Vere. 23, 24.-0ur thoughts. "Kuaw my thoughts." '!'his pso.lm contains the finest utterance of human feeling about t.he Divine omniscience that has ever come from human lips. God sees everything and everywhere. He sees the bidden mystery, man's secret thought and purpose. 'l'o the God-fearing man that is no trouble; i.t is rather a source of satisfaction and holy joy. I. THE IMPOBTANOE OF oun THOUGHTS. The wise man says," As a man thinketh in bis heart, so is he." A mau is as his thoughts. Man cannot rightly judge the thoughts of his fellow-man; but God is the "Discerner of the thoughts o.nd intents of the heart." Many religious people cherish the notion that they have no control over the su:rnestione that are made to their minds, no responsibility for the contents of their thougbtB-only for cherishing thought, only for letting thought inspire crnduct. 'rhis, PB, CXXXIX, 1-24.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 825
however, is only true within certain narrow limits, which need to be very carefully defined. 1. The importance that attaches to our thoughts we may realize from our observation of men. We have to do with them, but we cannot be said to know them until we come into such relations as reveal to us their thinking. We can only be said to know our friends, in whom is the "mirror of an answering mind." 2. The experience of Christian life impresses us with the importance of our thoughts. It is difficult to restrain and mould aright our conduct and conversation ; but the supreme difficulty is to control and purify our thoughts. There are two hard things we have to do-" patiently continue in well-doing;" and "keep the heart with a.II diligence." And the latter is the harder of the two. Its hardness has driven men and women into convent and hermit-cells, as providing the only hoperul conditions. The scheme of redemption is really a heart-regeneration, a purifying of the very springs of thought and feeling. It does deliver us from outward foes; but its supreme interest lies in its going right down to the very root of the mischief in man. It proposes to deliver man from his own evil self. It reaches to the very fountains of our thoughts, and cleanses them. II. THE CONTROL WHICII WE SHOULD HAVE OVER OUR THOUGHTS. We must have some measure of control over them, or we could have no responsibility in relation to them. 1. We have control over the material of our thoughts. It is commonly assumed that thoughts and suggestions are absolutely put into our minds either by God or by Satan. But thought is really the comparison, selection, and association of the actual contents of our mind in the power and activity of our will. All that has impressed us during our lives, by the eye, the ear, or the feeling, has passed into our mental treasury. It ia all there, and all linked together by the most subtle connections. The contents of each of our minds to-day is the sum of past impressions 11nd associa- tions ; and we are adding to that sum day by day. Wh11t we call " thinking" is taking up a portion of these contents, and recombining and rearranging them to form new ideas. Then we must be, in some measure, responsible for the contents of our minds. Not wholly, because we have been placed in circumstances and under influences over which we had no control. We can,howevcr, put ourselves where we shall receive evil impressions, and we can put ourselves in the sphere of good impr1:ssions. No man needs to fill his mind with evil things, which sooner or later must become the materia.l of evil thoughts. We need not choose evil companionships, or rend demoralizing books. Our lives nre so far in our hands that we can to a large ei.tent settle what shall be the materials of our thoughts. We might fill up OW' souls with guod things. 2. We have control over the course and the processes of our thought. 1,Ve can deliberately choose to think about evil things or about good things. If our will is a renewed and sanctified will, then we ought to expect it to gain presidency over our thought8. III. THE HELP WHIOH GoD 1B EVER READY TO GIVE UB IN THE EXERCISE OF BUCH CON'l'ROL. This holp the psalmist sought, "Try me, and know my thoughts." Our self-trusting attempts to regulate our thoughts are sure to bring· us n feeling 0£ depression, nlmost of hopelessness. The work proves to be beyond us. It is not beyond us when God is our Helper. And his gracious response ever freshly comes to the trustful, up-looking soul. He does "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspimtion of his Holy Spirit."-R. 'f.
Ver. 6.-Wond67"/ul knowledge. "'fhou hast la.id thine ha.nd upon me." Aben Ezra called this "the crown of nil the psalms." Man is completely in God's power- physicnlly, intellectually, and morally. I. LooK AT THE PROOrs. 1. Man's spiritual naturo. Sense of sin nnd responsi- bility; conscience; instinct of prayer; sense of Divine omniscience. 2. The Diuine providence. God'11 omnipresouco; our lot appointed and mysteriously controlled. 3. In the pi·ovisions of the g()spcl. Cannot wholly throw off the power of the Divine luve or Divine Law. God's hold of us through Christ much greater that our hold of him. II. Fon WHAT PURPOSE DOES GOD EXERCISE RIB POWEU OVER M~N? Not to destroy his freedom of will and action. 1. To assert his property in us. 2. To make man conscious of his calamity and his hope. By the remedy in the gospel. 3. To draw man to himself aa the ~lusive Redeeme,•.-S. 326 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. (PS. CXXXIX, 1-24,