resolve, that in the Name of Jehovah they will ever trust. Help in a r,:imel Why not eoy, help in God 1 Explain that the Jews had a special name for God, of which they were profoundly jealous. And they were in a covenant which was sealed with that special name. In Scripture it is usual to find a person's attributes or characteristics gathered up into and expressed by a name (see names of Adam's sons, Jacob, etc.). Notice some of the names for God. 1. Creator; general relation to everything. 2. El Shaddai; the Almighty One. 3. Jehovah; the self-existent One. He is; tha~ is all you can say about him. 4. God of Abrabam, Isaac, and Jacob; known in actual daily relationships. 5. Jehovah Tsidkenu; the Lord our Righteousness, or the Ideal for us of moral perfection. 6. The Faithful Promiser; the trustworthy One, as proved by human experience. It is manifest what confidence of help we may have as we dwell on any of these names of God. Started on this line of thought, we inquire whether we should not show a fuller confidence in the help of God, who is revealed to us, in his Father-name, through the infinite winsomeness of the Divine Sonship of Jcsus.-R. T. Vers.1-8.-The believer's safeguard. "If Jehovah had not been on our side," etc. The last psalm was tho sigh of an exile in Babylon waiting upon God for deliverance. This psalm is the joyful acknowledgment that the deliverance bas been accomplished. The next (c:x:xv.) describes the safety of the exiles restored to their native land, and girt round by the protection of Jehovah. I. Goo IS ON OUR SIDE WHEN m,: SEEMS MOST AGAINST us. As he was on the side of the Israelites both in delivering them over to the Captivity o.nd in breaking their bonds. Punishment and pardon have the same end io view-the redemption of the sinner. II. Goo IS ON oun SIDE WHEN l\IEN ARE MOST AGAINST us. When the angry and destructive passions of men most threaten to overwhelm ua (vers. 2-5). He takes our side always inwardly, if not always outwardly. God is always on the side of the weakest, to help them to become strong. III. GOD HELPS US TO ESCAPE FROM THE SUBTLEST SNARES WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES HA VE WOVEN AROUND us-if we are the victims and not the constructors of thuse snares. God will ho.ve no deceit in saint or sinner. IV. BUT THOUGH Goo IS THE CnEATOR OF ALL THINGS, HE 1B THE HELP, AND NOT THE SUBSTITUTE, OF MEN. (Ver. 8.) The psalmists and prophets saw tho Divine side of the moral work done in the world, but so.w the humau side olso.-S.
EXPOSITION. holy mountain. The ubiquitous God stands PSALM OXXV. round a.bout his people, ,md protects them on every side. The mountains thnt 1m, Tms is a psalm, mainly, of comfort; but with "round about Jerusalem" a.re, on tho east, comfort, prayer (ver. 4) nnd threntening tho Mount of Olives: on the south, tho Hill (vor. 5) nre blended. God's people o.re of Evil Counsel ; on tho west, the ridge alwnys under God's protection. He will beyond the valley of Jebosl1Bpb11t; and on the north, the high ground a.bout Scopas. alwnys "be good" to th~m. But the doublo- All thcso are higher tbo.n the platform upou minded he will infallibly cast out. which the oity is built. l!'rom henooforth even for ever. .Alway~ round a.bout his Ver. 1.-Thoy tha.t trust in the Lord shall tTue people, though bo way be.vo to forS11ke be a.a Mount Zion; rather, are a~ Mount those who b11vo first forsukou him. Zion ; i.e. e.ro o.a firmly fixed nnd established Ver. 8.-l!'or the rod of the wioked; lite. ns "the mount of God," which c11I1not be ro.lly, tha sceptre of wi~l,ed11a,,. Shall not removed, but e.bideth for ever (comp. Isn. rest upon the Jot of ths righteoua. The xxviii. 16). possession, or inheritance, of the righteous, Ver. 2.-As the mountain■ are round 'i.e. the lnnd in which they dwell. This about J'erll8alem, 10 the Lord is round about mny fe.11 for a time uudn the dominion of his people. Thid is the true came of his the wicked, but shall not "rest "--i.e. con• people's stability, wbioh is li/ui that of his titiue - under such do111inio1:1. Lest the 212 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS, OXXV, 1-5,
righteous put forth their hands unto ini- their crooked ways. The word translated quity; i.e. lest thrir patience be worn out, " crooked ways " ooours only here and in and they fall from grace, God will not try J udg. v. 6. It means properly "by-paths," men beyond tbat they are able (1 Cor. x. 13). deviations from the Htraight path of right. Ver. 4.-Do good, 0 Lord, unto those that Tho Lord shall lead them forth with the be good. Give them their deseninf!'S. For 0 workers of iniquity. God shall give them their " goodness " repay them with good-" no better portion than he assigns to the ness." And to them that are upright in open evil-doers, since their heart is not their hearts. Exegetical of tho preceding really whole with him. But peace shall clause. Ou ly the "upright in heart " are be upon Israel; rather, but peace be upon really " good." Israel. The psalmist winds up with a Ver. 5.-As for such as turn aside unto pmyer, not a prophecy,