in derision, and openly manifested to have meditated vain things!

This verse strikes at that general pride and arrogance, than which nothing more insolently prevails at this time, in the church of Christ. For Paul thus applies this text, Heb. v. 4, 5. "And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an highpriest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee." And again, Psalm cx. 1. "Sit thou on my right hand." And this is what nearly the whole of this present Psalm inculcates; which describes all the things of Christ as ordained of the Father, and not arrogantly assumed or courted by Christ. Whereas, our decrees have now for many years scarcely been employed about any thing else but dignity, power, privileges, and a great and stinking filth of ambition, without any appointing or ordaining from God.

The church of Christ is called "Mount Zion," because it was there begun and instituted by the sending of the Holy Ghost. And although it is confined to no particular place, yet it was necessary that it should have a beginning from some certain place. And from thence it was spread throughout all the earth, that that of Christ, John iv. 2, might be fulfilled. "The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father." Thus now, the church has every place, and yet no place. And, under the influence and teaching of the Holy Spirit, such a modesty was preserved by the Jerusalem church, that it never contended with other churches for precedence and dignity, as the Roman and Constantinopolitan churches did, in a long and scandalous warfare: whereas, if precedency he considered, this church ought to have been preferred by all right to every other; both because Christ was its high priest, and appointed King by God the Father, and because the true church rose there, from whom all others churches sprung; who is the mother of all others, and in whom all the apostles and disciples, the elders as it were, were born. But God would not

permit her to arrogate to herself any supremacy, that he might thereby show us how he reprobated such arrogance, and how he forbad such to be assumed by any church whatever, even by his own to whom it was due.

Therefore the church is called Mount Zion by a figure of speech most common in the scriptures, which speak of the containing for the contained, as, the city of Jerusalem, for the people of that city. Nor is it so called on that account only, but also as conveying an allegory in its name, nature, and form.

The name Zion signifies a distant view' (speculam). And the church is called 'a distant view' (specula), not only because it views God and heavenly things by faith, (that is, afar off), being wise unto the things that are above, not unto those that are on the earth; but also, because there are within her true viewers, or seers, and watchmen in the spirit, whose office it is to take charge of the people under them, and to watch againt the snares of enemies and sins; and such are called in the Greek bishops (ETOKOTO), that is spyers or seers; and you may for the same reason give them, from the Hebrew, the appellation of Zionians or Zioners.

The nature of Zion is, that it is a mountain. And so also the church is, before God, lofty in spiritual height, on account of the greatness of her virtues, gifts, graces, acts, &c. wherein God has highly exalted her above all the power, wisdom, and righteousness of men: according to that of Isaiah ii. 2, and Micah iv. 1. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills." All this I am obliged to interpret again and again on account of those carnal dreamers, who are always twisting round the words of God to favour worldly pomp. But the church is exalted above all the power and height of the world, not in riches and influence, but in faith, hope, love, and all those virtues that despise the riches and power of the world. And though the church is now exalted in all this wordly wealth and power, it is not properly belonging to it, but a certain strange Leviathan

that has thrust itself in; and therefore, it has in the same proportion decreased in the wisdom of the world of God, in holiness of life, and in the virtues of works, &c; for these are the true hills and mountains of the church of Christ, in which the world cannot rival her; and in which she has ever surpassed the world, (she that is the true church), who attempt such things; for it is certain that the true church of Christ ever remains the same.

Again, the form of Mount Zion was this. It rose into a summit on the south, and had the city of Jerusalem on its declivity on the north side, the city itself rising up the hill. Thus Psalm xlviii. 2. "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King."

