a tone of triumph and elation, but it is quite the reverse that we find. There is impassioned fervour in prayer, but no glorying; there is the same constant loncring0 for deeper und~rstanding of God's T(Yord 1 which we_ have met with all through; but no self. congratulation that he has gamed 1t; there 1s the same confession of his need and prayer for deliverance, for help, for life; and there is a lowlier confession still• for in the last verse of the psalm he speaks not merely as an afflicted soul, but as ~ne who has gone astray like a lost sheep, and who therefore craves that God should seek after him. And the different sentences of this prayer are all in keeping with this humility of heart which characterizes this great saint of God. He speaks of his prayer as his "cry," as his "supplication "-that which a beggar would present to one who could befriend him. He disclaims the possession of understanding of God's Word, but prays that it may be given him. He takes the position of one who has no right to come before God, and asks that he may "come near." He ma1rns no plea of merit or good- ness of his· own, but his hope is ever "according to thy Word." He deems himself powerless to praise God until taught of God. It is all of a piece, all the utterance of a profoundly humble soul. Now, concerning this humility, note- I. WHENCE IT SPRINGS. 1. From the effect on the mind of his ajftictions. If we would have the grace of humility, we must be content to be humbled; and so precious is this grace in God's eight, that he sends affliction for this very end. 2. From his advance in the knowledge of God. No human soul can thus perseveringly seek God without coming into very close contact and converse with him; but the result of that is ever the prostration of the soul in adoring humility (cf. Isa. vi.; Luke v. 8; Rev. i.). The vision of God's infinite holiness and glory bows down the soul of the beholder. But such vision had often been before the mind of the psalmist-seems to have been especially so here, when drawing to tb.e close of this psalm. 3. From the longing after Goa's salvation. Earnest desire is ever lowly. II. How BEAUTIFUL IT Is I 1. Because it is just and becoming to man in relation to (}od. It is what it should be. The opposite of it is revolting to the mind. 2, Because we are made instinctively to admire it. III. AND now DESIRABLE! 1. It has ever been a distinguishing mark of God's saints. 2. It is well pleasing to God. He delights in it; will dwell with him in whom it is. 3. It is such sure safeguard for all other virtues of holy character.-S. C.
Ver. 116.-Man helpless as a lost sheep. Though in the foregoing homily we have spoken of this verse as a confession of sin, yet it is to be much questioned if the meaning of the metaphor in this verse, as in well-nigh all other places where it is found, be not that of helplessness rather than of sin. For in this entire psalm we have no confession of sin, no prayer for its forgiveness, though there be not a few for more of purity and knowledge of God. The prayer of the whole psalm is not that of a penitent returning to God from the paths of sin, but of one who has long known God, but yearns for yet deeper knowledge. We have many declarations of the psalmist's distress, and of the persecution under which he suffers, and o( the extremities to which he has been reduced; and we have protestations many of desire 11fter God, of cleaving to God, of delight in God; but have no confession of sin. This is very noteworthy. Not a few godly men deem it right, whenever they approach God, to make confession of sin and to bewail their wickedness. But there is none of this here in thi8 protracted out.pouring of the thoughts and desires of the great saint who wrote this psalm. Before he was nfllicted he tells us that he had gone astray (ver. 67); "but now," etc. And the whole tone of the psalm i~ of one who had done with going astray, and was now faithfully walking in the ways of Gou. In this very verse he declares, "I do not forget thy commandments," If he hall been conscious of sin, he would surely have confessed it ere he came to this last stanza of the ps11lm. It seems, therefore, impossible to put upon the expression here the meaning of ver. 67, or that of the Lord's parable of the lost sheep in Luke xv. But the idea of weakness, defencelessness, hel[Jlessness, is meant (cf. Jer. ). 6; Mo.tt. ix. 36; x.16). And so the psalmist protests that ho is lost, 11s a stray sheep would be, unless the shepherd goes and seeks for him. There is no PLarisaiem in all this no comina under the condemnation of 1 John i. 8, 10; but there 1s what there ought 'to be far ~ore of, a simple taking the Lord at his word. He had ~en sinful (ver, 67), b~t he had been led to repentan,:e and faith; and now he believed 142 THE BOOK OF PS.ALMS. [1'S, CXIX. 1-176.