to him? Such a one is also qualified to ascend and raise up his soul to those mountains of joy in the celestial Sion. And such a one is 4. "He that hath clean hands:" the works of whose hands are clean from all injustice and impurity, and washed with the tears of true penitence from the filth of all former pollutions: "and a pure heart," to all outward and inward holiness is required, which consists in the purity of the heart, viz. to be pure from all sordid and vile affections, to be sincere and without hypocrisy in all religious performances: "that hath not lift up his mind to vanity;" who follows not those pomps and vanities of this wicked world which he once so solemnly renounced: nor sworn to deceive his neighbour;" that will not say, much less swear an untruth; nor yet break his word, especially when confirmed with an oath. Such is the holiness and innocence that entitles a people to the presence of God in His temple upon earth, and in His house in Heaven, 1. the holiness of the heart, 2. of the hands, 3. of the tongue; or holiness in thought, word, and deed. 5. "He shall receive the blessing from the Lord :" the blessings of the Lord shall descend upon him, when he ascends into the hill of the Lord: "and righteousness," or mercy in the pardon of his sins, or the reward of righteousness, i. e. salvation not of or from himself, or from any but "from the God of his salvation." 6. "This is the generation of them that seek Him :" these are those holy and happy people who so faithfully seek the Lord that they find Him, viz. in grace here, in glory hereafter, which is the double blessing "of them that seek Thy face, O Jacob:" all that be true Israelites indeed, thus make their holy and humble addresses to the God of Jacob, for His grace and favour. 7. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates;" or, lift up your gates, O ye heads_or princes of the heavenly Jerusalem: "and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors," which open the passages to life everlasting," and the King of glory shall come in:" He who hath vanquished and gloriously triumphed over the gates of everlasting death, over all the spirits and powers of darkness, is ascended to open the gates of the kingdom of Heaven to all believers. 8. "Who is the King of glory?" in whose glorious conquests we may glory, and in whose righteousness we may make our boast? "It is the Lord, strong and mighty:" Who although He submitted Himself to be betrayed, apprehended, arraigned and condemned to death; yet is He " even the Lord mighty in battle," Who naked and unarmed hath vanquished by His sufferings, and by His death overcome death, and him who hath the power of death, the devil: for which victory He rides in triumph upon the clouds of Heaven; and therefore, 9. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates" of the celestial Paradise, which have been shut against the sons of men, from the fall of the first Adam: "and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors :" raise up yourselves, ye immortal souls, open and be enlarged in your desires and affections unto Him Who hath opened unto you the everlasting doors of glory: "and the King of glory shall come in :" He Who is ascended will also descend into you, if pure and heavenly-minded, and thither enwrap and raise you whither Himself is gone before. If yet, for your further satisfaction, you desire to know, 10. "Who is the King of glory;" by Whose triumphant ascent into Heaven we believe and hope thither to ascend also? It is " even the Lord of Hosts," He Who hath the command of all the powers of Heaven, earth, and hell, Who hath the command especially of all the powers and operations, virtues and graces of the Holy Spirit of God, and dispenseth them accordingly unto all that love and fear His Name: "He is the King of glory" He is glorious indeed above all, and God over all, blessed for ever: and therefore to Him, as is most meet, be all glory ascribed. Glory be to the Father, The LXXXIVth Psalm paraphrased. 1. "O how amiable are Thy dwellings," especially in the high and holy place, "Thou Lord of Hosts," even of the numerous troops of Angels and Archangels, and of all the powers of Hea ven ! the fruits of the Spirit, to be sacrificed upon the Altar of praise and thanksgiving unto Thee, "O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God," Whom alone I desire to adore, worship, and obey. 4. "Blessed are they" here in hope, hereafter in fruition, "who dwell in Thy house" of prayer upon earth, of praise in Heaven; in both "they will be always praising Thee:" it is our principal errand to the house of God upon earth, and shall be our only employment in His house of Heaven, always to praise the Lord. But we of Thy house and family here below, like the young birds near Thine Altar, are unfledged, and empent in the nest of this corruptible body which weigheth down the soul: so that mount to heavenward we cannot, without the Divine assistance: therefore, 3. "The sparrow hath found her a house, and the swallow a nest where to lay her young, even Thy al- 5. "Blessed is the man tars" and O that my soul whose strength is in Thee," could mount, as doth the who derives strength of sparrow upon her wings, grace from Thee, to praise with inflamed affections af- and glorify Thee; and this ter the pleasures of Thy not only with their mouths, house, and that my flesh but" in whose heart are might be instrumental to Thy ways," cordially resolvmy soul in bringing forthing and uprightly walking in the ways of Thy service, and of their own salvation. 6. "Who going through the vale of misery," in their pilgrimage through the miseries of this sinful life below, "use it for a well," even the deep fountain of a broken heart, from whence "the pools are filled with water," the eyes flow with tears of that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented. 7. "They will go from strength to strength," from one degree of grace to another, adding to faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, temperance; to temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity'; "unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion;" each person thus qualified shall appear in the presence of the Supreme Majesty of Heaven; which being the felicity whereunto I am created, and earnestly long for, I therefore humbly beg, 8. "O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;" Thou art the donor of all those powerful graces which mount up our souls to Heaven; and the Lord of all those hosts of Heaven amongst whom my soul longeth to be enrolled: "Hearken, O God of Jacob;" assist me in all my wrestlings with my ghostly enemies, that I may prevail and obtain Thy blessing, which is to be called 'Israel:''seeing God' the felicity of Heaven. 9. "Behold, O God, our Defender" against all the crafts and assaults of the devil, the world, and the flesh: "Look upon the face of Thine Anointed," our blessed Redeemer sitting on Thy right hand, and interceding for us: and may the sacred beams of His celestial light shine in our hearts, and appear in the holiness and righteousness of our lives; that going from strength to strength, we may appear before the Lord in Sion. 10. "For one day in Thy courts," amongst the choirs of Heaven, where the day is but one, as knowing no morrow day, "is better than a thousand" of the flitting transitory days of this mortal life. 11. "I had rather be a door-keeper," lie at the threshold, submit to the lowest condition " in the house 12 Peter i. 5-7.. of my God," the place where His honour dwelleth Who is the God of my worship and joy; "than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness," be conversant amongst the ungodly of this world, in the most splendid condition. with all the delights of the sons of men for it is not all the pomp and glory, all the pleasures and treasures of this life, can give any solid satisfaction to the vast desires of my immortal soul. "He 12. "For the Lord is a light and defence," a light for direction in the way of peace and a defence for protection, against all whomsoever, or whatsoever might disturb the innocence and peace of my soul. will give grace and worship" grace to serve Him truly here, and worship or glory to crown our services hereafter: "and no good thing will He withhold from them that lead a godly life;" who truly love and fear God, and wait for His promises in the obedience of His precepts, shall enjoy all that is truly good, or conducible to their eternal happiness in Heaven: and therefore, 13. "O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man that putteth his trust in Thee:" not roving in his hopes and desires after the exterior, empty, transitory consolations of the creature, but, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, hath his heart surely fixed there where true joys are to be found, which is alone in the presence of the God of Heaven; where all do rejoice together, and sing for ever, Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. A Meditation upon the Vow in Baptism, out of "Remember the cove- acknowledge the warfare: nant, attend the condition, the covenant thou hast m Psalm xxvii. 4 |