ment explication of this passage as primarily meant of the Meffiah. By the builders who rejected the head ftone of the corner, none else can be meant here but the Jewish rulers or teachers, or both. The head Stone of the corner is a title in a fingular manner applicable to the Meffiah, suitably to the doctrine and style of the prophecies concerning him, which say, that he would be King in Zion, and speak of him figuratively as a stone cut out of a mountain, Dan. ii.; and as a foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, laid by God in Zion, If. xxviii. 16. The 23d, 24th, & 26th verses are chiefly applicable to the most wonderful perfon that ever came in the name of the Lord to fave his people. The whole context has a fingular conformity to the events relating to Christ's mediatory undertaking, the oppofition made to it, his refurrection, and the Christian fabbath appointed for joyful commemoration of it, and in fact observed, for fo many ages, for that purpose.

VI. That the pfalms contain a great deal of the gofpel-doctrine concerning the Meffiah, and parti cularly of the doctrine of the Meffiah's perfon, is evident from the passages cited from the pfalms in the general view taken above of the prophetic doctrine. As his divinity is implied in the divine titles, characters, and honours afcribed to him in the palsages then confidered, Pfal. ii. xlv. &c.; his incar nation is necessarily implied in almost all the chief branches of prophetic revelation concerning him, and particularly in the predictions relating to his offices, his fufferings, and his descent, as the fon of

David.

It was proved above, that it is the Meffiah who is called the Son of God in the 2d pfalm, and the Son of Man, by way of eminence, in the 7th chapter of Daniel. There is good ground to believe, that it is he to whom the fame title, The Son of Man, is given in Pfal. Ixxx. 17. feeing the perfon there mentioned

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mentioned is described by the following characters, which are so attributed to him as to imply their agreeing to him in an eminent and peculiar manner. 1. He is spoken of as one whom God had made Strong for himself, (as in the prophetic style things future are oft mentioned as if they were past, If. xlix. 2. xlii. 1.). 2. He is called the Man of God's right hand, which evidently implies the most fingular dignity and honour from God. 3. God's regard to him is represented as the cause of the greatest blessings to his church and people, who are here brought in as applying to God for the most valuable benefits, and that amidst the greatest fears and distresses, through his means.

Whereas it is faid of the Son of man, y 17. that God made him ftrong for himself; the very fame thing is affirmed of the Branch, mentioned y 15.; and the strength or fupport mentioned in both these verses is plainly supposed to be vouchsafed by God, for accomplishing his most gracious purposes in favour of his vineyard or church: which things are arguments, that the Son of man, the Man of God's right hand, and the Branch, are one and the fame perfon; and the repetition of the expreffions about the ftrength afforded to this great benefactor to God's church is an argument, that it would be fingular and extraordinary in itself, and of fingular importance to God's church: to all which it is proper to add, that the expreffions in this paffage about strength, resemble these in Pfal. Ixxxix. 19. " I have laid help on one that is mighty."

Interpreters justly observe, that the word rendered the Branch, y 15. fignifies also the Son; but whether it fignify here the Son, or the Branch, the ambiguity of the word does not weaken the argument for applying this paflige to the Meffiah. The Son is a title appropriated to him in the 2d pfalm, and the Branch is a title given him in feveral other ther prophecies, as If. xi. 1. Jerem. xxiii. 5. Ezek. xvii. 22. Zech. vi. 12.

As fome pfalms are supposed, by judicious interpreters, to have been written after the captivity, (as particularly the 85th, 89th, and 102d pfalins), the account this 80th psalm gives of the ruinous state of God's vineyard or church, gives probable ground to think, that it was written after that remarkable period; on which account some may think it the more reasonable to explain the fingular titles in this passage, such as, the Branch, and the Son of man, by the like expressions in the prophecies just now cited; but it is needful to remember, that it is just and reasonable to explain scripture-prophecies, by comparing them, not only with fuch other scripture-prophecies as are more ancient, but alfo with those that are later; all belonging to one complex compofure, the several parts of which have a manifold relation to one another.

