Ver. 15.-The use of ad·uersity. "I know, 0 Lord, that thy juclgments a,e right, and that thou in faithfulness bast afflicted me." I. A RECOG:?;llTION OF AFFLIOTI0N AB ONE OF GoD'B JUDGMENTS, God's judgmente are: 1. Remarkable punishments which God inflicts for sins. "J udgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools" (Prov. xix. 29). 2. The chastisement which God brings upon his children/or their trial and instruction. In a modified, but true and deep, sense health and riches are judgments-tests and trials of our faith nnd character. II. AN ASSURANCE OF GoD's RIOHTEOUSNESS IN HIS JUDO:UENTS. His judgmcnts aro n great deep, and his righteousness like tbo great mountains. 1. Just. Though we cannot comprehend them. 2. Beneficent. Though they inflict suffering. He rloos not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men. III. AN ASSURANOE OF Goo's FAITHFULNESS IN HIS JUDG:UENTS. Faithfulness here means: 1. Tlt•~t he always purposes our good. 2. That he always keeps his promises. IV. 'l'HE 0ROUND OF THIB ASSURANOE, 1. Our past experience, Personal history. 2. Our knowledge of what he has done/or us in Ohrist.-S.
Vor, 96.-The breadth of God's Law. I. CAUSES TilAT WARRANT OUR THOUGHTS OF THE DIVINE LAW. 1. Indulgence of sinful habits. 2. Tendency to/ustify ourselves in what we do-or self-love. 3. Deference to worldly maxims. 4, False views of its relation to our salvation, II. ILLUSTRATIONS OF IT~ BREADTH. 1. It applies to every relation we bear to God and man. 2. It has to do with omitted duties as well as positive transgressiona. 3. It is spiritual-widening to our view the higher we rise. III. LEssoNs SUGGESTED, 1. It rebukes self-complacency, 2. It shows how impossible it is that we can be /ustified by it.-S. Ver. 116.-" My hope," The prnyer here may have its highest reference to our religious hopes, I. WHAT IB THE NATURE Of TUE GREATEST (I0Pl!: wmou GOOD MEN CHERISH? 1. l'BALMS-UL II 178 THE BOOK OF PSALMS, [PS, OXX, 1-7,
That which relates to our everlasting state, 2. That which is br ,ied upon the revela- tion of God in Christ. II. How MAY SUCH A HOPE TURN TO SHAME? What brings disgrace upon men in relation to their hopes is that they cherish unreal objects ; that they expect too much ; that they f11il in the attainment through want of rational calculation, indolence, self-indulgence, etc. It is not from the nature of the objects that our disappointment can come, if we are b1:dlding upou the hopes of the gospel. We cannot expect too much, or draw too largely upon our imagination, as to the good that is to come. But we may fail-and there is the shame-and fail from various causes, 1. We may fail in perceiving the essential things, confounding the ritual with the spiritual, the cere- monial with the substantial. 2. Through careless contentment with our spiritual state. Not being assured that devotion to Christ, activity, and self-denial are indispensable. III. SOME REASONS FOR EVERY ONE TO BE APPREHENSIVE AS TO THE FATE OF ms HOPE. 1. Present things may be absorbing so as to endanger the issue, 2. Tendency of our nature to flattering views of ourselves. IV, WHAT MEASURES NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF OUR ROPE? 1, The maintenance of constant interest in it. 2. Fidelity towards ourselves in demanding the practical influence of piety. 3. Habitual reliance upon God for help and direction.-S. Ver. 136.-.A great sorrow. "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy Law." I. CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS BORROW, 1. It is the sori·ow of only good men. (Phil. iii. 18, "Many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you,'' etc.) It can be felt only by those who have wept over sin iu their own hearts. Three ways of feeling towards the sins of others by men of the world-apathy, pride, mockery. 2. It is an t1,nselji1;h sorrow. Most of our griefs are personal and selfish. When they are so they often weaken and debase the mind. But this is a disinterested sorrow, akin to Christ's sorrow over Jerusalem; it comes from the noblest sympathies, and braces the mind for the highest exertion. 3. It is inexpressible sorrow. II. THE REASON OF IT. The transgression of God's Law is a subject of grief under two ai:pects. 1. As that transgression has reference to God. Sins of the Church and the sins of the world. 2. .As it has reference to man. A reasouable sorrow, This sorrow should lead to exertion, Sinners should weep for themselvee.-S.
EXPOSITION. nice.I explanation, that the psalms were THE SoNGB OIi' Ascm."TS. written for chanting upon fifteen stcpa, TEE next fifteen p11alms have e. common which led from the Court of the Women in heading, which is translated "Songs of the temple to the Court of the Men. Bnt Degrees," "Songs of Ascents," or •• Songs there is no sufficient evidence of the e1ist- of Steps." They constitute together "e. ence of these steps. Others, translo.ting Little Psalter," which contains indications ma'aloth by "ascents," suggest that they of a formal arrangement. The central are pso.lms composed for the Jews to chnnt psalm-the only one ascribed to Solomon- on their ascent from Babylon to Jerusalem baa on either side of it e. group of seven; at the return from the Capth'ity. Dut tho each such group formed of two psalms plural form is thus unaccounted for, while 11.Bcribed to David, and five anonymous ones. the ascription of five of the fifteen to David The ascribed psalms a.re separated ono from and Solomon is oontradicted. Under these another by the anonymous ones, in such circumstances, recent critics mostly acquiesce sort that no two of the former ever come in the view that the psalms were written together. This is evidently not the result for the pilgrims, who annually went up to of chance. Jerusalem at the three great feasts, to chant Of the title itself different e1planations upon their journeys. (So Ewald, Theuius, a.re given. Some regar<l the degrees Hengstenberg, Dean Johnson, and Professor (ma'alot/1) as" step1," and accept a rabbi- Alexander.) PB. CXX, 1-7,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. li9