Pfalms inconteftibly interpreted by the apostles of Chrift: fo that the objection lies not againft man, but the Holy Ghoft himfelf: take Pfalms xl. lxix. xvi, xxii. lxxxix. xxxv. for inftances. This is fuch an ob fervation as the whole weight of the cause might be made to rest upon it. But to be more particular: it can be no objection against our interpretation of the Pfalms, though there may be fome ftrong metapho rical expreffions, fpirited exclamations, and, to our apprehenfion, feveral other very ftrange things in them, which we cannot exactly fhew the meaning of, being certain we have all the sense or spirit of them fomewhere in the New Teftament. For the illuftration of this point, you may confider our true country proverb, Every hair cafts its own fhadow: which remains ftill true, though it be no easy affair to untwist the rope, and fay, which is the particular fhadow of every individual hair. And we are the eafier on this head when we hear the apoftle, Heb. ix. in general difcourfing of the holy of holies, the ark of the covenant, the golden pot that had manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the mercy-feat, &c. as fhadows, the bodily fubftance whereof was Chrift, and then faying, Of which things we cannot now fpeak particularly. Thus, when the house was built, there was the lefs need of the pattern or model; unless you will fay that, becaufe a house is built after fome plan, therefore we dwell in the houfe and in the plan toge→ ther. Neither need we have infifted fo much upon this point, if it had not been for the mifchievous confequences following upon a misinterpretation of the Pfalms; many things wherein, no doubt, as well as in all the other writings of ancient infpiration, may be like the fnuffers, pans, fhovels, bafons, pins, loops, taches, knops, flowers, chapiters, and certain additions of thin-work over upon the altar of incenfe; which things, being part of the tabernacle and temple, were typical; yet who but a madman will offer

to fhew you their correfpondent antitypes? you may take alfo into this account the almoft univerfal prejudice arifing from the falfe teaching of near three thoufand years fince the Pfalms were delivered to the Jewish church: from whence our tranflators, though perhaps the most unexceptionable in the world, having had David always running in their head, have given their whole tranflation of the Pfalms a ftrong caft towards him. See, for example, how they have called Christ's righteoufnefs, as in the margin, Pfalm xxxv. 27. A righteous caufe,' not knowing fo well how to think of David's righteoufnefs in fuch a connection; as it is not easy to see how they could, without foftening the matter, and bringing it down the beft way they could to fit David's cafe. But the most egregious blunder of this kind, perhaps, in their whole work, you meet with, Pfalm xxiv. 6. where they make the Spirit to defcribe a generation of people under that one fingular peculiarly-appropriated character of the only Holy One and Juft, who alone afcended by his own righteoufnefs into the highest heavens, and received the bleffing from the Eternal, even power over all flefh, that he might give eternal Life to as many as the Father hath given him: This,' Lay they, is the generation of them,' &c. inftead of This or This He! O generation of them that feek him,' &c.; This being evidently meant of the Meffiah's felf defcribed in the remaining, as in the former part of the Pfalm; while the generation of them that feek him is not spoken of at all, but only spoken to, and called upon, as it were, to behold This perfect One, this King of glory. To juftify this obfervation to the merely English reader, let him obferve, that the word is, between this and the generation, is a fupplement of the tranflators, as will appear by its being printed in a different letter from the reft, which is the mark whereby to know when they add any word, for which there is none in the original,

original, to fill up what they take to be the meaning, that the fentence may run fmooth without a break.

But to return: though the meaning of many things in the Pfalms may be difficult through fo many caufes, that it is not easy to fay precifely what it is; nevertheless, where the Holy Ghoft hath vouchfafed us a clear revelation of what was hid in the mysteries of old, let us not fhut our eyes against the true light where it fhineth, but wifely confider that intimate union, infeparable connection, and eternal fellowfhip, fubfifting between Chrift and his church; infomuch that they are called One, One Perfon, Head and Members, Spirit and Body; fo that their names are one. He is the Lord our Righteousness;

