even at the hour when we might have supposed that the interests of his own subjects would have an exclusive possession of his mind, did David contem- plate the welfare of the Gentiles, and call on them to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness6."
We shall consider these words as containing, I. An invitation to the whole Gentile world —
By "the beauty of holiness," I understand the Sanctuary of the Lord —
[As the tabernacle and all its furniture were of the most costly materials and the most exquisite workmanship, so was the temple and all that it contained ; and especially every thing- connected with the holy of holies. But though in this respect it exceeded every thing upon earth in " beauty," there was a far higher reason for its being called by this peculiar name : it was the immediate residence of the Deity, who dwelt there in a bright cloud, the Shechinah, the visible symbol of his presence. The heaven of heavens was not more holy than that sacred chamber, nor more beauteous : and therefore it might well be called, not beautiful, but "beauty ;" not holy, but " holiness" in the abstract, or more forcibly still, " The beauty of holiness," in comparison of which there was nothing beautiful or holy upon the face of the whole earth.]
Thither David invites the whole Gentile world to come, and " worship the Lord," the Creator, the Governor, the Saviour of the world —
[By the Law of Moses it was forbidden them to enter into any part of the sanctuary. For them an outer court was pro- vided, beyond which they were forbidden, on pain of death, to proceed. But, through the coming of the Messiah, " the parti- tion-wall was to be broken down:" and all, both Jews and Gentiles, were to be incorporated into one body, and to be made parta- kers of the same privileges f. Even the vail of the temple itself was to be rent in twain s, and " a new and living way be opened" for every child of man h, to approach for himself the very mercy- seat of the Most High, and to offer there his sacrifices of prayer and praise, and his incense too of fervent intercession. To this does David here invite the Gentile world. Not David himself would have dared to enter into the sanctuary which was then standing : into " the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High" it would have been at the peril of his life to enter : but he foresaw, that that servile dispensation was in due time
e 1 Chron. xvi. 29. * Eph. ii. 14—16.
s Matt, xxvii. 51. h Heb. x. 19—22.