Bible Commentaries

CONTENTS

Here is a Psalm, and a glorious one it is, in which the Whole church, nay, the whole earth, is called upon to praise Jehovah: for creation, redemption, providence, and grace; and all the blessings connected with the whole. Few are strangers to this blessed Psalm, who ever heard of God in Christ.

A Psalm of Praise.

No service can be real, that is not free, and performed with gladness. Think, my soul, with what freeness, and gladness of heart, thy Jesus entered upon his service, when he cried out, at the call of the Father, Lo! I come: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my bowels; forming part of myself, so congenial it is to my whole soul. Psalms 40:7-8. My soul, what sayest thou to this view of thy Saviour? Oh! how precious to behold Him everywhere, and in all things!

Observe the motives, and the encouragements, to this cheerful service. Our God, is God; and be is a good God; and he is our God, as our Creator: and we are his, by right of creation, like sheep that have an owner. And, being his property, shall we not be his care? Yes, for he is good, sweet thought! both by creation, and by redemption, we are his; and therefore he hath an undoubted right to all our services; and well may we give him the tribute of praise.

Here the invitation, or rather the command, is reiterated: surely such a God, such a Creator; such a Redeemer, may well demand our warmest praise. And therefore let us enter into his courts: let us approach his footstool: let praise, thanksgiving, and sacred joy fill every heart, swell every song, burst from every tongue: bless, bless his name! Reader; in the Jewish church, the courts of God's house became the nearest place the Gentiles were permitted to approach, in their sacred worship: and even Israel was not allowed to enter into the Holy Place. But you and I, poor Gentiles by nature, and sinners by practice, are permitted to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus; nay, commanded to come, and find grace to help in all time of need. Think, my brother, of the vast privilege; and let us improve it to his glory, in whose name and righteousness we can alone come, and by whose rich redemption such blessings are alone made ours.

How delightfully this verse closeth in upon what went before! Wherefore are such blessings bestowed? it might be well asked: Why hath Jehovah made us, and new made us, in Christ Jesus? Why opened his heavenly courts, and called upon us to come in? Is it because man is deserving, and faithful, and just? Oh no; for in ourselves we are most undeserving. Wherefore is the vast mercy then? Because the Lord is good; the Lord is gracious; he delighteth in mercy. He will have compassion on whom he will have compassion. And that grace and mercy, like himself, is unchangeable: the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hallelujah, then, Amen. Hallelujah. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

REFLECTIONS

PAUSE, Reader, panse my soul, and contemplate the numberless beauties, and the vast sweetness contained in this short, but comprehensive Psalm. No wonder it is so often sung in our churches. No wonder, while it is sung, so many souls of true believers should feel such rich enjoyment in it: holding forth, as it doth, the persons both of God and of his Christ; with the many rich blessings contained in the covenant relations of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And shall not all lands, which are to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, join in the joyful noise? Shall not both Jew and Gentile, bond and free, rejoice together? Shall not, in every place, as the Lord hath said, be incense offered unto Jehovah's name, with a pure offering, from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same? - Come, all ye people, all ye nations, both high and low, rich and poor, one with another: come, sing forth the praises of Jehovah, the Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier! Come into his presence with thanksgiving; enter his courts with praise. For he is indeed gracious, and will receive the homage of his creatures in Jesus. Come, Reader! Come my soul! Come, come before him. He is justly entitled to our praise. He demands it; he expects it from us. Oh! for grace to worship him in the beauty of holiness, and to sing the jubilee song of salvation, in and by Jesus Christ. Amen.