point, which he had ordained them to foretell. Thus did Caiaphas the high priest, when advising that Jesus should be put to death *" : and thus did David, in this and several other of his psalms'^. We con- sider the words of our text, together with all that precedes it, as spoken by David respecting himself: and in them we see,
I. The blessed portion of God's people — They have " God himself for their portion and their inheritance" —
[There seems in this expression some reference to the custom which obtained of sending to different guests, when assembled at a feast, such a portion as the Master of the feast judged expedient*. But the principal allusion evidently is to the division of the land of Canaan by lot, and the assigning to all the different tribes the portion prepared for them. On that occasion the tribe of Levi was distinguished from all the other tribes in this, that whereas all the rest had a distinct and separate inheritance allotted to them, they had none; the Lord himself vouchsafing to be their inheritance ^ The sacrifices which from time to time were offered to the Lord were appointed for their support. Now, in allusion to this, David says, " The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup." He was not of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah : and therefore respecting him it could be true otdy in a spiritual and mystical sense: and in that sense it is equally true respecting every believer at this day. We are all " a kingdom of priests :" and we live altogether upon the great sacrifice, even the fiesh of Christ, and the blood of Christ, which were offered for the sins of the whole world. By the very terms of the New Covenant, God, whilst he takes us for his people, gives himself to us as our God^: so that all who believe in Jesus may claim him as their God." This, I say, is not the privilege of Prophets and Apostles only, but of every the weakest Believer in the Church of God': for we are expressly told, that to as mamj as received him Jesus ga\e |)ower to become the sons of God, even to them that believed in his name*'." The very instant they believed in Christ, the relation between God and them was formed, and God became their Father, their Friend, their Por- tion, " their eternal great Reward'." To us then belongs this privilege as well as to David ; snd with him we may say, " O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord ''."]
This
* John xi. 49—52. * 22d, 40th, 6gth.
• Gen.xliii. 34. iSam. i. 4,5.
' Numb, xviii. 20, Deut. xviii. 1. 2. ' Jer. xxxi. 31 — 33,
^ John i. 12. ' Gen. xv. 1. "^ ver. 2.