Psalms 103

This Psalm contains a thankful Commemoration and Celebration of Gods mercies to the Psalmist himself, and to the people of Israel, and to all good men.

BLess the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name Let all my thoughts and affections be engaged, and united and stirred up to the highest pitch in and for this work..

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases Either 1. spiritual diseases, lusts or corruptions which he subdues and purgeth out by his grace; as this phrase is used, Psal. 41. 5. Isa. 6. 10. and 53. 5. Or 2. corporal diseases or miseries, of which this word is used, 2 Chron. 21. 18, 19. Ier. 14. 18. and 16. 4..

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction Both temporal and eternal, from deadly dangers and miseries., who crowneth thee i. e. Encompasseth and adorneth thee, as a Crown does. with loving kindness and tender mercies.

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things Who satisfieth all thy just desires and necessities.: so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles Either 1. As the Eagle reneweth her youth by casting all her old Feathers and getting new ones, whereby it seems to grow young again. But this being common to all Birds would not have been appropriated to the Eagle. Or rather 2. Like the youth of an Eagle. As the Eagle lives long in great strength and vigour, so that the old age of an Eagle is used proverbially for a lively and vigorous old age. So this is a promise of a long and comfortable life..

The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed Which being a singular perfection, and that wherein most of the Princes of the World were and are defective, is justly celebrated in God..

He made known his ways Either 1. his laws, which are oft called Gods ways. Or.... the manner and methods of his dealings with men, and especially with his people, called in the next clause his acts; his merciful and gracious nature and providence, which is particularly called Gods way, Exod. 33. 13. compared with v. 18, 19. and with Exod. 34. 6, 7. and which is here described in the following Verses. unto Moses, his acts His marvellous and gracious works. unto the children of Israel.

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger Not speedily punishing sinners, but patiently waiting for their repentance., and plenteous in mercy.

He will not always chide Or, contend, by his judgments with Sinners, but is ready to be reconciled to them, to wit, upon their true repentance, as is manifest from innumerable Texts, and from the whole scope and design of Scripture.: neither will he keep his anger Which word is understood here, as also Levit. 19. 18. Ier. 3. 5. Nah. 1. 2. as is evident from the thing it self and from the former clause. The Hebrew is a concise language, and there are many such Ellipses in it, as 2 Sam. 6. 6. compared with Exod. 9. 9. and 1 Chron. 18. 6. comp. with 2 Sam. 8. 6. Psal. 3. 7. Eccles. 7. 15. for ever.

He has not dealt with us after our sins He has punished us less than our iniquities have deserved, as was confessed, Ezra 9. 13.: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the Heaven is high above the earth: so great So much above their deserts and expectations, and above the mercy which one man shows to another. is his mercy towards them that fear him Which clause he adds here, as also v. 17, 18. to prevent mens mistakes and abuses of Gods mercy, and to dash the vain hopes of impenitent sinners in Gods mercy..

As far as the east is from the west: so far has he removed our transgressions from us The guilt of our sins from our persons and consciences. The sense is, He has fully pardoned them, so as never to remember them more, as he promiseth, Ier. 31. 34. Heb. 10. 17..

Like as a father pitieth his children: so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

For he knoweth our frame Either 1. the corruption of our natures; which God is pleased sometimes to make an argument to pity and spare men; as Gen. 8. 21. So the sense is, He considereth that great and constant propension to evil, which is naturally in all mankind, and that therefore, if he should deal severely with us, he should immediately destroy us all. So this clause contains one motive of Gods pity, and the next another. Or rather 2. the weakness and mortality of our natures and the frailty and misery of our condition, as it seems to be explained in the following clause, that we are but dust. So the sense is, He considereth that if he should let loose his hand upon us and pour forth all his wrath, we should be suddenly and irrecoverably destroyed, and therefore he spareth us.: he remembreth that we are dust.

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field Which is more exposed to Winds and other violences than the Flowers of the Garden which are secured by the art and care of the Gardiner., so he flourisheth.

For the wind passeth over it A blasting or stormy wind bloweth upon it., and it is gone: and the place thereof shall know it no more There is no more any appearance nor remembrance of it in the place where it stood and flourished..

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting But though we quickly decay and perish, yet Gods mercy to us does not die with us, but as it was from Eternity exercised in gracious purposes, so it will be continued unto eternity in that future and endless life. upon them that fear him See before on v. 11.: and his righteousness Either his faithfulness: or (that this branch may answer to the former) his mercy or benignity: this word being frequently used in both these sences, as has been proved before. But it is here called righteousness, to intimate that Gods kindness to the posterity of his people is not only an act of his goodness but also a discharge of his obligation under which he put himself to them as elsewhere, so Exod. 20. 6. to which this place seems to relate. Hence it is called mercy to Abraham, and truth to Iacob, Mic. 7. 20. unto childrens children:

To such as keep his covenant To them that perform the conditions of Gods Covenant; that sincerely love and obey him. Such restrictions are oft added as in the general to overthrow the presumptuous hopes of ungodly men, so particularly to admonish the Israelites not to rest too much upon the priviledges of their Parents or the Covenant made with them, nor to expect any benefit by it, but upon condition of their continuance in Gods Covenant., and to those that remember his commandments to do them That have them much in their thoughts and practise them in the course of their lives..

The LORD has prepared Or rather, established. Having celebrated Gods mercy to his people, he now praiseth him for his excellent Majesty and universal Dominion. his throne in the heavens Which notes the eminency, glory, power, stability and unchangeableness of Gods Kingdom.: and his kingdom ruleth over all Over all Creatures both in Heaven and in Earth..

Bless the LORD, ye his angels Which, though glorious Creatures, are but his Ministers and Messengers, as the word signifies. And by inviting the Angels to bless God he quickens men to the same duty as having more dependence upon God and obligation to him., that excel in strength Of which see one evidence 2 Kings 19. 35. You are freed from the impotencies and infirmities of mankind., that do his commandments That live in an universal, constant and perfect obedience to all Gods commands, which the best of men through the infirmity of the flesh do frequently violate., hearkening unto the voice of his word That diligently wait for Gods commands or errands, and execute them with all chearfulness and readiness..

Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts Ye Angels; to whom he still continues his address, and whom he more particularly describes by the name of hosts, a title oft given to the Angels, as Gen. 32. 2. 1 Kings 22. 19. 2 Chron. 18. 18. Luk 2. 13. Revel. 19. 14. in regard of their vast numbers, mighty power, unanimous concurrence, and exquisite order. In the former Verse the expression was indefinite definite and general, ye his angels, here it is universal and yet particular, all ye his hosts. He seems to apply himself to the several Orders of Angels, of whom see Eph. 3. 10. Coloss. 1. 16. and to each individual Angel., ye ministers This Hebrew word is commonly used of the highest and most honourable sort of Servants. of his that do his pleasure Whose constant business and delight it is to execute the will and commands of God..

Bless the LORD all his works in all places of his dominion All Creatures both in Heaven and Earth, according to your several capacities.: bless the LORD, O my soul Which thou hast special and abundant reason to do. Thus he ends the Psalm with the same words wherewith he began it..