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Thus ardently doth a banished Israelite express his love for Sion, his admiration of the beauty of holiness. Nay, Balaam himself, when from the top of Peor, he saw the children of Israel abiding in their tents, with the glory in the midst of them, could not help exclaiming, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!" Numb. xxiv. 5. "How amiable," then, may the Christian say, are those eternal mansions, from whence sin and sorrow are excluded; how goodly that camp of the saints, and that beloved city, where righteousness and joy reign triumphant, and peace and unity are violated no more; where thou, O blessed Jesu, "Lord of hosts," King of men and angels, dwellest in glorious majesty, constituting by thy presence the felicity of thy chosen!

"2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out, or, shouteth for the living God."

It is said of the queen of Sheba, that upon beholding the pleasantness of Jerusalem, the splendour of Solomon's court, and, above all, the magnificence of the temple, with the services therein performed, "there was no more spirit in her," 1 Kings x. 5. What wonder, therefore, if the soul should be affected, even to sickness and fainting, while, from this land of her captivity, she beholdeth by faith the heavenly Jerusalem, the city and court of the great King, with all the transporting glories of the church triumphant; while in her meditations she draweth the comparison between her wretched state of exile upon earth, and the unspeakable blessedness of being delivered from temptation and affliction, and admitted into the everlasting "courts of Jehovah?" Whose "heart and flesh" doth not exult, and "shout" aloud for joy, at a prospect of rising from the bed of death, to dwell with "the living God;" to see the face of him, "in whom is life, and the life is the light of men?" John i. 4. Did the Israelites, from all parts of Judea, go up, with the voice of jubilee, to keep a feast at Jerusa lem; and shall Christians grieve when the time is come for them to ascend, and to celebrate an eternal festival in heaven?

"3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow, or, ringdove, a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God."

The Psalmist is generally supposed, in this verse, to lament his unhappiness, in being deprived of all access to the tabernacle, or temple, a privilege enjoyed even by the birds, who were allowed to build their nests in the neighbourhood of the sanctuary. It is evidently the design of this passage to intimate to us, that in the house, and at the altar of God, a faithful soul findeth freedom from care and sorrow, quiet of mind, and gladness of spirit; like a bird that has secured a little mansion for the reception and education of her young. And there is no heart, endued with sensibility, which doth not bear its testimony to the exquisite beauty and propriety of this affecting image.

4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be, or, are, still praising thee."

Here the metaphor is dropped, and the former sentiment expressed in plain language. "Blessed are," not the mighty and opulent of the earth, but they that dwell in thy house," the ministers of the eternal temple in heaven, the angels and the spirits of just men made perfect; their every passion is resolved into love, every duty into praise; hallelujah succeeds hallelujah; "they are still," still for ever, "praising thee." And blessed, next to them, are those ministers and members of the church here below, who, in disposition as well as employment, do most resemble them.

5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them; Heb. the ways are in the heart of them."

Not only are they pronounced blessed, who "dwell" in the temple, but all they also who are travelling" thitherward, (as the whole Jewish nation was wont to do three times in a year,) and who are therefore meditating on their "journey," aud on the "way" which leadeth to the holy city, trusting

in God to "strengthen," and prosper, and conduct them to the house of his habitation, the place where his glory dwelleth. Such a company of sojourners are Christians, going up to the heavenly Jerusalem; such ought to be their trust in God, and such the subject of their thoughts.*

"6. Who, passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. 7. They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God; or, the God of gods appeareth, i. e. to them in Zion."

After numberless uncertain conjectures offered by commentators upon the construction of these two verses, it seemeth impossible for us to attain to any other than a general idea of their true import; which is this, that the Israelites, or some of them, passed in their way to Jerusalem, through a valley that had the name of "Baca," a noun derived from a verb which signifies to "weep;" that in this valley they were refreshed by plenty of water; that with renewed vigour they proceeded from stage to stage, until they presented themselves before God in Sion. The present world is to us this valley of weeping: in our passage through it, we are refreshed by the streams of divine grace, flowing down from the great fountain of consolation; and thus we are enabled to proceed from one degree of holiness to another, until we come to the glorified vision of God in heaven itself. Mr. Merrick's poetical version of this passage is extremely beautiful, and applies at once to the case of the Israelite, and to that of the Christian.

Blest, who, their strength on thee reclin'd,

Thy seat explore with constant mind,
And, Salem's distant tow'rs in view,
With active zeal their way pursue:
Secure the thirsty vale they tread,
While, call'd from out their sandy bed,
(As down in grateful showers distill'd
The heav'ns their kindliest moisture yield)
The copious springs their steps beguile,

And bid the cheerless desert smile.
From stage to stage advancing still,
Behold them reach fair Sion's hill,
And prostrate at her hallowed shrine,
Adore the Majesty divine.