And

this the name wherewith he shall be called, the Lord our Righteoufnefs:' he is called the Anointed; they are the anointed: he is the Son of God; they are the children of God in him; he is Heir of God; they are heirs of God, joint-heirs 'with' Chrift; he is the Seed of the woman; they are the feed of the woman: they are called Jacob, Ifrael, and David; fo is he, Jer. xxx. 9. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. Hof. iii. 5. and elsewhere. Thus, the fpoufe's name, interest, and eftate, are swallowed up in those of her husband; her debts are his debts; her friends his friends, her enemies his enemies, and fo in every inftance; they are one in law, married to the Lord, one fpirit, one body, no more twain but one flesh, he in them, and they in him: This is a great mystery,' faith the apostle; but I fpeak concerning Chrift and his church. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

This indiffoluble bond of union between Christ and his church; whereby he cannot be confidered without her, nor fhe without him, will account for all thofe confeffions of fin, prayers for pardon, and deliverances from grievous diftreffes, thanksgivings, and pleadings of righteoufnefs, appeals to holinefs,

juftice,

justice, mercy, faithfulness, truth, earnest expostu lations with God, bitter lamentations, floods of tears, animated exclamations, heavy denunciations, vows of obedience, &c. and all thefe uttered, fometimes as by one, fometimes as by many, in the fingular or plural number, all to the fame meaning, according to the good pleasure of the Holy Ghoft, who hath fully afcertained his own fenfe throughout the whole series of revelations taken together in their own coherence, which to the children of God are but one context, whoever were his clerks or peamen.-Sup, pofe David not merely an amanuenfis or penman, (like all the other prophets), but himfelf the chief speaker, and speaker of himself indeed, in the Pfalms, and it is all a riddle, paradox, and contradiction! a jumbled mafs of confufion! impiety! nonfenfe!-Suppofe it Chrift the Lord who fpeaks himfelf, of hig felf, (David being only his prophet, fecretary, or writer), and of his church in himself, for could they be separated but for a moment, he from them, or they from him, then they, nay the Godhead, were no more; for he has pledged his faithfulness for it, that they cannot be separated: fuppofe it Chrift, I fay, in this connection with his church, and all is plain, eafy, direct truth, light, glory, and eternal joy. How could finners call his righteoufnefs theirs, if he had not called their fin his? Read Ifa, liii. and fuch paffages as thefe: It pleafed God to make him fin for 6 us who knew no fin, that we might be made the ⚫ righteoufnefs of God in him-He bare our fins in his own body-He was made a curfe for us- -In all things made like to his brethren, except fin.' For though he had no perfonal fin, or fin which he himfelf in his own perfon committed, yet you fee how he had the fins of his elect charged upon him. Do you marvel then when you fee him, the holy Lamb of God, ftanding and bearing the fin of the world, agonizing in every pore, and his foul full of that hell

or

or wrath of God for fin, which would have swallowed up the whole univerfe of God befides, and him too, in eternal ruin, if he had not been fuftained by his own eternal power and Godhead-Do you confider him fuffering in fuch circumstances, Í fay, and marvel that he fhould cry, Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me; I am not able to look upThe iniquities of my heels' (or, at my heels, the iniquities of thofe who follow me, who am their leader) do compafs me about-My bowels are full of a loathfome disease—and this I have because of my folly and my committed fins-O God, thou knoweft my foolishnefs, and my fins are not hid from thee, Pfalm lxix. 5. Thus he could fay as the Kinfman-Redeemer, the friendly Surety, acknowledging for his own, ftanding good for, paying and difcharging by himself alone, all the debts of his beloved friends; and yet at the fame time maintaining his innocence, and faying, Pfalm xviii. 23. I

kept myself from mine iniquity:' his darling and predominant fin, which he loved and obeyed, fay you, meaning it of David. Who is in the right, let the Lord of David judge, and us confider.

After all, perhaps, you will ftill cry out, as if no key were already given, How fhall we explain Pfalm li.? I do confefs, nothing but a true knowledge and love (which are the peculiar gifts of God, and always go together) of that vicarious righteoufnefs of Chrift, to which the law beareth witnefs, and the Father beareth witnefs, by raifing him again from the dead, and by declaring his own faithfulness and juftice in juftifying the ungodly for the fake thereof, when he gives them the belief or knowledge of it, will be likely to fatisfy you, if you are yet unfatisfied. Therefore, before you proceed any farther in queft of argument, confult your own heart, if you are really-in love with that exchange of fin and righteoufnefs, commonly called imputed, which the whole teftimony