heavenly regions, and the tone of authority and power with which he commands that entrance-it sends him attended by the Angelic Host to his Father's Throne, there to claim that pre-eminence which was his by inheritance, and his by conquest-and here the Psalm before us, "takes up the wonderous tale"-it exhibits to us the awful solemnities of his reception-it represents the Father bestowing on his well-beloved Son the Kingdom which he had earned, exalting him to that throne, and putting all things under his feet-receiving him in his office of Prophet, and promising universality and permanence to "the rod of his strength"-receiving him in the office of Priesthood, his own peculiar Priesthood, and confirming its efficacy and duration by an oath-thus perfecting the redemption scheme, and completing the conquest"over sin and death, and him who had the power of death." Man united with God was raised to the throne of Being-Man united with God perfected the sacrifice which was demanded, and the Angelic Host is represented by the Psalmist as taking up the strain, and hymning the future triumphs of the King of Glory, triumphs over his foes, whom he will visit in the day of his wrath, and triumphs with his willing people, whom he will assist

with his spirit, refine by his grace, and exalt into his glory. Such do I conceive to be the occasion, the object, and the tendency of this sacred song-to me it appears to be eminently an epinicion, or song of victoryit celebrates the triumph of the conqueror, it presents him with the rewards of victory, and it predicts future conquests as crowning his glory; while elsewhere we see the Captain of our salvation militant-here we see him triumphant, while elsewhere we see his offices inchoate-here they are perfected by the approval of the Godhead, and the promise of eternity-here we have instruction consolidating empire, and the atonement completed by the everlasting Priesthood.

The view which I have presented to you, I shall endeavour to confirm and extend by an examination of this Psalm on the succeeding Sabbath, if spared by Providence. Permit me now to remind you, my beloved, how awful is our state if these Scriptures be truebut two classes are alluded to in our Psalm, those who present themselves as a free will offering to God, and are "made willing in the day of his power," and those who will become the victims of his justice, who will be stricken through in the day of his wrath."

May our God give us grace to chuse that which is good; may he enable us to bow before the rod of his power, and to own his influence here, so may we have communion with him hereafter, where he sitteth at the right hand of the Majesty on High.

SERMON XVII.

Psalm cx. 1.

66

THE LORD SAID UNTO MY LORD, SIT THOU ON MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL."

WHEN last I was permitted by Providence to address you from this place, I endeavoured to set before you a general view of the occasion, design, and object of this interesting Psalm. Avowing my conviction with the learned Horseley, that the Redeemer can be found in every page of the book of Psalms, by those who read to find him-I stated, that I regarded this one in particular, as exclusively applicable to Christ; that in close connexion with two other sublime, but deeply mysterious poems, it formed what may, perhaps, be termed, by a word well known to all students in Greek Dramatic Literature, a sacred trilogy, and with them completed the awful series of the ascension of the Messiah, and his in