don and grace; without the latter, we fhould defpair of finding them. The Pfalmift, therefore, having in the three preceding verses, expreffed the one, now maketh profeffion of the other. "There is for"giveness with thee;" thou wilt not "mark iniqui"ties," or leave us to the rigours of strict justice, but thou haft devifed means that we perish not for ever: thou haft provided an atonement, and in virtue of that atonement, the finner may obtain pardon; he need not, therefore, reject thy service, and cast himself away in despair, but is encouraged to ferve thee acceptably through faith, with godly fear; "there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayeft be "feared." Or the meaning may be, Thou forgiveft man, that fo, being reftored to thy favour, and endued with thy grace, he may thenceforth fear, or ferve thee, as it becomes one, who hath obtained .mercy, to do.

5. I wait for the LORD, my foul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6. My foul waiteth for the LORD, more than they that watch for the morning: 1 fay, more than they that watch for the morning..

The repetitions here do beautifully exprefs that ardent defire which the contrite foul hath for the falvation of God. Dr. Hammond feemeth to have

My * נפשי לאדני .6 .given the true conftruction of ver

"foul to the Lord, that is, rifeth, cometh, or haften"eth to the Lord, pas from the morning "watches, that is, from the time when they haften "to their watches, in other words, the guards every "morning that haften to their watches, are not earlier "than I am in my daily addreffes to God. Who

"these

"these watchers or guards of the morning are, the "Chaldee hath beft expreffed: They that observe "the morning watches, that they may offer their

morning oblation, that is, the priests which in "their turns officiated; or rather, fome officers of "theirs, which were peculiarly appointed from a "tower to expect the first appearance of break of "day." With fuch earneftnefs did the ancient church expect the appearance of that day fpring from on high, which was, in the fulnefs of time, to visit the world. With equal earneftness have the faithful since looked out for the dawning of that laft morning, which is to abolish sin, and put an end to forrow.

7. Let Ifrael hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8. And he shall redeem Ifrael from all his iniquities, or fins.

These verses are perfectly evangelical. The church of Ifrael was exhorted to "hope" in Jehovah, because with him there was " mercy, and plenteous re"demption." And of what nature was that redemption? A redemption from fin; "he fhall redeem "Ifrael from all his SINS;" confequently, from all trouble and mifery, which are but the effects of fin, and will cease when their caufe fhall be finally taken away. Now what is this, but the Gospel itfelf? Or where is the difference between this of the Pfalmift, "He fhall redeem Ifrael from all his fins," and that of the Evangelift," Thou shalt call his name JESUS, "for he shall SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS?" Matt. i, 21. The Ifrael of God, or church univerfal, "hoping" in the fame "mercy" and the fame "plen

❝teous

"teous redemption," expecteth the full accomplishment of this gracious promife, at the fecond advent of her Saviour, when the penalty of fin shall be taken off, and death be fwallowed up in victory.

PSALM CXXXI.

ARGUMENT.

This Pfalm containeth 1, 2. a defcription of true humility, and refignation to the will of God, with 3. an exhortation to the practice thereof. It is, most probably, a Pfalm of David, and is eminently applicable to Mefsiah, in his ftate of humiliation on earth. Happy would it be for the world, if all his disciples could imbibe the spirit of this short but lovely Pfalm, and copy after the example which it fetteth before them.

1. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercife myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

Pride beginneth in the "heart," and difcovereth itself in the eyes," the countenance, and the carriage; thinking nothing "too high for it," it is always aiming at ftill " great matters," fcheming to

be at the top of earthly grandeur; and when there, restless because it can go no further. Of this dispofition the Son of David, like his father and reprefentative of old, was by his enemies affirmed to be;

he

he was accused of affecting the fovereignty, and therefore hunted and perfecuted even to the death. But how truly do these words of the Pfalmift delineate his real character! He was not << haughty," but

"meek and lowly in heart;" his "eyes" were not

lofty," but kindly regarded the meanest object that presented itself to them; he looked not to 66 great matters," and " high things," but chofe to be and to be esteemed the leaft and loweft of all.

2. Surely I have behaved, or, fubdued and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother : my foul is even as a weaned child.

A child newly weaned mourneth because of the favourite aliment which is withdrawn from him, but depending abfolutely on the mother for every thing, learneth to acquiefce in her treatment of him, and quietly to accept what it shall please her to give. Such was the humble refignation of the Lamb of God to the will of his heavenly Father, under the feverest dispensations, when even the divine presence, and that support which it afforded, feemed to have been withdrawn. "Father, into thy hands I com"mend my Spirit!" Who then can expect to enter into the kingdom of heaven, "except he be convert"ed, and become as a little child ?" Matt. xviii. 3. 3. Let Ifrael hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.

After the example, therefore, of the king of Ifrael, who thus demeaned himself in his afflictions, lowly, contented, and refigned, cafting all his care upon the Father who cared for him, and patiently waiting his time for deliverance and ialvation; after this their example

3

example and pattern, let his faithful people hope and truft, not in themselves, their wifdom, or their power, but in Jehovah alone, who will not fail to exalt them, as he hath already exalted their Redeemer, if they do but follow his fteps.

XXVIII DAY. MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM CXXXII.

ARGUMENT.

This is one of the proper Pfalms, which the church hath appointed to be used on Chriftmas day. It containeth 1-5. a petition that Jehovah would be mindful of the zeal fhewn by his fervant David, in preparing a place for his habitation; 6. the exultation of the faithful upon hearing the glad tidings, that God would dwell among them; and 7.: their refolution to worship at the place which he had chofen for that purpose; 8-10. an addrefs to Jehovah, used by Solomon at the dedication of the temple, whence fome have thought him to have been the author of the Pfalm; 11-18. the fubftance of God's promifes made to David and to his feed. The whole Pfalm is perfectly well adapted to the festival of the incarnation, as the following comment will, it is hoped, abundantly demonstrate.

1. LORD,