nnd the heart-feelings, of a living moral being; one who can reason, feel and bear relations. To bless a person is to recogni1.e gratefully something whioh that 'person has done/or us, and done as a sign of his love to us. And it is thus that we bless God. It is our recognition not of common good, but of special interventions, arranaements 0 and adaptations/or u.s; and these as signs and proofs of his gracious and loving personai feeling toward us.-R. T. Ver.13.-God's everl,a,sting kingdom. "What is infinite in greatness must be infinite ln duration." "Thy kingdom is a kingdom. of all eternities." On the door of the old mosque in Damascus, which was once a Christian church, but for twelve centuries has ranked among the holiest of the Mohammedan sanctuaries, are inscribed these memorable words: " Thy kingdom, 0 Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion _endureth throughout all generations." It is evident that the psalmist is endeavourmg to find the most comprehensive and expressive of all terms to associate with God's kingdom and we must therefore notice the all-inclusiveness of this term, "everlasting." I. GoD's KINGDOM Is SPIRITUAL, It is not the kingdom of things, created thinas, of which the psalmist writes. It is God's kingdom of men, and man is essentially a spiritual being. The glory of an earthly king is not material possessions, but the loving service of free-willed peoples. God's kingdom is the rule of God's will over men's wills. A.nd so we pray, "Thy kingdom come ; thy will be done." It is a sublime thought of God that he is the spiritual Being ruling over spiritual beings. "King of saints, the holy." II. GoD's KINGDOM IS ALL-HALLOWING, It can never be identified with any earthly kingdom. It covers and includes them all. It is as absolutely universal as the spiritual being man; and is consistent with, but independent of, all the varieties of forms in which men organize themselves into nations, and arrange governmental con- ditions. God's kingdom must not be confused with his (Jhurch, unless we make the Church coextensive with the kingdom. Every man, being ii. spiritual man, is a member of God's spiritual kingdom. Everything for him depends on what sort of a member he is. III. Gon's KINGDOM IS PERMANENT, It belongs to all generations, because tho generations repeat spiritual beings, and God rules such, as long e.e, and wherever, they exist. The permanence of the kingdom is simply the necessity of it. It is not possible for us to conceive of any disintegrating forces that can possibly affect it.-R. T, Ver. 15.-The universal dependence and expectation, "Man is mastor. But there is a great deal in this world besides man. Nature t.akes e. thousand darlings to her bosom. Every evening motherly Darkness puts to bed myriads of unnamed children of the sod, of the leaf, of the tree, bush, moss, and stone. Every morn she sends age.in to awaken her brood, and troops them forth to their dewy breakfast. We sometimes get nearer to God in proportion as we get far from men. 'l'hese neglected treasures of Nature are e. book of Divine things, and if we do not read, the Oreator does" (Ward Beeoher). It is full of a sweet significance that the same word should be used con- cernin"0 God that we use to express the anxiety and pressure under which we so often groan. The Apostle Peter says, "Casting a.II your care upon him, for he careth for you." God cares for hie possessions and his family, even e.s we care for ours. But how complex, vast, and wonderful his possessions and family are I and how sublime must be his care I I. Gon'B CABE OF BIS CREATURES BEEN IN ADJO'STMENTB, All his creatures are put in their proper places, and kept in their proper places. The ~i.stribution of animate life, and the adjustment of creature to environment, and m1n1stry of each creature where it is put, keep up, for thoughtful minds, unceasing wonder at God's ever-watchful care. II. Goo's CABE OF BIS CBEATUBES BEEN IN LIMITATIONS, Thie point is not often presented. Iu order to be effective, the reproductive power in vegetable and animal life is bound to be so full and strong that there comes to be everywhere danger of over-production. Illustrate by the devastation wrought by rabbits when their growth is exempt from limitations. How seldom we think of God's goodness and care in PB. oxtv. 1-2l.J TTIE TIOOK OF PSALMS. 389
keeping everything limited to strict efficiency; and providing destructive a"'encies 0 to keep growths within safe bounds! III. Goo's 0.A.BE OF HIS CREA.TUBES 18 BEEN IN PROVIDlNGS. This brings to us very familiar considerations. But point may be gained by dealing with some sampls, cases : e.g. the gnat of the summer evening ; caddis-worm; or those insects that are unpleasant to us; dangerous serpents, eto, God "gives to them all their meat in due 10ason."-R. T.