_The majesty of God’s kingdom.—The church rejoiceth at God’s judgments
upon idolaters.—An exhortation to godliness and gladness._
The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles
be glad _thereof_.
Clouds and darkness _are_ round about him: righteousness and judgment
_are_ the habitation of his throne.
A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw and trembled.
The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence
of the LORD of the whole earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his
glory.
Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves
of idols: worship him, all _ye_ gods.
Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced, because
of thy judgments, O LORD.
For thou, LORD, _art_ high above all the earth: thou art exalted far
above all gods.
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his
saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in
heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance
of his holiness.
This also, like the preceding, is a prophecy concerning Christ and his
kingdom; and the sum of it is to proclaim, that Christ establishes and
strengthens his spiritual kingdom by the gospel; wherein he preaches
repentance, and whereby his lightnings and thunders terrify the whole
world, and cause the mountains to melt like wax before the fire of his
face: that is, by the gospel he condemns, casts down, and humbles all
human righteousness, human wisdom, and human patience, throughout the
world, and brings down every thing that is high and lifted up; as
Isaiah saith, chapter 3, “And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that
day.” For Christ alone is our “righteousness, our sanctification, and
our redemption,” and that by the counsel of God, as it is written,
“There is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved,
but Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Together also with these enemies of the gospel and these mountains of
the world, the ceremonial kingdom of the Jews perisheth, and all the
outward worship of the law, and, indeed, every thing that is not in
Christ. For he (as the apostle Paul saith, Col. i.) “in all things
hath the pre-eminence.” And again, “For there is one Mediator between
God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.” And so also, in Daniel, The stone
cut out of the mountain filled the world, and broke in pieces all
other kingdoms.