now and ever, in oppofition to the fpirit of God; it's defign is always the fame, although it's methods of working be divers. Nor can we be ignorant of those domestic adverfaries, that affembly of haughty and turbulent paffions, which are continually making infurrections, and deftroying the peace of the foul. So that either from without, or from within, every one, who is a Chriftian in deed, shall be sure to have his portion of tribulation.

15. But thou, O LORD, art a God full of compaffion, and gracious long fuffering, and plenteous in goodness and truth.

Having taken a view of those that are against us, it is now time to look up to thofe that are with us. And can we have better friends, than all these gracious and favourable attributes of heaven? Can more comfortable and joyful tidings be brought us, than that God loveth us with a father's love; that he is ready to pardon, flow to anger; and that we have his truth pledged for the performance of his mercy? What a fountain of confolation is here opened for the afflicted Chriftian! "Let him drink, and "forget his poverty, and remember his mifery no "more." Prov. xxxi. 7.

16. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy ftrength unto thy fervant, and fave the fon of thine handmaid.

On the confideration of the abovementioned attributes, a petition is in this verfe put up to God, that he would "turn" his face towards us; that he would of his "mercy" pardon us, by his grace "ftrengthen" us, and by his power "fave" us from G

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all our adversaries. Every Chriftian is the " servant" of God, and "the fon of his handmaid," the church, which may say, in the fame fpirit of humility and obedience, with the bleffed virgin, "Behold the "hand maid of the Lord."

17. Shew me a token for good, that they which hate me may fee it, and be ashamed; because thou, LORD, haft holpen me, and comforted me.

Many outward "figns" and "tokens" of the divine favour were in old time vouchfafed to patriarchs, prophets, and kings of Ifrael. The law itself was a collection of external and facramental figures of grace and mercy. All these centred and had their accomplishment in that grand and everlasting fign and token of God's love to man, the incarnation of Chrift, which all faithful people from the beginning wifhed and prayed for. On this fign, the Christian looks with joy, as the great proof that God has "hol<< pen him and comforted him;" while his faith in it doth not fail, he hath the witness in himself, and his actions declare as much to all around him ; "that

they which hate him may be ashamed" and converted, before that day come, when fhame fhall be fruitlefs, and converfion impoffible.

PSALM LXXXVII.

ARGUMENT.

The prophet 1-3. celebrates the ftability and felicity of Sion; 4, 5. foretels the accefsion of the Gentiles to her, and 6. their enroll

ment among her citizens; 7. extols her as the fountain of grace and falvation. The Pfalm was probably penned, on a survey of the city of David, just after the buildings of it were finished.

1. His foundation is in the holy mountains: or, It is his, i e. God's foundation in the mountains of holiness! 2. The LORD loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

The Pfalmift, after having meditated on the ftrength, the beauty, and the glory of Jerufalem, being smitten with love of the holy city, and inagining the thoughts of his hearers, or readers, to have been employed on the fame fubject, breaks forth at once in this abrupt manner: "It is HIS foundation "on the holy mountains." By "the holy moun"tains" are meant thofe hills of Judea, which Jehovah had chosen, and separated to himself from all others, whereon to conftruct the highly favoured city and temple. As the dwellings of Jacob, in the promised land, were beloved by him more than the dwellings of other nations, fo he "loved the gates " of Sion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob." Jerufalem was exalted and fortified by it's fituation; but much more fo by the protection of the Almighty. What Jerufalem was, the Chriftian Church

Some commentators fuppofe this verfe to be a part of the title, which will then run thus: "For the fons of Korah, a "Pfalm; a fong, when he laid the foundation on the holy

mountains"

G 2

is;

is;

"built" by God" on the foundations of the "Apoftles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being

the chief corner ftone; in whom all the building, "fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy tem"ple in the Lord." Ephes. ii. 20. "It is HIS foun"dation in the holy mountains;" fhe is beloved of God above the kingdoms and empires of the earth, which rife and fall only to fulfil the divine counfels concerning her. When thofe counfels fhall be fulfilled, in the falvation of all believers, the world, which fubfifts only for their fake, will be at an end. 3. Glorious things are Spoken of thee, thou city of God.

As the prophet began, in a rapture, to speak of the holy city, fo now, in fresh transport, he changes the perfon, and fuddenly addreffes himfelf to it. The old Jerufalem was "the city of God, and glorious "things were therefore faid of it" by the Spirit. Pleafant for fituation, and magnificent in it's buildings, it was the delight of nations, the joy of the whole earth; there was the royal refidence of the kings of Judah; there was the temple, and the ark, and the glory, and the King of heaven dwelling in the midst of her; her ftreets were honoured with the footsteps of the Redeemer of men; there he preached, and wrought his miracles, lived, died, and rofe again; thither he fent down the Spirit, and there he firft laid the foundations of his church. To know what "glorious things" are faid of the NEW Jerufalem, the reader muft perufe Ifai. Ix. and Rev. xxi, xxii.

4. I will make mention of Rahab, or, Egypt, and Babylon, to them that know me: Behold, Philiftia, and Tyre,

Tyre, with Ethiopia, or Arabia, this man was born there. 5. And of Sion it shall be faid, This and that man was born in her; and the Highest himself fhall eftablish her.

The acceffion of the nations to the church is generally supposed to be here predicted. God declares by his prophet, "I will make mention of," or "caufe to be remembered Egypt and Babylon," the old enemies of Ifrael, "to" or 6c among them "that know me," that is, in the number of my worshippers; "Behold" alfo "Philiftia, and Tyre, "with Arabia;" these are become mine; "this," or each of thefe, " is born there," i. e. in the city of God; they are become children of God, and citizens of Sion; fo that " of Sion," or the church, "it fhall be faid, This and that man," Heb. " a man and a man * " i. e. great numbers of men in fucceffion," are born in her;" alluding to the multitudes of converts under the Gospel, the fons of that Jerufalem, "which is the mother of us all;" Gal. iv. 26. " and the Highest himself shall establish

Dr. Durell renders WIN WIN "The man, even the man," that is," the man of men;" or "The greatest of all men." The reduplication, he thinks, according to the oriental phrafeology, must mean the fuperlative, or highest degree. He adds-According to this interpretation, every one will fee who this eminent perfonage was to be, from whose birth Zion (used by a fynecdoche for Judea) was to acquire fo much glory. The latter Hemiftic" And the Higheft himself shall establish her" -seems to me to have reference, not to God the Father, but to his Son; it appearing to be exegetical of the preceding one, and to describe his Divine, as the other does his human nature. CRITICAL REMARKS, p. 167.