Ver. 162.-Finding spoil. The contrast suggested is between the possible aims a man may set before him. He may want to gain material success, wealth, fame, posi- tion-things which the psalmist satirizes cleverly by calling them "spoil." He may want to gain that personal culture, that perfecting of character, which is the true end of life, and which God's Word is the supreme agency for attaining. "The profits made in searching the Scriptures are greater far than the trophies or spoils of war." I. THE JOY OF FINDING THIS WORLD'S TREASURE, This is indicated in our Lord's parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." Worldly treasure is gained in two ways-by the persis- tent labour of a life, and by the accident of fortuitous circumstances. But the joy is chiefly felt when the treasure is found, lighted on, unexpectedly gained; as when success suddenly attends a business venture, a vein of precious metal or a spring of mineral oil is struck, or a fortune is left us. Then it is thought that we are to be specially congratulated, and we heartily congratulate ourselves. A higher joy ought to be found in getting treasure as the result of o lifolong labour; but then the capacity for enjoyment too often wears out with the labour. Treasure accidentally gained too often demoralizes. Treasure gained by force of will too often becomes temptation and a snare. Treasure gained worthily fails to satisfy the soul. II. THE JOY OF FINDING TnE TREASURE OF GoD's WoRD. Did we but think rightly, and get free from the enslaving power of the physical and the temporal, we should see that the treasures of character, of the interior life, of the soul, which is the self, are the treasures which should bring real joy to us. And tbe truths, counsels. promises, of God's Word are the treasures that enrich the soul, that alone satisfy, alone meet the nerds of the man, who is essentially a spiritual being, and alone bear relation to that continuity of life which is man's prerogative.-R. T.
Ver. 163.-Self-serving and time-serving. By the term" lying" is ~pecially meant "false faiths," deviations from, or misrepresentations of, the true religion, which is "the truth." Compare the antichrist of Christianity. I. FALSEHOOD IN RELIGION REGARDED AS SELl!'-BERVING. It is necessary to keep in mind that to the Israelite the very essence of falsehood was idolatry. Represent the unseen, spiritual Jehovah by any earthly form or figure, and to him the representation was a lie. No form or figure could represent all Gud, or anything about God perfectly. But it was falsehood in another way, for it did but hide the fact that the man who made the image was really worshipping himself, his own idea, and that wns acting a lie. In whatever way man constructs bis own religion, and creates his own deity, in thought and imagination he, is not only false to revelation, but be is false to himself; for he deceives himself with the idea that he is worshipping God, when all the while he Is only projecting himself outside himself, in order to worship himself. Both formal and mental idolatry 11re phases of self-worship; and in them both man is false to himself and false to God. II. FALSEHOOD IN IIELIOION REGARDED AS TIME-SERVING. '!'he stronger man thinks for himself, and makes bis own religion; the weaker man simply is carried along 011 174 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS, CXIX, 1-176.
the current of his age, and does as his generation does. But he is false to the responsi- bility under which his manhood lies, lor he is bound to decide for himself whom or what he will serve. In the way of agreeing with what exists around him, common opinion and common worship, lie the ease and comfort of life. Resisting the ac,e for the sake of truth means disability. So the man is willing to be false. And time- serving in religion is really the same thing as worshipping self. However it is done, it is always being false to God to say we are worshipping him when we, in fact, only bow in the temple of self.-R. 'f.
Ver. 165.-The steadying infl·uence of God's Wo1'd, "They are not staggered or perplexed by anything which they meet with, either in Scripture or nature." "When God's Law is loved, instead of being struggled against, the conscience is at peace, and the inward eye is clear; a man sees his duty, and does it, free from those stumbling- blocks which are ever occasion of falling to others." Marginal reading is," They shall have no stumbling-block." Compare our Lord's denunciation of those who "offend" -" put a stumbling-block in the way of"-" one of his little ones." The point is that those who steady themselves by holding firm to God's Word have a sure support in every time of temptation or danger. '!'here are two ways in which the knowledge and use of God's Word steadies us. It braces us up. It gives us something sure to lean upon. I. Gon's WoRD STEADIES BY BRACING us UP. This may be illustrated by the careers of two youths, who leave their eountry homes for business city life, and the peril of" city snares and town traps." The one is braced up with good principles, and is able to resist temptation, and to throw off morally infecting disease. The principles of the other hang all lax and loose about him; and he has no ready resisting force when the enemy "comes in like a. flood." Just what familiarity with God's Word does is brace up our principles, brace up our moral nature, hold us together; nourish the vitality in every part of us, so that we are kept in health and energy. Mind bra.ced up with knowledge; heart braced up with right feeling; will braced up with motive. " Let your loins be girded about." II. Gon's wOBD STEADIES BY GIVING us SOMETHING BURE TO LEAN UPON. Illustrate by the ship-captain who can al ways fortify his own judgment by appealing to his chart. It is of the utmost importance that we should preserve our sense of the authority of God's Word, as an absolute and final appeal; a. trusty staff on which we may lean. '!'his form of the steadying power of God's Word was effectively illustrated in the time c,f our Lord's temptation.-R. 'l'.