Psalms 104
PATdominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. Yea, let every creature,.throughout the wide world, proclaim, as well as it is able, the loving-kindness of the Lord: let none of them be silent, but all with one consent bless his holy name: and thou, O my soul, be sure thou never forget to make one; O fail not to bear thy part in this joyful choir, that daily sing his praise,, ARGUMENT. The foregoing and the following Psalm being certainly composed by David, the Greeks, and from them several tither ancient interpreters, have ascribed this also to the same author* For which they had this farther reason, that it begins (as Abcn Ezra observes) just as the foregoing Psalm ends: and celebrates the mighty power and goodness of God in the fabric of the world; as the hundred and third 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. G.) To strengthen this conjecture of mine, it may be observed, that he begins this Psalm with such an admiration of Gdd’smost excellent perfection, as we meet withal in David’s prayer: immediately after God. had certified him of his love towards him, though he would not let him build him a house: (2 Sam. vii. 22.) TIiou art great; O Lord, for there is none like tinto thee. In the same manner he saith here, O Lord my God, thou art very great: as he proceeds to demonstrate from his wonderful 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 inferior things: which depend so much upon the sun, the moon, and heavenly bodies, that all of them together declare the most admirable wisdom of him by whom they were composed; and should excite all mankind to his perpetual praises. Which that we may do the more affectionately, when we use this Hymn, I have often repeated the beginning of it> as I did in the foregoing, Vcr. 1.15 LESS the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.] Stir up thyself, 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. as we, the same power, and wisdom, 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, (Gen, i. 31.)
Psalms 104:2
Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain. The light, which dazzles our eyes with its splendour,. is the Toyal 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.
Psalms 104:3
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the ivaters; who makeththe clouds his chariot; who walketh upon the wings of the wind.‘J 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 arc 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 than the wind, wherewith he visits every part of his dominion.
Psalms 104:4
Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire. Into which he sends his angels (and what king is there that hath such noble ministers?) sometimes in vehement winds, and sometimes in lightning and thunder,* whereby they execute his royal pleasure.
Psalms 104:5
Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Who hath settled the massy globe of the 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. Ver. G. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.] It was all covered over at the first with waters, (Gen. i. 2.) which were « so deep, that there was no appearance of the highest mountains.
Psalms 104:7
At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. Till thy omnipotent word charged them to retire, (Gen. i. 9.) at which they started back, and suddenly shrunk away; as an affrighted slave doth, when he hears the thunder of his master’s threatcnings, \i his commands be not obeyed. Vcr. 8. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for ^ them.] Immediately the dry land was seen; part of which (by thy wonderful 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.’
Psalms 104:9
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to covdr the earth. And there, though they restlessly toss and swell, yet they can-« not get over the shores, wherein thou hast enclosed them: nor shall they ever recover their former liberty, to overflow the earth again.
Psalms 104:10
He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. 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 enlarge their streams.
Psalms 104:11
They give drink to every beast of the field: the tcild asses quench their thirst. Which afford, not only to us, but to all the beasts of the earth, such abundant refreshment, when they arc dry; that even the dull asses, whd live in parched deserts, find them out to quench their thirst.
Psalms 104:12
By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.) The birds of the air also delight to resort IhithcT; where, having wet their throats, they sit and chaunt the various notes among the thick boughs of the trees, which grow upon the banks.
Psalms 104:13
He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied tuith the fruit of thy works. As for the hills, which constantly thus enrich the lower grounds, he waters them from the regions above: whence dews distil, and -showers of rain come pouring down, by thy marvellous contrivance, O Lord, unto the satisfaction of them, and of all the rest of the earth.
Psalms 104:14
He causeth tlie grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth. 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 physic.
Psalms 104:15
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthened mans heart. But rather take our pleasure and delight in the rich wines, which he produces to cheer the drooping spirits of miserable men: together.with oil to anoint their Jieads; and bread to recruit their strength, when it is spent with toil and labour..
Psalms 104:16
The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted. Blessed be the LoTd^ 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 man, 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.
Psalms 104:17
Wliere the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir-trees are her house. 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.
Psalms 104:18
TJie high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies. And with no less safety the wild goats deposit their young, in the tops 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.
Psalms 104:19
He appointeth the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down. By his most wise contrivance tlie moon hath her full and her wane; and the sun doth not always shine, but observes a constant time for its going down.
Psalms 104:20
Thou makest darkness, and it is night; wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. And then darkless 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 put of their lurking-places, and seek their food.
Psalms 104:21
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. Which the rayeniug young lions then xnieet withal; 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.
Psalms 104:22
Tlie sun ariscth, they gather themselves together, and lay them doivu in their dens. When the sun again appearing, and rousing us out of our sleep, they all return with one consent, and lay themselves down in their several dens..
Psalms 104:23
Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour t until the evening. And so man, refreshed by the night’s repose, goes forth, without any danger, about his business in the fields: and continues his labours till the night call him to rest again.
Psalms 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. O eternal Lord! how many and how great are thy works! and with what admirable wisdom hast thou contrived them all! If we look no farther than this earth, what astonishing variety of good things do we behold, wherewith thy bounty hath enriched it!
Psalms 104:25
So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. And this great and spacious sea also, whichr seems to embrace the earth in its arms, is no less full of thy wonderful 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:
Psalms 104:26
There go the ships; thereis that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. 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.
Psalms 104:27
These wait all upon tJiee, that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. 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 benefactor, arc duly and seasonably supplied, with the food they seek, by the care thou takest of them. >.
Psalms 104:28
Tliat thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good-. For they only gather what thou, without any care of theirs, dispensest to them: and thou art not sparing of thy blessings; but hast made a most plentiful provision, which thou scatterest every where for them. >
Psalms 104:29
Thouhidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. If it fail at any time, by the suspense of thy heavenly in-. fluences, all things look most ruefully: they grow weak, nay, die; and are dissolved into the elements out of which they were made.
Psalms 104:30
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth. But then thou sendest forth again thy quickening power; whereby new ones arc 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.
Psalms 104:31
Hie glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: tht Lord shall rejoice in hiswo?‘ks. Thus the world is still as full as ever it was; and all future ages shall praise, as well
Psalms 104:32
He looketh onthe earthy and it trembleth; he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. 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.
Psalms 104:33
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise unio my God while I have my being. I will never cease therefore to sing the praises of the Lord; who, as he created, so supports and maintains the whole fabric of heaven and earth, and all the creatures contained 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.
Psalms 104:34
My meditation of him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord. With such affection will I praise him, that all my thankful meditations and discourses shall be, I hope, no less pleasing to him, than they shall be to myself: 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. Vcr. 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the tvicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.] But as for them, whose only pleasure it is to satisfy 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 ungrateful; O my soul, never imitate their impiety, or negligence;- but be excited thereby to the greater diligence, in praising thy great Creator and Benefactor. And let all those who have any sense of him, stir up themselves, and join with me in his praises.