IIOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1-12.-.A morning prayer: for sanctuary service: in evil times. This psalm seems to have been written for, or handed to the ltader of a special choir, that ho might 11dapt music for its use in sanctuary worship; not necessarily that of the temple-for Its composition was probably anterior to the erection of that building-but for use in the services of that temporary stx-ucture which preceded it, and which, though but tempornry, and even fragile in ~ m11,terial sense, was nevertheless in a high and holy ~il~ D THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. V, 1-12,
scuse the dwelling-place of God, yea, " the palace of the great King." 1 Noto: No material splendours of gold, silver, and precious stonos can mako a tomplo without the Real Presence; but however humble the structure,, the Real Presonce therein will make it n temple of God. Whether David was actually the penman of this psalm or no, matters not. It is evidently the composition of a true saint of God, and reflects in its several verses the spirit of the time and circumstances under which it was written. And not only so. But it shows us that the saints of olden time were ,vont to regard the house of God as a house of prayer, and to let their prayers be an unburdening of the heart to God on every matter of immediate and pressing concern. Note: In out ,prayers in God's house we have no need to include everything in one service. Nor aro ,rn bound to use the words of another's prayers, except as far as they suit our case at the 'time. Still less need we rack aud tear such a psalm as this to fiud in it the whole gospel. That would not only be a strange anachronism,1 but we should even lose very much oy missing the historic setting and aim of the psalm. Who cannot find comfort in the obvious fact that the Old Testament saint.!, in their prayers, used to tell God everything, just as it seemed to them, and as they felt about it? There is no greater boon in life than to have a friend who will never misunderstand us, and to whom we can tell anything, knowing that he will hide all our folly in his loving forgetfulness, and sympathize with all our cares. Such perfection of friendship is found in God o.lone. And we have in this psalm a beautiful illustration of the use which the psalmist made thereof. I. THE PSALMIST LAYS THE ENTIRE SITUATION BEFORE Goo. (Vera. 8, 9, "mino enemies," equivalent to" those that lie in wait for me.") The whole of the ninth verso shows the treachery and hollowness thnt mark the hostile bnnds, and the consequent peril in which the people of God were on that account.. (This verse is one of those quoted by the Apostle Paul in proof of human depravity. Nor is there any contrariety to reason in his so doing. For while the psalm speaks of all this wickedness in its relation to society, St. Paul i:peaks of similar wickedness in its relation to the Law of God and to the God of law. And it is because the psalmist knows how foreign to the nature of God all this iniquity is, tbat he brings it before God in prayer, and asks him to put it to shame.) Note: Let us learn to pray minutely, and not to lose ourselves in generalities. IL IN DOING THIS HE RECOGNIZES AN ENDEARING RELATION. (Ver. 2.) "My King," "my God." God was not a far-distant Being, only remotely related. The name "Jehovah" brought him near as Israel's redeeming God; and that very name, which removes us infinitely from anthropomorphism, was the one in which the saints of old found their joy and glory. They could call God their God. Under the New Testament our thoughts of God may be more sweet and endearing still. III. HE OBSEIIVES A DEVOUT AND WISE METHOD IN 1118 PRAYER, "fo the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." The meo.ning is-I will order it accurately, 3 and then look out to see whether it has sped, and when the answer will come. (Many of the old divines are very felicitous in their treatment of these two words.) Sometimes, indeed, the yearning God ward is too deep for outward expression (see ver. 1, "consider my meditation," i.e. understand my murmuring). " Lord, read the desires of my heart by thine all-piercing eye-and interpret my petitions in thine own loving-kindness before they rise to my lips." Happy they who know that they have a God with whom they can thus plead, and who have learned the blessed art of thus pleading with God! IV. HE SETS H1B APPLICATION ON SUBSTANTIAL GROUNDS. (Vere. 4-6.) The psalmist knows the character of God, and the righteousness of his administration; and in these verses he shows us how real was the re,·elation on these great themes which God ha<l given in his Law (see Ps. ciii. 6, 7). All these glorious disclosures of the holiness of God are reiterated and confirmed in the teaching and redemption of the Son of God. (For the specific phrases, see the Exposition; also Perowne and Cheyne.) It is because we know what Got.l is, and the principles of his government, 1 See Perowne and Cheyne on ver. 7. • AHhough for devotional suggestiveness Spurgoon's 'Treasury of David' is priceless, yet anachronisms abound thereio; and the student must read the book very warily. • " One of the first duties of the priest at dawn was to lay the wqod in order for thq morning 811,Qri.fice" (Perowne), fS, V, 1-12.) THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 35