1 PraiseThe prophet exhorts the people to praise God for his past benefits, that by this their minds may be strengthened against all present troubles and despair.ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
2 Who can expresse the noble actes of the Lord, or shewe forth all his prayse?
3 Blessed [are] they thatHe shows that it is not enough to praise God with the mouth, unless the whole heart agrees to it, and all our life framed after it.keep judgment, [and] he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, with theLet the good will that you bear to your people extend to me, that by it I may be received into your number.favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5 That I may see the felicitie of thy chosen, and reioyce in the ioy of thy people, and glorie with thine inheritance.
6 We haveBy earnest confession of their sins and of their father's, they show that they hoped that God according to his promise would pity them.sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers vnderstoode not thy wonders in Egypt, neither remembred they the multitude of thy mercies, but rebelled at the Sea, euen at the red sea.
8 Nevertheless heThe inestimable goodness of God appears in this, that he would rather change the order of nature than have his people not be delivered, even though they were wicked.saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9 And he rebuked the red Sea, and it was dryed vp, and he led them in the deepe, as in the wildernesse.
10 And he saued them from ye aduersaries hand, and deliuered them from ye hand of the enemie.
11 And the waters couered their oppressours: not one of them was left.
12 ThenThe wonderful words of God caused them to believe for a time, and to praise him.believed they his words; they sang his praise.
13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for hisThe would prevent his wisdom and providence.counsel:
14 But lusted with concupiscence in the wildernes, and tempted God in the desert.
15 And he gave them their request; but sentThe abundance that God gave them did not profit, but made them pine away, because God cursed it.leanness into their soul.
16 They enuied Moses also in the tentes, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord.
17 The earth opened andBy the greatness of the punishment the heinousness of the offence may be considered: for they who rise against God's ministers rebel against him.swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18 And the fire was kindled in their assembly: the flame burnt vp the wicked.
19 They made a calfe in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus they changed theirHe shows that all idolaters renounce God to be their glory when instead of him, they worship any creature much more wood, stone, metal or calves.glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
21 They forgate God their Sauiour, which had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wonderous woorkes in the lande of Ham, and fearefull things by the red Sea.
23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, hadIf Moses, by his intercession, had not obtained God's favour against their rebellion.not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy [them].
24 Yea, they despisedThat is Canaan, which acted as a promise of the heavenly inheritance to come, though it was only worth a penny in comparison to the value of the inheritance itself.the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
25 But murmured in their tentes, and hearkened not vnto the voice of the Lorde.
26 ThereforeThat is, he swore. Sometimes also it means to punish.he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
27 And to destroy their seede among the nations, & to scatter them throughout the countries.
28 They joined themselves also untoWhich was the idol of the Moabites.Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of theSacrifices offered to the dead idols.dead.
29 Thus theySignifying that whatever man invents of himself to serve God by, is detestable and provokes his anger.provoked [him] to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
30 Then stood upWhen all others neglected God's glory, he in his zeal killed the adulterers and prevented God's wrath.Phinehas, and executed judgment: and [so] the plague was stayed.
31 And that wasThis act declared his living faith, and for his faith's sake was accepted.counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
32 They angered [him] also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill withIf so notable a prophet of God does not escape punishment, though others provoked him to sin, how much more will they be subject to God's judgment, who cause God's children to sin?Moses for their sakes:
33 Because they vexed his spirite, so that hee spake vnaduisedly with his lippes.
34 Neither destroied they the people, as the Lord had commaunded them,
35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their workes,
36 And serued their idoles, which were their ruine.
37 Yea, they sacrificed theirHe shows how monstrous a thing idolatry is, which can win us to things abhorring to nature, while God's word cannot obtain small things.sons and their daughters unto devils,
38 And shed innocent blood, euen the blood of their sonnes, & of their daughters, whome they offred vnto the idoles of Canaan, and the lande was defiled with blood.
39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and wentThen true chastity is to cleave wholly and only to God.a whoring with their own inventions.
40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he abhorred his owne inheritance.
41 And hee gaue them into the hande of the heathen: and they that hated them, were lordes ouer them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them, & they were humbled vnder their hand.
43 ManyThe prophet shows that neither by menace nor promise we can come to God, unless we are altogether newly reformed, and his mercy covers and hides our malice.times did he deliver them; but they provoked [him] with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Yet hee sawe when they were in affliction, and he heard their crie.
45 And he remembered for them his covenant, andNot that God is changeable in himself, but that then he seems to us to repent when he alters his punishment, and forgives us.repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
46 And gaue them fauour in the sight of all them that lead them captiues.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, andGather your Church which is dispersed, and give us constancy under the cross, that with one consent we may all praise you.gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, [and] to triumph in thy praise.
48 Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel for euer and euer, and let all the people say, So be it. Praise yee the Lord.
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