Though it should be fuppofed, that the characters of power and dignity in the passage in view, when understood in a lower sense and degree, might be applicable to some others befides the Meffiah; it is to be confidered, that they are ascribed to the person here mentioned, in such a manner as supposes that they belong to him in an eminent degree: and that they belong in a more eminent degree to the Meffiah than to any other, is evident from the whole tenor of prophetic doctrine concerning him; so that we may justly apply to this passage the rule formerly explained and confirmed, concerning characters which, though of themselves common to feveral perfons, become fingular when applied to one person by way of eminence, and in order to diftinguish him from all others.

Whereas the New Testament applies Pfal. cii. 25. & xcvii. 7. to the Meffiah, it is subservient to the general design of this essay to shew, that there are not wanting in these pfalms confiderable intrinfic arguments

arguments in favour of the Christian application of them; though all Christians must still own, that the apostles, in proving their divine mission, proved the infallibility of their interpretations of the prophecies, even where the intrinfic grounds for fuch interpretations, through our weakness or inconfiderateness, do not fufficiently appear to us.

Concerning the 102d psalm it is proper to observe, in the ist place, That it treats of the times of the Meffiah, or of the enlightening of the Gentiles, seeing 15. & 22. speak of the time when "the Heathen should fear the name of the Lord, " and all the kings of the earth his glory; when "the people should be gathered together, and the " kingdoms to ferve the Lord."

2. That there are several characters, titles, and ways of speaking, which, though they are in themselves truly applicable, not only to the Meffiah, or the Son of God, but also to God the Father; yet in fact are usually appropriated to the Meffiah, in the prophetic descriptions of him, in order to distinguish him. When therefore a divine perfon is described by such characters, it gives ground to believe, that the Son of God is intended in that passage, though it does not follow that the Father is excluded. Thus, for instance, when the Gentiles were enlightened, it is certain they would then be gathered to the Father as well as to the Son; yet feeing this title, "He to whom shall be the gather

ing of the people *," is emphatically ascribed to the Son, or is one of his diftinguishing characters; where-ever we find this title, or others equivalent to it, it is an argument that it is the Meffiah that is meant. This is the cafe in the 22d verse of this 102d pfalm, "When the people are gathered toge"ther, and the kingdoms to serve the Lord." The fame general reasoning is applicable to other ex

* See Gen. xlix.

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preffions in the context, relating to the divine per. Ion it treats of; as when that divine person is represented as "the builder of Zion, arifing and ap"pearing in his glory;" befides the fingular conformity between the style of the context, about mercy to the poor, the needy, the deftitute, and the prisoners, and the style of the clearest and fullest predictions of the Meffiah, confidered above, chap. 1.

As to the 97th pfalm, both that and the preceding pfalm, of which fome reckon it a continuation, treat of the times of the enlightening of the Gentiles; that is, of the times of the Meffiah: and the divine perfon here spoken of, is defcribed by works and characters elsewhere afcribed to the Meffiah; fuch as, ruling God's people of all nations, conquering the incorrigible enemies of God's kingdom on earth, and coming to the world, so as to be present on earth in a fingular and peculiar manner. See above of the characters of the Meffiah, chap. 3.

From the view taken of feveral prophetic pfalms, it appears, that the book of Pfalms contains the doctrine of the gofpel, concerning the Meffial's perfon, offices, twofold state, his benefits, and the religious regards due to him: concerning his perfon, that he should be a divine person, the Son of God incarnate; concerning his offices, that he should be the univerfal prophet, prieft, and king, of the people of God. It is foretold in this book, as to his prophetic office, that he should fo declare the name of God, that all nations should return to God, Pf. xxii. cx.; as to his priestly office, that he should be a prieft for ever after the order of Melchifedek; as to his kingly office, that he should be king in Zion, to whom all nations should fubmit, whose righteous throne and fceptre should be for ever and ever. Concerning his twofold state of humiliation and exaltation, the pfalms foretell the circumftan ces of his fufferings and death, together with his