V e.r. 3.-.A man's righteousness. "Righteousness" has come to be a sort of exclu- ,ively religious word; a theological word, with a connotation. fitting to a particular ~reed, over which learned men long have wrangled. Why cannot we let common aense win it for oommon, everyday uses? "Righteou~ness" is rightness, It is being right-right with God, and right with man, aud duing right because we are right. How to become right, and how to be right, are the supreme questions for all moral beings. Every great teacher who has ariseu in any age or any nation has set himself to answer these two questions; o.nd our Lord Jesus Christ, with Divine authority, answered them ia. his Sermon· on the Mount. He did a prophet's work in recalling men to tho spiritual conception of righteousness as heart-rightness inspiring life-right- ness, i.e. rightntss of conduct and relations. Possibly, in our text, the main idea of the word is beneficence, kindness to others. But this only presents righteousness on its side of relation to man; it has also a side of relation to God. lloth have to -be included. I. .A MAN'S BIGDTE0USNESS AS UAN CAN ESTIMATE IT, We have a human standard of rightness. It varies in expression; it is really everywhere the same. It is the standard of the best man of our nation or race. The psalmist said his goodness could stand the test of the "saints the.t are in the earth," but not the test of God. Man',1 igea of rightness includes purity, energy, and charity. II. .A MAN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS .AS THE MAN llIMSELF CAN ESTIMATE IT, There is a consciousness of rightness, a conscious will for the right and love of the right, which are a man's dignity and strength; whkh a man has a perfect right to cling to as his chief treasure. Job firmly says," 'l'ill I die I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go." DaviJ said," Judge me, 0 Lord, (l,CCording to my righteousness. and according to mino integrity that is in me." Anci 48 THE BOOK OF PSALMS, [PS. oxn. 1-10.
our Divine Lord, as a man, said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." A man's rightness is no sufficient basis for his acceptance with God but it is good so far as it goes. ' III. A :MAN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS AS fulD ESTIMATES IT, He knows the distinction between its accidenta.l and its essential features. He distinguishes the thina which appears from the foundation on which it rests. Rightness, judged by human st~ndards, may rest on a basis of self-self-pleasing and pride. Some men respect themselves too much _to do a wrong thing. But the highest type of rightness is built upon the ucogmt1on of fuld as the standard righteousness, who requires those who would do right to be "all glorious within." He asks for "truth in the inward parts."-R. T. Ver. 4.-Advantages of the good in times of calamity. "Unto the upricrht there ariseth light in the darkness." The illustration is taken from the beneficent and charitable man. Everybody is ready to help him when trouble assails bim. But a widely operating principle is illustrated in his case. The good man always has the best of it in the dark times of life. Spurgeon says, "He does not lean to injustice in order to ease himself, but, like a pillar, stands erect; and he shall be found eo standing when the ungodly, who ar,3 as a bowing wall and a tottering fence, shall lie in ruias. He will have his days of darkness; he may be sick and sorry, poor and pining, as well as others; his former riches may take to themselves wings and fly away, while even his righteousness may be cruelly suspected; thus the clouds may lower around him, but his gloom shall not last for ever, the Lord will bring him light in due season, for as surely as a good man's sun goes down, it shall rise again. If the darkness be caused by depression of spirit, the Holy Ghost will comfort him ; if by pecuniary loss or personal bereavement, the presence of Christ shall be his solace ; e.nd if by the cruelty e.nd malignity of men, the sympathy of the Lord shall be his support." 'l'he advantages of the good in times of calamity may be thus i □ dicated- L HE CANNOT BE LEFT ALONE. The self-contained man, who wishes to be left a.lone in his prosperity, must not wonder if be finds himself alone in his adversity. The dependent man, who leans on God in his success, will surely find that God is there, to be leaned upon, when his time of trouble arises. He who joins himseif to God finds himself everywhere with God. IL HE CANNOT LOSE WHAT BE VALUES MOST. All that human calamity can do is to affect our possessions and our circumstances-the things that we have; it bas no injurious power on the things that we QIT'e. Trouble cannot take a.way our faith in God, our loyalty to God, our joy in God. "The Lord is the Portion of mine inherit- ance," and no earthly calamity can take him away. "When heart and flesh fail, the Lord is the Strength of my henrt, e.nd my Portion for ever." III. HE CAN SEE LIGHT AND C.l;IEEB WHEN OTHERS OANNOT. Many were distressed about Daniel in the lions' den, but there was light in the darkness for him. St. l'e.ul and Silas were dark enough in the inner prison at Philippi, but there was light in the darkness, and, in the joy of it, they " prayed and sang praises unto God." St. Paul sees such e. shining forth on the darkness of his life-troubles, that he ce.n speak of " this light affliction, which is but for e. moment, e.nd worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."-R. T. Ver. 6.-The Bible use of the word "everlasting." This word is one which is used in common speech. Every one who speaks intensely is apt to speak extravagantly, and ficrures of speech are always capable of larger usage than the person who first employs them intended. Round the words "eternal,"" for ever," and" everlasting," Christian doctrines have gathered; the words have thus gained a precision of meaning; and it is difficult now to recover for them the simpler, colloquial meanings which belong to their common use in all languages. It is necessary to consider how we use the terms, if we would apprehend bow the Bible-writers use thel'.!1. We vow eternal friendship. We say we will never do things. But me.n has no nght to use such terms, save aa €Xpressions of intense feeling. I. " EVEB.L.A.STING" IS A FIGUBE FOB A PROLONGED PERIOD. "For eternal remem- brance," i.e. for e.U future time, as long as man can remember anything, "the memory of the just is blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot," When e. thing goes Oil 1•s. cxn 1-10.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS.