as he proceeds to demonſtrate, from his wonderfull works. And firſt he begins with the Heavens, the Clouds and the Angels: and then comes down to the Earth, the Sea, the Mountains, Valleys, Fountains and other inferiour things: Which depend ſo much upon the Sun, the Moon and heavenly Bodies; that all of them together declare the moſt admirable wiſedom of Him by whom they were compoſed: and ſhould excite all mankind to his perpetual praiſes.
1. BLeſs the LORD, O my ſoul: O LORD my God, thou art very great, thou art cloathed with honour and majeſty.
1. STir up thy ſelf, O my Soul, with all thy might to meditate the praiſes of the Lord. For the higheſt of all our thoughts are infinitely below thy Greatneſs, O Lord, my moſt gracious God: who haſt ſhewn in thy moſt admirable works, the ſurpaſſing excellence of thy Majeſty; which we can never worthily celebrate with all our praiſes.
2. Who covereſt thy ſelf with light, as with a garment: who ſtretcheſt out the heavens like a curtain.
2. The light, which dazles our eyes with its ſplendour, is the royal robe, wherein thy inviſible and incomprehenſible brightneſs appears unto us: and the ſpacious heavens are the royal Pavilion, which thy Sovereign power hath extended, like a Canopy, for thy Majeſty, in this great Palace of the world.
3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, who maketh the clouds his chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the wind.
3. The floor of whoſe Chambers, which the Lord hath laid in the upper region of the Air; O how highly is it advanced above the top of the ſtatelieſt piles that are raiſed by earthly Monarchs: whoſe pompous Chariots (whereof they boaſt) fall infinitely ſhort of thoſe glorious Clouds, wherein He makes Himſelf preſent to us; as their ſwifteſt Horſes are ſlow-paced, in compariſon with the quick motion, more ſpeedy then the wind, wherewith He viſits every part of his Dominion.
4. Who maketh his angels ſpirits: his miniſters a flaming fire.
4. Into which He ſends his Angels (and what King is there that hath ſuch noble Miniſters?) ſometimes in vehement winds, and ſometime in lightning and thunder; whereby they execute his royal pleaſure.
5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it ſhould not be removed for ever.
5. Who hath ſettled the maſſy globe of earth, even in the liquid air, upon ſuch firm foundations; that none of thoſe ſtorms and tempeſts, which beat upon it from without, nor any commotions from within, can ever ſtir it out of the place He hath fixed for it.
6. Thou coveredſt it with the deep, as with a garment: the waters ſtood above the mountains.
6. It was all covered over at the firſt with waters (I. Gen. 2.) which were ſo deep, that there was no appearance of the higheſt Mountains.
7. At thy rebuke they fled: at the voice of thy thunder they haſted away.
7. Till thy omnipotent word charged them to retire (I. Gen. 9.) at which they ſtarted back, and ſuddenly ſhrunk away; as an affrighted Slave doth, when he hears the thunder of his Maſters threatnings, if his commands be not obeyed.
8. They go up by the mountains: they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou haſt founded for them.
8. Immediately the dry land was ſeen; part of which (by thy wonderfull contrivance, O Lord) roſe up in lofty hills; and the reſt ſunk down in lowly valleys: where Thou haſt cut channels, for the waters to run into the main Ocean; the place Thou haſt appointed for them.
9. Thou haſt ſet a bound that they may not paſs over: that they turn not again to cover the earth.
9. And there, though they reſtleſly toſs and ſwell yet, they cannot get over the ſhores, wherein Thou haſt incloſed them: nor ſhall they ever recover their former liberty, to overflow the earth again.
10. He ſendeth the ſprings into the valleys, which run among the hills.
10. But ſtill, ſuch is the admirable Providence of the Lord, they climb, through the hollow places of the earth, up the ſteepeſt parts of it; and there break out in ſprings: which fall down into the valleys, to make brooks and rivers, that run between the hills; which, on either ſide, ſend into them freſh ſupplies to inlarge their ſtreams.
