ties and dangers, led by thy grace, and fupported by thy providence, we all come, in perfect fafety, to the land of everlasting reft; there to live with thee, one fold under one (hepherd, world without end.

XV DAY. EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM LXXVIII.

ARGUMEN T.

This Pfalm containeth a declaration of God's dealings with his people, and of their behaviour to him, im Egypt, in the wilderness, and after their fettlement in Canaan, to the days of David. It is written for the use and admonition of Chriftians; who may here view, as in a glafs, the mercies they have received, and the returns, which, alas, they have but too often made for them.

1. Give ear, Ο my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

In this verfe, the Pfalmift opens his commiffion, and speaks, as one having authority from above to inftruct the world. He demands a large and attentive audience, while, by a series of examples, he fets forth the goodness of God, and the ingratitude of man, for the admonition of fucceeding ages, to the end of time. St. Paul, fpeaking of the very tranfactions related in our Pfalm, faith of them, "Now

"all

"all these things happened unto them for enfamples, Gr. TUT, types; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world << are come." I Cor. x. II. We Chriftians, therefore, must confider ourselves as the "people" who are to "give ear to the law," or "doctrine," inculcated by the following epitome of the Ifraelitish hiftory; WE muft "incline our cars to the words of" the prophet's "mouth."

2. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark fayings of old. 3. Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

The Pfalm, being in itself a plain narrative of facts, can contain nothing parabolical or ænigmatical in it, unless thofe facts were, what St. Paul affirms them to have been, "enfamples," types, or representations of other facts, relative to the Christian church. As facts, they were "heard and known,” and handed down from father to fon; but with respect to the inftructions and admonitions comprehended in them, and to be extracted by an application to parallel times and circumstances, they had the nature of a "parable," requiring wisdom and attention, so to understand and apply them. It is obfervable, that our Lord is, by St. Matthew, faid to have spoken to the multitude altogether in parables, "that "it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the pro"phet, faying, I will open my mouth in parables, &c." citing the fecond verfe of the Pfalm now before us. Matt. xiii. 35. If it doth not follow, from this citation, that the prophet actually speaks the Pfalm in the person of Chrift, yet thus much at least is evident

B 3

dent from it, that the hiftory of old Ifrael fomewhat resembles the letter of the Gofpel parables, and contains, fhadowed out under it, the hiftory of a correfpondent state of things in the new Ifrael, or church Christian*. And although the Pfalm, like a large and capacious palace, be laid out into a multitude of different apartments; yet, perhaps, we may find, that the Scriptures of the New Teftament will furnish us with a key, which will gain us admiffion into every one of them, and put us in poffeffion of the treasures of divine wisdom therein depofited.

4. We will not hide them from their children, fhewing to the generation to come, Heb. the latter generation, the praises of the LORD, and his ftrength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

The writer of this Pfalm is defirous that "the "praises of Jehovah, his strength, and the wonder

ful works that be hath done," an account of which had reached his own time, fhould be tranfmitted, through all the periods of the Jewish economy, down to the ps the latter generation," or generation to arife in the " latter days;" the generation of the faithful, to be begotten unto God, from among the Gentiles, through the Gofpel. Of this generation are we, who now, in thefe words of the holy Pfalmist, do from age to age" fhew the praises "of the Lord," our Saviour, "and his ftrength, and

his wondrous works that he hath done" for us, as he promised and forefhewed, in his difpenfations of

In parabolis"-Aliud dicit; aliud innuit; ac præteritorum fpecie futura præfagit. Id quoque ex perfonà Chrifti. Matt. xiii. 35. BOSSUET.

old

old time. The glorious theme was delivered by the Ifraelitish to the Chriftian church, and will be refumed in heaven, there for ever to employ the tongues of faints, and the harps of angels.

5. For he established a teftimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Ifrael, which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children: 6. That the generation to come, or, latter generation might know them, even the children which fhould be born: who fhould arife, and declare them to their children.

The account of God's dealings with his people to be celebrated in our Pfalm, begins with the "law," or" teftimony, appointed and established in Ifrael," by the hand of Mofes. Under these names are comprehended, not only the precepts and ceremonies, but the feveral tranfactions to which they referred, and in commemoration of which they were instituted; as also that future falvation, to which they, as well as the transactions, had an afpect. Thus the paffover, for inftance, looked backward to the redemption by Mofes, and forward to that by Meffiah. The law thus confidered, as involving the Gofpel within it, was, to understanding and pious Ifraelites, the fountain of wisdom, and fource of delight. They were to meditate therein day and night, and teach their children to do likewife; until, with it's types realized, and it's prophecies accomplished in the Redeemer, it should go forth out of Sion in perfect beauty, and run and be glorified among the nations. The "law" and the "teftimony" are now become ours; and it is our duty to transmit them down to

latest posterity, until Jefus fhall return to judg

ment.

7. That they might fet their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8. And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that fet not their heart aright, and whofe fpirit was not fedfat with God.

“

The reafon is here affigned, why God gave Ifrael a law, and commanded that fathers (hould teach it to their children, and their children's children; and the fame reason holds with regard to the Goipel; namely, that the chofen people, renouncing the world, with it's idols and lufts, fhould believe and "fet their hope in" the true "God," the only Saviour; that they should "not forget the works" which he hath wrought for their redemption; and that ever mindful of thofe works, they should love him, and keep his commandments;" not following the examples of the fathers of Ifrael, who proved "faith"lefs," and "rebellious" in the wilderness, when God had brought them out of Egypt. This is the very ufe St. Paul makes of those examples. "With "fome of them," fays he, "God was not well pleased, "for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now "these things were our examples," TUTO μ, "to the τυποι ήμων, "intent we should not luft after evil things, or be 66 idolaters, or commit fornication, &c. &c. as did "fome of them." 1 Cor. x. 5..

9. The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. As the context treats concerning the behaviour of Ifrael in general, upon their coming out of Egypt;

and