of that amelioration anywhere of the climate, and that agreement of nations to live in peace together under Messiah, and of that rectification of all abuses in government, which forms the subject of the close of this psalm. Whether, then, are these transcendent blessings to be looked for through the present ministry derived. from the apostles in reliance on the Saviour's words, "Lo! I am with you alway, even to the end of the age?" or rather by the return of the Lord from heaven "to restore all things?" questionably by this latter mercy. (See Acts iii. 17-21; Rom. xi. 11-36.)

Un

The present gathering of Gentiles unto Christ, which seems to be pointed to in the third and fourth verses, by mention of some that shall have become peoples in covenant with the God of Israel, and so to be distinguished from the "Gentiles" in the second verse, is due to God's mercy," in providing that Jewish perverseness should not for generations frustrate God's love towards mankind in Christ Jesus "when all things are ready;" and for the same reason, lest perverseness of Christians out of the Gentiles should do the like, God has provided for the recall to favour of all Israel when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Rom. xi. 30, 31.)

1.

O God, be merciful, and grant Thy blessing;
Thy glorious face, oh, to Thine Israel show!
That we Thy way in Christ ourselves professing,
May cause all Gentiles that same way to know.

2.

Ho! ye, become His peoples, sing His praises;
God's peoples all, His praises gladly sing!
Sing how His rule inveterate wrong displaces,
And doth unto all countries comfort bring.

3.

Praise Him, all peoples, His true light possessing! Then shall the earth her increase largely give; Then God, our God, shall grant us all His blessing, And in His fear earth's furthest wanderers live.

PSALM LXVIII.

TITLE.

To the chief Musician. A psalm, a song of David.

ARGUMENT.

Bishop Horseley considers this psalm to be "prophetic of deliverance from the captivity, and of the conversion of the nations."

Like as a person, on gaining the summit of some high ridge commanding a vast range of landscape, fixes his gaze in the first instance on hills bounding the horizon; so the inspired writers, having the future of their nation unfolded in vision, seem to have often dwelt first upon Israel's latter end, in the most distant part of the field unfolded before them.

As the eightieth psalm appears to have been written by Asaph in anticipation of the outcasts of Israel being called by the Lord, about the time of His return, to begin their march toward the land of promise; so seems this sixty-eighth psalm to describe the call to be addressed to Judah about the same time.

By Numbers x. 35, we learn, that the first verse of this sixtyeighth psalm is a formula to be used upon notice being given for the setting forward of the ark.

It is significantly recorded in Numb. x. 33, that upon the occasion of Israel first leaving Sinai the ark, by God's admonition, went three days' journey in advance, “to search out a resting-place for them."

This command, like that of the same kind to Abraham, in Gen. xxii. 1-4, was doubtless significant in divers ways of what God should do for Abraham through his expected Son.

Amongst the rest, when compared with our Lord's words, in John xiv. 1-3, it may foreshadow after what interval from His coming He should call the chosen remnant of His nation (see Ps. xxxiii. 12; lxxviii. 4—6,) to enter on the inheritance promised to Abraham in the Lord's land at the commencement of the third millenary after His ascension-one day being here taken prophetically for a thousand years.

In the sixty-sixth psalm there is an undoubted intimation at ver. 5-7, of a march appointed for a remnant of the ten tribes, about the time of the Lord's return to bless them; at which shall be wrought wonders similar to those wrought on bringing Israel out of Egypt under Moses, and apparently in the same places. On this point compare Isa. xi. 10-16, and xviii. The psalm before us seems to speak of events contemporaneous with the above. (See ver. 22, 23.) As Joel, in his early day, looked forward to the full accomplishment of the promised outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel; (ch. ii. 23-32,) so seems the psalmist to have done here at verse 9. As Peter, in Acts ii. 16-21, shewed the outpouring of

the Holy Ghost's gifts, at the Pentecost next following our Lord's Ascension, to be in fulfilment of that prophecy of Joel-that is, an instalment thereof; so Paul's exposition of the seventeenth and eighteenth verses of this psalm in Eph. iv. 7—16, may be regarded as the initial fulfilment of God's promise herein. The presence of the Lord in Zion, as once on Sinai, predicted in verse 17, is entirely in accordance with what Isaiah was instructed to fore-announce in lx. 13 and that very temple seems be spoken of in the twentyninth verse of the psalm before us. In the eighteenth psalm, from verse 32 to the end, predictions of Israel's final establishment in ascendency over all nations, under the reign of their Messiah, seems to be foretold in terms similar to those employed in the latter part of this psalm.

