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creature, the Captain of the armies of heaven and earth, the Lord of hofts, and King of glory? "Bleffed," thrice "bleffed is the man that trusteth "in thee."

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PSALM LXXXV.

ARGUMENT.

This Pfalm, appointed by the church to be ufed on Christmas day, 1-3. celebrateth the redemption of the Ifrael of God from their spiritual captivity under fin and death; 4-7. teacheth us to pray for the full accomplishment of that redemption in ourfelves; 8-11. defcribeth the incarnation of Chrift, with the joyful meeting of Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace, at his birth, and 12, 13. the bleffed effects of his advent.

1. LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou haft brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2. Thou haft forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou haft covered all their fin. 3. Thou haft taken away all thy wrath: thou haft turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

These three verfes fpeak of the deliverance from captivity, as already brought about; whereas, in the fubfequent parts of the Pfalm, it is prayed for and predicted, as a thing future. To account for

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this, fome fuppofe that the Pfalmift first returns thanks for a temporal redemption, and then prophefies of the fpiritual falvation by Meffiah. Others are of opinion, that the fame eternal redemption is fpoken of throughout, but represented, in the beginning of the Pfalm, as already accomplished in the divine decree, though the eventual completion was yet to come. The difficulty, perhaps, may be removed, by rendering these three firft verfes in the prefent time; "LORD, thou art favourable to thy land, thou bringeft back the captivity of thy people," &c. that is, Thou art the God whofe property it is to do this, and to fhew such mercy to thy people, who therefore call upon thee for the fame. But, indeed, to us Chriftians, who now ufe the Pfalm, the difference is not material; fince a part of our redemption is past, and a part of it is yet to come, for the haftening of which latter we daily pray. God hath already been exceedingly gracious and "favourable" to the whole "earth," in "bringing back," by the refurrection of Jefus, the fpiritual captivity of" his people; he hath himself, in Christ, "borne," and fo taken away, "the iniquity "of his people;" he hath "covered all their fins," that they should no more appear in judgment against them: propitiated by the Son of his love, he hath removed his "wrath," and "turned himself from "the fierceness of his anger." So exactly and literally do these words defcribe the means and method of Gospel falvation, that a Christian can hardly affix any other ideas to them.

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4. Turn us, O God of our falvation, and caufe thine anger towards us to cease. 5. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6. Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? 7. Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy falvation.

The ancient church is here introduced as petitioning for the continuation and completion of those bleffings which had been mentioned in the foregoing verfes, namely, that God would "turn" his people from their captivity, and "caufe his anger towards "them to ceafe;" that he would "revive" them from fin and forrow, and give them occafion to " rejoice "in him," their mighty deliverer; that he would "fhew them" openly that "mercy" of which they had so often heard, and "grant them that falvation,' or that "Saviour," that JESUS, who had been so long promised to mankind. And although it be true, that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, and hath virtually procured all these bleffings for the church, yet do "we" ftill continue to pray, in the fame words, for the actual application of them all to ourselves, by the converfion of our hearts, the juftification of our perfons, the fanctification of our fouls, and the glorification of our bodies. For this laft bleffing of redemption," the whole creation waiteth, groaning, and "travailing in pain together, UNTIL NOW." Rom. viii. 22.

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8. I will hear what God the LORD will speak:

for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his faints; but let them not turn again to folly; or, that they may not turn again to folly.

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The prophet having prayed, in the name of the church, that Jehovah would " fhew them his mercy, "and grant them his falvation," declares himself refolved, concerning this "falvation to enquire and

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fearch diligently, what, or what manner of time "the Spirit of Chrift which was in him did fignify, "when it teftified before-hand the coming of Christ, "and the glory that fhould follow:" See 1 Pet. i. 10. he would attend to "what God the LORD "should say," and report it to the world. Now, what was the meffage, which the prophets had commiffion to deliver from God, but that he would speak peace," or reconciliation through a Saviour, "to his people, and to his faints?" The Gofpel is accordingly styled by St. Peter," the word which "God fent unto the children of Ifrael, preaching

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peace by Jefus Chrift." Acts x. 36. And what was the end of this reconciliation between God and men, but that men fhould become, and continue the fervants of God; that, being washed from their fins by the blood of Chrift, and renewed in their minds by the grace of Chrift, they should walk in the paths of wisdom and holiness, and "turn not again to the folly" they had renounced?

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9. Surely his falvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

God, who" calleth things that be not as though "they were," teacheth his prophets to do likewife. The Pfalmift therefore fpeaks with affurance of the "Saviour," as if he then faw him before his eyes, healing, by the word of his power, the bodies and the fouls of men upon earth, and manifesting forth F 3

his

his "

and we beheld his glory, begotten of the Father,

glory," in human nature, to all fuch as, with an holy "fear," and filial reverence, believed on him. St. John himself hardly useth plainer language when he faith, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt, "or tabernacled among us "the glory as of the only "full of grace and truth." John i. 14. The body of Chrift was the true " tabernacle, or, temple ;" his Divinity was the GLORY which refided there, and fille. that holy place. The church is his myftical "body" by his Spirit he now and ever" dwelleth "in our land; and his falvation is always nigh them "that fear him;" as faith the holy virgin in her fong, "His mercy is on them that fear him, throughout "all generations."

10. Mercy and truth are met together: righteouf nefs and peace have kiffed each other.

11. Truth fhall Spring out of the earth; and righteousness hall look down from heaven.

These four divine attributes parted at the fall of Adam, and met again at the birth of Chrift. Mercy was ever inclined to fave man, and Peace could not be his enemy; but Truth exacted the performance of God's threat, "The foul that finneth it shall "die" and Righteoufnefs could not but give to every one his due. Jehovah must be true in all his ways, and righteous in all his works. Now there is no religion upon earth, except the Chriftian, which can fatisfy the demands of all thefe claimants, and reftore an union between them; which can fhew how God's word can be true, and his work juft, and the finner, notwithstanding, find mercy, and obtain peace.

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