to an utter diffolution. In the hiftory of their deftruction, the world of the ungodly may view a striking picture of the great and terrible day, when the Lord Jefus fhall' render a recompenfe to all his enemies. He is then to defcend in flaining fire; lightnings fhall be his harbingers; the earth fhall tremble; and the hills fhall, literally, " melt like wax, at the presence of Jehovah."

6. The heavens declare his righteousness and all the people fee his glory.

"The heavens," by the manifestation of vengeance from thence, reveal," declare," and proclaim the " righteous" judgments of Meffiah; and "all the "people" upon earth are witneffes of the "glory" of his victory, over every thing that oppofeth itself to the establishment of his kingdom. This will be more eminently the cafe at the second advent, when the trumpet of the archangel fhall proclaim his approach in the clouds of heaven, and all the tribes of the earth shall see him coming in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels..

7. Confounded be, or, fhall be all they that ferve graven images; that boast themselves of idols: worShip him, all ye gods.

When Jefus was exalted, his Gospel published, and his power and glory made known in the heathen world, men grew "afhamed" of their " images, and "boafted themfelves in their idols" no more. The last clause of our verse, "Worship him, all ye gods," declares the fupremacy of Chrift, over all that are called gods, bx, in heaven and in earth, who are

enjoined

*

enjoined to pay adoration unto him, inftead of claiming it for themselves.

8. Sion heard, and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced; because of thy judgments, O LORD. 9. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.

The inhabitants of the new "Sion," or the people of God," heard" the tidings, that idols and idolatry were fallen, and the Lord Jefus reigned triumphant; they heard, and "were glad; the

daughters of Judah," or Chriftian churches, " re'joiced" in the Holy Ghoft, with joy unspeakable, "because of these judgments" of their God upon his enemies, whereby he evinced himself fuperior to the powers of the earth, and the gods of the nations. Thus, at the fall of Babylon, it is faid, Rev. xviii. 20. "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy

Apostles and Prophets, for God hath avenged you

on her." And Eufebius fpeaks, in the following terms, of the times under Conftantine, which fucceeded the overthrow of Maxentius and Maximin; << A bright and glorious day, no cloud overshadowing "it, did enlighten, with rays of heavenly light, "the churches of Chrift over all the earth;—and among all Chriftians there was an inexpreffible joy, and a kind of celeftial gladness." Ecclefiaft. Hift. B. x.

10. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preferveth the fouls of his faints, he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Having fung the glory of the Redeemer, the Pfalmift delineates the duty of the redeemed. They

are

are characterised by their "love of God;" they are enjoined to "hate evil;" this hatred is, indeed, a confequence, and a fure proof of that love, when it is genuine and fincere. Religion must be rooted in the heart, and fpring from thence. A Christian muft not only ferve God outwardly, but must inwardly "love" him; he must not content himself with abstaining from overt acts of fin, but must truly "hate" it. They who do fo, are" the faints "of God, whose fouls he preferveth" from evil, and will finally" deliver" from the evil one, and his affociates, by a happy death, and a glorious refurrection.

11. Light is fown for the righteous: and gladness for the upright in heart.

However gloomy our profpect may at any time be, let us wait patiently, as the husbandman doth, all the winter, in expectation of a future crop, from the feed which lieth buried in the earth. 66 Light "and gladness are fown for the righteous and true "hearted," though they may not yet appear; the feed-time is in this world; the harvest will be in that to come. "In due feason we shall reap, if we faint

"not." Gal. vi. 9.

12. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Tribulation itself, therefore, fhould not prevent our "rejoicing in Jehovah our righteousness," who juftifieth us from our fins; no adverfity ought to make us negligent in celebrating, with thanksgiving, the "commemorations of his holiness," which the Church hath appointed to be obferved; to the end

that

that we may always remember, with gratitude, how great things he hath done for us already, and reflect with comfort, on those much greater things, which he hath promised to do for us hereafter.

XIX DAY. EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM XCVIII.

ARGUMENT.

In this evangelical hymn, the Prophet, 1-3. extols the miracles, the victory, the falvation, the righteousness, the mercy, and truth of the Redeemer; on account of which, 4-9, he calls upon man, and the whole creation, to rejoice and praise Jehovah.

1. Ofing unto the LORD a new Song, for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory.

New mercies and wonders demand new fongs. And what mercies, what wonders, can be compared with those wrought by the holy Jefus ? "Go and "tell John," faith he to John's difciples; go and tell all the world, faith he to his own difciples, "the things which ye fee and hear;" the marvellous things which I do to the bodies, and to the fouls of men. "The blind receive their fight," and the ignorant minds are enlightened with know

ledge;

PSAL. 98. ledge; "the lame walk," and ftrength is communicated to impotent fouls; "the lepers are cleanfed," and the lafcivious rendered chafte; "the deaf hear," and the obftinate liften to inftruction and reproof; "the dead are raifed," and fiuners juftified; "the Gofpel is preached," and the world converted. "His own right hand, and his holy arm," hath done these marvellous things, without and against all worldly power; not by fpear and sword, but by patience and charity, he hath " gotten the victory," and gained the glorious day.

2. The LORD hath made known his falvation: his righteousness hath he openly fhewed in the fight of the heathen.

The "falvation" of Jehovah was "made known" by the preaching of Chrift himself in Judea, for the fpace of three years; his " righteoufnefs," whereby finners are justified, was "openly fhewed," by the fermons of his apoftles," in the fight of the hea"then." Still let that falvation be made known, ftill let that righteoufnefs be openly fhewed, by the minifters of the Gofpel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and the remnant of the Jews converted, until antichrift be overthrown, and Death himself fallen before the all-conquering crofs.

3. He hath remembered his mercy and truth towards the house of Ifrael; all the ends of the earth have feen the falvation of our God.

In fending the Meffiah, God fhewed himself mindful of the promiles, which “ mercy" prompted him to make, and "truth" required him to perform. Thefe promifes were made to "the house of

Ifrael;"