EXPOSITION. Ver. 2.-Praise him for his mighty aots; PSALM OL. l.e. for the great acts of his providence, Oolllll!ENTATORS generally o.re agreed that especially for his deliverances of Israel. this is a most noble pso.lm, a, fit conclusion Praise him aocording to his exoelle:it great- to the noble coffec.tionwhich hero termi• Jless; rather,hia abo-unrling greaine88(Ka.y); nates. Professor Cheyne says, " P~. cl. or, his manifold greatness (Cheyne). Ver. 3.-Praise him with the sound of the closes this Hallelujah group (Pas. cxl vi.-cl.) trumpet. (On the use of the trumpet in not less worthily than the whole group con- Divine service, see Lev. xxiii. 24; xxv. !) : cludes the Psalter. It is the fino.le of the Numb. x. 10; 2 Sam. vi. 15; 1 Cliron. xiii. s~Jritno.l ce>_ncert." Hengstenberg observes, 8; xv. 24; xvi. 6; 2 Chron. v. 12, 1a; viL "We- have here a full-toned call to the 6; xxix. 27; Pss. lxui. 3; xcviii. 6.) Praise him with the psaltery and harp (comp. Pas. praise of God, quite appropriate to the lvii. 8; luxi. 2; cviii. 2; I Chrun. xv. 16; ·close llf this psalm-cycle and of the whole 2 Chron. v. 12, etc.). Psalter." The "Four Friends" say," With Ver. 4.-Praise him with the timbrel and these grand words the Psalter closes." Dr. danoe (comp. Pd. cxli.x. 3). Praise him with Mason Good points out, as the spociality of stri.Dged instruments and organs; literally, illith strings and pipe. "Organs " are, of the psalm, that it sets before us in detail course, out of tho question. The "pipe" the various clemerits of the temple music. intended is probably the double pipe so "The enraptured minstrel," he remarks, often represente,l on the monuments of "now rises upon the full strc·toh of his E~ypt, Assyria, and Phamicia. pinions, and addresses himself to o.11 the Ver.5.-Pre.ise him upon the loud cymbals; powers and faculties of his symphonious ••praise him upon the high-sonnding cymbals. We oan hardly," says Professor Cheyne, brotherhood: to the enchantment of flowing " venture to distinguish two kinds of cym• numbers, and the overwhelming ecstasy of bo.ls on the ground of these two epithet&'' an harmonious peal, poured forth in all its Tbe mention of "cymbals" is reserved to strength, from pipe and string and shell of the Inst, as being the instrument of musio every kind, each, with devotional rivalry, most expressive of joy nnd jubilo.tion, It completes the musical climo.x, as ver. 6 striving to snrpnss eaoh in pealing forth completes tho ideo.l one. his prnise, from whom they derivo breath, Ver. 6.-Let every thing that hath breath vibrntion,o.nd sound." No psalm rises more prniae the Lord; liter,llly, tha whole of breath gro.ndly from verse to verse, or terminates (oomp. Rev. v. 13, ".And every crenture in a nobler or grandor olimo.x, "Let every· which is in hcnven, nnd on the earth, e.nd under the enrth, and such us o.re in the se~ thing that hn th breath praise the Lord." o.nd all thnt are in them, heard I saying, Ver. !.-Praise ye the Lord. Praise God Blessing, nnd honour, and glory, and power, in his sanotuary. This is the right render• be unto him that silteth upon the throne, ing, o.nd not that of the Pro.yer-book Ver• o.nd unto the Lamb for ever nnd ever; 11 see siou, " Praise God in his holiness." Isrnel nlso Ps. oxlviii. 7, 10-12). Praise ye the is called upon to give God praise in his Lord. "As the life of the faithful, snu. the holy temple. Praise him in the firmament history of the Church, so nlso the Paulter, of his power; i.e. in the broo.d expanse of with all its oriea from the depths, runs out heaven, the sign o.nd see.t of his power. in n hallelujnh 11 (Hongatenberg).
HOMILETICS. Vers.1-6.-Hallelujah: our life a psalm. There is no distinctive truth taught here; each verse gives utterance to that which has boen sung before (see especially Pa. cxlviii.). But the strain of the psalm is that of an earnest summons to ruake the prajse of God t_1!_e prevailing note of our life. L~t life be charged and crowneJ with praise. 1. If regularly at the sanctuary, there m order that it may be offered else. where, everywhere. 2. If on the sabbath day, then that it may be presented every day. 3. If with trumpet and cymbal, thus that it may be sounded on every instru- ment that can make music unto tho Lord. 4. If rendered for his " mighty acts " e~pecially, it is not to be withheld for his daily and hourly loving-kindnesses. 6. Prnis11 l'SALIIB-III. 2 ~ 418 '!'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. cL. 1-0. ------------------------ should, in !ts fulness ~,nd s"'.eetness and heartiness on our part, answer to " the o.bun- dance of his _greatness -" ~Is excellent gre:itness" (ver. 2). 6. P;-aiso should proceed from every hp, from every hfe (ver. 6); from the youngest who is old enouO'h to lisp his Name, and from the oldest who has strength enough left to make mention of his grace; from the sick on their couch as they anticipate the time when there will be "no more pain;" from the bereaved as they re.'\lize all that their departed friends were to tbei_u through years of health and service, and as they look forward to the glad day of reumon, and from the strong and active in the midst of the strife of life; from those who study, and from those who "labour, working with their hands;" from those who rule, and from those who serve. A life of praise is a life of holy fragrance, acceptable to God and well-pleasing to mnn. It is excellent in itself, and it is pro- motive and pro1,hetic of the time when "tbe whole earth shall be filled with his glory."