surroundings. On t~e other hand, it is urged, as by the lliudns, that precisely what man bas to do, precisely what has to be the issue of life, is lull deliverance from the sensible and material, from all reliance on form, symbol, sacrament, or other outward help; and absolute absorption in, and sntisfaction with, spiritual and eternal realities. To many this must seem a dream ; and it may confidently be affirmed that the majority ofmeu will never transcend their dependence on material symbols. Religion for humanity will always have its shrines, its sacraments, and its services. And if this be so, then adequate and dncient material helps will be sought by all devout souls. And this is illustrated in David's anxiety. I. THE FITTING PLACE FO~ DIVINE SYMBOLS. David had to deal with a sacred ark, which was the symbol of Jehovah's presence as the supreme Kiug of the nation. Clearly w'.int was befitting to the King was a dwelling-place. But David had restored that ark to a nation that bad at last gained settled permanency. The sense of security led to the idea of building a palace for David. How natural that David should think of building a palace for his supreme and sovereign Lord I A movable tent was no longer in harmony with the national life. The houses built for God, the churches and chapels of to-day, ought to represent that sense of God and of God's presence which they have for whom they are built. If the house holds the symbols which God gives, it is the symbol of God which man creates. It represents his thought of God. H. THE FITTlNG PLA0E FOR THE RBALITY REPRESENTED BY SYMIJOLB, For symbols are never realities, and never must be thought of as Ruch, or treated as such. 'fhey are only symbols. The Divine pres~nce is a spiritual reality. And that must have its shrine. That shrine is a human heart. "'l'o that man will I look, and with him will I dwell, who is bumble and coutrite in heart." The heart-temple must be worthy of its real presence.-R. 'l'. Ver. 6.-7'he history of the ark epitomizing the history of the nation. If Ephratah is to be treated as the ancient name of Bethlehem, "we must not understand this verse to affirm that the ark was ever there; but, putting himself back into the olden days, the poet represents David as having heard about the ark when he was living at Bethlehem. But it is more simple to take Ephra.tah as a general term for the district in which the ark was found. Historical or geographical precision is not necessary in a poem or a psalm. It should also be noticed that this psalm is arranged iu answering sentences for chanting. In saying that the ark was the symbol of the Divine presence, we are hardly precise enough. The Divine presence was a wondrous light that shone above the cover of the ark, and between the guardiug cherubim. The ark itself repre- sented the nation of Israel, and in it the tables of the covenant were put, as in the heart of the nation God's laws were settled. God's symbolic light resting on the representative ark signified God's acceptance of, aud favour toward, the nation. So the history of the ark becomes the suggestion of the history of the nation. This mny be illustrated in four stages. I. 'l'HE ARK REPRESE!'!TING THE NATION'S TRAINING-TIME. It was for a time in the making, according to Divine instructions, and during the wilderness-period, a rit:ml and religious associations were growing up around it. It is not always clearly seeu that the religious system was being developed, as well as a national and governmental system, during the years of the desert-wanderings; and the system grew round the ark. II. 'J'HE ARK REPRESENTING 'l'HE NATION'S SELF'-WILLED TIME. Every nation, durin" its formation, has a self-willed time, such as is represented by the period of the Jud,,;s • an<l the fate of the ark during that period singularly answers to the up-and- dow7i :xperience of the people. We have the ark dishonoured; used for wrong purposes; lost; preserved by God; and partially restored. And these a.re evident suggestions of the national life of the period. HI. THE ARK REPRESENTING 'l'ilE NATION'S PROSPEROUS TIME. Under David it was brought to represent the nation before God, and tho light shone again on its c~ver, signifying full restored relations. And under Solomon the ark and t_he glory gamed permanent location, signifying the nation's religiously founded 1,rospenty. IV. 'l'mi: ARK REPRESENTING 'l'HE NATION'S DEC.A.YING TIME. It ceased to represent .Le whole nation-ten tribes neglected it. Then it became ill used, and at last it was PB. OXXXII. 1-18.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 267
carried away and lost, as the nation was ill used by encroachin"0 Baalisrn and carried away by Babylonian force.-R. T. '