all; for which, his name can never be sufficiently extolled, by the inhabitants of the new Jerusalem; and by them it ought to be extolled for ever and ever.

2. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

How "beautiful" is the holy and heavenly Zion, or the Christian church; how truly is she" the joy of the whole earth," by the glad tidings which her ministers continually publish; how properly is this Jerusalem styled, "the city of the great King!" 3. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

The great Founder of the church is also her protector and defender; the dependence of the new Jerusalem, like that of the old, is not in man, or in the arm of flesh, but in the God, who resideth in the midst of her. For surely, unless he kept the holy city, the watchmen in the towers would wake but in vain.

4. For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

Never were the power and malice of earthly princes more violently bent to hinder the building of Jerusalem, or to pull down what was already built, than they were to prevent the edification of the church, and to root up its foundations. But the event with regard to the latter, was the same which had often happened, in the case of the former.

5. They saw it, and so they marvelled, they were troubled, and hasted away. 6. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain as of a woman in travail.

The potentates of the world saw the miracles of the apostles, the courage and constancy of the martyrs, and the daily increase of the church; notwithstanding all their persecutions; they beheld with astonishment the rapid progress of the faith through the Roman empire; they called upon their gods but their gods, could not help themselves; idolatry expired at the foot of the victorious cross, and the power which supported it, became CHRISTIAN.

7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with the cast wind.

In the foregoing verse, the consternation amongst the enemies of the church was compared to the horrors of a travailing woman; here it is likened to the apprehensions of despairing mariners. Nor indeed can any thing in nature more fitly represent the overthrow of heathenism by the spirit of the gospel, than the wreck of a fleet of ships in a storm at sea. Both are effected by the mighty power of God. *

* Sensus est; qualis ventus vehemens conterit naves magni maris, talis est Dei vis tuentis Jerusalem, et hostilem exercitum dissipantis. Bossuet.

8. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD, of kosts in the city of our God; God will establish it for ever.

The church heard, by the prophets, of the future birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Messiah; of the effusion of the Spirit, and her own enlargement, establishment, and preservation, in the Gentile world. These predictions, which she had so often "heard," she hath "seen" accomplished, even unto this day;* and therefore doubts not of God's continuing his favour and protection to the end of time.

9. We have thought, or, we wait in silence and patience for thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

Contemplation of all the wondrous works, which the Lord our God hath wrought for us, produces faith in his promises, and resig nation to his will: and he that, with these dispositions, waits for God's mercies, in God's house, shall not wait in vain.

10. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Wherever the name of God is known, and his works are declared, there the sacrifice of praise must needs be offered to him, by men, who are made sensible of his mercies towards them: and the day is coming, when all the world shall be forced to acknowledge, that his "right hand is full of righteousness," and his judgments are just.

11. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.

The church, and all her children, are exhorted to rejoice, with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, on account of the manifestation of divine power, on her behalf, against her enemies. Thus, at the fall of the mystic Babylon, it is said " Rejoice over her, thou

Illustrations of this kind are sometimes introduced, by the sacred writers, with the mark of comparison frequently, as here, without it. The meaning evidently is, that as the east wind shatters in pieces the ships of Tarshish, so the divine power struck the heathen kings with terror and astonishment.

* "Sicut audivimus"-Prophetia Isaiæ videtur hic notari: sensusque est, sicut audivimus ab Isaia prophetatum, fore ut obsidio miribiliter solveretur, ac Sennacherabi Dux Rabsaces, ejusque exercitus cæderetur, sic impletum vidimus. Isai. xxxvii. 21. 2 Reg. xix. 20. Quâ figurâ cœlestis Jerusalem incolæ et ipsi canunt," sicut audivimus," ex auditu fidei, Gal. iii. 25. “ sic vidimus," jam sublato velo, atque apertâ Dei facie. "Deus fundavit eam;" nihil habet metuendum, tanto exempta periculo. Propheticè, de Ecclesià fundatâ super patram, ideoque inconcussâ, Matt. xvi. 18. Bossuet.

heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her," Rev. xviii. 20.

13. Walk about Zion, and go round about her : tell the towers thereof. 13. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generations following.

Christians are here enjoined to contemplate, again and again, continually, the fabric of the spiritual Jerusalem, wonderfully raised and as wonderfully preserved; to consider attentively the parts designed for use, for strength, for ornament; that they may be able to instruct posterity in the nature and history of this holy building, and in their duty of forwarding and defending the same from generation to generation.

14. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Let the world worship whom or what it will, we worship none other but Him, who, by his Spirit, founded, and, by his power, preserveth the church; who, by that Spirit," guideth" us through life, and by that power, will enable us to overcome "death; •**that so we may rejoice and triumph for evermore, as citizens of the city of God, and subjects of the King of glory.

PSALM XLIX.

ARGUMENT.

