therefore it is that the angels are figured forth by the faces of the cherubims looking towards the mercy-seat, and upon the walls of the temple in the house of the Lord: though they do not feed upon redeeming blood and love, (for this is an exalted joy for the saints, above the joy of angels) yet they delight to behold the glories of his incarnation, the mysteries of his person as God-man, the greatness of his agonies, the sacrifice of his death, and the joyful victories of his resurrection. They delighted to be the harbingers of ' his coming, sang of his incarnate grace, attended him in bis doleful agonies, were witnesses of his ascension, and sang the glories of his conquest and exaltation; and it is their delight now to hear of him in the ministration of the gospel, and to behold the manifold wisdom of God displayed in him: Eph. iii. 10. 1 Pet. i. 12. "Which things the angels desire to look into."

Ver. 32. "For all this they sinned still."]-This shews that nothing but the continual power of divine grace and love, can keep us from sinning against God.

Ver. 38. "But he being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity."]-This proves that forgiveness of sin is not owing to our goodness, but to our heavenly Father's com passion towards us, which is a sweet encouragement to hope for pardon under the greatest sense of our own unworthiness, and the vileness of our hearts.

Ver. 53. "And he led them on safely, so that they feared not."]-This shews the distinguishing love, grace, and kindness, that God shewed to his people in the wilder ness, when he led them tenderly, safely, and constantly, as a shepherd doth his sheep, providing for them, and supplying them under all their wants, so that they feared not: which was a lively emblem of the Lord Jesus, spiritually guiding his chosen flock and people; under whose care and protection their faith is strengthened, and their hope encouraged.

Ver. 68. "But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved."]-By the Lord's love to mount Zion we are to understand his love to his church, by his choice of the tribe of Judah; for mount Zion stood in that tribe, and he delighted in that tribe, because the Messiah was to spring from it, Heb. vii. 14.

PSALM LXXIX.

On whatever occasion this psalm was wrote, it points also at the latter days, before the gathering of the people unto God; foreshewing under the figure of distress and desolation brought on Jerusalem, that calamitous state which will be brought on the mystical city, or church of God, in the perilous times of the latter days, by some antichristian power, ver. 1-4. And then, having begged deliverance in the name of the church, it promises eternal praise.

VER. 9. "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name."]-The believer is brought to view things aright, when he pleads for help, comfort, and consolation, for the glory of God's name.

"And purge away our sins for thy name's sake."]That is, for the Messiah's sake, who is God's name's sake, as all the names, characters, and appellations of Jehovah belong essentially to Christ, and therefore with propriety he might be stiled Jehovah's name's sake. The words "purge away our sins," signify, be propitious, cover, or expiate our sins; which is only done by the sacrifice, death, and propitiation of the divine Messiah: the whole implies a manifes tative sense of pardoning love to the soul.

Ver. 13. "We will shew forth thy praise to all generations."]-A sense of pardoning love, of covenant interest, of being fed in the fields and pastures of divine favour, engages the mind to shew forth the Lord's praises in love to his name, and in obedience to his commands before men and angels.

PSALM LXXX.

The church is here again begging deliverance from the calamities of the latter days: for this psalm, as its title intimates, is a testimony for those that come after, and therefore pointing at the gathering of the people, the jews particularly, unto God. In ver. 1-3. it begins the hastening of that blessed time; complains of its delay, ver. 4-7. and of the desolations of the church, ver. 8-13. prays for speedy deliverance, ver. 14-16. and foresees it in the latter part of ver. 16—19.

VER. 1. "Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth."]-This shews the earnest desire of the be

lieving soul to have the guilt of his conscience removed, to enjoy a sealed pardon, and feel the comforts of the Holy Ghost by the shinings and displays of divine favour from the mercy-seat. Which seems to point out a reason too, why the blessed Mediator of the christian covenant is represented sitting above these emblematical figures, and of the prophet's petition here, that he would shine forth. May we not believe his sitting above them was to remind us of his looking down with compassion, from the throne of his glory, on the "earnest expectation of the creature," waiting for the manifestation which is to deliver us from our present state of corruption, through his "precious blood of sprinkling?" and that in beseeching him to shine forth, the prophet beseeches him soon to display the glory of his mercy, by answering our hopes, and shewing himself our Redeemer and mighty deliverer, as he now graciously begun, and will at length fully and effectually do.

