HOMILETICS. THE difficulty of treating this "alphabetical psalm" by any arrangement of its subject-matter must be apparent. An attempt has been made to gather its lessons nround the more prominent doctrine in its successive sections, and to give a separate treatment of those subjects which cannot be so well included in this way.
Vere. 1-24.-The blessedness of obedience. 'l'he first two verses of the psalm leave no mistake as to the nature of true obedience; it includes: 1. Integrity of heart. Sincerity, being" undefiled," seeking the favour end entering the service of God" with the whole heart" (ver, 10), with a spirit in which "is no guile." 2. Consistency of conduct. "Walking in the Law," "keeping his commandments;" it is" he that doeth righteousness that is righteous" (John). 3. Patient continua11C11 in well~oing. Making an earnest and sustained endeavour to do the will of Gou (ver. 4). Such genuine obedience is attended with great blessedness. I. !T INVOLVES PURITY OF HEART AND LIFE. "They do no iniquity: they walk in his ways" (ver. 3). Obedience is its O\\n reward, apart from any recompense it may secure. To be pure-hearted, to be true and faithful, to be un~el6sh and helpful, to be like our Lord in spirit and in character, to be living a life that 1s worthy and honourable in the si"ht 0 of God,-is not this the truest and the largest blessing? II. lT BBINOB SALVATION FROM EVIL, 1. From sin itself, whether in the heart or the lifo (ver. 11). 2. From the shame to which sin constantly conducts (ver. 6). 3, PBAT,MB-IU, l 114: THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. 0XIX, 1-176.
From Divine condemnation (ver. 21). 4. From the rebuke which comes from the lips of the Lord himself. III. IT IS THE SERVICE OF SACRED JOY. (Vers. 14, 16, 24; see also vers. 35, 47, 54, 103, 111, 127, 162.) Sweeter than honey to the taste, more precious than gold iu the heart's esteem, is the \Vord of God," the mind of Christ." The sweet substance will soon pall, the spoil will soon be spent, the much-prized wealth may become a snare; but the study of God's will, meditation upon the truth and grace of Jesus Christ, the welcome given by the heart to the heavenly hopes and the Divine consolations with which the pages of Holy Writ are studded, sitting at the feet of the great Teacher and learning of him,-this is the source of pure, unfailing, ever-deepenin<> joy. The acquisition of any kind of knowledge is pleasant to the mind, but the en~ichment of the soul by the reception of Divine wisdom means deep "delight," an intense satisfaction to the spirit. If such is the blessedness of obe<lience, we learn: 1. The excellency of steadfastness (vers. 5-10). How needful to have our feet" firmly fixed" in the way of life; to be saved from "wandering" firdt into byways and then into highways ?f evil I ~ence: 2. The wisdom of keeping an open mind (ver. 7), of realizing that there 1s something more to learn. Hence also: 3. The need for seriolll!, strenuous effort (vers. 4, 16), of being "diligent" in duty and of keeping the will of our Lord always before our mind, of continually refreshing our memory from his Word. Hence also: 4. The need for prayer (ver. 10). 5. 'fhe duty of teaching as well as learning (ver. 13). Such true and pure blessedness as we ourselves have gained, we should seek to p&"S on to other souls.
Vers. 25-48.-Spiritual enlargement. Throughout our whole life, as godly men, we have to recognize-- I. A. DOWNWARD TENDENCY. "My soul cleaveth to the dust" (ver. 25). Our eyes are inclined to " behold vanity" (ver. 37). There is that within us and that around ns which constitute a temptation to put our trust in man rather than in God, to seek our portion in worldly advantage rather than in the service and friendship of Christ, to allow ourselves to decline from a wise moderation to an unwise and even guilty indnlgcnce, to set our hearts on the things which are below and to be too little affected by the inheritance beyond. II. TIIE DIVINE POWER TO QUICKEN. "Quicken thou me" (vers. 25-40). God can "enlarge our heart" (ver. 32). By the incoming and indwelling of his Holy Spirit he can raise the thoughts and the hopes that are beginning to droop or to settle; he can so "enlarge" our sympathies and our affections that we love the best and take deep delight in the highest; he can so revive us that our spiritual languishing o.nd despondency pass into full acquiescence and cheerful hope (ver. 28), and we become strong for waiting and for action; he can so continuously affect us, and thus so establish us, that we shall abide in reverential service all our days (ver. 38). By these holy influences instilled into our soul, acting quietly but effectually on the hid<len springs of our nature, God "grants us his Law graciously" (ver. 29). Left to ourselves, we sink and suffer; upheld, quickened by God's renewing power, we walk in wisdom and in piety, nay, we rise Christwards, heavenwards. This is- IIL 'l'HE SPIRITUAL ENLARGEMENT WHICH ENSUES, It is found in many forms i it is active in many spheres. It includes: 1. Salvation from the worst evils. "Salvation" generally (ver. 41) from spiritual declension, which is an insidious and dangerous adversary; also from any sudden fall into sin and shame; and more particularly from "covetousness" (ver. 36), that evil spirit of selfishness which craves what God has not given, and issues in the strivings of an injurious ambition or in the mutiny of ·a dis- contented heart. 2. Whole-heartedness in obedience (ver. 34). All the powers and instincts of our nature lea<>ued in a holy alliance of obedienc~ to God. 3. Pn..-,~otness aod cheerfulness of obedie;ce. We should not only walk, but run in the way o(God's commandments (vers. 32, 60). Readiness and quickness to obey, in the little child, is the acceptable thin<> to the human parent: is it not equally so to the Divine? 4. Stead- fastness in holy ser~ice (verd. 31, 33, 34). 5. Liberty (ver. 45). Sin at its worst means utter slavery; godliness at ita best means perfect freedom. When we so love God's Law, when we are so filled with the desire to do the will of Christ and to please him, Uiat we fiud bis Word no sort of restraint upon us, that we move happily along thoso PB. OXIX. 1-176,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 115