the people there" tempting, and striving" with their God, notwithstanding all the mighty works which he had wrought for them, before their eyes. Exod. xvii. 7.

10. Forty years long was I grieved, or, difgufted with this generation, and faid, it is a people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.

O the defperate presumption of man, that he should offend his Maker, " forty years;" O the patience and long fuffering of his Maker, that he fhould allow him forty years to offend in! Sin begins in the "heart," by it's defires "wandering" and going aftray after forbidden objects; whence follows inattention to the "ways" of God; to his difpenfations, and our own duty. Luft in the heart, like 'vapour in the ftomach, foon affects the head, and clouds the understanding.

11. Unto whom I fware in my wrath, that they fhould not enter into my reft.

Exclufion from Canaan was the punishment of Ifraelitish contumacy; exclufion from heaven is to be the punishment of disobedience among Chriftians. To take vengeance on those who reject the Gofpel terms, is no less a part of the covenant and oath of God, than it is to fave and glorify those who accept them. Yet men continue deliberately to commit those fins, which the Almighty ftandeth thus engaged to punish with deftruction! * "Take heed, therefore,

* Senfus hujus loci ex Paulo fic concinnandus: nempe requiem a Deo Ifraëlitis effe promiffam in terrâ Chananæâ: omnes tamen interim in deferto cecidiffe hâc requie fruftratos: quare Spiritum Sanctum per Davidem ad novam requiem invitâffe;

ad

"brethren, left there be in any of you an evil heart " of unbelief, in departing from the living God. "But exhort one another daily, while it is called to "day; left any of you be hardened through the de"ceitfulness of fin. For we are made partakers of "Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence

ftedfaft unto the end; while it is faid, To day, if & ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as " in the 'provocation. For fome, when they had "heard, did provoke; howbeit, not all that came "out of Egypt by Mofes. But with whom was he

grieved forty years? Was it not with them that "had finned, whofe carcafes fell in the wilderness? "And to whom sware he, that they should not enter "into his reft, but to them that believed not? So "we fee that they could not enter in because of un"belief. Let us therefore fear, left, a promise being "made us of entering into his reft, any of you "fhould feem to come short of it. For unto us

was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them; "but the word preached did not profit them, not ¢ being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Heb. iii. 12. &c.

ad novum illud fabbatum ab ipfo mundi exordio diéi feptimæ requie figuratum, novumqué indixiffe diem quo fab Chrifto, in Ecclefiâ, ac cælefti patriâ quiefceremus, nifi effemus increduli: unde fic concludit Paulus: "Feftinemus ingredi in illam requiem." BOSSVET.

PSALM XCVI.

ARGUMENT.

By common confent of Jews and Chriftians, we apply this Pfalm to the times of Meffiah. 1-4. Men are exhorted to fing his praises; to declare his falvation; 4, 5. to acknowledge his fupremacy over the gods of the nations, with 6. the glory and beauty of his fanctuary; 7-9. to give him the honour, the worship, and the obedience due unto him, and 10. to publish the glad tidings of his kingdom being established: 11-13. the whole creation is called upon to rejoice at this great event. We find, by 1 Chron. xvi. that David delivered out this Pfalm, to be fung on occafion of temporal blefsings, prefigurative of future fpiritual ones.

1. O fing unto the LORD a new fong; fing unto the LORD, all the earth.

Jehovah, our Redeemer, is the person whose praises are to be fung. They are to be fung in a "new" fong; a fong calculated to celebrate new mercies, prefigured by old ones wrought for Ifrael in former, times; a fong fit for the voices of renewed and regenerate men to fing in the new Jerufalem, in those new heavens and that new earth, which constitute

the

the new creation, or kingdom of Jefus Chrift. And as the mercies of God are univerfal, extending themselves not only to the Jews, but to all the nations of the earth, all the nations of the earth are. therefore exhorted to bear a part in this new fong;

Sing unto the LORD a new fong; fing unto the "LORD, all the earth." Thus St. John, after reckoning up the 144000, or full number of those who were fealed to falvation from among the tribes of Ifrael, proceeds to tell us, that he "beheld, and lo, a

great multitude, which no man could number, of "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, "stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, "clothed with white robes, and palms in their "hands." All these fung a new fong, which none could learn but the redeemed; they "cried with a "loud voice, faying, Salvation to our God which "fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb." See Rev. v. vii. xiv.

2. Sing unto the LORD, blefs his name: fhcw forth his falvation from day to day.

Again are we excited to fing unto the Lord JESUS, and in Pfalms and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, to bless his faving NAME. The latter claufe of the verse is very expreffive in the original, "Preach," or "Evangelize his falvation from day to day;" let it be the conftant theme of all your difcourfes; publish it to the world in every poffible way, by your words, and by your actions; and while God allows you breath and life, let one day tranfmit the glorious

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glorious employment to another, until it be refumed and continued in heaven, to all eternity.

3. Declare his glory among the heathen; his wonders among all people.

The "glory" of Meffiah in his incarnation, his life, his death, refurrection, afcenfion, and kingdom, the "wonders" or miracles by him wrought upon the bodies and fouls of men; these were the things "declared among the heathen," even " among all "people," by the Apoftles and their fucceffors; these things are still declared, by the Scriptures read, and fermons preached in the church, which was gathered originally from among the Gentiles.

4. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. 5. For all the gods of the nations are idols: or, things of nought, but it is the LORD that made the heavens.

Chrift is to be celebrated, his glory and wonders are to be declared, because he is, in every poffible fenfe, "great" great in dignity, in power, in mercy; and therefore" greatly to be praised" by every creature. The heavens and heavenly bodies, adored by, the nations, were no gods, but the works of

his hands, who had fixed his everlasting throne high above them all. At the publication of the Gospel, idolatry fell before it; and what is the world itself, but one great idol, which is to fall and difappear in like manner?

6. Honour and majesty are before him; frength and beauty are in his fanctuary.

What are the fplendour and magnificence of earthly