in that sense, to God, the preserver of their lives. But when it is said, that their " death is precious," it means in effect no more, than that it is so considered, it is rated at so high a price by God, as that he will not easily grant it to any one who most desires it of him.-Thus far Dr. Hammond. We may add, that much less will God be easily prevailed on to give up his people to death eternal. Rather will he work wonders of mercy and loving kindness to save them; as the penitent happily experienceth in himself.

16. O LORD, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds. 17. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. 18. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. all his people. 19. In the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Every penitent is the "servant" of God, "the "son of his handmaid," the church, "loosed from "his bonds," and redeemed from a state of slavery under sin, the world, and the devil, that he may serve a better Master, whose " yoke is easy, and his bur"den light." This blessed Master is from thenceforth the object of his love, duty, and adoration: to him he offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving," to him he "payeth his vows," among his fellow-servants in the church on earth; longing for that day to come when, loosed also from the bonds of death and the grave, he shall be admitted to sing hallelujahs with saints and angels, in the "courts" of the eternal

temple, even " in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem,” the holy, heavenly, and glorious city of God Most High!

PSALM CXVII.

ARGUMENT.

This Psalm, like the cxth, seems to be altogether prophetical of the joy that all the world should conceive, at the coming of the Messiah, to give salvation, first to the Jews, and then to all other nations, according to his faithful promise.

PATRICK.

1. O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2. For his merciful kindness is great towards us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

It is remarkable, that of so short a Psalm one verse is quoted in the New Testament by St. Paul; the second verse is explained, though not quoted. Two questions naturally arise, upon reading the Psalm; first, who are the "nations and people,” exhorted to praise Jehovah; secondly, what is that " merciful kindness," and that "truth," for which they are exhorted to praise him? The apostle hath given a satisfactory and decisive answer to both these questions, Rom. xv. 8, 9, &c. Now, I say, that "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for "the TRUTH of God, to confirm the promises made "unto the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glo

rify God for his MERCY; as it is written, Praise "the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye people." From the apostle's reasoning, the verse of our Psalm, which he hath cited, appears to be a proof that "the Gentiles," or the Heathen world, should one day" glorify God;" they are, therefore, the "people," whom the Psalmist, in the spirit of prophecy, exhorted to "praise Jehovah." It appears also, why the Gentiles were to glorify God; namely, for his "mercy" and "truth," shown in confirming or accomplishing the "promises" concerning their vocation and conversion, " made unto "the fathers *;" to Abraham, and his seed for ever; to all believers, whether of the circumcision, or the uncircumcision. Such, then, is the "merciful kind"ness" of Jehovah, which is said, in the Psalm, to be "great," mighty, and powerful, "toward us ;" such his "truth," which is affirmed to " endure for "ever;" as the promises were made good to the Gentiles, when the Jews, because of unbelief, had been cast off. Let the hallelujahs of the redeemed be suitable to that "mercy," and co-eternal with that "truth."

* "Confirmata-et veritas Domini"-Promiserat enim Abrahamo Deus futurum, ut per Christum, benedictum illud Abrahami semen, benedicerentur omnes Gentes, Gen. xii. 3. xv. 18. interprete Apostolo, Gal. iii. 16. Quod cum præstitum videamus, jam intelligimus verè advenisse Christum, ac promissa Dei firma esse omnia. Bossuet.

PSALM CXVIII.

ARGUMENT.

In this Psalm, a king of Israel appears leading his people in solemn procession to the temple, there to offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for the marvellous deliverance from his enemies, and a glorious victory gained over them. After inviting the whole nation, 1-4. to join with him upon this joyful occasion, he describeth at large, 5-18. his danger, and his deliverance from it, which latter is wholly attributed to the power and goodness of Jehovah. After this, as Mr. Mudge has rightly observed, there ensues a kind of sacred dialogue. Being come to the temple, the victorious monarch speaks the 19th verse; they that open the gate, 20th; he again, as he enters, the 21st; they with him seem to speak the next four verses, to the 25th; the priests of the temple the 26th; the first part to the king, the other to the people; the people the 27th; he the 28th; the 29th is the chorus verse, concluding as it began. The repeated application made of the 22d verse in the New Testament, and the appointment of the Psalm, by the church, to be used on Easter-day, lead us to consider the whole as a triumphant

the

hymn, sung by King Messiah, at the head of the Israel of God, on occasion of his resurrection and exaltation.

3. Let

1. O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 4. Let them now that fear the LORD, say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

The subjects of "thanksgiving" here proposed are Jehovah's" goodness" and his "mercy." He is the sole fountain of absolute and essential" good"ness," the source of all excellency and perfection; and his "mercy" is the channel by which he communicateth this goodness, in an overflowing stream, to his people, who are, therefore, exhorted to praise him. The Christian church is now "the Israel of

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God;" her ministers constitute the true "house of Aaron," being the spiritual progeny of our great High Priest; and the Gentiles, not the Jews, are they who know and "fear Jehovah." Let these all celebrate, for these all have experienced, the benefits and blessings of "eternal mercy," by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

5. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

The true value of every deliverance is to be estimated by the nature of the "distress" which required it. The rescue of David from his enemies, or that of Israel from captivity, might deservedly be extolled with the songs of Sion. How much more,