EXPOSITION. PSALM CXXXIII. mauy " precious" ingredients, as myrrh, cinnamou, sweet co.lamus, 11nd oassia, be- A SHORT psalm in praise of unity and sides oil olive, which was its basis ( 1!:xod. brotherly harmony. As Dr. Kay observes, xxx. 23, 24). Not only Aaron (Lev. viii. "The preservation of this unity was the 12), but all later high priests, were anointed with it (Exod. m. 30). That ran down object of the selection of ONE place, to which upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. This the tribes should go up on pilgrimage three would be the natural result of a copious times a year." And the intercommunion "pouring" of the oil upon the top or the with each other, which the pilgrimages head. 'fhough not mentioned historically fostered, was certainly one of the chief in Leviticus, it presents itself to the eye of the poet, on whose mental vision the whole means by which a unity of feeling and scene rises. That went down to the skirts sentiment was kept up among the scattered of his garments. Streamed even to the members of the nation century after century. lower fringe of his long vesture (Kay). The The pilgrimages were to the Israelites what high priest at his cousecration w11s a type the meetings at the Olympic and other 11ud symbol of unity. He bore on his breast- plate the names of the twelve tribes, so that games were to the Greeks-at once witnesses the holy oil, typical of the grace of God, to a belief in ethnic unity, and o. strong and when it wo.s poured upon him, flowed down efficient bond of union. This psalm '\\as on all the tribes, diffusing everywhere an therefore admirably fitted for a "pilgrim- odour of fragrance. song," which it is allowed on all hands to Ver. 3.-As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains have been, and must have greatly helped of Zion. The interpolation of the words, the various classes of pilgrims-the spiritual "and as the dew," is quite unwarrantable, and secular authorities, the rich, the poor, and spoils the sense. It substitutes duality the citizen, the peasant, and the widely for unity, and destroys the parity of the divided members of the Great Diaspora-to two illustrations. Trnnslate, "As the dew of Hermon, that cometh down upon the feel themselves united with each other and mountains of Zion." The psalmist sees the with Jehovah (see Professor Cheyne's Intro- moisture which fertilizes the Holy Land, duction to the psalm in his• Book of Pso.lms,' and makes it the fertile land that it is, all p. 341). given forth from Hermon, the one great mountain at its head. As Dr. Kay well Ver. 1.-Behold, how good and how plea- observes, "Physically, Hermon was to sant it is for brethren to dwell together in Canaan what Aaron was ceremonially to Ullity ! The unity described appears to be Israel-its head and crown, from which the existent, and to present itself to the psalmiet's fertilizing stores of heaven descended over vision. Hence the opening, "Behold I" All the land. For not only does the one great may see it, and see how blessed and pleasant river of Po.Jestine, the Jordan, issue from a thing it is. " Brethren " is used in the the roots of Hermnn, but the giant mountain wide sense of descendants of a common is constantly gathering and sending oft' ancestor (Gen. xiii. 8 ; Ex.ad. ii. 11 ; Acts clouds, which float down even to Southern vii. 26, etc.). Zion." For there (i.e. in Zion) the Lord Ver. 2.-It is like the preoious ointment commanded the blessing, even life for ever- upon the head. The anointing oil of the more. The reference is to Lev. :uv. 21, sanctuary was an ointment composed of and perhaps to Dent. xxviii. 8.
HOMILETICS. Vers.1-3.-Unity in the Church, .Applying the words of the pso.lm to a Christian community gathered together for the worship and the work of our Lord, we may regard- !. 'fHAT IN WHICH UNITY ooNSISTB. This we find in: 1. The acceptance of the same truth in the same sense. It is not enough that all subscribe to the same Creed, or al!:rce to use the same words in prayer or sacred song,-that is only a formal and outward unity; there must be a substantial, intelligent agreement. Not necessarily, not indeed possibly, the acceptarce of Christian truth in all its particulars in the same Pil. oxxxm. 1-3.J ~'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 271