Christ's advent a ground of joy.
Ps. xcviii. 1 — 9. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things : his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation : his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth
665.1 Christ's advent a ground of joy. 175
toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth : make a loud noise, and rejoice and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cor- net make a joyful noise before the Lord the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands : let the hills be joyful together before the Lord : for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
THE Psalms are generally read as the effusions of a devout mind, whilst their reference to Christ is almost entirely overlooked. This, which is now under our consideration, like the 96th with which it accords, confessedly relates to Christ : the very lan- guage of verse 3, is used by Mary, Zacharias, and Simeon, in the divine hymns whereby they celebrated his advent in the flesh a. It contains,
I. Some grounds and matter for our joy —
In the three first verses the Psalmist describes in figurative expressions, and in the last verse he ex- pressly specifies, the proper ground of our joy.
The incarnation of Christ seems to be the subject here referred to —
[Christ is " the Lord" Jehovah, " the King" of kings, and Lord of lords, who " is come to judge the earth," and to exercise dominion, not, like the judges of Israel, over one nation only, but over all the nations of the world. Nor under his government will any partiality be shewn either to Jews or Gentiles ; on the contrary, it is administered " with perfect righteousness and equity : " his laws are equally binding on the rich and poor : his invitations are equally extended to the most abandoned sinner, and the most decent moralist : his benefits are equally conferred on all, according to their attainments in holiness; and his judgments will be inflicted with equal severity on the proudest monarch and the meanest beggar. With him is no respect of persons ; and whatever difference he may put between one man and another in this life, he will manifest at last, that though clouds and darkness were round about him, righteousness and judgment were the basis of his throne.]
This is indeed a ground for the most exalted joy :
a Luke i. 54, 55, 72. and ii, 30—32.