of life, and so get it and are rich. But the rich desire not, and so have not and are poor. .And Zion's poor shall be satisfied. Oh to be of these poor 1-S, C. Ver. 18.-The shame of Ohrist's enemies and the glory of his crown. That part of the Old Testament history to which this psalm refers is in all probability the dedica- tion of the temple which Solomon had built. Part of it forms the conclusion of tho prayer which Solomon offered on that occasion (cf. vers. 8-10 and 2 Chron. vi. 41, 42). .And the whole of it is appropriate to that event. Its first portion expresses the earnest anxiety of God's people for his presence amongst them, and the second recounts those facts and promises on which their faith that God would come amongst them rested. David had been full of concern about the building of the house of the Lord. It was a real distress to him until he had found a place, etc. (ver. 5). .And all his conduct had been in keeping with this holy desire, Now, this the psalmist prays the Lord to remember. .And what an example such holy anxiety is to us all when we are seeking the presence of the Lord in our midst I Such holy longing after himself God will never disappoint. The latter part of the psalm proves this, and our text is the closing promise of a series, :111 of which assure the people of God that Christ shall live and reign and triumph in their midst. So, then, let us consider- I. THE SHAME OF CHRIST'S ENEMIES. 1. It is strange that he should have any enemies, so good and gracious as he was. 2. But some of these enemies do not think them- selves to be such. Those that are openly and flagrantly against Christ all can recog- nize; but there are a number of others who, though not with Christ, would protest against being regarded as his enemies. But such protest will not avail. To be not with Christ is to be against him-his enemy. 3. .And for his enemies there awaits open shame. They shall be clothed with it. (1) There will be the shame of defeat. They cannot, shall not, have their way. The Church they would despoil the Lord will keep. (2) .And of contempt. For think what it is they oppose; not some tyrannous oppression, but a just, holy, and most beneficent rule. And how inexcusable such opposition, for God's Word was all against them, and the testimony of the best and wisest of men, and conscience, when suffered to speak, condemned them I but, never- theless, they persisted in their sin and folly. What but tbe shame of contempt can come to them? What else should come? (3) .And of the profound moral condemna- tion of all the good. For these opponents of Obrist have violated all their better nature, have incurred the guilt of deep ingratitude, and have wrought widespread evil; they have dragged down with tbem many precious souls, and they have done foul dishonour to God. May he keep us from all such shame I II. THE GLORIES OF THE SAVIoua's CROWN. "Upon himself," etc. None of us are capable of adequately speaking of these glories, but we are able to see some of the sources whence these glories spring. As: 1. From the nature of Christ's rule. It is supreme, universal, eternal, attained at vast cost and in infinite wisdom, righteousness, e.nd Jove. 2. From the universal and glad response which it shall receive. "His saints shall shout aloud for joy." His rule is their delight. 3. From the results of his rule. Bee the numbers of his subjects, their happy condition, their spotless purity. '£bc,,e e.re some of the results of our Saviour's rule. CoNCLUSION. In which shall you and I share-in tbese glories, or in the shame with which his enemies shall be clothed ? One or the other it must be. Before God let us settle this question.-S. C.
Ver. 1.-An:vioua pwpose delayed may prove ajfiictive. "Remember for David [i.e. so as to fulfil the promise made to him] all his trouble" (see 2 Sam. vi. 8-15; 1 Chron. x.xii.). This psalm may belong to the period of Solomon, but it is b~tter to read it iu the light of the mem()lies and feelings and hopes of the restored exiles. H is a plea for the fulfilment of the promises made to David in the experiences of the restored nation; and it is a poetical way of saying that the anxieties of the exiles f~r the bono:1r of Jehovah and Jehovah's worsLip were only fitly represented by tbe anxiety of David in the olden time. The key-note of the psalm is given in the first sentence, "Lord, remember David." "Fulfil in us thy promises to him; for we are like-minded towards thee and thy service." The point immediately before us is, that affliction is a com- prehensive term, and may include providential hindrances. It should be borno in mind re. 0XXXII, 1-18.J THE BOOK OF PS.ALMS. 265
that, as David purposed to build a temple for God, and could not accomplish bis purpose, so the restored exiles purposed to rebuild the temple, and could not accomplish their purpose because of the opposition of the Samaritans. The psalm represents the fretting of the pious part of the nation at this enforced delay. I. DIVINE BINDRAN0ER, CAUSING DELAY, MAY BE NECESSARY. It is true that God deals with the individual, and has personal interest in each individual; but he is the Father of a family, and must keep supremely in view the interest of the whole. The wish of one is always considered, but delay may be necessary in order to get things worked round so that the wish may be met without injury to others. Man's purposes are formed without full knowledge, so they often must be qualified. JI. DIVINE HINDRANCES, CAUSING DELAY, M.AY BEAFFLICTlVE. That depends greatly on the disposition of those who form the purposes. A king, like David, who was constantly getting his own way, would find it especially hard to be hindered. The exiles, who were full of enthusiasm for God's house, must have found it very hard to have their work arrested. .All the harder because their purpose was such a manifestly good one. It may be urged that no severer strain ever comes into a good man's life than enforced delay in accomplishing bis pious purposes. In agony a man may say, "God will not let me do the good I would." Ill. DIVINE HINDRANCES, CAUSING DELAY, MAY BE EDUCATIVE. They may educate humility, by convincing us that we are not absolutely necessary; and submission, by compelling our wills to wait on God's will; and hope, by a;:suring us that God being in the delay will surely be in the issue to which it leads.-R. 'f.