The glory is his.

No

for evermore. offering, no righteoufnefs, but his, can fave: the praises therefore of the great falvation of our God, which run through the book of pfalms, are the peculiar prerogatives of the king of faints. They are his crown and diadem. The honors are folely his, and he will wear them with unrivalled fame. His name is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the armies of heaven follow him with one mind and one heart, afcribing unto him honor and glory and bleffing and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

But although the work was altogether his from first to laft, none being capable of any part, but he who is God as well as man, yet eternal bleffings on him, he did it for us and for our falvation. His people have an intereft in what he is God in our nature-they have their share in what he did and fuffered for them, and they have an unfpeakable benefit in what he is now doing for them in the prefence of the Father. By believing they have pardon and peace through his offering on the tree. By believing they put on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and find acceptance in his righteoufnefs. By believing they commit their perfons and concerns into his hands, and he ever liveth their prevailing interceffor

interceffor to obtain for them every needful bleffing. Thus they learn to trust him, and in trusting to experience his faithfulnefs. He gives them caufe to love him, and to rejoice in him. For having received a new birth and life in him they can fing the pfalms of his nativity, and join angels and men in afcribing glory in the highest to the incarnate God. They read of his dying love in feveral pfalms, and they worship him for bearing their fins and fhame and curfe in his body and foul upon the crofs: the lamb that was flain and redeemed them to God by his blood is the conftant theme of their grateful fongs. When they read or fing the pfalms of his refurrection, they look upon him as the firft fruits of the dead, the earneft of the whole harvest, and with grateful hearts they blefs him for making, and for keeping them alive to God. They share in all his victories and triumphs, being his happy fubjects: for he has a kingdom, which is celebrated in many of the pfalms. These treat of his almighty power to rule all beings and things, and of the fweet fceptre of his love, by which he governs his willing people. He manifefts to them the greatnefs and majefty of his kingdom, fo that under his royal protection they find deliverance from the temptations to fip, and from

the

the miseries of fin, and through his fpecial love he gives them here in the kingdom of his grace a happiness, which all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, cannot poffibly give. They live happy indeed: for he makes them fing of the good of his chofen; they do rejoice in the gladness of his nation, and they glory in his inheritance. These are high privileges; but they are only the earnests of that kingdom, which endureth for ever. O what glorious things are spoken of thee, thou city of God, in which the great king delighteth to dwell, and to manifeft his glory. Wonderful things are written of this everlasting kingdom in the book of pfalms, with which his happy subjects mix faith, and can then fing them with a hope full of glory and immortality. The pfalms throughout fo describe the king of faints, that they who partake of his grace may find in them continual exercise of their faith, and continual improvement of it; for they have an intereft in all he was, and in all he is. Was his truft in God unfhaken? They hope he will make theirs ftedfaft. Was his walk holy, harmless, and undefiled? They depend on him for strength to tread in his fteps. Were his tempers perfectly holy? They admire his example, and through his Spirit they daily

put

put off the old man, and put on the new. Was he carried through the greatest fufferings with entire refignation? They look up under all their trials for his promised fupport. Has he all his enemies under his feet? They are waiting in joyful hope for the fruit of his conqueft. Is he now in our nature in the highest glory? It is promised them, their eyes fhall fee the king in his beauty. O bleffed prospect ! they fhall foon be with him, and like him too, when they fhall fee him as he is. The pfalms are fo written of Christ, that every believer may find comfort in what he reads or fings. Chrift being the head of the body the church, all the members do fhare with their head in what he is and has, in his incarnation, life and death, refurrection and interceffion, yea they shall live and reign with him for ever and ever. That my meaning may be better underftood, I will give an inftance in the first pfalm. Let us confider, how it is to be understood of Christ, and in what manner it is useful to thofe, who through faith are one with Christ.

As it treats of Christ, it is a proper preface to the whole book. It gives an account of the subject, and is an abridgment of it, containing in fubftance what is largely handled in the other parts. For Chrift is

here

here described under the character of that perfect perfon, 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 fteps 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.!