Vers. 7-10.-Appealfor God's entrance into the heart of man. Sung on the entry of the ark into the ancient gates of the fortress of Jerusalem. The singers, two choirs of priests-the one bearing the ark, the other already stationed there as warders. First choir dem11.nding admission; second reply from within," Who is this King of glory?" The transaction may suggest and represent the appeal made for God's entrance into the heart of man. Then- I. 'fHE LANGUAGE WOULD REPRESENT TIIE MIND OF MAN AS GoD's TEMPLE. What views of our nature are suggested by such a representation? 1. The religious destina- tion of man. A temple is built for religious uses and objects. So this is the grand destiny for which man is created-religion. Physical, intellectual, moral destiny. 2. Represents the mi,,d as a sanctuary for the Divine habitation. The glory of God dwelt between the cherubim; but man is God's grandest Shechinah. This is fully recognized ;ind asserted in the New Testament. "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you;" "Ye are God's temple." II. GoD AS A GLORIOUS KING IS EVER SEEKING ADMISSION INTO OUR MINDS. 1. The King of glory assumes the attitude of a majestic suppliant. "Let the King come in." "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock." Illustrates the voluntary nature of our relations with God. Wonderful I Infinity pleading with the finite; majesty sup- plicating meanness ; holiness stooping before the unholy I 2. The purpose for which he seeks to occupy our minds. To draw us into friendship and harmony with himself, and to establish a glorious rule over us. We are incapable of self-rule, and cannot exist alone. And this is our proper and normal relat.ion to him. Ill. TBE EXEllClSE OF JIIIND llY WHICH GoD IS ADMITTED INTO OUR NATURE. A lifting up of it, powers-an elevation and expansion of them-in the following ways. l. It is the reaching forth of our powers-towards the Infinite Being. An effort to embrace our infinite and eternal concerns-a going forth out of the tran8ient and visible into the everlasting and spiritual. 2. The active reception of God enlarges our best powers and affections. It enlarges and exalts love, will, and conscieuce.-S.
EXPOSITION. thoughts are quite worthy of the writer to PSALM XXV. whom it is attributed in the title, viz. Tms is the second of the "alphabetic David; and the alphabetic arrangement, psalmH." It is not so irregular ns Ps. ix., which has been urged against David's but still is defecli ve in some respects, the authorship, is scarcely conclusive on the letters betk and vau being omitted in their point. Many of the best critics regord proper place, resk being substituted for lropk, Pae. ix. and xxxiv., which, like this, ore and a second he being added at the end. imperfectly alphabetic, as Do.vid's. Some of these variations may be accidental, The metrical e.rrongement is not very but others would seem to have been inten- marked. Some diviJe the psalm into fivo tional, being found also in Pa. x:uiv. The unequal strophee-vers. 1-7, vers. 8-10, psalm consists of a number of prayers, re- vere. 11-15, vers. IG-21, nnd vcr. 22; flections, and pious ejaculations, not drawn others see no divisions beyond those of the up in any systematic order, o.nd not very Hebrew verses, which are followed in our clearly connected by auy single line of Authorized Dible. thought. The separate portions have, how- Ver. I.-Unto thee, 0 Lord, do I lift up ever, in mauy cases much beauty; and it my soul (comp. Pee. lxxxvi. 4; cxliii 8). ie observed tliat "110me of the most precious 'l'he Hebrew phrase does not menn a tem- ~piritual treasures of the Church havo poro.ry raising of the bee.rt to God, but a J,,.en drawn from this psalm" (Koy). The pormanent setting of the o.ffcctions on him l'B, XXV, 1-22.] Tilt BOOK OF PSALMS. 181