The fong, or hymn, in fuch reiterated terms of praise and joy, is here commanded for the greatnefs of the mercies and loving kindnefs of the Lord in that righteousness, or justification brought to light for the falvation of all nations, even those marked out as the greatest enemies of Ifrael, confequently of the Lord God, their particu lar king and protector,

Sollu fignifies moft probably the preparing a high or royal way, as it is tranflated in the feptuagint, in this pfalm, and in Ifaiah Ixiii. 10. David as a prophet, understood the mysteries of the law, and by just reason the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, or of the Meffiah: for he was not a child to rejoice, even to folly and madness, at the beg garly elements of the ark, and of the miniftration at the altars of Mofes; but he knew the whole of the mystery, from the little foundation ftone of the holy of holies, on which the ark of the tabernacle ftood; and the defign of the figures of the entire service of the law, from the little fheaf of first fruits at paffover through the extent of the moons, the fabbaths, and years to the jubile. For he is himself the figure of the Meffiah, from the first election, or feparation from the brethren of his father, and mother; over whom he was placed as their head; and all typical enemies fubdued under his feet: truths as well known to the ancient Hebrew church, as they are now loft, and forgot. Now we must begin from

the

the time of that feparation, when the Messiah was taken from the woman, as the one feed; when he bore the new name Michael; and when the dragon was caft out of heaven with his angels to the earth. Rev. xii. 1, 7. And when the kingdom was given unto him, as Daniel fhews us, chap. vii. 13, 20. And as this royal prophet, and prefigurer of the fon then fitting in glory on mount Zion, Pfal. ii. I, 12. faw into the types, and fymbols, and emblems, of the new temple rebuilding in him, his heart and flesh rejoiced at every pledge and earnest of greater victories and deliverances to be fulfilled in his Lord: of which, his fword and conquefts were only preludes; and all bleffings of the land he reigned over, only fhadows of the eternal and exalted gifts of the new earth on high.

The great event which can answer to this triumph and overflowing of joy of this typical king, can only be found in our Lord, in the days of his flefh, as the fin-offering for the whole world, at his public and royal entrance into Jerufalem, riding on an afs, and the foal of an afs, according to the prophet Zechariah's words, chap. ix. 9. When the multitude strawed the way with their garments, and with palm branches; when this multitude went before, and followed after, crying, Hofannah to the fon of David: bleffed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD, Hofannah in the higheft: bleffed be the king, who cometh in the name of the C 2 LORD,

LORD, the king of Ifrael. This was the only claim he made to his natural right to the old ferufalem, as born the fleshly heir of David by the virgin of his houfe: but in his fpirit, or fpiritual generation from old time, he was David's Lord. Mich. v, 2. Mat. xxii. 45. And in the fpirit, he renounced all rights of flesh, and taught mankind, that his true kingdom was not of this world; nor for flesh, but for fpirit: into which, he will change all things at his fecond coming without fin, that is, no more the fin-offering, but the quickning and tranfmuting fpirit in the glory, the clouds of heaven unto falvation to the ends of the earth, amen.

The first entrance was done as a prophetical earneft of his fecond advent: and the transporting joys, and acclamations of men, women and children, (while fome of the pharifees faid, mafler, rebuke thy difciples;) were from a divine power and inftinct, agitating them with fuch overflowing exultations, as forced utterance from the mouths of all the multitude: for it is well obferved by * Drieffen, that it was done as a prelude to a moft illuftrious event, at which all the world shall be aftonished; and I fay too, all the world fhall repeat the fame Hofannah, and all tongues fhall fhout his name, even his enemies fhall bow down

V. Anton. Drieffen Jefus nafcens, &c. p. 51.

at

at his feet, and blefs him for his tranfcendent mercies to them. For, according to this expectation, he faid, after denouncing judgment against the old Jerufalem, and her children; ye shall not fee me henceforth, till you fhall fay, bleffed is he that cometh in the NAME of the LORD. And this glorious manifeftation will be, when every eye shall see him, and they alfo that pierced him; and all tribes of the earth fhall wail because of him, even fo, amen, Rev. i. 7. This happy epiphany muft take place, when the gofpel of the kingdom fhall be preached in all the world, for a witnefs unto all nations; and then fhall the end come, Mat. xxiv. 14. In the fame view, John faw an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlafting gospel, to preach good news to all the inhabitants of the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people. And this precedes the fall of Babylon, the great city, the whole world; the evils, burdens, miseries and wants of which confufion, will be taken away by the millennial fabbath, according to the privileges of the typical fabbath under the law, which have been illuftrated in the fabbatical year published by me. The time for this, fay the ancient Jews, will begin in the latter part, or

*

V. Windet de vita funct. Statu. p. 144. et Raym. Martin. pug. fidei 213, 14, and Rhendferdi diff. de fæculo futuro. fet

evening of the fixth chiliad: and our Lord speaks, when the fon of man cometh, (is coming,) fhall he find faith on earth? understood by fome of no belief in his advent, as in the days of the flood, and of Sodom, Mat. xxiv. 37. By others interpreted of an almost universal state of unbelief in his name, and character, according to the apostles. There fhall come in the last part of the days, fcoffers walking after their own lufts, and faying, where is the promise of his coming? 2 Pet. iii. 3. Jude 18. yet even this dark picture and scene of things must change into astonishment, when the converted Jews fhall proclaim the name Jehovab, as revealed in Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. and publish that council of God juft before his manifeftation in the clouds, made known unto Paul, Rom. xi. 32, 36.

To him that rideth on the heavens.

Gnaraboth, fome tranflate heavens; fome defarts; others plains and pleafant places. The verb gnarab has, according to Mercer and others, the moft extenfive fignification of any hebrew root. Yet though it has fo many fenfes, there is a kind of cognate meaning, and affinity running through

32. Meufchen brings a remarkable paffage from the Talmud, in Sanhedrin, fol. 97, Meffias will not come, till all the world become Sadduces. Thefe days of the christian world, become a great Canaanitish city, full of buyers and fellers, whofe Gods are gold and filver, will fulfill this fign of times.