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النشر الإلكتروني

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From Christ's regal office, and the administration thereof by the sceptre of his word and Spirit, the Prophet passeth to his sacerdotal office, which was also conferred on him by the decree of the Father, and that decree, as we are told, ratified by an oath; Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent,' or, change his purpose. The oath of God was the great seal of heaven, designed to intimate the importance of the deed to which it was set, and 'to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel:' Heb. vi. 17. Whether this oath passed at the actual consecration of Messiah to the priesthood on his ascension, or at his designation thereto by covenant before the world, sufficient it is for our assurance and comfort, that it did pass. We have a Priest in heaven, who standeth continually pleading the merits of his sacrifice once offered on the cross: who ever liveth to make intercession for us; and who is ready, at all times, to bless us, by turning away every man from his iniquities,' Acts iii. 26.; by aiding us against our enemies, and supporting us under our necessities. Oblation, intercession, and benediction, are the three branches of the sacerdotal office which our great High Priest now exerciseth for us, and in the exercise of which the Father hath condescended in the most awful manner to promise, that he will hear and accept him on our behalf. His priesthood is not, like that of Aaron, figurative, successive, and transient, but real and effectual, fixed and incommunicable, eternal and unchangeable, according to that pattern of it exhibited to Abraham, before the law, in the person of Melchizedek, Gen. xiv. 18-20. and discoursed on at large by the apostle, Heb. vii. throughout.

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5. The LORD upon thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.' 6. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries; Heb. the head over much country.'

This is a description of the vengeance which King Messiah should take on his impenitent adversaries. By 'The LORD,'or, my LORD, upon thy right hand,'

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the same person must undoubtedly be understood, who is mentioned in the first verse under the same title, ', as

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sitting at the right hand of Jehovah.' And the Psalmist, who has hitherto addressed himself to Messiah, or the Son, must be supposed now to make a sudden apostrophe to Jehovah, or the Father; as if he had said, This my Lord Messiah, who sitteth at thy right hand, O Jehovah, shall smite through kings in the day of his wrath;' the kings of the earth will endeavour to destroy his religion, and put an end to his kingdom; the Neros, the Domitians, the Dioclesians, the Maxentiuses, the Julians, &c. &c, shall stand up, and set themselves in array against him; but the Lamb shall overcome them;' he shall judge' and punish the Heathen' princes, with their people, when in arms against his church; he shall raise up those who shall successfully fight his battles, and strew the ground with their 'carcases. As Messiah hath done to the antichristian powers of old, so shall he do to all others, before or at his second advent. There is a day of forbearance, during which he will have his church to be, like himself, oppressed and afflicted, humble and resigned; but there is also a future day of wrath and recompense, when the sins and provocations of her persecutors shall be ripe for judgment; when their triumphs and her sufferings shall be at an end; when they shall fall for ever, and she shall ascend to heaven. ›

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7. He shall drink of the brook,' or torrent, way; and therefore shall he lift up his head.'

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The means, by which Christ should obtain his universal kingdom, and everlasting priesthood, seem here to be assigned. In his way' to glory, he was to drink deep of the waters of affliction,' the swollen 'torrent' occurred in

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The Hebrew word signifies, in general, 'a current of water, which may be either a turbid, overwhelming 'torrent,' or a clear and gentle 'stream.' In Psal. xviii. 4. it denotes the floods of ungodliness.' In Psal. xxxvi. 8. it is used to signify the river of divine pleasures. Hence arises an ambiguity in the interpretation of the words, He shall drink of the brook in the way,' which may be expounded either of the sufferings Christ tasted, or the refreshments he experienced; as the "waters' are supposed to be those of affliction,' or those of comfort.' Either way the sense is good and true, as it relates to Messiah. Torrents," or the overflowing of rivers,' in the Scripture language, certainly, as Dr. Durell observes, do often denote afflictions;' as in Psal. xviii. 4. cxxiv. 4, 5. cxliv. 7, &c. the being oppressed by them,' is also described by

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the way, and presented itself between him and the throne of God. To this torrent in the way,' the Saviour descended; he bowed himself down, and drank' of it for us all; and THEREFORE, ¡y, did he lift up his 'head;' that is, he arose victorious, and, from the valley in which the torrent ran, ascended to the summit of that holy and heavenly mount, where he reigneth, till his enemies be made his footstool.' St. Paul hath expressed the same sentiment in literal terms: He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: WHEREFORE, dio, God also hath highly exalted him.' Phil. ii. 8.

