O come, let us sing unto the Lord
To Jehovah the Messiah, the Lord our righteousness; setting
forth, in songs of praise, the glory of his person, the riches of
his grace, and our thankfulness to him for spiritual mercies by
him: Christ is to be the subject of our spiritual songs, and is
the person to whose honour and glory they should be directed: in
the New Testament we are instructed to sing unto the Lord, the
Lord Christ, ( Ephesians
5:19 ) ( Colossians
3:16 ) , and this is what Pliny F1 tells Trajan, the Roman
emperor, the Christians in his time did; they sung a hymn to
Christ, as to a God:
let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our
salvation;
to Christ, the Rock, ( 1
Corinthians 10:4 ) , a Rock, for height, being higher than
the saints, than the kings of the earth, than the angels in
heaven, than the heavens themselves; for strength, being the
mighty God, and mighty Saviour; for shelter, being the saints
security from avenging justice and wrath to come: a Rock, on
which the church and all believers are built, and which endures
for ever; "the Rock of salvation", being the author of spiritual
and eternal salvation, and the strength and security of it; not
only is he strong to do it, but, being done by him, it is safe in
him; wherefore shouts of joy and songs of praise are due unto
him. This shows that vocal singing is meant, singing with an
harmonious and musical voice; and that social singing, or singing
in concert together, is intended. The Septuagint renders it, "to
God our Saviour", ( Luke 1:47 ) ( Jude 1:25 ) .