holy" God in a holy" place, and to adore the confummate rectitude of all his proceedings, finging with the Spirits above, "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; juft and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints." Rev. XV. 3.

PSALM C.

ARGUMENT.

The Pfalmift invites all the world to join with the Ifraelites in the fervice of him who was kind and gracious to them beyond expreffion. Accordingly, we Chriftians now properly ufe this Pfalm in acknowledgment of God's wonderful love to us in Chrift; by whom we offer up continually fpiritual facrifices, for redeeming us by the facrifice which he made of himself; for making the world anew, and creating us again unto good works; according to his faithful promifes, which we may depend upon for ever. PATRICK.

1. Make a joyful noife unto the LORD, all ye lands: 2. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his prefence with finging.

The prophet addreffeth himself to "all lands," or to "all the earth;" to Gentiles, as well as Jews. He exhorteth them to "make a joyful noife," a noife like that of the trumpets at the time of jubilee, a

found

found of universal triumph and exultation, in honour of" Jehovah," now become their Lord and Saviour. The fervice of this our Mafter is perfect freedom; it is a fervice of love, a freedom from Pharaoh and the tafk-masters, from Satan and our own imperious lufts; it is a redemption from the moft cruel bondage, into the glorious liberty of the fons of God. Let us therefore do as we are commanded; let us "ferve the Lord with gladnefs;" and when we come before his prefence" in the temple, let it be "with finging" to the praise and glory of our Redeemer. Thus he is ferved in heaven, and thus he delighteth to be ferved on earth.

3. Know ye that the LORD he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the fheep of his paflure. Or, He hath made us,and we are his*, his people, and the fheep of his paflure.

The motives here urged for ferving and praifing Jehovah, are the fame with thofe above, in Pf. xcv. 6, 7. namely, that he is our "God," engaged by covenant on our behalf; that his hands created us, and have fince new created us; that we ftand in the peculiar relation of his " people," whom he hath chofen to himfelf, and over whom he prefideth as King; that we are "the fheep of his pafture," for whom the good fhepherd laid down his life, and whom he nourisheth, by the word and facraments,

"I am perfuaded that the Maforetical correction 1 (and "we are his) is right: the conftruction and parallelifm both fa"vour it." Bishop LowтH. A correfpondent fuggefts-Might not the clause be rendered interrogatively-" Are not we his people, and the fheep of his pafture?"

unto eternal life. These are points which every Christian ought to "know" and believe, unto his foul's health. And whoever doth know them aright, will ever be ready with heart and voice to obey the injunction which followeth in the next verfe.

4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praife: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

The Chriftian Church is a temple, whofe "gates" stand continually open, for the admiffion of the nations from all the four quarters of the world. Rev. xxi. 13. 25. Into the "courts" of this temple, which are now truly "courts of the Gentiles," all men are invited to come, and offer their evangelical facrifices of confeffion and praife;" to exprefs their gratitude to their Saviour, and "blefs" his gracious and hallowed" name." How glorious will be that day, which shall behold the everlafting gates of heaven lifting up their heads, and disclosing to view those courts above, into which the children of the refurrection are to enter, there, with angels and arch, angels, to dwell and fing for evermore !

5. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlafting: and his truth endureth to all generations.

"Jehovah is good;" he is the fource of all beauty and perfection in the creature; how altogether lovely must he needs be in himfelf! "His mercy is "everlafting," extending through time into eternity; "and his truth," or fidelity in accomplishing his promises, "endureth to all generations," evidenced to the whole race of mankind, from Adam to his laft born

born fon. The Pfalms, which celebrate these attributes, will never, therefore, be out of date, but each fucceffive generation will chant them with fresh propriety, and fresh delight, until by faints and angels they are fung new in the kingdom of God.

PSALM CI.

ARGUMEN T.

In the person of David, advanced to the throne. of Ifrael, we hear King Mefsiah declaring how he intended to walk, and to govern his household the church, and alfo defcribing the qualifications which he should require in his minifters and fervants,

1. I will fing of mercy and judgment; unto thee, O LORD, will I fing.

David, having determined to fing unto Jehovah, choofeth for his theme "mercy and judgment;" either that mercy which God had fhewn to him, and that judgment which had been inflicted on his enemies; or elfe, that upright adminiftration of mercy and judgment, with which he himself intended to blefs his people. The righteous adminiftration of mercy and judgment in the kingdom of Meffiah, is a topic on which his fubjects always expatiate with pleasure and profit. His mercy encourageth the

greatest

greatest of finners to hope; his judgments forbid the best of men to prefume.

2. I will behave myself wifely in a perfect way: 0 when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my houfe with a perfect heart.

In return for the favours of heaven, we hear the Ifraelitish monarch declaring his refolution, to fet his court and kingdom an example of true wisdom, and unfhaken integrity; at the fame time, fighing for that vifitation of divine grace, which alone could enable him to put his refolution in practice-" O when wilt "thou come unto me?" This was ever the voice of the church, longing for the prefence of God in human nature, << O when wilt thou come unto me?" And this must ever be the wish of a Chriftian, who knoweth that though in himself he be nothing, yet that he can do all things through Chrift, who ftrengtheneth him by his Spirit in the inner man. Meffiah

was the only King of Ifrael, whofe life held forth to his fubjects a perfect pattern of wisdom and righteoufnefs, and whofe death procured them grace, in their different measures, and degrees, to follow it.

3. I will fet no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn afide, it shall not cleave unto me.

"I will fet no wicked thing before mine eyes;' that is, I will not propofe to myfelf, or think of carrying into execution, any iniquitous fcheme of politics, however advantageous and tempting it may appear; I will turn away my eyes and my attention, and reject it at once: "I hate the work of them that (6 turn