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in God which is incommunicable to any creature; for he is the Being of all beings, and cause of all causes.

PSALM LXXXIV.

The prophet here is leading our thoughts to the joys of those tabernacles where the blessed inhabitants are ever praising God: and to gain an entrance there, each faithful member of his church is ever longing for the opportunities of praising him in his sanctuary, here on earth, waiting for the full manifestation of his glory, when he who now grants us both light and protection, and who is therefore stiled, ver. 11. our Sun and Shield, will prove all those blessed that trust in him.

VER. 1. "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts!"]-These words shew how lovely, desirable, and precious the house and ordinances of God are to a believing soul, which rendered the tabernacle service so amiable under the law. There the high priest was seen with his robes of beauty and glory, entering into the holy of holies, before the ark of the testimony, with blood, for the people. There the sacrifices were slain and offered, which were all shadows of Christ. The Levites in their order sang psalms and praises, and did blow their trumpets: all which had a peculiar solemnity and beauty, as they were figurative of the glory that was to excel by the coming of Christ; for O how lovely are Zion's ways when Christ," our great high priest," is seen by faith in the glory and preciousness of his person, clothed with "a vestment dipped in blood," entering into the holy of holies, "having obtained eternal redemption for us," and to behold the ministring servants of the Lord clothed with salvation, blowing the gospel trumpets of peace, grace, love, and pardon, where believing souls echo forth the songs of redeeming love! This makes the word, ways, and ordinances, so desirable and amiable to them, and especially when they enjoy the presence of their God, feed upon the fatness of his house, and behold the company of the saints dwelling in light, in life, and in peace; this gives them an intense desire to dwell there, and with holy admiration to say, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts!"

Ver. 2. "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord."]-This shews what soul longings and hearty desires there are in the truly gracious mind after the sincere milk of the word and gospel ordinances; so intense

are these desires when it beholds the glory and beauty of them, and feels the want of them, that it faints with longings for them.

Ver. 4. "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house."]They are blessed with the revelation of grace, and by the ministration of the Spirit with spiritual food, with the joy of faith, the life of hope, and comfort of soul by the word of God.

Ver. 5. "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee."-Not in his frame nor feeling, nor in his righteousness and self-confidence, but in Christ the strength of Israel.

"In whose heart are the ways of them."]-As the word them is plural, it may be understood of the sacred Three that "bear record in heaven," and thereby denote the ways of the Father's love, the Son's grace, and the Spirit's consolation. O how blessed, how unspeakably blessed, are those in whose hearts are communicated the ways of Jehovah's grace in counsel, covenant, and everlasting love; and the ways of Christ in engagement, redemption, pardon, peace, and salvation by his blood; and the ways of the Holy Ghost in his divine influences, sealings, and witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. O how blessed are they in whose hearts are these ways; for they find a full assurance, a settled peace of mind, and liberty to cry, Abba, Father.

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Ver. 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca."] Baca signifies weeping, and it may denote the valley of tears, that is, of trials, sorrows, and tribulation, which the saints pass through on one account or another. The bishops' translation renders it, they journeying through the vale of tears;' for the way of Zion is a way of weeping and supplication, Jer. 1. 4, 5. Many are the tears of the saints on the account of their corruptions, their temptations, their backslidings, and their distresses in provi dence.

"Make it a well."]-Not the valley, nor their tears, nor their trials, a well; but those ways of grace spoken of in the preceding verse, which is a well of living water springing up unto everlasting life." This well they drink of, and are abundantly refreshed with, in their journey Zionwards. The bishops' translation renders it, they do accept it for a pleasant well,' and it may denote the fountains of grace and love that break forth in the midst of the vallies, Isaiah xli. 18.

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"The rain also filleth the pools."]-This shews that all communications of grace come from heaven. Some render the words, the rain covereth with blessings,' or the teacher covereth with blessings; which implies that the Holy Ghost covereth Zion's passengers with spiritual blessings from Christ, from whom all blessings flow like rain upon mown grass, to support and comfort Zion's converts in Zion's ways.

Ver. 7. "They go from strength to strength."]-This shews that believers find their strength renewed by fresh strength given them from the Lord, who is their strength and the strength of Israel: some render it, 'They go from company to company, from victory to victory, from doctrine to doctrine;' alluding to the multitudes and companies that went up to the feast at Jerusalem; and it denotes that cheerfulness, love, and zeal, that many have who through grace pass on in the ways of the Lord, and going by others of their fellow travellers, pass on from victory to victory over sin, satan, and the world, they being more than conquerors, through him who bath loved them; and thereby they go on from one measure of knowledge and understanding of the doctrines of the gospel to another; this shews the blessedness of those who through grace are made to delight in the ways of the Lord.

