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considered personally, or by himself; and to others only by way of imputation, communication, and derivation from him: for to whom, besides him alone, of all the sons of Adam, will such a character and blessedness otherways apply? For, separate from him, and as they are in themselves, the verdict of JEHOVAH stands thus declared and confirmed against them all; There is none righteous, no not one.' Neither can they be justified in his sight by the the deeds of the law: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.' They are all under the curse, shut up by the law under sin, under wrath, &c. But, though this be the situation of all who believe not the gospel, yet by him all who do believe it are 'justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses.' Thus his people all become righteous, as the prophet speaks, not indeed through works of righteousness done by themselves, but through the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all them that believe,' who are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ'-who is made of God the end of the law for righteousness' (or personal justification) to every one that believeth—as it is written, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto 'righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'--In singing this Psalm, therefore, the true worshippers are directed to rejoice in CHRIST JESUS their Mediator, Advocate. and Forerunner, who for them magnified the law, and made it honourable, by redeeming them from the curse thereof with his own blood; and, being now through the knowledge of the truth set everlastingly beyond the reach and fear of condemnation by the law, they are taught to consider it in the hand of the Mediator, as the royal law of

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liberty;' to reverence it, to love it, and to obey it; not with terror, as slaves trembling for fear of damnation, nor with mercenary considerations, as hirelings working for the wages of eternal life, but with the pure, generous affections of love, gratitude, and joy, before the Lord their Saviour, who hath redeemed them, not only from the curse of the law, but also from all such unhallowed and dispiriting meditations concerning it; constrained by his love to hate evil, and to give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness; while, with holy heart-subduing awe, astonished and amazed at such sovereign, distinguishing mercy, manifested towards themselves, they behold the terrors of the Lord falling dreadful upon all the fearful and unbelieving, and overwhelming them with eternal perdition. So shall it fare with all those whom death, in an evil hour, shall surprise without faith, and so without Christ. without God, "without hope in the world.-Like chaff they shall be driven away, in the judgment, and burnt with everlasting fire; whereas those, who are in union with Christ by the faith of his resurrection, shall, like the palm-tree, flourish evermore: because he liveth, who is the Lord their Righteousness, from whom their fruit is found, they shall live also, and live with God. -Upon the whole, it may be observed, that the same distinct line of interpretation runs visibly, like a beam of light, through the otherways utterly impenetrable darkness and obscurity of all the prophetic writings, but most eminently through the whole book of Psalms; dispelling the clouds of erroneous representation, and clearly discovering the glory of God, as it shines, and ever shone, in the face of Jesus; and darting, into every wise and understanding heart, the instructions and consolations of the Holy Ghost. See particularly, among many others, these following Psalms, viz. iii. iv. v. xv. xvi. xvii. xviii. xxiv. xxv. xxvi. xxxv. xl. &c. but especially the cxix. throughout All of which, as shall be shown in the

proper place, belong to the same class, and must, of consequence, be opened by the same key.

Th' eternal perfect blessedness
Of David's LORD and SON,
Whose everlasting righteousness
For us the blessing won,
Let all the churches sweetly sing!
And chaunt aloud their joy!
The LORD, EMMANUEL, is our King ;
He'll death and hell destroy.

1THAT man hath perfect blessedness
Who walketh not astray

2

In counsel of ungodly men,
Nor stands in sinners way,
Nor sitteth in the scorner's chair;
But placeth his delight

Upon God's law, and meditates
On his law day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree that grows
Near planted by a river,

4

Which in his season yields his fruit,
And his leaf fadeth never:
And all he doth shall prosper well.
The wicked are not so;

But like they are unto the chaff,

Which wind drives to and fro.

5 In judgment therefore shall not stand Such as ungodly are;

Nor in th' assembly of the just

Shall wicked men appear.

6 For why? The way of godly men
Unto the Lord is known:

Whereas the of wicked men
way
Shall quite be overthrown.

3

PSALM II.

THIS Psalm stands in the front of a large catalogue of parallel ones, all evidently supposing, or expressly, as here, declaring and ascertaining, according to Rom. i. 4. the divine, eternal Sonship, character, and office of Jesus Christ, the King of glory, in his mediatorial kingdom of grace and truth; the blessedness of his faithful subjects; and the utter destruction of all his enemies, the unbelievers, who will not have him to reign over them, Luke xix. 14. Acts iv. 25. and xiii. 33. Heb. i. 5. and v. 5.

Among many others, wherein the expression is various, but the sense undeniably the same, the following Psalms are parallel with this, and set beyond all possibility of controversy with regard to their subject; as any one, who will be determined by the Holy Ghost's public and infallible interpretation in the New Testament, may clearly perceive by reading them over, and consulting the marginal references as he goes along; viz. the two next, xvi. xviii. xx. xxi. xxii. xxiv. xxix. xlv. xlvi. xlvii. xlviii. l. lx. lxi. lxiii. lxviii. lxxii. lxxxix. xci. xciii. xcvi. xcvii. xcviii. xcix. cviii. cx. cxlv. and exlix.

Messiah rais'd again from death,
Declar'd the SON OF GOD-

Kiss ye the SON-prevent his wrath-
Or feel his iron rod :

For those the Saviour who despise,

And his salvation scorn,

Exil d for ever from the skies,

Must mourn in hell forlorn.

1 WHY rage the heathen? and vain things Why do the people mind?

2 Kings of the earth do set themselves,
And princes are combin❜d,

To plot against the Lord, and his
Anointed, saying thus,

3 Let us asunder break their bands,

And cast their cords from us.

4 He that in heaven sits shall laugh; The Lord shall scorn them all.

5 Then shall he speak to them in wrath, rage he vex them shall.

In

6 Yet, notwithstanding, I have him
To be my King appointed;
And over Sion, my holy hill,
I have him King anointed.
7 The sure decree I will declare;
The Lord hath said to me,
Thou art mine only Son; this day
I have begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and for heritage

The heathen I'll make thine;
And, for possession, I to thee
Will give earth's utmost line.
9 Thou shalt, as with a weighty rod
Of iron, break them all;

And, as a potter's sherd, thou shalt
Them dash in pieces small.

10 Now, therefore, kings, be wise; be taught, Ye judges of the earth:

11 Serve God in fear, and see that ye
Join trembling with your mirth.

12 Kiss ye the Son, lest in his ire
Ye perish from the way,
If once his wrath begin to burn :
Bless'd all that on him stay.

PSALM III.

THE last Psalm, as was already observed in the illustration thereof, perfectly ascertains the meaning