THE ascension OF CHRIST AN OCCASION FOR JOY.
Ps. xlvii. 5 — 7. God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Si?ig praises to God, sing j^^dises : sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth : sing ye praises with understanding.
IF we read the Psalms of David without any reference to Christ, we shall have a very imperfect view of their import : but if we consider them as containing many prophetical declarations, we shall find in them a rich mine of evangelical knowledge. The psalm before us is supposed to have been written by David, when he carried up the ark from the house of Obed-edom to Mount Zion''; and to represent, by that typical event, the ascension of Christ to heaven: and, as that event was celebrated with all possible demonstrations of joy, so we are here exhorted to burst forth in joyful acclamations on account of the exaltation of Christ to his throne in glory.
We shall consider, L The event predicted —
Observe,
1. In what exalted terms our blessed Lord is here spoken of —
[Thrice is he called " God :" the incommunicable name
a 2 Sam. vi, 15.
"Jehovah" is also assigned to him: and he is declared to be the " King" of Zion, and " the King of the whole earth." Now these are the titles given to him throughout the inspired writings. " Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever*^." The name whereby he is to be called by all his believing people is, " Jehovah, our Righteousness'^." The prophet Isaiah also says, " Thy Maker is thine Husband ; the Lord of Hosts is his name ; and thy Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel ; the God of the whole earth shall he be called'^." In the New Testament he is also designated by the same august titles, as " God manifest in the flesh ^," even " God over all blessed for ever*^." And it is no little satisfaction to us to see, that the doctrine so essential to our happiness, the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, pervades the whole Scriptures, and bears that prominence in them which might reasonably be expected.]
2. How exactly the representation here given of him in a figure, corresponds with the reality —
[David had triumphed over all his enemies : and now, in order to honour God who had given him the victory, and that he might have the readier access to God on all occasions, he brought the ark, the symbol of the Divine presence, up to Mount Zion, that there' in future it might have a fixed abode. But in this he shadowed forth the true ark, the Lord Jesus Christ, " in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Deity," as ceasing from his labours, and ascending to his throne in glory, there to complete the victories which he had begun on earth. " On his very cross he spoiled all the principalities and powers of dark- ness, triumphing over them openly in it^ ;" and in his ascension he " led them all captive**," and left his people to contend only with a vanquished enemy'. He being now upon his throne, we can have access to him at all times, and may obtain from him all the succour that we stand in need of]
But this leads me to notice, in reference to this event,
II. The interest we have in it —
If we considered it in no other view than as a recompence to Christ, we should contemplate it with joy. But it is a source of the richest possible bless- ings to us. Consider,
This ascended Saviour is our King — [This ascension is a proof and evidence to us that he has triumphed over all his enemies. He unites these two together, the one as the effect and consequence of the other ; " I over-
" Ps. xlv. 6. with Heb. i. 8. ^ Jer. xxiii. G.