nister to their Lord, and increase the pomp and splendour of that glorious day.

18. Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.

When the ark had ascended Mount Sion, and was deposited in the place assigned for it, the singers are supposed, by Dr. Chandler, to have proceeded with this part of the Psalm, in which they celebrate the ascension of their God and King, by the symbol of his presence, to the heights of Sion, after having subdued their enemies, and enriched his people with the spoil of the vanquished, and the gifts of the tributary nations; of which much was probably employed in the service of the tabernacle, and afterwards in building the temple, first designed by David, that the Lord God might dwell,' and have a fixed permanent habitation among his people. But this whole transaction, like many others of old, being a figurative one, the apostle, Ephes. iv. 8, has applied the words before us to our blessed Saviour, (the true ark, on which the glory rested,) who personally ascended up to the highest heavens, 'led captivity captive,' by triumphing over his conquered enemies, and having received gifts from his heavenly Father, as the fruits of his victory, gave them unto men, as was most conducive to the establishment of his church, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Thou hast ascended on high ?' Thou, O Christ, who didst descend from the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, to the lower parts of the earth, art again ascended from the lower parts of the earth, to the right hand of the Majesty in the

6

heavens thou hast led captivity captive;' thou hast conquered the conqueror, bound the strong one, redeemed human nature from the grave, and triumphantly carried it with thee to the throne of God; thou hast received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious also;' and, being thus ascended into thy glory, thou hast received of the Father the promise of the Spirit, with all his gifts and graces, to bestow upon the sons of men ;' even upon such as heretofore have not only broken thy laws, but appeared in arms against thee; yet of such as these, converted by the power of thy gospel, wilt thou form and establish a church; that the Lord God may dwell among them;' that so, of thy faithful people, gathered from all parts of the world, may be built up a living temple, ́ an habitation of God through the Spirit.'

6

19. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits; Heb. carries, or, supports us: even the God of our salvation. 20. He that is our God, is the God of salvation: and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death, Heb. the goings forth to death, or, of death.

The preceding survey of God's dispensations constraineth the church to break out into an act of praise, and to bless the preserver of men, the author of eternal 'salvation;' in whose hands are the

The Psalmist mentions these gifts as received: Thou hast received gifts for men ;' the apostle, in his citation, showeth us the end for which they were received; ' He gave gifts unto men.' Or rather, as the best critics have observed, in the Hebrew idiom, to take gifts for another,' is the same as to give them to another.' Thus we read, 1 Kings, iii. 24. i. e. give, or bring it me. Gen. xviii. 5. bread;' i. e. for you, or to give it you;hearts.'

Take me a sword;' I will take a bit of and comfort ye your

'goings forth of death;' in other words, who has 'the keys of death and the grave;' Rev. i. 18; who is possessed of power to confine and to release, to kill and to make alive.

21. But God shall wound the head of his enemies: and the hairy scalp, or, crown, of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

The meaning is, God shall strike deep, or exhaust the blood of the head of his enemies, even the hairy crown of him that goes on in his guilty practices; where the emphasis consists in the description of God's enemies, who were such as persevered in their criminal actions. This verse begins a prediction of that vengeance which the person, who was 6 ascended on high,' would infallibly execute upon his impenitent enemies, and which was shadowed forth in the destruction of the enemies of Israel, by David, after that the ark of God was placed upon the hill of Sion. See 2 Sam. viii. The expressions, 'the head,' and 'the hairy crown,' denote the principal part, the strength, the pride, and the glory of the adversary, which was to be crushed, according to the original sentence: He shall bruise thy head.' Gen. iii. 15.

22. The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan; I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: 23. That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies: and the tongue of thy dogs

in the same.

Abner, in his conference with the elders of Israel, to bring them over to David's interest, tells them, The Lord hath spoken of David, saying: By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people

Israel, out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.' 2 Sam. iii. 18. Thus Jehovah had promised to repeat in Israel, by David, his glorious acts; to work as signal victories and deliverances for his people, as he had formerly done in the field of Bashan, and at the Red Sea ; when they saw their enemies dead at their feet. By the glorious resurrection and triumphant, ascension of King Messiah, by the conquests of the gospel, and the unparalleled overthrow of its opposers, were these figures realized, and these shadows changed into substances.

24. They have seen thy goings, or, marches, in procession, O God; even the goings, or, marches, of my God, my King, in, or, into the sanctuary.

When the ark was safely deposited, the sacrifices were offered, the solemnity well-nigh concluded, and the whole assembly about to return back, Dr. Chandler supposes the singers to have struck up, and joined in the remaining part of this noble anthem. These words contain a sort of triumph, because this great work of translating the ark was now so happily accomplished. The people of Israel had a pledge and earnest of those mighty things which God would do for them, by the joyful and victorious manner in which, with the ark of his presence, he had taken possession of the place prepared for him on Mount Sion, and gone ' into the sanctuary.' A like pledge and earnest of her future enlargement and exaltation was the ascension of her Lord and Head to the Christian church.

25. The singers went before, the players on instru

ments followed after; amongst them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

The joy and gladness expressed by David and the house of Israel, when in solemn procession, with the sound of vocal and instrumental music, they brought up the ark of Jehovah, and set it in its place,' 2 Sam. vi. 5, 15, 17, may be considered as a prelude to that voice of universal exultation with which the Christian church, in her holy services, doth now celebrate the resurrection and ascension of her Redeemer.

26. Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

Bless ye God in the congregations;' in this form of words the Israelites are supposed, when accompanying the ark, to have reciprocally exhorted and encouraged each other to exert their utmost powers in the sacred employment of blessing and thanking God: ' even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel:' the fountain of Israel' is the same with the stock, or family of Israel.' See Isa. xlviii. 1. The sense of this latter clause therefore is, Bless the Lord, ye who are sprung from the stock of Israel;' thus is the duty of blessing and thanksgiving enforced on the congregations of the faithful in all ages.

27. There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

There is

The literal rendering of this verse is little Benjamin their ruler, the princes of Judah their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the