Ver. 17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right band."]-As the preceding verses describe the great distresses of the church, that her fence was broken down, and the enemy broke in upon her, so these words describe the desire of the church in pleading for her deliverance, life, and salvation by Christ, as her substitute, surety, and Saviour; therefore she says, "Let thy hand (that is, thy hand of justice) be upon the man of thy right hand;" that MAN whom thou hast appointed to suffer and die for sin, and to make an atonement with his own blood: "the man of thy right hand;" which denotes the love and complacency that God always took in the man Christ, being "the man of his right hand," that is, his beloved one, one near to him, and dear to him, as the beloved of his soul, his right hand man, whom he had appointed to that great work that he could not do without him; namely, fulfil his counsels, and secure his glory: upon him let thine hand be.

"The Son of Man whom thou madest strong for thy self."-These words shew the ancient glory of the Messiah, as the Man and Mediator with God for the old testament saints; that he was known by the church in the character of the Son of Man; and that his human nature was made strong by virtue of the hypostatical union, to bear the stroke of divine justice, to fulfil Jehovah's counsels and covenant, and to accomplish the salvation of his people. Note, of all the great works that God ever did, his making the man Jesus strong for himself is the glory and chief. To see a man strong in God, strong for God, strong to save, what a

wonder is here for faith to behold! what an object of adoration for love to adore! Another God was impossible to be made, for God is one; but lo! a God-man is made to save! O the wonders of wisdom, and the glories of divine love, which are herein displayed!

PSALM LXXXI.

The Jews, we are told, sung this psalm on the fifth day of the week, or Thursday; and for this, as also for the choice of other psalms, which they appropriated to particular days and times, it may well be supposed they had the direction of some of their prophets. In this, at least, it may the rather be believed, because it is leading our thoughts to that blessed time, when he who on that day ascended up on high, to sit at the right hand of God, as King of kings, and Lord of lords, shall come again in glory, to gather into one the people of God. For this blessed time the church is praying in the two foregoing psalms and here.

VER. 5. "This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony."]-By the word testimony, which is frequently used in the psalms, we are to understand the will of God, or the testimony of his counsel, grace, and kindness: in which respect the whole book of God is a testimony of his glory and perfections, of his promises, blessings, and grace, of the person of Christ, of his offices and love to his church; and this testimony, grace, or good-will, he has ordained in Joseph; that is, bis grace and love are settled in his church; for so the name Joseph is to be understood, Psalm lxxx. 1.

"When he went out through the land of Egypt."]That is, when the Lord went out: this shews the unspeakable wonders of Christ's love and grace to his church, who are his bride, spouse, and people; that he from his near relation and affection, looked on their deliverance as his own; see Exod. xi. 8. He takes whatever is done against his church as done against himself; for he saith," He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine cye:" and such is the boundless grace of the Redeemer, that whatever he does for his people in a way of comfort and deliverance, he looks upon and does with the same delight as for himself; for as an husband delights to be tender and concerned for the bappiness of his spouse, and rejoices in it as his own joy, so does Christ in his people.

Ver. 16. "He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat."]-This may literally be understood of

the fat of the land of Canaan, which was to be given to the Israelites in a way of obedience; and spiritually it may denote the Lord's crowning the obedience of faith and love with the precious food of the gospel, comparable to wheat for its excellency, strengthening and satisfying nature.

"And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee."]-By the rock we are spiritually to understand Christ, the rock of salvation; and by the honey the fulness of grace and blessings that flow from Christ, which are like honey for their sweetness, preciousness, and satisfying nature and with these the Lord feeds his children, who are through grace, kept in the way of his commandments.

PSALM LXXXII.

The prophet here, ver. 1. is reminding judges and magistrates, that God is present in their assemblies, and judging them. In ver. 2-7. he com-. plains of their corruption, and warns them of the danger of falling finally, as the princes, that is, the fallen angels, did; and then prays that God would arise, and act as judge and king of all the earth; which he will do at the gathering of the people.

PSALM LXXXIII.

The prophet here is teaching us to pray for the shortening of those days in which the enemies of God (represensed here under the names of Edomites, and other ancient enemies of his people) will be plotting and furiously labouring to root out the very name of Israel, that is, of his Israel, or the church of Christ. But he prophecies also that they will be put to shame, and made to know that Jehovah, in his blessed name (that is, God in Christ) is the Most High, or Lord and King of all the earth.

VER. 18. "That men may know, that thou whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth."]-Jehovah comes from an Hebrew root which signifies to self-exist, or to be essentially; and it denotes the eternity, all-sufficiency, and immutability of the great God, as invariable in his name and nature, in his love, word, and promise to his people; and it points out an essential glory