11. They give drink to every beaſt of the field: the wild aſſes quench their thirſt.
11. Which afford, not onelyonly to us but to all the beaſts of the earth ſuch abundant refreſhment, when they are dry; that even the dull Aſſes, who live in parched deſarts, find them out to quench their thirſt.
12. By them ſhall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which ſing among the branches.
12. The birds of the air alſo delight to reſort thither: where, having wet their throats, they ſit and chaunt their various notes; among the thick boughs of the trees, which grow upon the banks.
13. He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is ſatisfied with the fruit of thy works.
13. As for the hills, which conſtantly thus inrich the lower grounds, He waters them from the regions above: whence dews diſtill, and ſhowres of rain come pouring down, by thy marvellous contrivance, O Lord, unto the ſatisfaction of them, and of all the reſt of the earth.
14. He cauſeth the graſs to grow for the cattel, and herb for the ſervice of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth:
14. O bleſs the Lord, my Soul, who, by this means, provideth the beaſts with graſs and hay; and us with all variety of herbs, and roots, and fruit and pulſe: which He cauſes to ſprout out of the earth; that we may never want what is neceſſary for our food, or for our phyſick.
15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to ſhine, an bread which ſtrengtheneth mans heart.
15. But rather take our pleaſure, and delight in the rich wines, which He produces to chear the drooping ſpirits of miſerable men: together with oil to anoint their heads; and bread to recruit their ſtrength, when it is ſpent with toil and labour.
16. The trees of the LORD are full of ſap: the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted.
16. Bleſſed be the Lord, who by this means alſo ſupplies, with abundant nouriſhment, the largeſt trees; which are not planted by the art, nor watered by the care of men, but by his almighty Providence: who makes whole Foreſts of them grow, as the Cedars in Libanus do, even upon the moſt barren and ſtony Mountains.
17. Where the birds make their neſts: as for the ſtork, the fir-trees are her houſe.
17. In theſe trees the birds both ſmall and great, build themſelves convenient habitations: and ſome of them (as the Stork, for inſtance, who ſeats her neſt on the top of lofty Pines and Fir-trees) with admirable artifice.
18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies.
18. And with no leſs ſafety the wild Goats depoſite their young, in the top of thoſe craggy Mountains; whither they can climb as eaſily, as the birds fly to the tops of trees: and other feeble creatures creep into the rocks; and there lie ſecure from the violence, that ſtronger beaſts would offer to them.
19. He appointeth the moon for ſeaſons; the ſun knoweth his going down.
19. By his moſt wiſe contrivance, the Moon hath her full, and her wane: and the Sun doth not always ſhine; but obſerves a conſtant time for its going down.
20. Thou makeſt darkneſs, and it is night: wherein all the beaſts of the foreſt do creep forth
20. And then darkneſs covering the face of the earth, and inviting us to reſt, gives the wolves, and other wild beaſts of the Foreſt (ſuch is thy care, O Lord, of all creatures) who were afraid to venture abroad before, ſecurity and confidence; to come out of their lurking places, and ſeek their food.
21. The young lions roar after their prey, and ſeek their meat from God.
21. Which the ravening young Lions then meet withall; falling upon their prey with a horrible noiſe: whereby they expreſs the eagerneſs of their hunger; which is not ſo ſharp and devouring, but, by the Divine Providence, it finds full ſatisfaction before the morning.
22. The ſun ariſeth, they gather themſelves together, and lay them down in their dens.
22. When the Sun again appearing, and rouzing us out of our ſleep, they all return with one conſent; and lay themſelves down in their ſeveral dens.
23. Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour untill the evening.
23. And ſo man, refreſhed by the nights repoſe, goes forth, without any danger, about his buſineſs in the fields: and continues his labours, till the night call him to reſt again.
24. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wiſedom haſt thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
24. O eternal Lord! how many and how great are thy works? and with what admirable wiſedom haſt Thou contrived them all? If we look no further then this Earth, what aſtoniſhing variety of good things do we behold, wherewith Thy bounty hath inriched it?
