7. 6. That make it their Care and Study to know him and his Mind and Will, and to pleaſe and ſerve him, as this phraſe is uſual- uy underſtood. q z. e. His Face, by a familiar change of the perſon; of which many Inſtances have been already noted, and his Face, ive, His grace and Favour, which is oft called Gods Face, as Gen. 4.14. Exod. 33. 14, 15. Pſal. 16. 18. and 17. 2- an 44: 3» And ſo rhis phraſe is uſed, 2 Chron; 95: 14: Pſal: 27: 8. Hoſe 5* 15* r So rhe Senſe is, that ſeck the true Church, here called Jacobz that defire the knowledge of ir, and converſation with ir, in which Senſe many are faid ro ſee Solomons Face, as the phraſe is in the Hebrew, 1 Kings 10; 24+ 2 Chron. 9. 23. and the Harloc * to ſeek her Lovers Face, Prov: 7: 15; And lo this is by ſome. . 4 Þ 2 pounded
"7
-
+ Heb. the |
clean of iſ
but in their holy place« Or 2. As an Inference. Having aſſerted if
6 4 a1
bi
| YC.g8.8.
RX V.
pounded of the Gentzler, who enquired after the true Church, and| hnding it in Jeceb, were deſireous to become Proſclytes, and to join themliclves to the Church of Jacob or I/racl. Bur it muſt be remem- bred that the Pſalmiſt is not here ſpeaking of the calling of rhe Genriles, but only of the Charatter or qualification of the true Ja- cobires or 1ſraelites, who cannot conveniently be ſaid to ſeek rhe Faceef Jacob, 7. e. thewr own. And the phraſe of ſeeking rhe Face of Jacob, or of the Church, is no where uſed in Scripture. Or, asit 1sin the Margent, O God of Jacob. Bur that ſeems to be too large a ſupplement. Or, this is Jacob, the pronoun #h:s being eaſily
underſtood out ofthe beginning of the Verſe. Or, the Generation
( which may in the ſame manner be ſupplied ) of Jacob, Jacob being here pur nor for the perſon, but for the poſterity of Jacob, as it 15 Gen. 49+ 7, Numb. 23. 7, 10, 23. Deut, 32. 9. Pja: 14: 7. or for the Church or people of God, which is oft called Jacob or Iſrael, as Iſa. 14+ 1. and 41. 8. and 44+ 1, 5, 21+ &c, So theſenie 1s, this and this only is the true Jacob or 1rael, or Church of God, and
' all others areſo only in Name and Title, alchough they be de-
ſcended lineally from him; Or, in Jacob, the particle iz being here underſtood, as it is in Pſa. 2- 12. and 17:12. and in many other places. So the Senſe of the place is, this is the true Generation of them that ſeek Gods Face in Jacob. +. e. Either in Jacobs Land. or Sanctuary, the only place where God was to be ſought : Or, among the ſacobites, or Iſraelites. By which he infinuars, what is exprefled, Roms 9. 6. that, all are not 1ſracly that are of Jſrael, and that all were not I/raelires indeed that were ſprung from Jacob, but only thoſe of them who were ſuch as he deiccibed, v. 4. Compare Joan 1. 47. Rom. 2. 28, 29. 7 * Liftup your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift
up, ye everlaſting doors s, and the King of glory # jhall
come in.
s The queſtion, was put; who ſhall aſcend into Gods Hill and
Holy place, v. 3- To which Anſwer hath been given, and the Per-
ſons deſcribed. wv. 4, 5, 6. But becauſe there ſtill were impedi- ments in the way, and there were Gates and Doors to this Holy place, to ſhur out thoſe who- would aſcend thither, therefore he poetically ſpeaks of thoſe Gates, to open and let in the King of Glory, who would make way for his Subje&ts and Followers, Here is a Repreſentation of a Triumphant Entrance of a King into his Royal City and Palace; for which the Gates uſe to be enlarged,
. or at leaſt wide opened. He ſpeaks here of the Gates and Doors,
Either, 1. Of his Royal Ciry of Sion, through which the Ark was at this time to be brought ro the Tabernacle, which Dawid had ÞDuilt for it, called EverlaFing ; either from the ſolidity and dure- ableneſs of the matter,or from David*'sDefires and Hopes, that God would make them ſuch in ſome ſort, becauſe he loved the Gares of Sion, Pſa. 87. 2. Or rather, 2. Of the Temple, which by Faith and the ſpirit of prophecy, he beheld as already built, and ac- cordingly addrefſech his Speech toit, whoſe Doors he calls Ever- laſting, not ſo much becauſe they were made of ftrong and dura- ble Materials, as in oppoſition of thoſe of the Tabernacle, which were removed from place to placc, whereas the Temple and its Doors were conſtantly fixed in one place ; andif the Sins of Iſrael did not hinder, were to abide there for ever, 7. e. as long as the Moſaical Diſpenſation was to laſt, or until the coming of the Meſ- ſias, as that phraſe is very commonly taken in the Old .Teſtament, Theſe Gates he bids lift vp their Heads, or Tops, either by alluſion to thoſe Gates which have a Portcullis at the top of them, which may be let down or taken up, and accordingly makes the Entrance either higher and lower : Or,that by this figurative Addreſs to the Gates, he mighr ſignifis the Dury of the people, to make their Gates higher and wider, to give their King a more Magnificent Entrance. Bur though this be the literal Senſe of the place, yer there is alſo a myſtical ſenſe of it, and that too defigned by the Holy Ghoſt. And as the Temple was undoubtedly a Type of Chriſt, and of his Church, and of Heaven ir felf 3 ſo this place may alſo contain a Repreſentation, either of Chriſts entrance into his Church, or into the Hearts of his fairhful peop'c, whoare here commanded to ſet open their Hearts and Souls, which are not un- fitly called Everlafing Doors, for his Reception ; Or of his Aſcen- fion into Heaven, where the Saints or Angels are poctically intro- duced as preparing the way, and opening the Heavenly Gates to receive their Lord and King, returning to his Royal Habitation, with Triumph and Glory. Compare Ya. 47+ 5. and 68. 25. Af#s 2+ 33» Eph. 4.8, t The glorious King Jehovah, who dwelt in the Temple, and between the Cherubims : Or the Meſiias, the King of Iſrael, and of liis Church, called rhe King, or L:7d of Glory, x Gor. 2. 8. Jew. 2. 1. both for that Glory which 1s inherent 1a him, and that which is purchafſed by him for his Members.
8 Whois the King of glocy «? the LORD ſtrong and mighty, the LORD mighty in batrel x.