EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS (3)

Verse 6.—“That seek thy face, O Jacob.” In Prov. vii. 15, and xxix. 26, we have “seeking the face of” in the sense of seeking the favour of, or showing delight in. Their delight is not in Esau, who got “the fatness of earth” (Gen. xxvii. 39) as his portion. And those writers may be right who consider Jacob as a name for Messiah, to whom belong the true birthright and blessing.—Andrew A. Bonar.

Verse 6.—“That seek thy face, O Jacob.” He is “the seed of Jacob;” he is “the Holy One of Israel;” “the face of thine Anointed” is the face of him who is both God and man; for “we shall see him as he is.”—Isaac Williams.

Verse 6.—“O Jacob,” or, O God of Jacob. As the church is called Christ (1 Cor. xii. 12), so God is here called “Jacob;” such a near union there is betwixt him and his people. Or, this is Jacob. So the true seekers are fitly called, first, because Israelites indeed (John i. 47; Rom. ix. 6); secondly, because they see God face to face, as Jacob did at Peniel (Gen. xxxii. 24-30); thirdly, because they also, as he, do bear away a blessing (Hos. xii. 4), even “righteousness from the God of their salvation,” as in the verse aforegoing.—John Trapp.

Verse 7.—“Lift up your heads, O ye gates.” The gates of the temple were indeed as described, very lofty and magnificent, in proportion to the gigantic dimensions of that extraordinary edifice. But the phrase, “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.—Robert Jamieson, in Paxton’s “Illustrations of Scripture.”

Verse 7.—“Lift up your heads, O ye gates.” At the castle of Banias, in Syria, are the remains of an ancient gate which was drawn up, like a blind, the gate fitting in grooves. This will fully explain the term.—John Gadsby.

Verse 7.—“Lift up.” A phrase or term taken from triumphal arches or great porticoes, set up, or beautified and adorned for the coming in of great, victorious, and triumphant captains.—John Diodati.

Verse 7.—“Be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Some interpret this of the doors of our heart, according to that (Rev. iii. 20), “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,” etc. In the gospel history, we find that Christ had a fourfold entertainment among men. Some received him into house, not into heart, as Simon the Pharisee (Luke vii. 44), who gave him no kiss nor water to his feet; some into heart, but not into house, as the faithful centurion (Matt. viii. 8), esteeming himself unworthy that Christ should come under his roof; some neither into house nor heart, as the graceless Gergesites (Matt. viii. 34); some both into house and heart, as Lazarus, Mary, Martha. John iii. 15; Luke x. 38. Now that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, and that our bodies may be temples of his Holy Spirit, we must as our prophet exhorts here, lift up our souls, that is, in the words of St. Paul (Col. iii. 2), our affections must be set on things which are above, and not on things which are on earth: if we desire to lift up our hearts unto Christ’s verity, we may not lift them up unto the world’s vanity; that is, we must not fasten our love too much upon the things of this life, but on those pleasures at God’s right hand which are evermore; that as we have borne the image of the first Adam, who was earthly, so we should bear the image of the second Adam, which is heavenly. 1 Cor. xv. 49. The prophane worldling sings a Nunc dimittis unto Christ, and saith as the devils, “Ah! what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Narazeth?” (Mark i. 24); and as Job reports his words, “Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.” Job xxi. 14. On the contrary, the religious soul, enjoying the possession of the Saviour, chanteth a merry Magnificat, and a pleasant Te Deum: she saith unto Christ, as Ruth unto Naomi (Ruth i. 16), “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee.” Nay, death itself shall not part us, for when I am loosed out of my body’s prison, I hope to be with Christ; as Ittai then unto David, I say unto Jesus, “As the Lord liveth, and as my Lord the king liveth, surely in what place the lord my king shall be, whether in death, or life, even there also will thy servant be.” 2 Sam. xv. 21. O Lord, which art the God of my salvation, I lift my heart to thee, desirous to seek thee, both in the right ubi—where thou mayst be found, and in the right quando—while thou mayst be found. Psalm xviii. 47; xxv. 1. Open my dull ears and hard heart, that thy Son my Saviour may come in and dwell with me. Grant me grace that I may still hear while he calleth, open while he knocketh, and hold him also when I have him; that I may both ascend thine hill, and stand in thine holy places; that I may not only sojourn in thy tabernacle, but also rest and dwell upon the mountain of thine holiness.—John Boys.

Verse 7.—“Everlasting doors.” Heaven’s gates are called “everlasting,” because they shall endure for ever, or because they be the doors unto the life which is everlasting.—John Boys.