"8. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. 9. Behold, O God, our Shield, and look upon the face of thine Anointed." After extolling the happiness of those who dwelt in the temple, and of those who had access to it, the Psalmist breaks forth into a most ardent prayer to his God, for a share in that happiness. He addresseth him as "the Lord of hosts," almighty in power; as "the God of Jacob," infinite in mercy and goodness to his people; as their "shield," the object of all their trust, for defence and protection; and beseecheth him to "look upon the face of his anointed," that is, of David, if he were king of Israel when this Psalm was written; or rather of Messiah,† in whom God is always well pleased; for whose sake he hath mercy upon us; through whose name and merits our prayers are excepted, and the kingdom of heaven is opened to all believers.

10. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

One day spent in meditation and devotion, affordeth a pleasure, far, far

* In ejus animo versantur semitæ ferentes ad templum quo properat. Morali sensu; quicunque sanctus est, quotidie in priora extenditur, et præteritorum obliviscitur, cum Paulo, Phil. iii. 13. Bossuet. Jerusalem is represented in the New Testament as a type of heaven. I see nothing irrational, therefore, in supposing, that the inspired writer, in describing the ascent to Jerusalem, might have in view also that spiritual progress, leading to the city which is above, the mother of us all. The words before us are certainly very applicable to the advances made, in this progress, from strength to strength, from one stage of Christian perfection to another. Merrick.

"Christi tui;" regis, qui Christi figura. Bossuet.

superior to that which an age of worldly prosperity could give. Happier is the least and lowest of the servants of Jesus, than the greatest and most exalted potentate, who knoweth him not. And he is no proper judge of blessedness, who hesitates a moment to prefer the condition of a penitent in the porch, to that of a sinner on the throne. If this be the case upon earth, how much more in heaven? O come that one glorious day, whose sun shall never go down, nor any cloud obscure the lustre of his beams; that day, when the temple of God shall be opened in heaven, and we shall be admitted to serve him for ever therein!

"11. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

Jesus Christ is our "Lord," and our "God;" he is a "sun" to enlighten and direct us in the way, and a "shield" to protect us against the enemies of our salvation; he will give "grace" to carry us on "from strength to strength," and "glory" to crown us when we "appear before him in Zion:" he will withhold" nothing that is "good" and profitable for us in the course of our journey, and will himself be our reward when we come to the end of it.

"12. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."

While, therefore, we are strangers and sojourners here below, far from that heavenly country where we would be, in whom should we trust to bring us to the holy city, new Jerusalem, of which the Lord God and the Lamb are the temple, but in thee, O Saviour and Redeemer, who art the Head of every creature, the Captain of the armies of heaven and earth, the Lord of hosts, and the King of glory? "Blessed," thrice "blessed, is the man that trusteth in thee."

PSALM LXXXV.

ARGUMENT.

This Psalm, appointed by the church to be used on Christmas-day, 1-3. celebrateth the redemption of the Israel of God from their spiritual captivity under sin and death; 4-7. teacheth us pray for the full accomplishment of that redemption in ourselves; 8-11. describeth the incarnation of Christ, with the joyful meeting of Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace, at his birth, and, 12, 13. the blessed effects of his advent.

"1. LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin. 3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger."

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These three verses speak of the deliverance from captivity, as already brought about; whereas, in the subsequent parts of the Psalm, it is prayed for and predicted as a thing future. To account for this, some suppose that the Psalmist first returns thanks for a temporal redemption, and then prophesies of the spiritual salvation by Messiah. Others are of opinion, that the same eternal redemption is spoken of throughout, but represented, in the beginning of the Psalm, as already accomplished in the Divine decree, though the eventful completion was yet to come. The difficulty, perhaps, may be removed, by rendering these three first verses in the present time; "LORD, thou art favourable to thy land, thou bringest back the captivity of thy people;" &c. that is, Thou art the God whose property it is to do this, and to show such mercy to thy people, who therefore call upon thee for the same. But, indeed, to us Christians, who now use the Psalm, the difference is not material: since a part of our redemption is past, and a part of it is yet to come, for the hastening of which latter we daily pray. God hath already been exceedingly gracious and "favourable" to the whole "earth," in

"bringing back," by the resurrection of Jesus, the spiritual "captivity of" his people he hath himself, in Christ, "borne," and so taken away, "the iniquity of his people;" he hath "covered all their sins," that they should no more appear in judgment against them: propitiated by the Son of his love, he hath removed his " wrath,” and “ turned himself from the fierceness of his anger." So exactly and literally do these words describe the means and method of gospel salvation, that a Christian can hardly affix any other ideas to them.

“4. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger towards us to cease. 5. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6. Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? 7. Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation."

The ancient church is here introduced as petitioning for the continuation and completion of those blessings which had been mentioned in the foregoing verses, namely, that God would "turn" his people from their captivity," and cause his anger towards them to cease;" that he would "revive" them from sin and sorrow, and give them occasion to "rejoice in him," their mighty deliverer; that he would "show them" openly that "mercy" of which they had so often heard, and "grant them that salvation," or that "Saviour," that JESUS, who had been so long promised to mankind. And though it be true, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, and hath virtually procured all these blessings for the church, yet do "we" still continue to pray, in the same words, for the actual application of them all to ourselves, by the conversion of our hearts, the justification of our persons, the sanctification of our souls, and the glorification of our bodies. For this last blessing of redemption, "the whole creation waiteth, groaning and travailing in pain together, UNTIL NOW," Rom. viii. 22.

8. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints; but let them not turn again to folly; or, that they may not turn again to folly."

The prophet having prayed, in the name of the church, that Jehovah would show them his mercy, and grant them his salvation," declares himself resolved, concerning this "salvation, to inquire and search diligently, what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in him did signify, when it testified beforehand the coming of Christ, and the glory that should follow:" see 1 Pet. i. 10. he would attend to " what God the LORD should say," and report it to the world. Now, what was the message which the prophets had commission to deliver from God, but that he ́ would "speak peace," or reconciliation through a Saviour, "to his people, and to his saints?" The Gospel is accordingly styled by St. Peter, "the word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching Peace by Jesus Christ," Acts x. 36. And what was the end of this reconciliation between God and men, but that men should become and continue the servants of God; that, being washed from their sins by the blood of Christ, and renewed in their minds by the grace of Christ, they should walk in the paths of wisdom and holiness, and " turn not again to the folly" they had renounced.

"9. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land."

God, who calleth things that be not as though they were," teacheth his prophets to do likewise. The Psalmist therefore speaks with assurance of the "Saviour," as if he then saw him before his eyes, healing, by the word of his power, the bodies and the souls of men upon earth, and manifesting forth his "glory," in human nature, to all such as with an holy "fear," and filial reverence, believe on him. St. John himself hardly useth plainer language when he saith, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt, or tabernacled among us: and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begot ten of the Father, full of grace and truth," John i. 14. The body of Christ

was the true "tabernacle, or temple;" his divinity was the GLORY which resided there, and filled that holy place. The church is his mystical "body;" by his Spirit he now and ever "dwelleth in our land; and his salvation is always nigh them that fear him:" as saith the holy Virgin in her song, "His mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations."

10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven."

These four divine attributes parted at the fall of Adam, and met again at the birth of Christ. Mercy was ever inclined to serve man, and Peace could not be his enemy; but Truth exacted the performance of God's threat, "The soul that sinneth it shall die;" and Righteousness could not but give to every one his due. Jehovah must be true in all his ways, and righteous in all his works. Now there is no religion upon earth, except the Christian, which can satisfy the demands of all these claimants, and restore a union between them; which can show how God's word can be true, and his work just, and the sinner, notwithstanding, find mercy, and obtain peace. Mahomet's prayer, were it the prayer of a righteous man and a prophet, could not satisfy divine justice; the blood of bulls and goats was always insufficient for that purpose, being a figure only for the time then present, which ceased of course when the reality appeared. "Sacrifice and burntoffering thou wouldest not; then said I, Lo, I come." A God incarnate reconciled all things in heaven and earth. When Christ appeared in our nature, the promise was fulfilled, and "Truth sprang out of the earth." And now Righteousness, "looking down from heaven," beheld in him everything that she required; an undefiled birth, a holy life, an innocent death; a spirit and a mouth without guile, a soul and a body without sin. She saw, and was satisfied, and returned to earth. Thus all the four parties met again in perfect harmony: Truth ran to Mercy, and embraced her; Righteousness to Peace, and kissed her. And this could only happen at the birth of Jesus, in whom "the tender Mercy of our God visited us, and who is the Truth; who is made unto us Righteousness, and who is our Peace." See Luke i. 78. John xiv. 6. 1 Cor. i. 30. Eph. ii. 14. Those that are thus joined, as attributes, in Christ, ought not, as virtues, to be separated in a Christian, who may learn how to resemble his blessed Lord and Master, by observing that short, but complete rule of life, comprehended in the few following words: Show Mercy, and speak Truth; do Righteousness, and follow Peace. See St. Bernard, in his Sermon on the Annunciation, and, from him, Bishop Andrews on these two verses of our Psalm.* "12. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good: and our land shall yield her increase."

Unless God vouchsafe a gracious rain from above, the earth cannot "yield her increase." The effects of the incarnation of Christ, the descent of the Spirit, and the publication of the Gospel among men, are frequently set forth in Scripture under images borrowed from that fruitfulness caused in the earth by the rain of heaven. Thus Isaiah: " Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together, xlv. 8. I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses, xliv. 3, 4. As the rain cometh down from heaven, and watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud; so shall my word be," &c. lv. 10. Give us evermore, O Lord, "that which is good, that our land may yield her increase;" give us that good gift, the gift of thy Spirit,

Solutâ captivitate, felicem populi statum designat, omni bonorum copiâ et virtutibus florentis; quæ maximè impleta sunt, postquam Christus, ipsa veritas, idemque pax nostra, é terrä

ortus est. Bossuet.

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