The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 6

HOMILIES BY VA.RIO US AUTHORS. Vers. 1-43.- Merefore men should praise the Lord. Such is the theme of tb.ili glorious psalm. "It contains the thanksgiving of exiles (ver. 3) apparently not yet returned to Jerusalem, but already escaped from the thraldom of Babylon." Note- I. lTs GlcNERAL LESSONS. 1. It teUs of present earthly troubles. '!'hey were such as the returning ex:iles had met with, for Babylon was not the alone place of exile. There bad been weary wanderings in the barren, waterless, and burnino- deserts· cruel and hopeless ~mp_:isonment i sickness nigh unto death; perils by sea (cf. Jer. x;i. 15; xl. 12; Da.n. IX. 1). And 1t repeatedly declares the rea.l ea.use of human troubles- the wickedness of men. 2. It warrants our praying for deliverance from auch troubles. It tells how all the troubled ones did this. And, indeed, it is an instinct in ma.n to thus pray. 3. It promises that God will answer such p1·ayers. "He delivered them" is four times affirmed (vers. 6, 13, 19, 28). 4. It demands that therefore men should praise the Lord. It expresses a. lunging desire that men should do this, but also 11 tacit confession that many of them would not. These are the lessons that lie on tbo surface of the psalm. But are they true? Consider, therefore-- II. THE QUESTION OF THEIR TRUTHl•'OLNESS. 1. The psalmist had no doubt about it. But in our day many doubt it much. They say all these troubles come to men now, and instead of deliverance such as is here affirmed as ever taking place in answer to prayer, there is in the majority of such cases no deliverance at all. 2. Calvi1i argues (see Perowne, in Zoe.) that no doubt the most do perish, but, then, all deserved to; therefore if any are saved it is by the great mercy of God: God was not bound to save any of them. But how can any thoughtful soul be ~atisfied with such reply? It is like Calvin, but all unlike the teaching of Christ. 3. The true reply is, that God answers prayer in different ways. He will ever give the best thing-of which he only can be the Judge-but that may not be the thing we cry for. A.nd when be does literally deliver, it is rarely by interfering with natural laws, but rather is it by suggesting to men's minds bow they may work out their own deliverance. He teaches them here to use the laws of nature so as to win what they desire ; but he does not miraculoW!ly set those laws aside. It is true God ever answers sincere prayer, but not that he does so in the literal, direct way which the psalmist believed. But if we allow ourselves, as we surely may, to regard these distresses as patterns and images of spiritual distresses, then the declarations of the psalm are absolutely true. Therefore consider- IJI. ITs SPIRITUAL SUGGESTIONS. 1. That in these earthly troubles we have such aa are spiritual faith/ully represented. 2. That we may and should pray for delfrerance from them. 3. That such prayer shall be surely answered. 4. That then it ia nur }ounden duty t,o praise the Lord. " Whoso is wise will consider these things, and " etc. (ver. 43).-S. C. Ver. 8.-Praise, its deBirabl,eness, absence, and source. Thie psalm one of those mauy Scriµtures which show God'11 mindfulness of the needs, not alone ?f one Ian~ and age, but of all. For see what variety of condition, character, occup:i.t1on, experience, are portrayed in this one psalm-the desert, the city, the sea, the prison, the traveller, the exile, the sailor, the disease-stricken, the captive, the storm-tossed, t_be res?l)tld. And thus it is that all men, of all ages and all lands, may find, whatever their cond1t1on, in this blessed book that which meets their case, which seems written for just such as  rs. evil. 1-43.] TllE BOOK 01'' PSALMS. 7