I. THE NECESSARY LIMITS OF HUMAN TEACJllNGS, 1. They nre limited by the mental ?apacily ~f those who tet1eh and those who are taught. 2. They are limited by the 11nperf,ict1011 of the vehicle by which human knowledge is conveyed. No human word has the same connotation for every one who uses it, and few words keep the same connotation for one man through a long life. 3, They are limited by the variableness of the material at their command. New facts are continually displacing old onrs, and new theories condemning old ones. In science, e. book ten yee.rs old is comparatively useless. 4. They are limited by the range over which they extend which is compelled to keep away from all knowledge of God and the things of Gol " Who by searching can find out God?" Aud yet it is in that higher range of knowledge alone that man's true nature can be unfolded. 'fhe queen of sciences is theology. II. THE DrvrNE TEAOHINGS BEYOND THE IIUlIAN LIMITS. Is man only a. mind? :Many seem to think of him as having no more than a mental organization. A man is a spiritual being, kin to God, having for his present agency e.nd use a body and a mind. The Divine range is the soul, which is tho me.n himself.-R. T. Ver. 101.-Dealing with hindrances to obedience. "I have refrained my feet from every evil way." The point here is that the man resolutely dealt with himself; and, being absolutely purposed to obey, he persisted in removing out of the way whatever, in bis dispcsition, inclination, habit, or circumstances, tended to hinder him in his obedience. How much goes along with obedience I How much is involved in it I " Refrained my feet" is a figure. The man recognizes the constant disposition to step over the line, or into ihe tempting side-walk, and he has again and again, by an effort of will, to pull his feet back, to hold them tight. Compare the figure of setting a watch on the door of the lips. "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." I. THE BINDRAN0ES TO OBEDIENCE MAY BE EXTERNAL TO A MAN. 1. They may lie in a man's friendships. There are associations of life which a man can arrange for himself, and he can secure that these shall be helpful. But there are associations in life which are made for a man, and these may be hindering to his purposed obedience. ]]lust.: Joseph, Daniel. 2. 'l'hey may lie in e. man's circumstances. 'fhe straitened man is put upon guileful and self-trusting schemes to improve his circumstances, e.nd is thus hindered from obedience. 'l'he well-to-do man is in danger of being self-reliant and over-confident, and so made indifferent to obedience. Virtue is man's triumph over external hindrances. Innocence only becomes virtue through its struggle with hindrance and evil. If. Trm HINDRANCES TO OBEDIENCE MAY BE IN THE MAN HIMSELF. These Lindrances are in the mind of the psalmist. He found something wrong with his own feet. They did not stand firm; they inclined to slide; they seemed to have e. bias outward; if he was not careful, of themselves they carried him over the line. In this way he represented that carnal, self-seeking tendency with which the good man has continually to deal. He may will to obey; but he will find self-interest ever ready to resist good resolve. 'l'be hindrances that aro in the man himself are never wholly mastered while a man lives, so that he can feel safe. Indeed, to" feel safe" is to be in the gravest peril. Through a long life, if a mau re~lly mea~s to live for Go~ ~nd obey, he will fiud that he must always be at work at his own hmdre.nces, "rcframmg his feet from evil ways."-R. T. Ver. 105.-Heavenly light on the earthly path. The Book of Proverbs has the same figure (Prov. vi. 23). .f<'or the "commandment is a lamp, and the law is light." And Wordsworth ce.11s duty "a light to guide." The "lamp" is kindled specially for the hours of darkness· the "light" is the natural light for e.11 time. The need for the lantern on dark n'ights is well understood by those who live in country districts. A minister without e. lantern, one dark night, got over a stile, intending to te.ke e. stre.ight line across a most familiar field; but in a little while he found he had wandered round to the stile acrain. 0 In the East the ficrure of the text is even more expressive. 'l'he streets of tbe towns are narrow, unlighted, ill-kept, and specie.Hy dark o.t night, because of the hicrb wall3 of the houses on either side. The causeway often has de.ogerous bu)cs, aud soft 111uddy places, and great loose stones; e.nd if a me.n is to pick hi~ way PS, OXIX, 1-176.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 161
safely, he must not only haYe a lantern, but hold it right down to his feet so that its light may guide his next foc,tstep. That gives point to the text. God's Word is not just a general light for the guidance of our route; it is something to hold close for the direction of each step in life that we take. ' I. LIFE IS TOO FULL OF PERILS FOR A MAN TO TRUST HIS OWN EYESIGllT, What can a man do with his eyesight in a dark Eastern street in the night-time? He may have the best eyesight, but it will nnt serrn him then and there. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Human life is dark relative to human expe- rience. "Ye have not gone this way heretofore." Human life is full of perils. Such as affect everybody, and such as affect particular dispositions. Every man is in dan"'er of being taken at unawares; tripped up by some stone of offence; sore wounded by slipping into some hole of neglect. Some can manage life better than others; but every man is beaten by life in the long run, if he undertakes it himself. II. LIFE-PERILS OAN BE PASSED SAFELY THROUGH WITH THE HELP OF GoD's LAMP. The Word of God is relative to all possible human experiences and dangers. Its light acts in two ways. 1. It gives the man general principles and moral strength, so that he is ready prepared for every testing-time. 2. It gives precille counsels guiding actual conduct in every emergency. It is the lantern held down close to the feet, so as to direct the next footfall. The adaptation of the Divine Word to a man's every circumstance and need is the surprise of religious experience.-R. T.