Psalms 147

This Psalm may seem from v. 2. & 13. to have been composed by some holy Prophet after the return of Israel from the Babylonish Captivity. It containeth an ample celebration of Gods praises both for common mercies, and for special favours.

PRaise ye the LORD: for it is good It is acceptable to God, and greatly comfortable and beneficial to our selves. to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.

The LORD does build up Jerusalem It is the Lords own doing, and not mans.: he gathereth together the out-casts Or, the banished, who were carried captives out of their own land, and dispersed in divers strange countries. of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart Either with the sense of their sins: or with their sorrows and grievous calamities. He seems to speak peculiarly of the captive Israelites now returned., and bindeth up their wounds.

He telleth the number of the stars Which no man can do, Gen. 22. 17. For those thousand and twenty five which Astronomers number, are only such as are most distinctly visible to the eye, and most considerable for their influences.: he calleth them all by their names This signifies, 1. that he exactly knows them as we do those whom we can call by name; he is able to give distinct names to each of them, because he accurately understands their several natures and operations: 2. That he has a Soveraign power over them, as men have over their children or servants or souldiers whom they can call by name, that he appointeth and governeth all their motions and influences to the fulfilling of his own pleasure and purposes..

Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving: sing praises upon the harp unto our God.

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens Which he mentions partly because they were most contemptible, especially to the Jews, to whom they were unclean and forbidden for food: partly because they are greedy and voracious: and partly because they are not only neglected by men, but also forsaken by their dams as soon as ever they can flie, and so are wholly left to the care and keeping of Divine providence. which cry.

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man As if he needed either the one or the other for the accomplishment of his designs..

The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy That believingly and patiently expect and seek relief and happiness from God alone, and from his mere grace and mercy, and not from any creature, nor from their own merits..

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Zion.

For he has strengthened the bars of thy gates Thy strength consists not in thy walls and gates and bars, but in his protection.: he has blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders In all thy land, even to its utmost borders, which are most liable to the incursion of enemies., and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

He sendeth forth his commandment Which is sufficient without any instruments to execute whatsoever pleaseth him, either in works of nature or of providence. upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly The thing is done without delay or difficulty..

He giveth snow like wool Not only in colour and shape and softness, but also in use, keeping the fruits of the earth warm.: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes In colour and smalness of parts, as also in its burning quality..

He casteth forth his ice Either, 1. pieces of ice, which God may be said to cast forth or to cast down, because he sendeth it, and oft-times suddenly: or, 2. great hail-stones, which are of an icy nature and substance, and which are very properly cast forth or cast down out of the clouds, and that like morsels or fragments, the particles being congealed in them. like morsels: who can stand before his cold The cold which he sometimes sends into the air is so sharp, that it would be intolerable, if men did not defend themselves from it by houses, cloaths, fire, &c.?

He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind The Southern or some other warm wind sent with commission to dissolve the ice. to blow, and the waters flow The rivers return to their course which before were bound up by, or turned into, ice..

He shows his word He fully declared his mind and will by revelation and in his word. unto Jacob To the children of Iacob or Israel, and to them alone, as it follows., his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

He has not dealt so with any nation He left all others to their own native darkness and blindness, and to those dim discoveries of God and of themselves which they had from the light of Nature.: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.