Fourth Sunday in Advent.

PSALM LXVII.

This is a prayer for the church of Chrift, begging the grace of God and the bleffing of God upon it, and intreating the application of both by the fhining of his loving countenance. The end of this is mentioned, namely, that the way of his falvation may be known among all nations, and that they might join in praifing him, and in rejoicing in him, yea might increase in their thanksgiving and abound in it to the glory of God..

Every believer ought to join this prayer: Because he is made fenfible, that grace is the fountain from whence all his bleffings flow, and that the difcovery of God's purposes of grace to him is a ftream from this fountain. When he is favored with it, and the Lord Chrift lifts up the light of his loving countenance upon him, how thankful should he be? How careful to exprefs his thankfulness in every appointed way? May the heart of every fuch perfon enter into this prayer. May it be fervent and effectual, fo that the Lord's face may fhine upon us while we fing, and he may give us a prefent answer to our petitions.

HA

I.

AVE mercy on us Lord, and grant to us thy grace, To fhew to us do thou accord the brightness of thy face.

II. That

II.

That all the world may know
the way to godly wealth,
And all the nations here below
may fee thy faving health.

III.

Let all the world, O'God, give praise unto thy name, And let the people all abroad extoll and blefs the fame.

IV.

Throughout the world fo wide let all rejoice with mirth,

For thou with truth and right doft guide the nations of the earth.

V.

Let all the world, O God, give praise unto thy name, And let the people all abroad extoll and bless the fame.

VI.

The earth her fruit fhall yield,
our God fhall bleffing fend
God fhall us blefs, men fhall him fear
unto earth's utmost end.

PSALM

PSALM XCIX.

This pfalm defcribes the kingdom of Christ, and extolls him for vouchfafing his gracious prefence to his church, dwelling visibly in the cherubim to protect it by his love, and to oppofe its enemies by his greatnefs and holiness: Therefore his people are called upon to worship at his footstool, and to exalt him as their forefathers had done, whofe petitions he graciously heard and answered.

The fubjects of this most bleffed king may rejoice in him at all times. Every fentence in this pfalm affords them matter of joy and praife. The command is-Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. This joy fhould break forth into finging, which is the expreffion of a thankful heart: And we never confult our own intereft fo much, as when we fing his praife and give him all his glory; then we may expect he will increase our joy in the Lord. May the Spirit of the Father and the Son help us to receive all the profit from finging this hymn, which he intended it fhould be the means of bringing to the people of God in every age.

I.

THE Lord doth reign, altho' at it the people rage full fore,

He on the cherubim doth fit

tho' all the world do roar.

II.

The Lord that in his church doth dwell
is high and wondrous great,
Above all folk he doth excell,

and he aloft is set.

JII. Le

III.

The princely pow'r of our great king
doth love judgment and right;
Thou juftly ruleft ev'ry thing
in right'oufnefs and might.

IV..

To praise the Lord our God devife,
and honor to him fhew,
And at his footstool worship him.
who holy is and true.

AFTERNOON.

PSALM LXXXV.

This pfalm contains two very interefting particulars, firft a prayer for the mercy of God, and fecondly a patient waiting for an answer. The mercy afked is converting grace, that fince God through Chrift is reconciled to his people, and has taken away all his wrath against them, he would give unto them ftedfaft faith to depend upon his love to them in his Son, and fo to enable them to trust in him that they might be revived and comforted. Then they refolve to wait for the divine anfwer, and confirm themselves in waiting by many powerful motives fuch as-the Lord's promife to fpeak peace to his people, and they fhall not turn to folly-he will bring his falvation near to them who fear him-his glory fhall come and dwell in our land, even the Lord of hofts the king of glory-in whom made flesh all the perfections of the Godhead will fweetly harmonize

For

For in him the Father is true in all his threatenings, and yet can fhew mercy to finners-in him the Father's righteoufnefs has had every demand paid it, and now he is at peace with believers in Jefus-yea when the divine truth was incarnate, righteoufnefs looked down from heaven and faid, Behold, my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Whoever receives this falvation in the power of the holy Spirit is thereby made fruitful in love and loving obedience to God for it, and being now fkilful in the word of righteoufnefs, his steps are fet and kept in the way which leadeth ftraight and safe to heaven. This is one of the hymns, which has been conftantly ufed in the church on Christmas day. It is made up of prayer and praife. And it requires faith and gratitude to fing it well. He that has ftrongeft faith will fing the beft: Because he will find moft reason to adore his Saviour God for humbling himself to be made man, that he might live and die for him and for his falvation. May this delightful pfalm exercife and improve our faith, and warm our affections. May we fing it in the Spirit, bleffing God for all his mercies received through the incarnation of Jesus Chrift. Glory be to him in the higheft. Amen, and Amen.

I.

THOU haft been favorable, Lord, to thy beloved land,

For thou reftoredft Jacob's feed from bondage by strong hand.

II.

The wicked works that they have done thou didst them all remit,

And then didft hide thy people's fin closely thou cover'dit it.

III. And