right hand teaches him terrible things." He cannot be deficient in power, being the most high God, whose throne is for ever. Thus qualified, the prophet addresses him in language highly finished, and beautifully appropriated to his character and work. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies: the people fall under thee."

THE queen, with her honourable attendants, is introduced. Her conversion, her marriage to the Sovereign, her rich and ornamental dress, and her royal retinue, are described. The design of this connection is procreation, in order to enlarge and extend the kingdom; for none can be admitted subjects of it, but such as are children of the royal parents. The king is held forth to the church as infinitely worthy of her warmest attachment and highest esteem; one in whom she should find every divine excellence, calculated to ren der her truly happy and highly honourable. She is called upon to abandon all her former connections and lovers, all her idols and sinful associates, and all intercourse and friendship with them; that she may cordial. ly accede to the match proposed by Christ, and employ all her efforts to promote the designs of it. To induce her to comply with the invitation, she is assured that the king would highly esteem her, admire her beauty, and delight in her. The invitation may be constared as including a call to sinners to accept of the Saviour, and submit to his government. The text is an address to the church, in consequence of the rela

Ꮋ Ꮒ

tion having been formed betwixt her and her royal head. It contains

1. THE nature of that relation; "He is thy Lord." The original word here is not JEHOVAH, which is mostly rendered LORD, and denotes the necessary existence, independence, and eternity of the God-head; and is never used to express any relation between God and his creatures. The word here used denotes one who is invested with power and authority over others, as a ruler, governor or judge; and is applied to both God and man. Jesus is frequently called by this name, to denote that extensive power which is lodged in his hand, as Mediator, and as head over all things to the church. The superintendence and management of all things, internal and external, respecting the propagation of his kingdom are implied in this title. The sons of Jacob expressed Joseph's extensive power in the land of Egypt by this word. "The lord of the land spake roughly

to us.

And Sarah used it to denote the marital authority of Abraham, as her husband. It implies the eminence, dignity and authority of the Mediator.

The re

THE expression implies also the peculiar interest which the church has in him, "THY Lord." lation to him, which she sustains, is peculiarly intimate, and intended to promote her interest; on that account she can claim as her own all the wisdom and power, all the riches and grace possessed by him. The whole psalm relates to the erection, administration, and advancement of his spiritual kingdom, or church, and the advantages which she is to enjoy under him as her Lord; whatever, then, belongs to him, in that character she can claim as her own.

2. An injunction is laid upon the church, expressive of that respect and subjection which she owes to her

σε

Lord. Worship thou him." There is an allusion, in the original word, to the manner in which the most solemn act of Oriental adoration was performed; not merely by bending forward, but falling prostrate on the ground: More ordinary acts of worship were performed otherwise. This posture of the body expresses two things-The profound respect of the worshipper for the object he adores-And the humble self-denied view he has of himself. The word is often used to express the most solemn acts of divine worship. "O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker." Psalm xcv. 6. "We will go into his tabernacle; we will worship at his footstool." Psalm cxxxii. 7. As the Mediator is here represented in his royal character, as the church's Lord, the command to worship him will comprehend all the obedience and subjection she owes him, in that character. His character is divine, and on that account claims divine hoThese must be paid to him, in that same character, and relation to the church, represented in the psalm; which is his Mediatory character. This is the character here given him. He holds no relation to her as the church, but what belongs to his economical character, nor can she worship him but in that character, and in virtue of that relation. The words contain this Doctrine.

nours.

As Messiah, in his Mediatory character, is the divine Lord and head of the church, it is her indispensible duty to pay him, in that character, all divine honours, worship and obedience.-The proof of this doctrine shall be left to the prosecution of the following method.

I. I SHALL offer a few remarks upon the nature of Messiah's Lordship over his church.

II. TAKE notice of some of the advantages resulting to her from it.

III. I SHALL, in a few propositions, take a view of the church's Lord as the object of divine worship.

IV. THEN show what that worship is, or in what it consists.

V. MAKE some improvement of the doctrine.

I. I SHALL offer a few remarks upon the nature of Messiah's Lordship over his church.

1. MESSIAH'S Lordship over the church originates in the divine will. Every thing, which relates to God and his creatures, must originate with himself. He has no superior who may dictate to him, and none whom he can consult; but determines and executes according to his own pleasure. In the works of Creation and Providence, there are no traces of a Trinity of divine persons in God: unity alone is apparent. The discovery of this truth is made by the economical scheme, because, in the execution of that scheme, the divine persons sustain distinct characters, and carry on distinct operations.

THE first thing, which claims attention, in this scheme, is the designation of the divine persons to their respective places and characters. This is generally, though improperly, ascribed to the Father; as it is impossible to reconcile this view with the perfect equality of the divine persons. It is impossible to conceive the Father, as a divine person, constituting himself the representative of Deity, assigning the Son the place of Mediator between him and men, and appointing the Spirit to apply salvation, without establishing in him a personal superiority, in respect of right, authority, wisdom or interest, over the other persons. But as these divine persons are, in all respects, perfectly equal, it

cannot belong to any one of them, exclusive of the others, to make such appointment and arrangement. It must be resolved into an act of the divine will. As a perfection of Deity the will is simply one, but as it belongs equally to each of the divine persons, it must be considered when personally exercised, as the distinct personal act of each. An act of the divine will, common to the three divine persons, must be viewed as making this arrangement. We may conceive God as proceeding in some such manner as this. I JEHOVAH determine an economy for redeeming and saving sinners of mankind, and that, in this economy, I, in the person of the Father, shall sustain the rights of Deity, as superintendant of the whole scheme; I, in the person of the Son, shall hold the place of Mediator between the Father and sinners; and I, in the person of the Spirit, shall hold the place of actually applying salvation to them. This is the act of the three-one-God terminating upon each of the divine persons, and assigning them their respective places in the economy. This act is not economical, because such an act presupposes economical characters, whereas this act is constitutive of these characters. All acts which follow this are economical, because these persons have put on economical characters, and agreed to act them. This act of the divine will is not particularly mentioned in the Scriptures, but only the economical transactions which take place in consequence of it; yet it is impossible to maintain the perfect equality of the divine persons, but on the supposition of such an act. Two things necessarily follow this the formation of the economical planand the execution of it. In both of these we find distinct things ascribed to each of these persons exclusively; superintending work is always attributed to the Fa