2. For the exhibition of Christ in the flesh : Ps. xcviii. 2, 3, * The Lord hath made known his salvation : his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and truth to the house of Israel : all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.' Clearly that psalm containeth a prediction of the setting up of Christ's kingdom, and a bringing of the Gentile world, into subjection to it ; which was first to be oftered to the people of the Jews, and from thence to be carried on throughout all the regions of the world. So old Simeon expresseth himself, Luke ii. 29, 30, ' Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word : for mine eyes have seen thy salvation ; ' meaning thereby Christ actually exhibited or born in the flesh, which was the beginning of the kingdom of the Messiah.
3. For the benefits which we have by Christ on this side heaven ; as tlie pardon of sin, and the renovation of our natures ; these are called salvation, as Mat. i. 21, ' He shall save his people from their sins ; ' and Titus iii. 5, ' He hath saved us by washing in the laverof regene- ration ; ' and in the Old Testament, Ps. li. 12, ' Piestore unto us the joy of thy salvation;' that is, the joy which we have because God hath freed us from our sins.
4. For everlasting life : Heb. v. 9, ' He is become the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him ; ' and 1 Peter i. 9, ' Ke-
350 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [See. LXXXIX.
ceiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls ; ' meaning- thereby our final reward.
The text is applicable to all these. But (1.) Most simply we must expound it of salvation in the first sense, because the drift of the man of Grod in this octonary is to show how he was affected ; since God heard him not at the first cry, or as soon as he prayed for deliverance : though he prayed for deliverance, yet the help promised and hoped for was delayed so long, till he was ready to faint, and had fainted altogether, but that the promise revived and kept up his hopes. (2.) If these words be supposed to be spoken by the church, and in her name, they fitly represent the longings of the Old Testament fathers after Christ's coming in the flesh. For as David expresseth himself here, so doth old Jacob : Gen. xlix. 18, ' I have waited for thy salvation, 0 Lord.' That speech cometh in there by way of interruption, for as he was blessing his children, he turneth to the Lord, desiring his salvation by Christ, of which Samson, be- longing to the tribe of Dan (the tribe which he was then blessing), was a special type. ' So it is said of Abraliam, John viii. 56, ' Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day ; and he saw it, and was glad.' Abraham knowing liim to be the true Messiah, did earnestly desire to see that day, and to his great contentment got a sight of it by faith ; it was a sweet and blessed sight to him. So Luke x, 24, 'Many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them ; ' that is, David, a king, and other prophets longed for this day. So Heb. xi. 13, ' Having seen the promises afar off, they were persuaded of them, and embraced them.' Oh ! they, hugged the promises, saying. These will one day yield a saviour to the world. So it is said of all the serious believers of the Old Testament, Luke ii. 25, that ' they waited for the consolation of Israel ;' that is, for the redemp- tion of the world by the blood of Christ, and the pouring out of the Holy Ghost, upon which followed the calling of the Gentiles and the setting up of the kingdom of God in the world. These things the saints longed for, waited for ; and because the Lord suspended the exhibition of them till the fulness of time, and did not presently satisfy their de- sires, they might be said to faint ; but the promise kept up their faith in waiting and confidence. I cannot wholly exclude this sense, because the salvation promised at the coming of the Messiah was the greatest, and common to all the faithful. They had many discouragements in expecting it from the wickedness and calamities of that people from whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ was to descend. But though they were ready to faint, they did not give over the hope of that salva- tion, having God's word for it, and the remembrance of it kept afoot by the sacrifices and types of the law. (3.) Since Christ hath appeared in the flesh, and hath wrought salvation for us, we must wait, and long, and look for that part of salvation which is yet to be performed ; as the deliverance of the church from divers troubles, the freedom of particular believers from their doubts and fears, and finally our eternal salvation, which shall be completed at Christ's second coming. All that have the first-fruits of the Spirit are groaning for this and hoping for this, Eom. viii. 23-25. We are to desire heaven, yet patiently to