Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 136
The Hundred and Thirty Sixth PSALM.
The hundred thirty ſixth is the magnifying of God's continual mercies in the exerciſe of his power, in the creation of the world, redemption and preſervation and advancement of his people; and is one of them which is intitled Hallelujah, (which probably it had in the front, though now it be placed in the cloſe of the former Pſalm, both in the Hebrew and Chaldee) and is by the Jews called the †foreigngreat Thankſgiving.
1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 1. Let the whole world in a moſt ſolemn, humble, devout manner, acknowledge the great bounty and liberality of God, and the continual exerciſes of his mercy, which is not, nor ever ſhall be at an end, but is conſtantly made good unto his ſervants in all the motions of their lives.
2. O give thanks unto the God of Gods; for his mercy endureth for ever.
3. O give thanks unto the Lord of Lords; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 2, 3. Let them adore, and worſhip, and praiſe him with all poſſible expreſſions of veneration and admiration, as the onelyonly and ſupreme Governour of the whole world, infinitely above all the heathen moſt adored deities, and above the greateſt potentates on earth, and withall as a moſt gracious Father of infinite never-failing mercies toward thoſe that adhere to him.
4. To him who alone doeth great wonders; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 4. There is nothing ſo difficult which he is not able to bring to paſs, all nature is ſubject to his power, as it is not to any other whoſe eſſence and power both are finite and limited, and overruled by him, and this power of his moſt ſignally exerciſed for the ſupporting and aſſiſting of his ſervants.
5. To him that by wiſedom made the heavens; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 5. A work of that power it was by which he at firſt created the upper part of the world, the body of the heavens and air; and in the fabrick thereof was infinite wiſedom expreſt as well as power, yea and infinite mercy alſo to us men, for whoſe uſes and benefit that ſtately fabrick was principally deſigned.
6. To him that ſtretched out the earth above the waters; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 6. A like act of infinite power and wiſedom it was, when the waters covered the face of the earth, and ſo rendred it unhabitable to us, to prepare vaſt receptacles for the waters, and thither to convey and remove them from the ſurface of the earth, and ſo to ſecure the earth by bounds ſet to the Ocean, that it ſhall not be overflowed by it, but remain a peaceable fruitfull ſafe habitation for us, which is an act of the ſame infinite conſtant mercy.
7. To him that made great lights; for his mercy endureth for ever:
8. The ſun to rule by day; for his mercy endureth for ever:
9. The moon and ſtars to rule by night; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 7, 8, 9. A like act of his power and wiſedom it was, and ſo alſo of his infinite mercy and bounty toward us, that he created the ſun, moon and ſtars, for ſuch excellent benefits of mankind, not onelyonly illuminating this lower world of ours, but refreſhing and warming, and ſending forth various influences into every the meaneſt creature, by theſe great inſtruments managing, and guiding, and preſerving, and by propagation continuing all creatures, directing them in all their undertakings, preparing both for work and reſt, and providing all things neceſſary for them.
10. To him that ſmote Aegypt in their firſt-born; for his mercy endureth for ever:
11. And brought out Iſrael from among them▪ for his mercy endureth for ever:
12. With a ſtrong hand and with a ſtretched out arm; for his mercy endureth for ever:
13. To him which divided the red ſea into parts; for his mercy endureth for ever:
14. And made Iſrael to paſs through the midſt of it; for his mercy endureth for ever:
15. But overthrew Pharaoh and his hoſt in the red ſea; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. But yet more peculiarly hath his power and mercy to us been magnified in reſcuing our whole nation out of the ſlavery and oppreſſions of Aegypt, and this in a moſt prodigious manner, multiplying judgmen… upon the Aegyptians … one degree to mother, till at length he deſtroyed the firſt-born in every family, upon which they were inforced to let us go; but then farther interpoſing for us, by making the red ſea recede till our people paſt through the chanel of it, and then bringing it back again in a full violence upon the armies of the Aegyptians, which purſued us at our departure, and overwhelming and drowning all of them: which was ſuch an heap of prodigies of mercies to us his unworthy people, that no ſtory hath ever exemplified in any other time.
16. To him which led his people through the wilderneſs; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 16. And after this leading us through the deſart for many years together, he miraculouſly provided neceſſaries for us, ſending us bread from heaven, abundance of delicate food, and water out of a rock of …nt, and ſo gave us con… teſtimonies of his infinite unexhauſted bounty.
17. To him which ſmote great Kings; for his mercy endureth for ever:
18. And ſlew famous Kings; for his mercy endureth for ever:
19. Sihon King of the Amorites; for his mercy endureth for ever:
20. And Og the King of Baſhan; for his mercy endureth for ever:
21. And gave their land for an heritage; for his mercy endureth for ever:
22. Even an heritage unto Iſrael his ſervant; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. And then to perfect his mercy, he led us to that land of Canaan which he had promiſed to give to the poſterity of Abraham, and by his ſole power and conduct inabled us to conquer and deſtroy great and eminent Princes with their whole armies, ſuch were Sihon and Og (ſee Pſal. 135.11, 12. and Numb. 21.24, &c.) which came out againſt us, and by theſe ſlaughters rooted them out, planting us in their ſtead, giving us a moſt fertile Kingdom to poſſeſs as our own, for our ſelves and our poſterities. An unparallel'd number and weight of mercies, which ought for ever to be commemorated by us. (And yet for all this, but a weak imperfect ſhadow and reſemblance of the redemption of mankind out of a far more unſupportable ſlavery under ſin and Satan, which by the gift of his own Son he hath wrought for us.)
23. Who remembred us in our low eſtate; for his mercy endureth for ever:
24. And hath redeemed us from our enemies; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 23, 24. And though ſince our coming unto all this plenty, he hath permitted us, upon our provoking ſins, to be brought low and oppreſſed by our enemies; yet hath he not utterly forſaken us, but again returned in mercy to us, and reſcued us out of their hands, and reſtored us wonderfully to our former peace and ſafety.
25. Who giveth food to all fleſh; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 25. Yet neither are his mercies confined and incloſed within ſo narrow a pale as this of the people of Iſrael, but it is inlarged to all mankind (even to all living creatures in the world) which as they have from him their original being, ſo have they their continual ſupport, and a conſtant ſupply to all their wants, of what ſort ſoever they are, all that is neceſſary to their bodies as well as their ſouls.
26. O give thanks to the God of heaven; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 26. All which, and all the goodneſs that any man partakes of in this life, is but an efflux from that unexhauſted fountain of infinite bounty, deſcends from the Father of lights, the one Creatour and preſerver and governour of the world, and ſo is to be own'd and acknowledged by all, and he to have the th…nks and honour and glory of it. O let all men in the world pay him this tribute, and never miſs to commemorate his endleſs mercies.