thee as a golden key, most admirably adapted to open that "Rich Treasury of Heavenly Knowledge, the Book of Psalms." May HE that has the key of David help thee to make a free use of it, till thy soul be abundantly enriched with all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge which are IN HIM!! So prays,

thy Friend and Servant

in the Lord's Vineyard,

17, Prince's Square, Ratcliff,

October 30, 1805.

I. NICHOLSON.

ON THE PSALMS, &c.

LUKE xxiv. 24.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me.

HESE words were spoken by the

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LORD JESUS CHRIST to his eleven apostles at Jerusalem, after his resurrection from the dead. It most clearly appears from them, that the Psalms belong to Christ. He had, in conversing with his disciples before his passion, applied many passages in them to himself; so that they knew from him, they were to look on them as a part of God's record concerning Him. And from hence it may be truly safe to say, they contain also a most glorious part of the Spirit's testimony of him.

My design is to prove that the Psalms, or (as we are commonly used to express it) The Book of Psalms, concern our most blessed, glorious, precious Immanuel; and that Christ is most gloriously revealed and set forth in them.

I will present my design, and open my subject to you, in the following manner.

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First, I will give proof from Scripture that David was a prophet, and wrote the Psalms, as moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost.

Secondly, I will set forth the subjectmatter of the Book of Psalms.

Thirdly, I will take notice of the various orders and offices of Priests, Levites, Singers, and Porters, engaged in the Temple, and shew how they were properly organized by David before his death.

Fourthly, Give a short description of the Temple and its Courts, with the services performed therein.

Fifthly, Enumerate the musical instruments made use of, and shew when the Psalms were sung in the daily service. Sixthly, I will treat of the solemnity, joy, and rejoicing, expressed in this part of the Lord's service. And

Lastly, State to you the approbation which the Lord God gave of it.

In pursuing this plan, I am, First, to give proof from the sacred Scripture, that David was a prophet, and wrote the Psalms, as moved and inspired by the Hoty Ghost.

The apostle Peter styles David a prophet in the first sermon preached by him after the descent of the Holy Ghost. His words are these. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried,

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and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

The same apostle tells us, Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And that David spake as a prophet inspired by the Holy Ghost, our Lord himself affirms, saying, How say the scribes that Christ is David's son? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thy foes thy footstool.

And David himself saith, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. This passage entire reads thus: David the Son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel said, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue".

This was also true of the rest of the Prophets, and of those who wrote the

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Acts ii. 29-31.2 Ep. i. 21. Mark xii. 35, 36. d 2 Samuel xxiii. 1, 2.