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such Psalm is spoken in one person, who is him self frequently the continued subject of the Psalm, from the beginning to the end thereof; and every thing besides in the Psalm is but a predicate, as they say, or declaration of the same subject, or (which does not alter the case) an imprecation, or a prayer, or a blessing, or a description, or a narrative, uttered by the same per

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There are indeed a few Psalms which seem to be in the way of dialogue, or chorus; such as Psalm ii. xxiv. xlv. xci. cii. cxxi. cxxxii. and perhaps several others; yet those are all evidently so full of Messiah the Lord, that, though there be a change of persons speaking in them, they make no infringement upon the general rule here advanced; founded, not on a metaphysical subtlety, but on plain common sense, level with every one's apprehension, who in such matters knows but the right hand from the left. For illustration, take the following examples: Psal. xl. 69. is brought in, Heb. x. 5. as spoken by Christ: shew a change of person in the speaker, and indeed the alledged interpretation of the rest of the Psalm falls to the ground; allow the speaker the same, and it stands good, in spite of all the power of contradiction and wit.—Psalm xviii. 49. is applied, Rom. xv. 9. as spoken by Christ concerning his bringing the Gentiles into the fellowship of the gospel: therefore, as the speaker is one, the whole Psalm is descriptive of the warfare and victory of Mes

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siah, the Prince, bringing judgment to victory. —Psalm xxxv. 19. is quoted by the Lord, John xv. 25. as spoken of himself: his words are remarkable, (lest we should retain some ridiculous notion of a type and antitype); But this cometh to pass, that it might be fulfilled which is <written in their law, They hated Me without a cause.'-Psalm lxix. 9. is also introduced in a very observable manner, Rom. xv. 3. Even 'Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached ⚫ thee are fallen upon me.' Not a word of David! This Psalm is more frequently quoted of Christ in express words, than any other in the book.-Psalm lxviii. 18. is explained, Eph. iv. 8. of Christ's ascension, receiving and giving of the Holy Ghost.-Psalm xlix. 4. and lxxviii. 2. are said to be fulfilled, Matth. xiii. 35. when the Lord began to open his mouth in parables: this interpretation lets us into the meaning of the historical Psalms, which are so many Old Testament parables, wherein the Lord himself is the historian.-Psalm lvii. 7. and cviii. 3. quoted of Christ, Rom. xv. 9. where harp and psaltery are called upon to awake and praise, will let us into the meaning of all those Psalms where all such instruments of music, organs, and those of ten strings, are introduced, with cymbals and dances, into the worship of God; being designed, in the temple-service, for figures to express that spiritual worship, joy, and exultation, which are uttered in harmonious concert

by the mouths of all the redeemed assembly and church of the first-born, in the power and communion of the one Spirit; which same dances, organs, and instruments of music of all kinds, were never more to be employed in such service, after that dispensation, and earthly economy, whereof they were a part, along with the temple and sacrifices, were set aside and abolished for ever, when the true temple and sacrifice, even the Lord Christ, was come: otherways, if such things had been to continue in use among the churches of Christ, we should certainly have had some precept or example left us by him, or his apostles, without which, the using of them in churches must be as ridiculous absurdity, superstition, and will-worship, as if you were to blow trumpets at the new moon-to circumcise yourself and your sons after the example of Abraham-to present yourself with all your family three times a-year before the Lord at Jerusalem—or, after the manner of Josiah, and upon the same authority, to make a covenant with the Lord and all the people, according to all the words and manner found written in the book of the law of the Lord by the hand of his servant Moses! and indeed, in this last particu lar piece of Jewish service, you will find thousands, and ten thousands of your fellow-subjects, at their very hearts, bloodily in earnest to join you. Such persons would do well to consider the spirit of the apostle's doctrine, Gal. v. 15. where we are plainly given to under

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stand, that, if we acknowledge our obligation in part to bear that yoke and burden, we are bound to the whole; and that the nature of that same acknowledged part is like the poisonous fly in the apothecary's ointment; Christ shall profit us nothing; nay, Christ shall be our death, and not our life: for, if light had not come, there had been no condemnation for walking in darkBut of this by the bye.-Psalm cxvi. 10. is applied, 2 Cor. iv. 13. as spoken by Christ.So also Psalm cxvii. 1. in Rom. xv. 11.-Psalm cxviii. 22. in like manner, Matth. xxi. 42.—And, to mention no more under this head, Psalm cxix. upon the true application whereof so much depends, as for substance, in many other places, so in particular, ver. 139. parallel to Psalm Ixix. 9. is brought by the Holy Ghost, who leads into all truth, unto the remembrance of the disciples, John ii. 17. as written before-hand of the Lord, the purger of his Father's house, My zeal, the zeal of thine house hath consumed me, hath eaten me up.' And the very sentence which the Lord passeth, Matth. vii. 23. upon those whom he there condemns, you read verbatim, ver. 115. of this Psalm, Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.' So you see this cxixth Psalm, and the Sermon upon the Mount, are spoken by the same person: and, alas! you are blind, if you do not see them both running in the same strain and spirit, explaining, vindicating, establishing the law in that very sense in which he alone, who is perfect as his Father is perfect, fulfilled

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it in his heart, in his life,-in his death, according to the perfection of Jehovah's self. Rejoice, O believer!

These few examples, out of fifty others equally clear, which might have been brought, may suffice by way of a hint, which every one may pursue at pleasure, for the illustration of the first rule: which brings us to what is equally plain and conclusive,

A 2d rule of interpretation, namely, That wherever you meet with a Psalm that is not directly applied itself to Christ, yet, if there be any part of it evidently parallel to any part of another Psalm which is so applied, you must apply them both alike, because of the sameness of the person and subject, as argued above; according to that mathematical axiom, If two things are equal to one third thing, they are equal to one another. Thus, for illustration of this remark, if you allow Psalm xl. to be spoken in the person of Christ, you cannot deny but the lxxth (which is only a repetition with little variation of the five last verses of the xlth) must of necessity be explained in the same way; not of David, but of his Lord. In this view, Psalm cviii. where Christ's spiritual dominion over his church, gathered out of all nations, tongues, kindreds, and languages, is described in such terms as seemed good to the Holy Ghost, will fix the meaning of Psalm lx. where also Moab, Edom, and Philistia, are introduced with Judah. and Israel, as subjected, owning, and triumph

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