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ing in their subjection to their own eternal King. So also, Psalms ii. xx. xxi. xxiv. lxi. lxxii. lxxxix. cxlix. ascertain the meaning of many others, as of one another; where the King and his acts are praised, according to the quotation from Psalm ii. by the apostles, Acts iv. 25. Psalm xxiv. where the ascension of the eternal King, having received the exaltation and dominion over all, for his obedience to the death, is celebrated under the character of a perfect man, according to the law, ascending into the hill of God, from whence he should never be moved; this Psalm, I say, will vouch for Psalm xv. where the same character and reward are described. To call any mere mortal the Eternal King, would be an iniquity to be punished by the judge. And what better is it to tear from him his character for which he received the glory, and give it to another? Will he give his glory to another? his praise to graven images? Consider this, ye who have ascribed the perfection of righteousness, described in those Psalms, to sinful worms. Psalm xxii. and cxvi. where the Lord says, I will pay my vows in the presence of the people, in the midst of the congregation,' &c. do evidently shew who is the speaker in all those Psalms, where such expressions are used. What light will this observation spread upon many Psalms, and upon many hearts? on Psalm lxv. 1. for one example, Praise waits for thee, O "Lord, in Zion-O' thou that hearest prayer, ' unto thee shall all flesh come.'-Why? Un

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to thee shall the vow be performed.' What vow? Even his vow, who said, I come to do <thy will, O God.'-And Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me,' Psalm xl. 11. as here, iniquities prevail against me.' He charges himself alone with the iniquities and sufferings for them; but in the blessedness and glory he takes in his saints, saying, Our transgressions

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thou shalt purge away-we shall be satisfied,' &c. Ought not the minister to observe such things, especially upon sacramental occasions, when the people are shewing forth the death of the Lord, that is, his vow fulfilled in his own blood to the praise of his Father for ever, that they might eternally sing the song of the Lamb that was slain? How different would be the effect of this lively true persuasion upon the heart of the humble adorer, from that insipid unscriptural notion of some kind of covenant, vow, engagement, bargain, obligation, which people are said to be making, or renewing with their Lord, in the eating of his supper? How can they maintain this their doctrine, and deny the unbloody sacrifice of the mass? for if the commemorating, or keeping in remembrance of a fulfilled covenant or vow, be a renewing or making of a covenant or vow, the Papists will rid their feet as well as they, when they come to give an account of their propitiatory sacrifice of the mass for the dead and for the living.

Has not your spirit burnt within you, Christian, with very indignation, vexation, and shame

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when you have been told, with the symbols of your Lord's body and blood in your hands, that you were come to his table to renew or make your covenant with God, to make up your peace with God, to get an interest in Christ, and to get this interest cleared up, and so forth? May we not ask you, if your eating and drinking in such circumstances was not saying Amen ?-Then, behold, as the conclusion of the whole matter and service for the day, trprears itself an admired creature, the most esteemed of the whole association, and with all possible solemnity of manner, reads you out, for the ground of the ensuing discourse, in the forecited cxvith Psalm, these words of the Lord Jesus, I will pay my vows now before the Lord, in the presence of all the people.' Then proceeds the worthy preacher, helping your devotion, and saying, Upon what particular occasion David 'penned this Psalm is not certain; but certain it is he had been in great distress and soultrouble; the sorrows of death compassed him the pains of hell got hold upon him; but out of the deeps he cried to his God, he made supplication and was delivered.-What was his pious resolution upon this remarkable outgate? what ought to be yours, my friends, especially on the back of this great solemnity? have you got any soul-good, you will be ready to say with David on his deliverance, “I will "bless the Lord as long as I live," and in the <words of my text, "I will now pay my vows"

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Why pay thy vows, David? Let David say ' in his own words, "Thou hast delivered my "soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet "from falling.-I am thy servant, Lord, thy "servant, the son of thy hand-maid; thou hast "loosed my bands." By this time we are hurried all at once into the midst of things, and begin to hear the method; which is, in the first place, to shew us, who have been making our covenant, and renewing our vows to God, the obligations lying upon us, after the pious and devout example of holy David, to pay our vows, and keep our covenant; and-But lest you say I am going to preach, instead of prefacingGod forbid I should preach in such a strain ! The words are good; but are they well applied? As Achish said of David when he feigned himself mad, and scrabbled on the door, and let his spittle fall upon his beard, &c. • Have I need ⚫ of madmen, that ye have brought this fellow ' to me?' Have we need to have our eyes drawn away from the atonement? to have David preached to us, instead of Christ, from such a text? Take away the cross of Christ, that alone pillar of confidence, from any place of the book of God, where the Holy Ghost has made it to stand forth in its glory, to attract the heart and eye of the true worshipper, and place what you will in the room thereof, though you should shew us all in heaven and earth besides, you do no more than you should say, Behold the tower of Babel! or, the image of the great goddess Diana! wor

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ship them! and glory in your gods! Might not a Jew, should he happen to be present, hearing such an harangue from the cxvith Psalm, delivered by a man of elocution, cry out in rap tures, An admirable sermon! you have no more to do but to substitute David, or such like, in the place of Christ, and you are the very man of of his heart. Should it be so with Christians too? Would not the congregation have been more edified if the minister had followed Philip's example, and begun at the same place and preach+ ed to them Jesus? putting them in remembrance, how he had paid his vows, made the covenant good, and the peace with God in his own blood, that they might rejoice in him, and not in themselves; in his vows, and not in their own? Say not, the doctrine of thanksgiving is hereby de nied: : no; it is established in the cross of Christ, and in the power of his. Spirit.-For an appen dix to this second rule, it may be added,

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3dly, That whatever Psalm has a part of it parallel to any passage in the Law or the Pros phets, evidently pointing to the Messiah, or the spiritual things of his kingdom, must be allowed the same kind of sense. Thus, Psalm lxv. 9. to the end, and such others, will be easily and safely understood by such passages as compare the kingdom of heaven to seed sown, and producing a plentiful harvest, being blessed and watered from heaven, till at length the year is crowned with the goodness of the Lord. The whole prophecies of Isaiah are full of spiritual things re

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