Ps. cvii. 1 — 3. 0 give thanka unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, ivhom he hath redeemed from the hand of tJie enemy ; and gathered them out of the lands, from the cast and from the west, from the north and from the south.
THE intent of this psalm appears to be, not merely to display the providence of God as inter- posing in all the concerns of men, but especially the goodness of God in vouchsafing to hear the prayers of men, and to grant them deliverance in answer to their supplications. This is illustrated under a variety of interesting images. His interpositions are described in behalf of travellers lost, but con- ducted home in safety ; of prisoners rescued from merited captivity ; of persons sick and dying, re- stored to health ; of mariners preserved, and brought to their desired haven. But we must not confine our attention to temporal deliverances only ; for it is manifest in the very commencement of the psalm that respect is had to the goodness and mercy of God in their most extended operations, and especially in the great work of Redemption : for it is " from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south," that he has already ga- thered his redeemed people % and that he will yet gather them into the kingdom of his Messiah'', even *' Shiloh, unto whom shall the gathering of the
people ^ Matt. viii. 11. " Isai. xliii. 5, 6. & Ivi. 8.