II. That all the world may know the way to godly wealth, And all the nations here below may fee thy faving health. III. Let all the world, O God, give praise unto thy name, And let the people all abroad extoll and blefs the fame. IV. Throughout the world fo wide let all rejoice with mirth, For thou with truth, and right doft guide the nations of the earth. V. Let all the world, O God, give praise unto thy name, And let the people all abroad extoll and blefs the fame. VI. The earth her fruit fhall yield, our God fhall bleffing fend; God shall us blefs, men fhall him fear unto earth's utmost end. PSAL PSALM XCIX. This pfalm defcribes the kingdom of Christ, and extolls him for vouchfafing his gracious prefence to his church, dwelling visibly in the cherubim to protect it by his love, and to oppofe its enemies by his greatnefs and holiness: Therefore his people are called upon to worship at his footftool, and to exalt him as their forefathers had done, whofe petitions he graciously heard and answered. The fubjects of this moft bleffed king may rejoice in him at all times. Every fentence in this pfalm affords them matter of joy and praife. The command is-Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I fay rejoice. This joy fhould break forth into finging, which is the expreffion of a thankful heart: And we never confult our own intereft fo much, as when we fing his praise and give him all his glory; then we may expect he will increase our joy in the Lord. May the Spirit of the Father and the Son help us to receive all the profit from finging this hymn, which he intended it fhould be the means of bringing to the people of God in every age. I. THE Lord doth reign, altho' at it the people rage full fore, He on the cherubim doth fit tho' all the world do roar. II. The Lord that in his church doth dwell and he aloft is fet. II. Let III. The princely pow'r of our great king IV. To praise the Lord our God devise, and honor to him' fhew," And at his footstool worship him who holy is and true. AFTERNOON. PSALM LXXXV. This pfalm contains two very interefting particulars, first a prayer for the mercy of God, and fecondly a patient waiting for an anfwer. The mercy afked is converting grace, that fince God through Chrift is reconciled to his people, and has taken away all his wrath against them, he would give unto them ftedfaft faith to depend upon his love to them in his Son, and fo to enable them to truft in him that they might be revived and comforted. Then they refolve to wait for the divine answer, and confirm themselves in waiting by many powerful motives fuch as-the Lord's promise to speak peace to his people, and they shall not turn to folly-he will bring his falvation near to them who fear him-his glory fhall come and dwell in our land, even the Lord of hofts the king of glory-in whom made flesh all the perfections of the Godhead will fweetly harmonize— * For For in him the Father is true in all his threatenings, and yet can fhew mercy to finners-in him the Father's righteoufnefs has had every demand paid it, and now he is at peace with believers in Jefus-yea when the divine truth was incarnate, righteoufness looked down from heaven and faid, Behold, my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Whoever receives this falvation in the power of the holy Spirit is thereby made fruitful in love and loving obedience to God for it, and being now skilful in the word of righteoufnefs, his fteps are fet and kept in the way which leadeth ftraight and safe to heaven. This is one of the hymns, which has been conftantly ufed in the church on Christmas day. It is made up of prayer and praife. And it requires faith and gratitude to fing it well. He that has strongest faith will fing the belt: Because he will find most reafon to adore his Saviour God for humbling himself to be made man, that he might live and die for him and for his falvation. May this delightful pfalm exercife and improve our faith, and warm our affections. May we fing it in the Spirit, bleffing God for all his mercies received through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Glory be to him in the higheft. Amen, and Amen. I. THOU haft been favorable, Lord, to thy beloved land, For thou restoredft Jacob's feed from bondage by ftrong hand. II. The wicked works that they have done thou didst them all remit, And then didft hide thy people's fin clofely thou cover'dit it. III. And III. And thou thine anger didft affwage IV. O Saviour God, do thou then turn thy people unto thee, Put all thy wrath from us apart and angry ceafe to be. V. Shall thy fierce anger never end, VI.!! That in thee may thy people joy. |