Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 134
The cxxxiv. PSALM.
David being a man of fervour and affection in the service of God, gives a watch-word to the watch-men of the Temple, the Priests and Levites, and in them to gospel-Ministers, not regardlesly to passe over their duties, but to be imployed for the whilst, as Christ himself is for ever, in praying for the people and Church of God, and blessing both God and them, and that in a proportionable zeal here, to Christ and his saints in heaven, in their respective imployments there.
See the title of the 120 Psalm.Psalm cxxxiv. A song of degrees.
1 YOu that are by the special appointment and ordination1BEhold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. of God chosen (as Christ himself) from among all your brethren, and preferred to the honour of sanctuarie-administration continually in his presence, consider the place you hold, whom and what you personate, even Jesus Christ in his Priestly office at the right hand of God, who ever liveth to make intercession and offer thanks-givings for his Church to his father, have that allwayes in your eie, and be active suitably, stand not idle in your offices, nor keep not sleepie centry in the sanctuarie, but as your turns come to watch, do service there as well night as day, rouse up your spirits, call to mind the moral meaning of your imployments, which is to improve your nearer interest in God (by virtue of your offices) for the good of his Church and people, as Christ does in heaven, continually through Christ presenting to God in the Churches behalf the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanks-giving for his mercies vouchsafed, together with prayers and supplications for the continuation and constant gracious dispensation of them still as there is need.
2Lift up your hands in the sanctuarie: and bless the Lord.2 I say again busie and lay out your selves in those sacred and religious imployments of praise and prayer, neither idle nor nifle out your time and Turn in the sanctuarie, nor yet with formalitie or hypocrisie do you do your service to him, as bare pretenders, but as holy and real performers, clap your wings in your night-watches, let your hearts be in heaven, and your hands in token of the fervour of your spirits lifted up thitherwards, and so bless the Lord not betwixt sleeping and waking, but with the whole soul and bodie too, considering he whom you worship is a spirit, and his proper place of residence is above in the heavens, whose service there for condiscention sake you personate in the sanctuarie here in types & shadows, wherein you must not stick, but by them mount up higher, even to him where he is in spirit and faith externally manifested by suitable comportment of bodily action and expression, such as are significant and adorative, commensurable to Gods glorie and greatness, your own hearts puritie, faith and fervour, and the Divine condition of the Church-Triumphant in heaven.
3 Your office is double faced upward and downward,3The Lord that made heaven & earth bless thee out of Sion. you are in Christs stead like Jacobs ladder, on which and by which blessings are to ascend and descend, for as you are the mouth of the Church and people of God, to offer him their thanks and praises, blessing him continually in their behalfs, (as Christ does the father for the elect;) so likewise are you to be the mouth of God down to his people to bless them from him, which doubtless is as an honourable, so a full imployment, if you set your selves to do it as it ought to be done with that zeal and reverence the Church oweth to her head, and with that delight and love, the head hath in and to his bodie and fellow-members. Pray therefore for, and as presenting the person of Jesus Christ that effectual mediatour, in his name also faithfully bless ye the Israel of God that do worship him in Sion, his place of residence, with the blessings of his special protection and salvation who is the onelyonly true God, and Allmighty master of heaven and earth.