234 PSALMS, XV
generation of the righteous, which they have hated and bantered. (2.) With what they hope for; and that is the salvation of Israel, v. 7. When David was driven out by Absalom and his rebellious accomplices, he comforted himself with an assurance, that God would in due time turn again his captivity, to the joy of all his good subjects. But surely this pleasing prospect looks farther. He had, in the beginning of the psalm, lamented the general corruption of mankind; and, in the melancholy view of that, wishes for the salvation, which, in the fulness of time, was to come out of Zion, salvation from sin, that great salvation which should be wrought out by the Redeemer, who was expected to come to Zion; to turn away ungodliness from Jacob, Rom. xi. 26. The world is bad; Oh that the Messiah would come and change its character! There is a universal corruption; Oh for the times of reformation! These will be as joyful times as these are melancholy ones. Then shall God turn again the captivity of his people; for the Redeemer shall ascend up on high, and lead captivity captive, and Jacob shall then rejoice. The triumphs of Zion's King will be the joys of Zion's children. The second coming of Christ, finally to extinguish the dominion of sin and Satan, will be the completing of this salvation, which is the hope, and will be the joy of every Israelite indeed; with the assurance of that, we should, in singing this, comfort ourselves, and one another, with reference to the present sins of sinners, and sufferings of saints.
PSALM XV.
The scope of this short but excellent psalm, is, to show us the way to heaven, and to convince us, that, if we would be happy, we must be holy and honest. Christ, who is himself the Way, and in whom we must walk as our Way, has also showed us the same way that is here prescribed, (Math. xix. 17.) If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. In this psalm, I. By the question, (v. 1.) we are directed and excited to inquire the way. II. By the answer to that question, in the rest of the psalm, we are directed where to walk, v. 2 . . 5. III. By the assurance given in the close of the psalm, of the safety and happiness of those who answer these characters, we are encouraged to walk in that way, v. 5.
A psalm of David.
1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to is own hurt, and changeth not. 5. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Here is,
I. A very serious and weighty question concerning the characters of a citizen of Zion; (v. 1.) "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Let me know who will go to heaven." Not, who by name (in this way, the Lord only knows them that are his) but who by description; "What kind of people are they whom thou wilt own, and crown with distinguishing and everlasting favours?" This supposes that it is a great privilege to be a citizen of Zion, an unspeakable honour and advantage; that all are not thus privileged, but a remnant only; and that men are not entitled to this privilege by their birth and blood; all shall not abide in God's tabernacle, that have Abraham to their father, but, according as men's hearts and lives are, accordingly will their lot be. It concerns us all to put this question to ourselves. Lord, what shall I be, and do, that I may abide in thy tabernacle? Luke xviii. 18. Acts xvi. 30.
Observe whom this inquiry is addressed to; to God himself. Note, Those that would find the way to heaven, must look up to God, must take direction from his word, and beg direction from his Spirit. It is fit he himself should give laws to his servants, and appoint the conditions of his favours, and tell who are his, and who not.
How it is expressed in Old Testament language. (1.) By the tabernacle we may understand the church militant, typified by Moses's tabernacle, fitted to a wilderness-state, mean and moveable. There God manifests himself, and there he meets his people, as of old in the tabernacle of the testimony, the tabernacle of meeting. Who shall dwell in this tabernacle? Who shall be accounted a true living member of God's church, admitted among the spiritual priests to lodge in the courts of this tabernacle? We are concerned to inquire this, because many pretend to a place in this tabernacle, who really have no part nor lot in the matter. (2.) By the holy hill we may understand the church triumphant, alluding to mount Zion, on which the temple was to be built by Solomon. It is the happiness of glorified saints, that they dwell in that holy hill; they are at home there, they shall be for ever there. It concerns us to know who shall dwell there, that we make it sure to ourselves, that we shall have a place among them, and may then take the comfort of it, and rejoice in prospect of that holy hill.
II. A very plain and particular answer to this question. Those that desire to know their duty, with a resolution to do it, will find the scripture a very faithful director, and conscience a faithful monitor. Let us see then the particular character of a citizen of Zion.
He is one that is sincere and entire in his religion; He walketh uprightly, according to the condition of the covenant, (Gen. xvii. 1.) "Walk before me, and be thou perfect," (it is the same word that is here used,) "and then thou shalt find me a God all-sufficient." He is really what he professes to be, is sound at heart, and can approve himself to God, in his integrity, in all he does; his conversation is uniform, and he is of a piece with himself, and endeavours to stand complete in all the will of God. His eye perhaps is weak, but it is single; he has his spots indeed, but he does not paint; an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile, John i. 47. 2 Cor. i. 12. I know no religion but sincerity.
He is one that is conscientiously honest and just in all his dealings, faithful and fair to all with whom he has to do. He worketh righteousness; he walks in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord, and takes care to give all their due; is just both to God and man; and, in speaking to both, he speaks that which is the truth in his heart; his prayers, professions, and promises, to God, come not out of feigned lips, nor dares he tell a lie, or so much as equivocate, in his converse or commerce with men. He walks by the rules of righteousness and truth, and scorns and abhors the gains of injustice and fraud; he reckons that that cannot be a good bargain, nor a saving one, which is made with a lie, and that he who wrongs his neighbour, though ever so plausibly, will prove, in the end, to have done the greatest injury to himself.
He is one that contrives to do all the good he can to his neighbours; but is very careful to do hurt to no man, and is, in a particular manner, tender of his
