sion particularly, David was enabled thus to foresee and represent, as a reward for his piety and zeal in establishing public and solemn worship.

VER. 2. "Sing unto the Lord, bless his name."]— Speak well of him, whose name is excellent and glorious, sweet and precious; even every name of his, Jesus, Im manuel, &c. proclaim him the ever blessed God, as he is, as prevented with the blessings of goodness, and made most blessed for ever; as Mediator, ascribe all spiritual blessings to him, and bless him for them, and give him the glory and honour of them.

"Shew forth his salvation from day to day."]-The salvation of his people he undertook, and has completed; publish that as a piece of good news, as glad tidings; so the word used signifies; even evangelizing, or preaching the gospel; the sum and substance of it, salvation by Jesus Christ.

Ver. 3. "Declare his glory among the heathen."]— What a glorious person the Messiah is; the brightness of his Father's glory; having all the perfections of Deity in him; how the glory of God appears in him, and in all that he has done, and especially in the work of redemption, in which the glory of divine wisdom, power, justice, truth, and faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy, is richly displayed: say what glory he is advanced unto, having done his work, being highly exalted, set at the right hand of God, and crowned with glory and honour: and what a fulness of grace there is in him, for the supply of his people; and what a glory is on him, which they shall behold to all eternity.

"His wonders among all people."]-What a wonderful person he is, God manifest in the flesh; what wonderful love he has shewn in his incarnation, obedience, sufferings, and death.

Ver. 6. "Honour and majesty are before him."]-He being set down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, and having honour and majesty laid upon him; being arrayed in robes of majesty, crowned with glory and honour, sitting on the same throne of glory with his Father, and having a sceptre of righteousness in his hand, and all the forms and ensigns of royalty and majesty about him; rays of light and glory.

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Ver. 12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein."-Not the field of the world, but of the church,

separated from others by distinguishing grace; the peculiar property of Christ, cultivated and manured by his Spirit and grace, and abounding with the fruits and flowers thereof: of a wilderness becoming a fruitful field, and for that reason should rejoice, even with joy and singing, Isaiah xxxv. 1, 2.

"Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice."]-The sons of God, so called, Cant. ii. 3. who, though like such, in their nature state, barren and unfruitful, yet, being in grafted into Christ, become trees of righteousness; and so have reason to rejoice at their root in Christ, their stability by him, and fruitfulness through him..

PSALM XCVII.

Here also the prophet sees Jehovah reigning, and coming in a most awful manner to confound the worshippers of idols, to make Zion rejoice, and shew himself King of all the earth. At the resurrection of Christ these things began to be done; and when the times of restitution (spoken of Acts iii. 19-21.) are come, they will be fully accomplished. For then the earth, now fallen off and made subject to vanity, will be renewed and restored to him. And, in the mean time, all that truly love him are to be proving their love, by a perfect abhorence of evil.

VER. 6. "And all the people see his glory."]-The glory of his justice in the destruction of his enemies; the glory of his power and grace in the salvation of his chosen ; The glory of God in the face of Christ; the glory of Christ himself, as the only begotten of the Father; the glory of his person, office, grace, and righteousness, in the glass of the gospel; the glory and honour he is now crowned with in heaven; and all the people, even all the chosen, redeemed, and called people, shall behold his glory to all eternity: it seems chiefly to respect the revelation of his glory, and his people's view of it at his first coming; Isaiah xl. 5, 6.

Ver. 8. "Zion heard and was glad."]-The church of Christ, and the members of it, called Zion, in allusion to the mountain of that name on which the temple stood; a type of the church, Heb. xii. 22. these heard the gospel, the good news and glad tidings of good things; they heard that Zion's king reigned, and that his kingdom was enlarged; they heard the heavenly men declare his righteousness, by which they are justified from all things; they heard of the conversion of the gentiles, and the confusion of idolaters;

of the incarnation of Christ, and of his being worshipped by angels; all which filled them with joy and gladness: “And the daughters of Judah rejoiced."

Ver. 10. "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil."]-The evil of sin, which is to be bated, because of the evil nature of it, it being exceeding sinful; and because of its evil consequences, bringing death, ruin, and destruction with it to the souls of men, unless grace prevents; and disquietude, distress, and trouble to the saints themselves; and because it is hateful to God, being contrary to his nature, will, and law, and is hated by Christ; and therefore those that love him should hate that, shun it, avoid it, depart from it, and abstain from all appearance of it; as all such will that love him in sincerity above all persons and things; and all of him, and that belong to him, his people, ways, worship, truths, and ordinances: and such are they that have seen the loveliness of him, and know his love, and have had it shed abroad in their hearts; and these will not only hate the evil of sin, but evil men; not their persons, but their actions and conversations; and will avoid them, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.

