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new created us; that we stand in the peculiar relation of his people,' whom he hath chosen to himself, and over whom he presideth as King; that we are the sheep of his pasture,' for whom the good Shepherd laid down his life, and whom he nourisheth, by the word and sacraments, unto eternal life. These are points which every Christian ought to 'know' and believe, unto his soul's health. And whoever doth know them aright, will ever be ready with heart and voice to obey the injunction which followeth in the next verse.

4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise be thankful unto him, and bless his name.'

The Christian church is a temple, whose 'gates' stand continually open, for the admission of the nations from all the four quarters of the world. Rev. xxi. 13. 25. Into the courts' of this temple, which are now truly courts of the Gentiles,' all men are invited to come, and offer their evangelical sacrifices of confession and praise;' to express their gratitude to their Saviour, and bless' his gracious and hallowed name.' How glorious will be that day, which shall behold the everlasting gates of heaven lifting up their heads, and disclosing to view those courts above, into which the children of the resurrection are to enter, there, with angels and archangels, to dwell and sing for evermore!

5. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth to all generations.'

'Jehovah is good;' he is the source of all beauty and perfection in the creature; how altogether lovely must he needs be in himself! His mercy is everlasting,' extending through time into eternity; and his truth,' or fidelity in accomplishing his promises, 'endureth to all generations,' evidenced to the whole race of mankind, from Adam to his last born son. The Psalms which celebrate these attributes will never, therefore, be out of date, but each successive generation will chant them with fresh propriety, and fresh delight, until by saints and angels they are sung new in the kingdom of God.

Div.

No. XXIV.

I

PSALM CI.

ARGUMENT.

[In the person of David, advanced to the throne of Israel, we hear King Messiah declaring how he intended to walk, and to govern his household the church; and also describing the qualifications which he should require in his ministers and servants.]

1. I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.'

David, having determined to sing unto Jehovah, chooseth for his theme 'mercy and judgment;' either that mercy which God hath shown to him, and that judgment which hath been inflicted on his enemies; or else, that upright administration of mercy and judgment, with which he himself intended to bless his people. The righteous administration of mercy and judgment in the kingdom of Messiah is a topic on which his subjects always expatiate with pleasure and profit, His mercy encourageth the greatest of sinners to hope; his judgments forbid the best of men to presume.

2. ' I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: 0 when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.'

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In return for the favors of Heaven, we hear the Israelitish monarch declaring his resolution to set his court and kingdom an example of true wisdom, and unshaken integrity; at the same time, sighing for that visitation of divine grace which alone could enable him to put his resolution in practice- O when wilt thou come unto me?' This was ever the voice of the church, longing for the presence of God in human nature, O when wilt thou come unto me?' And this must ever be the wish of a Christian, who knoweth that though in himself he be nothing, yet that he can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth him by his Spirit in the inner man. Messiah was the only king of Israel, whose life held forth to his subjects a pattern of wisdom and righteousness, and whose death procured them grace, in their different measures and degrees, to follow it.

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3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me.'

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I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes;' that is, I will not propose to myself, or think of carrying into execution, any iniquitous scheme of politics, however advantageous and tempting it may appear; I will turn away my eyes and my attention, and reject it at once: 'I hate the work of them that turn aside;' of them who, in their counsels and their actions, deviate from the divine law to serve their own interest; it shall not cleave to me;' no such corrupt principle shall adhere to my soul, or find a place in my affections. How noble a resolution for a king to make; but how difficult a one for a king to keep! Thou only, O King of Righteousness, didst never set any wicked thing before thine eyes: thou only hadst a perfect aversion to the ways of transgressors.

4. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.'

As is the king, so will be the court; as is the master of the house, such will be those of his household. David, having resolved to 'walk within his house with a perfect,' a sincere and upright 'heart,' determines at the same time to expel from thence all whose hearts were perverted and depraved as he would set no wicked thing before his eyes,' so neither would he form any connexions with 'wicked persons;' they should not be of his acquaintance, much less should they be his favorites. In the same manner speaketh our heavenly King, with regard to the appointment of his ministers and servants—' I know you not, whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.' Luke xiii. 27.

5. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look, and a proud,' or extended, and therefore, insatiable, heart, will not I suffer.'

Detraction, ambition, and avarice, are three weeds which spring and florish in the rich soil of a court, The Psalmist declareth his resolution to undertake the difficult task of eradicating them, for the benefit of his people, that Israelites might not be harassed by informers, or oppressed by insolent and rapacious ministers. Shall we imagine these vices less odious in the eyes of that King, whose character was composed of humility and charity? or will Christ admit those tempers into the

court of heaven, which David determined to exclude from his court on earth?

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6. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.'

The eyes' of princes cannot be better employed than in looking around them, in order to choose, from among their own subjects, fit and able men to transact the public business; men of inviolable 'fidelity,' and unshaken integrity; men who know how to think aright, and how to speak what they think; men likewise who walk in the perfect way' of holiness, who do not disgrace their politics by their lives, or prejudice their master's cause by their sins, more than they can ever advance it by their abilities. Bishops may be called the 'eyes' of Christ; they are to overlook' his people, and we pray him at the seasons of ordination, so to guide and govern their minds, that they may faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry of the church.'

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7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.'

To purge a court of deceit' and 'falsehood,' was a resolution worthy King David, worthy the representative of him, who styleth himself THE TRUTH, from whose heavenly palace and city will be for ever excluded, as St. John informeth us, 'whosoever loveth and maketh a LIE.' Rev. xxii. 15.

8. 'I will early destroy all the wicked of the land: that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.'

Every earthly prince should consider himself as raised to a throne, and invested with power, for the punishment of wickedness and vice, and the maintenance of God's true religion and virtue.' Early,' therefore, in the 'morning' of his reign, he should set about the work of reformation, that so the blessings of heaven may descend on himself and his people, according to the infallible promises of the Most High. And let each individual, in like manner, and for the same reason, be zealous and diligent to reform his own heart and ways, ever mindful

of that future most awful morning, when the King of Righteousness shall cut off,' with the sword of eternal judgment, all wicked doers from that city of Jehovah,' the new and heavenly Jerusalem.

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TWENTIETH DAY.-MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM CII.

ARGUMENT.

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[This Psalm is entitled, A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.' It seems to have been written, during the captivity, by one of the prophets, who, like Daniel in parallel circumstances, 1, 2. maketh supplication before his God, 3-11. setteth forth, in the most affecting strains, his wretched and sorrowful estate, or rather, perhaps, that of Jerusalem, which he personates; 12. he comforteth himself, by reflecting on the eternity and immutability of Jehovah; 13-22. he predicteth and describeth the restoration of Sion, with her enlargement by the accession of the Gentiles, when Messiah shall have visited and redeemed her; 23, 24. he returneth again to his lamentations; but 25-28. again reposeth his confidence on him who created all things, and who would not fail to make good his word and promise, if not to the generation then present, yet to their posterity. This is the fifth of those styled Penitential Psalms;' and St. Paul, Heb. i. 10. hath asserted, that it is addressed to the eternal Son of God, and Saviour of the world.]

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1. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.' 2. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call, answer me speedily.'

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Sin and sorrow force 'prayers' and 'cries' from the sons of Adam. The first petition here preferred is, that these and cries prayers be heard' in heaven. day of human life is a day of trouble,' a day of darkness and gloominess, which nothing can brighten, but the light of God's countenance;' nothing can render comfortable, but a speedy answer' of mercy and peace from above.

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