PSALM OXXIV. for sudden o.nd oomplete destruction (comp. Pas. lvi. 2; !vii. 3; Prov. i. 12; Lnm. ii. 2, "A FRESH, bright lyrio" (Cheyne), com- 5, 8, oto.). When their wrath was kindled posed of two stanza.a-the first po.rt (vers. against us; or, " blazed out against us." 1--5) reoounting e. danger and e. delivcro.nce; The comparison of anger to fire is an almost universo.l commonplo.ce. the seconJ (vers. 6-8), praising God for Ver. 4.-Then the waters he.d overwhelmed the hitter. This is crnother of the pso.lms in us. A sudden and sto.rtling ohc-.uge of meto., this" Little Pso.lter," nsoribed by its title to phor. In the quick transition of Oriento.l David. 'fhere ill nothing in the style, or in thought, the fire becomes o. flood-1m irre- the contents, that is inconsistent with the sistible torrent-stream, co.rrying all before it (oomp. Paa. xviii. 4; cxliv. 7). The ascription. stream he.d gone over our soul ; i.e. " had Ver. 1.-If it hnd not been the Lord who mounted up over our heo.da, e.nd stifled our was on our side, now may Israel say; rather, breath of life." now let Israel aay (Kay, Cheyne, Revised Ver. 5.-Then the proud waters had gone Version), over our soul. ''Proud" of effecting our Ver. 2.-If it had not been the Lord who destruction. was on our side, when men rose op against Ver. 6.-Blessed be the Lord, who hath us. The "riijing" intended may ho1.vu been not given us ns a prey to their teeth. We that of Saul o.nd hie aiders e.nd abettors, or are not devoureJ-we a.re not "swo.llowcd tlmt of the Ammonites e.nd Syrians (2 S~m. up "-thanks to lho intorpositiou of the x. 6-8), or tho.t of Abaalom e.nd his po.rti• merciful o.nd gracious Lord, to who1n there- se.ns (2 Sam. xv. 2-13). fore pro.iae and blessing e.re duo. Ver. 3.-Then they had ■wallowed us up Ver. 7.-0ur soul is eacaped as e. bird out quick; or, "alive." A common expression of the snare of the fowler■ ( oom p. Pas. xci. 206 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. OXXIV, 1-8,
J; cxl. 5; cxli. 10). Another metaphor. Ver. 8.-0u help is in the Name of the We have been like birds taken in the Lord. "Our help is," and has alwoys been, "snare," or net, of a fowler. But now we "in the Namo "-i.e. in the monifested might are C'scapcd- not, however, of our own -'' of tho Lord." It ie he thnt has been strength or of our own cleverness. The "on our sid~," that has "helped" us, saved snare is broken for us by God's providence, us, and delivered ue. Who made heaven and so we are escaped. and ea.rth (comp. Pss. oxxi. 2; cx:niv. 3).
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-8.-Di'.vine cl.eliverance. The spirit which breathes in this psalm is one of keen thankfulness. Nothing calls out so deep and strong a sense of indebtedness to God (or to man) as a consciousness that we owe to him an escape from a great calamity. We bless the Lord with the most fervent gratitude as we realize that he has healed our disease and redeemed our life from destruction (Ps. ciii. 1--4). We ought to be mindful of all his benefits, and accept them as they come, one after another, as gifts from his gracious hand. We should cherish a still stronger and profounder sense of bis mercy to us in the one supreme kindness shown us in the redemption of the world by Jesus Cl,rist, in which we have our share. But that which most vivi<lly impresses us is the deliverance which, in different ways and at various times, he has wrought for us-saving our life, preserving our character, restoring our freedom. I. Two 0REA.T EVILS FROM WHICH WE MAY NEED, AND MAY RAVE, DELIVEnAN0E. 1. Oppression. Such as Israel endured under Pharaoh ; such as Judah was threatened with when Sennacherib came up against Jerusalem; such as the Jews suffered under Antioch us; such as England faced and feared when the Armada left the shores of Spain; such as, in our own individual life, we may experience at the hand of some one who has ns at bis mercy and is disposed to play the tyrant. A human spirit is sometimes exposed to a veritable storm of cruelty; there are "overwhelming waters" of suffering to pass under; the stream goes over the soul (ver. 4). Then nothing but Divine succour avails to save from complete collapse; except the Lord show himself to be on our side by manifestations of his power, by the exercise of his goodness and his grace, we must break down utterly. But God is on our side. He will not forsako his children in the time of their distress. (1) Be will rescue us, in his own time, from the power that oppresses us, and set us free, placing "our feet in a large room;" or, (2) be will so effectually sustain us that we shall hold up our head in the midst of all our afH:ctions (see Isa. xliii. 2). 2. Temptation. The psalmist spealrn of snares (~er. 7) and of escapin"' from the fowler's band. As we pass through life there are many of these that hav~ to be avoided; and it may be that in our unwisdom we permit oursekea to be partially ensnared ; we may allow our foot to be taken in the toils of unbelief, or of intemperance, or of impurity, or of covetousness, or of pride, or of vanity, or of extravagance and dishonesty. We may be in very serious danger of losing everything that is most precious-of parting, not only with our reputation, but with the very life of our life, with our moral and spiritual integrity. But God, in his abounding grace, interposes on our behalf. Directly or indir~ctly, by. the immediate action of his Spirit on our spirit, or through some instrumentality, he arouses us, shows us the peril in which we stand, breaks the snare in which our foot is taken, and sets us free. 'l'hen comes- H. DEEP THANKFULNESS OF HEART. For, however great was the first gift of life, and however great the gift of the new life in Christ Jesus, this Divine deliverance ie a mercy that may well be compared with these, and may well fill our mouth with song and our life with praise. Then, too, must come- lIL WATCHFULNESS UNTO PnAYER, constantly and carefully maintained.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-8.-But for the Lord. The psalm is a contemplation of the distress that roust have come upon God's people but for the Lord's timely help. J. lT 1B TIIE LANGUAGE OF IsBAEL'B GRATITUDE, We cannot tell what were the PS, CXXIV, 1-8.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 207