Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_000_t.lzh/4_026.TXT

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gage men to shew it forth: and his strength displayed;
m Christ, the man of his right hand, made strong for
himself, and in the redemption wrought out by him, as
well as in the conversion of sinners by his mighty
grace, and in the preservation of them by his power:
and his wonderful works that he hath done; in provi-
dence and grace; the miracles wrought by Christ,
which were the wonderful works given him to finish,
as proofs of his deity and Messiahship, and are testified
in the Gospel for the confirmation of it; and espe-
cially the wonders of redeeming love, and calling
grace, which are peculiarly to be ascribed unto him as
the works his hands havo wrought, and the wonderful
decrees of God he made in eternity concerning these
things.
Vet. 5. For he established a testimony in Jacob, &c.]
So the law is called, beinga testitication of the divine
will, Exod. xxv. 16, 22. and the Scriptures, the writings
of the Old Testament, which testify of Christ, his
person, office, sufferings, and death, Isa. viii. 20. John
v. 39. and particularly the Gospel, which is the testi-
mony of God, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his apos-
tles, 2 Tim. i. 8. which bears witness to the love and
grace of God' in the salvation of men by Christ; to the
dignity of Christ's person, to the fuiness of his grace,
to the several offices and relations he bears and stands
in to his people; to the virtue of his obedience, suffer-
ings, and death;to redemption, righteousness, peace
and pardon by him: this is established in the house of
Jacob, as the Targum; in the church, which is the pil-
lar and .ground of truth, among the saints and people
of God, to whom it is delivered, and by whom it will be
kept, and with whom it will remain throughout all
ages; for it is the everlasting Gospel: and appointed a
law in Israel; the law given on Mount Sinai was pecu-
liar to them, and so were the word and oracles, they
were committed to them; and not only the writings
of Moses, but the prophets, are called the law, John x.
34. see Deut. iv. 8. Psal. cxlvii. 19, e0.- Rom. iii. 1, 2.
and ix. 4. but the Gospel seems to be here meant, as
in ver. 1. see the note there: this was ordained before
the world for our glory, and is put and placed in the
hands and hearts of the faithful ministers of it, and is
published among, and received by, the true Israel of
God: which he commanded our fathers that they should
make them known to their children; that is, the testi-
mony and the law, and the things contained in them;
the Jewish fathers were frequently commanded to teach
their children the law of Moses, ])eut. iv. 9, 10. and
vi. 6, 7. and xi. 19. and it was their practice to instruct
them in the knowledge of the Scriptures, 2 Tim. iii.
15. and it becomes Christian parents to bring up their
children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,
by making ,known to them the principles of the
Christian religion, and the truths of the Gospel, Ephes.
vi. 4.
Ver. 6. That the generation to come might know
them, &c.] Not only notionally, but spiritually and ex-
perimentally; which is the case, when h.uman teach-
ings are artended with the spirit of wisdom and reve-
rtion in the knowledge of divine truths; for the truths
of the Gospel are unknown to men; the Gospel is hid-
den wisdom, the wisdom of God in a mystery;
Bible is a sealed book, the doctrines of it are rid{

and dark sayings; the ministry of the word is the
means of knowledge, which become effectual when
attended with the spirit and power of -God: even the
children which should be born, who should arise and de-.
clare them to their children; and so be transmitted
from age to age: it is the will of God, that, besides pri-
vate instructions, there should be a standing ministry
kept up in all ages, to the end of the world; and he
will have some that shall' receive the Gospel, and pro-
fess his name; there has been and will be a succession
of regenerate persons; instea'd of the fathers come up
the children, a seed to serve the Lord, accounted to
him for a generation; the seed and the seed's seed of
the church, from whose mouth- the word of God shall
never depart; but they shall declare it one to another,
by which means it shall be continued to the latest.
posterity, Psal, xxii. 30, 31. Isa. lix. 0,1.
Ver. 7. That they might set their hope in God. &c,]
And not in the creature, nor in any creature-enjoyment;
see Job xxxi. 24. the Lord is the only proper ob-
ject of hope and confidence; C. hrist, who is tru{y
God. is the hope of his people, and in him they
place it, as they have great reason to do; since with
him there is mercy, the mercy of God is proclaimed
in him; and with him there is redemption, which
includes the blessings of peace, pardon, and righte-
ousness; and a plenteous one, a redemption from
all sin; and it is the Gospel which points out these
things in Christ, and encourages a firm and set-
tled hope and trust in him: and this shews that
that is meant by the law and testimony; since the
law of Moses gives no encouragement to hope in
God; it convinces of-sin, but does not direct to a
Saylout, and so leaves without hope; it works wrath,
terror, and despair; 'tis in .the Gospel only Christ is set
before men, as the object of .hope to lay hold on, and
which is as an anchor sure and steadfast, where they
may securely place it: and not forget the works of God;
which the Gospel declares; not only the miracles of
Christ recorded by the evangelists, but the works of
grace, redemption, and salvation; the remembrance
of which is kept up by the ministry of the word,
and the administration of ordinances: but keep his
commandments; the commandments of ChriSt, and
which are peculiar to the Gospel dispensation; and
are to be kept in faith, from a principle of love,
through the grace and strength. of Christ, and to the
glory of God by him; see John xiv. 15, 2l, 23.
Vet. 8. And might not be as their fathers, &c.]
This chiefly respects the Jews in Christ's time: though
it also is an admonition to them in succeeding ages,
and especially in the latter day, when they shall be
instructed, called, and converted; and even to us, to
whom the Gospel is preached, on whom the ends of
the world are come, not to be disobedient, as the
Jewish fathers were, and to take care we do not fall
after the same example of unbelief; this opens the whole
scope and general design of the psalm; see 1 Cor. x.
6--11. Heb. iii. 7--14. and iv. 1--11. astubbornandre-
bellions generation; as the generation in the wilderness
was, .l)ettt. ix. 6, 7, 0,4. and so were their posterity in
Christ's time, Matt. xii. 34, 39. Acts vii. 51. a gene-
ration that set not their heart aright ; to seek the Lord,
serve and obey him; their hearts were removed far