Or who shall stand in His holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, Nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek Him, That seek Thy face, O (God of) Jacob. (III. Exhortation to receive the King of glory.) 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; The Lord strong and mighty, 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. We have here, REFLECTIONS. 1. A declaration of truth that ought not to be forgotten. All creation is God's property. We look upon the world and upon ourselves. All belongs to Him: and shall we not revere, and honour, and obey the Maker and Lord of all things? 2. A question proposed and answered which ought to be seriously considered. Who is the true worshipper of God on earth, and who shall be advanced to the heavenly bliss? He is one whose repentance and faith lead to holiness and obedience. He carefully attends to practical piety; to his hands and heart and tongue; to his actions, thoughts, affections, and words. The path of obedience is that which leads to heaven; and those who walk in it are the persons who really seek God; seek His favour here and for ever. 3. A fact that ought to cheer our hearts. The gates of heaven have been opened to our ascended Lord, and they are open to all believers. If we really follow Him, we shall pass through them into the final bliss. PRAYER. O Thou who art the King of glory, and the Lord of all, grant that we may so believe in Thee, and so follow Thee in all holiness and obedience, that we may receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of our salvation, and finally pass through the everlasting doors into the world of life and glory. Hear us, we beseech Thee, for Thine own name's sake. Amen. PSALM XXV. Prayer for pardon and help. Written probably by David in a time of trial. (I. Prayer for instruction, guidance, and pardon.) 1 Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in Thee: Let me not be ashamed, Let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed: Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Show me Thy ways, O Lord; Teach me Thy paths. 5 Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: For Thou art the God of my salvation; On Thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, Lord, Thy tender mercies and Thy loving kindnesses; For they have been ever of old. According to Thy mercy remember Thou me (II The goodness of God.) 8 Good and upright is the Lord: Therefore will He teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will He guide in judgment: And the meek will He teach His way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. 11 For Thy Name's sake, O Lord, Pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he shall choose: 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; And his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; And He will show them His covenant. (IV. Various petitions.) 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; F For He shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn Thee unto me, and have mercy upon me ; For I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; O bring Thou me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; And forgive all my sins. 19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: Let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in Thee. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; For I wait on Thee. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. REFLECTIONS. In this deeply spiritual and devout Psalm, (written evidently in a time of affliction and trouble,) we see, 1. How earnestly the true Christian prays. He prays in faith. He prays for prosperity and preservation. He prays for divine instruction and guidance. He prays for mercy and pardon. He is not forgetful of the welfare of others. He pleads his cause with God as one who trusts in Him, and who has experienced His goodness; as one who knows his own sinfulness, and his need of the divine mercy. This is serious devotion. 2. How fully persuaded he is of God's loving kindness and gracious conduct towards the meek, the humble, and the obedient. This is our consolation. Our iniquity is great: but God, for His own Name's sake, according to His mercy in Christ Jesus, will pardon our sins, if we approach Him with humble and contrite hearts. We ought to be fully convinced of God's love and compassion; of His faithfulness and truth. This is to honour Him. 3. How confidently he asserts the blessedness of the righteous. They fear, revere, love, and obey God: and He teaches them; He blesses them in themselves and their offspring with temporal good; He guides them in the right way; and He makes them acquainted with spiritual things according to the Gospel: they understand what the world does not understand, and possess what it does not possess. 4. How urgently he continues and repeats his petitions. His afflictions, his enemies, his sins, are all before him. He unfolds his heart and condition to God; for from Him only he expects comfort, deliverance, and pardon. PRAYER. Give us, O Lord, a right view and sense of ourselves and of our condition; and may we call upon Thee in earnest prayer at all times, and especially in affliction. Give us an entire confidence in Thy mercy, goodness, and truth; and make us acquainted with Thy covenant. May we so humble ourselves before Thee, so trust in Thee, fear Thee, and keep Thy commandments, that Thy blessing may rest upon us, and that we may be redeemed out of all our troubles, and be made to rejoice in Thy salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. |