Life is compared to a tale that is told and forgotten; to a word which is but air, or breath, and vanishes into nothing, as soon as spoken; or perhaps, as the original generally signifies, to a meditation, a thought, which is of a nature still more fleeting and transient.

10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten, and if by reason of strength, they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow: for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

This again might be primarily spoken by Moses, concerning Israel. The generation of those who came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upwards, fell within the space of forty years, in the wilderness; and they who lived longest experienced only labou. and sorrow, until they were cut off, like grass, and, by the breath of God's displeasure, blown away from the face of the earth. Like the Israelites, we have been brought out of Egypt, and sojourn in the wilderness; like them we murmur, and offend God our Saviour; like them we fall and perish. To the age of seventy years, few of us can hope to attain; labour and sorrow are our portion in the world; we are mowed down, as this year's grass of the field; we fly away, and are no more seen in the land of the living.

11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

Houbigant renders the verse thus: "Who knoweth," or considereth," the power of thine anger; and thy wrath, in proportion as thou art terrible?" that is, in other words, Notwithstanding all the manifestations of God's indignation against sin, which introduced

death and every other calamity among men, who is there that knows, who that duly considers and lays to heart the almighty power of that indignation; who that is induced, by beholding the mortality of his neighbours, to prepare himself for his own departure hence? Such holy consideration is the gift of God, from whom the Psalmist, in the next verse, directs us to request it.

12. So teach us to number our days, that we may ap hly our hearts unto wisdom.

He who numbers his days, or takes a right account of the shortness of this present life, compared with the unnumbered ages of that eternity which is future, will soon become a proficient in the school of true wisdom. He will learn to give the preference where it is due; to do good, and suffer evil, upon earth, expecting the reward of both in heaven. Make us wise, blessed

Lord, but wise unto salvation!

13. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning, or, be propitiated towards, thy ser

vants.

During the reign of death over poor mankind, God is represented as absent; he is therefore by the faithful entreated to return, and to satisfy their longing desires after salvation; to hasten the day when Messiah should make a propitiation for sin, when he should redeem his servants from death, and ransom them from the power of the grave. The Christian, who knows that his Lord is risen indeed, looks forward to the resurrection of the just, when death shall be finally swallowed up in victory.

14. O satisfy us early, with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

The church prays for the dawning of that glorious morning, when every cloud shall vanish at the rising of the Sun of righteousness, and night and darkness shall be no more. Then only shall we be satisfied, or saturated, with the mercy of Jehovah; then only shall we rejoice and be glad all our days. The time of our pilgrimage upon earth is a time of sorrow. We grieve for our departed friends; and our surviving friends must soon grieve for us. These are the days wherein God afflicteth us, these the years wherein we see evil; but he will hereafter make us glad according to them; in proportion to our sufferings, if rightly we bear those sufferings, will be our reward; nay, these "light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Then shall our joy be increased, and receive an additional relish from the remembrance of our former sorrow; then shall we bless the days and the years which exercised our faith, and perfected our patience; and then shall we bless God, who chastised us for a season, that he might save us for ever.

16. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. 17. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

The redemption of man is that work of God, whereby his glory is manifested to all generations, and which all generations do therefore long to behold accomplished. For this purpose the faithful beseech God to let his beauty, his splendour, the light of his countenance, his grace and favour, be upon them; to establish the work of their hands, to bless, prosper, and perfect them in their Christian course and warfare; until, through him, they shall be enabled to subdue sin, and triumph over death.

PSALM XCI.

ARGUMENT.

THE prophet declares the security of the righteous man under the care and protection of heavén, in times of danger, when a guard of angels is set about him. His final victory over the enemies of his salvation is foretold; and God himself is introduced, promising him deliverance, exaltation, glory, and immortality. The Psalm is addressed, primarily, to Messiah. That it relates to him, Jews and Christians are agreed; and the devil, Matt. iv. 6. cited two verses from it, as universally known and allowed to have been spoken of him.

1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust. 3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

In all dangers, whether spiritual or corporeal, the members of Christ's mystical body may reflect with comfort, that they are under the shadow and protection of the Almighty; who is their refuge and fortress against the open attacks of their enemies, their preserver from the snares of the devil, and from the dominion of sin, that spiritual pestilence.

H