Davids Harp Strung and Tuned, Book 4 [i.e. 5] · Psalm 104
PSAL. CIV. foreign.
THE ſcope and intent of this Pſalm, is the ſame with the former, viz. to excite men to praiſe God upon the conſideration of his Benefits, but yet upon a different ground. In the former, for the Benefits of Grace conferr'd upon his Elect. In this, for the Gifts of Nature beſtowed in general upon all: Thoſe flow immediately from his mercy, theſe from his power, wiſdom, goodneſs, and depend upon his Providence, which are manifeſt in the Creation, Governance, and Preſervation of all things. The Creature then is, the Subject of this Pſalm, concerning which, in it we have a long, but very methodical Narration, by the meditation of which, he invites all men to ſing Hallelujah.
The parts of the Pſalm, are four.
1. The Exhortation propoſed briefly, ver. 1.
2. The Exhortation perſwaded by Inſpection of the Fabrick, the beauty, the order, the government of the World, from ver. 1. to 33.
3. The Duty practiſed by himſelf, ver. 33, 34.
4. An Imprecation on them that neglect the Duty, ver. 35.
1. The firſt part.He begins with a double Apoſtrophe.
1. Ver. 1 To his own Soul to praiſe God: Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul; which was the Concluſion of the former Pſalm.He exhorts to praiſe God, becauſe of his works.
2. To his God, O Lord my God; whom he deſcribes to be great and glorious.
And that he may ſet forth his Majeſty and Glory, he uſeth a moſt elegant foreign, borrowed from the Perſon of ſome great King, who preſents himſelf very glorious to his people, in his Robes, in his Pavilion, with a gliſtering Canopy extended over his Throne, ſometimes in his Chariot drawn by the ſwifteſt Horſes, with all his Nobles, Miniſters and Servants about him, and attending his pleaſure. And in this manner he preſents the Majeſty of God, which were the work of the firſt and ſecond day; for by that order he proceeds in ſetting forth Gods works, viz. by the order of the dayes they are made.
1. His Robe is the light, the work of the firſt day, which is the pureſt, The ſecond part.the moſt beautiful, the moſt glorious, illuſtrious, vivifical, Ver. 2 chearful of all Gods Creatures, with this he is cloathed, as with a garment; 1Of the firſt day.for he is light, John 1.1. and be dwells in that inacceſſible light that no man hath ſeen, nor can ſee, 1 Tim. 6.
2. His Paviſion ſtretched round about him, is the Heavens, 2Of the ſecond day.the work of the ſecond day; theſe, as it were, the Hangings, the Curtains of his Chamber of Preſence; by his fiat and power ſtretched out, Ver. 3 as we now ſee them: He ſtretched out the Heavens as a Curtain.
3. His Palace built in a moſt miraculous manner; the beams thereof laid, not as is uſual, upon ſome firm and ſolid body, but upon that which is moſt fluent, He layes the beams of his Chambers in the waters. In Gen. 1.7. we read of waters above the Firmament, which were a part of the ſecond dayes work, and of theſe ſurely the Prophet ſpeaks. What is to be underſtood by waters above the Firmament, is no diſpute for this place, Ʋide Zanch. de op. Dei. lib. 2. c. 1.
4. His Chariot, the Clouds: Who makes the Clouds his Chariot; upon theſe, he, as it were, rides, and in a wonderful nimble manner is in all places he pleaſeth, no otherwiſe than the Clouds, who are now in this place, and inſtantly removed to another.
5. The Horſes that draw it, the Winds, Alipedes, as the Poets feigned the Horſes that drew the Chariot of the Sun; by it, his intent is, to ſhew, That by the power of God are brought upon the face of Heaven, and remov'd at his pleaſure. Ver. 4
6. His Attendants, Angels: He maketh his Angels Spirits, In which his Majeſty appears.his Ministers a flaming fire. No Creature of greater quickneſs and agility, than a Spirit; no Element more active, than fire: Theſe bleſſed Spirits he ſends forth as he pleaſeth, to defend his Servants, and as a flame of fire to conſume and burn up his enemies; in which appears his Might and Majeſty.
2. Next the Prophet deſcends from the Heaven, and out of the Aire, 2Of the third day, in which his Power and Wiſdom. The Earth created.and comes to ſpeak of the work of the third day; and he begins with the Earth, that Element which is beſt known to us, in which he ſhewes the power and wiſdom of God many wayes.
