26. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies sake!

PSALM XLV.

ARGUMENT.

In this Psalm, which is one of those appointed to be used on Christmas-day, the prophet, after, 1. proposing his subject, proceeds to celebrate King Messiah, 2. for his spiritual beauty and eloquence; 3, 4, 5. his power and victories; 6. his throne and sceptre; 7. his righteousness and inauguration; 8. his royal robes, and glorious palace. 9. The church is introduced as his spouse; her appearance and dress are described; 10, 11, 12. it is foretold, that the nations shall bring their offerings to her; 13, 14, 15. her attire, her presentation to Christ with her attendant train, and the universal joy and gladness occasioned by the solemnization of the nuptials, are set forth. 16. The prophet predicteth the fruits of this divine union, and, 17. the use that should be made of his sacred epithalamium by the faithful, from generation to generation.

1. My heart is inditing, Heb. boileth, or, bubbleth, up a good malter, or, the good word. I speak of the things which I have made touching the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

"The Spirit of the Lord," saith David elsewhere, 2. Sam. xxiii. 2. "spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." In like manner, we are to conceive the prophet here to be full of the divine Spirit, which inspired him with "the good word," or the glad tidings of salvation. The sacred fire, inclosed in his heart, expanded itself within, till at length it brake forth with impetuosity to enlighten and to revive mankind with this glorious prediction "touching the King" Messiah; and this was uttered by his tongue, under the guidance of the Spirit, as, in writing, the pen is directed by the hand that holds it.

2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

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After a short introduction, the prophet stays not to enter regularly upon the subject, in the formal way of narration; but, as if he saw the Divine Person, whom he was about to celebrate, standing before him, he breaks out in an ecstatic admiration of the second Adam, so different from all the descendants of the first! Compounded of a soul fair above all created spirits, and a body pure and perfect, and now brighter than the meridian sun; being invested with the unutterable effulgence of the Divine nature. Next to the spiritual beauty of Messiah, the prophet is astonished (as those who heard him speak in the days of his flesh afterwards were)

at the "gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, Luke iv. 22. through the grace poured into his lips." Such honey and milk were under his tongue, so delightful and salutary was his doctrine, that even his enemies found themselves obliged to confess, 66 never man spake like this man," John vii. 46. His word instructed the ignorant, resolved the doubtful, comforted the mourners, reclaimed the wicked, silenced his adversaries, healed diseases, controlled the elements, and raised the dead. Therefore hath the Father loved, and exalted, and blessed him for evermore.

3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty: with thy glory and thy majesty.

The prophet, having described the beauty and the eloquence of the King, proceedeth now to set forth his power, and to arm him as a warrior for the battle. The "sword" of Messiah is his Word, which, in the language of St. Paul, is said to be “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword;" and is represented by St. John, as “a sharp twoedged sword," coming out of the "mouth" of Christ, Heb. iv. 12. Rev. i. 16. With this weapon he prevailed, and thereby made his "glory and majesty" to be known throughout the world.

4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because, or, for the sake of truth, and mickness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible, or, wonderful things.*

Messiah is in these words magnificently described as making his progress among the nations, seated in his triumphal chariot, adorned with all the regal virtues, achieving the most astonishing victories, and, by the irresistible might of his power, subduing idolatry and iniquity to the faith and temper of the gospel.

5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

The prophet goes on to represent Messiah as a warrior, completely armed, and skilful in the use of every weapon. Thus a prince is pourtrayed, Rev. vi. 2. "I saw, and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering and to conquer." The conquests of Messiah are either those of his word over sin, or those of his arm over the persecuting powers.

6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

The battle being fought and the victory gained, we are called

* The sense perhaps may be this: "Thy right hand, by its promptness to encounter danger, shal bring thee acquainted with terrible things thy right hand shall know its office by habitual exercise, shall render thee expert in war; and lead thee on from conquest to conquest." Merrick.

to the consideration of the "throne" and "sceptre" of King Messiah, whom the prophet addresseth, as God. His throne is distinguished from the thrones of this world, by its endless duration; his sceptre from the sceptres of earthly potentates, by the unerring rectitude of its administration.

7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, above thy fellows. The sermons, the example, and above all, the death of Christ for the expiation of sin, demonstrated his love of righteousness and hatred of wickedness; and" because he humbled himself, and became obedient even to the death of the cross, therefore God highly exalted him," Phil. ii. 8, 9. and he was " anointed" to the kingdom," with the Holy Ghost, and with power" immeasurable; to the intent that he might bestow, in due proportion, the gifts of heaven on those whom he is not ashamed to call "friends," and "brethren." And these gifts he did bestow on them, by the emission of the Spirit, soon after his ascension and inauguration. See the application of these two last verses to Christ, Heb. i. 8.