PSALM CXI.

ARGUMENT.

[This is one of the Proper Psalms appointed by the church to be read on Easter-day. It containeth, 1. a resolution to praise Jehovah in the congregation, 2, 3. for his great and glorious works, and, 4. for the appointed memorials of them: 5, 6. his mercies to the church are celebrated, and, 7, 8. the equity and the stability of his counsels declared; 9. the blessings of redemption, and the new covenant, are mentioned, as they were prefigured of old in God's dispensation toward Israel. 10. Religion is proclaimed to be true wisdom.]

1. 'I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation." Jehovah is to be praised,' not only with the voice and the understanding, but with the heart,' with the 'whole' heart, and all its affections tuned, like the chords of the son of Jesse's harp, to a song of gratitude and love. Solitary devotion hath, doubtless, its beauties and excellencies; but how glorious is it to hear the voices of a whole Christian congregation' break forth into hallelujahs, like the sound of many waters, and the noise

the action of drinking,' Psal. lx. 3. lxxv. 8. &c. And the idea of a 'brook in the WAY,' or the ROAD, seems to favor this exposition. But the author advances it, as becomes him to do, with great deference and submission, since Bishop Lowth and Mr. Merrick are of a different opinion.

Div.

No. XXIV.

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of mighty thunderings, while each one, as it were, provokes another to continue the blessed employment, with unremitted attention, and unabated fervor!

2. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.'

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The subjects of man's praise are the 'works' of God. Every one of these works, whether in the natural or the spiritual system, is great.' Nothing cometh from the hands of the divine Artist, but what is excellent and perfect in its kind, adapted with infinite skill to its proper place, and fitted for its intended use. Happy are they, who with humility and diligence, with faith and devotion, give themselves to the contemplation of these works, and take 'pleasure,' and delight therein. them shall the gate of true science open; they shall understand the mysteries of creation, providence, and redemption; and they who thus seek, shall find the treasures of eternal wisdom.

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3 His work is honorable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.'

The work,' of all others, in which the honor and. glorious majesty' of Jehovah appeared, and which the Christian church celebrates with this Psalm, is the salvation and exaltation of our nature, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; an event which contained in it the accomplishment of the ancient promises, and thereby demonstrated to all the world the everlasting truth, fidelity, and righteousness,' of him who made them..

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4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: or, he hath appointed a memorial for his wonders: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.'

Jewish feasts were memorials' of the wonders' wrought for Israel of old; Christian festivals are 'memorials' of the "wonders' wrought in Christ for all mankind, to whom, no less than to Israel, God hath now showed himself gracious and full of compassion.'

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5. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.' 6. 'He hath showed his people the power of his works, that he may," or, might, give them the heritage of the heathen.'

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Agreeably to the covenant' which God made with Abraham, as concerning his children according to the flesh, he 'fed' and supported them in the wilderness, he overthrew their enemies by the might of his 'power,' and he put them in possession of Canaan, which before was the heritage of the heathen. Agreeably to the covenant which God made with the same Abraham, as concerning all believers, those children of the promise which are counted for the seed,' he feedeth them in the world with the true manna, the bread which cometh down from heaven; he hath again showed the of his works' in the overthrow of idolatry; and again, by the conversion of the nations, given to his church 'the heritage of the heathen;' although, like Israel, she is commanded, and hath had frequent admonitions, not to fix her heart on an earthly Canaan; not to expect any permanent habitation, any enduring city here below; not to stop short of an eternal and heavenly rest.

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7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.' 8. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and upright

ness.'

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In all God's dispensations towards his faithful servants, and towards his impenitent adversaries, we admire and adore his 'verity' in the performance of his promises to the former, and his 'justice' in executing his vengeance on the latter. Thus the time of fulfilling his promise to Abraham came not till the iniquity of the Amorites was full. The case is the same as to the coming of Christ, the subversion of Paganism, the deaths of persecutors, the rise and fall of nations, the conversion or excision of individuals, and every other instance of mercy or judgment. Another property of God's works is, that, being done in truth and uprightness, they stand fast for ever;' and will then appear in perfect glory and beauty, when all the arts and labors of man shall be no more.

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Escam dedit'-Manna: quæ cetera Dei mirabilia in memoriam revocabat: unde in Arca servari jussa. Exod. xvi. 32. Erat autem Eucharistiæ figura, quæ vere divini amoris monumentum æternum. Bossust.

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