The Psalms have been the general song of the universal Church; and in their praise, all the Fathers have been unanimously eloquent. Men of all nations find in these compositions a language at once suitable to their feelings, and expressive of their highest joys and deepest sorrows, as well as of all the endlessly varied wishes and desires of their hearts. Whether the pious believer is disposed to indulge the exalted sentiments of praise and thanksgiving towards the ALMIGHTY FATHER of his being; to pour out his soul in penitence or prayer; to bewail, with tears of contrition, past offences; to magnify the goodness and mercy of GOD; to dwell with ecstasy on the divine attributes of wisdom and omnipotence; or to rejoice in the coming of the MESSIAH, the Psalms afford him the most perfect models for expressing all his feelings.
1. Praise God in his sanctuary. This psalm in general commends the spiritual worship of God, which consists in sacrifices of praise. By the sanctuary there is little doubt that heaven is here meant, as is often the case elsewhere. The second clause is exegetical, for the same thing is repeated. But for sanctuary we read רקיע, rekia, that is, the expanse of heaven, to which is added the epithet of power, because there we have a proof of the matchless power of God, so that we cannot look to the heavens without being lost in admiration. As to the interpretation which some give — Praise God, ye angels who inhabit the heavens, and ye men who dwell under the firmament, it is forced and unnatural; for the Psalmist, in order to awaken men who grow languid in God’s praises, bids them lift their eyes towards the heavenly sanctuary. That the majesty of God may be duly reverenced, the Psalmist represents him as presiding on his throne in the heavens; and he enlarges upon the same truth in the second verse, celebrating his power and his greatness, which he had brought under our notice in the heavens, which are a mirror in which they may be seen. If we would have our minds kindled, then, to engage in this religious service, let us meditate upon his power and greatness, which will speedily dispel all such insensibility. Though our minds can never take in this immensity, the mere taste of it will deeply affect us. And God will not reject such praises as we offer according to our capacity.
3. Praise him with sound of trumpet. I do not insist upon the words in the Hebrew signifying the musical instruments; only let the reader remember that sundry different kinds are here mentioned, which were in use under the legal economy, the more forcibly to teach the children of God that they cannot apply themselves too diligently to the praises of God — as if he would enjoin them strenuously to bring to this service all their powers, and devote themselves wholly to it. Nor was it without reason that God under the law enjoined this multiplicity of songs, that he might lead men away from those vain and corrupt pleasures to which they are excessively addicted, to a holy and profitable joy. Our corrupt nature indulges in extraordinary liberties, many devising methods of gratification which are preposterous, while their highest satisfaction lies in suppressing all thoughts of God. This perverse disposition could only be corrected in the way of God’s retaining a weak and ignorant people under many restraints, and constant exercises. The Psalmist, therefore, in exhorting believers to pour forth all their joy in the praises of God, enumerates, one upon another, all the musical instruments which were then in use, and reminds them that they ought all to be consecrated to the worship of God.
6. Whatever breathes, etc. As the word נשמה,neshamah, means breath, or blowing, and whatever is animate, or breathes, the words may be extended to every kind of living creatures, as we have seen in the preceding psalms that the declaration of God’s praises is assigned even to things wanting intelligence. But as men exclusively are often meant under the name of “flesh,” so we may very well suppose that the words have reference here to men, who, although they have vital breath in common with the brute creation, obtain by way of distinction the name of breathing, as of living creatures. I am led to think this for the following reason: As yet the Psalmist has addressed himself in his exhortations to the people who were conversant with the ceremonies under the law, now he turns to men in general, tacitly intimating that a time was coming when the same songs, which were then only heard in Judea, would resound in every quarter of the globe. And in this prediction we have been joined in the same symphony with the Jews, that we may worship God with constant sacrifices of praise, until being gathered into the kingdom of heaven, we sing with elect angels an eternal hallelujah.
An exhortation to praise God with all kinds of instruments.
THIS is likewise a psalm of praise, in which the author calls upon men to magnify the Lord in every thing in which he chose principally to manifest his glory; and upon every kind of instrument. See the title to the fourth psalm.
Psa 150:1. Praise God in his sanctuary- Or, In his holiness; i.e. "For the inexpressible purity and holiness of his nature." In the firmament of his power, means, "For the vast extent of his power, which is expanded and diffused over all his works." Mudge renders it, Praise him in the expanse of his strength.
