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cassia; perfumes commonly used in the east; out of the ivory palaces, or wardrobes, whereby they have made thee glad; which they have prepared for thy entertainment on this grand occa9sion. Kings' daughters [were] among thy honourable women; are thy maids of honour: upon thy right hand did stand the queen, that is, thy bride, in gold of Ophir; referring to the 10 church, which he has united to himself. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; which may refer to the gentiles, who were required to forsake their idolatry, in order to become mem11 bers of the christian church. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; thou shalt become very amiable and acceptable to him for he [is] thy Lord; and worship thou him; he is now become thy Lord, and thou must pay homage to him, and do thy ut 12 most to render thyself agreeable to him. And the daughter of Tyre [shall be there] with a gift; [even] the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour; the inhabitants of Tyre, the most wealthy of the gentiles, and the rich among many other nations, 13 shall be united to the church. The king's daughter [is] all glorious within her clothing [is] of wrought gold; she is glorious in the endowments of her mind, as well as in the charms of her per14 son and dress. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle work; the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee; she shall have a train of glorious attendants; referring to the number of believers who shall be jvined to the church and are represented as virgins, to denote their purity. 15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the king's palace; this expresses the joy with which they should receive the gospel, and be united to the society of chris16 tians. Instead of the Jews, thy fathers, shall be thy children, the gentiles: the whole christian church shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth; who shall be endowed with spiritual power and dignity, being kings and priests 17 unto God. I will make thy name to be remembered, or cele brated, in all generations, by this song which I have composed; therefore shall the people praise thee as a most excellent prince for ever and ever.

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REFLECTIONS.

HE grace and glory of Christ is a most excellent subject; it is good matter, it is a most noble, copious, and profitable. theme. Our thoughts should dwell upon it with all possible fixedness and seriousness; and we should count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. We may reflect with pleasure on the glorious cause in which Christ is engaged, and the holy war which he carries on, and in which he shall prosper. It is the cause of truth, of meekness, and righteousness. His gospel, his sword, which is the word of God, tends to rectify our errors by truth; to control our passions, by

that meekness which it promotes; and to regulate our lives, by the laws of righteousness which it inculcates. Let us rejoice that this sacred cause has hitherto prospered, and shall prosper.

3. We should be thankful if we have the honour of belonging to the church of Christ, and learn our duty as members of it. Glorious things are here spoken of the church, its dignity and purity are here celebrated. Blessed be God who takes gentiles for his people; and that we, who were once afar off, are espoused and united to Christ. May we learn to forsake our sins, that we may become entirely his; to seek the adorning of the mind, that we may be glorious within, which is the brightest glory; and that the lus tre of holiness may shine in our conversation. So shall the king delight in us, and we shall be happy in the most endearing, yea, in an everlasting union with him.

4. Let us earnestly pray for the further spread and establishment of his kingdom; that it may prosper still more; that truth, meekness, and righteousness, may spread over the earth; to root out ignorance and idolatry, subdue all the savage passions of men, and promote universal peace, justice, and charity. Let us do our part, by our prayers and labours, to spread this gospel, on which the happiness of men so much depends. And with a cheerful expectation that it shall spread over all the earth, let us praise the name of our King and of our Saviour for ever and ever.

PSALM XLVI.

To the chief musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth, a musical instrument for the treble part.

It is supposed this psalm was written on occasion of David's signal victory over the Syrians, 2 Sam. viii. when he took a prodigious number of chariots and soldiers from them, and they became tributary to him.

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G and bufficient in trouble. Therefore will not we fear,

OD [is] our refuge and strength, a very present, a ready

though the earth be removed, though the world should be in the greatest confusion, and all its kingdoms and states in a tumult, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea ; 3 [Though] the waters thereof roar [and] be troubled, [though] 4 the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. [There is] a river, a quiet stream, in opposition to the roaring of the sea, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, that is, Jerusalem, the holy [place] of the tabernacles of the most High; 5 especially mount Zion, where God's tabernacle is fixed.* God [is] in the midst of her; she shall not be moved, like other mountains :

The image here is, a pure stream, that shall not be troubled; making glad a mountain that shall not be shaken; referring to the presence of God with his people, and the benefits of the word and ordinances that flowed from Sion,

God shall help her, [and that] right early, speedily, and in a most 6 seasonable manner. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved he, God, no sooner uttered his voice, manifested his pleasure, but the earth melted; their enemies grew heartless and were struck into consternation. The LORD of hosts, a God of almighty power, [is] with us Israelites; the God of Jacob [is] our refuge. 8 Selah. If any doubt of this, let them Come, and behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth, among the enemies of his church and people. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth, or, all around us; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. God himself is then introduced as speaking with awful 10 majesty. Be still, all ye nations, and know that I [am] God, the supreme governor of the world: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth, as well as in your particu11 lar nation. We have reason to rejoice therefore, for The LORD of hosts [is] with us; the God of Jacob [is] still our refuge. Selah; let it be remembered and repeated.

REFLECTIONS.