1. In the foundation of it upon its center, that whether it have the motion of Verticity as ſome do teach, or elſe is fix'd, and moves not at all; Ver. 5 ſtrange it is that ſo great and heavy a body ſhould remain in the midſt of the World, and not ſink, ponderibia librata ſuis: 1In foundation.This the Prophet attributes only to the Power and Providence of God: Who laid the foundations of the Earth, that it ſhould not be removed for ever.
2. Another part of his Providence about the Earth, was, that whereas the water being the lighter Element did at firſt cover the Earth, 2The raiſing it above the waters by his Fiat.and made it uſeleſs; God, either by taking of ſome parts out of the upper ſuperficies of the Earth in ſundry places, and made it more hollow; and laying them in other places, made it more convex; or to ſpeak more plainly, by raiſing ſome, and depreſſing others, made room for the Sea. This was a work of Gods Word, and the Prophet ſpeaks of this in the three following verſes.
1. Firſt, He ſhewes in what condition the Earth was in the firſt Creation, it was covered, and under water: Thou cover'dſt it with the deep, Ver. 6 as with a Garment, the waters ſtood above the Mountains.
2. He ſhewes how the Earth became uncovered, it was by the voyce, power, and fiat of God: Let the waters be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear, Gen. 1. This the Pſalmiſt here calls the rebuke of God, the voyce of Thunder; for God had no ſooner ſpake the word, Ver. 7 But it was ſo: At thy rebuke they fled, at thy voyce of Thunder they were afraid; whether they were ſuch waters as are now, or thick miſts and vapours after to be condenſed into vapours, afraid they were to ſtay any longer, and to cover the Earth, when God rebuked them, ſpoken as it were in Thunder, and bid them remove.
3. Ver. 8 And ſo there became a new World as it were: Juſſit & extendi campos, ſubſidere Valles: 3Confining the Sea.The Mountains and the Ʋallies take the lower place: Or elſe, as we read, They, the miſts and vapours go up by the Mountains; for quanti montes volvuntur aquarum; but they ſtayed not then, nor yet do ſtay upon the Mountains, But they go down by the Ʋallies unto the place which thou haſt appointed for them, ſtill failing along to Sea.
4. Ver. 9 4His Providence about the Rivers.There thou incloſeſt them, as with doors and bars: Job 18. Thou haſt ſet a bound that they may not paſs over, that they turn not again to cover the Earth; yet not violently kept there, as ſome ſuppoſe; but reſtrain'd by an ordinary way of Nature, it being natural for water to deſcend to the lower places, which by Gods power was not hollowed for them to remain in; that they once did return, and cover the Earth, was by Gods extraordinary Command.
3. And next he comes to ſpeak of the Rivers and Springs, and ſhewes Gods wonderful Providence about them.
1. Ver. 10 He ſendeth the Springs; that is, the ſtreams of water, from the Hills into the Vallies; 1Their Springs.which yet at firſt run among the Hills; for who knowes not that the domus fluvii, the Spring and Well whence the greateſt Rivers ſtream is ſeated, commonly in the foot of ſome Mountain.
2. 2Their Uſe.And the end of this infinitely declares Gods Providence, it is for the ſuſtenance of Beaſts and Fowles, periſh they muſt for thirſt, were it otherwiſe, and therefore he adds:
1. They, i. e. the Springs and Rivers, give drink to every Beaſt of the Field, the wild Aſſes quench their thirſt.
2. By them ſhall the Fowles of the Heaven have their habitation, which ſing among the Branches.
4. But the Springs and Rivers cannot water all parts of the Earth, were it not then for another part of his Care and Providence, 3The Rain and Dewes.the Hills and higher places would be altogether barren and unfruitful, his Wiſdom therefore found out a way to remedy this alſo, and that was, by ſending Rain out of his Bottles, the Clouds, a gift ſo great and peculiar to him, that he is called by Job, the Father of the Rain.
He watereth the Hills from his Chambers; Ver. 13 that is, from the upper Rooms, the Clouds; the effect and end of which,
1. 1Their uſe in general.In general, the ſatisfaction of the Earth, which being thirſty, gapes for Rain, and drinks abundantly from Gods plenty: The Earth is ſatisfied with the fruit of thy works, by the Rain, which is by thy hand prepared, and is thy work in the Clouds.