The prophet after a solemn introduction, 1-4. in which the whole world is called upon, to hear a lesson of divine wisdom, 5. proposes the subject in a question, implying the great folly of yielding to the temptation of fear, in the time of affliction and persecution, when the rich and the powerful are in arms against the innocent and righteous sufferer; inasmuch as, 6.-9. no man, by his riches or power, can redeem his brother, or himself, in the evil day; but, 10. wise and foolish die, and leave their estates to others; and, 11—13. notwithstanding all their care and pains, are soon forgotten, while they are detained by death in the grave, till they rise to judgment and condemnation. On the other hand, the prophet, in the person of Messiah, 15. declares his faith in a joyful resurrection to life and glory, through the power of Jehovah; and, 16-20. exhorts believers, neither to fear nor envy the man of the world, considering what his latter end is to be.

* “This God will be our God to all eternity, and (by that power which he has already exerted in our protection) will conduct us through life with safety." Merrick.

1. Hear this, all ye people, give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: 2. Both low and high, rich and poor together.

This Psalm opens with great dignity, and the prophet speaks, as one having authority." He demands an audience, like that which is to be assembled at the last day; having something to deliver, which is very universally important and interesting; something which concerns every age, and condition, and nation, under heaven. And we may observe, that although the sound of this Psalm, when first uttered, could be heard only within the confines of Judea, yet the knowledge of it hath since actually been diffused in the Christian church, throughout the world, from the rising to the setting sun. But how few, alas, have duly attended to the salutary lesson, which it so divinely teacheth!

3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my speech shall be of understanding.

At the call of folly, what multitudes are always ready to assemble! But Wisdom, eternal and essential Wisdom, crieth without; she lifteth up her voice in the streets; and who is at leisure to attend her heavenly lectures? The "mouth" of Jesus always “spake of wisdom;" but few regarded him: the "meditation of his heart" was ever "of understanding;" but it was accounted madness.

4. I will incline mine car to a parable; I will open my dark speech upon the harp.

In the promulgation of wisdom and understanding to the world, the prophet, as the faithful scribe of the Spirit, was to speak only what he should hear, by "inclining his ear" to his divine Teacher; he was to speak in the way of "parable, or proverb, or problem," that is, in such a way, as should require study and diligence, to unfold and explain; in such a way, as the world is not inclined to understand, or listen to; as our Lord delivered his doctrines when on earth. And, that melody might serve as a vehicle for instruction, this important lesson was to be set to music, and played upon the harp.

5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

The iniquity of my heels, says Bishop Lowth, is hardly sense. Suppose 'py to be not a noun, but the present participle of the verb; it will then be, "The wickedness of those that lie in wait for me," or, "endeavour to supplant me." Bishop Hare likewise, as Mr. Merrick has observed, translates 'py "insidiantium mihi.” I had at first given another turn to the Psalmist's question, and, by "the iniquity of my heels," had understood to be meant," the iniquity of my footsteps," that is," my goings or ways;" (apy be

ing used for footsteps, Ps. Ivi. 7. and Cant. i. S.) as it had been said-Why, for the sake of procuring riches, or power, should I bring fear and anguish upon myself; in that hour, when my sins will find me out, and neither riches nor power can deliver me from the punishment due to them? Thus Bossuet and Mudge understood the verse. But I am clear, that Bishop Lowth's idea is the true one and then the purport of the question is plainly this -Why should I give way to fear and despondency, in the time of calamity, when the wickedness of my wealthy and powerful adversaries compasses me about, to supplant and overthrow me?

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6. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches : 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 8. (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.) 9. That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

In this world, as the wise man observeth, Eccles. x. 19. "money answereth all things;" and therefore, worldly men place their trust and confidence in it; but, in "the evil day," riches shall not be found; nor, if they could be found, would they avail any thing towards eternal salvation. For, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" saith one, who best knew the value of souls; as he paid the price of that precious redemption, which otherwise must have "ceased for ever; when he suffered for us on the cross, and arose on the third day to life and immortality, without seeing corruption."*

10. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

The inability of man to save his brother or himself from death, is evinced by daily experience, which showeth us, that the penalty due to sin is continually levied upon all: wisdom and folly go down into the dust together; "and then, whose shall those things be, which have been provided?” Luke xii. 20. Their possessions come into the hands of others, perhaps for those for whom they had never intended them, and who have neither inclination nor ability to do the dead man any service.

11. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Hos versus ad Christum Patres referunt, ut sensus sit, nemo purus homo fratrem redimit, sed tantum ille homo qui etiam Deus est. Memorant etiam Interpretes R. Mosen Hazardan, qui verba hæc de Rege Messiâ intelligit, qui pro redemptione fratrum mortuus, postea in æternum vivat, nti prædictum est ab Isaiâ, liii. 10. Bossuet.