Vers. 6, 6.-God our first Hc,pe and our Last. The hunger nnd thirst after righteousness is ultimately a thirst for Goel. "Observe how he binds himself to God alone, cuts off every other hope from his soul, and, in short, makes his very need o. chariot wherewith to mount up to God." "I remember the days of old; " "I spread forth my hands unto thee." I. Goo ALWAYS HAB BEEN OUR HoPE. A good man is here speaking in the uume of good men. '!'hey can never look back over life, and estimate its scenes of trial and strain, without clearly seeing that their hope was in God, and that Go,l h1id ever met and satisfied their hope. One thing man has to learn over and over again in the experience of life. It is the untrustworthiness of things and people, and the sare foundation of hope that a man has in God. It is not usually long after a man outers on what may be called a personal experience that he discovers there is no hope to be placed in man. One of the most humiliating and depressing experiences of life is finding our most trusted friend fail us in the hour of need. 'l'hon we learn tht1t God is our first and only Hope. Then God docs not fa.ii. We n1ay trust him. We find THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS. 0XLIU. 1-12.
him the "Strength of our heart and our Portion for ever." Thnt experieuce ie repeated again and again as life unfolds. II. Gon ALWAYS WILL BE OUR HoPE. Estimate ari!(ht the painful experiences through which we may now be passing; times when our life-erections seem to lie in ruins about us; times when trusted frirnds fail us; times when the outlook before us is dark; times when the sense of loneliness oppresses us, we lonk to the right hand and to the left, but there is no helper ;-they are all times in which we are recovering and re-establishing our hope in God. It is well to remember that we always have that. The soul's deep rest is in him who is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever;" always the "Friend of the friendless and the faint." Life rightly viewed is a liberating us from every bond that would keep us from restful, strengthening hope in God. -R. T. . Ver. 8.-The fear ef not doin1 right in time.~ of stress. The people of Israel, on coming to the banks of the Jordan, and faciug a time of great strain and difficulty, were called to stop and consider, and estimate their needs, and their sources of strength. They were reminded, "Ye have not passed this way heretofore." 'l'hey were even more forcibly reminded, "The living God is among you." If they responded aright to this call, the_v would pray the prayer of this text, "Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk." I. THE SPIRIT WE OUGHT EVERY DAY TO CHERISH. A man's heart is revealed in every true prayer that he offers. This prayer shows (1) a great sense of God's nearness and personal interest. Contrast the renewed man's cherished ideas of God, and God's relations, with those of the unrenewed man. (2) A true humility under God's mighty hand; not merely the impression that God is great, but the feeling, too, that we are wholly dependent on him. (3) A happy trusting of all our interests to God's care. Power and wisdom do not satisfy reliant, trustful hearts. 'l'hey find rest only in personal affection, interest, and service. Tenderly beautiful are the words, "Thou kuowest, Lord I" when upon the humble, quiet-minded, loving Christian's lips. II. THE PRAYER WE ouaHT D.ULY To OFFER. Offer each day anew, and as freshly as if then offered f,,r the first time. The promise comes to us anew every morning, "As thy day so shall thy strength be." 1. Cause me to see the way. We always walk ln twilight; sometimes in utter darkness. "In thy light we shall sec light." 2. Cause me to choose the way. Because even when we know the right, we will not accept it or do it; so we want the Divine strength in our will and decisions. 3. Cause me to understand the claims of the way. For it must be full of duties and responsibilities. He is the truly happy man who can see clearly what God's work for him is, chooses it for himself, is satisfied with it, and wants to do it. 4. Cause me to meet the claims of the way. We need grace first in order to know the right way, and then grace to act aright in the way. So this prayer covers the whole field of the religious life.-R. T.
Ver. D.-Fleeing from God: fleeing to God. Literally, "Unto thee have I hidden myself;" or," my sorrow." J. \VHAT 16 IlEYEALED BY THE MOOD OF MIND THAT FI,EEB FROM GoD. That mood is suggested by the experience of Adam, who hid himself from the presence of the Lord, when the holy voice was heard in the garden, when the evening breeze was felt. 1. A mood of dissatisfaction with self is revealed. There is a good sense in which a man may be at peace with himself-satisfieci with himsdf; feeling no abrupl division between his doing and his sense of right doing. In that state the man lovea the thought of God, and cherishes the sense of his nearness. God is kin with him. If a man is dis~atisfied with himself, not sure of hie own rightness, that man will get away from God, put away the thought of him. 2. A mood of fear is revealed. A man knows how much he is dependent on God, and how closely ho is related to God; if he wants to get away from Gou, ho must haYe some reason to fcnr what those Divine relations must involve. 'l'he fear is based on either (1) taking up \\'rong thoughts of God; or (2) conduct which rum:t offend God. Fear, as_ nlar':1 that compels a man to hide, reveals cherished sin as exciting fear. (3) Sometimes 1t reveals an independeuce which persists in doing without God. This is the mood which is most hopeless. l'he man is satisfied with himself ou wrong grounds. l'I!. OXLIIJ, 1-12,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 861