2. 2In particular.In particular, the effects, ends, and conſequences of theſe dewes and ſhowres are many, which all yet are from God as the prime cauſe; for quod eſt cauſa cauſae, eſt cauſa cauſati.
1. Graſs for the Cattle: He cauſeth the Graſs to grow for the Cattle.
2. Ver. 14 Herbs for Meat and Medicine: And Herbs for the ſervice of men.
3. All kind of Food: And that he may bring forth Food out of the Earth; which without Rain would not be had.
4. And Wine, which hath this lively ſpirit, That it makes glad the heart of man; and if we ſtay there, lawful.
5. And Oyle to make his face to ſhine: Oyle ſupples, comforts, Ver. 15 ſtrengthens the nervs, and keeps the fleſh and skin ſmooth, freſh, plump and youthful.
6. And bread, which ſtrengthens mans heart: Where there is bread, there is no Famine, it ſeems it is the ſtrength of the Feaſt; for it is alwayes the chief and neceſſary part of the Service.
5. 4The Trees.Neither hath the Providence of God been forgetful to provide us Trees alſo, which, beſides they ſerve for divers uſes, as ſhade, building, fuel, and yield many kind of fruit; in the production of them, God hath not forgotten the very Birds, they ſerve them for their Neſts, their Songs.
1. The Trees of the Lord alſo; his Trees, becauſe he firſt made them, and now makes them grow, are full of ſap, which is another effect of the Rain: The Cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted.
2. Where the Birds make their Neſts; as for the Stork, the Firre Trees are her houſe; in them ſlie builds.5Hills.
3. Nay, other Creatures are not forgotten by him, not the Coats, nor the Conies: For the high Hills are a Refuge for the wild Goats, 4The work of the fourth day, Sun, Moon, by them:and the Rocks for the Conies.
3. The Pſalmiſt goes on to the work of the fourth day, the Creation of the two great Luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, and the conſequences of it; Ver. 19 in which Providence alſo is very conſpicuous.
1. He; i. e. God appointed the Moon for certain ſeaſons, that it ſhould ſhine in a fit and apt time in the night, and not in the day.
2. And the Sun knoweth his going down; that it is not to ſhine out of ſeaſon, 1Night, and for reſt.but to give place to the night.
And in this diviſion of time the Providence of God was admirable both to Man and Beaſt: Thou makeſt darkneſs, and it is night.
1. For the good of the Beaſts, even the wildeſt, that they may be ſuſtained; for,
1. The night comes, and then the Beaſts of the Forreſt that durſt not appear by day, do creep forth: The young Lyons roar after their prey, and ſeek their meat from God; that is, ſeek their meat in that manner, as Gods Providence hath ordained.
2. Again, the day appears: The Sun riſeth, and they appear not; they gather themſelves together, and lay themſelves down in their Dens.
2. For the good of man; 2Day for labour.for this diſpoſition of ſeaſons by the courſe of the Sun and Moon, are good for him to; it is, Ver. 23 that he may labour in the day, and reſt in the night; for quod caret alternâ requie durabile non eſt: Man goeth forth to his work and labour; See what he was born to, to get his living by honeſt labour, and not by preying, murdering, tearing and ravening as a Beaſt, that riſeth in the night to that purpoſe; but to labour in the day, and not tire himſelf out neither; labour he muſt all day, and then take reſt: Labour till the Evening.
Upon the conſideration of all which, the Prophet, as a little rap't out of himſelf by the thoughts of Gods Providence, Power, Wiſdom, Goodneſs, interſerts this Exclamation.
O God, how manifold are thy works, in wiſdom thou haſt made them all, the Earth is full of thy riches.His Acclamation to Gods Works.
1. How manifold are thy works, how great, how excellent, how worthy of praiſe; ſuch, that I cannot expreſs them.
2. In wiſdom haſt thou made them all: No thing is raſhly, and by chance done; but all with judgment, and with great Reaſon; nothing in them doth want, nothing doth abound.
3. All the Earth is full of thy riches: No place, no part of it, but in it thy works proclaim that thou art a moſt bountiful and moſt wiſe Creator, and an open-handed and liberal Beſtower of thy Riches.
