HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-11.-True and false worship. In strong, nervous language we have here presented to us- L THE llAJEBTY AND THE POWER OF Goo. (Ver. 3,) The heathen, in their ignor- ance want to know where Jehovah is; they cannot see him. The reply is that he does'not dwell in temples made with hands; that he is not confined to one building, larger or smaller; that no earthly trappiugs or gr~ndeurs in a_ny sacre~ city give anr ,,ution of his state. "Our God is in the heavens; he dwells m celestial glory; he 1s I'S, cxv. 1-18.] 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 63 ---------------------------------- high above us; hie throne is not found here or there, but everywhere; beneath every sky you may look up and say, "God reigns on high." But not only does majesty belong to him, all power is his. "He bath done whatsoever he bath pleased." The psalmist docs not state, but he suggests, that everything the idols could not do wa~ within the power of the living God. He was speaking to men everywhere and at all times-in the sunshine and in the storm, in the dew and in the snow, in the con- sciences of men, in the words of his prophets, in the divinely given Law. He saw all things and all men: "His eyes beheld, and hie eyelids tried, the children of men." He heard everything; to his ears came the faintest whisper that proceeded from the lip. of the lowliest, as well as the songs of the great congregation. He wrought every- thing; his bands fashioned us ourselves, and made all things about and above and beneath us: be "lays his hand upon us," to inspire and renew us. And though it never pleases God, and never can please him, to do anything that is unholy or unjust or unkind, yet is thero no limit to bis power. "All thing~ are possible" to him. The spheres of nature, providence, and grace supply ample evidence that apparent impossibilities give way before his Divine wisdom and overcoming might. 11. THE FOLLY AND THE DOOM OF THE IDOLATER. (Vera. 2, 4-8.) 1. He thinks that God cannot be anywhere because his eyes have not rested on his form (ver. 2). 2. lie continues to worship an image which owes its existence to his own cunning (ver. 4), and which cannot use its own organs (vers. 4-7), which are helpless and powerless (see Isa. xliv. 9-20). 3. He is destined to be miserably disappointed in the object of his trust; he will gain no help in his time of need, and, being thus unbe- friended, he will himself lose heart and strength ; the impotence or the idol will be conveyed to its deluded worshipper. 4. He will become like his idol in the moral character he ascribes to the deity. "Like priest, like people" is not so true an adago as" Like god, like people." Men always tend to become such, in character and life, as is the deity they adore. lll. THE PBlVILEGE AND THE DUTY OF THE DEVOUT. (Vera. 9-11.) The wor- shippers of the true and living God: 1. Have at their right hand an Almighty Friend, one who (1) will enable them to spend their powers and their life in usefulness and happiness,-God is their Help; (2) will be their Defence in time of trouble, '1,uard- ing them from evil, or sustaining them in sorrow,-God is their Shield. 2. Should place in him an unfaltering trust. It becomes all the people of God (ver. 9), especi- ally all those who hold any position of prominence in Israel (ver. 10), and particularly those who know and who declare themselves to be his servants, to put their trust in him. It is a painful spectncle when the avowed children of God begin, even at the very outbreak of trouble, to show signs of agitation and alarm. That does not "become the gospel" (Phil. i. 27); it does not "become saints" (Eph. v. 3). It is unworthy of those to whom Christ has spoken such words as those he uttered (Matt. vi. 25-34 ; xxviii. 20; John xiv. 1, 2, 21-23). IV. PIETY IN ITS MATURITY. (Ver. 1.) We may begin our Christian life by an earnest craving for the salvation of our own soul. Later on, when we have learnt some- thing of the wisdom which is in Christ, we make our personal hope second and subor- c.linato to the glory of Christ. We pray that his great and holy Name may be magni- fied. We are willing to be nothing, that he may be all in all. 1. Because of nil that we have experienced of his mercy and his truU1-the mercy that redeemed and restored us, the truth that bas nourished and strengthened us-we long and pray for this. 2. In order that his mercy and his truth may be extended to every land and every home, this is our prl\yer. We may test thtl progress we have made in our Christian course by the unselfishness, the Christwardness, of our devotion.
Vers. 12-18.-God', practical kindness, past and future. Much as is said in ver. 12, more is implied. Written in full, it would read thus: "The Lord has been mind- ful of us: he has blessed us; he will still be mindful of us, and will still bless us." Wehave- L Go»'s GREAT KINDNl!:BB IN TIIE PAST. 1. His thoughtfulness of us. He has hnd us in his mind, has "remembered us in our low estate," has been concerned for our true welfare, has rejoiced in our well-being, has sympathized with us in our sorrows. ~. His action on our behalf. He has bles:;ed us; he has given to us a great estate- 64 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS, OXV, 1-18,