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come unto him, and make our abode with him.' John xiv. 23.

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6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.'

In other words, as bishop Patrick hath paraphrased this verse, 'And now, behold, the Lord himself, to our great joy, hath told us the very place where he will fix his habitation, 1 Chron. xxi. 18. 26. in the territory of Bethlehem Ephrata,1 Gen. xxxv. 13. 19. in the fields of that forest, where the angel stood and directed David to build an altar to the Lord:' 1 Chron. xxi. 18. xxii. 1. Bethlehem Ephratah was the city of David; it was likewise the city wherein the Son of David was born, as the prophet Micah hath foretold: And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the cities of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel,' Micah v. 2.; cited by the chief priests and scribes to Herod, Matt. ii. 6. Christians, as well as Jews, may therefore say, and on the festival of Christ's nativity, using this Psalm, they do say, 'Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah:' for there the angel first proclaimed the news of the incarnation to the shepherds: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord' Luke ii. 10. There was 'found' the true tabernacle and temple, 'not made with hands, the place for Jehovah, the habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.'

7. We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.'

If this were the resolution of Israelites, who saw the incarnation only in type and figure, how much more ought it to be ours, who live since the accomplishment of that which was foreshown; since the Word, made flesh, hath dwelt on the earth, and the church hath been erected among the nations? If they worshipped the God of Israel, who then dwelt in the holy of holies between the

1 Jerusalem, as Mr. Merrick observes from Geierus, being situated not far from Bethlehem, might be comprehended in the region of Ephrata; or, may be rendered near Ephrata.'

cherubim, shall not we worship the same divine person, who, though ascended up on high above all heavens, yet hath assured us, that where two or three are gathered together in his name, there is he in the midst of them?

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8, Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.'

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When the ark marched before the children of Israel to find out a resting-place, it is recorded, Numb. x. 35, 36. that Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee;' and when it rested, he said, 'Return, or bring back, the many thousands of Israel.' The verse before us was used, with the two succeeding verses, by Solomon, as the conclusion of his prayer at the dedication of the temple, 2. Chron. vi. 41. The purport of the petition, therefore, was, that the presence of Jehovah might rest on Zion, and dwell in the house prepared for it, as the same presence hath since dwelt in Christ, and is to be with the Christian church to the end of the world.

9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout with joy.'

The ark being placed in the temple, prayer is next made for the ministers of religion, that they might through grace, be invested with righteousness as with a garment, and be both covered and adorned with a robe of inviolable sanctity; that spiritual joy might fill their hearts, and break forth in songs of praise to the Lord God of Israel. Let not those, who have obtained the evangelical priesthood, be exceeded by the sons of Levi, in holiness and alacrity. 10. For thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed.'

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Solomon beseecheth God, for the sake of his favorite servant David, and the promises made to him and his seed, that he would not deny the request of David's son, now anointed' to be king over Israel, and, by so doing, confound, put him to shame, or 'turn away his face.' That this is the meaning of the phrase, is plain from 1 Kings ii. 16, where Adonijah says to Bathsheba, ' And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not;' in the Hebrew, 'turn not away my face.' A Christian asketh nothing but in the name, and for the sake, of the Son of David,

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Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen, and in whom whosoever believeth shall never be confounded, or denied that which is really good and profitable for him to receive.

11. The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.'

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That this is a prophecy of Messiah, we have the authority of St. Peter to say; Acts ii. 30. David, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up CHRIST to sit on his throne,' &c. This promise to David occurs, 2 Sam. vii. 12. and hath a twofold sense, relating to Solomon in type and shadow, to Christ in truth and substance. See more on Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4.

12. If thy children will keep my covenant and my tes timony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

The promises of God to Christ are absolute; but to his 'children,' as well as those of David, they are conditional; so that our interest in them dependeth on our faith, our obedience, our perseverance. 6 Behold,' saith St. Paul, the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in that goodness; otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off.' Rom. xi. 22.

13. For the LORD hath chosen Zion:. he hath desired it for his habitation.' 14. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.'

How ineffable is the love of God to man, that he should use such expressions as these concerning his church! He is pleased to say, that it is his desire to dwell with us; yet how little do we desire to dwell with him! In Zion he fixed his abode, and there continued, till the iniquities of Israel provoked him to forsake his holy mountain, and to give up Jerusalem for a prey to the spoilers. Since that time, his tabernacle has been removed into the possession of the Gentiles. Forsake not this thy new Zion, O God, and deliver us not thy people, in like manner, sinful as we are, into the hands of the enemy and the avenger.

15. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.' 16. I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.'

That city in which the King of heaven deigns to place his throne, can want no manner of thing that is good. There will be always plenty of provision for the body and for the soul. The poor will be satisfied with bread, and to the poor in spirit will be given the bread of eternal life. Salvation will God appoint for a wall and a bulwark around the priests and the temple; joy and gladness shall be heard within, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. What a dreadful reverse of all this do we behold in the present state of the once glorious, but now desolated, Jerusalem! Let not any Christian church, after what has happened to that city, be high-minded, but let all fear.

17. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.'

Bishop Patrick hath well paraphrased this verse: 'There, namely, in Jerusalem, will I make the regal power and majesty of David to put forth itself afresh in his royal successors: no sooner shall one be extinguished, but another shall shine in such splendor, as shall give a lustre to the name of that anointed servant of mine, till the great prince, the Messiah, appear;' then will the horn of salvation be raised up in the house of David, to subdue the empires of the world, and to vanquish all opposition; then shall the Branch of Jehovah bud into beauty and glory on the earth; then shall the lamp of Israel become a sun of righteousness, burning and shining with lustre inextinguishable, to all eternity. That this verse doth mystically refer to Christ, the Jews confess, as Dr. Hammond has observed. So saith R. Saadiah, 'The Lamp is the King, which illuminates the nations:' and Kimchi, The Horn of David, is the Messias.'

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18. His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown florish.'

It is here predicted, that God would blast and bring to nothing every design formed to destroy the house of David, until King Messiah should arise out of it, to sit on the throne of his father. In him all the promises centre,

and the kingdom is established for ever: His enemies,' who will not have him to reign over them, shall, at the last day, be 'clothed with shame,' and everlasting confusion; but upon himself shall his crown florish,' filling heaven and earth with the brightness of its glory.

PSALM CXXXIII.

ARGUMENT.

[This short but pleasing Psalm was composed either to recommend unity among the tribes of Israel, or to celebrate it when it had taken place. Bishop Patrick justly observes, that it was as fitly used by the first Christians to express their joy for the blessed union of Jews and Gentiles; and may now serve the uses of all Christian societies, whose happiness lies in holy peace and concord.' It containeth, 1. a rapturous exclamation on the comforts and advantages of union, which, 2, 3. are illustrated by the two exquisite similitudes of the holy anointing oil and of dew.1

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1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity.'

Many things are good which are not pleasant; and many pleasant, which are not good. But unity among brethren, whether civil or religious, is productive both of profit and pleasure. Of profit, because therein consisteth the welfare and security of every society; of pleasure, because mutual love is the source of delight, and the happiness of one becomes, in that case, the happiness of all. It is unity alone, which gives beauty as well as strength, to the state; which renders the church, at the same time, 'fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners.' Cant. vi. 10.

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2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments;' 3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the

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Bishop Lowth seemeth fully to have justified our translators in supplying the ellipsis as they have done, and thereby removing the absur

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