PSALM XX.

ARGUMENT.

[1-4. The church prayeth for the prosperity of King Messiah, going forth to the battle, as her champion and deliverer; for his acceptance by the Father, and for the accomplishment of his will. 5, 6, 7. She declareth her full assurance of faith, and her resolution to trust in him alone, and not in the arm of flesh. 8. She foreseeth the fall of her enemies, and her own exaltation; and, 9.concludeth with a prayer to the God of her strength.]

1. "The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.'

This may be considered as the address of a people to their king, when he goeth forth to the battle against their enemies. But it is to be regarded, in a more general and useful view, as the address of the church to Christ her king, in the day of his trouble.' She prayeth for the happy accomplishment of his warfare, through the name of the God of Jacob,' dwelling in him. And his warfare, though accomplished in his own person, still remaineth to be accomplished in his people, until the last enemy shall be destroyed, and death shall be swallowed up in victory. It is still the day of trouble;' still the name of the God of Jacob must defend' the body of Christ,

2. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen

thee out of Sion.'

All help and strength, in the time of danger and sorrow, must be obtained by prayer, from the heavenly Sion, which is in the Jerusalem above, and from the eternal temple thereon constructed. By this 'help and strength,' the Captain of our salvation conquered; and the church, with all her sons, must conquer through the same.

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3. Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice.'

As Christ, in the days of his flesh, offered up, not only prayers and tears, but, at length, his own most precious body and blood; the church here prays, that the great propitiatory sacrifice may be had in everlasting remembrance before God, and the merits of it be continually

pleaded in arrest of judgment, and accepted for herself and her children.

4.

Grant thee, according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.'

The desire of Christ's heart, and the counsel of his will, was, that he might die for our sins, and rise again for our justification; that the Gospel might be preached, the Gentiles called, the Jews converted, the dead raised, and the elect glorified. That this his desire might be granted,' and this his counsel be fulfilled,' the church of old prayed; and the church now prayeth for the accomplishment of that which yet remains to be accomplished. 5. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.'

The joy of the church is in the salvation of Christ; and the joy of every individual is in the application of that salvation to himself, and all around him. In the name of Jesus, and 'under the banner of the cross, the armies of the faithful undertake and carry on all their enterprises against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The prospect of the glorious fruits of Christ's victory, caused the church to redouble her prayers, that he might be heard in his petitions' for mankind, and might see of the travail of his soul.

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Now know I, that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.'

The assurance of the ancient church was built on the prophecies going before concerning the salvation of Messiah. Our assurance is strengthened by the actual performance of so great a part of the counsel of God. We know that the LORD has saved his Anointed;' that his Anointed saveth all, who believe and obey him, from their sins; and therefore, we doubt not, but that, by the strength of his right hand,' or by the excellency of his power, he will finally save them from death, and rescue them from the grave.

7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.'

This should be the resolution of every Christian king.

and people, in the day of battle. And, in the spiritual war, in which we are all engaged, the first and necessary step to victory is, to renounce all confidence in the wisdom and strength of nature and the world; and to remember, that we can do nothing, but in the name, by the merits, through the power, and for the sake, of Jesus Christ, our LORD, and our God.

8. They are brought down and fallen; but we are risen, and stand upright.'

This was eminently the case, when the pride and power of Jewish infidelity and Pagan idolatry fell before the victorious sermons and lives of the humble believers in Jesus; this is the case in every conflict with our spiritual enemies, when we engage them in the name, the spirit, and the power of Christ; and this will be the case at the last day, when the world, with the prince of it, shall be 'brought down, and fall; but we, risen' from the dead, through the resurrection of our Lord, shall stand upright' in the courts of heaven, and sing the praises of him who getteth us all our victories.

9. 'Save, LORD: let the King hear us when we call.' Thus the Psalm concludes, as it began, with a general 'Hosanna' of the church, praying for the prosperity and success of the then future Messiah, and for her own salvation in him, her king: who, from the grave and gate of death, was, for this end, to be exalted to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, that he might hear, and present to his Father, the prayers of his people, when they call upon him.'

PSALM XXI.

ARGUMENT.

[This is one of the proper Psalms which the church hath appointed to be used on Ascension-day, and wherein, 1-6. she celebrates the victory of her Redeemer, and the glory consequent thereon; she prophesies, 7. the stability of his kingdom, and, 8-12. the destruction of the enemies thereof; concluding with a prayer for his final triumph and exaltation; the celebration of which

with everlasting hallelujahs, will be her employment in heaven.]

1. The King shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

The joy of Christ himself, after his victory, is in the strength and salvation of Jehovah, manifested thereby. Such ought to be the joy of his disciples, when God hath enabled them to vanquish their enemies, either temporal or spiritual; in which latter case, as they are called kings, and said to reign with Christ, so they are in duty bound to acknowlege that they reign by him: He that glorieth,' whatever the occasion be, 'let him glory in the LORD.'

2. Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips.'

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The desire of Christ's heart was his own resurrection and exaltation, for the benefit of his church; and now he ever liveth to make request with his lips,' for the conversion and salvation of sinners. Such desires will be granted, and such requests will never be withholden, Let us be careful to frame ours, after that all-perfect model of divine love.

3. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness; thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.'

The son of God could not be more ready to ask for the blessings of the divine goodness, than the Father was to give them and his disposition is the same towards all his adopted sons. Christ, as king and priest, weareth a crown of glory, represented by the purest and most resplendent of metals, gold. He is pleased to esteem his saints, excelling in different virtues, as the rubies, the sapphires, and the emeralds, which grace and adorn that crown. Who would not be ambitious of obtaining a place therein !

4. 'He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.'

The life, asked by Christ, was not a continuance in this valley of tears, but that new and eternal life consequent upon a resurrection from the dead. For thus his petition was granted in length of days for ever and

ever.' He died no more; death had no more dominion over him.' Whose disciples then are they that wish only to have their days prolonged upon the earth, forgetful of the life which is hid with Christ in God?.

5. His glory is great in thy salvation: honor and majesty hast thou laid upon him.'

What tongue can express the glory, honor, and majesty,' with which the King of righteousness and peace was invested, on his ascension; when he took possession of the throne prepared for him, and received the homage of heaven and earth! The sacred imagery in St. John's Revelation sets them before our eyes in such a manner, that no one can read the description, whose heart will not burn within him, through impatient desire to behold them. See Rev. chap. iv. vii. xix. xxi. xxii.

6. For thou hast made him most blessed,' Heb. set him to be blessings,' 'for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.'

Christ, by his death and passion, having removed the curse, became the fountain of all blessings to his people, in time and eternity; being himself the blessing promised to Abraham, and the object of the patriarchal benedictions. The joy communicated to the humanity of our Lord, from the divine nature, shall be shed abroad on all his saints, when admitted to view the countenance of God' in the face of Jesus Christ. Then they shall enter into the joy of their Lord.'

7. For the King trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.'

The throne of Christ, as a man, was erected and established, by his trust and confidence in the Father, during his humiliation and passion. Faith in God, therefore, is the way that leadeth to honor and stability. Look at the generations of old, and see: did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded?' Ecclus. ii. 10.

8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies; thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.'

The same right hand of Jehovah is glorious in power to

''Nam posuisti eum in secula benedicendum.' Houbigant. Com pare Gen. xii. 2. Bishop Lowth, in Merrick's Annotations.