4.The Ordinance for the Sea. The Amplitude The Prophet hath hitherto ſet forth Gods wiſdom in his works in the Heaven, the Aire, the Earth, and now he deſcends into the Sea, in which he ſhewes his wiſdom.
1. In the Amplitude of it, It is the great and wide Sea, extended far and wide.
2. 5The work of the fifth day, Fiſh.In the Abundance of Fiſh in it, which was the work of the fifth day, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, both ſmall and great animals.
3. In the uſeful Art of Navigation, which God firſt taught by Noah's Ark: There go the Ships.2Creatures in it.
4.3Navigation. In the Whale: There is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein.
5. Gods good neſs in Conſervation of the Creature.The Conſervation of the Creature now followes, from ver. 27. to 30. where their dependance is ſhewed upon the Providence of God, both for their meat, their life, and continuation of them in their ſpecies: For theſe words, Theſe wait all upon thee, though they immediatly reflect upon the fleſh, he laſt ſpake; yet they muſt be referr'd to all Creatures, all having upon God the like dependance. Ver. 27
1. For he gives them meat in ſeaſon.Theſe all wait upon thee: They are all expectants, and wait they muſt, till thou give.
2. That thou mayest give them their meat: Freely give, and meat fit for them, and that in a fit opportune ſeaſon; meat fit for every ſeaſon of the year, and when they want it.
3. That thou givest them, they gather: That, and no more, nor leſs; for it is not meat till God make it ſo; his power and bleſſing muſt co-operate with the ſecond cauſes.
4. Being the Authour of,This he farther explains in the following words, Thou openeſt thine hand, and they are filled with good; filled and ſatisfied from thy open hand, without which, the Husbandmans induſtry, and the fatneſs of the ground is to little purpoſe.
Farther, Life and Death is in thy Power.
1. 1Death.Death, and the Fore-runner of it, Trouble.
1. Thou hideſt thy Face, ſeemeſt to be diſpleaſed, and withdrawes thy help and aſſiſtance, and they are troubled.
2. Thou takeſt away their breath, they dye, and return to their Duſt.
2. 2And life.Life alſo.
1. Thou ſendeſt forth thy Spirit, a vital Spirit, by reſtoring new Individuals to every species; for ſo they are created, that is, formed.
2. And by this, Thou renewedst the face of the Earth; which, if it were not done, The third part. He votes all praiſe to God.the whole World would fail in one Age.
Now after this long Catalogue of the Creatures, and Gods Power, Wiſdom, and Goodneſs, made moſt manifeſt in the Creation, Governance, and Suſtentation of them, he deſcends to what he began with, and votes all praiſe to God; for ſo moſt read, ver. 32.
1. Let the Glory of the Lord, his Glory, for his Wiſdom, Goodneſs, Power, endure for ever, And moves man to an honeſt uſe of the Creature.hallowed be his Name.
2. The Lord ſhall rejoyce in his Works: Let man be ſo careful to uſe them well, that by the abuſe he put not God to grief, and cauſe him to repent that he made them.
3. Which if it happen, it would be remembred, that he is a God, and power able to puniſh the ungrateful perſon how great ſoever: For if he looketh on the Earth with a threatning brow, it trembleth; that Earth, whoſe foundation, he ſaid, ſhould not be removed, ver. 5. He toucheth the Hills, and they do ſmoke; it was ſo as Sinai, Exod. 19.
2. This praiſe he would give.Then he makes an open profeſſion of his own practice.
1. I will ſing unto the Lord as long as I live, I will praiſe my God while I have any being.
2. And this he would do with delight, which is indeed the fat of the Sacrifice: My Meditation of him ſhall be ſweet unto me, I will be glad in the Lord.
3. The fourth part. He imprecates againſt ſinners.And he concludes with an Imprecation againſt unthankful and negligent perſons, who regard not the Works of God, and will not ſee his Glory, Power, Wiſdom, Goodneſs, in his Creating, Governing, and Suſtaining this Fabrique of this Univerſe, and therefore very little praiſe him; againſt theſe he prayes, Ver. 35 That they may be confounded, or converted: Let the ſinners be conſumed out of the Earth; and let the wicked be no more; i. e. Let them ſo fail from the Earth, that either they be converted, and ceaſe to be ſinners; or elſe, if they will continue obſtinate and perverſe, let them periſh out of the Earth.
