may frequently feem fo unapplicable to the outward Condition, or inward Frame, of

many in every Congregation, that, if they attend to them, they cannot say them with Truth. But most of them all good People may fay, even of themfelves fingly, with much Truth. For they have constantly Enemies, temporal or spiritual, Afflictions more or less heavy, valuable Mercies, and at Times warm Feelings of pious Difpofitions: which, if not present, may be fo recalled, and made their own again, as to be very fincerely expreffed to God. And what they cannot say in their own Name separately, they may truly fay in the Name of Chrift's Church, of which they are Members: and they ought, and furely do, bear fome Share of the Mercies and Sufferings, the Fears and Defires of every Part of it, in every State. And as David, in fome of the Pfalms, takes on him the Perfon of Chrift; in others he seems to take that of his Disciples: and to fpeak, not in any one particular Character, but as representing the whole Body of Believers. Or if there be any Paffages, which neither of these Methods will fuit; ftill we may rehearse them, as expreffing the Cafe of fome eminent Worthy of old Times, and be affected by it accordingly: VOL. VI. Q

for

for we often are strongly affected by the Circumstances, well described, not only of distant, but of imaginary Perfons. We may confider, as we go on, the Likeness, or the Difference, between his Situation, his Temper, and our own and raise from it many Reflections of Sympathy and Caution, of Humiliation, Encouragement, and Thankfulness. Thus, at least, we may bring every Thing we say, home to ourselves and by fo doing furnish our Minds with a most valuable Store of devout Thoughts and Language, perhaps for many future Occafions of our own or others, For the Book of Pfalms is fo inexhauftible a Treasure of every Branch of Piety, that a more conftant Use of it, than of any other in the whole Bible, hath, with very juft Reason, been appointed in public Forms of Prayer, and recommended in private

ones.

It may be objected, that in feveral of them David utters moft bitter Imprecations against his Enemies in which, to say nothing harsher, we cannot follow him: for the Rule of the New Teftament is, Blefs and curfe not. But indeed most, if not all, the Places, which appear Wishes of Evil, may, according to the confeffed

b Rom. xii. 14.

confeffed Import of the Original, be understood only as Predictions of it. Or, fuppofing them Withes, David might be directed by infinite Wisdom to pronounce them, even against the Oppofers of his reigning over Ifrael; who oppofed, at the fame Time, the known Decree of Providence. Repeating them in this View, folely as His, must be innocent: and firongly fuggeft an important Admonition, not to fight against God. But perhaps in fome of these, as well as other Paffages, he fpeaks in the Perfon of the whole Church of God, against all its irreconcileable Adverfaries, whoever they be. Such was Judas: to whom therefore the two most dreadful of these Pfalms are applied, Acts i. 20. And, with the utmoft Tenderness to the whole of God's Creation, we may and must defire the Overthrow of Them, who obftinately hate Him and his Laws. For though we ought much more to defire the Repentance, than the Death of a Sinner, as He himself doth : yet if they will not repent, we ought to think and speak with Approbation and Satisfaction, (yet mixed with an awful Concern,) of their Punifhments here, and Sentence hereafter: which laff St. Paul reprefents good Perfóns, as joining

* A&ts xxiii. 9.

to pronounce: Do ye not know, that the Saints fball judge the World?

It may be objected further, that however this be, the Pfalms are unfit for Our Use on another Account: they are full of Jewish Notions and Phrafes. But they were compofed by the Aid of the holy Spirit, with a View to Chriftian Times: our Saviour appeals particularly to those Things, which are written in the Pfalms concerning him, and they are many. Nor is the Difficulty great, in applying the Peculiarities of one Difpenfation to what answers them in the other of understanding by the Law, the Doctrine of Him, who came to fulfill it; by Jerufalem and Zion, the Chriftian Church; by the feveral Sacrifices, that of our bleffed Lord, or of our own Prayers and Praifes offered up in his Name; by the Altar, the holy Table; by temporal Enemies and Deliverances, fpiritual ones; and fo of the reft: thanking God, at the fame Time, that we have Light afforded us, to fee fo much deeper into this and every Book of the Old Teftament, than they who wrote it.

Still there may be more Paffages than a few in the Pfalms, which many understand not.

d1 Cor. vi. 2.

Luke xxiv. 44.

However,

However, even these they may allowably read over, as undoubtedly they often do other Things, in Order and in Hope to understand them: and by reading with Attention, they will come gradually to understand more and more of them. But they would make this much eafier to themfelves, by reading carefully in private some Paraphrafe of the Pfalms, if they are able to procure one, along with them: such as the larger of Dr. Hammond, or rather of Bishop Patrick, or the smaller of Dr. Nicols or Mr. Johnson. The particular Paffages, which one or other may find obfcure to him, are too many to be explained from hence. But the darkest and leaft edifying in Appearance will, by the Ufe of any of these Authors, be perceived, either to have fome one determined Senfe of Importance, or at least to be capable of feveral fuch.

And indeed all confiderate Chriftians will acknowledge the Excellence of the Pfalter in a good Tranflation. But fome object against that, which we have in our Prayer-Books, as made in Times of less Learning and Exactness, than the other in our Bibles: which, being more correct, they conceive ought to be used inftead of it. But indeed, as the latter is, in fome Places, jufter than the former; fo is the 0 3 former,