Psa 150:5. Praise him upon the loud cymbals- With the voice-cymbals. Mudge. The two kinds of cymbals, says he, seem one to be soft and low, and therefore to admit a voice to be heard; from whence the name: the other to be high and loud. But very frank and honest is the confession of Aben-ezra upon this subject. "We have no way to know what several of these musical instruments were; there being many to be found in the country of the Ishmaelites (i.e. Mahometans), which are not among the men of Edom; i.e. Christians; and others among them, which the wise men of Israel never heard of." It may be proper just to observe, that the Vulgate and other versions add another psalm at the end of this book; which they tell us in the title was written by David when he went to engage with Goliah. But the composition is evidently apocryphal, and unworthy the pen of David. See Chandler, vol. 1: p. 70.
"The book of psalms," observes Mr. Locke, "has in it a greater number of prophesies than any other book of the Old Testament. We cannot be mistaken in following the sense which the authors of the New Testament have fixed upon the psalms; who generally understood them in the same sense in which they were received among the Jews. Many psalms do so visibly mention the glory of the kingdom of the Messiah, after the destruction of the Antichrist, and the calling of all nations, who before never heard of the gospel, that the very Jews do understand them accordingly. Such, in their opinion, are the 90th psalm and following, to the 101st; and their testimony about the sense of these psalms may well be taken for a prescription against the pretended allegories which many commentators find in them, as if those psalms had been fulfilled already. Where the coming of the Messiah is spoken of, the psalms that mention it are commonly understood of his first coming, though both his coming the first and second time are often joined together. This may be seen in the 22nd psalm, and in the 2nd chapter of Isaiah, where both comings are put together, as if but one; though St. Paul has exactly distinguished them, 2 Thessalonians 2., Isaiah having marked out by the name of the wicked one, him whom Christ is to destroy at his second coming, as St. Paul explained it, and the Jews do acknowledge. It is plain that a great many psalms, where mention is made of his destruction, and where the church prays for it, do particularly concern the church and the Jews together: the Christian church, which shall then be delivered from the tyranny of her persecutors; and the Jews who are to be called again after the destruction of the Anti-christian kingdom. It cannot be doubted but that the psalms, where mention is made of the promise to the patriarchs, and where the fulfilling of them is prayed for, do peculiarly relate to the Jews in their last dispersion: so that if the Christian church sings them, she must look on them as so many tokens that God will one day call the Jews again. The poor-the afflicted-the remnant-do commonly signify the Jews. Mention is made in many psalms of Edom, as the oppressor of the Christian church, and the Jewish church too. The following prophets do clearly intimate that this ought to be understood of Rome, and her antichristian kingdom; from which it plainly appears, that those psalms ought accordingly to be so understood which mention the violence of Edom, and the destruction of Idumea."
REFLECTIONS.-Thirteen times in the compass of six short verses does the Psalmist repeat the exhortation to praise. His own heart glowed with gratitude; he would inculcate upon us the great and delightful duty of praise; and, because our cold hearts are so backward, he would rouse us from our lethargy, and stir us up to join his songs. Observe,
1. Where God's praise is to be expected. In his sanctuary below, where his worshipping servants must unite their voices to adore his name; or, in his holy one, Christ Jesus, for whom, and through whom, all the sacrifices of his people's praises ascend, and are accepted before God; and in the firmament of his power, above, where angels ceaseless adore him, and all glorified saints will shortly join them in this happy service.
2. Abundant reason there is for praising him, because of his mighty acts of creation, providence, redemption, and grace, wherein his excellent greatness, or the multitude of his greatness, appears: excellence above conception, and greatness so surpassing, that all our praises come infinitely short of his glory; yea, the highest angels, after their most enlarged adorations, own him far exalted above all blessing and praise.
3. The manner of our praises. With all melody in our hearts, and sacred joy, of which these instruments of music that were used in the service of the sanctuary, were typical: and as the union of various sounds and instruments heightens the harmony, so must the people of God united in love, unite their voices, with one mind and one mouth glorifying God.
4. Who must praise? Every thing that hath breath. The brute creation, though not with voice articulate, speak his praise. The sons of men throughout the world are called upon to use that speech which God hath given them, in this best employment of it; especially the living souls, quickened by the Eternal Spirit, have peculiar cause of praise, whether considering the distinguished privileges that they enjoy, or the greater glories which are before them. In heaven whither we are going, all will be praise. It is good to begin the happy service here, and antedate our joys; then, when our moment here below shall end, and this faultering tongue, unable longer to sustain the notes, is silent on the bed of death, borne upon angels' wings, our souls shall take their flight, and with enraptured exultation join the hallelujahs of the sky. Amen, and Amen!
