Ycrs. 6, 7.-The sttpreme qtteSt of life, "There be many," etc. Both the Church and the world were very different iu David's day from what they were in our Lord'e day; and in that from what they are to-day. But the contrast was as real, the opposition as strong. The cleavage between the party of God's will and the party of self-will went right through the heart of human life then, and does now. Consciously or not, we all rank on one side or the other. These words bring out the contrast very strongly as regards the supreme aim and quest of life. I. 'l'HE WORLDLIKG's MISTAKE. David looked out on the rush and bustle of life, and listened to the voices of the crowd. One cry came from all sides, "Who will show ue any good ? " Where can we find happiness ? On all sides there is the same illusion and blunder-the notion that happiness means something outside us instead of within. It is the same to-day. Happiness, people think, can be purchased with gold, packed in bales and boxes, poured out of bottles, caught in crowds, assured by parchments duly signed. Everywhere are the broken empty cisterns, crying out against the folly of those who hewed them out; yet everywhere is the same din of hammer and chisel hewing out new ones, the same neglect of" the Fountain of living waters." II. THE BELIEVER'S cnoICE, "Lift thou," etc. From the world, the psalmist turns to God. "Light" sometimes means knowledge (John xvii. 3; 2 Cor. iv. 6); but here rather the favour and manifested love of God. Smiles are the sunshine of the face, lighting up the inmost chambers of the heart (comp. Numb. vi. 25; Prov. xvi. 15). III. 'l'HE SAilITs' EXPERIENCE. (Ver. 7.) The psalmist's prayer (ver. 6) was not for a new blessing-not a sudden aspiration. It was the outcome of experience. He contrasts the golden harvests and "rivers of oil" of him who has "much goods laid up for many years," but" is not rich toward God," with his own portion-joy in the heart; and feels that this is "the true riches." If he has not what the world calls "happi- ness," he has something infinitely richer-blessedness. 'l'he worldling's quest is like chasing a will-o'-the-wisp; the Christian's, like steering by the north star. If we have received God's greatest gifts, we may well trust him for the rest (Rom, viii. 32).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-8.-.An evening song in perilous times, showing us the secret of happines.9. It is not difficult to be cheerful when we have everything we desire. But when life seems to be a series of catastrophes, disappointments, and vexations, buoyancy of spirit is not so easily attained. If our lives were in peril every moment through reLellion at home and plots and snares around, few of us would be found capable, under such circumstances, of writing morning and evening hymns. Yet such were the circumstances under which David wrote this psalm and the one which precedes it. Both of them belong, in all probability, to the time of Ahithophel's conspiracy, of Absalom's rebellion, when the king was a fugitive, camping out with a few of his follu'il'ers. Such reverses, moreover, were none the easier to bear, when he had the rellection that because of his own sin the sword was in his house, and was piercing his own soul. Yet even thus, as be had "a heart at leisure from itself" to write his song of morning praise, so does he also p~n his evening prayer.• We picture him thus: Any 1 On the relation between Pss. iii. and iv., see Dr. Forbee's' Studies on the Peo.lme' (1888), pp. J !.J9, 200-o. most suggestive and instructive work). What Dr. Cheyne mea~s by thinking of this and the preceding one as Church pea.Ima, we cannot ima.giue. There 1s not 11 1ra.ce of uuything of the kind. I'S, IV, 1-8.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 27