Psalms 147

Psalms 147:1-11

This is another psalm of praise; perhaps in his coming to the kingdom, when those who followed his fortunes, do not go, were referred to honour and dignity. 1. We are called upon to praise God, ver. 1, 7, 12. 2. We are furnished with nature for praise, for God is to be glorified, (1.) As the God of nature, and to be in very great, ver. 4, 5, 8, 9, 15-18. (2.) As the God of grace, comforting his people, ver. 3, 6-10, 11. (3.) As the God of Israel, Jerusalem, and Zion, settling their civil state, ver. 2, 13, 14. and especially settling religion among them, ver. 19, 20.

1. Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. 2. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathered together the out-calls of Israel. 3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. 4. He teileth the number of the stars: he calleth them all by their names. 5. Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. 6. The LORD lifeth up the meek: he calleth the wicked down to the ground. 7. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving: I sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh graft to grow upon the mountains. 9. He giveth to the death his food, and to the young ravens which cry. 10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh one pleasure in the kegy of a man. 11. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

He takes up this psalm as he concludes the former, with Hallelujah! and abundant cause there is, why we should

continually sing and give praise unto the Lord. He is our God; we have an interest in his favour: It is good to do so, our bounden duty, and highest interest. It is pleasant, for this service is especially its own reward: it is comely, pleasing to God, and most becoming us as his creatures, especially in his chosen in a covenant of everlasting love; and particularly we are bound to praise him.

1. For his kindness and care towards his city and people. The Lord builds up Jerusalem: he gathered together the out-calls of Israel: literally, when David repaired the city, and those who had suffered with him as out-loves, were rebured; or spiritually, he buildeth up his gospel-church, and prepares the heavenly Jerusalem for their abode, who by far had made themselves out-calls; and whom the world, on their returning to God, rejected as the off-scouring of all things.

2. For his compactions towards the miserable. He healeth the broken in heart, whose souls by sin were sore troubled, and, shocked at the remembrance of path transcriptions, were ready to lie down in despair, and perish. These he healeth, pouring in the oil of his blood, that cleanseth from all sin, and with the tender hand of his grace healed up their wounds, speaking peace to their consciences, and filling them with his divine consolations.

3. For his infinite power and wisdom, v. 5. Innumerable as the stars are, to him they are known; for they are indeed his own workmanship, and he coales them all by their names, appoints them their place, and they as servants are obedient as his orders. So great and glorious is the Lord; so great his power, so infinite his understanding. His saints are the stars in his right hand; he knoweth them, and in his book of life their names are written.

4. For his dealings towards the sons of men. The Lord fiftieth up the meek, who in their own eyes are little, and patiently endure the afflictions of providence, or the provocations of men. These he comforts; and will exalt to the inheritance among the saints in light; but he upforth the united down to the ground, with strokes of heavy judgment in this world, by fedden and untimely death, and at last will cast them down into the pit of everlasting destruction.

5. For his providential regard towards all the creatures. Drawn up in copious exhalations, thick clouds of water cover the skies: formed by his power into drops of rain, they empty themselves on the mountains, causing the grain to spring, and providing thereby plenty of food for all animals, the means and most useless of which are not forgotten or neglected; but even the cry of the young ravens is heard and answered. Now, (1.) The clouds of affliction, when darkest, serve but to prepare in for greater fruitfulness in our souls. (2.) If the ravens cry is heard, surely our prayer shall not be disregarded; he that feedeth them, will much more provide all needful supplies for his own people. For.

6. In them is his delight, and therefore they owe him praise. God delight not in the strength of the boy, or in any man’s legs: the finest cavalry, or the fennest infantry, are vain things to save a man without God’s blessing; but the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, and in those that hope for his mercy; filial fear and holy hope being the distinguishing characters of God’s people; and that mercy, on which in Christ they alone depend, shall never, never sail them.

7. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Zion. 13. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates: he hath blessed thy children within thee. 14. He maketh peace in thy borders: and filletth thee with the finest of the wheat. 15. He fendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word unmeth very fevifity. 16. He giveth fouw like wool: he featureeth the hoar-froft like albes. 17. He calleth forth his ice like morfels: who can stand before his cold? 18. He fendeth out his word, and meheth them: he cauteeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19. He steweth his word unto Jacob: his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalms 147:12-20

Jerusalem and Zion, the figures of the gospel-church, are called upon to praise the Lord their God.

1. For their prosperity under the divine protection. He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates: his salvation, his power, and faithfulness, stronger than walls and bulworms, formed his people. He hath blessed thy children within thee; the spiritual feed of the church, begotten through the ministry of the gospel, and enriched with all the spiritual blessings of grace and glory in Christ Jesus. He maketh peace in thy borders; quieting all his Zion’s enemies without, and befrioting abundance of peace within; spiritual peace in their souls, and great union and harmony among the faithful; and filletth thee with the finest of the wheat; all needful temporal good, or the bread of life in the gospel.

golpel, by which the souls of believers are supported and strengthened. Mercies inestimable! and calling for louder praise than any merely temporal good vouchshed to the inhabitants of Judea.

2. For God’s providential government in the kingdom of nature. He findeth forth his commandment upon earth, and his will all things obey. His word rematch very justly: he speaks, and it is done; which may respect either the word of his providence directing the rain and the snow to fall; or the word of his gospel, which by the preaching of the apostles was quickly spread through the world. He giveth some fire and fire whiteness, and conveys warmth to the earth on which it falls. He fastened his tear-fog the after; the dew of night coagulating, and covering, as afters spread abroad, the plants and trees. He cofeth forth his ice like morsels; either in bad hours that fall, or when the lifeless flood in the uncruited waters. Who can stand before his cold? The intenseness of which would infirmly destroy us, if God was pleased to expose us to its extremity. He findeth out his word, and mulatto them: he cofeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow, disliving the ice and snow, and making the verdun; and flowers of spring fucceed to the cold and decay fences of winter. Nate, like the frozen earth is the sinner’s heart, till God’s Spirit becomes upon it; then fathered into deep contrition, the penitential tears begin to flow, and soon the whole soul puts on a new object, filled with the blefdoms of grace, and fruits of righteousness, which are, thro’ Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God.

3. For that divine revelation, with which they were peculiarly favoured. He floweth his word unto Jacob, his flatates and his judgments unto Israel. Israel was peculiarly distinguished by those oxades of God committed to them, containing the promise and precepts, moral and ceremonial. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments they have not known them: as therefore the peculiar favourites of heaven, they of all others were bound to fidelity, blessing, and praise. Nate, The cafe is our own: this happy land enjoys in its purity the gospel-word: may we know our mercies, improve them, and be thankful; hell, by neglect of our Bibles, it should be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for us.