d To wit, Sion or Moriah, the place of Gods SanQuuary and ſpe- Cial preſence. This is here ſubjoined, either 1. By way of Oppo: ſitio:1, though God is the God of the World, yet he is in a
"Pf.ig, i,
2. To ſet- forth the ſingular kindneſs and mercy of God to 1/rael,
* and laid the Foundation of ir, and that in a wonderful manners |
ſee Gen. 7. 11. and 49. 25. 2 Pet. 3. 5, This is here mentioned |
It: |
' "'*F
. bl L M Ss. Pial. XKX1!
peculiar manner the God of Jael, and to be worſhiped no where | and proved Gods Authority and Dominion over all Mankind, and conſequently their Obligations to ſerve and worſhip him, he now Propoſcth a moſt neceſſary and important Queſtion, eſpecially in thoſe times, when all Nations except Iſrael, were under deep Igno« rance and Errors herein, namely, where and how, and by whom God will be ſerved, and his favour and bleſſing may be enjoyed. The place is here deſcribed, and the qualification ofthe perſons in the tollowing Verſes. e To wity to miniſter before him, as this word is commonly uſed with reſpe& either tro Men, as 1 Kings 1. 2. compared with 10. 8. Dan. 1. 5, 19. Or to God, as Dew. 10.8. and 18. 79 Dan. 7.10 Zech. 3. 4+ Standing is the poſture of Mi» » niſters or Servants. So the Senſe is, who ſhall ſerve God, to wir, with Gods accepration, and to his own Advantage. f In the place which he hath ſanRified for his Service.
4 * + He that hath clean hands g, anda pure heart 4;, who hath nor lift up his ſoul into vanity 3, nor ſworn ; deceirfully &. Hr £ Whoſe Ations and Converſations are holy and unblameable. It is here very obſervable, that the Character of a right and ac- Cceptable Worſhipper of God is not raken from his Nation and Re- lation to Abraham ; nor from all thoſe coſtly and laborious Rites and Ceremonies of the Law, in which the generality of the 1aelites pleaſed themſelves, but in Moral and Spiritual Duties, which moſt of them groſly negle&ed, h Purged frem Hypocriſie, and inward Filthinels, and careful to approve it ſelf to God, as well as to Men, ordering a Mans very taoughts and Affections according to Gods word. This is fitly added, becauſe a Man may keep his hands clean in good meaſure, upon meer worldly motives, or wi:h an evil Deſign, or without any reſpect to God. # Either, 1. Who doth not worſhip Idols, which are oft called Yanities in Scripture. Or. 2. Who doth nor ſwear vainly or falſely, the phraſe here being much the ſame with that in the third Commandment, of raking Goas Name in vain, But that ſeems to be a quite differing Phraſe and the Nam? of God there mentioned, determines the Senie of that general phraſe to Oaths, which, withour that Addition, or ſome- thing equivalent, is never, to my knowledge, uſed in Scripture in that Senſe, Nor do all thoſe learned men, who ſo expound tkis place, give one inftance of that ſignification of this phraſe. And tor their orher Argument for that Senſe, rhat this Clauſe is cons joined with the next, by the Conjunction Yau, and therefore is to be explained by ir, it ſeems to have no weighr, becauie the ſame Conjunctioa joins the two firſt Characters together, and yer it is contefled rhat clean Hands and 3 pure heart, are two diſtinct and ; very diflcring things. Or rather, 3: Who doth not immoderately, | value and affect, or ardently deſire ( as this very phraſe of lifting ; #p the jou! doth oft ſignitie, as Deut. 24. 15. Pſal 25.1, Jer, 22. ' 17. and 44+ 14. Ezek, 24+ 25. Hoſ. 4.8. ) the vain things of this - preſent Life and World, ſich as Honours, Riches, Pleaſures, and + the like, which are oft called vain things, or Vanities in —_—
is
-
Hands.
i as Pſal. 4. 2. and 119. 37. Ecdleſ. 1. 2. and 12. 8. And t { very fitly mentioned as a Character ofa truely good Man, becauſe | hereby he is diſtinguiſhed from all ungodly Men whatſoever, whoſe i inſeparable Property, this is both in the Old and New Teſtament | noted to be, to love Yanity, and to ſet their Hearts chiefly upon the Good things of this Life, ſuch as Corn and Wim, Pſal. 4. 2,6, 7, and to have their Portion in this Life, Pſal. 17. 14» and to mind Earthly things, Phil: 3. 19 and to be Friends of the Warld, Jam. 4, 4. and to love the World, and the things of the World, 1 John 2. 15. Whereas good men are every where deſcribed to be ſuch as make | God their porion, Pſal. 16, 5- and prize and delire his Favour and Service infinitly more than all the enjoyments of this Life, yea, even than Life it ſelf, Job 23.12. Pſal. 4, 6, 7. and 63. 3. and 119. 52: and fuchas are weaned from Earthly things, Pſal 1371, x, 2: and have their affettions ſet on things above, not on things of the Earth, Col, 3. 2. and lay not up their Treaſure in Earth, But in Hea- ven, Matth. 6 19, 20» all whichis dire&ly oppoſite to this hfting up the Soul to vanity, k Heb. wnto, or with decers, 1. e. Falſly, or with a purpoſe of deceiving or injuring others thereby. Under this Ne- gative the contrary Atfirmarive is included, that he is one, who, when he 1s called ro ſwear, doth ſwear in Truth, in Judgment, and in Rightemſneſs, Jer. 4. 2+ :
5 He ſhall receive the blefling/ from the LORD »,
and * righteouſneſs » from the God of his ſalvation, cnt I 3, e, The Blefling which God hath promiſed to his Church and Iſa-45. 3
. Peopl;, to wit, Grace and Glory, and all other good things, as they are
; ſummed up, Pſa/s 84. 11. He and he only ſhall be truely Bleſſed.
, m Which 1s added ſignificantly, by way of Oppoſition ro;the Bleſ-
ſings, which men reccived either from the Prieſts or from other
; men, which were oftentimes given unto, unworthy perſons, and in
that Caſe were without any efte& or benefit, whereas God's Bleſſings
are given only to good men, and are always cffecrual for their good-
2 i, e The bleſſed Fruit or Reward of his Righteouſneſs, as the
Work is oft put for the reward of it, as Levit, 19. 13. Job, 7. 2. Pſal.
| 109. 20» Or, kindneſsor mercy, and thoſe benefits which flow frog
it, which are oft called by the name of Reghreouſneſs, as Jadge 5. 11,
1 Sam. ls. 7. Pſal. g$. 11. and 112. 9.
6 This 3s the generation o of them that ſcek him 9,
that ſeek thy face q, || O Jacob r. Selah. BY :
o The true Progeny which God regards. . Whereby he reflects | Or,0.. upon them, who boaſted of, and truſted to their carnal Generation God of Joe or Deſcent from Jacoeb. p To wit, God, mentioned in the end of wv. 5. or his Face, as ir is more fully expreſſed in the next Clauſe,