Wherefore? Because "he hath founded it on the seas," and 66 established it on the floods."

"Whereupon are the foundations fastened?" (Job xxxviii., 6.) "On the

"Who laid the corner stone?" God. "He spake and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast." Gen. i., 3; Ps. xxxiii., 6.

Upon the floods-the streams. "Above the seas;" "above the floods." Nothing but the Almighty power of God could sustain on such a foundation. "Who stretches out the earth above the waters?" Who set bars and doors to stay the ocean's proud waves, and restrain them within prescribed bounds? He who created all things by His word is able to sustain them by His providence. Our sure foundation is neither the "water" nor the "flood," but the Rock of Ages.

3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord: or who shall rise up in his holy place?

Who? The pure and the holy? 'there is none righteous, no not one."

Then none can ascend, for
Who is worthy?
Who can

be admitted into the hill of glory and the presence of Jehovah?

“

Ascending the hill of God,"

"Standing in His holy place,"

are figurative expressions for nearness to God.

To ascend the hill of God is to begin to walk with God.

To abide in His holy place is to abide always in His presence.

But how can the creature reach the Creator? Can the seed of Abraham, His chosen? Nay, for they are not all Israel that are of Israel, but

4. Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart: and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.

"Clean hands," 39.66 pure heart." That is from outward conduct to heart. Those who draw near to God must have clean hands; but clean hands will avail us little unless we have also a pure heart. Those who were ceremonially unclean were forbidden to touch any of the sacred vessels of the temple. Those who are morally impure cannot come before God. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." A holy God will accept nothing but the offering of a holy heart. If the heart be unclean the hands can never be pure, for out of the heart proceed all that is impure, and it is in vain we wash the hands if the heart be not washed in the blood of Jesus.

"Mind to vanity," or soul into vanity. _Vanity=emptiness, that which contains nothing that can satisfy. Vanity consists in

1. All earthly possessions unable to satisfy the soul.
2. Especially those dishonestly or violently obtained.

3. All men trust either in God or in vanity.

4. Vanity promises (1) Pleasure, (2) Profit, (3) Impurity.
5. But it really gives (1) Emptiness, (2) Dissatisfaction,
(3) Disappointment.

Vanity is another name for sin. Falsehood, and all that
is false is vanity. All liars shall be cast into hell.

6. False gods and idols are vanity. This is denying God, and putting the creature in the place of the Creator.

Sworn deceitfully. The pure in heart speaks the truth with his neighbour. He will neither lie nor deceive. Ex. xx., 7.

Clean hands: "the clean of hands." Marg.

Nor lifted up his soul unto vanity: "He hath not received his soul in vain."

1. Abstain from evil deeds: He hath clean hands.

2. Abstain from evil thoughts: A pure heart.

3. He is faithful to God: "Hath not lift up his mind unto Vanity.

4. Practices truth: "Nor sworn to deceive."

This is the man, "who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord."

5. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord: and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

"Thou shalt set him to be a blessing." (Ps. xxi., 6.) This man shall carry away the blessing. The blessing: This consists in(i.) Transgression forgiven. (ii.) Sin covered. (iii) Iniquity not imputed. (iv.) No guile in his spirit. "Abraham believed God

and it was counted to him for righteousness." (Gal. iii., 6; Gen. xv.,6.) This blessing is a gift from God. The man thus blessed ascends the hill, to receive and to wear this righteousness. The result will be good works, for which God will reward him.

1. "He shall receive the blessing from the Lord."

2. "He shall receive righteousness from the God of his salvation."

Here righteousness is the blessing itself, and is the free gift of God. Righteousness means being changed into the image of the Holy One Himself. (Rom. v., 17; Phil. iii., 9.) "The God of our salvation" is "the Lord our Righteousness."

6. This is the generation of them that seek Him; even of them that seek thy face, O Jacob,

A generation of seekers. Here we seek because we need; but he that seeketh findeth. If the seekers are blessed, what must the finders be? Those who have access to God are the true worshippers of God; They are the members of His Church; they are the

.

blessed. The Church of God is a generation not only of seekers, but of finders. The seekers are all on earth, the saints above are all finders.

Thy face, O Jacob. In 1 Cor. xii., 12, The Church is called Christ. So here God is called Jacob, or Israel. But "they are not all Israel which are of Israel." A true Israelite is he in whom is no

guile-i.e., Israel, not after the flesh, but after the spirit. shall see God face to face, as Jacob did at Peniel.

Such

7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in.

The gates of the temple were lofty and magnificent. But "Lift up your heads" refers not so much to their loftiness, as to the upper part being formed so as to be lifted up, while the under portion opened in folding doors.

The procession now approaches the temple-gates. Jehovah, as the King of Glory, is now entering into His sanctuary. In the following order it comes :

1. The singers go before.

2. The ark of the Covenant.

With this came the Lord, in

all the fulness of His glory and with all the riches of His grace and justice.