25. So is this great and wide ſea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both ſmall and great beaſts.
25. And this great and ſpacious Sea alſo, which ſeems to embrace the Earth in its arms, is no leſs full of thy wonderfull works: For there ſwim Fiſh without number; ſome of which aſtoniſh us, as much with the art Thou haſt ſhewn in their ſmall bodies, as others do with the prodigious greatneſs of their bulk.
26. There go the ſhips; there is that leviathan, whom thou haſt made to play therein.
26. There the Ships ſail as ſwiftly, as the Fiſhes ſwim; fetching us the riches both of Sea and Land: and there that great Leviathan (in forming whom Thou haſt ſhewn thy mighty power) finds room enough to tumble up and down; and ſport himſelf, in his abſolute dominion over all that the Sea contains.
27. Theſe wait all upon thee: that thou mayeſt give them their meat in due ſeaſon.
27. O how liberal is thy Goodneſs, which provides convenient ſuſtenance for ſuch a vaſt world of creatures? Every one of which, though they know not their Benefactour, is duly and ſeaſonably ſupplied, with the food they ſeek, by the care Thou takeſt of them.
28. That thou giveſt them, they gather: thou openeſt thine hand, they are filled with good.
28. For they onelyonly gather what Thou, without any care of theirs, diſpenſeſt to them: And Thou art not ſparing of thy bleſſings; but haſt made a moſt plentifull proviſion, which Thou ſcattereſt every where for them.
29. Thou hideſt thy face, they are troubled; thou takeſt away their breath, they die, and return to their duſt.
29. If it fail at any time, by the ſuſpenſe of thy heavenly influences, all things look moſt ruefully: they grow weak, nay die; and are diſſolved into the elements out of which they were made.
30. Thou ſendeſt forth thy ſpirit, they are created: and thou reneweſt the face of the earth.
30. But then Thou ſendeſt forth again thy quickning power; whereby new ones are produced, in the room of thoſe that are dead: juſt as the earth, after a ſharp winter hath made it bare, looks freſh and green again at the return of the ſpring.
31. The glory of the LORD ſhall endure for ever: the LORD ſhall rejoice in his works.
31. Thus the world is ſtill as full, as ever it was; and all future ages ſhall praiſe, as well as we, the ſame power, and wiſedom, and goodneſs of the Lord: which appears ſo gloriouſly in all his works, that He himſelf is ſtill pleaſed, and delighted in the continuance of them; as He was at firſt in their contrivance, 1. Gen. 31.
32. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; he toucheth the hills, and they ſmoke.
32. Elſe they would all ſoon vaniſh, and come to nothing: for at his preſence the very earth trembles; and the mountains, as our Fathers ſaw at mount Sinai, are full of fire and ſmoke.
33. I will ſing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will ſing praiſe unto my God, while I have my being.
33. I will never ceaſe therefore to ſing the praiſes of the Lord; who as He created, ſo ſupports and maintains the whole fabrick of heaven and earth, and all the creatures contained duplicate page duplicate page in them: And I will never forget his particular kindneſs to me, among the reſt; but acknowledge to my very laſt breath, the innumerable benefits I have received from his bounty.
34. My meditation of him ſhall be ſweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
34. With ſuch affection will I praiſe Him; that all my thankfull meditations and diſcourſes, ſhall be, I hope, no leſs pleaſing to Him, then they ſhall be to my ſelf: who will take the higheſt ſatisfaction, in thinking and ſpeaking of the Goodneſs of the Lord; from whom I ſhall ſtill receive more abundant cauſe to rejoice in Him.
35. Let the ſinners be conſumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more: bleſs thou the LORD, O my ſoul. Praiſe ye the LORD.
35. But as for them, whoſe onelyonly pleaſure it is to ſatisfie their brutiſh luſts, and abuſe the many good things they enjoy, (either denying, or never acknowledging Him who is the donor of them) they ſhall utterly periſh; and be no longer the care of that Providence, to which they are ſo ungratefull; O my Soul never imitate their impiety, or negligence; but be excited thereby to the greater diligence, in praiſing thy great Creatour and Benefactour. And let all thoſe, who have any ſenſe of Him, ſtir up themſelves and join with me in his praiſes.