128 lines
8.9 KiB
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128 lines
8.9 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Ps.cxxxiv" n="cxxxiv" next="Ps.cxxxv" prev="Ps.cxxxiii" progress="68.11%" title="Chapter CXXXIII">
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<h2 id="Ps.cxxxiv-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
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<h3 id="Ps.cxxxiv-p0.2">PSALM CXXXIII.</h3>
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<p class="intro" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1">This psalm is a brief encomium on unity and
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brotherly love, which, if we did not see the miseries of discord
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among men, we should think needless; but we cannot say too much, it
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were well if we could say enough, to persuade people to live
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together in peace. Some conjecture that David penned this psalm
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upon occasion of the union between the tribes when they all met
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unanimously to make him king. It is a psalm of general use to all
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societies, smaller and larger, civil and sacred. Here is, I. The
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doctrine laid down of the happiness of brotherly love, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.133.1" parsed="|Ps|133|1|0|0" passage="Ps 133:1">ver. 1</scripRef>. II. The illustration of that
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doctrine, in two similitudes, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.133.2-Ps.133.3" parsed="|Ps|133|2|133|3" passage="Ps 133:2,3">ver.
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2, 3</scripRef>. III. The proof of it, in a good reason given for
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it (<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.133.3" parsed="|Ps|133|3|0|0" passage="Ps 133:3">ver. 3</scripRef>); and then we
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are left to make the application, which we ought to do in singing
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it, provoking ourselves and one another to holy love. The contents
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of this psalm in our Bibles, are short, but very proper; it is "the
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benefit of the communion of saints."</p>
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<scripCom id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.133" parsed="|Ps|133|0|0|0" passage="Ps 133" type="Commentary"/>
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<scripCom id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.133.1-Ps.133.3" parsed="|Ps|133|1|133|3" passage="Ps 133:1-3" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.133.1-Ps.133.3">
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<h4 id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.6">Brotherly Love.</h4>
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<div class="Center" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p1.7">
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<p id="Ps.cxxxiv-p2">A song of degrees of David.</p>
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</div>
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<p class="passage" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p3">1 Behold, how good and how pleasant <i>it is</i>
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for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 <i>It is</i> like
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the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard,
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<i>even</i> Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his
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garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, <i>and as the dew</i> that
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descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p3.1">Lord</span> commanded the blessing, <i>even</i> life
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for evermore.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p4">Here see, I. What it is that is
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commended—<i>brethren's dwelling together in unity,</i> not only
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not quarrelling, and devouring one another, but delighting in each
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other with mutual endearments, and promoting each other's welfare
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with mutual services. Sometimes it is chosen, as the best expedient
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for preserving peace, that brethren should live asunder and at a
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distance from each other; that indeed may prevent enmity and strife
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(<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Gen.13.9" parsed="|Gen|13|9|0|0" passage="Ge 13:9">Gen. xiii. 9</scripRef>), but the
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goodness and pleasantness are <i>for brethren to dwell together</i>
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and so <i>to dwell in unity, to dwell even as one</i> (so some read
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it), as having one heart, one soul, one interest. David had many
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sons by many wives; probably he penned this psalm for their
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instruction, to engage them to love another, and, if they had done
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this, much of the mischief that arose in his family would have been
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happily prevented. The tribes of Israel had long had separate
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interests during the government of the Judges, and it was often of
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bad consequence; but now that they were united under one common
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head he would have them sensible how much it was likely to be for
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their advantage, especially since now the ark was fixed, and with
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it the place of their rendezvous for public worship and the centre
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of their unity. Now let them live in love.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p5">II. How commendable it is: <i>Behold, how
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good and how pleasant it is!</i> It is good in itself, agreeable to
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the will of God, the conformity of earth to heaven. It is good for
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us, for our honour and comfort. It is pleasant and pleasing to God
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and all good men; it brings constant delight to those who do thus
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live in unity. <i>Behold, how good!</i> We cannot conceive or
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express the goodness and pleasantness of it. Behold it is a rare
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thing, and therefore admirable. Behold and wonder that there should
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be so much goodness and pleasantness among men, so much of heaven
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on this earth! Behold it is an amiable thing, which will attract
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our hearts. Behold it is an exemplary thing, which, where it is, is
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to be imitated by us with a holy emulation.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p6">III. How the pleasantness of it is
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illustrated.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p7">1. It is fragrant as the holy anointing
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oil, which was strongly perfumed, and diffused its odours, to the
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great delight of all the bystanders, when it was poured upon the
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head of Aaron, or his successor the high priest, so plentifully
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that it ran down the face, even to the collar or binding of the
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garment, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.133.2" parsed="|Ps|133|2|0|0" passage="Ps 133:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>. (1.)
