. Ver. 15.-The treasures of medit,a,tion. " I will meditate in thy precepts; n "In bis Law doth he meditate day and night." There would be no need to explain to an Eastern man what is meant by meditation, and wherein lies the pleasure of it. He can sit still and think; both the physical and social atmosphere of the East encourage quietness, slowness, broodiness, and these favour meditation. Perhaps the proper warning of Eastern religions persons would concern the exaggeration of meditation, which tends to give men sentiment rather than truth. 'l'hey need to be aroused to the exercise of the intellectual powers in the study of God's Word. But in the West meditation is almost despised. It seems like doing nothing, nnd that is offensive to active and energetic Westerns, who are so keen for results. Consequently, meditation on God's Word has become almost a lost art. It has little or no place in the ordinary routine of a Christian life. '!'he West has much to learn from the East, but it need not copy any of its exaggerations. Perhaps we are misusing the Bible, failing to make it in our lives what it was intended to be, because we do not meditate in the precepts, dwell on them long and lovingly, so as to realize their helpfulness. L MEDITATION rn A NECESSARY METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE REVEALED WonD. It is necessary that we should see this clearly. There are some studies which only call for active mental application. Put your whole mind into them while concerned with them, and put them wholly out of your mind when you have done. But these lie outside the man himself, and are but matters of knowledge. The revealed Word gives truth in relation to men-truth for the sake of men; and the relations will only appear in response to that kind of mental action which we call "meditation." II. MEDITATION DEPENDS MUCH MORE Ul'ON HEART-MOOD THAN UPON BBAIN-POWEB, It is really moral faculty using brain-power as its agency, and carefully keeping the brain-power in subjection. Interest in meditation is found to be in precise relation to spiritual culture; a.nd it is akin with the spiritual insight that gets to the heart of things, and the deeper relations of things, and cannot be trammelled by the mere/orms and settings of things. Ill. MEDITATION PilOVIDEB THE MOST SATISFYING PLEASURES OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE. It unfolds the most precious truths, and gives them personal relations and personal interest. And it brings to a man the most satisfying sense of Divine co_m- munion ; for God speaks his best things to the soul that is still and open to rece1 ve Divine thought.-R. T. Ver. 17.-The largeness of Divine dealings. "Deal bountifully with thy servant;" Prayer-book Version, "Oh do well unto thy servant." The thought is expressed in another psalm (cxvi. 7), "Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul; for the Lord bath dealt bountifully with thee." It reappears in the assurance of the New Testament, "He giveth more grace; " "He is able to make all grace abound." The psalmist felt straitened in his own circumstances, but he was quite sure that there was no straiten- ing of the sufficiency of God. His very straitness seemed to make large demands on God ; but he felt that he might pray for large and bountiful dealings. I. THE LARGENESS OF 1'HE DIVINE DEALINGS INV0l,VEB COlll'REHEISBIVENESS, A large thing covers all. No satisfaction can be felt in God unless we are sure that every feature of our life stands in relation to him. 'fhe author of Ps. cxxxix, puts this into r,oetical figure when he presents the hopelessness of ever getting from the presence of God. In heaven he is. On earth he is. In hell be is. Go where we may, God's band is on UH. Do what we may, God's grace and strength are there for our helping. W Q could not rest in God if we could, even mentally, fix any limit tc the sphere of hie PS. CXIX, 1-176.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 147
operation. He would nc,t be God to us if there was a single relation of life with which he was not dealing, or could not deal. II. THE LARGENEBB OF THE DIVINE DEALINGS mvoLVES ADAPTATION. The charm of all human relationships lies in adaptation. A thing that fits us helps us much more than a far better thiug that does not fit. We have a notion that laraeoess tends to make us indifferent to adaptation. If it covers, it need not fit. But all the best things we possess are not quantities, but adaptations. And God's bountifulness is chiefly apprehended in the surprise with which we find he can meet every form of recurring need. III. THE LARGENESS OF THE DIVINE DEALINGS INVOLVES GENEROSITY. The man who barely and exactly does for us what we immediately need gives us no impression of bountifulness. It seems to us that he has not much to give, so must carefully watch his !riving. 0 God shows himself in nature, pouring out a wealth of flowers anrl fruits, aod going altogether beyond our need. He giveth spiritual grace and help generO'Usly, as if he would convince us of a sufficiency which should inspire us to "trust in him at all times."-R. T.