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SEAM.
EMI
HERE
AND
HEREAFTER.
227
when
he
had been
meditating
on
his
past and
present
circumstances
in this
respect,
both
what
he
enjoyed
here-
tofore, and what
he was
deprived
of
now,
he
breaks
out
into a
divine
rapture
:
As
the
hart
panteth
after
Me
water-
brooks,
so
panteth
my
soul
after
thee, O God.
And
he
goes
on
to
describe the frame
of
his
spirit
in this
holy
song,:
The substance
and sense
of
the whole psalm
is,
as
it
were,
epitomized and
drawn
up into these
few
words; when shall
I
come and
appear
before
.God
?
I
shall
not
spend time
to shew
in how
many senses
man may
be
said
to
appear
before
God; but
shall:
content
myself
to say,
that
in this place
it
signifies
attendance on
public-
worship,
in
the
place
where
it
was
usually
cele-
brated and performed.
In
the
words
of
the Psalmist
we
may
find
the temper
of
his
heart
expressed under these
two
general heads.
I.
A
belief of
the special presence
of
God
in his
ordi-
nances
of
pu
blic-worship.
II.
An
earnest
longing
after
them on
that
account.
I
shall
enlarge
a
little
on
each of
these,
and
make
re-
marks
as
I
go
along,
under
each
head.
First,
The
words express David's
firm
belief
of
the
special presence
of
God
in his
ordinances, insomuch
that
he calls
an
attendance
on them,
an appearance. before
God.
We
are
always in
the
view
of
God, and
every,
creature
is
naked and open
in his sight,
and
for ever
ap-
pears
before
him as
the all-seeing and
all-knowing
Crea-
tor
and governor
of
all
things;
but it
is
a
peculiar,
a
gracious,
and
favourable
presence
of God that
belongs
to
his
sanctuary;
his
appointed worship; God
is
taking
special
notice of our
carriage toward
him,
and
manifest-
ing
his
designs
of
special mercy towards
us.
David
well
knew this,
that
the
great
end
of
appointing
public
-
worship,
was,
that
there might
be
a communica-
tion
between
God
and
man, who were
so
dreadfully
se-
parated
by
sin
:
He
knew
the
gracious promise,
that
where
God
recorded
his
name
there
would
he
come
and
meet
his
people,
and
bless
them,
Ex.
xx.
24\
He
knew
what sensible
tokens
of
divine .presence were found
in
the sanctuary
;
there
was
the
ark of
God, and the
mercy
-seat
that
covered
it,
upon
which
God
dwelt in
a
bright
shining cloud between
the golden cherubim, to
signify his dwelling
in
light among
.
the glorious
.angels
Q