Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_200.lzh/4_261.TXT

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out as charges another day, and to the condemnation
of men; should he set them before him in the light of
his countenance, and not cast them behind his back
and into the dephs of the sea; should he visit for
them in a way of wrath, or enter into judgment on
account of them, with men in their own persons; de-
manding satisfaction for them at their own hands,
without any regard to the sacrifice and satisfaction of
his son; all a man's righteousness, repentance, humilia-
tion and tears, would stand him in no stead, would
not answer for him, or atone for his sins; still his
iniquities would remain marked before God; the con-
sequence of which would be eternal damnation, Jer.
ii. 22. 0 Lord, who shall stand ? Not one; since all are
sinners. The Arabic version adds, before thee; in his
presence; in the house and courts of God, there to
minister before him; to pray and praise, to preach and
hear: or at his bar hereafter, with any boldness and
confidence; so as to litigate the point with him in his
court of judicature, before angels and men, and so as
to carry the cause; the wicked shall not stand in judg-
ment, Psal. i. 5. Or who can stand before his vindic-
tive justice, or bear his wrath and vengeance? No one
can. See Nahum i. 6. Mal. iii. 2. Rev. vi. 17.
Ver. 4. But there isforbriveness with thee, &c.] And
with God only; not with angels, nor any of the sons
of men; and which flows from his grace and mercy,
through the blood of his son. It appears to be with
him by his*promise of it in covenant; by appointing
his son to shed his blood for it, and exaltlag him as a
Saylout to give it; by proclaiming it in the Gospel;
and by the numerous instances of it, both trader the
Old and under the New Testament. Or, there is a
propitiation with thee; as the Septuagint and Vulgate
Latin versions render it: God had found out Christ to
be the propitiatory sacrifice for sin, and the ransom
of his people; and set him forth in his purposes and
decrees for that end; and which was made known by
tlm sacrifices of the law, typical of it; and in the
fulness of time he sent him to be the propitiation for
it, and he is become so; and has made reconciliation
for sin, and reconciled his people to God by the suffer-
ings of death; and reconciled all the divine perfections
of justice and holiness, grace and mercy, together, in
the salvation of men; and is now an advocate
the Father for them, pleading the propitiatory sacrifice
of himself before him. That thou mayest be feared;
were it not foc pardon, and the hope of it, men would
be desperate; and, having no hope, would resolve upon
taking their swing of sin, and be entirely negligent of
the worship and service of God: was there no forgive-
ness of sin, there would be no more fear of God among
men than there is among devils, for whom there is no
forgiveness; there might be dread and trembling, as
among them, but no godly fear: yea, if God was
strictly to mark iniquity, and not pardon it, there
would be none to fear him, all must be condemned
and cut off by him; but, in order to secure and preserve
his fear among men, he has taken the step he has
to pardon sin through the propitiatory sacrifice of his
son; and a discovery, and an application of his grace,
teaches men to fear to offend him; influences. them to
serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear,
and engages them to fear him and his goodness, and
him for his goodness-sake, Titus ii. 11, l2. Heb.i xii.
8. Hos. iii. &
Ver. 5. I wait for the Lord, &c.] For his gracious
presence and the light of his countenance, being in
darkness, as well as in the deep,; for his salvation and
deliverance out of the depths of distress; for an answer
of prayer, having cried unto him for application of par-
doning grace he had some view and hopes of; and for
the' performance of promises the Lord had made to
him; and for eternal glory and happiness: all which
are to be patiently and quietly waited for, God having
his set time to do them; and may be confidently ex-
pected, since he is gracious and merciful, wise and
powerful, faithful and immutable. David might also
be waiting for the coming of Christ, as all the Old-
Testament saints did; through whom all the above
are enjoyed. My soul doth wait; which ,hews
was not mere bodily service. or waiting upon
God and for him in an external way; but expresses the
intensehess of his mind, the earnest desires of his heart
after God, his affection for him, and the exercise of
all other graces on him; his whole soul, and all the
powers of it, were engaged in this work. And in his
word do I hope: both in his essential Word the Mes-
siah, who was the Hope of Israel as well as the Saviour
of them; the object, ground, and foundation of hope,
of all blessings, of grace and of glory: and in Iris word
of promise concerning the coming of Christ, and sal-
vation by him; concerning the pardon of sin through
him, and eternal life by him; as well as in many other
special and particular promises made to David, con-
cerning himself, his family, and his kingdom. Arama
and Kimchi interpret it of the promise of deliverance
from captivity made to the Jews.
Vet. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord, &c.] This is
repeated for the confirmation of it, and to shew the
vehement and constant disposition of his mind towards
the Lord; as well as for the sake of what follows:
more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more
than they that watch for the morning; or, more than the
morning-watchers, that watch for or until the morning a;
than watchmen of cities, or the keepers of the wails,
as Aben Ezra; those who are upon the last morning-
watch, and are looking out for the morning-light;
that they may go off from duty, and lie down and
sleep: or than those that sit up with sick persons;
who, being solitary and melancholy, as well as want
sleep, long for the morning, that they may have some
refreshment: or rather than the priests 'and Levites
that watched in the temple, that waited for the morn-
ing, that they might be relieved by others; or else than
those of that function, who were very diligent to ob-
serve the break of day, that they might enter upon
their morning-sacrifices; of which are many instances
in the Misnah{l}. So the Targum," more than they
"that observe the morning-watches, _w,,hich they ob-
"serve to offer up the morning-sacrifice: and Ki mchi's
paraph.rase is, "who rise in the morning-watches to
"pray." The coming of Christ is said to be as the
morning; and the tight of God's countenance is corn-

{h} So Junius & Tremellius, Musculus, Cocceius.                                                     I See Misu. Yoraa) e. 3. s. i. & Tamld~ c. 3. s. 2.
{i} See Misn. Yoma, c. 3. s. 1. & Tamid, c. 3. s. 2.