But O my Soul, be not thou like to them, Bleſs the Lord; Hallelujah.
The Prayer and Meditation out of the one hundred and fourth Pſalm.
O Moſt Omnipotent, Wiſe, Glorious, and moſt merciful God, Ver. 1 how ſhould I, that am but duſt and aſhes, dare to appear in thy preſence! Ver. 2 Thou art cloathed with Honour and Majeſty, and I am a vile worm: Thou art veſted with light, as with a Robe, and I am darkneſs: Thou haſt ſtretched out the Heavens over thee like a Curtain; the Clouds are thy Chariot, the ſwift winds at thy Command, and thy Angels, thy Miniſters, ready to take revenge in a flame of fire upon diſobedient ſinners, if thou give the word. How can I, that am conſcious to my ſelf, of ſo repeated and continu… ſobedience, preſume to be a Petitioner unto thée, or offer up any reque… … There is not a Creature that I caſt my eye on, but upbraids me for negligence and inconſideration, ſince thy Power, thy Glory, thy Wiſdom, thy Goodneſs is illuſtrious in all theſe, and yet I have paſſed theſe by, as if they were not worthy of my ſaddeſt thoughts: Their Natures I have inquired into, but have not looked up to thée the Lord of Nature. O my Soul, then rouze up this deadneſs and dulneſs of ſpirit, aſcend from the Contemplation of the Creature, to the Meditation of the Creator, and remember what the whole Vniverſe preacheth unto thée, That he muſt be a God of Power that hath ſo made, a God of Wiſdom that hath ſo diſpoſed, a God of Mercy and Goodneſs that to this day governs and ſuſtains every Creature to thy uſe and ſervice.
Canſt thou tread upon the Earth, and not admire? Ver. 5 It would ſink under thée, had he not laid the foundations of it ſo ſtrangely and ſtrongly, that it ſhould not be removed. Canſt thou look down upon the Vallies, through which there glide many ſilver ſtreams, and leſs than wonder, that they ſhould deſcend from Rocks of ſtone, and Hills of flint? Ever ſince, That at the rebuke of God the waters fled, and haſted away, and left the Earth uncover'd. Had it not béen for this great Providence of the Almighty, Thou and thy Cattle had dyed for thirſt, and periſhed for want of water.
But his goodneſs ſtayed not here; for, for a neceſſary ſupply he hath placed his Bottles in the Clouds, and thence deſcends in ſilver ſhowers, and watereth the higheſt Hills, and barren'ſt Mountains, That the whole Earth might be ſatisfied with the fruit of his Works. O ungrateful man, aſcribe not too much to thy wit, induſtry, and labour; know that he is the Father of the rain; and did not he from above water what thou planteſt, and give an increaſe to what thou ſoweſt; thy early riſing would be but loſt labour, and all thy foreſight, bread only of carefulneſs. Tho… watereſt and manureſt thy Fields and Meadows, but it is the Lord above that cauſeth the graſs to grow for thy Cattle: Thou delveſt, diggeſt, wéedeſt thy Gardens, but it is the Lord of Heaven that gives life to thy Plants and Herbs; which he commands to ſhoot for thy ſervice, whether for meat or medicine. Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, he brings food out of the Earth; an Herb, a Plant, a Root, a Fruit it may be by that power and virtue which thou haſt eſtabliſhed by the perpetual Law of Nature; but food it will not be without thy bleſſing.
Continue to us then, Ver. 15 merciful God, theſe outward things; but yet ſo, that thou give thy bleſſing with them: It is thy Wine, that muſt make glad the hea…t of man; Ver. 16 and thy Oyle, that makes his face to ſhine; and thy Bread, that ſtrengthens mans heart; the ſap in our Fruit-trées is from thée, and the ſtrength of the Cedars from thy Plantation, Ver. 27 upon thée then will we wait, upon thy Providence will we depend. Give us, O Lord, our meat, and all other neceſſaries, Ver. 28 in due ſeaſon; and when thou ſhalt give it us, we will gather it; for we are aſſured, when thou openeſt thy hand, we ſhall be filled with good: No Creature will be good unto us, except thou be good.
And here, O Lord, I will ſtep aſide to the Sea-ſhore, where I may take a proſpect of that great Pond of the World which retired at thy rebuke, Ver. 7 and dares not return, becauſe of thy Command; and I know not which more to admire, Ver. 9 whether the Element it ſelf, or the Inhabitants that take up their dwelling in it. It roars, foams, ſwells, riſeth into angry Billows, as if it would ſwallow up the Earth; Ver. 25 but thou haſt ſet Bounds upon it, that it may not paſs over, neither turn again to cover the Earth: In it are things créeping, ſwimming, living innumerable, of all ſizes and faſhions, for greatneſs of number, ſtrangeneſs of ſhape, variety of faſhions, nor Aire, nor Earth can compare with the waters; what living Mountains (ſuch are the Whales) …owle up and down in thoſe fearful Billows; for there is that Leviathan, whom thou haſt made … therein: That I ſay nothing of the Ships which paſs upon it, which thou firſt taugh'ſt man to frame, by the example of Noah's Ark, and provided, that the briniſh nature of the Element be able to ſupport them, when loaden with heavy Commodities, and fearful Paſſengers.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wiſdom thou haſt made them all, the Earth is full of thy riches, ſo is the great and wide Sea alſo. How many millions of wonders doth this Globe below offer us, which of the Herbs, Flowers, Trées, Leaves, Séeds, Fruit; what Beaſt, Worm, Fiſh, Bird, is there, in which we may not ſée the foot-ſteps of a Deity? wherein we may not read infiniteneſs of Power, a tranſcendency of Wiſdom? Their frame is a miracle; for thou ſendeſt forth thy Spirit, and they are created: Their diſſolution a wonder; for thou takeſt away their breath, and they dye, and return to their duſt; but yet the continuance of all of them in their ſpecies, matter of greater admiration; for though the Particulars vaniſh, yet the Kind lives, and ſhall live till the diſſolution of all things without any decay in Nature; which could never be, But that thou reneweſt the face of the Earth.
And for the aſſurance of this continuance, Thou haſt ſet thy two faithful Witneſſes in Heaven, the Sun to rule the day, and the Moon the night; who, by their conſtant motions, their ſecret and ſwéet influences, by their light and hoat do comfort all theſe inferiond bodies: They are obedient to thy Word; for the Moon, as thou haſt appointed, obſerves her ſeaſons, and the Sun knoweth his going down; and ſo this light is interchanged with darkneſs, That Beaſts may reſt and prey, and man may labour and reſt. The day dyes into night, and riſeth in the morning, that we never forget that our light of life ſhall ſuffer an Eclipſe; yet ſo, that we ſhall get up again in the morning of the Reſurrection: Say thou the word, and my Soul ſhall be renewed again: Say thou the word, and my body ſhall be repaired from its duſt.
I am a mortal Creature, But thy Glory, O Lord, ſhall endure for ever; and ſo be it, Hallowed be thy Name, and let the Glory of our God continue for ever. As for thy works, give me wiſdom in them to admire thy Wiſdom, and grace ſo to make uſe of thy Goodneſs, That thou mayeſt rejoyce in them, and not repent, that ever thou madeſt any of them for my ſake. I tremble to think of the abuſe, when I read, That thou lookeſt upon the Earth with an angry brow, and it trembleth; and thou doeſt only touch the Hille, and they ſmoke.
By the aſſiſtance of thy Brace I will uſe them ſoberly, and to my ſobriety I will add thanks. I will ſing unto the Lord, as long as I live, I will praiſe my God, while I have my being; my Meditation of him ſhall be ſweet and pleaſant unto me, and I will be glad in the Lord.
As for thoſe ſinners who abuſe thy Creatures, thouch their hearts, that they ſin no longer in the profane abuſe of them; but if they ſhall go on to neglect thy Praiſe, to blaſpheme thy Name, and obſcure thy Glory, let them be conſumed out of the Earth, and let ſuch wicked men be no more. O my Soul, come not into their Aſſembly, but bleſs thou the Lord; and labour to draw all others to ſing an Hallelujah, to magnifie his Power, to exalt his Glory, to ſound forth his Wiſdom, to ſing of his Goodneſs, for his wonderful Creating, his orderly Governing and Diſpoſing, his bountiful Preſerving of the whole World. O my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.