them the faints above have their heavenly exercise, and the faints below have often in the use of the fame means a fortaft of the glory to be revealed.

When Zerubbabel and his brethren be gan to rebuild the temple after the captivity, the work was entered upon with finging pfalms. "And when the builders

laid the foundation of the temple of "the Lord, they fet the priests in their

apparel with trumpets, and the Levites "the fons of Afaph with cymbals, to "praise the Lord, after the ordinance of "David king of Ifrael; and they fang "together by courfe, in praising and giv"ing thanks unto the Lord: Because he "is good: For his mercy endureth for "ever towards Ifrael." Ezra iii. 10, 11. The words to praife, and to give thanks are the fame, as in the forecited place in Chronicles, and applied to the fame perfon, even to the defire of all nations, who was to come and fill the fecond temple with his glory." The glory of this latter "house shall be greater than of the former, "faith the Lord of hofts:" Hag. ii. 7. which was really accomplished, when the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Then the Lord came to his temple, and his difciples faw his glory, the glory as

of

of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Of him alfo fang Nehemiah, as mentioned in Chap. xii. He repaired the wall of Jerufalem, and ended it with praifing, and giving thanks to the Lord God of Ifrael, finging pfalms unto him. with voices and inftruments of mufic, according to the commandment of David the man of God. From thefe inftances it is plain that the general subject of the pfalms was to afcribe to the incarnate Jehovah all the honor of saving finners. The sweet pfalmist of Israel frequently calls upon the church to fing pfalms to the Saviour's praife, particularly in pfalm xcii. which was constantly fung on the fabbath, the day of praise, in pfalms xcv, xcvi, xcviii, &c. And he does this very remarkably in pfalm c,' wherein he calls upon believers to join in this delightful work, and affigns several reafons for their encouragement to do it with the warmest gratitude of their hearts. The title is

A pfalm of confeffion, viz. to God for his goodness, and for the wonders which he hath done for the children of men.

1. O all the earth, make the air ring with the praises of Jehovah.

2. Serve

2. Serve ye Jehovah with heart-felt joy-Come ye into his prefence with the highest praises you can give.

3. Be ye certain, that Jehovah is the very Alehim, he hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the flock under his pastoral care:

4. Enter ye into his gates with confeffion, into his courts with afcribing to him the praise of giving you every thing ufeful, pay ye homage to him, blefs ye his name:

5. For Jehovah is good, his mercy is for ever, and his faithfulness is from generation to generation.

When believers in their church fervice ufed to fing this pfalm, they acknowleged in it the goodness of God to them, and had in their hearts sentiments of his loving kindness, fuch as thefe

1. O all ye inhabitants of the world, who have found redemption through faith in the blood of the lamb, join together to make his praife to be heard: Sing unto Jehovah a new fong, fing praises unto him luftily with a good courage:

2. Serve ye Jehovah with a free spirit, finging and making melody in your hearts unto him: Come ye into his prefence, C

having

having now accefs with confidence, and let the high praises of God be in your mouth, afcribing to him all the glory of your falvation:

3. Be ye certain, that Jehovah is the very Alehim, the three in covenant to fave finners: For he has made us, and not we ourselves, we neither made ourfelves creatures, nor new creatures in Chrift Jefus he gave us our being, and our well being-we have nothing of our own, but fin: And he has made us his free fubjects by redeeming us from the bondage of fin, yea we are his beloved flock, and he is our good fhepherd, who will give grace and glory to his people, and to the fheep of his pasture:

4. O come ye then into his gates with thankful acknowlegement of his infinite goodness to your fouls-meet him in the great congregation, and join all the redeemed, who in earth and heaven are with one heart giving bleffing and honor, and glory and power to God and the lamb.

5. For Jehovah is good and doeth good, his mercy is to be celebrated in his church militant from age to age, and his never failing faithfulness is to be your fubject of never ending praise in the church triumphant.

O for fuch holy affections as this pfalm requires. Reader, art thou acquainted with the subject, and art thou indeed a partaker of that thankfulness, of which it treats. O beg of him then to give thee a growing fenfe of thine utter unworthiness of the leaft mercy. This is gofpel-poverty of fpirit, and this will lead thee to pray for a more thankful acknowlegement of the goodness of God, flowing from the happy experience of its bleffings, and influencing the whole man to praise him for them. To this grateful temper the very reading of the pfalm will be as an ordinance, and the finging of it with the melody of the heart will be a feast.

From these authorities of the old teftament it is plain, that the fubject of the book of pfalms, and the finging them were intended to excite in believers the warmeft fentiments of gratitude. The love of God manifefted in faving finners through Jefus Chrift is herein defcribed with the true fublime both of style and sentiment; and when any pfalm was fung, if the heart felt the fubject, and made harmony there, then it became a delightful, as well as an acceptable fervice. But we fhall fee clearer evidence of this matter, if we attend to