66

This language, which agrees with what is used by the prophets touching the same times, (see Isa. xli.; Zech. ix. 13,) unquestionably indicates, that whereas in this present age of the kingdom of heaven, during the national divorcement of Israel, the battle is carried forward with burning and fuel of fire" alone, in support and commendation of the word of His grace, (Isa. ix. 1-7; 2 Cor. iv. 1-12,) in the age to come the Lord, on returning to Israel, will subdue the obstinate rebelliousness of mankind by the terrors of physical force. (See Jer. xxv. 31—38.)

1.

Let God arise, and let His enemies

Be scatter'd ; let all them before Him flee,
That hate Him! as by flame wax liquefies,
So at God's presence let the company
Of sinners; but let righteous hearts rejoice
Before God, and in rapture lift their voice.

2.

Sing unto God! breathe music in His Name!
Prepare His way, Who thro' the wilderness1
Is riding very Jah, His Name! proclaim
Before Him, "Father He of fatherless-
Judge He of widows-lone ones" families-
Bound ones gives freedom-rebels straitnesses.1

1 Ver. 4. See, too, verse 7.

2 Ver. 4. is here taken to be intensive, as in Ps. xxix. 4, and had not St. Paul, by Eph. iv. 8, in the words "unto men" shewn that DN, in verse 10, was to be rendered as in Jer. xlix. 15, it might have seemed preferable to render it by this rule " very man."

3 Ver. 6. See Ps. cxiii. 9.

4 Ver. 6. So in Ps. xviii. 26, God deals frowardly, by withholding grace.

3.

When Thou, O God, 'fore Thy host wentest forth—
When thro' the wilderness Thou marchedst-lo!
Heav'n bow'd before God's presence-quak'd the
earth.

Yea, Sinai heav'd with a convulsive throe,
Before the face of Israel's God! but Thou
A plenteous rain didst graciously bestow

4.

Upon Thine heritage, and when distress'd,
Confirm it there Thy congregation dwelt-
There to the poor, O God, Thou gavedst rest
Of Thy mere goodness'-there the Lord forth dealt
His bread-the word—and female companies
With glad acclaim sang of its victories.

5.

Kings at the head of armies fled-yea fled-
All social fabrics at that word gave way-
Spoils of all realms were 'fore its heralds laid-
And she, at home abiding, shar'd as they.
Although ye've been as scullions, not the rays
Off doves' wings shall surpass your splendour's blaze.

5 Ver. 7. See Judges v. 4, 5.

6 Ver. 10. Isa. lxi. 1. Matt. xi. 5. Isa. xi 9.

7 See ver. 12, and Ps. xlv. 16.

8 Ver. 12. nia. By Exod. xv. 20, 21, and 1 Sam. xviii. 7, we see what part the women of Israel bore in all that was of interest to the nation, though denied advantages of education, common with males. A little reflection will convince one that like as Miriam's songs and those of the women in David's day were not to be confounded with the achievements of Moses and of David, or rather of God by them, which formed the theme of their song; so surely ought not the song of the women in this psalm, who "tarried at home," to be substituted for that of the messengers, or of the word which they preached.

9 Ver. 13, DE "betwixt the two rows of stones" on which were laid the pots and kettles in a camp. See Ps. lix. 14, 15, as to the downtrodden state of the Jews, until in retribution there shall be laid on Gentiles some such terror, as led Egyptians, in Exod. xii. 35, to load them with gifts.

6.

That day the Almighty scatter'd kings, bright shone
Thy congregation, as might Salmon's snow,
Piercing high heav'n, illumin'd with the sun.
High is God's hill, and Bashan high; but low
That and all other high ones, when compar'd
With this which God to be His own declar'd.

7.

In this Jehovah will for ever rest;
Above it are the chariots of God,

Angelic myriads! and as when He press'd
Mount Sinai, so shall this hill too be trod
And sanctified with His beloved feet,11
When in His holy place He'll Israel meet.

8.

On high ascending Thou th' enslaving crew
Hast led enslav'd;12 and Thou hast gifts receiv'd
For mankind, yea, for the rebellious too,

That Jah13-God all in all-when they believ'd
His word, might dwell1 in them! be blest the Lord,
Who daily doth to us His gifts accord!

9.

The God that gives salvations, lo! is ours;
And to the Lord Jehovah doth pertain

The ways15 of death, hence wheresoe'er the powers
Of earth their disaffected state maintain,

God will the heads in righteous judgment wound
Of all persistently rebellious found.

12 Ver. 18.

13 Ver. 18.

Salmon, Judg. ix. 47, 48; the same with Ebal.
Isa. lx. 13. Ezek. xlviii. 35.

Col. ii. 15.

Jah is the name of God in respect of self-cxistence. (Exod. iii. 14; John viii. 58.)

John xiv. 23.

14 Ver. 18.

15 Ver. 20.

Prov. xvi. 25.

I