is of confiderable ufe to obferve, how frequently, and in how great a variety of expreffions, that happy event is foretold; as when it is faid, that the Lord would be exalted on earth, and more particularly, that he would be exalted among the Heathen; that he would be King among the Heathen, Pfal. xlvi. 10. xlvii. 8.; that they would fay among the Heathen, "The Lord reigneth," Pfal. xcvi. 10.; that the Lord would reign, fo as all the earth, and the multitude of the ifles, fhould rejoice at it, Pfal. xcvii. 1. lxvi. i. c. 1.; that all flesh would come to him as the hearer of prayer, and the utmost ends of the earth put their confidence in him, Pfal. lxv. 2. 5.; that all the nations which he had made would worship him, and glorify his name, Pf. lxxxvi. 9.; that all the kings of the earth would praise him, hearing the words of his mouth, Pfal.cxxxviii.

4.

As it was observed before, that predictions are fometimes expreffed in the form of exhortations, if we compare together different paffages in the pfalms about the enlightening of the Gentiles, we will find ground to conclude, that predictions of that great event are included in the exhortations to all nations to praise God, and to rejoice in him; and in exhortations to those who were the people of God already" to declare his glory among the Heathen," Pfal. xcvi. 2. 3. "fhew forth his falvation from day to day, "declare his glory among the Heathen daily ;" and alfo in prayers to God for the conversion of the na

tions.

Thus, in the 67th pfalm, in y 5. there is a prayer for the converfion of the nations: "Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee." And afterwards, in the laft verfe of the pfalm, that event is exprefsly foretold: "God "fhall blefs us, and all the ends of the earth fhall "fear him." This pfalm contains a key to fome other pfalms, which fpeak of the coming of the Lord to judge the world, in fuch a manner as fhould

be

be ground of univerfal joy, Pfal. xcvi. xcviii. For here it is faid, in y 4. "O let the nations be glad, Olet "and fing for joy; for thou shalt judge the people "righteously, and govern the nations upon earth." Here judging is explained by governing and it is not the time of the general judgement at the end of the world that the context treats of, but the time of the enlightening of the nations at the first coming of the Meffiah, whofe ruling the nations is alfo expreffed by judging in other prophecies, as in Pfal. cx. and If. xi. 4.; all which gives ground to explain the close of the 96th and 98th, calling on the feveral parts of the creation to rejoice at the coming of the Lord to judge the earth, as not reftricted to the fecond coming of the Meffiah, but rather as meant more directly of his first coming.

It deferves particular confideration, that in the 67th and 98th pfalms, the enlightening of the Gentiles is mentioned as the effect of God's fulfilling his merciful promises to his church, and of his causing his face to thine on her; which expreflions cannot be otherwise explained, but by confidering the enlightening of the Gentiles as the effect of God's fulfilling his promifes concerning the Meffiah, Pfal. 1xvii. 1. 2. 3. "God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and caufe his face to fhine upon us. Selah. "That thy way may be known on earth, and thy "faving health among all nations. Let all the "people praife thee." Pfal. xcviii. 2. 3. "The "Lord hath made known his falvation; his righ "teoufne hath he openly fhewed in the fight of "the Heathen. He hath remembered his mercy "and his truth towards the houfe of Ifrael: all "the ends of the earth have feen the falvation of our "God. Make a joyful noife unto the Lord, all the "earth," &c.

As there is a remarkable conformity between the account given, in the pfalms, of the nature of that revelation that would enlighten the Gentiles, as a revelation

revelation of God's righteoufnefs and falvation * and the accounts given of it in other prophecies; fo it is obfervable, that the pfalms foretelling the converfion of the Gentiles contain inftances of the chief different forms of expreffion, elsewhere confidered, in which that great event is foretold, viz. in promises to the Meffiah, Pfal. ii. & cx.; promifes to Zion, Pfal. Ixvii.; promifes to the Gentiles themselves, Pfal. lxxxvi. 9.; and threatenings against idols and abetters of idolatry, Pfal. xcvii. 7.

In order to fhew, that the prophetic pfalms contain various principal branches, both of the gofpel history and doctrine, it is proper to obferve the following things relating to the hiftory of the Meffiah's church, his life, his death, and his enemies.

