1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. This psalm begins and ends like Psalm 103, and it could not do better: when the model is perfect it
deserves to exist in duplicate. It is idle to stir up others to praise if we
are ungratefully silent ourselves. O Lord my God, thou art very great. This ascription has in it a remarkable blending
of the boldness of faith and the awe of holy fear: the psalmist calls the
infinite Jehovah my God, and at the same time, prostrate in amazement at
the divine greatness, he cries out in utter astonishment, Thou art very great. God was great on Sinai, yet the opening words of his law were, “I am the Lord thy God”; his
greatness is no reason why faith should not put in her claim, and call him all
her own. The declaration of Jehovah’s greatness here given would have been very
much in place at the end of the psalm, for it is a natural inference and
deduction from a survey of the universe: its position at the very commencement
of the poem is an indication that the whole psalm was well considered and
digested in the mind before it was actually put into words; only on this
supposition can we account for the emotion preceding the contemplation. Observe
also that the wonder expressed does not refer to the creation and its
greatness, but to Jehovah himself. It is not “the universe is very great!” but “Thou art very great.” Many
stay at the creature, and so become idolatrous in spirit; to pass onward to the
Creator himself is true wisdom. Thou art clothed with honor and majesty.
Thou thyself art not to be seen, but thy works, which may be called thy
garments, are full of beauties and marvels which redound to thine honor.
Garments both conceal and reveal a person, and so do the creatures of God. The
Lord is seen in his works as worthy of honor for his skill, his
goodness, and his power, and as claiming majesty, for he has fashioned
all things in sovereignty, doing as he wills, and asking no one’s permit. He
must be blind indeed who does not see that nature is the work of a king. His majesty
is, however, always so displayed as to reflect honor uppon his whole character;
he does as he wills, but he wills only that which is thrice holy, like himself.
The very robes of the unseen Spirit teach us this, and it is ours to recognize
it with humble adoration.
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