Ps. XV. 1 — 5. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle P who shall dwell in thy holy hillP He that ivalkelh 2iprightly^ aiid worketir^ighteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backb'ttetfi not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his
neighbour.
neighlouPi nor taketh up a reproach against his neighlour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned : but he lionpureth them that fear the Lord. He that siveareth to his ou^u hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to uswy; nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never he moved *.
IN the Ministry of the Gospel, every subject must occupy that measure of attention which seems to have been paid to it in the holy Scriptures. We must not be deterred from speaking of the principles of Christianity, because some despise them as evari- gelical ; nor must we omit the practical parts of our religion, because others may discard them as kgal. We should be equally ready to consider every part of God's revealed w^ill, neither rejecting any, nor magnifying any beyond its due importance. The psalm before us is altogether of a practical nature. On what occasion it was written, we are not in- formed : but we think it not improbable, that it was composed after David had carried up the ark to Mount Zion, and placed it in the tabernacle. From that event he would be naturally led to reflect on the character of those who would be approved of God in ministering before it, and, consequently, to depict the. character of those who should be counted worthy to serve God in his temple above.
Agreeably to this view of the psalm, we may con- sider it as containing,
I. An inquiry into the character of those who shall be saved — - We must remember, that the inquiry does not respect the ivay of salvation, but the character of those who shall be saved. Had it related to the way of sal- vation, the great doctrines of "repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" must of necessity have been set forth: however they might have been expressed in terms suited to that dispen- sation, they could not possibly have been omitted.
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* This psalm is one of those appointed to be read on Ascension jPay; not because it relates to Christ's ascension, but because it draws the character of those; who, like bim, shall be adniitted into heaven.