Ver. 6.-Song and strolce. "Let the high praises of Goll be in their mouth, and a two-edged sworJ in their hancl." "The a~o when such a psalm was most likely to be produced was undoubtedly that of the Maccabees, nnd the coincidence between this verse and 2 Mace. xv. 27 may indicato the very series of events amid which, with hymns of praise in their throats, and a two-edged sword in their hand, the chasidim in battle after battle claimed and won the honour of executing vengeance on Jchovah's foes." Illustration may be taken also from Nehemiah's providing the workmen engaged on the wall with a weapon as well as a tool. Dut in that case the weapon will! for defensive purposes only. The point here is that the sworcl was for ncti ve and aggressive work against the foes of God and the nation; such foes ns were the Syrians in the days of the Maccabees. I. Goo's WORK IN THE WORLD OALLS Fon STROKE AS WELL AB IIONG. It is quite true that the weapons of our warfare are " not carnal;" but they ar6 weapons, and they are for a warfare. '!'hero is some dangor of overdoing the peaceful nnd submissivo sido of the Christian religion. 'l'huro are many evils, and especially those of a private awl pcreo11al charact11r, which can Le~l-pcrl,ap~ Cl\n only-bo ruct n:i,l co111111<'rcd l,y 416 TIIE BOOK OF P~JA.LM:S. [I's. CXLIX. 1-9.
submission. But there are other evils, and especially those of a public character which must be actively dealt with in a spirit of war. For thorn the servant of God must have strokes-stroke upon stroke. 'l'he two iujunctions can be, and must be, observed- " Resist not evil;" "Resist the devil." The spirit of the soldier should be in every Christian. (Illustrate by F. W. Robertson of Brighton.) II. GOD'S WORK OF "STROKE" IS NEVER RIGHTLY DONE SAVE AB WE KEEP THE SOUL OF SONG. That keeps us from a wrong spirit in doing what so easily arouses a bad spirit. The song in our soul shows we are only God's servants; and it keeps ue reminded that even in doing stern things we are only doing good, trying to waken song in other souls.-R. T.
Ver. 9.-The limitation of all human vengeance. "To execute upon them the judgmcnt written." " It was the thought that vengeance was the righteous retribution, written in the book of God, which made Israel glory in inflicting it." "The psalmist probably desires to fire the broken-spirited despondency which the history shows to have weighed so heavily on the returned exiles." Just in one thing humanity has always failed-it bas overdone its vengeance. Vengeance may be duty, but whenever man tries to do that duty, bis passions come in and spoil his work. Illustrate by the treatment of the conquered in Old Testament wars; by the horrors of the Ri;man sbge of Jerusalem; by the awful scenes at the sacking of besieged cities in modern warfare. Christianity has wrought a great blessing for humanity in putting strict limitation on vengeance. And it puts as strict limitations on the vengeance which an individual man may take on a fellow-man who has wronged him. Works of fiction often present the exaggerated vengeance taken by men who are under no restraint of Christianity, The Christian limitations are twofold. L HUMAN VENGEANCE IS LIMITED BY THE FACT THAT THOSE ON WHOM WE TAKE IT STAND IN THE LOVE OF GoD. 'l'he Mohammedan can freely slay the "infidels" in propagating his doctrines with the sword, because in his view they are altogether out of the love of God, and these vengeance-takers think they are executing the vengeance of God. We can do nothiog of the kind, for that love of God in which we live embraces every fellow of our humanity. To strike a man is to strike one whom God lo,es. This checks our taking vengeauce. I[, HUMAN VENGEANCE IS LIMITED BY THE NECESSITY OF KEEPING IN VIEW TIIB WELL-DEINO OF THOSE ON WHOM THE VENGEANCE IS TAKEN. The servant of God must never do aoythiog but good to anybody. He may do seeming injury io order to reach ends of good; but he roust always have in view the salvation-in the large sense -of those with whom he deals.-R. T.
Vers, 1-5.-The voice of1-raise. "Breathes the spirit of intense joy and eager hope in the period which succeeded the return from Babylon. The poet saw in their return so signal a proof of the Divine favour, that he regarded it as a pledge of a glorious future yet in store for the nation. But language like that of vers. 6-9 is no warrant for the exhibition of a similar spirit in the Christian Church." I. A NEW ERA IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION OR INDIVIDUAL FURNISHES NEW MATERIAL FOR PRAISE. (Ver. 1.) Escape from a miserable captivity and the return home was a new national experience, if they had not lost the spirit of freedom. How many eras in our individual life correspond to this? A long sickness recovered from, or a long habit of sin escaped from. II. SOCIAL WORSHIP IB MOST CONGENIAL TO THE SPIRIT OF PRAISE. (Ver. 1.) The people were summoned to rejoice in the congregation. Enthusiasm of any kind more easily inspired in a multitude than in an individual, and more easily propagated, III. WE ARE TO REJOICE IN OUR CREATOR AND KIKO AS OUR REDEEMER. (Vers. 2, 3.) Such a King will not leave them subject to alien rule, but redeem them, 1. For God rejoices in /,is near relation to his people. (Ver. 4.) Takes pl~asure in his fellowship with them and in their welfare. 2. He delights to array them in honour and glory. 'l'o put beauty and glory upon the outcast and afflicted. lV. THE JOY OF THE REDEEMED WILL UTTER ITSELF IN PnIVATE AS WELL AS IN PUDLIC. (Ver. 5.) "Upon their beds." In their most restful moments they will exuH io God'~ favour now, and in hope for the futuro.-S, PB. OL. 1-6.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 417