The prophecies laft confidered contain various branches of the hiftory of the Meffiah's church; feeing they foretell the converfion, not only of particular perfons, but of nations, of many nations, yea of all nations, of the outmoft ends of the earth, of the remoteft ifles of the Gentiles; and more particularly of fome famous nations whofe conversion is alfo foretold in other prophecies, fuch as, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tyre; fome of which nations were anciently inveterate enemies to the Jews and their religion.

As to the means of converting the nations, tho* it is foretold, that the Meffiah would exert great power in that work, it is not foretold, that the nations would be forced to ferve the true God against their will, but that they would be a willing people in the day of the Meffiah's power, Pfal. cx.; that the kings of the nations, and confequently the nations themselves, would be converted to the true God, by hearing his word, Pfal. cxxxviii.; and that God would send out of Zion the rod of the Mef

fiah's ftrength, which is explained by the expreffion in If. xi. "the rod of his mouth."

The oppofition that would be made to the Meffiah's kingdom, his final triumph over all opposition, and the legal eftablishment of the true religion, after furmounting many obftables, are foretold in Pfal. ii. xlv. cx. lxxii.; which fhew, that though at firft" the kings of the earth would fet themselves, "and the rulers take counfel together, against the "Lord, and his Anointed, (or his Meffiah); yet at "laft they would fall down before him, and serve "him;" would embrace his word, and abolish idolatry.

The revelation that was to enlighten the nations is reprefented all along, not as a mere general difcovery of the being, attributes, and law of God, but as a doctrine of falvation and peace, containing a bleffed gofpel, or glad tidings, grounds of joy unfpeakable in the grace and mercy of God, and directions to folid bleffednefs in the favour, image, and enjoyment of God, Pfal. lxv. 4. 5.

It is foretold, that this revelation fhould fpread from Judea to other nations; feeing it is foretold, that God's falvation, and the rod of the Meffiah's ftrength, fhould come out of Zion, Pfal. xiv. cx.; which name, when applied to denote a particular place, fignifies God's church in Judea. Such paffages fo far determine the time of the great event in view, as to fhow, that it would happen during the ftanding of the Jewish church and polity. And it is remarkable, that though David lived long before the captivity; yet, in two different pfalms, he hints, that it would be after the captivity that God's falvation would come out of Zion, Pfal. xiv. & liii.; and the predictions in both thefe pfalms are the more obfervable, because these pfalms treat of the general corruption of mankind, which is the doctrine that fhews the need the world had of fuch a Saviour

as

as the Meffiah, and fuch a falvation as he was to fend out of Zion.

As to events relating to the hiftory of the Meffiah's life and death, whereas the prophecies laft mentioned infinuate, that the time of his coming fhould be after the captivity, and during the fubfiftence of Zion, or the Jewish church; and that Judea, or the feat of God's ancient church, or Zion, thould be his refidence, whence he was to fend forth the light of divine revelation; feveral other pfalms give the fame accounts with the other prophets of the manner of his life, particularly his mercy, meeknefs, compaffion, and condefcenfion, Pfal. xlv. lxxii.; and the circumftances of his fufferings and death, as has been proved at large, are narrated very particularly in the 22d pfalm; befides fome hints in other prophetic pfalms, relating to the fame subject, Pfal. lxix.

V. Though the book of Pfalms does not contain fo clear predictions as fome other prophetic books, concerning the unbelief and final difperfion of the Jews; yet feeing feveral paffages in the Pfalms concerning the Meffiah's obftinate enemies, infinuate, that he would meet with oppofition, not only from the idolatrous Heathens, but also from the Jews, it follows, that the general threatenings again't the Meffiah's incorrigible enemies muft extend to the unbelieving Jews, as well as the Heathens.

The New Testament applies to Chrift the paffage in Pfal. cxviii. 22. about the ftone which the builders defpifed, and which God made the head ftone of the corner. Though it should be supposed that this text is fome way applicable to David, as a type of Chrift, in regard David's first low condition and afflictions, and fubfequent high promotion, contain fome image of the Meffiah's humiliation and fubfequent exaltation; there are feveral arguments from the text and context, compared with other prophecies, for fupporting the New-Testa

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