13. Thou hast a mighty arm: ftrong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.

The Pfalmift, having produced and meditated on some eminent inftances of divine power, draws this general conclufion from the premifes. Towards the Christian church "the arm of Jehovah" hath been revealed in a ftill more extraordinary manner. She reflecteth on the wonders wrought by Jefus; a conqueft over more formidable enemies than Pharaoh and his Egyptians; a redemption from more cruel bondage; falvation from fin and death; a new creation, new heavens, and new earth, a new Jerufalem, and a fpiritual Sion. With additional conviction may she therefore exclaim, "Thou haft a mighty arm; ftrong "is thy hand, and high is thy right hand!"

14. Juftice and judgment are the habitation, Heb. the establishment of thy throne: mercy and truth Shall go before thy face.

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Although the power of God be infinite, yet is it never exerted, but under the direction of his other attributes. When he goeth, as a judge, to his tribunal, mercy and truth go before his face;" they are represented as preceding him, to give notice of his advent, and to prepare his way. "All the ways, or difpenfations" of the Lord," as it is elfewhere observed," are mercy and truth;" Pf. xxv. 10. they are the substance of all his revelations, which either promife falvation, or relate the performance of fuch promises. By thefe is man warned and prepared for

judgment;" which is to be the last and finishing fcene. And when the great judge of all the earth fhall from his throne pronounce the irreversible fen

tence, not a creature then present shall be able to accuse that sentence of injuftice. After this model fhould the thrones of princes, and the tribunals of earthly magiftrates, be conftituted in " juftice and "judgment," adorned with " mercy and truth.”

15. Bleed is the people that know the joyful found: they fhall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

Next to the praises of Jehovah, is declared the happiness of those who have him for their God; who "know the joyful found, or found of the trumpet," by which the festivals of the Jewish church were proclaimed, and the people were called together to the offices of devotion; who enjoy the "light" of truth, and through grace are enabled to "walk" therein. Thefe bleffings are now become our own; the evangelical trumpet hath founded through the once heathen world; the fun of righteousness hath rifen upon all nations. Let us attend to the "joyful found;" let us "walk" in the glorious "light."

16. In thy name fhall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteoufnefs fhall they be exalted. 17. For thou art the glory of their ftrength and in thy favour our horn fhall be exalted. 18. For the LORD is our defence; and the holy One of Ifrael is our King.

It is the duty of Chriftians, as it was that of Ifraelites, to afcribe all their ftrength, their fuccess, and their glory, whether in matters temporal or fpiritual, to Jehovah alone. Having heard the found, and experienced the illuminating and reviving influences of the Gospel, in the name and in the falvation of God we rejoice all the day, and in his righ

teousness

teousness only we truft to be exalted to heaven: to him we attribute the glory of that ftrength, with which, in time of temptation, we may find ourselves happily endued; and in his favour, or grace, our horn, or the efforts of our power, fhall be exalted, and crowned with victory; our defence in all dangers is from Jehovah, who was ever the fhield of his ancient people; and the Holy One of Ifrael is our Redeemer, and our King.

19. Then thou Jpakeft in vifion to thy holy one, and faidft, I have laid, or, placed help upon, or, in one that is mighty: I have exalted one chofen out of the people.

The covenant, made with David, was mentioned in general terms, above, at verse 4, 5. But a more particular account is now given of God's difpenfations, relative to the fon of Jeffe, and his pofterity. We are presented with the substance of the revelation made, upon this fubject, "In vifion," to one of the prophets, perhaps Samuel, or Nathan, here ftyled an "holy one," or religious perfon, one favoured and accepted by God, who is introduced as manifefting to this his prophet the divine counfels concerning David. "I have placed help upon, or in

one, who shall become an eminent and mighty Sa"viour of Ifrael; from among all the people I have "chofen, and determined to exalt him, for that pur"pofe, to the throne." Thus was Meffiah foretold, in prophetical vifions and revelations, as the perfon defigned to be the mighty Redeemer of his church; thus, in the fulness of time, was he chofen from H 4 among

among all the children of men, and exalted, through fufferings, to an eternal throne.

20. I have found David my fervant: with my holy oil have I anointed him; 21. With whom my hand fhall be established, mine arm alfo fhall ftrengthen him.

David was the fervant of God; he was, by the prophet Samuel, anointed with oil; he was ftrengthened and establifhed in his kingdom, by the hand and arm of Jehovah. But never let Chriftians fail, in this eminently figurative character, to contemplate that true DAVID (for fo HE is called, Ezek. xxxiv. 23. xxxvii. 25.) the BELOVED Son of God; "the "fervant and elect of Jehovah, in whom his foul delighted, and on whom he put his Spirit ;" Ifai. xlii. 1. whom he "anointed with his holy oil, with the oil

of gladness, with the Holy Ghoft and with power; Pf. xlv. 7. Acts x. 38. whom he strengthened, and eftablished in his fpiritual kingdom, with his hand, and arm, and the might of his omnipotence.

22. The enemy fhall not exact upon, or, deceive him nor the fun of wickedness afflict, or, fubdue him. 23. And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. 24. But my faithfulness and my mercy fhall be with him and in my name fhall his horn be exalted.

These promises were fulfilled to David, when God delivered him out of the hand of Saul, and of all his other adverfaries. See 2 Sam. xxii. 1. And in what a full, perfect, and divine fense were they verified to Chrift! That subtle enemy, "which deceiveth the "whole world," was not able to deceive him; neither

the

the fons nor the father of wickednefs could overthrow and fubdue him: all oppofition fell before him, and they who hated him fuffered unparalleled defolation; the promised faithfulness and mercy of Jehovah were ever with him, and his kingdom was exalted with glory and honour.

25. I will fet his hand alfo in the fea, and his right hand in the rivers.

The dominions of David and his fon Solomon extended from the Mediterranean "fea" to the "rivers" Euphrates, &c. the empire of Chrift is univerfal, over Jews and Gentiles, throughout all the earth, See Pf. lxxii. 8, &c.

26. He hall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my falvation. 27. Alfo I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth.

All this, if in fome refpects true of David, is much more emphatically so of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Son of God" is one of his diftinguished titles; of "the Father" he continually fpoke, and to the Father he addressed his prayers and cries, in the days of his flesh; as man, he was raised and exalted by the power and glory of the Divinity; he was "the "first born of every creature, the first begotten from "the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.” Col. i. 15. Rev. i. 5. Make us, bleffed Lord, the fons of God, and teach us to cry, Abba, Father; give us victory and dominion over fin and death, that we may live and reign with thee for ever.

28. My mercy will I keep for, or, to him for evermore, and my covenant fhall fand faft with him. 29.

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