PSALM XCVIII.

The new song which this psalm directs us to be singing to the Lord, is for the wonders he will do, and the triumphs he will obtain over all his enemies, when he displays his mercy and truth to Israel in their final conversion, and the fulness of the gentiles also is brought in. For these things, in full assurance of hope, all nations are here called to rejoice: and at these things the prophets are justly supposed to point in all the places, where they are calling for a new song.

VER. 2. "His righteousness bath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen."]-His own righteousness by which he fulfilled the law in the room and stead of his people; and which being brought in is revealed in the gospel, from faith to faith; and that openly, not in dark shadows, types, and figures; but it is to be seen with open face in the clear glass of the gospel; and is held forth in the ministra tion of it unto the gentiles, whom God justifies through faith in it, as well as the believing Jews, Rom. iii. 39. Gal. iii. 8.

Ver. 3. "He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel."]-His mercy promised

them, in raising up a Saviour to them, one that should be the glory of them; and his truth, in fulfilling that and every other promise concerning him; Luke i. 72, 74, and ii. 32. Rom. xv. 8.

"All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."]-Either Christ himself, who is the salvation or Saviour of God's appointing, providing, and sending; or the salvation which he has wrought out.

PSALM XCIX.

Here also the prophet foresees and celebrates Jehovah reigning over all people, and therefore calls them all to praise and magnify him, as being the Holy One, and ever the same; as hearing Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, and sparing the people at their intercession; encouraging thus his servants to pray, and trust in his mercy.

VER. 1. "The Lord reigneth."]-The king Messiah, he is made and declared Lord and Christ; he has reigned, does reign, and ever will; Psalm xciii. 1. and xcvi. 10. and xcvii. 1.

"Let the people tremble."]-With awe of his majesty, and reverence of his word and ordinances; rejoicing before him with trembling, as his own people and subjects do, Psalm ii. 11.

Ver. 5. "Exalt ye the Lord our God."]-Christ, who is Lord of all, and Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, our Lord and our God; exalt him in his person, as God over all blessed for ever; in his offices of prophet, priest, and king, by hearkening to his word, by trusting in his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and by submitting to his ordinances, and obeying his commands; exalt him in heart, thought, and affection, thinking highly of him, and affectionately loving him; exalt and extol him in words, speak of his love and loveliness, and of the great things he has done; exalt him in private and in public, in the family and in the house of God; make mention of him every where, that his name be exalted.

PSALM C.

In this psalm also the prophet is still pursuing the same subject, calling all the earth to confess and adore Jehovah as their God; in a foresight of bis taking care of his people, and the sheep of his pasture: directing them therefore to come into his courts, and be confessing there his truth and goodness.

VER. 1. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands."]—Or, all the earth; that is, to the Messiah; as the angels did at his birth, the disciples when he made his public entrance into Jerusalem, the apostles at his ascension to heaven, the saints when the marriage of him, the Lamb, will be come, and both men and angels when he shall descend from heaven to judge the world; and such a joyful noise or shout shall be made unto him as to a triumphant conqueror, who has got the victory over sin, satan, death, and the grave, and every enemy of his and his people, and made them more than conquerors through himself; Psalm xcv. 1.

Ver. 3. "Know ye that the Lord he is God."]-Own and acknowledge him to be God, as well as man; and though a man, yet not a mere man, but the great God and our Saviour, the true God and eternal life; so a man, as that he is Jehovah's fellow; or our God, Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, God manifest in the flesh.

Ver. 4. "Be thankful unto him."]-For all blessings of grace in him, and by him; for all things, and at all times.

"And bless his name."]-By ascribing honour, blessing, and glory to him, saying, "Blessed be his glorious name for ever," Psalm lxxii. 19. ciii. 1.

Ver. 5." And his truth endureth unto all genera tions."]-Or his faithfulness in fulfilling his promises, and performing his engagements; he was faithful to his Father that appointed him, and to the covenant he made with him; and he is faithful to his people, to keep what they commit to his care and charge now, and to give them the crown of righteousness at the last day, which is laid up for them; and upon all these considerations, and for these reasons, ought to be praised and adored.