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ROM hence we are taught to reverence and adore God, as the Lord of hosts, and the God of Jacob. He is a being of almighty power; all the hosts of angels are at his command; he does what he pleaseth in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of this lower world. The desolations of war are by his appointment to punish guilty nations; when he pleaseth, he maketh them to cease, breaketh the weapons of war, and turneth them upon those that wield them. How awful is he in his doings! He fought of old for Jacob, and for Israel his people, and he is still the refuge of his servants. Therefore,

2. Let us learn to trust in God amidst the greatest public alarms and commotions. When the earth is full of confusion, when nation is rising up against nation, and war is making its desolations, we should guard against anxious fear, and repose our confidence on the Lord of hosts; be still, calm and sedate, and know that he is God. This thought should compose and animate our spirits. When LUTHER, the great champion of the reformation, was told of fresh disturbances and confusions breaking out, he used to say, 'Come, let us sing the forth sixth psalm;' and nothing could be more suitable in such circumstances. Let us trust and hope in God; for if the Lord of hosts be for us, nene can effectually be against us.

3. If we desire to have this cheerful confidence in God, let us cherish a love to his house and ordinances. When the sea roars, and mountains tremble, let us drink of that quiet, pleasant, and salutary stream, which flows from mount Zion, even God's holy word; the precious promises and noble encouragements of which will support our faith and our courage. O let it dwell richly in us, to regulate our passions and our conduct; then we shall have every thing to hope for, and nothing to fear.

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PSALM XLVII.

To the chief musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

Composed on occasion of removing the ark to mount Zion, which was attended with a grand procession: this fisalm might then be used; in which David celebrates the victories he had gained, his being now established on the throne, and the union of the Israelites under him. He calls upon the people, and they upon one another, to express their joy.

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CLAP your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high [is] terrible; [he is] a great King over all the earth, to be reverenced 3 by his people, and dreaded by his foes. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. The original

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is, He shall speak the people under us;' one word of his can do 4 it, and are them into silence and obedience. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved; he hath chosen a good inheritance for us and continued it to us; such an excellent inheritance as he chose for Jacob his beloved, and which 5 we his descendants possess. Selah. God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet; the ark is brought up to the tabernacle with a shout, and the sound of instruments used 6 on this grand occasion; therefore Sing praises to God, sing praises to our God, who hath provided for us, and blessed us : sing praises unto our King, who hath defended us and conquered our 7 enemies, sing praises. For God is not our King only, he [is] the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding, as to a Being of infinite perfections, and the sovereign ruler of the whole 8 universe. God reigneth over the heathen, though he dwells in Sion as his habitation: God sitteth upon the ark as the throne of 9 his holiness. The princes of the people of Israel are gathered together on this solemn occasion, [even] the people of the God of Abraham for the shields of the earth, its princes and mighty men, [belong] unto God; or, as it might be better translated, "O ye princes of the nations, join yourselves to the people of the God of Abraham, for the territories of the earth are the Lord's ;' he is greatly exalted, and able to protect his people.

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REFLECTIONS.

ROM hence we learn to reverence and adore the awful majesty of heaven and earth. It is a noble and sublime idea of God, that he reigns over the whole world, all the kings of the earth are his subjects. Let us think of him in this view, and express our reverence and homage with the warmest affection.

2. Let us refer to God the disposal of all our personal concerns. He chooses our present inheritance, therefore it is best for us; and

it becomes us contentedly and cheerfully to acquiesce in his choice. The places of our abode, our settlements and stations in life, are of God's appointing; and he has chosen a future inheritance for all his children, even an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

3. When we are engaged in praising God, we should do it with understanding, in an intelligent manner; sing praises unto him, as the King of all the earth, as our God and our King. Our praises to God should be a rational service; the heart, as well as the voice should be employed in it. Our praise will then be acceptable, when we make melody in our hearts unto the Lord.

4. Let us refer the protection of our land through so many ages to God, and cast our future cares on him. That unanimity and loyalty prevail among us, is owing to his influence upon men's minds; it is he who makes our princes shields; they derive their power and ability to protect us from the great King. May a proper sense of God prevail among our princes and great men; and may it prevail in our hearts, that we may thank God and take courage.

5. This psalm naturally leads our thoughts to the Lord Jesus Christ, and his glorious ascension to heaven, of which the ascension of the ark to Zion was a type. He ascended to heaven with great triumph, amidst a full assembly of the angels; his kingdom is established and supported, and spread among many nations that were once heathens, especially over Britain. Here Jesus reigns; we are gathered to the people of the God of Abraham; and, with regard to temporal and spiritual things, he hath chosen a good inheritance for us. Let us therefore sing praises with understanding; and rejoice in the thought that the Messiah shall reign till all his enemies are made his footstool.

PSALM XLVIII.

A Song, [and] Psalm for the sons of Korah.

This composition is styled a song or fisalm, which indicates a joyful, devotional composition, of which the chief part is employed in thanksgiving. Whether it was penned on occasion of the destruction of Sennacherib's army in Hezekiah's time, or of the enemies of Israel in Jehoshaphat's, is uncertain; it undoubtedly refers to some extraordinary success God had given his people.

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YREAT [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised every where, especially in Zion, in the city of our God, [in] the mountain of his holiness, which is set apart for his holy worship, 2 and now wonderfully preserved. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, or land, [is] mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, that is, on the north side of the city, the city of the 3 great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge; his

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