Psalms 110

Psalms 110:1-4

This psalm is pure gospel; it is only and wholly concerning Christ; so the Jesus of old undersigned is, our dared dispute the application, Math. xxii. 4:1—4b. though they were ashamed to man the truth. Christ, as our Redeemer, encrotes the office of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, said in his place of humiliation and evaluation; and of each of these two have here an account. 1. His prophetical office, ver. 2. 2. His priestly office, ver. 4. 3. His kingly office, ver. 1, 3, 5, 6. 4. His affairs of humiliation and evaluation, ver. 7.

¶ A psalm of David.

1. THE LORD said unto my LORD, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stood. 2. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3. ‘Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,’ in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, ‘Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.

The glory of our incarnate Saviour is the great subject of the Psalmist’s praise.

1. He is exalted to the highest dignity in heaven, and David owns him his adored Lord. The Lord, Jehovah the Father, said unto my Lord, Jesus the Messiah, Sit thou at my right hand, advanced to the seat of most transcendent glory and honour, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stood; enemies innumerable hath our Lord to confield with, the world, sin, Satan, death, sin, but he sits upon the throne, and they must bow before his foot-stood; from are already subdued, and shortly the conquest will be compleat, when the last enemy shall be destroyed, and all his redeemed people made to triumph with him in glory. Hathen, O Lord, this happy day!

2. All power is given him on earth. The Lord shall send forth the rod, or scepter, of thy strength, the everlasting gospel, the power of God unto salvation; which by the spirits energy is made effectual to the conversion of the souls of sinners, bowing them to fulmin to the scepter of his righteousness; and this went forth first out of Zion, and hath spread to the remote corners of the earth: rule thou, or thro, find rule, in the midst of thine enemies; the Redeemer’s kingdom will be established in spite of all opposition, and his church rise superior to all the malice of men and devils: yea, hath will be the effectual working of his mighty power, that even those whose minds were enmity against him, and their lives upon rebellion, shall be convinced, humbled, for her mercy, and be converted unto him.

3. His subjects shall be a willing people, inclined to offer up themselves, their bodies, souls, and spirits, to his blessed service; cheerfully lifting under his banners in the day of his prayer; when in the preaching of the word, accompanied with the demonstration of the Spirit, they should be drawn to him by cords of love irrefutable, and arrayed in the beauties of holiness, more to attend their glorious head, from the womb of the morning; as soon as ever the morning light of gospel, grace appears, they are converted; or their multitudes are as the drops of morning dew: then hast the dew of thy youth. Note, (1.) None ever elude Christ’s service till he first inclines their hearts: it is of grace that we become his willing people. (2.) There are transcendent beauties in Jesus, effectual when seen to engage supremely the sinners soul to him. (3.) Though Christ is to the believer all in all, it doth not make him neglect internal purity, but aspire after perfect holiness.

4. All is confirmed by the oath of God. The Lord hath shown by himself, since he can favor by no greater, and will not repent, for he is ever in one mind, without variableness, or shadow of turning: Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek; a priest, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people; for ever, the efficacy of the one oblation he offered abiding the same, and he at the right of God, ever living to plead it, and make intercession for us; after the order of Melchizedek, an order of priesthood, prior to and greater than that of Aaron, unchangeable and eternal. Note, The believer’s hope is fixed upon the most solid basis, on the all-sufficiency of Jesus, and the oath of the eternal Jehovah. With what confidence then should we expect pardon, grace, and all the blessings of salvation, from the great high priest of our profession; and how great is the dishonour we cast upon him, when for a

8 M moment Mat. xiii. 44. Math. vii. 3d. Luk. ex. 4. Adm. ii. 3a. 1 Cor. xx. 2 vi. Heb. i. 1a. 1b. ii. 3. 2 Judg. v. 4. 4 cf. xvi. 9. Or, more than the womb of the morning than shall have. 1 Heb. v. 6. 8 vii. 11. 11. Zeith vii. 13.

moment we dare question his power and grace, and flagger at promises confirmed by two immutable things, the word and oath of that God who cannot lie?

5. The LORD ¹ at thy right hand shall strike through kings ² in the day of his wrath. 6. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies: ³ he shall wound the head over many countries. 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way: ⁴ therefore shall he lift up the head.

Psalms 110:5-7

We have here,

1. The dreadful end of all the enemies of Christ and his people. The Lord at thy right hand, the Almighty Jesus, shall strike through kings, destroy the mightiest who oppose his kingdom, in the day of his wrath, that great and terrible day, when no rock nor mountain can cover the guilty. He shall judge among the heathen, executing vengeance on the defiates of his gospel; he shall fill the places with dead bodies, at the great battle of Armageddon, Rev. xix. 17, 18. He shall wound the heads, or head, ever many countries; Satan, the prince of this world, or Antobelis, whose usurped dominion extends over many people, and nations, and tongues, Rev. xvii. 2—10. Note, (1.) The greatest men, who dare lift their rebel arm against the Lord’s Christ, will soon be made to feel how unequal is the contest. (2.) There is a day of wrath appointed and approaching, when sinners will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of him who siteth on the throne.

2. The glorious triumphs of our exalted Lord. He shall drink of the brook in the way: which some interpret of his humiliation and sufferings in the execution of his mediatorial work, but rather seems to speak the supplies of strength afforded him, in order to the destruction of his enemies, or the delight and joy which would fill his heart on seeing the glorious victory gained, and the salvation of his people completed: therefore, or so, shall be left up his head, the conqueror of death and hell in the resurrection-day, and ascending to the throne of glory, where angels, principalities, and powers, are made subject unto him, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come. Let his faithful people rejoice in his triumphs, and expect to share them shortly with him; when he shall take them to sit down with him on his throne, as he is sat down with the Father on his throne.