Ps. XV. 1 — 5. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle ? zvho shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and tvorketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not ivith his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned^ : but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to
his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury ; nor taketh retvard 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 evan- gelical; nor must we omit the practical parts of our religion, because others may discard them as legal. We should be equally ready to consider every part of God's revealed will, 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 way of salvation, but the character of those who shall be saved. Had it related to the wav 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 dis- pensation, they could not possibly have been omitted. But the inquiry is simply this ; What is the character, and what the conduct, of those who shall be finally
^ This psalm is one of those appointed to be read on Ascension Day ; not because it relates to Christ's ascension, but because it drawn the character of those who, like him, shall be admitted into heaven.