all the bleffings, all the glories of heaven will come to us through the redemption that is in the blood of the lamb. Hence while the burnt offering is confuming on the altar, we make the most joyful noise we poffibly can, finging and triumphing in the offering of Immanuel: For we believe it will be a sweet smelling favor unto God, and through it we fhall enter within the veil, even into heaven itself. There we fhall take up the fame moft bleffed fub. ject, and celebrate the lamb that was flain with never-ceafing praife.

The answer, which I fuppofe Hezekiah would have given, is perfectly agreeable to David's own account of this matter. He relates very clearly for what end the pfalms were revealed, and were fung in the temple fervice. We find it thus defcribed, 1 Chron. xvi. " David appointed "the Levites to minifter before the ark, "and to RECORD and to THANK and "PRAISE the Lord God of lfrael," ver. 4. and again, ver. 7. " Then on that day "David delivered first this pfalm to thank "the Lord into the hand of Afaph and

his brethren: Give thanks unto the "Lord, call upon his name, make known "his deeds among the people: Sing unto "him, fing pfalms unto him, talk you "of all his wonderous works: Glory ye

દ

"in his holy name, let the heart of them rejoice that feek the Lord."

We have in this paffage a very clear defcription of the defign of the book of pfalms. It was firft to RECORD; the word fignifies to caufe to be remembered. The pfalms were a standing memorial, to bring. into mind the wonderful love of the everbleffed Trinity in faving finners through Jefus Chrift, and to keep it fresh and lively upon the hearts of believers. We are apt to forget this our greatest good, and therefore God has graciously recorded it in his word. Therein he has promised to fanctify the memory to retain it, and in the use of the pfalms he bestows this bleffing. When they are read and mixed with faith, then they are meditated on with delight, fung with melody, and help to keep the heart warm in its attachment to the beloved Jefus. When they are thus treasured up in the mind, and brought into conftant ufe, believers learn in finging them to rejoice in the infinitely perfect facrifice of Immanuel, and to triumph in his divine righteoufnefs. The pfalms are the means appointed of God to answer thofe ends; and they do by his grace. They ftir up the pure minds of his peo ple by way of remembrance. They afford them proper matter, and choice words, and

when

when fung with fignificant founds, they excite affections to Jefus, as holy and as happy, as they can be on this fide of heaven.

The ufe of the pfalms was alfo to THANK: "O give thanks unto the "Lord: For his mercy endureth for "ever," feems to have been the chorus of all the antient hymns. The word which we tranflate TO THANK fignifies to give the hand to God, as an acknowlegment that all power was his. The hand is power. Our power extends as far as our hand reaches. The hand of God is every where, and his power is infinite. The cuftom of paying homage in antient times explains this ufage of the word. I Chron. xxix. 23." Then Solomon fat on the "throne of the Lord as king, instead of "David his father, and profpered, and "all Ifrael obeyed him, 24. And all "the princes, and the mighty men, and "all the fons likewife of king David. fubmitted themselves unto Solomon the

king-Heb. gave the hand under So"lomon the king." This was an expreffive ceremony: They kneeled down and put their hands under his; thereby confeffing that their power was fubject to his: And in this manner they paid him homage. There is a curious letter extant of king Hezekiahs, which farther ex

plains

plains both the expreffion and the custom. He fays in it to the people, 2 Chron. xxx. 8. "Be ye not stiffnecked as your "fathers were, but yield yourfelves, Heb. "give the hand unto the Lord," fall down before him, and afcribe all your power to the Lord-acknowlege him to have all power in heaven and earth. Thus give the honor due unto his name. Confefs that all your good comes from him, and that he keeps you from all evil. Every bleffing which you receive in earth or hope for in heaven, acknowlege to be from the good pleasure of his own will, and to the praife of the glory of his free grace. Most of the pfalms were written, and fhould be fung, with this fpirit. What David felt in his own heart at the free-will offerings of the people towards the building of the temple, the fame he would excite in others, when they read or fing the pfalms. 1 Chron. xxix. 10, &c. "Wherefore David bleffed the Lord "before all the congregation, and David "faid, Bleffed be thou Lord God of If"rael, our Father for ever and ever: "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and “the power, and the glory, and the vic, "tory, and the majefty: For all that is

f

in the heaven and in the earth is thine: Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and

"thou art exalted as head above all: "Both riches and honor come of thee, "and thou reigneft over all, and in thy "hand is power and might, and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give

ftrength unto all: Now therefore our "God we thank thee, and praife thy

glorious name." How delightfully does he here- defcribe one great end of finging pfalms. It was to afcribe to the Lord all the glory of his word and works and ways with voices and inftruments, but chiefly with the mufic of the heart to praise him for his goodness, and to blefs him, because his mercy endureth for

ever.

There is another word ufed, Chron. xvi. 4. The pfalms were to record, and to thank, and to PRAISE (Heb. Hellel) the Lord God of Ifrael. But this has been treated of in the beginning of the fecond chapter. It is the running title of the pfalms, and fignifies the action of light in the material world, and from thence is applied to the action of the fun of righteoufnefs in the fpiritual world. Singing pfalms was not only to remind us of him, but also to lead us to ascribe to him all the bleffings of nature and grace, of earth and heaven. All are from him the gifts of his free unmerited love,

and