Ver. 9. "Behold, O God, our shield."-These words express the church's faith in the Messiah as her shield, to protect, defend, and save her, and that Jehovah would behold her defence and safety in him.

"Look upon the face of thine anointed."]-That is, thy Messiah, which signifies the anointed, as he was anointed as prophet, priest, and king, with the oil of gladness above his fellows; and here the church desires to be heard and answered for his sake, as Christ was her shield and God's anointed One to save.

Ver. 10. "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand."]-This shews the complacence that the believer takes in the Lord's house, and in his ways, when he enjoys bis presence and his glory.

"I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God."-Here the psalmist alludes to the Levites, who were appointed as porters and door-keepers to the house of God, or rather to those who were shut out of the temple, and had only liberty to lie at the gate, and to beg alms. This shows how dear the meanest place of the house of God

is to the christian; that he had rather sit upon the threshhold of the door of God's house than upon a throne of state.

Ver. 11. "For the Lord God is a sun and shield."]→ These words shew the boundless blessings which the believing soul receives from Christ, as the "Sun of righteousness," who is the fountain of light, the light of the church, the light of grace and glory, whose beams dispel darkness, and create day and light in the soul, and revive the drooping faith and hope of his people.

"The Lord will give grace and glory."]-Not from any motive in the creature, but because it is his own pleasure, and for the praise of his own name to fulfil his purpose, covenant, and promises in the salvation of his people, that they might see that all their blessings of redemption and salvation are of grace, or his gracious gift to them.

"No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."-Three things are absolutely necessary to walking uprightly, namely, life, strength, and sincere love to the way of uprightness; which shews that these words are not spoken to the sinner, (for the sinner by nature is without spiritual life, Eph. ii. 11. without spiritual strength, Rom. v. 9. without love to God, or to his ways, Rom. viii. 7.) but to the saint who walks in the sincerity of his soul before the Lord, or with love unfeigned; from such God will not withhold either grace or glory, promise or blessing, which he has purposed for them and promised to them, as the good laid up in covenant for them.

PSALM LXXXV.

The prophet here, ver. 1-3. foresees and adores the mercy of him who condescended to bear our guilt, and expiate our sins; leading as, ver. 4– 7. to beg that it may have its due and full effect upon our hearts. He then expresses, ver. 8-13. his own most earnest desire to hear those gracious words of the Lord God which many other prophets and kings desired to hear, and which we now have written in his blessed gospel, and again celebrates his coming, as the glory of the Father to dwell on earth, and reconcile justice and mercy, with his harbinger, the baptist, going before him in the way of righteousness, till he vouchsafed to adorn that way by walking therein himself,

VER. 2. "Thou hast covered all their sin."]-This shews that the covering, blotting out, or forgiveness of sin,

is an act of Jehovah's grace, which is made manifest by the mercy-seat, which is the propitiation and covering of sin under the law, and was a bright figure of the death, sacrifice, and righteousness of Christ, which covers all our sins from the eye of avenging justice, the sight of the broken law, and from our own conscience; and this gives us peace and joy through believing.

Ver. 6. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"]-This interrogation carries in it a strong affirmation or hope that God would revive them, because he bad promised it, and done such great things for them as to forgive their iniquity and cover all their sin.

Ver. 8. "For he will speak peace to his people."]This shews the confidence of David's soul in the love, grace, and kindness, of God to his people, that he would surely speak peace to them.

But let them not turn again to folly."]-That is, to any backsliding course, or not to question his love to them, or be unthankful for mercies received.

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Ver. 9. "That glory may dwell in our land."]-By the glory here we are to understand the Messiah, who is the glory of his people Israel," the brightness of his Father's glory, the king of glory, the Lord of life and glory, who dwelt in the land of Judah, and tabernacled among us.

Ver. 10. "Mercy and truth are met together; righte ousness and peace bave kissed each other."]-These words are a description of the perfections of God, and of their harmony, meeting, and glorification of the person of Christ, as they all met together in the counsel of peace, in the covenant of redemption, in the first promise of the Messiah, and in every type and prophecy of his name; likewise in his incarnation, death, sufferings, and resurrection, in his exaltation and glorification: which shews that the perfect harmony of the divine attributes is in the person of Christ, in accomplishing the salvation of his people, as therein mercy flows in all its streams, justice in all its demands, holiness in all its brightness, truth, faithfulness, and love, in all their essential glories.

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