SERMON XVII.

Psalm cx. 1.

66

THE LORD SAID UNTO MY LORD, SIT THOU ON MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL."

WHEN last I was permitted by Providence to address you from this place, I endeavoured to set before you a general view of the occasion, design, and object of this interesting Psalm. Avowing my conviction with the learned Horseley, that the Redeemer can be found in every page of the book of Psalms, by those who read to find him-I stated, that I regarded this one in particular, as exclusively applicable to Christ; that in close connexion with two other sublime, but deeply mysterious poems, it formed what may, perhaps, be termed, by a word well known to all students in Greek Dramatic Literature, a sacred trilogy, and with them completed the awful series of the ascension of the Messiah, and his in

auguration into his mediatorial Kingdom.In this Psalm we are admitted within the portals of Heaven, we hear the Father addressing the triumphant Son in the language of promise and of prophecy-declaring that he had “set him on his holy hill of Sion," and had "placed all things under his feet;" that his great work had been accomplished-man's redemption completed-his spiritual enemies subdued and as a Priest and Prophet, intercessor and conqueror, the man Jesus Christ was to be placed for ever at the right hand of God. To this development of his offices, in subordination to the regal, do I conceive this Psalm dedicated, which opens by that exaltation of humanity in the person of the Redeemer, and closes by the cheering view of his influence poured out upon his followers; which commences by the execution of the decree that had been from everlasting, and terminates not until the mediatorial Kingdom has ceased, and "God," the inscrutable triune Jehovah "becomes all in all." I purpose in this discourse to continue the subject, to point out more minutely the bearing and connexion of the different parts of the Psalm, and to shew their coherence and connexion with the whole design. Before proceeding with this review, I would beseech my hearers to bear in mind, the justice of

Bishop Horseley's description of the Psalms of David, that they are "all poems of the lyric kind, that is, adapted to music, but with great variety in the style of composition—some are simply odes; in these the author delivers the whole matter in his own person-but a very great, I believe the far greater part, are a sort of dramatic ode, consisting of dialogues between persons sustaining certain charactersthe persons are frequently the Psalmist himself, or the chorus of Priests and Levites, or the leader of the levitical band-Jehovah sometimes as one, sometimes as another of the three persons, Christ in his incarnate state, sometimes before, sometimes after his resurrection, and the human soul of Christ as distinguished from his divine essence the part of Jehovah is sometimes supplied by an oracular voice, suddenly breaking out from the Sanctuary."-Such is the opinion of that great critic, whose originality of conception was equalled but by his clearness of diction, and extent of learning; who is almost unequalled for his variety of acquirement, and the manner in which he has dedicated all to the service of the Sanctuary.

I have stated my belief, that the subject of this sacred poem, was the reception of the Son of God in his Father's Kingdom, when

upborne by self-exerted power, he ascended thither, having accomplished the work which was given him to do, "having broken the gates of brass, and smitten the bars asunder." The elevation of Christ in his human nature to his heavenly throne, appears to me to be the object of the Psalm, and connected with this, the solemn recognition of the Saviour, in his intercessory character as Priest, and the outpouring of blessings from himself in his peculiar office as Prophet. I am induced to take this view from considering that the Psalm evidently contains the reception of some mighty Prince, and that the Messiah, though a conqueror, after that he burst the bands of death, and put to nought the grave, was not a King until his ascension. The promise of the Father was not fulfilled until having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross, until he "ascended on high, leading captivity captive," and having death and hell bound to his chariot wheels-until his ascension, though a conqueror, he was not in his mysteriously compounded nature, a King-the redemption throne was prepared, but not occupied-the diadem was won, but not worn. Although, if we may use the expression a King de jure,