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here defcribed under the character of that perfect períon, who was to retrieve for his people all the loffes of the fall. He was in their nature, and yet he was by nature and practice, in heart and life, feparate from finners; negatively he had not the least communion with them, being without one spot of fin, pofitively he was perfectly holy. He fulfilled all the righteoufnefs of the law in its highest requirements, both in obedience to its precepts, and also in fuffering its penalties. Thus he became to his people the tree of life, having life in himself, as God felf-exiftent, and having life communicatively, as God-man, to bestow upon every branch in him.-I am the vine, fays he, ye are the branches, by him they are quickened, in him they live, through him they become fruitful, and by his influence they profper and bring forth much fruit to the glory of God. Herein they are directly contrary to the wicked, who are never quickened by him, but left to perish in their fins.

PSALM I.

1. Successful are the steps of that perfon, who never walks in the council of tranfgreffors, and in the way of finners never ftands, and in the feat of mockers never fits.

2. But in the law of Jehovah is his delight, and in his law will he meditate. day and night.

3. For then he fhall be like a tree that was planted by the ftreams of waters, which will yield its fruits in their feafon, and its top-fhoot fhall never fade, but whatsoever he fhall take in hand he shall be able to make it profperous.

4. It shall not be fo with tranfgreffors, but they shall be like the chaff which the wind blows away?

5. Because the tranfgreffors fhall not be fet up in judgment, nor finners in the congregation of the righteous.

6. For Jehovah acknowledgeth the way of the righteous, but the way of finners fhall be deftroyed.

This pfalm is a general defcription of the fuccefs of Jefus in his work, fhewing what steps he was to take for the falva tion of his people: He was to be a man like us in all things, excepting fin; from which he was perfectly free: No thought of it ever entered his mind, not one moment did he decline from the way of duty, but always acted under the influence of divine love, in his life, and by his example reproving those who made a mock at fin. He was holy, harmless and

undefiled

undefiled in his nature, and feparate from finners in his practice: For

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He was perfectly acquainted with the divine law: It was his continual ftudy, and to obey it was his continual delightIt was his meat and drink-"Lo I come, fays he, to do thy will, O God:" He rejoiced to fulfil its precepts by his life, and he was a willing facrifice to fuffer its penalties in his death. In both he magnified the law, and made it infinitely honourable. And:

Thus it became him to bring many fons unto glory. Whatfoever he undertook for them had perfect fuccefs. He was the tree of life watered with abun dant ftreams of grace, the Spirit being given not by meafure unto him; a tree fubject to no change, but always grow ing and flourishing, always bearing forth fruit, and making every branch in it a partaker of the heavenly influences of the Atock upon which it grows.

But, the tranfgreffors, who are not grafted into him by faith, have no fpiritual life, nor fruit- they are lighter than vanity itself: And they shall be driven from the judgment feat of God, as eafily as any light chaff is driven about by a ftrong wind, and they fhall be justly banifhed for evermore from the general

general affembly and church of the first born:

For Jehovah always approved of the way of the righteous, whom he chofe and called, and juftified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Chrift Jefus, but the way of tranfgreffors he difapproves, and they fhall foon utterly perish.

In this fenfe the Pfalm is true of Chrift, but believers have their fhare in the bleffings of which it treats: For in his fuccefs they partake. They have fellowfhip with him in every step which he took to work out their falvation. When they have redemption through faith in his blood, and free acceptance through faith in his righteoufnefs, then they walk humbly with him, and he puts his fear within them. He teaches them to depart from evil, they do not walk in the council of the ungodly, nor ftand in the way of finners, nor fit in the feat of the fcornful;

But, he puts his law in their inward parts and writes it in their hearts: In their renewed mind they are brought to delight in it; they make it their continual study, and through grace to walk in it is their continual practice. Yea, they live by the faith of the Son of God, as

branches

branches in the tree of life: Because he lives they fhall live alfo; drawing from their life-giving root every thing needful to mortify fin in them, and to enable them to bring forth fruit unto God:

Thus he feparates them from tranfgreffors, who live and die in their fins, these are like chaff, which the wind driveth away.

Because they fhall not stand in the judgment of God, nor come into the church of Chrift.

For the Lord with his loving kindness regarded the way of the righteous, but the way of tranfgreffors fhall perish.

Thus believers look upon the pfalms They confider them as treating of the glorious perfon and work of the Godman, and considering themselves in him, as members under him their head, quickened by his Spirit and receiving all the bleffings of fpiritual life out of his fulness, they can understand and fing the praifes of Immanuel, with melody in their hearts: For they can apply to themselves the benefits of his atonement and righteousness, of his interceffion and glory, and this renders the pfalms precious, and finging them an high ordinance. Their God does meet them and blefs them in finging pfalms. While they express their

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