8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

*

From the throne, the sceptre, and the inauguration, the prophet passes on to the robes and palaces of the King of glory, declaring, that as the perfumed garments of an earthly prince scatter through all the royal apartments a grateful fragrance, so from the glorious vestments of our High Priest and King is diffused the sweet savour of his heavenly graces, filling those happy regions of joy and gladness, where he keeps his residence above, and, by the communication of the Spirit, refreshing the faithful on earth with their odours.

9. King's daughters were among thy honourable women, or, the splendour of thy train; upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Such being the divine beauty and heavenly glory of the blessed Person, whose nuptials the prophet is now proceeding to describe, it is no wonder that, upon hearing of his fame, innumerable converts, forsaking the vanities even of courts and kingdoms, should follow him, ambitious to have the honour of composing his train; which in reality was the case upon the publication of the gospel. And lo, at "the right hand" of the King, followed by this magnificent procession, appears the church, the spouse of

That is, palaces adorned, or inlaid with ivory; as "Ebur atria vestit." Lucan, x. 119. Merrick.

the Lamb, arrayed in the garments of righteousness and salvation, fitly compared, for their inestimable value, and radiant brightness, to" the gold of Ophir."

10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house. 11. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him.

This seemeth to be the voice of God, addressing the church to the following effect-O thou, whom I have begotten unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and whom I have called out of the world, to become "the Lamb's wife," hearken diligently to my voice, consider attentively what I say, and be obedient to my direction; thou art now entering into a new state; let old things pass away; regard no more thy connexions with earth; but let the love, and if possible, the very memory of thy former condition, be obliterated from thy mind; let all things belonging to the flesh die in thee: then shalt thou be truly acceptable and dear in his sight, who having purchased and betrothed thee to himself, justly claims thy whole heart, thy undivided love, and thy unlimited service and adoration.

12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.

The accession of the Gentiles, with their offerings and donations, to the church, is here predicted, under the name of " Tyre" a city in the neighbourhood of Palestine, formerly the glory of the nations, and mart of the world. See Isai. 1x. and Rev. xxi.

13. The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

The church, in different respects, is sometimes called the spouse, sometimes the sister, and often, as here, the "daughter" of the heavenly King; the connexion formed between them, uniting in itself every relation, and every affection. Her beauty, so greatly desired and delighted in by Messiah, is spiritual; it is the beauty of holiness; and her clothing is "the righteousness of saints." 1 Pet. iii. 3. Rev. xix. 8.

14. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle work; or, embroidery; the virgins, her companions, that follow her, shall be brought unto thee.

The different graces of the faithful, all wrought in them by the same Spirit, compose that divine" embroidery," which adorns the wedding-garment of the church, who is therein presented to the King, attended by her bride-maids, after the nuptial manner. These are either the single churches, or holy souls, that accede to,

and accompany the spouse, unless we suppose, as some do, that the bride is the Israelitish church, and then the attendants will represent the Gentiles.

15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King's palace.

The solemnization of this marriage between Christ and the Church produceth a jubilee upon earth, and causeth the streets of the heavenly Jerusalem to resound with hallelujahs. For this the angels tune their golden harps, while prophets, apostles, martyrs, and saints fill up the universal chorus of " Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."

16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

In this verse the prophet foretelleth the fruit that should spring from the glorious nuptials, which he hath been celebrating. He assureth the spouse, that instead of her earthly kindred, whether Jewish, or Pagan, which she was to leave for Christ, should arise an illustrious and royal progeny of believers, out of whom were to be chosen Christian kings to govern the world, and Christian bishops to preside in the Church. The expression "whom thou mayest make princes," may answer to that in the Revelation, ch. i. ver. 6. “ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." So Mr. Merrick thinks, who beautifully turns the pas sage, in his poetical version, as follows

No more the patriarchs of thy line

In time's long records chief shall shine;

Thy greater sons, to empire born,

Its future annals shall adorn.

Thy power deriv'd to them display,

And stretch thro' earth their boundless sway.

17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations ; therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

By inditing this divine marriage-song, appointed to be sung, in the congregations of the faithful, from age to age, the Psalmist hath been, as he foresaw he should be, the blessed means of celebrating his Redeemer's name, and inciting the nations of the world to do likewise; nor will he cease to be so, while the xlvth Psalm continues to be sung in the church upon earth; that is, while there remaineth a charch upon earth, to sing it. And we, who now do sing it, are witnesses of these things.