David and his feed. The beginning of this hatred is fhewn by John in Rev. xii. 5. and afterward by Herod and Pilate, the Jew and Gentile, ftirred up by the old Saul, the first rebellious king, who brought death as his name imports, into the Ifrael of God in ancient time. Now Cush, who is put under the temporary degradation and curfe of Ham's children, muft return again, as Ifaiah predicts in chap. xi. 11, which is one of the most beautiful parts, of that fublime prophefy. His return is found in Saul, the chief of finners, born as an abortive, not in due time, but as it were, thruft out of his cruelty and malice against the name of Jefus of Nazareth by a facred violence, and an extraordinary grace from heaven. In Pfal. 87. Cufh is mentioned with Rahab, pride, and Babel, confufion; philiftia, the place of exiles, and Tyre, the rock, whofe prince was the covering cherub caft out of the garden and mountain of the Lord: in whom, and for whom, the man and the man was born: that is, the man in fpirit as hewn to John and Daniel; and the man of flesh, and of forrows, bern of the virgin or woman under the law of fin and death, to take away the fins of the tranfgreffors, both of old Ifrael, and the younger Ifrael, and for all lapsed beings whatever. This pfalm, though one of the fhorteft, is enriched with the deepest truths, and most extensive bleffings, with Selaḥ twice repeated as a call to great meditation and attention

on

on the excellency of its fubject. That the hands fhould be faid to run, is no * improper expreffion, as the hand is foremost in proftration and supplication: it is here introduced, as the visible index and expreffion of the mind and will, and beautifully describes the great readiness of this ancient enemy to Ifrael, to implore pardon, and to be received home to the bleffings of her firft eftate, before the left the Lord God, her Lord and huf band several ages, before the literal history existed; truths, which were known and established by all Hebrew writers.

Verse 34. Sing unto GOD, (Elohim) O ye kingdoms of the earth: fhout unto the LORD. Adonaj.

SELAH.

The prophets in their evangelical preaching call upon all nations, to come and rejoyce before JEHOVAH with his people, that is, the chofen Ifrael, because they are made the heads over all tongues and languages. The character, office, work and prerogatives of this Ifrael have been fully ex

* The late learned and pious Merrick has removed the objection to the running of the hands, as harsh and forced, by fhewing the epithet swift footed, applied to the sword and the eye, by Æschylus. But the language of prophecy and of facred writ, has a peculiar energy, and magnificent irregularity; for prophets as facred poets, are not confined to little niceties, and studied refinements.

plained in the mysteries of the firft-born and first-fruits given to the world 1763. It would fill a volume to produce all the paffages of facred writ, where the nations, even those which had been devoted to the fword of wrath, and temporal deftruction, are invited to return, and join themselves to the houfe of Jacob, and the houfe of Ifrael. "He fhall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Ifrael shall bloffom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." Ifa. xxvii. 6. The glorious prediction in Numb. xxiv. 7. fpoken of Jacob, will then be fulfilled: how goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy tabernacles, O Ifrael. As valleys are they fpread forth, as gardens by the river fide, as the trees of aloes, which the Lord hath planted, as cedar-trees by the water's fide. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, even his feed in many waters. Thefe waters, which are many peoples, must be found in that part of the revelation, after the number of 144000 fealed of the tribes of Ifrael. After this, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples and tongues, flood before the throne and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, faying, falvation to our God who fitteth on the throne, and unto the lamb. Let it be obferved, that God never mocks his poor, loft, wretched children with great hopes and glorious promises,

promises, which conclude, not in mere disappointment, but in moft dreadful mifery. Men indeed have done fo by the killing letter; by which, how ever, in the righteous judgment of God they have flain themselves as well as others, being total ftrangers to every myftery of the fpirit that quickeneth. adly, that time is now approaching for the two witnesses, driven into the wilderness, to put off their fackcloth, and appear in the glorious garments mentioned in 4 Eld. ii. 39. 3dly, that, if the perfecution of truth, and the witnesses to that of the univerfal Saviour denied for 13 centuries be to come forth, as expected by many writers, towards the expiration of 1260 years, the period is at hand. The prophet describes the nations making merry and rejoycing over their bodies, their testimony flain, but not buried; and a spirit of mockery, contempt and unbelief feems more the view of John, than fufferings and perfecutions. Can mockers and fcoffers more abound than in thefe days? Rev. x. 10-11. 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4.

The word Selah, of which we spoke before, is understood to fignify the place in the heavens, where the ANCIENT of DAYS dwells: by Selah is then denoted Binah, (the third number of deity) fo far as united with Cochmah. (Wisdom or the fecond number or emanation of the highest triad.) As the ANCIENT of DAYS is the clother with white rayment; it intimates, that no

one

"

one can fing the nuptial fong, till the white robe be given in fire, blood and vapor, as at Pentecofte: for this ftate is not the efpoufals, or preludes by prefents, and tranfient vifits, but the very myftic marriage, and inseparable oneness with the bridegroom, the God and Lord to all his brides, in flames of everlafting fire. Amen.

Verfe 35. To him that rideth on the heavens of the heavens of antiquity. Lo, he will give in his voice, the voice of strength.

Ainfworth and Schmidius tranflate, as I have rendered it, meaning the highest and most ancient heavens. Calmet interprets, to him who afcendeth the heaven of heavens towards the caft; applying it to the glorious afcenfion of Jefus Chrift from the mount of olives, which was fituated caftward of Jerufalem. Aquila and Symmachus give the fenfe of Kedem, from the beginning. The defcription in this place points out him, the God, who is the Lord over other Gods, Elohim, who

*

was

*Though Bythner and others tranflate riding in the heavens of heavens of ancient time; yet there is no fuch construction in any parallel place. Without the points, it is justly translated, in my name, my name of old time, as Kedem by Hulfus and others is confeffed to fignify any preceding time, fæculum aut antiquitatem. The reafons for this interpretation are these. First, because the Meffiak, when riding in the cloud of glory, is not to be provoked,

for