Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

VIII.

Deity, are celebrated; but yet there are SERM. many on other subjects, where the praises of God make only an incidental part; there are some which are called penitential psalms, where the author confesses and la ments some wickedness of which he has been guilty; others, which contain impre cations or wishes of evil to some enemy, either of the writer himself or of God; there are some which pray for deliverance from affliction, some for pardon of sin; while there are others which may be called prophetic psalms, foretelling future events, particularly the coming of Christ, and the establishment of his kingdom. Almost all of these we may, with great propriety, use, and, in some manner or other, apply to ourselves. We have all reason to join in God's praises-we have all of us sins to confess and lament-we have all of us enemies, either spiritual or bodily, from whom we desire deliverance-and we most

VOL. II.

I

of

SERM. of us, at one time or other, labour under VIII. afflictions from which we wish to be freed. The psalms, which contain imprecations or prophecies, seem to be exceptions; but, as to the first, we may observe that they are directed against God's enemies, the wicked, and seem not so much to be wishes as predictions of evil; as to the latter, when we read them, we may admire God's goodness in inspiring holy men to foretel such blessings to the human race, and we may rejoice in their accomplishment. These psalms are called David's Psalms, because the greater part were composed by him; but there are many, which were written by others: it is not now well known by whom they were collected; probably by different persons; and they were finally put into one book by Ezra, on the return from the Babylonish captivity; and the ancient custom of singing them in the temple and synagogue

was

VIII.

was restored by him:-this custom is still SERM. observed by the Jews; it was likewise, in the earliest times, adopted by the Christians, and has continued to this day :-the singing them has indeed been changed for reading, not perhaps without some loss of devotion; however, such is the custom at present. We must be careful, in reading these psalms, to consider who it is that speaks, for the author does not always speak in his own person; sometimes the words are put into the mouth of God or Christ, sometimes they are given to wicked men; but a moderate degree of attention will enable us, in general, to distinguish this. The psalms which we have in our Prayer-Book, are translated from the same original as those in the Bible; the words are somewhat different, but the sense you will find to be, in general, the same: the translation in the Prayer-Book was made in older times than

I 2

SERM. than that in the Bible; and, as the people

VIII.

were used to it, it was not thought adviseable to change it, though perhaps that in the Bible is in some respects better.I observed to you that these psalms are divided into different portions, one of which is directed to be read every day, so that they will all come over every month; however, on some particular fasts and festivals, particular psalms, applicable to the occasion, have been selected.

I shall dismiss this subject by observing, that the book of Psalms is an inexhaustible treasure of every branch of piety, prayer, praise, humiliation, and thanksgiving;and, therefore, a more constant use of it, than of other parts of the scripture, is very properly enjoined in our Form of Prayer.

As we began with confession of sins, and then proceeded to setting forth God's

most

VIII.

most worthy praise, we now go on to SERM. hear his most ho.y world, the minister being directed to read select portions from the Old and New Testament. It was always esteemed a solemn part of divine worship among God's people, the Jews, to read in their assemblies his word; they were positively commanded to do it."When all Israel is come to appear be"fore the Lord thy God, in the place

which he shall choose, thou shalt read "this law before all Israel in their hear

[blocks in formation]

It was a custom with the Jews to read the Law' for the first lesson, that is, the five books of Moses, called the Pentateuch; and the Prophets for the second. We Christians, who have the New Testament in addition to the Old, take our first lesson from the law and prophets together, that is, from the whole Jewish scriptures, and our second lesson from the New Testa

[blocks in formation]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »