Vers. 7, 8.-The victory of faith. In these verses two contrasted scenes a.re set before us. We are shown- I. AN UTTERLY HOPELESS CONDITION. 1. The psalmist seems to be contemplating the mournful state of the people of God, of whom he rejoices to be one. He represents them as being not merely a defeated company, but large numbers of them destroyed, and their bodies in long furrow-like heaps left in dishonoured and horrible neglect to be the prey of the vultures and the wolves. Overwhelming destruction bas come upon them; they seem fallen, to rise no more. It is a piteous sight for the survivor to con• template; for they are his own people, he identifies himself with them. "Our bones," be says, "are scattered," etc. He might well cast himself down in despair. 2. And how often in the history of the Church of God, and in the lives of individual men, such seemingly sad and hopeless conditions are met with I 'l'he Bible gives us instances not a few. See Aura.ham when ea.lied on to offer Isaac as a burnt offering; how dark the prospect seemed then! Moses, when sent to deliver Israel from Egypt. Gideon, when the Midianites were ravaging the land. David before Goliath. How reasonable it had been if despair had fastened upon them and upon many other such tried souls I And many a child of God is to-day brought into like circumstances, bis soul smitten down to the gates of death, even as our Lord in Gethsemane. IL A vmTuous FAITH NOTWITHSTANDING. (Ver. 8.) True, there lay his hopes, scattered, overwhelmed, destroyed, like the bones of a defeated, destroyed, dead but unburied army. Nevertheless, the soul of the psalmist is up unto God. "Mine eyes are unto thee, 0 God the Lord." The more hopeless the state of things seemed,' the more steadfastly was his gaze fixed on Gorl, the more emphatico.lly was his confession given. "In thee is my trust;" and the more confident.ly ascended his prayer. It is a beautiful spectacle, the soul holding on to God in spite of all the buffetings of dis• ~strous circumstances, and all "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," in spite, too, of the apparent abandonment of his career by God. 0 glorious faith, what hast thou not done? what canst thou not and wilt thou not do? III. SOME REASONS WHEREFORE THES~ THINGS ARE so. 1. As to the sad and seemingly hopeless conditions in which God's people often find themselves. '!'hey nra terrible trials to a man's faith; often men have uttRrly broken down under them, and fallen into the depths of atheism and irreligion. Faith is not universally victorious, sometimes far otherwise. W'herefore, then, are such trials sent? Well, sometimes to give opportunity for bearing the most emphatic testimony for God that a human Roul can give. One chief reawn of the cross of Christ was tbnt be might there, ns, blessed be hie Na.mel he did, give such mighty testimony to the all-sustaining power 'PB, OXLI. 1-10,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 339
c,f the love of God. Those whom he came to save had fearful sorrows to bear, and on the cross he showed them that God was the grea.t Burden-bea.rer, the never-failing Solace a.nd Stay of the soul. And for like reason his people now are often called upo11 to bear burdens bea.vy indeed. Then another reason is that there is no other way whereby the innate and inveterate earthliness of the human heart can be overcornE' God bas to let men see that this world will not satisfy them, no, not even when itr. pleasures are of the fairest and most innocent kind. We are so apt, so certain, to think they will, that God has not seldom to "scatter our bones at tbe grave's mouth," ere we will see our mistake. The earthly cords that bold the soul down have to be cut. And also to compel men to take refuge in God, to drive them to the shelter and shadow of his wings. And God deals thus with individual souls, that others throngh them may learn that this is not our rest, but that God is. 2. Then as to the blessed victorious faith, its explanation i.,: (1) The grace of God. Ilunyan tells of the picture seen by Christian of the fire which would bum on in spite of water perpetually and profusely poured upon it, and when he wondered how this could bo, he says that he saw a man, unseen by others, continually pouring oil on the fire, and so it burnt on in spite of the water. That is ever the explanation of victorious faith-the grace of God secretly keeps it alive. (2) The power of prayer. "Mine eyes," etc. His soul looked to God continually. (3) The habit of trust. "In thee is my trust." The will more than the reason is needed. "I will trust, and not be afraid." ThiH blessed habit can and should he zealously cultivated. IV. WHAT ENSUES. 1. God is glorified by such faith. How could it be otherwise? 2. Our suffering brethren are greatly helped by the testimony we give. 3. The peace of God fills our own soul.-S. C. • -