land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: 22. Even an heritage unto Ifrael his fervant: for his mercy endureth for ever. 23. Who remembered us in our low eftate: for his mercy endureth for ever. 24. And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

From the works of Creation the Pfalmift proceeds to thofe of Providence and Grace. He celebrates that mercy which rescued Ifrael from oppreffion, brought them out of the houfe of bondage, divided the fea to make a way for them, fupported and conducted them through a waste howling wildernels, crufhed the might and power of those who opposed them, and at length fettled them in the inheritance promifed to their fathers. Eternal mercy hath in Chrift Jefus realized all these figures, and accomplished the great redemption, thus foreshadowed of old. The Ifrael of God hath been refcued from the oppreffion of Satan, and brought out of the houfe of fpiritual bondage. In the waters of baptifm the old man of fin is buried, and we arife triumphant, to fing the praifes of God our Saviour, who from thenceforth fupports and conducts us in our paffage through the world, ftrengthening us in the day of battle against every enemy that oppofeth us, until we enter the heavenly Canaan, promised to the fathers of our faith, and dwell for ever in the poffeffion of Peace. When we confider how God has thus "remembered us in our low 66 eftate," and thus "redeemed us from our enemies,” can we be weary of repeating, "For his mercy en

"dureth for ever?"

25. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy

endureth

endureth for ever. 26. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The fame bounty, which in the natural world, provideth proper nutriment for every creature, hath alfo provided, for the fpirits of all flesh, the bread of eternal life. In either fenfe, Jehovah "openeth "his hand, and filleth all things living with plen"teoufnefs." Be therefore his praife as univerfal and lafting as his mercy.

PSALM CXXXVII.

ARGUMENT.

The Ifraelites, captives in Babylon, 1, 2. defcribe their woful eftate, and 3, 4. the infults of their cruel mafters. 5, 6. They declare their inviolable affection for Jerufalem; 7. pray that God would remember the behaviour of Edom; and 8, 9. predict the deftruction of Babylon. The Pfalm admits of a beautiful and useful application to the state of Chriftians in this world, and their expected deliverance out of it.

1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we fat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

What an inexpreffible pathos is there in these few words! How do they at once transport us to Babylon, and place before our eyes the mournful fituation of the Ifraelitish captives! Driven from their native

country, ftripped of every comfort and convenience, in a strange land, among idolaters, wearied and brokenhearted, they fit in filence by thofe hoftile waters. Then the pleasant banks of Jordan present themfelves to their imaginations; the towers of Salem rife to view; and the fad remembrance of much-loved Zion causes tears to run down their cheeks: " By "the waters of Babylon we fat down, yea, we wept "when we remembered Zion!" Befides the ufe which may be made of this Pfalm by any church, when, literally, in a state of captivity, there is a fenfe in which it may be used by us all. For Zion is, in Scripture, the standing type of heaven, as Babylon is the grand figure of the world, the feat of confufion, the oppreffor and perfecutor of the people of God. In thefe, or the like terms, we may, therefore, fuppofe a finner to bemoan himself upon the earthO Lord, I am an Ifraelite, exiled by my fins from thy holy city, and left to mourn in this Babylon, the land of my captivity. Here I dwell in forrow, by thefe tranfient waters, mufing on the reftlefs and unftable nature of earthly pleasures, which pafs fwiftly by me, and are foon gone for ever. Yet for these, alas, I have exchanged the permanent joys of Zion, and parted with the felicity of thy chofen. Wherefore my heart is pained within nie, and the remembrance of my folly will not let me reft night or day. O Zion, thou holy and beautiful city, the temple of the Lamb, the habitation of the bleffed, the feat of delight, the land of the living, when shall I behold thee? When fhall I enter thy gates with thanksgiving, and thy courts with praife? The hope of a re

turn

turn to thee is my only comfort in this vale of tears, where I am and will be a mourner, till my captivity be brought back, and my forrow be turned into joy.

2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midft thereof.

The additional circumftance, which the divine painter hath here thrown into his piece, is, to the last degree, just and ftriking. It was not enough to reprefent the Hebrew captives weeping, on the banks of the Euphrates, at the remembrance of Zion, but, upon looking up, we behold their harps unftrung, and pendent on the willows that grew there. The fincere penitent, like them, hath bidden adieu to mirth; his foul refufeth to be comforted with the comforts of Babylon; nor can he fing any more, till pardon and restoration fhall have enabled him to fing, in the temple, a fong of praise and thanksgiving.

3. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a fong; and they that wafted us, required of us mirth, faying, Sing us one of the fongs of Zion. 4. How fhall we fing the LORD's fong in a frange land* ?

The Babylonians are introduced as infulting over the Ifraelites, and scoffing at their faith and worship,

* Many fingers were carried captives, Ezr. ii. 41. These would of course take their inftruments with them, and be infulted, as here. Their fongs were facred, and unfit to be fung before idolaters. But the words, "How fhall we fing," &c. are not an answer given to them, but the free utterance afterwards of the feelings of the Jews among themfelves. ANONYMOUS NOTES IN MERRICK'S ANNOTATIONS.

not

cr

not without a tacit reflection on their God, who could not protect his favoured people against their enemies. "Now fing us one of your fongs of Zion; now let "us hear you found the praifes of that God, of whom ye boafted, that he dwelt among you in the temple "which we have laid waste, and burnt with fire." Thus the faithful have been, and thus they will be infulted by infidels, in the day of their calamity. And how," indeed, can they fing the Lord's fong in a strange land ?" How can they tune their voices to feftive and euchariftic ftrains, when God, by punishing thein for their fins, calleth to mourning and weeping? But then, Ifrael in Babylon forefaw a day of redemption; and fo doth the church in the world; a day, when the hall triumph, and her enemies fhall lick the duft. No circumftances, there. fore, fhould make us forget her, and the promises concerning her.

5. If I forget thee, O Jerufalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerufalem above my chief joy.

The whole nation may be fuppofed in these words to declare, as one man, that neither the afflictions nor the allurements of Babylon fhould efface from their minds the remembrance of Jerufalem, or prevent their looking forward to her future glorious reftoration. If any temptation fhould induce them to employ their tongues and their hands in the fervice of Babel rather than in that of Zion, they wish to lofe the use of the former, and the skill of the latter. The thoughts and affections of true penitents, both in

prosperity