HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-21.-Reasons for the worship a11d service of God. Tho psnlm suggests to us- I. Two REASONS FOR PRAISING Goo, (Vers. 1-4.) 1. God is worthy of our utmost reverence. "The Lord is good." '!'he truth is too familiar to us to strike us; but if we coutrast the character of the God whom we worship with that of the deities or heathen lands (see vore. 15-18), wo see and feel how great is our privilege, how cxcellout a thing it is to pay reverent homage to Onr, who is a.bsolutoly pure an,l trne aud kind-who is "gooJ" in every attribute, whom we can worship, not only without lo,s of self-respect, but to our highest spiritual advantage. 2. Praise is pleasant. lt i.s not merely that, in the "service of song," human o.rt may bo called into plJ.y, and 260 'l'HE BOOK OF PS.ALMS. [PS, 0XXXV, 1-21.
the exercise be tuneful and grateful to the cultured car, but that to pour out our hearts in united thanksgiving and praise is an act which may fill the soul with pure and elevating joy. II. GoD's DISTINGUISHING GOODNESS. "The Lord hath chosen Jacob . . . for his peculiar treasure." "Ye have not· chosen me," said our Lord," but I he.ve chosen you" (John xv. 16). God did show especial kindness to Israel. Jesus Christ conferred a very peculiar honour on his apostles. Our heavenly Father does not treat all his children alike. He is bountiful to us all. He gives to us all more than we deserve, he fills our cup even to overflowing; but he gives to some that which he does not bestow on others. It would be a far less happy world than it is, and there would be far less opportunity for discipline and growth, if there were a dead level of power and privilege. We should not be envious of the special good which others are enjoying, but glad and grateful on their account; we should be observant of and thankful for every peculiar gift granted to ourselves. It is certain that God has "chosen" us for a place in his kingdom and a post in his service. III. THE EXEROISE OF DIVINE POWER, (Vers. 5-11.) God is great; he does what he pleases. He refreshes the earth; he smites kings and peoples in the day of his wrath. 1. He uses his Divine power to fertilize and enrich. God might have been "pleased " to make this earth a dreary and desolate place, but it pleased him to enrich and to adorn it, to give to us large resources for our use, so that, if we are only frugal and industrious, we can live in comfort and abundance. 2. He also uses his power to punish. When nations are guilty, as they have been, he "smites" and scatters and destroys; then "great nations" perish, and "mighty kings" are humbled. Families also, and individual men, are made to know that sin brings down punishment and penalty from God. IV. THE .ACTION OF DIVINE PITY. (Ver. 14.) Though God sends his people into exile, yet he will take pity npon them; he will "judge them;" he will vindicate their ea.use; he will "repent himself concerning his servants," i.e. he will reverse his decision concerning them-he will change penalty into mercy, he will turn banishment into restoration. "God will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever." He sends trouble and affliction, but "not willingly" (Lam. iii. 33); he wounds that he may heal, and, healing, restore to newness of life. V. OUR DUTY ll"D OUR WISDOM. (Vera. 15-21.) It is sad to think of the vast numbers of men that have spent their powers and their means in vain, on idols that could not hear or speak, on gods that had no existence apart from the darkened imagi- nations of men. They are wise indeed who worship the true e.nd living God, the holy and the loving Saviour, who put their trust, "not in uncertain riches, but in the living God "-in the Father who will guide and guard them along all the path of life, in the Divine Friend who will sympathize with them and sustain them in e.11 the trials of their course.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. 1fers. 1-21.-'17i.e march of mercy. This psalm traces the progress of God's mercy to hie people from its source in the Di_vine nat~re on ~o its complete fulfilment In their loving glad alleaiance, the expression of which begms and ends the psalm. I. IT BE~INB IN T.;:E INHERENT NA.TORE OF GoD HIMSELF, (Ver. 3.) "The Lord is good." From this proceeds all the rest, and in this all that follows finds its explana• tion. That" God is love" is, after all, the key which fits the wards and_~nlocks the difficult problems of life as none 'other does or can. On other suppositions many things-indeed, we may say most things! and ~hese the most blcssecl facts of all-that we find in life are inexplicable; but with this, not even the darkest facts need b(l left out. II. IT ADV.ANCEB oN TO THE ELECTION OF IIIB PEOPLE. (Ver. 4.) Bo.ck in the counsels of eternity the Divine love de~reed t~e me~hod of its working; and this involved the election of Israel to the especial service which they were to render. That pur1)ose is not all worked out yet; but much of it h1s been--and who is there PB, CXXXV, 1-21.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 281