ment explication of this paffage as primarily meant of the Meffiah. By the builders who rejected the head ftone of the corner, none elfe can be meant here but the Jewish rulers or teachers, or both. The head ftone of the corner is a title in a fingular manner applicable to the Meffiah, fuitably to the doctrine and ftyle of the prophecies concerning him, which fay, 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 ftone, a precious corner-ftone, laid by God in Zion, lf. xxviii. 16. The 23d, 24th, & 26th verfes 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 Chrift's mediatory undertaking, the oppofition made to it, his refurrection, and the Chriftian fabbath appointed for joyful commemoration of it, and in fact obferved, for fo many ages, for that purpose.

VI. That the pfalms contain a great deal of the gofpel-doctrine concerning the Meffiah, and particularly of the doctrine of the Meffiah's perfon, is evident from the paffages 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 paffages then confidered, Pfal. ii. xlv. &c.; his incar nation is neceffarily implied in almost all the chief branches of prophetic revelation concerning him, and particularly in the predictions relating to his of fices, his fufferings, and his defcent, 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. lxxx. 17. feeing the perfon there

mentioned

mentioned is defcribed by the following characters, which are so attributed to him as to imply their a greeing to him in an eminent and peculiar manner. 1. He is fpoken of as one whom God had made Strong for himself, (as in the prophetic ftyle things future are oft mentioned as if they were raft, If. xlix. 2. xlii. 1.). 2. He is called the Man of God's right hand, which evidently implies the moft fingular dignity and honour from God. 3. God's regard to him is reprefented as the cause of the greateft bleffings to his church and people, who are here brought in as applying to God for the most valuable benefits, and that amidft the greatest fears and diftreffes, through his means.

Whereas it is faid of the Son of man, y 17. that God made him firong for himself; the very fame thing is affirmed of the Branch, mentioned y 15.; and the ftrength or fupport mentioned in both these verses is plainly fuppofed to be vouchfafed 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 itfelf, and of fingular importance to God's church to all which it is proper to add, that the expreffions in this paffage about ftrength, refemble thefe in Pfal. lxxxix. 19. "I have laid help on one that is mighty."

Interpreters juftly observe, that the word rendered the Branch, y 15. fignifies alfo 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 o

ther

ther prophecies, as If. xi. 1. Jerem. xxiii. 5. Ezek. xvii. 22. Zech. vi. 12.

As fome pfalms are fuppofed, by judicious interpreters, to have been written after the captivity, (as particularly the 85th, 89th, and 102d pfalms), the account this 80th pfalm gives of the ruinous ftate of God's vineyard or church, gives probable ground to think, that it was written after that remarkable period; on which account fome may think it the more reasonable to explain the fingular titles in this paffage, fuch as, the Branch, and the Son of man, by the like expreffions in the prophecies juft 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 fcripture-prophecies as are more ancient, but also with those that are later; all belonging to one complex compofure, the feveral parts of which have a manifold relation to one another.

Though it should be fuppofed, that the characters of power and dignity in the paffage in view, when understood in a lower fense and degree, might be applicable to fome others befides the Meffiah; it is to be confidered, that they are ascribed to the perfon here mentioned, in fuch a manner as fuppofes 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; fo that we may justly apply to this paffage the rule formerly explained and confirmed, concerning characters which, though of themselves common to feveral perfons, become fingular when applied to one perfon by way of eminence, and in order to diftinguish him from all others.

Whereas the New Teftament applies Pfal. cii. 25. & xcvii. 7. to the Meffiah, it is fubfervient to the general defign of this effay to fhew, that there are not wanting in thefe pfalms confiderable intrinfic

arguments

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

Concerning the 102d pfalm it is proper to obferve, in the 1ft place, That it treats of the times of the Meffiah, or of the enlightening of the Gentiles, feeing 15. & 22. fpeak of the time when "the Heathen fhould fear the name of the Lord, "and all the kings of the earth his glory; when "the people fhould be gathered together, and the "kingdoms to ferve the Lord."

2. That there are feveral characters, titles, and ways of fpeaking, which, though they are in themfelves 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 defcriptions of him, in order to diftinguish him. When therefore a divine perfon is defcribed by fuch characters, it gives ground to believe, that the Son of God is intended in that paffage, though it does not follow that the Father is excluded. Thus, for inftance, 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 fhall be the gather"ing of the people," is emphatically afcribed 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 verfe of this 102d pfalm,." When the people are gathered toge "ther, and the kingdoms to ferve the Lord." The fame general reasoning is applicable to other ex

See Gen. xlix.

preffions

preffions in the context, relating to the divine perfon it treats of; as when that divine perfon is reprefented as "the builder of Zion, arifing and ap

pearing in his glory;" befides the fingular conformity between the ftyle of the context, about mercy to the poor, the needy, the deftitute, and the prifoners, and the ftyle of the clearest and fulleft 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 fpoken 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, fo as to be prefent 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 Meffiah's perfon, offices, twofold ftate, his benefits, and the religious regards due to him: concerning his perfon, that he fhould be a divine perfon, the Son of God incarnate; concerning his offices, that he fhould 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 fhould fo declare the name of God, that all nations fhould return to God, Pf. xxii. cx.; as to his priestly office, that he fhould be a priest for ever after the order of Melchifedek; as to his kingly office, that he should be king in Zion, to whom all nations fhould fubmit, whofe righteous throne and fceptre fhould be for ever and ever. Concerning his twofold ftate of humiliation and exaltation, the pfalms foretell the circumftances of his fufferings and death, together with his refurrection,