3. The minstrels follow after.

"So David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet." 2 Saml. vi., 15.

The Lord had now chosen a habitation for Himself where He might dwell among men, therefore it was of the greatest importance that they should receive Him, and hail His advent in a worthy

manner.

Everlasting gates. The portals of this grey old fortress dated back into the hoary ages of the past; to the times of the Jebusites, and when Melchisedek was King of Salem. Within these ancient portals the King of Glory is now about to enter, for whom they are too low and too straight. The gates of heaven are called everlasting. Through them entered our ascended Lord. Here the gates are personified, and called upon "to lift up their heads."

8. Who is the King of Glory: it is the Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord, mighty in battle.

Do you ask who He is? These portals have admitted many mighty Lords, but He who comes is the King of Glory, the Herogod, our warrior King. Israel was yet a small people; they were surrounded by mighty and powerful nations, therefore their only hope of safety and of victory was in the Lord of Hosts. (Ex. xv., 3 ; Numb. x., 35, 36; 1 Saml. xvii., 45.) "The battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands," v. 47.

race.

Who is the King of Glory?" Tell us His pedigree, His rank, His What are His office and work? He is "The Lord, strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle." When our Lord entered Jerusalem in triumph the cry was "Who is this?" And the whole city was moved. By death He abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light. Then He returned in triumph. The Prince entered His Father's Palace. This is the

King of Glory.

9. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in.

These words are repeated to give importance to the demand. But it refers chiefly to the ascension of Christ into heaven, and the glorious triumph awaiting Him there. He opened the gates of the kingdom of heaven to all believers. They were shut before; they are ever open now. But they will be shut again, and shut for ever. All may now enter in, and all believers shall "ever be with the Lord."

10. Who is the King of glory: even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Blessed is He that cometh; He is the Lord of Sabaoth. The repetition is to hear more in praise of the great King. He is not only the God of battle, the God of earthly hosts, but He is also the God of the heavenly hosts, for it is in proportion, as He is God of heaven that He is Lord of hosts on earth. To Him belong "the kingdom, the power, and the glory." Of this glory we partake through Christ, and through Him "we are more than conquerors." The silent gates are now open wide, and Jehovah, enthroned above the Cherubin of the sacred Ark, enters into Zion.

This Psalm is typical, as well as prophetic. It celebrates the return of Christ, as King of glory, to His Heavenly home, and the office He then exercises on behalf of the world. It also looks forward to the time when His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Temple-Gr. naos dwelling-house, palace-i.e., the palace of God wherein He dwells. It is distinguished from the Sanctuary or Holy of Holies, which was the inner chamber; also from the Sacred Inclosure or Temple Courts. 1 Sam. iii., 2; 2 Kings xxiv., 13; 2 Chron. xxxvi., 7.

PSALM XLVII.

This is the Second Psalm appointed by the Church to be used at Evensong on Ascension Day.

Title. "To the Chief Musician. A Psalm for the sons of Korah." Many of the Psalms bear the same superscription, and are all remarkable for "beauty, sublimity, and intense feeling."

"Sons of Korah." Twelve Psalms bear their name, and were probably composed for them, and sung by them in the temple services. The sons of Korah were the descendants of Korah, and formed one of the temple choirs. In the reign of Jehoshaphat they stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high." (2 Chron. xx., 19.) To this Kohathite division of singers, Psalms xlii., xliv., xlix., lxxxiv., lxxxv., lxxxvii., lxxxviii. were dedicated.

Author. It by no means follows that, although this is "A Psalm for the sons of Korah," it was composed by them. Nor is there any means of knowing who was the author of it.

Date. If it was composed, as is suggested, to celebrate the victory of Jehoshaphat over the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Arabians-(2 Chron. xx.)—then the time to which it refers may be pretty accurately determined. The reasons for this conclusion are such as cannot fail to claim the consideration of those who will carefully weigh them.

1. The hand of God got the victory; the people stood still. 2. The Kohathites were present in the army. 2 Chron. xx., 19. 3. A meeting for praise was held in the valley before Jehoshaphat and his people departed. 2 Chron. xx., 26%. All this transpired B.C. 896.

Subject.-A song of triumph to celebrate a victory. This was a victory without a conflict-a victory of Jehovah over the neighbouring nations allied against Jehoshaphat. Their object was to drive Israel out of the land. But a host of wild freebooters attacked them

unexpected and unobserved. They fled in panic, felt betrayed, every man saw in his neighbour a foe, and they turned their arms against each other. Thus did Israel obtain a victory without striking a blow. "On the fourth day Israel assembled themselves together in the valley of praise, for there they praised the Lord." In the valley of praise this Psalm was sung, and from this valley, and after the service, God, as it were, ascended to heaven.

Why appropriate.-On account of the mention of the ascension of Jehovah, the Church has chosen it for Ascension Day. Hence this Psalm has gained a prophetic meaning, far exceeding its first