The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-09-29

the Rev. ID. M. Stearns.
copyright. 1899. by D. M, Stearns.l
This is one of Is consecutive psalms
(cxx to cxXXiy), each entitled ga Song of
Degrees" and associated with Jerusalem
and the temple and the worship of God.
They begin with trouble, but end with
peace and victory through the Lord that
made heaven and earth. In studying
them we must let Zion, Jerusalem, Israel
| and the nations mean just what they say
and take our own lessons from what is
said concerning them.
1. 81 was glad when they said unto me.
Let US go into the house of the Lord. "
One who could truly say, II have pre-
pared with all my might for the house of
my God, because have set my affection
to the house of ny God and who had,
as an evidence OF his affection, given of
his own proper good 5000 talents of gold
and 1000 talents of silver (the gold alone
being equal in value to about $4,000
000), he might truly talk of rejoicing in
the worship Of God Il Chron. xxx, 2-4).
His prayer, recorded in that chapter,
shows his heart toward God, his entire
dependence upon Him.
2. Our feet shall stand within thy
gates, o Jerusalemr' There is ever a
looking forward to the Jerusalem that
shall never be plucked up nor thrown
down any more the city of truth to which
all nations shall be gathered to worship
the Lord in the days that are coming
der. xxi, 3S-40; Zech. viii, 8, 81, %; xiv,
16; lisa. ii, 2, 81, for Jerusalem shall be
the throne of the Lord, and all nations
shall be gathered unto it, to the name of
the Lord. to Jerusalem der Iii, 10. II
we take the significance of the name, City
of Peace, then we can receive some of
the precious truths that are for all be-
levers. Here our blessed God was to
be and actually was in due time crucified
for us, and one of .the latest references
to Jerusalem in fhe Bible is in these
words, ''Where also our Lord was cruel
fed" (Rev. vi, 8.
3. Jerusalem is builded as city that
is compact together" Beautiful for sit
uation, the joy of the whole earth is
Mount Zion, on the sides of the north,
the city of the Great King, God will estab-
fish it forever (Ps. xviii, 2, 8. These and
all similar words concerning Jerusalem
must be taken as referring to the literal
city where David reigned 33 years over
all Israel and Judah QI Sam. V, 81. The
spiritual lesson for the church is found
in Eph. ii, 1922, including these words,
''In whom THAT is, Jesus Christi all the
building, fifty framed together, groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom
We also are builded together for an habi-
tation of God through the Spirit" also in
these words in Col ii, 10, 'The head
from which all the body by joints and
bands having nourishment ministered and
knit together increaseth with the increase
of God"
4. WHITTIER the tribes so up, the tribes
of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel
to give thanks unto the name of the
Lord" Three times in the year all the
males in Israel of a certain age We're
commanded to go up to Jerusalem to
worship the Lord and to keep the feast
of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks
and the feast of tabernacles, always
bringing an offering Deut. xvi, 16). 1t is
not easy to see in this a lesson for the
church unless it be by contrast as to
place, for there is now no city on earth
where God specially reveals Himself, but
wherever two or three meet in the name
of the Lord Jesus He is always in the
midst.
5. "For there are set thrones of judg-
ment, the thrones of the house of David. -
Some of these thrones of judgment are
mentioned in Deut. xvii, s, 8; ii Chron.
xix, s, and all kings who reigned right
eously sitting upon their thrones for the
Lord who placed them there may be in
Guided in the thrones " judgment The
onward look is to the fulfllment of Math.
xix, %, when the twelve apostles shall
sit on IL thrones judging the II tribes of
Israel. The word for the church is found
in Rev. iii, 81, where our Lord said, ''To
him that overcometh will | grant to sit
with Me in My throne, even as also
overcame and am set down with My Fa-
Their in His throne"
6. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
| They shall prosper that love thee" A
| similar command is found in lisa. xii, 6,
| Z, Eye that are the Lords remembrances
keep not silence and give Him no rest
| till He establish and till He make Jeru-
salem q praise in the EARTH" This can
mean nothing else, in the light Of the con-
text and of all Scripture than that we
are ever to pray for the salvation of Isra-
ell and for the time when Jerusalem shall
be a city of truth and Israel a righteous
nation and blessing in the midst of the
earth to all nations.
| g., L euCe De WlllllH lily WdllS anu plO5'
| perity within thy PALACES" This is what
Isaiah, by the Spirit, says shall surely
| be. "Thy gates shall be open continually
| They shall not be shut day nor night
Thou shalt can thy walls Salvation and
| thy gates Praise, and | will make the
place of my feet glorious, and they shall
| call thee the City of the Lord, the Zior
of the Holy One of Israeli Qsa. TX, IL
Is, 13, 14. With many suchlike words
is the future Jerusalem described wheT
her name shall forevermore be Jehovah
| shammah, the Lord is there (Ez. Xviii
800. But how exceeding glorious will b.
| the Holy City the New jerusalem which
is to come down from God out o.
heaven and is described as having streets
of pure gold, walls that seem to be of dia
mond the foundations garnished with al
manner of precious stones, every gat'
one pearl, the glory of God will tighten i
and the Lamb be the light thereof Grew
xxD.
3. ''For my brethren and companions
sakes | will now say, Peace be within
thee" When Israel shall have become
righteous people, it will be as life from
the dead to the rest of the world as wei
| as to themselves from. XII, 15). Well ma.
they sing God shall bless us, and all tn
ends of the earth shall fear Him" (Ps
Xvii, u, for it is written concerning them
"Gentiles shall come to Thy light an'
kings to the brightness of Thy rising
Elsa. TX, 81.
IL