The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-25

< This as my rest forever, here aoiU !
d,oeH; for I hare desired 1t. / '0'L
a6mdGntly bless her provision: l '0il
satisfy her poor soith bread; l '0iU clOth'
her priests ooith saluatiOn, and her saints
shall shout aloud for 5oy-"
Second. Consider the import of the
words" The ark Of thy strength"
The holy chest, called. "the ark,
was God S strength, in that it symboized
by it's structure, contents and uses, the
majesty, authority, po'cer, goodness, mer-
cy, and accessible presence of Jehorah.
Its size two and a-half cubits in length,
and one and a-half cubits in width and
height; made of the durable shittim
wood, overlaid and inlaid with pure gold
with crown of gold around the top.
It's contents; a golden pot of oaaana-a
memorial of the miraculous daily supply
of food to the Israel,tes, in the wilderness,
Aaron's rod, which budded, ,-emblemati-
cal of the unfading glory and honor OF
a greater than Aaron; "a copy of the
Law given to Moses,--a standing asser-
ton of the Divine authority and will ;
these, and the tables of the covenant
Over all was the MERCY-sEAT, and the
Cherubim the ''Mercy-seat " symbol
izing most impressively the methods of
the Divine mercy to sinners; and the
Cheru5im representing the adOring admi-
ration of angels in view of those methods.
The 'STRENGTH OF COP is in His
moral attributes. These were most So
lemnly represented by the ark.
When, therefore, David invoked God
to arise into His "rest, with the ark of
His strength, we understand him to pray
God to take permanent possession of the
house prepared, in the seat of His glO-
rious presence; and there to show forth
His strength and grace among His wor-
shipping people, for their protection and
salvation.
Tzad.-"Let thy priests be clothed
'oith righteousness.
The term righteousness" is here
used in a rich evangelical sense, rather
than as denoting a personal quality of
the officers referred to. 1t is put for
Salgation as appears from Gods answer
to David's prayer: {. L will clothe her
priests vith salration." Observe it care
fully. The priests of the old temple ty-
pi6ed, by their frequent bloody sacrifices
for sin, the true atoning PRIEsT,-the
LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is called, as no
mere human priest can be" The LORD
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
The active obedience, the vicarious
suferings, and the meritorious interces-
sions of JESUS CHRIST were ordained to
propitiate the justice and procure the
pardoning mercy of God for penitent
believing in Christ,-thus securing to
them present acceptance, and eternal sal
vation and glory.
Jesus Christ, and He alone, is the pro-
curer and bestower of all the righteous
ness and holiness that are in believers.
And hence the prayer of David that the
priests, who typifed Christ, might be
"elOthed nth Righteousness" or salva-
tiOn.
A priest, ministering in his official ca
pacity at the altar of sacrifice, would be
clothed with salvation when he so offcia-
ted, and when his offices were so ander-
stood as that sinners should be brought
into reconciliation with God through
faith in the true atonement.
Fourth" And let thy Saints shout
aloud for joy"
A clear and experimental view of the
condescension and mercy of God an
Christ, is manna,-yea more than mao
ma, oil, or wine, or any other conceivable
blessing to the souls of Gods saints.
Salvation, seen and felt, is the divinest
Joy of earth it is the rapture of heaven
If the phrase" Let thy saints shout
aloud for JOY" should seem to any a
strong one,-bordering on extravaganza,
then let such persons ponder what SAL
vation-GoD's ETERNAL SALVATION COM
prehends; ponder what sin is; what he'll
is; what heaven is; what an Immortal
soul, redeemed from sin and hell and as
sured of heaven is; and then answer if
= shouting for jog" in the sense of the
text, is extravagant.
The Scriptures repeatedly describe and
justify religious jog, of which shouting
was an appropriate expression. Thus
in Ezra iii &: 10, II, ''When the build
ers laid the foundation of the temple
of the Lord, they set the priests in their
apparel with trumpets, and the Levites
with cymbals, to praise the Lord; x
and they sang together, by course, in
nraising and giving thanks unto the Lord