as we look backward? We should cherish not the recollection of past troubles and difficulties, but "the memory of God's great goodness" (ver. 7). And we do well to extend the field of observation beyond our own experience, and regard- I. THE VAST BREADTH OF ms BENEFICENCE. ".All bis works praise him," for he is "good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." On whom doth not his light a.rise? He makes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. '' The eyes of all wait upon him," etc. (vers. 15, 16). To his care the insect owes its hour of pleasure, and to his goodness the strong beast of the forest its strength and swiftness, and to his skill and his remembrance the bird of the air its flight and its song. We, too, ascribe our life, our health, our comforts, our domestic joys, our social happiness, our intellectual delights, our spiritual satisfactions, to the bounties of his hand and the kindness of bis heart of love. There is no living thing whose powers and whose pleasures do not testify of the goodness of the beneficent Creator. ".All his works praise him " (ver. 10). Il. Hrs PITIFUL:tn:ss AND HIS TENDERNESS. (Vers. 8, 14.) 1. "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion." 'l'his is another utterance of that invaluable truth contained in Ps. ciii., " Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" (see Exod. iii. 7; Joel ii. 18). It is one of the truest comforts in suffering and in sorrow that we a.re pitied by our Divine Saviour; that he feels with us in our grief; is " full of compassion" for us. The preseuce of pure and strong human sympathy is, in itself, an assurance of the Divine; but we are thankful for this clear and express statement of it. 2. The Lord is gentle toward us. He looks upon those that have fallen into error, into fault, into disgrace, into defeat, and be "upholds them ; " he regards those that are "bowed down" in sorrow, in weakness, in dis- couragement, that can" in no wise lift themselves up," and he "raises them up" (see Luke xiii. 11). The compassion shown by our Lord during his earthly life, bis pity for those who were faint and hungry, and for those who were diseased, and for the children of sorrow, is the best assurance, as it is the perfect manifestation of the com- passion of the Father himself; while" the gentleness of Christ" in all bis treatment of those that were down and that were despised is, and will ever be, the most exquisite illustration of" the gentleness of God'' (Ps. xviii. 35 ; 2 Cor. x. 1). IIL His PATIENCE AND FORGIVENESS. (Ver. 8.) He is "slow to anger, and of great mercy." 1. The patience of God was illustrated in bis forbearance with his rebellious people in " the days of old; " the patience of Jesus Christ was shown in his treatment of his disciples who were so "slow of heart to learn," not only what the prophets bad spoken, but what their own Master taught them (Matt. xv. 17; xvi. 9). 'l'be patience of our Lord is exemplified in his bearing toward us, whom, notwithstanding all our imperfections, be regards as his friends and fellow-labourers. Now, as before, be is "slow to chide, and swift to bless." 2. He is of" great mercy," pardoning those who have done the worst things, who have gone the furthest or stayed the longest away from him. IV. BIB REEPONSIVENESB. (Vers. 18--20.) 1. He is very near in spirit e.nd in sympathy to those who reverently and inquiringly draw near to hiru, so that those who seek him may feel that he is not afar off, but "very present" with them; nearer to them than they to one another. 2. He hears and answers his people's prayers; be interposes on their behalf. He gives them their hearts' desires; he saves them from all spiritual evil; he causes them to triumph; he preserves those who love him in their faith and in their love, and therefore in their joy and in their hope. He gives to them the heritage of the holy, here and hereafter.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-21.-The Te Deum of the Old Te.~tament. So this glorious psalm has been fitly named, and it is the germ of that great Christian hymn. "It is one, 11nd tho last, of the acrostic, or rather the alphabetic psalms, of which there arc eight in e.11. Like four other of these, this bears the name of David, although some are of opinion that in this case the inscription is not to be trusted" (Pcrowne). One letter of the Hebrew I's. oxn. 1-21.] TllE BOOK OF PSALMS. 875