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This ointment was holy. So must our brotherly love be, with a pure
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heart, devoted to God. We must love those that are begotten <i>for
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his sake that begat,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:1John.5.1" parsed="|1John|5|1|0|0" passage="1Jo 5:1">1 John v.
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1</scripRef>. (2.) This ointment was a composition made up by a
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divine dispensatory; God appointed the ingredients and the
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quantities. Thus believers are <i>taught of God to love one
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another;</i> it is a grace of his working in us. (3.) It was very
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precious, and the like to it was not to be made for any common use.
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Thus holy love is, in the sight of God, of great price; and that is
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precious indeed which is so in God's sight. (4.) It was grateful
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both to Aaron himself and to all about him. So is holy love; it is
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like <i>ointment and perfume which rejoice the heart.</i> Christ's
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love to mankind was part of that <i>oil of gladness</i> with which
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he was <i>anointed above his fellows.</i> (5.) Aaron and his sons
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were not admitted to minister unto the Lord till they were anointed
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with this ointment, nor are our services acceptable to God without
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this holy love; if we have it not we are nothing, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.13.1-1Cor.13.2" parsed="|1Cor|13|1|13|2" passage="1Co 13:1,2">1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2</scripRef>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p8">2. It is fructifying. It is profitable as
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well as pleasing; it is <i>as the dew;</i> it brings abundance of
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blessings along with it, as numerous as the drops of dew. It cools
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the scorching heat of men's passions, as the evening dews cool the
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air and refresh the earth. It contributes very much to our
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fruitfulness in every thing that is good; it moistens the heart,
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and makes it tender and fit to receive the good seed of the word;
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as, on the contrary, <i>malice and bitterness</i> unfit us to
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receive it, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:1Pet.2.1" parsed="|1Pet|2|1|0|0" passage="1Pe 2:1">1 Pet. ii. 1</scripRef>. It
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is <i>as the dew of Hermon,</i> a common hill (for brotherly love
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is the beauty and benefit of civil societies), <i>and as the dew
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that descended upon the mountains of Zion,</i> a holy hill, for it
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contributes greatly to the fruitfulness of sacred societies. Both
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Hermon and Zion will wither without this dew. It is said of the dew
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that it <i>tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of
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men,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxiv-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Mic.5.7" parsed="|Mic|5|7|0|0" passage="Mic 5:7">Mic. v. 7</scripRef>. Nor
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should our love to our brethren stay for theirs to us (that is
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publican's love), but should go before it—that is divine love.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxiv-p9">IV. The proof of the excellency of
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brotherly love. Loving people are blessed people. For, 1. They are
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blessed of God, and therefore blessed indeed: <i>There,</i> where
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brethren dwell together in unity, <i>the Lord commands the
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blessing,</i> a complicated blessing, including all blessings. It
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is God's prerogative to command the blessing, man can but beg a
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blessing. Blessings according to the promise are commanded
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blessings, for he has commanded <i>his covenant for ever.</i>
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Blessings that take effect are commanded blessings, for <i>he
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speaks and it is done.</i> 2. They are everlastingly blessed. The
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blessing which God commands on those that dwell in love is <i>life
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for evermore;</i> that is the blessing of blessings. Those that
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dwell in love not only dwell in God, but do already dwell in
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heaven. As the perfection of love is the blessedness of heaven, so
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the sincerity of love is the earnest of that blessedness. Those
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that live in love and peace shall have the God of love and peace
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with them now, and they shall be with him shortly, with him for
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ever, in the world of endless love and peace. How good then is it,
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and how pleasant!</p>
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</div></div2> |