6 ON THE IMPROVEMENT OP PSALMODY. Spirit which was afterwards given to Christ the Mediator did inspire them ; yet this seems to have a peculiar reference to the doctrine and discoveries of Christ under the gospel, which might be composed into spiritual songs for the greater ease of memory in learning, teaching and admonishing one another. Rev. y. 9. and xiv. 3. There is mention of a new song, and that is pure evangelical language, suited to the New Tes- tament, the new covenant, the new and living way of access to God, and to the new commandment of him who sits upon the throne, as and behold, he makes all things new." The words of this song are, " Worthy is the Lamb, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, &c. and none could learn it but those who follow the Lamb, who were redeemed from among men, &c." And it must he noted here, that this book of the Revelation describes the worship of the gospel -church on earth, as is agreed by all interpreters, though it borrows some of its emblems from the things of heaven, and some from the Jewish state. I might here remark also, that when a new song is mentioned in the Old Testament, it refers to the times of the Messiah, and iv prophetical of the kingdom of Christ, or at least it is a song indite(' upon a new occasion, public or personal, and the words of it are accommodated to some new tokens of divine mercy. Rev. xv. 3. " They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb;" that is, a song for temporal and for spiritual deliverances; or, a song for all ancient or all later salvations of the church. As Moses was a redeemer from the house of bondage, and a teacher of divine worship with harps and ceremonies ; so the Lamb is a Redeemer from Baby- lon and spiritual slavery, and he is the great Prophet to teach his church the spiritual worship of the gospel. The church now tinder the salvations and instructions of the Lamb, sings with the voice to the glory of the vengeance and the grace of God, as Israel under the conduct of Moses sung with harps ; for we must observe, that these visions of the apostle John, often repre- sent divine things in a gospel church, in imitation of the ranks and orders of the Jewish camp and tribes, and by the rites and figures used in the time of Moses; and it would be as unreason- able to prove from this text, that we must sing the very words of the xvth of Exodus in a christian church, as to prove from this book of the Revelation that we must use harps and altars, cen- sers, fire and incense. But it is plain that the xvth of Exodus cannot be here intended, because the words of the song are mentioned just after, namely, " Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Yet after all, if it could be proved, that the very song which Moses sung is here designed, still it must be
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