Verse 7.—Whatever we may think of these things, David thought it high time for him to bid such a messenger welcome, and to open his heart for the receiving his God. Hear what he saith to his own heart and others: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” And because the door of men’s hearts is locked, and barred and bolted, and men are in a deep sleep, and will not hear the knocking that is at the gate, though it be loud, though it be a king; therefore David knocks again, “Lift up, ye everlasting doors.” Why, what haste, saith the sinner? What haste? Why, here’s the King at your gates; and that not an ordinary king neither; he is a glorious King, that will honour you so far, if you open quickly, as to lodge within, to take up his abode in your house, to dwell with you. But the soul for all this doth not yet open, but stands still questioning, as if it were an enemy rather than a friend that stood there, and asks, “Who is this King of glory?” Who? He answers again, “It is the Lord of Hosts;” he, that if you will not open quickly and thankfully too, can easily pull your house down about your ears; he is the Lord of hosts, that King who hath a mighty army always at his command, who stand ready for their commission, and then you should know who it is you might have had for your friend; “Lift up, therefore, your heads, O ye gates.” Open quickly, ye that had rather have God for your friend than for your enemy. Oh, why should not the soul of every sinner cry out, Lord, the door is locked, and thou hast the key; I have been trying what I can do, but the wards are so rusty that I cannot possibly turn the key? But, Lord, throw the door off the hinges, anything in the world so thou wilt but come in and dwell here. Come, O mighty God, break through doors of iron, and bars of brass, and make way for thyself by thy love and power. Come, Lord, and make thyself welcome; all that I have is at thy service; O fit my soul to entertain thee!—James Janeway.

Verse 7.—He hath left with us the earnest of the Spirit, and taken from us the earnest of our flesh, which he hath carried into heaven as a pledge that the whole shall follow after.—Tertullian.

Verse 7.—Christ is gone to heaven as a victor; leading sin, Satan, death, hell, and all his enemies in triumph at his chariot wheels. He has not only overcome his enemies for himself, but for all his people, whom he will make conquerors, yea, “more than conquerors.” As he has overcome, so shall they also overcome; and as he is gone to heaven a victor, they shall follow in triumph. He is in heaven as a Saviour. When he came from heaven it was in the character of a Saviour; when on earth he obtained eternal salvation; in heaven he lives as a Saviour; when he comes again from heaven he will come as a Saviour; and when he will return, he will return as a Saviour. He is also gone to heaven as the rightful heir. He is not gone to heaven as a sojourner, but as “the heir of all things.” He is the heir of heavenly glory and happiness, and believers are “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.”—Henry Pendlebury, 1626-1695.

Verse 7.—“O clap your hands together, all ye people; sing unto God with the voice of melody. God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump.” Psalm xlvii. 1, 5. This Ark, which has saved the world from destruction, after floating on a deluge of blood, rests at length on the mountain. This innocent Joseph, whose virtue had been oppressed by the synagogue, is brought out of the dungeon to receive a crown. This invincible Samson has carried away the gates of hell, and goes in triumph to the everlasting hills. This victorious Joshua has passed over Jordan with the ark of the covenant, and takes possession of the land of the living. This Sun of righteousness, which had gone down ten degrees, returns backward to the place which it had left. He who was “a worm” at his birth, a Lamb in his passion, and a Lion in his resurrection, now ascends as an Eagle to heaven, and encourages us to follow him thither. This day heaven learns to endure man’s presence, and men to walk above the stars; the heavenly Jerusalem receives its rightful King, the church its High Priest, the house of God its Heritor, the whole world its Ruler. “O sing praises, sing praises unto our God: O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.” Psalm xlvii. 6-8. “God reigneth over the heathen, God sitteth upon his holy seat.” “The princes of the people are joined unto” him; “he is very highly exalted” above them.—From “The Life of Jesus Christ in Glory,” translated from the French of James Nouet.

Verses 7, 8.—Christ being now arrived at heaven’s doors, those heavenly spirits that accompanied him began to say, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in!” to whom some of the angels that were within, not ignorant of his person, but admiring his majesty and glory, said again, “Who is the King of glory?” and then they answered, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle;” and thereupon those twelve gates of the holy city, of new Jerusalem, opened of their own accord, and Jesus Christ with all his ministering spirits entered in. O my soul, how should this heighten thy joy and enlarge thy comforts, in that Christ is now received up into glory? Every sight of Christ is glorious, and in every sight thou shouldst wait on the Lord Jesus Christ for some glorious manifestations of himself. Come, live up to the rate of this great mystery; view Christ as entering into glory, and thou wilt find the same sparkles of glory on thy heart. Oh! this sight is a transforming sight: “We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. iii. 18.—Isaac Ambrose.

Verses 7, 8.—Ye that are thus the living temples of the Lord, and have already entertained his sanctifying Spirit into you, do you lift up your hearts in the use of holy ordinances through faith, in joyful desires and assured expectation of him; yea, be you abundantly lift up by faith in the use of holy means, who are the everlasting habitation of an everlasting God, with a joyful and assured welcome of him; for so shall you invite and undoubtedly entertain the high and mighty Potentate, the Lord Christ into your souls, with the glorious manifestation and ravishing operation of his love, benefits, and graces. And know, O all ye faithful and obedient ones, for your courage and comfort, who, and of what quality this glorious King, the Lord Jesus is, whom the world despises but you honour. Why, he is the Almighty God, of power all-sufficient to preserve and defend his people and church, that in trust of him do love and serve him, against all the strength and power of men and devils that do or shall malign or oppose themselves against them, and to put them to the foil, as we his Israel in the letter have found by experience for your instruction and corroboration that are his people in spirit.—George Abbot, in “Brief Notes upon the whole Book of Psalms,” 1651.