Psalm CL
1 Praise ye the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary:
Praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts:
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
Praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance:
Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals:
Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
When men presume to dictate to the Spirit of God, how deep their fall; as we see in the apocryphal attempts at writing books of scrij)ture to be added to the genuine word of God. So it happens here, also; for the Septuagint have not been content to close the Book of Psalms with this most lofty and sublime doxology, but have added a psalm about David’s history — a tame piece of prose* that surprises every one by its inappropriateness in such a position. But the true close is the 1 50th Psalm, of which it may be said, that as the preceding
* It begins thus —
“I was little among my brethren, and tlic youngest in my lather’s house. I fed the sheep of my father. My hands miirte the organ.”
and ends with —
“I went forth to meet the uncircnmcised, and lie cursed me by his idols. But I, drawing his own sword from liini, cut off hi,’* head, and took away reproach from the children of Israel.” one ushered us into the presence of the King, and placed us with him in his kingdom, this leaves us in it, singing endless “Hallelujahs.”
Augustine ingeniously notices, that “Psalm 50th was one oi repentance; Psalm 100th” (/. e., in the Septuagint-reckoning our 101st) “is about mercy and judgment; but the 150th is the praise of our God in his sanctuary; for there we arrive at life eternal and blessed.” Hengstenberg remarks — “As the life of the faithful, and the history of the Christ, so also the Psalter, with all its cries from the depths, runs out in a Hallelujah!” Dr Allix says of it — “It relateth to Messiah’s reign, when every thing that has breath, or was made by him, shall be subjected to him.” Horsley says of it — “A grand chorus of all voices, and all instruments!”
Patrick has a not uninteresting note on the many instruments of music in Psalm cxlix., which we quote here. “The ancient inhabitants of Etruria used the trumpet; the Arcadians, the whistle; the Sicilians, the pectid; the Cretians, the harp; the Thracians, the cornet; the Lacedemonians, the pipe; the Egyptians, the drum; the Arabians, the cymbal.” (Clem. Psedag. ii. 4.) May we not say that in this Psalm’s enumeration of musical instruments, there is a reference to the variety which exists among men in the mode of expressing joy, and exciting to feeling? All nations, come and praise! Use every energy, for praise! Men in every variety of circumstances, men of every various mood, men of all capacities, come and praise! Each in his own way, sing “Hallelujah!” And in the words of another — “The Church composed of many diiFerent members, all actuated, like the pipes of a well-tuned instrument, by the same spirit, will become one great instrument, sending forth the praises of God Most High.”
“Praise ye H’’” — the peculiar name of God in covenant with Israel.
“Praise ye ^^” — the name that implies dominion over all the earth.
The instruments of
music here.
I. Where shall His praise be uttered? In his sanctuary, ThepUn where everything speaks o{ redemption; and in the firmament, which his might has spread forth between earth and heaven, on the platform of creation.
II. Why? Because of his deeds as the Mighty One* — those beams of glory inexpressible; and because of the “multitude of His greatness” — that Source of all these beams, his own nature in itself
III. Wherewith? With every instrument — with trumpet, psaltery, harp, soft timbrel, pipe, stringed instruments, and wind-instruments; with cymbals, softly played (V’Q’^ that do not overpower the voice of the singer); and with cymbals of jubilee, (2 Sam. vi. 5). Not merely an instrument of ten strings, as at other times, but ten distinct instruments are called for; and twelve times is the call uttered, “Praise ye!” ^7711. Twelve times; so that each tribe is summoned, and then all the universe besides, to use their voice.
“Let every thing that hath breath, praise Jehovah!”
All creation is summoned to take part, and angels too; lor they have interest in our redemption scenes — since He is to “reconcile all things to himself, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven,” (Col. i. 20).
What magnificence and majesty in this close! Praise gathered in from every creature; every instrument of joy, and gladness, and triumph, and jubilee, summoned to sound loud praise; and every heart and voice engaged to help the choir. “Every voice teems with praise; every thought is about praise; every object awakens it; every power uses itself for His service “(Meditat. on Psalms). And no wonder, when we remember that we are ushered into the kingdom.” The Levites have changed their service now; no longer have they burdens to bear through the wilderness; but they lift up new songs in the house of the Lord. The heavens have changed their glory too; they have ended their laughter at the proud confederates (Psalm ii. 8); and are now filled with joy and singing, and with that glory which is to break forth from them, and be a covering
* The note, in the Version of Junius and Treniellius, on the 13th verse of Psalm cxlviii., applies here also, a note wherein they say, “that the cause of praise is both God’s own great name, and also his doings to his Church:” Ctijus resdtKtionem res omnes creatce expectant exerto cnpite, et anyeli ipsi cupiimt introgpicere. Rom. viii. If); 1 Peter i 12.
over all the dwellings of Zion, (Isa. iv). These are days of heaven upon the earth! The kingdom has come; and the will of the Blessed is done here as there. The mystic ladder connects the upper and the lower Sanctuaries. Praise crowns the scene. The vision passes from before us with the chanting of all kinds of music. Man has taken the instrument of joy into his hand; but it is only to God’s glory he strikes it. The creature is happy; God is glorified; yes, praise, all praise! untiring, satisfying fruit of lips uttering the joy of creation, and owning the glory of the Blessed One,” (Medit. on the Psalms, p. 195).
We close the Book with something of the feeling with which we suppose John came away from hearing “the voice of much people in heaven, saying, Hallelujah!” We seem to have been brought within hearing of heavenly melody, from heavenly harps and voices. Is not the closing verse taken up in Rev. v. 13 — “And every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever!” And again, in Rev. xix. 6, 7, when the great multitude, with voice “as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,” cry, “Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come!”
May my voice be raised in that mighty thunder of praise, in the great congregation! rapturously uniting with Israel, and all the saints, in this grand chorus of the universe, this full-toned
Call upon the imiverse at large to ‘praise JeJiovah with heart, and soul, and mind, and viight /
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