Thus the declivity and acclivity, may signify the internal warfare of the people of Christ between the flesh and spirit: the flesh tendeth downward to the north, the spirit upward to the south. Or, it may represent those two kinds of life, the working and the viewing. The one tends downward to an employment in temporal concerns for the benefit of others; the other ascends upwards unto heavenly things, and is always on the hill of view, where the bishops or seers are, who excel in the word and in life, and who draw others unto them. In the midst of whom stands Mount Moriah, the Mount of the temple; and that is, Christ, both God and Man; who embraces both these lives, and decrees in the midst of both; as Mount Moriah, situated in the midst of Jerusalem under Mount Zion, represents in a figure. For this Mount Moriah, that is, the Mount of Vision, is that on which Abraham offered up his son, and on which afterward Solomon built the temple. And so also, we are offered up on Christ like Isaac, and are built up, by the true Solomon, a temple of God. For Christ is our Mount Moriah: because God sees no one, and acknowledges no one, who is not offered up and built up on this place; that is, on Christ, and in Christ; for the eyes of God are on this place only. And therefore, he is called the Mountain on which God will look for ever.

Whereas, the heretics and the proud, raise to themselves other mountains of vision, or rather, of no vision, while they wish by their righteousnesses and works to merit the respect of God.

And this mountain is called "holy," not from that figurative holiness of the law and external consecrations: for these things are spoken in the spirit. And therefore, not being content with saying "holy mountain," God adds "my." As if he had said, The mountain which is holy from my holiness; not that holiness by which the stones, wood, and coals are sanctified; but by which the mind and body are sanctified through the unction of my Holy Spirit, and purified day by day through faith, hope and love. For that is "holy" which is separated from every profane use, and dedicated to sacred and divine uses only: which separation is made · ceremonially and literally by high-priests who are men: but which, in truth and in spirit, is wrought by the Holy Spirit being shed abroad in our hearts.

By these things, therefore, God manifestly distinguishes the kingdom of Christ from every other kingdom. For it is only concerning this king that he says, "I have set," or, "I am set." And, as the person speaking is the invisible, all-spiritual God, it shows that the appointer of this king is a spiritual appointer, for God appoints all other kings not by himself as here, but appoints men by the instrumentality of men. Therefore, the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, but in spirit and in truth. And he says also "my king; not a king of men, or whom men have appointed. Wherefore, Christ is a king in spirit and before God. And moreover, although he is set upon the hill of Zion, yet, to "hill of Zion," there is added "my holy," or, "his holy:" that the kingdom of Christ may be understood to be the people indeed of Zion, but that people who are made "holy" by a spiritual holiness. Here you again see, that the church of Christ does not stand in the power, nor in the wisdom, nor in the dignity of the world. Though there are some who pratingly affirm, that,

out of this new monarchy, there is no Christian. Whereas the power of such a monarchy has nothing to do with spiritual holiness whatever.

Ver. 7.

Declaring his decree, the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten

thee.

par

The Hebrew in this passage begins this seventh verse thus, "I will declare the command of God. The Lord hath said unto me," &c.: all which agrees together, and, according to my judgment, is intended to let us know ticularly what "command" it is, of which he would here be understood as speaking, and which he says he will declare. It is that which he immediately adds, "The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son," &c. This, saith he, I have given unto me as a command, and unto this I am appointed King, that I might declare unto all, that I am the Son of God: for I ought to glorify my Father.And this is the scope of the whole gospel; that Christ is the Son of God. As in Matt. xvi. 15, 16, "Whom say ve that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Son of God." And upon this rock it is that the church is built.

Hence Paul saith, 1 Cor. i. 'But we preach Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.' And Christ himself throughout the whole Gospel of John does nothing else but manifest himself to be the Son of God, always speaking of God as his Father. And this was what was brought against him at his crucifixion as a capital crime. For Christ came to plant and establish that faith, whereby men believe him to be the Son of God. And this faith is the fulfilment of all laws, the righteousness that endureth for ever, the work of praising God, the mortification of the flesh, the quickening revival of the Spirit, the victory over the world, the victory over the flesh, and the victory over hell! as he himself saith, Matt. xvi. 18, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." And so also John viii. 24, " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." And