A beautiful close to this most glorious Psalm is here, in which the Church offers up a joyful acclamation to her Sovereign Redeemer, that being now exalted in his own strength, and having gotten himself the victory, and a name being given to him above every name, all the ransomed of Zion, the whole church of God's redeemed ones, shout aloud his praises, devoutly bend the knee, the heart, the whole soul, before him, and with one heart, and one tongue, confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
READER, here let us pause, and with holy admiration, love and praise, contemplate the astonishing love of God our Father, in giving his dear Son, and the astonishing love of God the Son, in coming to redeem our nature, and by such a process of grace opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Surely never did God display such love, wisdom, and grace, as in the redemption by Jesus. And if the King rejoiceth in such great salvation, well may the happy objects of it, who, by his gracious undertaking, and victory, are made kings and priests to God and the Father.
And oh, thou glorious Mediator! was it thine heart's desire, which God thy Father granted thee, that thou mightest see of the travail of thy soul, that thou mightest have thy church, thy spouse, thy fair one? Didst thou, blessed Lord, from everlasting set thine heart's desire upon thy people? Didst thou, from this desire towards thy people, come and tabernacle among them? And was such thine ardent desire for the working out their redemption, by thy sufferings and death, that thou was straitened until that thy baptism of pain and agonies was accomplished? And as thou didst all along desire everything that had a tendency to bring about those blessed purposes, is it not now, blessed Jesus, thy desire for the time to come, in every individual instance of thy purchased ones, that their conversion may be accomplished? Dost thou not wait to be gracious? Dost thou not count thy people as the excellent of the earth, in whom is all thy desire, all thy delight? And do we not know, that those desires of thine will never be fully gratified, until thou hast gathered all thy redeemed around thee in glory? O thou glorious, thou almighty Shiloh! to thee shall the gathering of the people be. Yes, Lord, thou art the desire of all nations! Thou art the one glorious object of desire in every awakened heart. Lord Jesus, be thou my King, my God! And as the Father hath put a crown of pure gold upon thy head, and declared thee to be his King in Zion, so would my poor withered hand, through thy grace, be stretched forth in faith, to put the crown of my salvation on thy sacred head, declaring thee to be my lawful, rightful Lord, both by the Father's gift, the purchase of thy blood, and the conquests of thy grace. Lord! henceforth make me wholly thine, for I am no longer my own; thou hast bought me with a price, and therefore would I glorify thee with my whole soul and body, and spirit, which I pray thee to sanctify, and to preserve blameless, until the day of thy coming.