Vers. 17-24.-The sours longing unto God's Word. Such seems to be the theme of this third section of this psalm. This longing is shown- I. IN nrs DESIRE FOR Goo's CRIEF MERCIES ONLY THAT RE MAY KEEP Goo's WORD. If most of us were called on to fill up this ver. 17 after the word "and," what should we insert? Most desire to live and have God's bounty, that they may ~et rich and become prosperous or achieve some other earthly good. But the psalmist desires God's bounty and life only that, etc. What an estimate of that Word does such prayer show I II. IN ms PRAYER FOR OPEN VISION. (Ver. 18.) He desires this because he is certain that there are wondrous things in God's Word which as yet he bas never seen, and which he never will see until God doth open hi3 eyes. And this is true of us all. To how many the Bible is all dark and dull, incomprehensible in many parts, and void of ioterest in others! It is because the films of sin and prejudice have rendered their eyesight dark and dulL Let their eyes be but opened, and they will behold, not, as now they do, mere words, but wondrous things out of God's Law. Ill. lN HIS PITEOUS PLEA THAT Goo's WoBD MAY NOT BE RIDDEN FROM HIM, u I am a stranger in the earth." Hence homeless, friendless, helpless, with none to sympathize or succour, lonely, unused to the ways of those around him, desolate in heart, and often in all else. Therefore thou who hast commanded thy people to show kindness to strangere, will not thou do so for me? Hide not thy commandments from me, for they are to me as home and friends and all needful help. Illust.: Robinson Crusoe's joy on finding a copy of the Bible when on bis desert island. The joy of the persecuted Malagasy in the Scriptures they had managed to preserve. IV. BY HLB DEEP DISTRE8S WilEN Goo's WORD IB WITIIHELD FROM HIM, (Ver. 20.) He may have bad the letter of the Scriptures, but what he wanted was to find God in those Scriptures. Until tbis longing was satisfied, "all times" were alike sad to him. They who have known the joy of God's manifestations through his Word will know no joy until they are thus blessed again. V. BY ms DEPRECATION OF THE DOOM OF THOSE WHO DESPISE Goo's WORD. (Ver. 21.) Misery, shame, aud ruin are along the path they trrad-a path which be would ever shun. lt is well for us to look steadily on to the end of the sinner's path-the broad road-that we may the more steadily adhere to the ways of the Lord. VI. BY RIB CONVICTION OF TH[l; BURE DELIVERANCE TIIERF] IS FOR HIM IN Goo's WoRD. 1. From reproach and contempt. (See homily on ver. 6.) He ha~ kept God's testimonies, and he knew that therefore reproach and contempt in all their power to distress or harm him would be taken away. 2. From all fear of man. (Ver. 23.) Princes may and probably did, strive to browbeat and terrify him-as with Pa_ulr Luther, and ~any such another; but the memory of God's Wore! mused and meditate<l upon made his soul strong. How true is the verse 1- " Fear him, ye saints; and you will then Have nothing else to fear: l\lake you his service your del.4ht, Your wants shall be his c11,r,,' PB, OX.lX, 1-176.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS, 127
VII. BY H[B OONFEBBION OF THE GOOD HE BAD GOT OUT OF IT, (Ver. 24.) 1. God's testimonies had been his delight. See how our Saviour delighted in God's Word. 2. His counsellors. No one finds God's Word bis delight unless he first makes it his counsellor. But if we will, then, etc.-S. C.
Vere. 25-32.-CJlinging to God. Such seems to be the tone and spirit of this section. There has been the waking up to a great peril, and hence there has come the tightening of the grasp on God, the clinging to him with the greater tenacity because of the one peril seen and felt. I. THE PENITENT CONFESSION AND PRAYER. (Ver. 1.) The psalmist owns that the world is getting too much and terrible power over him; that his soul, instead of mounting up to God in holy aspiration and endeavour, cleaves to the dust; and he dreads lest he should fall away altogether, and therefore prays, " Quicken thou me," etc. II. HE ENCOURAGES HIMSELF BY RECALLING Goo's ANSWERS TO ms PRAYERS I!'f TBE PAST, When before he had made like confession and supplication, it had not been in vain. III. HE PRAYS DEFINITELY for what he feels will really help him. 1. That Goel ,hould teach him his statutes. (Ver. 26.) That God should do this; he cannot teach himself, others cannot teach him, but God can. This is what we all want. 2. That God should make him unders~nd his Word. He had heard it, read it, but he wanted that deep realization of it which only a true understanding of it could supply. 3. And he wanted this that he might bear effectual testimony. "So shall I talk," etc. (ver. 27). Such testimony would not only bless others, but would react on himself, as it ever does, and would be one of the effectual ways in which God would quicken him. IV. HE TELLS TBE LORD now GREAT BIB TROUBLE IS, and prays and pleads for help. 1. His trouble was that he feared he was losing hold of God. He was breaking his heart over it, for, to a godly man, there is no greater trouble than to feel as if every good in him, all that God had given him of his grace, were falling away from him. '!'hat is trouble indeed. 2. He prays for help. "Strengthen thou me.n All if he would say he could not hold on much longer; unless help came, he must give wny. 3. He pleads the Word of God. "According to thy Word" (see homily on ver. 25). V. liE CONFESSES AND PRAYS AGAINST TBE EVIL WAY INTO WlUCH HE BAD FALLEN- " the wo.y of lying." Not-so scholars say-the ho.bit of falsehood and lies in common speech, but ro.ther of unfaithfulness, falseness to God. Uttering vows and never fulfilling them, making holy resolves and forgetting and breaking them. How many do this! How easy it is to fall into this way I We use strong impo.ssioned expressions in hymns and prayers, and when we look for the corresponding acts they are not to be found. And this, like the veriest vice, does, as Burns says- " ... hardens all within, And petrifies tile feeling," Well, therefore, may he pray, "Remove from me," etc. He asks for two things: 1. The taking away of the old evil. In all spiritual reformation this must come first. Repentance is just this. '!'hen: 2. Tie imparting of God's Law. The forming o.ud fashioning of the soul after thnt Law. VI. HE MAKES PROTESTATION. 1. T},.Jt his will is ever on God's side. (Ver. 30.) "I have chosen," etc. His deliberate choice and preference is, not the way of lying, but the way of truth, and hence he keeps ever before him God's judgments. 2. That he has acterl according to his resolve. He has stuck unto God's testimonies. He had held on, clung tightly. He could appeal to the Lord's knowledge of this, and plend that he should not be put to shame. 3. That he wilt U116 the quickened life if God will enlarge his heart by shedding abroad therein his own love and the knowledge of his will.-S. C.