Ver. 15.-The faithfulness of the Divine Chastener. "lu faithfulness thou hast afflicted me; " "'fhou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled n (Prayer- book Version)- "Who guideth mortals to wisdom, mo.keth them grasp lore Firmly through their pain." (Esch., 'Age.en.,' 172.) It was the marked peculiarity of the Israelites that they recognized God in history. It is the m11rked peculiarity of the renewed man that he recognizes God in perso1llll history. 'fhe same events happen alike to all men, and are the outworking of natural laws, but what events are to each man depends on his point of view. There i8 a moral significance in events when a man can see that God is working in them and through them his purposes of grace. I. Goo BAB UNDERTAKEN A WORK OF GRAOB IN THE RENEWED MAN. He has "begun a good work" in the quickening of a new and Divine life in the m11n. 'l'o begin a work is for God to pledge himself to carry it on to peri'ectiou. The work undertaken is to give man full share in the regeneration of the world, and complete personal deliverance from the particular form in which moral evil affects hiru. 'l'he deliverance from physical evils comes after deliverance from moral evils, and is of interest only so far 11.8 it is related to and follows on the higher work. Physical evil for man would only be what physical evil is for animals, if man were not a. moral being. God'11 work in man is his deliverance from moral evil, and then from all the physic11l disasters and disabilities which have come from moral evil, or have followed in its trniu. II. THAT WORK OF GRAOE OAN ONLY DE CARRIED ON THROUGH AFFLICTION. We ~cc pl11inly that when man works on character in the child he must use discipline, which involves chastening, correction, limitation, pain. It is, indeed, impossible to conceive of moral training, under human conditions, that does not require the agency of pain and sufforing. A father cannot be faithful to his son unless be can be a chastener. Much more may we say that since God is pledged to the culture of the higher moral character, and that must even more certainly require discipline and afiliction, it ill only being true to himself, and faithful to his pledge, th11t he becomes in each individual life the (;hastener for our profit.-H. 'l'.
Ver. 19.-Ezperience can teach. It is said that "Experience is a de11r school, but fools will learn in no other." 'fhe proverb is in a large sense true, but we want it ucw only to fix the point that experience is a school; experience can teach, does teach. Iu u. satirical spirit Froude says, "Expcriew,e is like the stem-lights of a ship, it casts its rays over a way that has been ta.ken." Dut that is not in a.uy large, or practical sense, true; the actual experience must be a thing of the past, but the lessons le11rned by experience are available forces for the ordering of the life that we have to live. 'l'be distinction between animal and man, instinct and intelligence, is that man can profil by ex11erience, the animal docs not. 156 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. o:x.tx. 1~176.
!. THE E:S:PERIEKCE WRICH TEAOHES IN THE RELI<l!OUS LIFE IS EXl'ERIEKCE RELATIVE TO DrnNE _com.r.1.~DMENTS. What the good man wan~ ~is past life for is the study of c~nduct in the light of what was known to be God'E: w11l. What has happened in our lives does not much matter, and of themselves events teach very little. How did what _happened stand related to what we knew to be right? That is the supreme quest10n; and that alone reveals failures and frailties. That experience alone teaches, and provides forces for the endeavour to live a better life. In measure we have" known God's testimonies; " but how has our actual life been ruled and toned by what we knew? !I. THE O~"'E THING THAT EXPERIENCE TEACHES IS OUR ABSOLUTE NEED OF DIVINE SUPPORT. The one thing wbich the past has to show every honest and earnest-minded man is, that he has always failed when he trusted to his own judgment and strength, and ventured to neglect or to go aside of God's revealed will; and that he has always succeeded when, in a spirit of true humility, he persistently endeavoured to know God's will, and shape conduct and meet emergencies in its gracious leadings. Experience when consulted has always the same teaching to give. It may be summed up in this way," You have always needed God as your Helper and Guide; you need him now as much as ever; you always will need him."-R. T.