“ In acknowledging the sin and guilt of his people as his own, he intimates that his death should be considered as a true and proper sacrifice for sin. Christ and his church are also represented in the scriptures as one body. He is the head, and his people are the members. As the head speaks of the sin of the members, as his sin; the members speak of the righteousness of the head, as their righteousness. This is a key to any claims of righteousness made in the psalms by the church and people of God, and to any confession of sin made by Jesus Christ. ”

“ Do we pray for victory over Moab, Edom, and Philistia, or for deliverance from Babylon? There are no such nations, no such places in the world. What then do we mean, when, taking such expressions in our mouths, we utter them in our own persons, as parts of our devotions before God? ”

“ Other psalms there are, which disclose far different scenes. In them, the sorrows of David are at an end, and the day of his deliverance hath already dawned. Jehovah appeareth in the cause of his afflicted servant. The adversary is dismayed and confounded. The anointed of God, according to his original designation, is at length elevated to the throne; the temple is planned by him, and erected his son; the services of religion are appointed in perfect order and beauty; Jerusalem becometh a praise in all the earth; and the kingdom is established in honour, peace, and safety. ”

“ In such of the psalms as were written by David, and treat of his affairs, that extraordinary person is considered as an illustrious representative of Messiah, who is more than once foretold under the name of David, and to whom are applied in the New Testament, psalms which do undoubtedly, in the letter of them, relate to David, and were composed on occasion of particular circumstances which befel him. ”

“ We are assured, for instance, by the Apostle, Heb. x. 5. that the sixth, seventh, and eighth verses of the fortieth psalm, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not defire,” &c. are spoken by Messiah, coming to abolish the legal sacrifices, and to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself. The same person, to appearance, continues speaking, and, only three verses after, complains in the following terms; “Innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up: they are more than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth me.” ”

“ Assuredly we mean a spiritual Jerusalem and Zion; a spiritual ark and temple; a spiritual law; spiritual sacrifices; and spiritual victories over spiritual enemies; all described under the old names, which are still retained, though “old things are passed away, and all things are become new.”— By substituting Messiah for David, the gospel for the law, the church of Christ for that of Israel, and the enemies of the one for those of the other, the psalms are made our own.
THE END. ”

“ In them also, contrary to all appearances, he predicteth their destruction, with his own final exaltation. But it hath been already observed, that the ancient patriarchs, prophets, priests, and kings, were typical characters, in their several offices, and in the more remarkable passages of their lives, their extraordinary depressions and miraculous exaltations, foreshewing him who was to arise, as the Head of the holy family, the great Prophet, the true Priest, the everlasting King. ”

“ The sixty-eighth psalm, though apparently conversant about Israelitish victories, the translation of the ark to Zion, and the services of the tabernacle; yet does, under those figures, treat of Christ’s resurrection, his going up on high, leading captivity captive, pouring out the gifts of the Spirit, erecting his kingdom in the world, and enlarging it, by bringing the Gentiles to the knowledge of the truth ”