beautiful garments" of faith and zeal, and sending out their messeno-ers to the ends of the earth. lie sees the truth a_nd mercy of God printed in every known language on the globe; he sees the prophecies of the Old Testament and the New in the very oct of fulfilment; ~e has reason to say, with a heart full of hope and joy, "Praise the Lord, all ye nations." III. ITB PERPETUITY, "To all generations;" or, "for ever." At least seventy generations have come and gone since this psalm was written, and eighteen centuries have passed since Jesus Christ brought" grace and truth" to the world in his own Person. And this Divine wisdom shows no other signs of age than thoRe of maturity and advancement. There iB no fear as to its future; for it comes from God, and it meets the deep needs of man. It brings pardon for his sin, peace to his burdened heart, comfort in his sorrow, sanctity to his joy, steadfastness for the time of temp- tation, nobility to his life, hope in the solemn hour of death. With whatever humanity can dispense, it cannot do without the mercy and the truth of God as these are revealed and secured by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1, 2.-The dozology. This is the shortest psalm, but it is long enough to show- I. THAT THERE IB ONE SUPREME OBJECT OF WORSHIP FOR ALL MEN. It is Jehovah, the Lord. He and he alone. 'l'hree times in this short psalm is this affirmed. 1. The atheism-by whatever name it is called-of the day denies this, saying, either God does not exist, or, if he does, we cannot know it. 2. Fulso ideas of the Trinity practically deny this. Many Christians are tri-theists, though unconsciously. But such error is not the less harmful on that account. 3. The doctrine of God as given iii the whole Bi'ble never teaches other than the unity of God. " Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.'' The human race is one in its moral condition-sin; in its need-a Saviour; in its consciousness of both these facts. One God, one Saviour, should be worshipped by all. II. 'l'HAT THERE 1B ONE DUTY INCUMBENT ON ALL-THE PRAISE OF THE LORD. It is not in many things that all can unite; but they can, and one day will, in this. And we should seek to begin this now. It is due to God ; he deserves as well as desire~ and demands it. It is full of ble~sing to ourselves. Prayer is good, but praise is better still. And it blesses others. 'l'be spirit of praise is winsome, for "praise is comely." In the walls of the city of God its gates are praise (Isa. Ix. 18). We go in that way, and draw others to go in with us. JII. THAT THERE 1B ONE ARGUMENT AND MOTIVE WHIOH WILL CONVIN0E .ALL-WHAT OUR GoD IB. He has not merely kindness, but merciful kindness. And it is great; no insignificant and occasional thing. And it is " toward us ; " not 11, mere &bstraction, but a positive reality. And he is ever faithful and true; his righteousness endureth for ever. Not mercy without truth, nor truth without mercy. Alone, neither would have saved us. But together they constitute the salvation of God. They who know it will praise the Lord.-S. O.
Ver. 1.-God in national life. "Laud him, all ye people" (Revised Version). This psalm was called by the Puritans the "Dunbar Psalm," because Cromwell, the lord- general, when at the foot of Doon Hill, after the battle of Dunbar, made a halt, and sang this psalm, "till the horse could gather for the chase." It is agreed that it is a kind of doxology, and was used either at the beginning or at the close of a liturgical service; somewhat as we use, "Glory be to the Father," eto. It was the one most distinctive characteristic of the Jews that they were keen to recognize the preseoco and working of God in their national life. 'l'he tendency of no.tions is to distinguish between politics and religion. The tendency of sentimental religion is to keep aloof from politics. The true idea. is exhibited in the Jewish national life at its beet. The freest scope for all mdividual statesmanship and patriotism, combineu with the ever- cherished conviction that God was in all, using all, inspiring all, and overruling nlL 88 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. tPs. CX'1II, 1, 2.
Je,dsh politics and religion were one thing. Moses' revelation from God was as truly national as religious. So far as the Jews had a universal mission, a witness to make t,o "all p~oples," it was of the one and only God in their national life, who ought to be recognized as the God of every national life. We can trace God in the history that is prrst; we may find him in the hiswry that is now in the ma!cing. To that recognition or God in the present this psalm calls men. "The God of the whole earth shall he be called." Monotheism involves (l) the universal claim of God to be every nation's God; (2) the determined opposition to every form in which the notion of deity is localized. The one God is all men's God. The psalm declares that this should be the occasion of universal rejoicing; because, being what he is, this one God meets every conceivable need of all men. I. Men need AN INFALLIBLE DIRECTOR OF CONDUCT. This one God is the Ruler of all, gniding all "with his eye." • II. Men need A VINDICATOR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS in whom they may have absolute confidence. This one God is the Judge of all, the holy Avenger of all the wronged. !If. Men need .A RESCUER .AND DELIVERER to whom in every sense of sin and peril they may flee. This one God is the Saviour of all. These are universal human peculiarities found in every nation. So every nation wants the one God.-R. T.