to appear on their behalf against the iniquitous sentence of a corrupt world, and the malice of the grand accuser.

TWENTY-THIRD DAY.-MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM CX.

ARGUMENT.

In this Psalm David prophesieth concerning, 1, the exaltation of Christ; 2, the sceptre of his kingdom; 3, the character of his subjects; 4, his everlasting priesthood; 5, 6, his tremendous victories and judgments; 7, the means of his obtaining both kingdom and priesthood, by his sufferings and resurrection. Parts of this prophecy are cited and applied in the New Testament, by our Lord Himself, Matt. xxii. 43, by St. Peter, Acts ii. 34, by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 25. Heb. v. 6. The Church, likewise, hath appointed it as one of the Proper Psalms to be read on Christmas-day. It appertaineth literally and solely to King Messiah.

1. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

We are here informed of Jehovah's eternal and unchangeable decree concerning the kingdom of Messiah, its extension, power, and duration. That Messiah should, after his sufferings, be thus exalted, was determined in the Divine counsel and covenant, before the world began. Whether we suppose the Psalmist to be speaking of that determination, or of its actual accomplishment at the time of Christ's ascension into heaven, it maketh no great difference. The substance of the decree is the same. It was addressed by the Father to the Son, by Jehovah to Messiah, whom David in spirit styleth, "my Lord;" one that should come after him, as his offspring according to the flesh; but one, in dignity of person, and greatness of power, far superior to him, and to every earthly potentate; King of kings, and Lord of lords; God

and man united in one person. To this person it was said by the Father, "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool;" in other words, Seeing, O my Son Messiah, Thou hast glorified me on the earth, and finished the work which I gave Thee to do, the great work of man's redemption; take now the throne prepared for Thee from the foundation of the world; behold, all power is given unto Thee; enter upon thy mediatorial kingdom, and reign till every opposer shall have submitted himself to Thee, and sin and death shall have felt thy all-conquering arm.

2. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine ene

mies.

In the foregoing verse, David related the words spoken by the Father to the Son. In this, he himself, as a prophet, directeth his speech to King Messiah, predicting the glorious consequences of his enthronization, and the manner in which "his enemies" are to be "made his footstool." The "rod," or sceptre of Christ's "strength" is his word, accompanied by his Spirit. The law was given to Israel from Sinai, but the Gospel went forth from "Zion;" it was "preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,” Luke xxiv. 47; there began the spiritual kingdom of Jesus; there were the first converts made; and from thence the faith was propagated by the Apostles, to the ends of the earth. This David seeing beforehand, cries out, "Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies!" Go on, victorious Prince; plant the standard of thy cross among the thickest ranks of the adversary; and, in opposition to both Jew and Gentile tumultuously raging against Thee, erect and establish thy Church throughout the world! This was accordingly done with marvel

lous speed and success; and the Church, thus erected and established among the nations, hath been as marvellously preserved, "in the midst of her enemies," unto this day; yea, and the world shall sooner be destroyed, than she shall cease to be preserved.

3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness: from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth.

The blessed effects of the Gospel, upon its publication, are here foretold. "The people" of Christ are those given Him by his Father, and gathered to Him by the preachers of his word. "The day of his power" is the season of their conversion, when the corruptions of nature can no longer hold out against the prevailing influences of grace; when the heart, will, and affections turn from the world to God; and they make, as the first disciples did, a free and voluntary offer of themselves, and all they have, to their Redeemer. Then it is that they appear"in the beauties of holiness," adorned with humility, faith, hope, love, and all the graces of the Spirit. With regard to the last clause of this verse, Bishop Lowth, in his admired Lectures', has observed, and proved, that it may be fairly construed to this effect:-"More than the dew from the womb of the morning is the dew of thy progeny:" that is, Thy children, begotten to Thee through the Gospel, shall exceed in number, as well as brightness and beauty, the spangles of early dew, which the morning discloseth to the delighted eye of the beholder. The whole verse, therefore, containeth a lively character of the subjects of Christ's spiritual kingdom, who are described by their relation to Him as "His people;" by their

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"willingness" to obey and serve Him; by their honourable attire, the rich and splendid robes of "holiness;" and by their multitudes, resembling the drops of "dew" upon the grass.

4. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

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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 upon 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 upon 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 upon at large by the Apostle, Heb. vii. throughout.

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," N, the same person must undoubtedly be understood, who is mentioned in the first verse under the same title, TN, as "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 Diocletians, 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

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